Was Paul Like Us?

Since discovering G42 on July 2, 2011, and subsequently considering the topic of "being dead to self", I have been reading Paul's letters to the churches in Rome, Corinth, and Galatia.  It's quite shocking to read about what he said the believers were doing in those cities .  Pretty bad things.  Then Paul talks about himself, not doing what he wants to do, but doing what he does not want to.  That makes me ask, "What was he doing that he should not have been doing?"  Maybe it's good that we don't know, because if we did, we might compare ourselves to him and say, "Well, I'm not that bad.  I should be okay" or "I am worse than that.  How can I expect to make it."  Paul gave a lot of instructions to the churches in those letters.  Some instructions related to the sins some had been committing.  It's not a pretty picture.

Those letters, where Paul addresses what the believers were doing that was sinful, make we wonder, "Am I any better than them?  I have not done some of the things they did."  Of course I am not better, because I may not have done what they did, but if I've thought it, I've done it.  And I've probably thought some of those things.

Maybe I should not be focusing on what sins were committed by Paul and the believers of his time whom he addressed. Maybe I should be focusing on what Paul said to do about our bodies and our spirits - things like, bring the body into submission, pressing towards the mark, running the race, and things related to the spirit life and physical life, and not being controlled by sin, but being controlled by the spirit, and such.

I have not met many Christians who talk about bringing the flesh into submission and the other things I mentioned above, but I am hearing it in G42.   Few people challenge me to stretch beyond where I am as a Christian, but I am challenged in G42 and my bother Mel challenges me.  Mel is 84 and a precious one to me for about 25 years.  He's rarely been to a doctor or a dentist.  He is a man of faith.  Whenever I talk to him, he always says, "I was reading this morning and ........." . Then he'll tell me what Scripture he and his wife, Janie, read that morning and lifted them and is then lifting me as he tells me.  He always has a nugget for me.  Then he'll say, "Do you believe it, that God can do it?"

Few people will tell me,  

     "Get on with it!  Get healed and go at it again."  

Few people will tell me,  

     "Chased by Pharaoh and blocked by the Red Sea , God told Moses to 'Go forward....'"

Few people will tell me,  

     "He`s the Word , you`re the voice...keep speaking out of your spirit."  

Few people will tell me, 

     "You are alive and well , you clearly love God and are clearly called according to His purpose."

Few people will tell me,  

      "It doesn`t say 'some things' or 'most things', it says 'all things' .............bearing in mind our detours , delays , coasting, and complacency, but the Father is The Genius and He can and will do it".

Few people (maybe 1 will and 2 or 3 might) will tell me those things, but I am hearing them at G42.

All this reference to G42.  Well let me call it what it is, so I can get the NAME in there, because it's so easy to talk and not get the NAME in there.  It's about CHRIST being formed in us.  It's about being dead to self and alive to CHRIST. It's about JESUS Our Savior and us growing into maturity to represent CHRIST on the planet and to reign with CHRIST forever.

So, what about me? What am I doing since July 2, 2011, when I was introduced to G42 and a bunch of unreasonable and dangerous, lunatics and fanatics?  (Seems appropriate that I discovered this revolution over the July 4th weekend.)  Like Paul said, I say, "I do what I don't want to do and don't do what I want to do".  And I add this, "However, I'm workin' on it.  I've made some changes already.  I have more changes to make and I'll get them done."  

Now, who can I take with me?