Hi Colin,
It's always a good idea to review a subject Ray spoke on. I had to hunt for that topic 'Qualifying for rulership' and I found it in the '09 Mobile Conference. It's on audio 10 of same conference
http://bible-truths.com/audio/THEONEGODPT1.mp3On the transcript it's near the bottom of the page with the sub-heading 'QUALIFYING FOR RULER-SHIP WITH NO LEADERSHIP, MONEY OR TALENTS.' Here is an excerpt.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,11521.0.html ---------
This one is entitled Qualifying for Ruler-ship with no leadership or no money or no talents. I know a lot of people fit in that category. People say, ‘oh Mr. Smith, you teach and preach and you’ve got this site and you give Bible studies and you will probably be over 125 cities. I can’t do all that, I don’t have any talents… oh woe is me.’
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world (comment: that’s me) to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things (comment: that’s me) of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world (comment: that’s me), and things which are despised (comment: yeah and do they ever), hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not (comment: yeah that’s me, I’m a nobody), to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence.
You say yep that’s me all right, don’t see how I’m going to rule over five cities, or whatever. But it says…
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcomes, and keeps My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
You say, ‘how am I going to do all that? I have no education… I don’t have any money… I don’t have any place to entertain people… I don’t have a car to visit the sick, I’m sick myself. I’m old, I just learned these truths a year ago, I was already 75 or 80, what can I do? I’m an old man… I’m an old woman, how am I going to qualify for this, to rule the world… to rule the nations… to judge angels? How am I going to do that, come on.’
Well, how is he (she) going to do that? I’m here to tell you, whether you believe it or not, it’s possible to develop talents, abilities and character without having those qualities and talents inherently within you. They can be developed without natural abilities, without leadership, without education, without money, etc. But they can be developed!
Here’s how and why they can be developed. I don’t care if you’re a paraplegic on your back in bed, if that’s how you live, you can do this. Here’s why. Because of two principles.
1.) Proverbs 23:7--
(KJV) For as he (or she) thinks in his (or her) heart, so is he (she):
(ASV) For as he thinketh within himself, so is he:
(CLV) For as one who calculates within his soul, so is he;
(Rotherham) For, just as he hath thought in his own mind, so, he is:
And the second principle is this.
2.) Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
On those two principles, you can be flat on your back a paraplegic and you can develop character traits, virtues, fruits of the spirit, wisdom and knowledge so that you can rule nations. (Notes) Likewise, one can meditate (think) and what he thinks then becomes what he IS. Not having money, education, talents, or possessions is no excuse for not being able to produce the kind of character and leadership necessary to “have power over the nation.”
It is in SPIRIT that we accomplish the things of the spirit:
No matter what your condition is, you can keep the law of God. Why? Because it is spiritual. It is in SPIRIT that we accomplish the things of the spirit:
We can pray in the spirit:
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…
Anybody can do that, “Praying always.” I pray always, that is continuously. I don’t think; oops, I thought of something I got to pray to God about and I got to find a room or a closet. Oh shoot, I’m in the car, I’ll pull off to the side of the road or I’ll use a public rest room, because I got to go and pray. I pray wherever I am!
I told you how I found my house, driving down the street. I was the only one in the car and I said, God if you want me to move to Mobile, find me a decent house. It was about a four second prayer. Within minutes, minutes, I had me a house!
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance (self control): against such there is no law.
Is there any one of those that you need an education to acquire? Is there any one of those that you need money to acquire? Is there any one of those that you need special talents or an education, where you have to go someplace different to acquire it? No.
The mind, “as you think…”
Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
It’s in the heart - in the mind - in the spirit.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, (comment: how so?) which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
It’s what’s inside that counts!
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mercy, peace and love
Kat