Bible Study An Introduction To Containers-To A Dry Place

[Soul man]

Introduction to containers
Verses 15 and 16 take us to a fifth step, "15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:"
Even though you speak strongly of your past religion, even though you persecute others who believe in a closer walk with God, and even though you profit from your stand, the original call of God will triumph if your heart is honest and sincere.
Paul said that, even though he fought the plan of God, God's original call triumphed in his life. "For it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, to reveal his Son in me, and I conferred not with flesh and blood."
When you finally realize that God's original call is predominant in your life, that He called you to be a son, then your life is going to be maneuvered by His Spirit until you grow into that. You will realize then that you cannot trust in man.
The covering idea that went through the body of Christ ended in disaster for most. It still may be going on just not as predominant. The idea you needed something to cover you, a church building, a preacher, pastor, or even a layman. It sounded like a good idea, but ended badly. Some may have needed it for a season, but it is no more than any other ministry of helps.
No flesh or man is involved when you really get hungry for God, it has to be between you and the lord.

Step six: The importance of Dry places.

Paul said in verse 17, "I did not go to Jerusalem (the religious mecca of the day), I did not talk to the other Apostles who were with Jesus before me, but instead I went into the desert."
Did you ever read in the scriptures how most of God's servants went to the dry places or the mountain places to find the lord. I get worried about these people who are touring around looking for a good blessing.
It would be better if they go to the dry places, for that is where He is. In the dry places, there is less of man and more of God, so Paul went into Arabia. When he came forth from Arabia, he came forth with his witness that Christ had been revealed in him.

What happened in Arabia? It was there in the dry place that his mind was renewed.
According to the pattern, the revelation of Jesus Christ did not come when you were born again, for there is no scriptural record that it ever happened to anybody like that. Paul does not preach it or verify it that way.
The record is that they were saved, filled with the Spirit, and then God, by His grace, brought them to a place where they were able to come out, separate and divide themselves from everything that was not Spirit. In such a place, a desert place, God revealed Himself unto Paul.

 

[for_his_glory]

I have to contain myself in God only as when I quit looking for what man could do I found they could do nothing to draw me closer to the Lord. Emotions can be deceiving and only temporal, but God is everlasting a d never deceiving as He will always want the best for us. It is in those dry places that we let go and let God truly speak to us without any interruptions from our surroundings. To know God is to truly know His love for us.

 

[Hermit]

The dry place like the desert, or any other place where you are alone, such as on a mountain, even on a sailing boat in the middle of the ocean, one is confronted with our own fears. What we fear could be anything from being alone, or accompanied by all sorts of imaginings. Some call this the dark night of the soul. Strangely, many say this is between 2-3 am, when it is the quietest time of the day.

When isolated, and when our own fears start creeping in, we start seeking God for salvation. Once we establish a relationship with God we no longer need to go anywhere except to our heart-consciousness. But until then, we don't know where to go, except where we never seemed to have found God before _ that is, amongst other people of the flesh (ungodly). Also, we know that any relationship with God is personal and has nothing to do with other people.

These days, many visit a church alone and do their soul searching there. Another reason for isolation is that many humans, when they start being honest to God, their floodgates burst open and all sorts of repentance starts coming forth. They know that this is a possibility and do not wish others to know about their self exposure and vulnerability. So, there are many reasons. I think any one of these is not the sole reason, but a combination of them.

This is what they mean where it is written to fear God. It is the fears we have to face, of ourselves, rather than God. There is a saying "I know, that God knows, that I know." So he already knows, but I fear knowing what He knows about me. To embrace God is to embrace everything about me, everything I don't want to know, my denials, my shame, remorse, guilt, everything.

Alone with God, and nowhere to hide. Facing death or embrace. It is the facing which makes all the difference. It is total surrender of our will and our life to the care of God's will for us.