"Things of Old"

"How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand, and plantest the; how Thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out." (Psalms 44:2) It is pretty interesting how God takes care of things for us, and then we go and mess things up again. Right about now you are wondering where this is going, right? Well, I am too; and it might have something to do with the fact that I started reading "The Normal Christian Life" again, for about the third time, but it's been about 15 years since I last read it. The is a difference between the average Christian life and the normal Christian life, whereas the average Christian life lacks power and victory, but the normal Christian life has no power, because the power is of God, and as for the victory, Jesus Christ has already won! The book is based mostly on the Book of Romans, but dives into several other avenues as the author pushes against the philosophies of man, many of which have crept into our churches, having people put their focus on themselves and their own afflictions, abilities and accomplishments, instead of keeping their focus on the cross of Christ. Keeping with the theme, "A Prayer for Protection", we need to remember why God did drive out the heathen from the land where He planted His people, because it was for their protection that He did, that they might not be infected with the pagan religions and all their other wild and crazy lifestyles. In order to live a life separated unto Him, His people needed to be separated from them which lived otherwise. It's kind of like Lot, who first went towards Sodom, then dwelt next to Sodom, then dwelt in Sodom, and then pretty soon, Sodom was dwelling in him. If you think about it, our conversion in Christ has all the same similarities of the way God has dealt with the heathens and planted the children of Israel in the promised land; He has crucified the old man in Christ, and He has risen up a new man in Christ's resurrection; and then we have got to go and make friends with some of them that are to be driven out... "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." (Romans 12:1-3)