Oswald Chambers

“Am I full of the little things that cheer His (God’s) heart over me, or am I whimpering because things are going hardly with me? There is no joy in the soul that has forgotten what God prizes. It is a great thing to think that Jesus Christ has need of me – “Give Me to drink.” How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life?”

“Shadow Humor”

AHMMMMMM…I THINK I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY A FOUR-LETTER WORD!

DID I HEAR SOMEBODY SAY A FOUR-LETTER WORD?

THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT.

Shadow says > This is no fun, but my master says that hygiene is important, he goes on to talk about spiritual hygiene and how it relates to the Hosea House and fighting our demons! If I could read I would read them, but I’m just a dog. So, anyway, the articles follow the next picture, and as you can see, I am growing and the four-letter word was good for me.

“How Long in Hosea House?”

SUBTITLE: “FIGHTING OUR DEMONS”

How long in Hosea House? Answer: As long as it takes.

Note: “Then I said to her, You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution.” (Hosea 3:3a NLT)

The renewing of our mind is not an overnight process, and there are very important “disciplines” that we must develop in order to be transformed in the way that Romans 12:2 speaks about.

Hosea 3:3 is our central scripture, but we are looking for “transformation”, and God gives us the key in Romans 12:2.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rom. 12:2a)

How is our mind going to be renewed? Well, of course, there are many ways God works on us by His Holy Spirit, but as we consider Paul’s teaching about the “washing of the water of the word”, (Ephesians 5:26), we have to realize that our filthy mind, filthy from exposure to an ungodly world, must need a lot of Holy Spirit scrubbing with the Word of God, or else we would not be struggling so much with a strong hold in our life.

Even as the people of Christ time walked about on very dirty streets and could not help but get dirty feet, even so, we are exposed to another kind of filth, which becomes a pollution of our minds. It has been rightly said that the main battlefield is the mind. Therefore, it is imperative that we develop certain disciplines that will enable us to keep our clean feet on the straight and narrow. Dirty feet love to stray, but clean feet will love to stay! (Hey! I just made that up! I kinda like it!)

Our spiritual hygiene habits are critical to our usefulness in Christ.  As Timothy explained, there are vessels unto “honor”, and vessels unto “dishonor”. (II Timothy 2:19-21) We are in Hosea House to develop such habits. Time spent in the word, washing our feet, meditating on the word, cleansing our mind, this is a critical practice to develop.

“…stop your prostitution.” (Hosea 3:3)

Has the demonic hold been broken? Has your prostitution stopped and a closeness of the Lord redeveloped? If not, then you are not ready to leave yet, and we must continue in developing the disciplines. This is critical because it is not us who change ourself. We have already proven to be a miserable failure at that. It is God who will change us, and that only happens as we take more of God in. So here are the three main disciplines I recommend.

1.) Love God more.

2.) Love His Word more.

3.) Love Prayer and Worship more.

In Psalms 91:14, we read: > “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:”

This is the beginning of 6 “I Will’s” of God! The best path to be delivered of your sins is to allow your sins to drive you even more to God! As we realize how helpless we are to save ourself, we should begin to see how much he loves us, and that he desires to be our Champion and deliver us from our own evil nature! What we need is more of Him!

God will lead us and show us how to fill the voids that are created as those demons begin to shrivel up and fall away. The more we drink of Christ, and the more our mind is renewed in his word, as we practice spiritual disciplines “faithfully”, we will be transformed! Eventually, we come out of Hosea House ready to do something for God! We have become Christ workmanship! He has transformed us into a vessel of honor ready for the Master’s use! This is the power of Hosea House!

So…I’m sorry God does not offer us a magic pill to swallow and all is well. No, sir. God’s Word reveals actions that we must take in order to grow in Christ. Something that is not growing, is dying. The demons will stop growing. They will begin to shrivel. They will eventually fall away.

This is no small thing we are talking about. The Bible speaks of a time when there will be a great falling away amongst Christians. An apostasy, as it is called. (II Thess. 2:3)

CAN WE LIVE IN SODOM AND NOT FIGHT DEMONS?

WE MUST FIGHT OUR DEMONS.

I highly recommend meditating on every word of  II Timothy 2:19-21. >

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

Your faith will make you whole as you believe in God’s ways that they will deliver you. Jesus turned to his disciples at one point and asked the question: Will you leave me, too?

The disciples answered: Where else could we go, Lord? For you have the words of life.

The disciples had enough sense to know, that whether they understood what he said or not, there was no where else to go. Jesus had convinced them that he had the only answers, and the only real hope that there is. They understood there was no where else to go, so might as well dig in and BELIEVE! Understanding will come!

Step #3 > “In Hosea House”

SUBTITLE: “FIGHTING OUR DEMONS”

“Then I said to her, You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.” (Hosea 3:3 NLT)

If you have an ongoing battle with a demonic strong hold in your life, you know who you are. It is my opinion that we are living in a time of much demonic oppression, in which demons are attempting to control and ride Christians as if they were their personal pack mule. It is a bondage and it is a slavery. Pack mule is a good description. How else can we explain the downfall of so many Christian leaders? If the leaders are struggling, how much more the congregation?

Here is an example of one of the strangest prayer request “situations” I have ever had. I do not know everyone in our church. I wish I did, but I simply don’t. One Sunday morning after the message was preached, two men, a woman, and a little girl around eight years old came up to the podium area where a few leaders gather to pray for people. They happened to come to me, and it was the little girl who had the request.

I had some knowledge of the one man, but I did not know the other man, or woman, or even the girl as far as that goes. I thought she might be a daughter of the man I recognized. I had met him before and knew his name, but I didn’t know much else. The man I knew did indicate this was his daughter. Now the little girl proceeded to speak her request, and this is what she asked: “Would you pray for my mommy and daddy that their relationship would get better?” (I could tell the little girl was worried that mommy and daddy would not be together, or something to that effect.) I tried to get a little more clarification, but the girl was very shy, very concerned, and very sincere in her request, and all three of the adults just stood there looking at me, as if I would know what to do.

The woman whom I did not recognize was holding the little girl’s hand, and if mommy and daddy are having problems, then perhaps this woman had not been coming to Church? It appeared as if she must be the mother, and I assumed this couple was still together at this time, but maybe considering divorce? And again, I still had no idea who the other man was, and never did find out.

So I went with the request of the person who was asking the request. I honored the little girl’s heart-felt question and I began to pray for a new beginning and a fresh romance to spark between mommy and daddy. I prayed that they would fall in love again, and be supernaturally renewed in their relationship with each other. My wife, who was with me, happened to look at the woman as I was praying and said she had tears in her eyes. She was crying.

When I finished they quietly walked away, but something just didn’t feel right about things, so I went to the Pastor, and come to find out, that woman was the new girl friend! Also, mommy and daddy was already divorced! I was praying for a restoration of a failed marriage while the new girl friend was right there! This little girl had the boldness to request this with both parties present! And again, I have no idea who the 3rd person was. (Did the adults know what she was going to request?)

I was also informed that the parents of the little girl had at one time been powerful youth ministers with a thriving youth ministry. What in the world had happened? So if you think I am kidding about our current society being demon ridden, you better think again. This is only one example of many.

CAN WE LIVE IN SODOM AND NOT FIGHT DEMONS?

“and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” (II Peter 2:7-8)

In the verse above, that word “conversation” in the Greek actually means lifestyle, and behavior. It is more than just having a conversation as in talking. It is what the culture of that time and place had become.

The word “vexed” is used twice, but are two different Greek words. The first meaning: to labor down, wear with toil, harass, oppress. The second meaning: to torture, pain, torment, toil, toss.

SO, here we are, we know who we are and we need to get free! We are broken before our Lord and he takes us back into Hosea House and we can see there is some restoration that needs to take place. Our hair has been cut and the anointing has leaked from our vessel. God wants to restore us to an even greater closeness, but that cannot happen unless this cycle is broken and we learn to be faithful and stay free.

We have come a long ways at this blog site. All the way from when we started the “I’m Not Superman” articles, which flowed into “The Way Things Work” articles, and now here: “Fighting Our Demons”. Don’t forget what we learned that “WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG”. You cannot overcome these strong holds unless you embrace the Shepherd/sheep relationship. You cannot defeat your demons unless you embrace that he is the Potter, and I am the clay. It is the “Path of Weakness” that shall overcome! We need to understand what Paul was saying. All these previous articles are important, but now we are in Hosea House, and what is Step #3? What are we supposed to be doing while we are separated into Hosea House?

We’re already pushing 1000 words, but let us press on.

Yes, we have separated ourself for a time of intense searching and seeking, because we are broken and we cannot keep going on this way. So in this time of separation, God wants to wash our feet. Follow me closely, because this is very important.

At the Last Supper, with our Lord’s crucifixion so very near, he has gathered his men together in an upper room, a separation, and they plan to eat together one last time, but first, Jesus gets up and starts washing people’s feet! What in the world is going on here? As we will see, not even Peter understood what his Lord was doing. (John 13:5-10)

“After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.

Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”

The practice of “foot washing” was not only a spiritual lesson that day, but it was also a physical “NECESSITY” of the day. The roads were hot and dusty. Many of the people wore sandals or went barefoot. Can you imagine the condition of their feet after a day of walking around in all that dirt? Now we could expound upon this, but for speed sake, lets say, enough said.

Today we are walking in a spiritual Sodom, and it is not likely you can avoid it. Just like in that day, If you did any walking at all, it is likely that your feet got dirty and needed to be washed! Now, in order for you to get the full picture on this I need to add just one more scripture out of, Ephesians 5:25-26.

” Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it WITH THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD,”

Now wait a minute, Lord? I thought we have already been washed in the BLOOD OF THE LAMB? I have been washed from head to toe by the Blood of the Lamb! What is this washing of the water of the word? There are two washings? Yes, there most certainly is, and that being the case, then what is the purpose of the washing of the water of the word? (This is sooo important!)

I know we are very busy. Most of us are too busy, but what can we do about it? And too busy leads to a condition known as too tired! However, we are in Hosea House for a time, and we are making an extra effort, even if it is only for a short time, to make some new habits, and learn how to STAY FREE!!! You have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb but your feet stink to high heavens! Your feet are filthy! We have been walking in Sodom and what is getting dirty? IS IT REALLY OUR FEET?

IS IT REALLY OUR FEET GETTING DIRTY ??? WHAT IS IT REALLY ???

NO, SIR. IT IS OUR MINDS. OUR MINDS CAN BECOME FILTHY WITH THE DIRT OF THIS WORLD.

Jesus explained to Peter, it is not your whole body that needs washing, Peter, but your feet are filthy from walking in this world! I NEED TO WASH YOUR FEET.

Jesus is the Word made flesh. Our Bible is a “basin”! Just like in a western movie, when they did not have indoor plumbing, and the cowboy walks over to the small table, grabs the handle of a pitcher and begins to pour clean water into a basin to wash his hands and face! God has poured the living water of heaven, out of heaven into the basin of our Bible, and as we see things HEATING UP, we need to take more showers, not less! We need to wash our dirty minds in the pure water of God’s word on a very regular basis! While you are in Hosea House, spend as much time as you can in the Word! saturate your mind, and subconscious mind! Subject your mind to the MIND OF CHRIST!

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2a)

Yes, this is what we need to be doing while our hair is growing. This is the Hosea House. If I were not rapidly closing in on 2000 words, I would press this farther, but I will try to wrap up with this, FOR NOW.

This is STEP #3. Spend time absorbing as much of the Word of God as you can. It has a cleansing effect on our minds! Our minds get dirty as we walk in this polluted world, and they need a regular cleansing. This is the path to a renewed mind and transformed life, but you must keep your feet to this path! God is not really worried if your feet are dirty, it is your mind from whence the battles are waged!

It is our mind, that our Lord desires to gird himself, and wash us with the holy water of his word. Let me leave you with this one last thought. I’m going to change a word in this scripture. See if you can pick it out, and see if you understand why I’m doing it? If I have taught this well, then you will understand, and you will also be delighted at the thought.

Romans 10:15 > And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the minds of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!