I Kings 15:14a But the
high places were not removed:
Jehoshaphat:
I Kings 22:43b nevertheless the high places were not taken
away; for the people offered
and burnt incense yet in the high places.
Jehoash:
II Kings
12:3 But the
high places were not taken away: the
people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the
high places.
Amaziah:
II Kings 14:4 Howbeit
the high places were not taken away: as yet
the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the
high places.
Azariah:
II Kings 15:4 Save that
the high places were not removed: the
people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the
high places.
Jotham:
II Kings 15:35a Howbeit
the high places were not removed: the
people sacrificed and burned incense still in the
high places.
How can I, instead, be like the following two
men, which went that last step, and finally removed the
high places?
Hezekiah:
II Kings 18:4a
He removed the high places,
Josiah:
II Chronicles 34:3b
and in the twelfth year he began to purge
Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and
the groves, and the carved images, and the molten
images.
I know the scripture that reminds me of
using the weapons to cast down the high things:
II Corinthians 10:4 (For
the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strong holds;)
5 Casting
down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ;
But which weapon is that, the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God?
Josiah had a radical encounter with the word
of God, before he went out and removed the high places
and the idols.
But it says, weapons, plural, so would that
also include prayer as one of those weapons?
So, how exactly do I wield the weapons to
cast down my high places?
I know the scripture that reminds me to set
my affection,
but
how, exactly, do I completely transfer my affections
from things down here, to things up there?
Colossians
3:2 Set your affection on
things above, not on things on the earth.
I know the scriptures that reminds me to
make my choice, but how do I force my heart into
choosing?
Joshua
24:15a And if it seem evil unto you to
serve the LORD, choose you this day whom
ye will serve;
I Kings
18:21a And Elijah came unto all the
people, and said, How long halt ye between
two opinions?
Others have told me, "Gino, just walk in the
Spirit".
Although, when I asked them how to exactly do
that, they say, "Simply walk in the Spirit".
That didn't help me, as I knew the same
scriptures that they were referring to,
but
how, exactly to do that, remains a bit of a mystery to me,
after
all, have I not, to some measure, been walking in the
Spirit, and not 100% walking in the flesh,
so,
then, how do I walk more fully in the Spirit?
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
25 If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Others have told me, "Gino,
just resist the devil".
Well, we are told to first submit ourselves to God, before it
says to resist the devil (an important step missing).
So, how exactly do I submit
to God?
Have I not, to some measure,
submitted to God, like the first six men mentioned?
Then, how do I further submit
for that last step, to tear down my high places?
Would this require a 100.000%
full surrender of my will to his will?
If so, how exactly do I fully
surrender, if I've only nearly fully surrendered for all
these years?
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
Could it be that I am more a lover of
pleasures than a lover of God?
II
Timothy 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
If so,
then I'm back to requiring to make a choice:
Hebrews
11:25 Choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy
the pleasures of sin for a season;
Unfortunately, those with a fully Calvinistic
approach, have advised me to simply let go and let God.
The advice there is to stand still and see the
salvation of the LORD.
No choosing or repentance, therefore, would
seem to be required on my part?
Then, unfortunately, those with a fully
Arminian approach, advise me to do it all.
That my waiting on the LORD to act, is
actually my desire to drag my feet to do nothing.
That if I don't do it, it will not be done.
However, I am of the opinion that both things
are involved.
I do need to choose and repent, but I also
need to depend upon Jesus' power, for any kind of victory.
Yet, the fact that I'm still in this
situation, I do not think is Jesus' fault, but mine.
The next step, I believe, is mine, but which
step is that?
I actually have, repeatedly, repented, and
torn down my high places,
but
then, like king Manasseh did, after his father had torn
them down,
I
reared them back up again.
Does that mean that I never truly repented
from the heart?
Or does that mean that this is my besetting
sin, and that my heart and my flesh are very, very weak?
Any help or advice would be greatly
appreciated!