                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                            Humiliated By God!

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By David Wilkerson
January 9, 1989
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          To humiliate means "to reduce one's dignity and pride,"
          to humble. I intend to show you in this message that
          God humiliates those He loves! In fact, unless you have
          experienced this divine humiliation, you are not ready
          to be fully used by God; you are not prepared to
          receive of His fullness.

          God humiliates His people only to prepare them for
          greater usefulness - a principle we see in operation
          throughout Scripture. God's humiliation is best
          illustrated by the experiences of the children of
          Israel. God delivered His people by great miracles -
          then led them into a barren wilderness and totally
          humiliated them!

          After 430 years of slavery, the Israelites had given up
          hope of ever knowing freedom or possessing their own
          homeland. Then a prophet named Moses appeared among
          them preaching hope. He went from one brick furnace to
          another, from field to field and house to house,
          telling them: "The Lord said, I have surely seen the
          affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have
          heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I
          know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them
          out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up
          out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a
          land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:7-8, KJV).
          "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the
          Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people
          unto himself, above all people that are upon the face
          of the earth... because the Lord loved you, and because
          he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your
          fathers" (Deuteronomy 7:6,8).

          There they were, sweating, tired, barely existing -
          while Moses preached to them a glowing message of hope.
          They saw God's mighty power as He delivered them by one
          great miracle after another, displaying to the world
          how He protects and delivers His own.

          At the time, Israel lived in Goshen - an Egyptian slave
          state. But, God said to Egypt, "I will put a division
          between my people and thy people" (Exodus 8:23). And
          through the course of ten awful plagues God's people
          were untouched!

          First, Moses lifted his rod and smote the waters of
          Egypt and they turned to blood. Even the water
          collected in wood or stone containers was contaminated.
          The fish died and the rivers stank! The water was
          undrinkable for several days - But, in Goshen, God's
          people drank cool, pure water.

          Then Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters, and
          wave after wave of frogs came up and covered the land.
          In every house, kitchen, bed room, palace court, store
          and temple, there was no place to sit or lie down
          because of the invasion of frogs! But in Goshen, the
          frogs stayed in the waters, and all the Israelites
          heard was their croaking. What a sight for Israel to
          behold as the Egyptians gathered dead frogs in great
          heaps, "and the land stank!" But not in Goshen!

          As Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, again the
          rod was used - this time to smite the dust. The dust
          turned to lice, which attacked all the people and every
          animal. Some interpret this as a plague of gnats or
          mosquitoes: "These tiny mosquitoes molested animals and
          people, flying into their eyes and nostrils, driving
          them to fury. Animals were sometimes tortured to death
          by this invasion." But in Goshen -no lice, no gnats, no
          plague of mosquitoes!

          Then came the invasion of flies - swarms of flies like
          black clouds, "grievous swarms." Some say this plague
          included beetles, cattle flies, dog flies and all kinds
          of winged flies. "The land was corrupted" (Exodus
          8:24). But, in "the land of Goshen, in which my people
          dwell.... no swarms of flies shall be there" (Exodus
          8:22).

          After that came the plague upon the cattle of Egypt.
          The horses, camels, oxen, sheep, donkeys and cows fell
          dead all across Egypt. "But of the cattle of the
          children of Israel died not one" (Exodus 9:6).

          Next was a plague of boils. These were not like the
          ones we know; rather, they were called "the botch of
          Egypt," black leprosy, elephantiasis - all causing
          disfigurement.

          Then came the rain of "grievous hail," with lightning
          and thunder and "fire (that) ran along upon the ground"
          and "mingled with the hail." It was so heavy that
          "there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since
          it became a nation." It "brake every tree of the field"
          (Exodus 9:25). In Goshen? Not a hailstone anywhere!

          Next came the invasion of locusts which "covered the
          face of the whole earth" (Exodus 10:15). They darkened
          the sky and "there remained not any green thing" (verse
          15). Yet in Goshen there were no locusts, and the sun
          shone brightly.

          The locusts were followed by a plague of darkness so
          great it could "be felt" (Exodus 10:21). This darkness
          lasted for three days and was so thick the Egyptians
          could not see each other. But "all the children of
          Israel had light in their dwellings" (verse 23). The
          tenth and final plague was the visit of a death angel
          who destroyed all the firstborn: "And Pharaoh rose up
          in the night.... and all the Egyptians; and there was a
          great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where
          there was not one dead" (Exodus 12:30). Egypt was
          decimated - completely demoralized. But not one died in
          Goshen!

          "Even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the
          hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt"
          (Exodus 12:41). The Israelites left Egypt with glorious
          promises ringing in their ears: "Thou in thy mercy hast
          led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou
          hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy
          habitation" (Exodus 15:13). "Fear and dread shall fall
          upon them [your enemies]; by the greatness of thine arm
          they shall be as still as stone" (Exodus 15:16). "He
          will... bless thee, and multiply thee... the fruit of
          thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the
          increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep...
          Thou shalt be blessed above all people... The Lord will
          take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of
          the evil diseases of Egypt upon thee" (Deuteronomy
          7:13-15). "The Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God
          and terrible... there shall no man be able to stand
          before thee" (Deuteronomy 7:21,24).

          Then the miracle of all miracles took place: They saw
          God part a mighty sea, pile up its waters and open an
          escape on dry ground! They sang and danced and
          worshipped God as the waters caved in on and his army.
          They saw an entire army swept away by the finger of
          God!

          The Israelites then went out into the wilderness called
          Sin (Exodus 17.1). How prosperous and blessed and
          special they felt - for every prayer had been
          marvelously answered! They knew they were protected and
          guided by a kind, wise Shepherd as they went forth
          singing of His promises.

          But the very next day they woke up with hunger pains!
          All the unleavened bread had been eaten, and there was
          no food in the camp at all. "They were thrust out of
          Egypt... neither had they prepared for themselves any
          victual (food supplies)" (Exodus 12:39). Thirty days
          after leaving Egypt, two million people were at the
          very end of their resources! The few cattle they had
          were weak and thin and could feed but a few, and even
          then would have left them with no breeding stock in
          their new land.

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            God Brought Israel To a Place of Total Humiliation.

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          The children of Israel were absolutely helpless:
          fathers, mothers, princes, leaders - all with no place
          to turn. There were no pack-camels loaded with
          supplies. No dried fruits, no dried fish, no bread, no
          figs, no dates, raisins or nuts. No doubt, they had
          seen Pharaoh's supply train swept away - huge canvases
          loaded with food, floating along on the Red Sea! Their
          logic must have been: "God knew the very day and hour
          we would leave Egypt. Moses talks with God -so why
          didn't he tell us to bring a six-month supply of food?
          Even the gods of Egypt treat their soldiers better. Why
          were we told to borrow all this gold, silver and
          jewelry? We can't eat this stuff - it's worthless out
          here!"

          There was not even a blade of grass in sight - no
          animals to hunt - no fruit trees - no foreigners to
          trade with. They couldn't have gone back to Egypt even
          if they'd wanted to - the Red Sea was blocking their
          retreat! And even if they could have gotten around the
          sea, the Egyptians would have blocked their return with
          every stick and stone in Egypt, having had their fill
          of plagues.

          So now there was nothing but a howling, foreboding
          desert ahead. The children were crying and wives were
          wringing their hands. Every father and husband was
          helpless and humiliated They all gathered around Moses
          and complained: "Ye have brought us forth into this
          wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger"
          (Exodus 16:3).

          This was a humiliation for Israel - and it is a lesson
          for us today. "These things were our examples, to the
          intent we should not lust after evil things, as they
          also lusted.... They are written for our admonition,
          upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1
          Corinthians 10:6,11).

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                   Israel Was Not Ready to Handle All the
                   Blessings God Had in Store for Them.

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          "He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed
          thee with manna... that he might make thee know that
          man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that
          proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live"
          (Deuteronomy 8:3).

          The first lesson in this verse is found in the words
          "he... suffered thee to hunger." It was 40 years later
          and Moses did not want Israel to forget this lesson of
          humiliation. "Thou shalt remember all the way which the
          Lord thy God led thee these forty years" (Deuteronomy
          8:2).

          Remember, it was God Who let them go hungry - God Who
          led them out unprepared and brought that crisis upon
          them - and God Who put their backs to the wall and Who
          made the heavens as brass. It was God Who brought them
          to such humiliating circumstances! Satan had nothing to
          do with their dire condition. It was all a test to
          reveal what was in their hearts, "to humble thee, and
          to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart"
          (Deuteronomy 8:2).

          He knows what is in us, but He wants us to know as
          well! The Israelites' test was not about courage enough
          to face powerful enemies or giants or iron chariots,
          because God had already pledged to fight their battles
          for them. It was about the blessings for which they
          were unprepared - the incredible increase: good houses,
          vats full of wine, rivers of milk, an abundance of
          honey, wheat and cattle - not to mention all kinds of
          spiritual blessings.

          "For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a
          land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that
          spring out of valleys and hills... a land wherein thou
          shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack
          any thing in it... Beware that thou forget not the Lord
          thy God... lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and
          hast built goodly houses... and when thy herds and thy
          flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is
          multiplied... then thine heart be lifted up, and thou
          forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out
          of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage... and
          thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine
          hand hath gotten me this wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:7-17).

          The Lord is speaking here not only to Israel - but to
          us today. The purpose of their humiliation was never in
          doubt: It was "that he might humble thee, and that he
          might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end"
          (Deuteronomy8:16). He had to teach Israel how to handle
          all the goodness He was about to pour out upon them.
          And God has to humiliate us the same way He did them.

          You see, although the children of Israel were
          blood-secured and delivered, supernaturally guided and
          the object of God's love and miracle-working power,
          they lacked one thing: They were not dependent upon
          God!

          The Blood can cover your sins, but it doesn't make you
          dependent on Him. Miracles can deliver you from Satan's
          power, but they can't make you dependent. You can be
          led by God supernaturally and still not lean wholly
          upon the Lord.

          God has to strip us of all self-assurance and destroy
          all that remains of self-righteousness, spiritual pride
          and boasting. He must (and He does) humiliate all who
          are destined to inherit His great spiritual blessings.

          He will take a Saul of Tarsus - self-assured,
          self-righteous, consumed with a knowledge of the
          Scriptures, full of God's zeal, ready to die for
          Jehovah - and strike him blind! Saul had to be
          humiliated before the world, being led around like a
          child and waiting helplessly for days until God moved.
          He was humiliated to a point of total dependence!

          I am under God's humiliating hand right now! I, for
          one, have not arrived. If you think that you have it
          all together and all figured out, that you hear so
          clearly from God, that you are never wrong, that all
          your prayers are answered - then watch out! You are
          headed for hunger, because God brings us all to a place
          of hunger and helplessness.

          Times Square Church must be humbled - and so it is even
          now! We've had six months of intense prayer against a
          particular abortion chamber, yet it still operates. The
          pornographers still rage - and Satan boldly mounts a
          demonic play in the very theater God has promised to us
          as a place of worship. Why? God is testing and proving
          us, stripping us of all confidence in man and the flesh
          bringing us to a place of total dependence on Him in
          order to prepare us for the great outpouring of
          Himself.

          God can bring you to a place where everything seems to
          be going wrong: sickness, death, conflicting voices,
          prayers seemingly unanswered, promises of God appearing
          to mock your petitions and tears. It is your hour of
          humiliation - your ordained time of testing.

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               "Man Does Not Live by Bread Only, But by Every
            Word That Proceedeth Out Of The Mouth of the Lord."

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          This text from Deuteronomy 8:3 is so powerful that
          Jesus Himself used it against the devil during His
          great temptation in the wilderness (see Matthew 4:1-4).
          Like the children of Israel, Jesus was also hungry.
          What greater humiliation could there be than to be the
          Son of God and be brought to a place of total
          dependence?

          As a man, Jesus learned obedience and dependence by the
          things He suffered, such as this crisis of hunger. What
          Jesus actually was saying is this: "I am not here to
          please myself or to pamper my flesh. I am here to do
          the perfect will of My Father." Jesus relinquished
          every single human care into His Father's hand. In
          other words, He said, "I will spend all my life and all
          my time obeying My Father, doing His perfect will - and
          He will take care of me His way."

          Jesus knew that God only had to speak a creative word:
          "Hunger - be gone!" But He also knew that the Father
          could give Him meat that no man knows about - so He
          gave no thought to food or drink or clothes or houses.
          Rather, He would seek God's will first and let Him take
          care of the needs.

          Jesus was saying something very profound, to the effect
          of: "I have not come to ask the Father to keep His word
          to me; I have come that I may keep all His words!"
          Jesus didn't need a miracle to prove to Himself the
          Father's love for Him. He rested in the Father's words.
          His cry was not, "God, keep your Word to me!" but,
          instead, "Let me do Thy Word in all things."

          Multitudes of Christians today are what I call "bread"
          believers - they live on bread alone always asking God
          to prove His faithfulness. They have a hunger inside
          and they think they know what will satisfy it.

          For most of my early years in ministry, I was a "bread"
          Christian. I had a deep hunger, driven by unexplainable
          need. When I thought I needed a new church, I got it!
          When I believed I needed a TV program, I got it! When I
          needed turn-away crowds, I got them! These were all
          good things in themselves; but I spent years praying,
          "God, prove Your power! Send me money, I'm in debt!
          Bless me Lord! Bless my ministry! Answer my prayers!
          Let me prove to the world You have all power. Heal the
          sick to prove You're still the same today!"

          So seldom does God find a Christian whose only goal in
          life is to know and to do God's will - as Jesus did
          -and who never says, "God, where are You?" but instead
          prays, "God, where am I in this matter of obedience and
          dependence?"

          When we stand before the judgment seat, we will not be
          judged by how many healings we've performed, or how
          many demons we've cast out, or how many prayers we've
          seen answered, or how many great works we've
          accomplished. We will be judged on our dependence on
          and obedience to His Word and His will.

          In our day and age, we've become very good at
          "commanding" God. We command the devil and demons; we
          command strongholds to fall. That is all good - but
          when do we cry out, "Oh God! Command me! Tell me what
          to do - show me how to do Your will, how to obey every
          word out of Your mouth"

          Through everything, God is saying to us, "I want to be
          your only supply, your only hope. I want to be your
          only object of trust." My cry is, "Oh God, You take
          care of the money - just give me Your mind. You take
          care of my health, my family, my needs - just give me
          Your Word."

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                Jesus is Every Word That Proceeds From God

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          "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
          God, and the Word was God.... And the Word was made
          flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,
          the glory as of the only begotten of the Father)" (John
          1:1,14).

          How much of the Word became flesh? All of it! "For in
          Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"
          (Colossians 2:9). So, how do we live by every word that
          proceeds out of His mouth? Do we get pad and pencil,
          mark down every commandment of Jesus, then discipline
          ourselves to tackle each one until we master them?
          Beloved, even after all these years of preaching, I
          still don't know all the Lord's many precious
          commandments!

          As I see it, there is only one way to please the Lord:
          Present your body to Him - get self out of the way -
          and let Jesus live His life in you. Paul said,
          "Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
          me" (Galatians 2:20). This was not a mystical
          spirit-life, lived within the confines of the mind. No!
          Paul continues in the same verse, "The life which I now
          live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
          God." The New American Standard Version says, "faith in
          the Son of God." In reality, it means the faith that is
          in the Son of God. We are to "yield (our) members as
          instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:13).

          Here is where God is leading us, to that great, good
          land full of milk, honey, oil and wine - the spiritual
          blessings in Christ for which God has been preparing
          us. When we have a body so dead, crucified, humiliated
          and dependent, Christ possesses it and lives His life
          in and through us. God does not work through flesh -
          not even "good" flesh! He works only through His Son
          Jesus!

          Paul was a "good" man - holy, spotless, keeping God's
          commandments. But that "good" Paul had to die daily so
          Christ could do His work and live His life in Paul.
          There is a song that goes: "Oh, to be His hand
          extended, reaching out to the oppressed...." It's so
          true! As we lay hands on the sick, nothing will happen
          unless we are truly His hands extended, with self aside
          and Jesus doing the works of His Father through us. For
          Paul, the key was: "Yet not I, but Christ" - a daily
          putting off of Paul and putting on of Christ. Yet so
          many of us don't want to live Jesus, we only want to
          wear Him when it's convenient - to put Him off and on
          like a suit of clothes!

          Living Christ is not complicated. First, you must want
          His life - with all that is within you. Then you must
          get out of the way and turn everything over to Him,
          trusting Him to possess you completely. Finally, you
          must believe that as much of yourself as you will
          empty, He will fill with Himself!

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 USA.

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