Prepare-for-War

unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." Mark 9:35

Why are the majority of Christians in this nation looking to leaders who are completely unwilling to be last of all or ser vant of all? Why are they willing to pay out thousands of dollars to bring a supposed servant of God to their area who demands expensive lodging and payment for his services above and beyond his food and board? Why are they so im pressed with fancy clothes, flowery oratory and worldliness? Why? Because they lack the fire of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Any servant of God must spend much more time on his face before God than he ever does in the work God gives him to do. Lack of holiness in our lives blocks the flow of the Holy Spirit and transforms our work into worthless ashes in the sight of God. Charles G. Finney made a statement that we would do well to consider:

"Sinners may strongly wish or desire to be rid of all their sins, and may pray for it, even with agony. They may think they are willing to be perfect, but they deceive themselves. They may feel willing to renounce their sins as a whole, or as an abstract idea, but taken in detail, one by one, there are many sins they are un willing to give up. They wrestle against sin in general, but cling to it in the detail." "When they are truly willing to give up an sin, when they have no will of their own, but merge their own will entirely in the will of God, then their bonds are broken. When they yield absolutely to God's will, then they are filled with the fullness of God." (Principles of Holiness, Charles G. Finney, Bethany House Publishers, pp. 22-23.)

This is the literal meaning of "crucifixion of self.'' We cannot accomplish this work in our lives. Jeremiah states this very plainly:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperate ly wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the

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