The Fountain of Life 

Psalms 36:9 “For with Thee is the fountain of life.  In Thy light shall we see light.”

Have you drunk from the fountain of life?

If you have, then that living force ought to be within you a river of living water, springing up within you…giving grace and peace.

John 7:38-39 “He that believeth on Me,  as the scripture hath said,  out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

                           (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they which believe on Him should receive:…”

And when you get water flowing, what does it do?   

It keeps flowing, following a path of least resistance.

It will flow downhill and if it meets a rock in it’s path?   It just flows around it.

This is the way of Living water.

But what if there is a dam of some sort?

Then it builds up behind it, until it flows over it!

Living water can not be stagnant.  It will find a way over, under, or around….and sometimes through any obstacle it meets with.

But you say,  “I have drunk of this Living water,  but it seems to be flowing more slowly than before….I fear it will stop altogether.

I am not sure what has hindered my spiritual life:  my prayers seem harder, the joy I felt is gone, and my peace is shaken.  I do not know what is wrong.”

If this is your experience:  consider when you drank of this Living water last.

We usually find what we lost,  where we lost it.   

So with relationships….when was the last time you had fellowship with the Lord?

Are you neglecting His Word?

Ephesians 5:25-27 “….as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it;

                               That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,  that He might present it to Himself a glorious church,  not having spot,  or wrinkle,  or any such thing;  but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

What hinders the Holy Spirit within you?  

Have you been satisfied with something other than the Lord’s guidance?

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns,  broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

Do you seem further away from Him?

Has your assurance and confidence in the Lord wavered?

Hebrews 10:22-23 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

                            Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;  (for He is faithful that promised;)”

Have we been true to the Lord Jesus, or has doubt come in?

Unbelief slows the progress of this Living water, by demanding that God “prove” Himself to us.

Hebrews 3:19 “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Matthew 13:54-58 “And when He was come unto his own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?  Is not this the carpenter’s son?…

                            And they were offended in Him…..

                           And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

[If you read it, they acknowledge all His mighty works, but because of who He was to them:  “the carpenter’s son”;  they refused to open their hearts to faith,  and see Who He really was…..and missed the blessing He wanted them to have.]

I have asked all these questions, because sometimes it takes a question to jog our affection and thoughts toward the right direction. (How many times the Lord has spoken through devotions or a message to me this way!)

If we are missing the blessing of the “water” of the Holy Spirit, then we must seek His light to see where we stopped receiving it.  

Where we quenched the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) 

Perhaps where we stopped giving thanks. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Let us look at the second part of the beginning verse:

“In Thy light shall we see light.”

As we come to the light of Christ through His Word, and let Him show us where we have erred or turned aside;  then we have light in ourselves.

Ephesians 5:13-14 “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:  for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

                                Wherefore he saith,  Awaketh thou that sleepest,  and arise from the dead,  and Christ shall give thee light.”

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them,  saying,  I am the light of the world:  he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness,  but shall have the light of light of life.”

Go to the Light of the Lord, and let that light shine within you.   You want the Lord’s Will,  and He will show it to you…..for you.

John 3:21 “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light,  that his deeds may be made manifest,  that they are wrought in God.”

One of the last call’s in the Bible, is to all who will:

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say,  Come.   And let him that heareth say,  Come.   And let him that is athirst come.   And whosoever will,  let him take the water of life freely.”

For with the Lord is the fountain of life, springing up into eternal life…that condition of life, now and for eternity…in you.

And in the Lord’s Light…we will “see”,  discern the Lord’s Will, and get the power from the Holy Spirit to do it.

(I have spoken a lot about “light” lately…..because there is so much darkness around us…..reaching out to draw us in by our emotions and in our thoughts.

       Once we let it in,  it effects our light…….it dims.   

Let us hold on to Jesus…..He will give a blessing of life and light….as we open up our lives to Him, again.

       No doors shut….but a life open to and receptive to Him.)

To Fall on, or to be Broken by 

Matthew 21:44 “And whomsoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken:  but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

Jesus is this stone:

Matthew 21:42 “ Jesus saith unto them,  Did ye never read in the Scriptures,  The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner:  this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?”

Here Jesus sets forth the action of our will:

Come to Him and “fall on”.   Subject yourself to Me.

Or, in the day of judgement; that same stone will destroy.

How do we fall on that stone?  Here we begin to consider brokenness.

I like to think of horses:  to break a horse, you do not brake it’s spirit, but it’s will.   You want the horse to be the beautiful spirited animal it always was;  but not the wild, willful animal which will not be our companion in work.

It is the same with us.   God wants us to be us.  Not the rebellious, willful us.  But the beautiful spirit which He created….our personality.  

We may think we are nothing,  or little;  but Jesus never sees us as this.   He sees a beautiful spirit.   Our personalities may be cluttered with anger or hurt;  but He sees us…the real us…and loves us.   And wants us to be free to work with Him.

Romans 7:18, 22 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:  for to will is present with me;  but how to perform that which is good I find not.

                                For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”

It is odd to me that Paul ever had this experience.   But it shows that each Christian has an inward man, which wants the Lord’s Will, after being born again.

       And an outward man which still has the desire to do it’s own will….and way.

2 Corinthians 4:16 “For which cause we faint not;  but though our outward man perish,  yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

The “outward man” or “my flesh” must be broken:  and for the Christian,  it is a willed action.   We must will with God,  which is to fall on the stone.

John 12:32 “And I,  if I be lifted up from the earth,  will draw all men unto me.”

This is the work, we and the Lord are to do, together.   Lift Him up.

But how?

Well, we must manifest Him in us,  so that others see the Lord when they see us.

And this only happens as our wills are “broken” and the inward man of Christ and us,  is seen.

Again, how are they broken?   It is broken in willed experience as the Holy Spirit touches every strong point in our personality,  until we become “poor in spirit”, as Paul testified of himself.

We all want to hang on to some asset;  some ability;  some good point in our life;  but what Jesus wants, is that you will, wholly and completely with Him.

Paul wrote of his further experience, for he had found the secret of Spiritual life:

(If you read Romans 7:7-24 there are thirty “I’s”.   But in Romans 8:1–16,  “the Spirit” replaces the “I’s.”  It is written fifteen times!)

Romans 8:11-14 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,  He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

                              Therefore,  brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh,  to live after the flesh.   

                               For if ye live after the flesh,  ye shall die;  but ye if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body,  ye shall live.

                               For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,  they are the sons of God.”

It is yielding to the touches of the Holy Spirit in us that we gain all that Jesus has for us.

1 Peter 2:7-8 “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious:  but unto them which be disobedient,  the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

                         And a stone of stumbling,  and rock of offense,  even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:  where unto also they were appointed.”

What do we think of Christ and the Spirit?  Can we trust ourselves to His Way?

He always has the end goal in view:  He always sees us working together….will we will to surrender and let His life be seen?

The Door of our Ears

Mark 4:23-24 “If any man have ears to hear,  let him hear.

                       And He said unto them,   Take heed what ye hear.   With what measure ye mete (give out),  it shall be meted unto you;   And unto you that hear  shall more be given.”

Has the door of our ears been opened?  Do we take heed to what we hear?

Let’s be honest.  We hear a lot that,  as my Mother used to say,  goes in one ear and out the other. 

We hear it.  We could probably repeat it,  if we had to.  But it makes no difference in our attitude.   Because they are just words…just noice,  that may or may not sound good to us.

Hearing ears come from the Lord.  He will give them to us,  if we want to hear Him.

Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear,  and the seeing eye,  the Lord hath made even both of them.”

These are ears which take in what is spoken, and apply them to “me”,  because we know the words come from God. 

Jesus goes on to describe the words which are “heard”, as seed:

Mark 4:26-29 “And He said,   So is the kingdom of God,  as if a man should cast seed into the ground;  

                          And should sleep,  and rise night and day,  and the seed should spring and grow up,  he knoweth not how.

                         For the earth bringeth forth of herself;  first the blade,  then the ear,  after that the full corn in the ear.

                         But when the fruit is brought forth,  immediately he putteth in the sickle,  because the harvest is come.”

Now these words have been planted,  through the open door of the ears,  into the heart.

This is a wonderful thing.  Because I have known people who remembered what they were taught as children in Sunday School,  about Jesus Christ,  and been born again,…..

……or used those scriptures in the situations of life,  they were in now.

You see, it is the door of our ears being opened that let’s in the Word of God.  Once planted in the heart (it may take time),  it brings forth fruit unto eternal life.

How do we “open the door of our ears”?  We will to believe, that His word is God speaking to me.

It makes a huge difference when we know the Lord wants to speak to me,  now, today….for today.

We “open” our ears, often for jokes, and songs, and other sounds (not that there is anything wrong with friends and family talking…I wish there was more of it.)

But we should be as willing to hear God speaking to us,  as to hear everyone else.

Mark 4:33 “And with many such parables spake He the word unto them,  as they were able to hear it.”

“As they were able to hear it.”      Multitudes came to hear Him (Mark. 4:1),  but did they really “hear” what He was saying?

Did they understand that He was presenting Himself and God’s word to them,  so that they would believe on Him, and have true life?

Not many;……

……but some came,…..did open their ears….want to hear what He was saying to them……and followed Him.   

He always had those who left all and followed Him.

To those, He gives light (knowledge of what to do, and how);  and He gives grace (the unmerited favor of power or ability to do).

And that is why today,  He is still speaking His Word to all who will hear.

“If any man have ears to hear,  let him hear.”

His Pleasure for me.

Revelation 4:10 “The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne,  and worship Him that liveth forever and ever,  and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,”

The glory of having a crown in that day,  will be, to cast it at the feet of Jesus.

He deserves all the honor:  for He created us,  saved us,  sustained us, and brought us to the place of all joy:  heaven and His Presence forever.

This crown is truly our own;  we have “earned” it as a reward for our devotion to the Lord Jesus.   We could walk around heaven with it on, if we wanted to.

[There are three crowns for us in heaven,  spoken of in scripture:  

the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) to them that love His appearing;   

the crown of life (James 1:12) to them that love Him;  

and the crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4) by feeding the flock of God, by being examples to the flock.]

But the real glory of having a crown;  is to cast it down at His feet.  

He has shown me this verse, I read it everyday:

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy,  O Lord,  to receive glory and honor and power:  for Thou hast created all things,  and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”

He created all things: By His Almighty Power He made something out of nothing.

And for His pleasure they are , and were created.  

“Pleasure” here means determination.

If, indeed, we exist for His Pleasure/Determination,  what is His Pleasure where we are concerned?

What has He determined for us?

It is to be reconciled to Him…..in all things. 

(Is there something you are not reconciled to God, about?  I wish to tell you….He comes to meet us….as we come to Him.  [the prodigal])

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 “To wit,  that God was in Christ,  reconciling the world unto Himself,  not imputing their trespasses unto them,  and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

                                         Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,  as though God did beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ’s stead,  be ye reconciled to God.”

This is to put first things,  first.   

And it is in today’s situation that this must be done.  

We can not wait for “better” opportunities,  or a “more convenient season”.

“Lord, I am here now, by Your pleasure……In this set of circumstances.   

May I adjust to them,…..seek Your will in them,…..and see Your will brought to pass in me, by them.  

And may I know Your joy and peace in them.”

(How many opportunities have I missed because I thought that this situation was just like before?    Too many. )

But we can be “crowned” here, by the Lord, as well:

Psalms 103:2-5 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

        Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;  Who healeth all they diseases;

        Who Redeemeth thy life from destruction;  Who crowned thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

         Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;  so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

The “crownest” here,  means to encircle for protection.

Here,   we are crowned with God’s lovingkindness and mercy for our protection…..crowned also suggests noticeable,  for testimony to others for our God.

In heaven,  we are given crowns to reward our devotion to Christ…..the joy of which, will be to give them back to Jesus….Who won us to Himself….by His sacrifice and life.

We are created for a purpose.   Saved for a purpose.   Guided into that purpose,  which is His Pleasure/Determination, by the Holy Spirit.

Will we be reconciled to Him in all things,…..and our purpose….day by day?

Let us have the crown of love and mercy encircle us now….and look forward in devotion to Christ, to be able to throw our crowns down at His feet.

Are you yoked with Christ Jesus?

The Christian experience is an ever upward movement.

When we fall or fail in our walk, we lose ground.

But coming to Christ Jesus is always the first step in being restored,  or in what is next for our lives. (Even after we have failed)

He is our hiding place,  our fire within,  our rest of soul,  our peace.   Coming to Him should be one of the easiest movements for us, as Christians,  because we know His great love for us.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy ladened,  and I will give you rest.

               Take My yoke upon you,  and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:  and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

                For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

When we come to Him, the first thing He gives us is rest.   

             It is rest of spirit…peace (this you feel, as the sea was calmed by the Voice of Jesus),….

…..and it is rest of soul (this comes with understanding His Word, and knowing we are forgiven and cleansed from our sin. 1 John 1:9-10)

                He takes the burden of laboring in this world under the dominion of sin (and the trouble of our besetting sin, as well)….and gives us deliverance.

Romans 6:17-18 “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

              Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

This “became the servant of righteousness” is to “learn of Me”.    It happens as we walk with Him.

And then, with the rest of heart and mind,  He shows us His way of progress.

Whether two oxen are plowing, or harvesting, or pulling a wagon to town;  the way the work gets done, is the yoke.

The yoke was a wooden bar, which went across the neck and shoulders of the animals…..two smaller wooden pieces came down against the front of the shoulders….where the animals pushed against to move forward.

        The yoke was to keep the animals together…..each pulling their part…together.

This yoke, then, represents His way to bring His will to pass in our lives…..it is His Way of keeping us…He and I….together in the work.

       (There is the work of growing in grace,….in us.

        There is the work of showing forgiveness and mercy…through us to others.

        There is the work of witness,  prayer, and ministry.)

          

        As Jesus, Himself submitted to all the Father’s Will….humbling Himself….and letting the Father exalt Him in due time…

…so we are to submit to the Lord….

…and let Him work all things out,  for His good,  for me.

But here is the beautiful and….oh so sweet…part.

       “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

“Easy” here means gentle.   The yoke is gentle….it does not chafe or “rub us the wrong way”…..(unless we fight against it).   But it is gently keeping us close to Him, Who walks along side us….wherever we are sent.

The Lord does not say there will not be burdens…..but rather says they will be “light”.

         When the Holy Spirit gives a burden….He gives with it,  understanding, and the ability to discharge it.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,  and I will give you rest.”

Are we yoked with Christ Jesus?   Are we experiencing the real rest He offers those who submit to Him?

Our Purpose as Christians

2 Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us,  and called us with a holy calling not according to our works,  but according to His own purpose and grace,  which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;”

The Purpose of God for us,  was set in motion before the world began.  

Before He created anything at the first; God saw us in Christ Jesus, according to His Purpose.

It is according to His Purpose and grace.   His Purpose is His Will; and  His grace is His unmerited favor of Power to bring His Will to pass.

Ephesians 2:8-10 ” For by grace are ye saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  

              Not of works,  lest any man should boast.

              For we are his workmanship,  created in Christ Jesus unto good works,  which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

This is written to Christians, telling them how they were saved.

It was by the power of grace, not anything they did to deserve it.

It was through faith, a gift given them by the Holy Spirit.

And they are “created in Christ Jesus”;  given new birth and a new nature.

     So created, not to stand by and watch;  but to take part in His Purpose:  those good works we are to walk in.

     We are so created as a “workmanship”;  which is a molded image.  

We are to be molded into the image of Christ.  (Remember the word Christian means:  Little Christ)

And how are we to do this?

By using the means and provision God has given.

That is what “ordained” means.  

It means that all the provision for our walk with Him, has been set aside for us.

Let us talk, for a moment, about the things which hinder His Purpose.   

(If you ask,  How can anything hinder God’s Purpose?    I answer,  that as He gives us choices,  He is allowing His Purpose to be fulfilled or hindered by us.   It is His way of teaching us, and training us.   He knows all things, and makes arrangements for it.  His Will, will be done;  but He wants it to be done through us, so He can bless us.)

The greatest hinderance to God’s Will,  is that we do not go on with Him as we should.

Our walk with Christ is progressive:

We are babes in Christ, being seen to, fed with the milk of His Word, so we can begin to crawl and then walk with Him.

We come to the place of walking;  and often like mules, stop and stand and bray.  Having a fit about some part of His Will.

He must, and will correct us:  sometimes with rebukes.  

Rebukes are words which awaken us to His claims on us.  Showing us where we should be, and how to get there. (Hebrews 12:5)

Sometimes He must chasten us.  This is serious;  He does not do this lightly. (1 John 5:16)

But He will not empower rebels with His Spirit.  That would be joining our rebellion against Himself.  But what He does, He does because He loves us.  As a parent corrects a child, for their good, so God corrects us.

The answer to this is to will to deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Him. (Matthew 16:24)

We preach on this often;  because it is the backbone of progress.    We will deny ourselves, and follow Him. 

Or we will put up with ourselves, and lose another opportunity to please our Lord.

It is a choice the Lord gives us:  for it is “if” any man will.

Those that love Me, Jesus said, keep My commandments.

John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments,  and keepeth them,  he it is that loveth me:  and he that loveth Me shall be loved of my Father,  and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

When we truly want His Will and have denied ourselves, daily;  we come to the place where we no longer resist His Will in anything.    

(Resist is a good term.  Do you instantly want to “back up” every time you hear about what you should be doing? )

Well, we can come to the place, in our experience, that we don’t resist.   It is not  instant obedience,  but it is final obedience.  We will obey.

But the crowning glory, in this life, is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:17-18 “Wherefore be not unwise,  but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

                   And be not drunk with wine,  wherein is excess;  but be filled with the Spirit.”

When we are filled with the Spirit of God (and this only happens as we are emptied of the fullness of self);  then the blessed influence of His life, love, peace, joy, and patience, is flowing within us.   

And can be seen through us.

We are expressions of His life, and Purpose.  That Purpose He wanted for us  before the world began.

Imagine a life full of the Lord’s light, and joy.

Better yet,  don’t imagine it.   Get it.   

If you are in Christ Jesus, born again; then His Purpose for you is to be filled with all the fullness of God.  Filled to your capacity.

Ephesians 3:16-19 “That He would grant you,  according to the riches of His glory,  to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; 

                    That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;  that ye being rooted and grounded in love, 

                     May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,  and length, and depth,  and height;

                     And to know the love of Christ,  which passeth knowledge,  that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

We never truly know the love of Christ, the way He wants us to, until we walk along with Him, in the Spirit.

His hand for our strength,  

His Word for our help,  

His Spirit shining in us for comfort, and joy.

His Purpose for us, in Christ, is to walk with Him, into those good works He has ordained us for.

Will we go on with Him?

New Ground…..onward! 

Joshua 3:4 “Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.”

Our days are often the same…..today is as yesterday.   Yet Jesus calls us to keep our eyes on Him….and follow on.

  “Take the world, but give me Jesus, all its joys are but a name;  

   But His love abideth ever,  Thro’ eternal years the same.

   Take the world, but give me Jesus, Sweetest comfort of my soul;

   With my Savior watching o’er me, I can sing though billows roll.

   Take the world but give me Jesus, Let me view His constant smile;

   Then thro’-out my pilgrim journey. Light will cheer me all the while.

   Take the world, but give me Jesus, In His cross my trust shall be;

   Till, with clearer, brighter vision,  Face to face my Lord I see.”   (Fanny J. Crosby)

    

    

Plainly, I will ask you?  

Is your level of joy and peace increasing?  

Are you entering new ground….higher ground with Christ?

To have it in it’s fullness, we must become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit….and stop stifling Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 “Quench not the Spirit.”

      To “quench”…is to put out, or stifle the fire which is burning.

In our yielding to Him, we will begin to experience that reality He has for us.

Acts 1:6. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying,  Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”

The disciples, after the Lord’s resurrection, wondered if He was not going to bring in the kingdom.   

        It seemed a good time,  His resurrection would surely convince all the doubters…..and He would manifest His power.

        Being all gathered together….they thought that this was the next step…

(How like us, they were.   We think we know what the Lord is going to do next!   Surely this would be what He wants to do!)

But Jesus said,  “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.

          But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

          And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:7-9)

This was the last words of the Man, Christ Jesus.    Times and seasons are in the Father’s hands,  and they are not for us to know.

What?!  Leave the witness of who He is….and what He did….in the hands of His disciples…of us?

         We ran away….and hid, until You came to us and showed us Your resurrection…..how can we do what You are telling us to do?

 

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”  

        The power of the Holy Ghost was the answer…..

         Power to go out to conquer the world?

         No, not at all!

Power to conquer yourself,  and bring yourself into subjection to God’s Will and Way for your life.

        Jesus does it all…..through the Holy Spirit….with your willing with Him.

         The Promise of the Holy Spirit….He had told them of.    Now He was saying this was the way His crucifixion and resurrection was to be witnessed to.    So that His Way of Salvation could be witnessed and told to others.

We are all called as witnesses.   Witnesses to the power of God in our lives.   We can speak….of what we know in our experience.  

For we witness, more by what we are…..than what we say.

        Jesus Christ is seen, as we lift Him up in our lives.

For the disciples it was…..”in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”

For us, it is…..”first in me,….my church (the fellowship of believers to strengthen and be strengthened)….my home….my job….and throughout the world to the degree of my influence (wherever I am).

No matter what we do, we will be better at it,  through the power of the Holy Spirit,…

…..because the Spirit speaks of our enablement…..of grace, given and used….we are powerless on our own.

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

As we will with God,  His Will will be done.

Is it not time, we all willed to do and be of His good pleasure?

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power:  for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Here, we come into our highest order….the most we can achieve personally…..

…..to live for the pleasure or determination of the Lord…..to become what we were created for.

         

    

        

Will we choose the path where the Lord leads?

Deuteronomy 8:2 “And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness,    to humble thee,     and to prove thee,     to know what was in thine heart,    whether thou wouldest keep His commandments,  or no.”

       All the circumstances which come into our lives….in the path that the Lord leads us in….is laid out…to…

….show us our weakness….and show us God’s faithful might for us…that we might become totally dependent upon Him….leaning on our Beloved through this world.(Song of Solomon 8:5)

We do not know what is in our hearts until certain circumstances come….which show our weaknesses.

Peter truly felt he would never betray Christ…but he did.

      He got into circumstances which “pushed” against his fear for his life….and he denied the One he loved.  (John 21:15-19)

Paul speaks of this…

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:    

     But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves,  but in God which raiseth the dead;”

     This trouble came in the path of duty….and the Lord had  a lesson in that path.

Because of this trouble….Paul despaired. (Despaired here means that mentality there was no way out…so that it distressed his mind.)

      But he learned…. “that we should not trust in ourselves”:

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

      We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;  we are perplexed, but not in despair;

      Persecuted, but not forsaken;  cast down, but not destroyed;  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

       

When we begin our journey on our path with Christ,  we do not know our own hearts.

       But as we go further into the path He leads us in,…circumstances are placed in front of us which will bring out of us how we truly are.

True, we love the Lord…..but will we stand with Him in the face of trouble?

       Yes, we know the Lord knows everything….but do we trust Him when suddenly things seem to fall apart….now?

• The more we see our lack….the more we should stay close to Christ….getting more of His grace for our circumstances.

Sometimes the lessons show us that…..we trust Christ with our hearts…..but not with our bodies.   Illness…broken bones….and weakened abilities, often can cause us to look to someone or something else other than Christ.

       Sometimes the Lord shows us that we trust Him…for eternity;  but fear and doubt Him for our “daily bread”.    Are we trusting our own wisdom or schemes then?

Luke 9:23-24 “And He said to them all,   If any man will come after Me,…”

     (Here is the crux of the matter, will we come after Him, no matter what the situation or circumstances?     If you will…then…)

“…let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

     For whosoever will save his life   shall lose it:   but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.”

We have heard this call before (Matthew 16:24-25)…..but here is added the very telling word….”daily”.

This is an everyday, ongoing thing, until we stand in His presence.

As an old preacher once wrote….”only when we realize we are unable to do without God for a moment….do we find what He is for us,  moment by moment.”

I remember many colossal crises in my life….times when the Lamentations of Jeremiah (Lamentations 3:1-25  “…when I cry and shout,…”)……were more my prayers than the praises of the Psalms…but again and again the Lord reminds me….

….”I have led you….I will lead you…do not just “hang on”…..but hang on to Me, and see My hand in it all.”

     Sometimes I did not want to….I wanted to see the people or the situations….but He kept lifting my face to His….

“This is the key….this is the answer….deny yourself today, and follow Me…..and I will lead you through.”

His life….think of it as I often do…..His life in mine….here and now….this is what He offers all who will.

Will we choose the path where the Lord leads?

     

The time was come…

Galatians 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time was come,  God sent forth His Son,  made of a woman,  made under the law,”

          

The whole work of creation is for one purpose….to manifest the Son….to bring about the fulfillment of the Everlasting Covenant.

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace,  that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,  that great Shepherd of the sheep,  through the blood of the Everlasting covenant,

            Make you perfect in every good work to do His will,  working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight,  through Jesus Christ;  to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

(It is interesting that this Covenant is so explicitly set forth here in Hebrews….certainly the writer is writing the Church in Jerusalem….showing that the sacrifice of Christ was and is the means for the perfecting of the believers….both Jew and Gentile.)

1 Timothy 2:5-6 There is One God,  and One Mediator between God and man,  the man Christ Jesus;

          Who gave Himself a ransom for all,  to be testified in due time.”

When the Godhead first decided to Create….They saw by their Omniscience, the rebellion of Lucifer, who became Satan,  fighting against all things of God.

They saw the fall of man, and all the evil that man opens his heart to.

They saw the necessity for the flood….giving grace to Noah and saving him in the Ark.

They saw the call of Abram and the establishing of the Jewish Nation….all their obediences and failures….right up to the time of:

Luke 2:1, 3-7 “And it came to pass in those days,  that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.”

(God put out a decree long before this….that all these things should be!)

             “And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

              And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

              To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

              And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she would be delivered.

               And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

(Is there “room” in our lives for the Christ of God?)

               

               The Godhead saw all this, along with the obediences and failures of the church…..yet decided to create….

And the beginning of that creation,  was the Everlasting Covenant.

This covenant was established on an Eternal Foundation….the saving of a people for His Name’s sake.

“Through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant”.

1 Peter 1:19-20 “But with the precious blood of Christ,  as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

          Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,  but was manifest in these last times for you.”

Christ agreed to come as man….made of a woman….as scripture said.  

He would be…”very God of very God, and very man of very man”

He would be born under the law….and fulfill that law perfectly….

….so that He would be a perfect sacrifice…”without blemish and without spot:”

He would die as a substitute for us…..taking our sin upon Him….

…and God would raise Him up….accepting His sacrifice.

God, the Father, agreed to  give Him a people….draw them to Christ to be saved,….place His Holy Spirit within them to be with them…..and bring them safely home to Heaven, even through battles and failures.

Everything before Christ’s birth was in anticipation of it….preparing a people to believe and trust.

Everything after Christ’s birth was to manifest the Promise fulfilled….preparing a people to believe and trust.

What kind of love would make God the Son, come and place His whole being, as a helpless baby, in the hands of men?

What kind of trust would make the Son of God give Himself up to the hatred of the rulers,  the mob of people,  the mocking of soldiers, and the pain and separation of the cross….to please His Father’s Will….and give us salvation?

The fullness of the time….is not just a clever phrase…..it is Christ manifested in the flesh for us. (1 Timothy 3:16)

God fulfilled His promise of a Savior…..in His time,  and His Way.

Galatians 4:4-7 “But when the fullness of the time was come,  God sent forth His Son,  made of a woman,  made under the law,

             To redeem them that were under the law,  that we might receive the adoption of sons.

             And because ye are sons,  God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying,  Abba, Father.

             Wherefore thou art no more a servant,  but a son;  and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

And now the fullness of times has come for you.

If you have not received Him…..will you open your heart to Him now, and be born again? 

          Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

          For with the heart  man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

As joint heirs of Christ,  will you be found faithful to that which He has called you to fulfill?

Will we receive that love God has for us…..that peace which will establish us…..in order to complete the work….”make you perfect in every good work to do His will”?

God’s Will will be done…..will we yield to our part of it?

Psalm 36:7-9 “How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God!   Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.

       They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.

       For with Thee is the fountain of life:  in Thy light shall we see light.”(Page)

I want to stop here and say, “Hallelujah”!   Our God is a wonderful God….full of mercy and truth to us….helping us….

….both by rebuking us…to stop us from following the wrong way….

….and by comforting and encouraging us by His protection and satisfaction.

To Trust is to hold on to….Him and His Word.   (Under the shadow of Thy wings)

When God brought Israel out of Egypt….He said “I have brought you out on eagle’s wing…(Exodus 19:4)

Deuteronomy 32:11 “As an eagle stirs up her nest,    

(it is time to get out…to fly yourself),…

….fluttereth over her young,     

(showing them how to use their wings)….

….spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:”

(taking each eaglet on her wing and flying to show them how….keeping right there when they take off, to catch them on her wing)

         The Lord brought them out and taught them how to come close to Him….gave them the place of worship, and set up peace offerings which were a grand supper: part sacrificed to God….part eaten before Him in the outer court!

He did all this to bring them close to Him.

         The fat of the sacrifices,  always suggested richness.   Fat cattle were well fed and taken care of….and the fat of sacrifices was always choice…and placed on the altar. (Exodus 29:13, Lev. 1:8)…to God.

          In many places God calls us to enter into His goodness, and joy….eat the fat: (Isaiah 25:6,  Isaiah 55:2)

Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat,and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

“Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures”.    Satisfaction is in Christ alone.  

John 7:37-38 “…..Jesus stood and cried, saying,  If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

        He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

(The belly, in scripture, is the soul….especially the will.  Coming to Christ, willing with Him to do His Will….the Holy Spirit will flow out of us.)

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that heareth say, Come.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”

“For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.”

          The Lord is a fountain of wisdom, and peace, and longsuffering.

Light is an emblem of all the blessings given by God, so that we may gain more. 

        

These we may reflect and manifest to others:

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

         Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

To know the Lord a little, should create a hunger in us to know Him more.

“Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:  for they shall be filled.”

When Jesus came,  the last week of His life,  He wept over Jerusalem….and said,…

Matthew 23:27 “….how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

And ye would not….

But now I ask you….will you?    He often reaches out to us in lovingkindness….pulling us in under His wings of peace and love.

     Sometimes we may be weeping in grief or fear….other times we may be tired and weary….

…but in all circumstances….in every place….God will be there…

….let us know His Arm of Care.

Paul said….and he shivered in jails, beaten and bound….and stood before kings and rulers….and preached before all men,  the goodness and faithfulness of his God.

Philippians 4:11, 13 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

      I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me.”

And as David said,…..and as Paul said,….

…we too can say…

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Hallelujah, we are in Christ Jesus…..and by Him we receive all things we need.