Morris Cerullo - Upon wings as an eagle ; a guide to spiritual success

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

The Prophet Isaiah Chapter 40, Verse 31

Table of Contents

Dedication

To ministers of all faiths; to the end that we might see ourselves as we are and Christ as He is, with the sincere desire that we may not be disjointed members of the kingdom, separated too long by denominational barriers, but that we might rise up to embrace in the true spirit of unselfishnessthe Body of Christ!

MORRIS CERULLO

Chapter I

The Key to Spiritual Success

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-lh)

Mankind desires to tap in on heaven's resources. The questions asked of me more than any others are, "How do we touch God?" "Reverend Cerullo , how do we know God hears us when we pray?"

When God first began working in my spirit to write this book, I travailed against myself and my deep feeling of inadequacy. It haunted me night and day. Paul said in Philippians 3:12,

"Not that I claim to have achieved all this, nor to have reached perfection already. But I keep going on, trying to grasp that purpose for which Christ Jesus grasped me."

(Phillips Translation)

The hunger in the heart of humanity from all denominations and all walks of life demands a balanced Bible-based interpretation of the depth of this subject.

The barometer for measuring success is not by the biggest church in a community, for often men filling these pulpits have confessed the greatest emptiness.

I once was asked to address a group in a church in my community which is very formal. I took my wife and three lovely children (who at this time were 10, 8 and 5) with me.

While I addressed this special group, my wife took my youngest son and my daughter into the main auditorium to listen to a message by the assistant minister. His topic this morning was, "DOES GOD'S PRESENCE ABIDE WITH US CONTINUALLY?"

The auditorium was filled, so the usher had to take my wife and two children to the very front pew.

After the minister announced his topic in the form of a question, my youngest son, Mark Stephen, then only five years old, jumped off the front seat and shouted back, "Oh, yes, He does!"

Mom was so embarrassed but so proud! Mark knew, though only five years old, that Jesus' Presence can be with us no matter where we are and what we are doing. The sad part was that the minister went on to explain that it was absurd to think that God could be with us at work, in the grocery store, etc. He said God was not interested in these things!

I wonder if it is not here that we lay the basis for spiritual success"knowing God."

The greatest ambition a mortal can have is a desire to know God.

Jeremiah cried,

"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and KNOWETH ME ..."

(Jeremiah 9:23 ,24 )

There can be for all of us, who are willing to walk the Damascus Road, a light to shine from heaven, a voice crying into our spirits, and a knowledge of our Christ that makes Him the Partner of our lives.

This is no surface experience, or a haphazard Sunday-go-to-meeting type of relationship, but rather a process of His deepening into our beings! An interweaving of the

King of Kings and Lord of Lords into the fiber , the core, the innermost resources of our beings until we cry

"... [ we ] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens ... of the household of God."

(Ephesians 2:19)

"... Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

(Ephesians 2:20-22)

"For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." (Ephesians 5:30)

I live near the ocean in beautiful San Diego, California. What a sight to behold when the sea begins to roll under the impact of the winds of a storm. To stand on the land and exclaim, "There is a storm" is one thing; to be out in a boat when the sea is being tossed and the water is filling your boat until you think you are going under, is another.

Both persons exclaim, "There is a storm," but what a striking difference. On the shore you know of the storm but out in the boat you know the storm itself.

The difference is , the first is information; the second is experience.

So, with God! Stay on the shore, and you have only information about Him. Stay on the shore and the deepest depth, the highest height you can attain is but a glimpse of Him as He passes by. But cut away the shoreline and launch out into the deep; take faith's plungeas the priests of Joshua's daylaunch out into the Jordan (the river of God) and you will experience God. You canyou will know Him.

To have spiritual successto actually possess its key is to know Him.

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" (Philippians 3:10)

How changed are my ambitions!

"Now I long to know Christ and the power shown by His resurrection; now I long to share His sufferings, even to die as He died, so that I may somehow attain the resurrection from the dead." (Phillips Translation)

"Oh, Lord, begin this deepening process in us that we may know You in all Your reality. We will be satisfied with nothing less than an intimate knowledge of Your Person and Presence. Work through our person until all shall see, not man, but the beauty of Your Spirit in us."

Chapter II

All Things But Dung

One cannot help but feel that the early apostles and disciples had to have a key to spiritual success. For without printing presses, with no means of modern transportation, they brought the message of Christ and His saving power to their then known world. Besides accomplishing this seemingly impossible feat, they were able to turn whole cities and multitudes to Christ! They laid such a foundation for Christianity that the Dark Ages, endless wars, and rank atheism of the worse order in generations to come could not erase their mark!

The greatest missionary of Bible days best exemplifies these tributesPaul, "Saul of Tarsus."

Indeed he possessed a secret ... a secret that opened to him all the glories of God, all the power of the Name we so sweetly whisper. But he did not find this by some magical formula. Neither did he push some electronic button and create it.

He gave over to His Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, his whole being, and line upon line, precept upon precept, it grew in him.

The knowledge of his OWNER!

There is no short cut to spiritual power, or to knowing God in a deep intimate way.

Paul's desire to know his Lord was shown by the personal sacrifices he was willing to make by joining of himself to the sufferings of his Lord.

In fact, Paul stated everything that was gain to him; he was willing to count but LOSSDYING!

"For his sake I did in fact suffer the loss of everything ..."

(Philippians 3:8, Phillips Translation)

IF WE ARE GOING TO KNOW HIM, WE MUST BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE ALL TO HIM!