Striving To Become Infallible

Issue 17 [June 13, 2010]


INFALLIBLE -
1. not erring: incapable of making a mistake
2. incapable of failing: certain not to fail
3. unerring in doctrine: incapable of being mistaken in matters of doctrine and dogma
[15th century. < medieval Latin infallibilis < Latin fallere "deceive, disappoint"
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

     When the Lord allowed me to come back to the house of God, I had some things that I urgently had to rid my life of. Just as the first time I came to God, I had tobacco, alcohol, and various “chemicals” which blocked my path to a better life. With a lot of help from the Lord, I shed those beggars clothes, and put on a new coat. One fit for an heir to the kingdom.

     There was a problem with this, I had flesh to contend with. When you go to starve your flesh from the things of this world, it will go into spiritual convulsions (so-to-speak). Just as an alcoholic will go thru “D.T.’s” , you may also.

     The words came to mind that I had given to so many others in that shape. Allow me to tell you a familiar story every one is probably familiar with.

    An older man was working with a young friend of his that was coming off alcohol and drugs. His friend was shaking and having a hard time of it. One night the young man was speaking to his friend and told him, that he didn’t think that he could go the rest of his life without a drink.

     The friend ask him if he could go 1 minute without a drink, the young man said “why sure, for 1 minute, yea I guess I could. Then the older man asked him, “Could you go 5 minutes without a drink?” The other replied, “yea, 5 minutes,. . . .I can handle that.” Once again the older man asked, what of 30 minutes? Is that possible for a strong man like yourself?” The other said, “30 minutes, hmmm?! I think I could.” The older man said again, “What of 60 minutes? Can you go 1 hour?” The young man thought for a minute and said, “I feel I can handle 1 hour. But no longer, I am not sure of myself past that time.” So the older man finally said, “Then live your life 1 hour at a time!”

     When we first come to God, we have to live our life 1 hour at a time. We have to crawl before we can walk. Doesn’t the Bible speak of milk before the meat? Now let me say that this is not a “Get out of jail” free card, nor is this a license to sin. We can not say well, I’ll sin this hour and repent the next, that is not a proper repentant lifestyle. Repentant means to be truly sorry for the wrong that you have done and with all intentions and demands upon your own life, strive to walk that way NO MORE.

     After we have received our “sea-legs” and can walk, we have to strive and contend that we are no longer the old man we used to be. We are not God, so we can not resurrect the dead. Let the dead stay dead! It may be hard sometimes to not look back to Egypt and desire the melons and cucumbers and leeks. If it was not tempting, then we would not have been doing it in the first place. Who has a desire to WANT to have a root canal? No one because it is not a tempting thing for anyone in their right mind! Ha ha

     We have to remind our self that Egypt is infested with infectious diseases and it is a place where all souls eventually die. Lots wife turned back to gaze upon her city but was turned to a pillar of salt for her disobedience. What would happen to us today if we were dealt with as harshly as in the old testament?

     It will take a made up mind to keep traveling down the narrow path. A man who is easily persuaded is easily removed from the persuasion. I am not saying that there will not be bumps in the road nor will it be “suck bottles and lollipops.” Remember a man with a dream is equal to 99 with only an idea - author unknown. When you fall, and if you walk this path you probably will, get back to your feet, brush yourself off and keep walking. Its not about the first to cross the finish line, it is who simply MAKES the finish line.

     You have to pace yourself and do the best you can. Only you and God truly know what your limits are. You don’t have to set your goals so high that they are unattainable. I say that for those like myself who are reaching for never ending perfection. Remember this, You can only travel as far as your vision will carry you - JW 6/08. So set your vision for Heaven, it is attainable. There is a healthy balance in most everything, except sin. The best thing I have found to help with a healthy balance is prayer, fasting and keep a humble and contrite spirit.

     A man with a desire to succeed is a man who has the fuel to take him there. The Bible says (psalms 37:23-24) “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand” A good man is subject to FALL down but the thing of it is, a good man won’t STAY down. If your wrong, take your lickin, get back up and get back out on the battlefield again.

     What Satan doesn’t want us to see is that he is laughing at us when we fall to his snares. I don’t’ know about you but I HATE my enemies to laugh at me, knowing that the got the best of me. I never wanted to give them the satisfaction of knowing that they got over on me and to let them keep me down. When I began to channel my anger towards defeating my enemy, that is when I “come out fighting” (as I think, Joe Lewis said).

     Sometimes what we must do is learn to HATE, sin that is. A British General in WWII made the statement; What we must do is teach our men to hate. For what they hate, they will fight!”
     In the carnal world, a man who falls on the field of battle, dies victoriously and bravely fought his enemy. He gave his life for a cause he was willing to die for. In the spiritual world, we don’t have to die on the field of battle because our enemy can not defeat us. Not when the Lord is on our side. Our enemy will never prevail, as long as we make our mind that we will . . . Strive For Infallibility!

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Scriptures For Your Basket:
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Kings 20:28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Psalms 73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Pradis CD-ROM:1Ti 6:12. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 1994.
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Editors Comments:
     I know there may be some who feel that I write as one who portraits himself as already infallible but it is so not the case. I am very much human and many times I write of encouragement and motivation and continual striving for more, because I am writing not only for you and to you but to and for ME. If anyone has ever needed to reach for more, it is I.
     I am still the least in the kingdom and in more need of God than anyone living. I am simply someone who is putting pen to paper what I feel for myself, and maybe able to help someone struggling (like myself) along the way. If I do any finger pointing, it is to myself more than anyone else.

You cant help people get to the top of the hill, without finding yourself there also - Zig Ziglar