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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">“<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b>Tel:
253-517-9195 - Email: <a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">December 10, 2011</p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">“<b>THE
OFFERING OF THE NATURAL” - Oswald Chambers - 2011-12-10</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b>(From
“My Utmost for His Highest” - December 10)</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT">“<b>It
is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the
other by a freewoman” (Galatians 4:22).</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b>Paul
was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the
relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned
into the spiritual <u>only</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
through sacrifice.</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Without
this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the
natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God's
perfect will, but His permissive will. God's perfect will was for the
natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is
what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Abraham
</span><u>had to</u><span style="text-decoration: none;"> offer up
Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us
are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have
sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual
sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice
...” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from
sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my
salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">If
we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life
will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us, and will
produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an
undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly
refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. <br>We
excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn't taught to be
disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If
you don't, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">God
is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue
to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in
the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be
with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His
promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><u><b>NOTE</b></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>:
</b></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">On
2006-12-10 - I put this note underneath this reading - “A new
insight!” </span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">When
Marie and I were in Israel in 2005 on top of Mount Carmel with David
& Karen Davis, one of the lectures was given on this subject.
Because Abraham listened to his wife Sarah, and had Ishmael from
Egyptian Hagar, when God had already told him - that his covenant
child would be from Sarah, even though it didn't happen till she was
91 and he was 100! - therefore ...</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Look
at the Middle East today, 4000 years later - and we can still see the
results of this. But God loves all people. He loves Ishmael, and
looked after him in the natural once Abraham listened to Sarah and
sacrificed him. Today, many Islamic people are turning to Christ,
direct descendant through Isaac, laughter, the child of </span></span><u><span style="">promise</span></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">!</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Are
these things easy too understand? Certainly not! But those who have a
heart to please God and receive His best - </span></span><u><span style="">they</span></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
will have their understanding opened by the Holy Spirit - and will
know these “mysteries” spoken of by God in the Holy Scriptures!</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">The
above reading by Chambers - is one to meditate over on one's knees -
to pray over - and to walk in. This Charles Haddon Spurgeon did - and
George Muller and George Whitefield and Rees Howells and Oswald
Chambers. I encourage each one of us to do likewise. J.A.Watt</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
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