Ishmael must go!

[mattfivefour]

I wrote a version of this post to a dear brother in the Lord this morning as an encouragement and an instruction. Then the thought occurred to me that it might help somebody else. So I am posting it in open forum.
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Ishmael must go!

Our God is an awesome God. And when we allow him to rule in our lives, He brings forth beautiful fruit! Now, none of us has it all together. We are all struggling with the world and our own flesh. This morning at Family Worship Center pastor Swaggart was preaching on Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael: Ishmael, the child of the flesh, the result of man's attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise through his own means; Isaac, the child of the Spirit, the fulfillment of God's promise brought about by God in His way and in His time. The Bible reveals that Abraham loved Ishmael and sought good for him (Genesis 17:18,20; 21:10-11); yet he had to give him up. And as pastor Jimmy spoke of the importance of waiting for God's promise rather than attempting to bring it about—whatever it may be—through our own efforts, the Holy Spirit laid into my mind the following thought implicit in the pastor's message: Just as Ishmael could not be allowed to dwell any longer in Abraham's tent but had to be thrust out, so our "old man"—our "flesh", our ideas, our will, our ways—cannot be allowed to dwell any longer in our "tent"—which is to say our body (2 Corinthians 5:1 and 2 Peter 1:13-14)—but must likewise be thrust out ... something we can do only by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13).

This fits well with the message God laid into my heart a few of years ago—and which dwells with me every day—of Gideon and his great victory. (I cannot recall if I posted it on RF.) You may recall that the Lord, when He had engineered the circumstance of Gideon facing an enemy army of 135,000 men (Judges 8:10) with just 300 men of his own (Judges 7:7), sent them against the enemy, being equipped with trumpets and clay jars which contained lit torches. You may also recall that the enemy was made up of Midian, a type of the world, and Amalek, a type of the flesh. As we read this account we see that the victory was produced by the Lord, not when Gideon had superior forces or great skill at arms, but when the clay jars of his men were broken and the trumpets blown. The light suddenly shining forth and the sound of the trumpets were used of God to instill panic among the sleeping enemy, causing them to fight and kill one another. Thus God accomplished a magnificent and supernatural victory despite all evidence in the natural saying that victory was impossible.

But just as Gideon's men could not experience the victory until their clay jars were broken so that the light within could shine forth, so too we cannot experience the victory in our own circumstances until WE are broken; for we hold the light of Christ in clay jars (Greek: literally "earthen vessels or containers") which are our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:7). That is why God engineers circumstances in our lives that bring us to the end of ourselves: for nothing we do or say in and of ourselves will ever bring a soul to the Master. Nor bring glory to God, either. But as we allow ourselves to be broken—in other words as our carnal self, our fleshly ways, our confidence in our own strength and abilities and ideas is shattered by the Holy Spirit—the light of Christ is able to shine forth from us. Men no longer see us, they see Christ. And THAT is God's purpose, THAT gives witness to the reality of Christ in our lives. It is not what we say, but rather what we ARE that is the witness that what we say is true.

So stay strong in the faith when troubles come. God never brings us to something that He will not bring as through; and everything He brings us to is crafted for our good. When you find yourself in deep waters and fiery trials remember that He has promised to be with you in both (Isaiah 43:2), that the waters will not drown you nor the flames burn you. Rather, He will use the situation for His purpose and our good. And our good is found in the nature and the power of Christ being produced within us. Allow Him to break and mold you. And God will use you where you are and in the circumstances in which you find yourself.

Three times in the marvelous first chapter of Ephesians we are told that everything He does is to the "praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:6,12,14). This phrase has a two-fold meaning. It means both that we, who experience the salvation of God and all of its benefits that Christ won for us on the Cross, will celebrate his glory; and also that, as a result of our salvation, praise will be ascribed to him by all Creation.

May God, therefore, be glorified in each of us!

Amen!

[Meg]

Amen! Thank you for sharing this lovely insight, Adrian.

[livin_in_the_Son]

Amen! Thank you for sharing this lovely insight, Adrian.

I agree to! It's always easy to give praise and worship when everything is good....add in a job loss, or eviction, or any other type of turmoil, and quickly a person can turn away mad at God. Your post was a wonderful reminder how we should react instead! Thanks for the nudge my brother.

[Elijah's Mantle]

Yes God Bless you real Big for sharing that great message Brother Matt

I found this one in particular to be a awesome one indeed

But just as Gideon's men could not experience the victory until their clay jars were broken so that the light within could shine forth, so too we cannot experience the victory in our own circumstances until WE are broken; for we hold the light of Christ in clay jars (Greek: literally "earthen vessels or containers") which are our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:7). That is why God engineers circumstances in our lives that bring us to the end of ourselves:

thats what we are earthen vessels
amazing what God created from dust isn't it
he keeps on creating in the earthen vessels

[IamPJ]

What an awesome message. Thanks for sharing. I've been going through a rough time and this message really spoke to me.

[rae_ekaf]

Gen 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; ( Concordance3458) because the LORD hath heard, thy affliction.


yishmâ‛ê'l
yish-maw-ale'
From H8085 and H410; God will hear; Jishmael, the name of Abraham’s oldest son, and of five Israelites: - Ishmael.


Ishmael in Hebrew means God will hear.

[rae_ekaf]

Genesis 25:7 *And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
8 *Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
9 *And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;