Thorns and thistles

Luke 8:14 “And that which fell among thorns are they,  which,  when they have heard  go forth,   and are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life,  and bring no fruit to perfection.”

“The Sower went out to sow his seed…”. 

The seed is the Word of God…but it is the ground which it falls into we are talking about.

This Word falls in a heart full of thorns.   Thorns represent the curse of the fall….or our “old man”…the old nature which is always present.

Jesus said, that these thorns were:

 “cares”…..burdens of grief, fear, protection, supply.

 “Riches”….a supply of money, houses, or lands….to make us independent of God….or so we think.

 “Pleasure of this life”….we think of food, sex, drink, or drugs….but there is also putting our “fun times”, first.

I believe Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost,…. all who will come to Him. (Hebrews 7:25)

Therefore these thorns represent that which keeps us from completely giving ourselves to the Lord Jesus.     

Something that claims this part of our life,…first.

Jeremiah 4:3 “For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem,   Break up your fallow ground,  and sow not among thorns.”

We are to prepare our hearts to hear His Word, when we read it….when we hear it….when it is preached.   

And when it is heard….because our hearts are prepared…it will bring forth fruit….not thorns.

But where did the thorns originally come from?  

There were no thorns and thistles in the garden of Eden.  

But when Adam and Eve fell…

Genesis 3:17-18 “And unto Adam He said,  Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife,  and hast eaten of the tree,  of which I commanded thee, saying,  Thou shalt not eat of it:

cursed is the ground for thy sake;  in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

        Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field:”

Thorns are actually aborted branches.   Both are prickly and injurious.   Both can cause infections….

…..both can only be put away…..by effort.

But thorns and thistles shall it “bring forth” unto us.   They just pop up….with no effort….for they are of this world….they are of the curse of sin.

We are in a world of sin….and thorns and thistles abound…..in us, by habit or temptation…

….and around us.  

They often spring up before the good seed…and if we are not careful to remove or cut them down…..they will choke the new good plant.

Hebrews 6:7-8 “For the earth which drinketh in the rain which cometh oft upon if, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed,  recieveth blessing from God:  

        But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected,  and is nigh unto cursing,  whose end is to be burned.”

We are to keep our hearts and lives for God….and use every blessing from God (the rain) to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But if we are careless….then thorns and thistles (the things under the curse…sin)….will definitely spring up in our life…and they are not so easy to deal with then.

Numbers 33:55 “But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you;  then it shall come to pass,  that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes,  and thorns in your sides,  and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”

We must deal with all the things of our old man….of cares, riches, and pleasures of this life……because if we leave them, as the Israelites did the cursed inhabitants…they will be thorns in our side….giving us trouble,  till we do.

(My brother bought a small plot of land….about fifteen acres…from a neighbor.  

           Now the neighbor told him to watch for Canadian thistles.

They have a very strong root….so cutting them down will not do any good….they will just spring back up…you have to keep at it.

         He told my brother that he had had trouble with them, and if you let them flower….you have let them go too long….for the flowers will dry and spread them all over.

         My brother used the ground for pasture for some special cows….so he did not want to spray it.

         You guessed it,…..my brother saw them coming up….and was busy….and the next thing you know it they were grown and flowering.

         Let me tell you how hard it was to deal with something that was almost as tall as I was…

         Chopping them out, without getting “bit” by the prickly nettles….was a very hard job.)

So it is with us….if we are careless…

Proverbs 22:5 “Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward:  he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.”

Froward means twisted, perverted, crooked.   And how many crooked paths are put before us everyday….to lead us astray?

A little twist of the way…..what will it hurt?   

But the thorns come up and the thistles grow large….before you know it.

Watch ye….is not just good advice for times of trouble….but times of prosperity….and…any time.   We need Christ’s guiding hand to lead us away from thorns…..and to lead us in to His fruit of the Spirit.

Isaiah 32:11,13 “Tremble, ye women that are at ease;  be troubled,  ye careless ones…..gird sackcloth upon your loins.

            Upon the land of My people shall come up thorns and briers;….”

To be careless….. is to put our desire for now….what ever it is over the will of the  Lord….as though it was not that important.

The answer?    To continue to receive the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 32:15-17 “Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high….

Then judgement shall dwell in the wilderness,  and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

            And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness   quietness and assurance forever.”

Some believe this is a prophesy concerning the giving of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost….but…

……whenever the Spirit is manifested….there is righteousness and peace…

…not thorns of self will.

Matthew 7:16 “Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns,  or figs of thistles?”

Nothing we can do, without the Holy Spirit’s blessing will yield any good fruit.

The best that human nature can produce for God….is thorns.

Only when we continue to receive the Holy Spirit’s fullness,  will we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

And, of course,  I would be remiss, if I did not mention the worst day for the manifesting of man’s the attitude toward God….

….. when our blessed Lord had a crown of thorns pushed into HIs head….when they mocked Him as a king…

….totally unaware that He is the King of kings.

John 19:2-3 “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns,  and put it on His head,  and they put on Him a purple robe,  

            And said,  Hail, King of the Jews!  And they smote Him with their hands.”

He bore all the curse for us.

Thorns and briers,  thorns and thistles…..all are under the curse. 

They spring up, unless you pull them out.  

They spread out, and interfere with the good plants.   

They are strong….not easily removed….unless you get them early.

But by watching,…..and receiving all the Holy Spirit has for us,  we can cut out all that is “thorns”,….or of our old man……and bring forth fruit to Christ Jesus our Lord, in blessing.

Deuteronomy 

Genesis is a book of beginnings…..here we learn the beginning of creation…the beginning of man, perfect and then lost….the beginning to look toward a Savior from sin…..the beginning of Israel.

Exodus is the book of redemption.   Israel is redeemed from slavery….for God’s worship.

Leviticus is the book of offerings.  (All of which speak of some aspect of Christ’s sacrifice and provision). And the service of the priests for the people….both offerings and feasts.  The Day of atonement is there (Lev. 16)

Numbers is the accounting of the people before the Lord….being in their place….and the responsibility that brings in following the Law.

But Deuteronomy is the book of remembrance:   Remember what the Lord has said,  and done….both in blessing and judgement,…

…and remember the warnings….blessing and curses that God has given, so that they may have the wonderful life God wants them to.

(And are we not told to remember? Acts 20:28-32.  “…I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus,…”)

Deuteronomy 4:32-33,35 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

        Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

        Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightiest know that the Lord He is God; there is none else beside Him.”

They had seen much….

(How much we have been shown,  both by our salvation and deliverances!)

         Moses in his last words to Israel, in Dueteronomy, spoke of love….sixteen times.

         And he spoke of serving the Lord with all their heart five times

         And he warned of serving other gods twenty times.

Moses told them what would happen if they turned from worshipping God to idols…whether of gold or silver or wood….or of their own imaginations….

…..for a divided heart is worthless…

….we “can not serve God and mammon”. (Matthew 6:24)

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,  that I have set before you life and death,   blessing and cursing:   therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

        That thou mayest love the Lord thy God,   and that thou mayest obey His voice,    and that thou mayest cleave unto Him:    for He is thy life, and the length of thy days:     that you mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,…to give them.”

Moses is reminding them that God created everything….heaven and earth….and that as the Lord of Hosts, He is in charge of every wind and rain….every neighbor and beast….for their good….or to reprove them.

Deuteronomy 28:47 “Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;”

How much blessings He had in store for them….they rarely had, because….they did not serve the Lord with gladness….come before Him with singing!   

       They could have….but they chose to look to other nations and follow them instead.   

And his last word to them was the way Moses saw them…..a people chosen by God….lead by God….fed by God….and given deliverance by God.

Deuteronomy 33:29 “Happy art thou, O Israel:  who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency!  And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.”

We, too, have been given great privileges from the Lord Jesus Christ.

        They are for our lives….that we might live,…wherever we are….in the knowledge of our God…of Who He is, and what He will do for us.

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

This is the life of the just….the life of faith in God, for now…in patience, and in the place He puts us,…that pleases and glorifies Him.

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:”

1 Peter 3:10-12 “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

        Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

        For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers:  but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Israel’s history…..glorious when following the Lord Jehovah…..and terrible when following the gods of the nations round about them….

….was as Moses told them.   (Of course, God has never given up on Israel….who will one day cry out to the Lord, and be delivered….and blessed)

But what of us?     When our history is written….what will it read?

1 Peter 1:7-9 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

        Whom having not seen, ye love;  in whom though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

        Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

Let this be said of each of us!

Our Blessings as Christians 

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together,  and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

If I am a Christian,  I am seated “in” Christ Jesus in the heavenly places;  and He is seated “in” my heart, down here, in the earthly places.

All these Spiritual Blessings, are for us in Christ Jesus, in the heavenlies.

What we need to do,  is get them down here, in the earthlies,  in us.

So we ask:  How do we get the blessings Christ has for us in heaven, down here in us?

The answer is:  Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

His will be done in me, as it is in heaven.  

By the slightest hint of His Will, it is done in heaven.

And so it ought to be done in me.

He is to be my King;  not just in name, but in practical application in my life:  now.

If He reigns in my life,  our lives are elevated into a single goal:  

What is Your will for me now?

He is in charge, so that also elevates all the circumstances of my life to:   

The path that I must take.

It is His kingdom coming within us, that matters. 

(His kingdom will come one day, on earth;  but now His kingdom is willingly manifested in the lives of His Christians,  willing to surrender to His Rule…here and now.

Yes, He is Governor and Sovereign of all things, seen and unseen,…..but He asks us to choose to be a subject of Christ Jesus, the King.) 

“Who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings.”

The Spiritual Blessings are the means of seeing His Will done in me;  that is what they are for.  

Not to lift me up; and make me somebody.

But to lift up Christ in me,  and to show Him forth in all my doings, sayings, and thoughts.  

In other words:  to show forth Christ in me.

Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;  which is Christ in you,  the hope of glory:”

Included in these Spiritual Blessings is the fruit of the Spirit, for He works them within us, helping us by these fruits.  

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.”

Love,

Joy, 

Peace,

Longsuffering, or the patience to put up with others,

Gentleness or kindness,

Goodness or not being mean, 

Faith,

Meekness or a putting away of pride,

Temperance or moderation in all things.

These are all for us.  Ours, when self is denied, and Christ sits on the Throne of our hearts. 

We would have Him change our circumstances;…….but He wants to change us,…….in our circumstances, and enable us to be all He wants for us.

What a life, so described!   We can have it, to the degree we yield to His Kingship.

Ephesians 2:6 “Who hath raised us up together,  and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

This sets forth Authority.

The Authority He places upon us, when we have made Him our King,  practically.

It is Authority for my daily life;  in the circumstances of my everyday life.

He endues me with some of His Authority, for here, and now.

It is “according to that power that worketh in us”……..that His Authority is given us for our lives.  

And it is all a matter of love to Christ our King. (That is why the first gift of the Spirit is love.)

Ephesians 3:19-20 “And to know the love of Christ,  which passeth knowledge,  that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.

                   Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,  according to the power that worketh in us.

Again I stress….”according to the power that worketh in us.”    

Paul said, “this power works within me mightily”.

Colossians 1:29 “Whereunto I also labor,  striving according to His working,  which worketh in me mightily.”

Quench not the Holy Spirit.

But openly, deliberately, lovingly,  yield to Him, and His gentle impressions to us.

If we would reverence Him more,  as He is;  we would find Him doing “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”,  in our lives.

It is His kingdom come within us…..that brings His many blessings down to us.

There is Authority in the voice of the King.

The Spiritual Blessings He has for us, are there in Christ.

Let His kingdom come with in us,…..and let us get all the blessings He has for us into us here,…..where He can be honored by us.

Hast thou Faith? 

Romans 14:22 “Hast thou faith?  Have it to thyself before God.   Happy is he that condemneth not himself  in that thing  which He alloweth.”

When we begin to walk by faith and not by sight;  we begin to deal with those things that we  “condemn”  ourselves with.

Faith is the active ingredient of our Spiritual lives.  It comes to us by the Holy Spirit, when we are born again;  but it (usually) takes us a while to use it.

Faith tells us to trust and stand…..and our eyes tell us that what were about to do is impossible.

Faith tells us to “Get out of here, now.”…….And our eyes do not “see” anything wrong.

Faith nudges us to speak to someone about Jesus;…..we wait…but then the subject is changed,  the opportunity is gone.

We learn (it is called “growing” in scripture: 2 Peter 3:18)  to use the faith given in each situation of our lives;….and when we do,  we come into Christian Liberty.

Our Christian Liberty should make us free to be what we ought: to be what God’s wants us to be.

1 Corinthians  6:12 “All things are lawful unto me,  but all things are not expedient:  all things are lawful for me,  but I will not be brought into the power of any.”

1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me,  but all things are not expedient:  all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”

Twice in the same book,  Paul warns these Christians to be careful not to let what “other people” do, or social norms, to be their rule of life. 

Rather, they should be fully committed to God’s Will and Way;  no matter what anyone else does.

Paul gives his testimony:  “I will not be brought into the power of anything;  even though it might be lawful (or nothing, that would seem to be wrong).”

Paul said,  “I will”,  for we must will with God’s Will.

For the Christian there are certain things we know are wrong:  stealing, lying, adultery, to name a few.

But for each Christian there are “convictions” of the Holy Spirit (for them) that say, “This is not for you.”

(I, years ago, when I was a teenager….was dealt with, by the Lord, to give up make up.   Not because I felt that the make up was sinful;  but rather for me,  it was wrong to wear it….because of the attachment to the world, it suggested.

This is a conviction of the Holy Spirit to me….and I still do not wear it.)

True Spiritual Life is following the Lord Jesus wherever He leads in my life.

True liberty is freedom from the power of sin in my life.

Faith is the “sight” that makes both of these possible.

“Hast thou faith?   Have it to thyself before God.”

Simply, use the faith the Holy Spirit has given you,  and follow the Lord Jesus into the happiness He has for you.

Don’t “allow” anything that He does not want,….though it may be hard to part with at the time……

……and joy and peace will be your heart’s companion.

The Mountains we are Called To 

Song of Solomon 4:8 “Come with Me from Lebanon, my spouse, with Me from Lebanon:   Look from the top of Amana,  from the top of Shenir and Hermon,  from the lions den,  from the mountains of the leopards.”

Mountains in scripture speak of insurmountable problems….things we can never handle on our own.  

But the scriptures also show that God’s people are people of the mountains.   (Lot choosing the plain,  but Abraham on the mountain.  Genesis 13:10, 14-15)

And in this beautiful song,  which speaks of the believer (in the maiden) being drawn to a personal relationship with Christ (the shepherd-king);….there are mountains….several mountains.

By the time this call comes to the believer,  he has followed the Lord and learned to come out from the wall of our past experience, and go on. (Song of Solomon 2:8-10)

But, though hesitant at first, the believer has come….and found more of that relationship power…..for the believer has found more of Christ.

But now, the call comes to “come with Me” to the peaks of Lebanon.  (“From” here, means to look from)

There are three peaks the Lord is calling us to experience with Him…always with Him….

Amana:  means “confirmation”.   It is a word related to “Amen”….”let it be done”

(Only He can say Amen to anything….for only He can speak, and it will be done…although we may join His Amen with ours…aligning ourselves with Him.)

He is the Amen….and from this peak….as we follow Him….we can see His view point on the things below.    

For God sees us in Christ,  and as we are in Christ….all the things that come to us, are purposed….either for blessing or correction.

         Trials are to be seen as from Christ’s hand.   Christ as our Teacher leads us into lessons we could not learn in other circumstances.

Corrections are to seen as sent in love, to bring us back to Him.

These are high things….heady things,  which we need His Arm to steady us, as we climb up.

As we climb up, we begin to put the things of our circumstances,  into perspective…..His perspective.

Amen, Lord,  this is Your will,  so I will do it.

Shenir:  means “pointed word or saying”;   as in the Sword of the Spirit….our armor…(Ephesians 6:17)

This peak speaks about our warfare against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God,  that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

But, as we climb this peak with the Lord Jesus,  we begin to be given His “pointed word” which we can use against our adversary.     

         Up on this peak, the Lord gives us a view of how the adversary is trying  to trick us….we see more clearly the things which might trip us up.

Thank you Lord for this sight ahead…and for Your Word to use in the battles coming up.

Hermon: means “abrupt”…or “destruction “…..like an unseen cliff at the end of the way.    

That is what our sin had brought us to:  destruction;…….but remember, we are with Jesus, our Savior.   We have come with Him.

And on this peak, we see the Victory of the Cross of Christ in a fuller way.  

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O death, where is thy sting?  O grave, where is thy victory?

                     The sting of death is sin;  and the strength of sin is the law.

                      But thanks be to God,  which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

His salvation is a complete one:  over the curse of sin in every way….. in us by the power by His grace.

Death brought on by sin is separation from God for eternity….but we are not separated, but with Him.

And therefore the sting or terror of death is gone……..as Christians, we fall asleep (Acts 7:60),….we close our eyes here, and open them in heaven.

And in seeing these,  we can enter into the joy of them.

But beside these wonderful peaks…..there is danger,  for we are traveling through this world, still.

There are….”The lions dens, the mountains of the leopards”.

In our walk with Jesus, there are enemies, which we will have to meet for our work and walk.

Lions roar…..they frighten and terrify, to throw us off guard, and into panic.

Leopards are tremendously strong, carrying their prey, and devouring them.

And the closer you grow to the Lord,……the more the enemy will fight.

But the Lord is with us…..and He has brought us up on these peaks to give us His view point…..

….and with that view point, we become enabled:  

With His Will…..Amen….He can say,  “Let it be done”,  for the things ahead.

With His Word….the sword of the Spirit….to use against the tricks which come against us.

With His Victory….there is no destruction for us….death is to fall asleep.  The body may be in a grave,  but we are not.    We will be with Christ in heaven.

These mountain peaks the Lord calls His believers to.    They are high, and sometimes dangerous….but they are with Him.

“Come with Me.”

Shadrach,  Meshach, and Abed-nego 

Daniel 3:1 “Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was three score cubits,  and his breadth thereof six cubits:  he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.”

We are all inclined to “success, and praise”.   Nebuchadnezzar was.   He had been given a interpretation of a dream by Daniel which spoke of himself as a “golden head”. (Daniel 2:37-38)

He then sought to show everyone, just how great he was.  The “golden head”, became a golden statue.

And now everyone gathered,……..and especially his princes, and people placed in authority, was to bow down to it!

Daniel 3:4-6 “Then a herald cried aloud,  To you it is commanded,  O people, nations, and languages,  

        That at what time ye hear the sound of……all kinds of music,  ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

        And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

But there were three Godly men, who had been appointed into positions of authority in Babylon, who did not bow to his image.  Their names were: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

       It was not that they did not respect the king,  but they were to worship one God, only.    So they could not bow down to any other “god”.

But, because of their positions,…..others are more than ready to accuse them before the king.

Daniel 3:12 “There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of Babylon,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and Abed-nego;  these men, O king,  have not regarded thee:  they serve not thy gods,  nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar, knowing the jealousy of princes when they inform on one another,  gives these men another chance to bow down to his image.

Daniel 3:14-15 “Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them,  Is it true  O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abend-nego?  Do not ye serve my gods,  nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

          Now if ye be ready at what time ye hear the sound of…..all kinds of music,  ye fall down and worship the image that I have made;  well:   

          but if ye worship not,  ye shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace;  

          And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand?”

Now here is a trial, which we, as Christians, often face:  

       Should we go along with the world in certain things?  

       Should we sacrifice our position, to honor the Lord?

Surely, we can do “good” in a position of authority;……..so, should we jeopardize it for God?

       Does it matter, if it is in a minor thing?  

Yes, every Christian knows the answers to these questions;  yet how often do we follow through,…..especially when it is going to cost us something?

These men were not only going to lose their positions,….but they were going to lose their lives.  And in a very terrible way…to burn to death!

Nebuchadnezzar was making it very clear where he stood:  Honor me or die; because “your God can not deliver you from my hand”.  (Boy, was he wrong!)

Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,  answered and said unto the king,  O Nebuchadnezzar,  we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

          If it be so,  our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,  and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king.

         But if not,  be it known unto thee,  O king,  that we will not serve thy gods,  nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

But these three Israelites were also making it very clear where they stood:  with God, “their God”.

They said they “were not careful to answer” him.   

        Simply put, they did not care about his threats, or actions against them,……if it meant dishonoring their God, the real true God.

And further, they said, that God would deliver them,  whether by death or some other way.  

       But what ever happens,  they would not worship Nebuchadnezzar’s gods, nor bow down to the golden image.

That would dishonor their God.

Daniel 3:19, 21  “Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury,……therefore he spake,  and commanded that  they should heat the furnace one seven times more that it was wont to be heated.

          Then these men were bound in their coats, and their hose, and their hats,  and their other garments,  and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

Furious,  Nebuchadnezzar told his men to heat the furnace seven times hotter than previously!  

        It was so hot that when the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego , into the furnace;  they died from the heat!

         (Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t so sure of himself.  Perhaps their God would be able to deliver them, after all.)

Daniel 3:24-25 “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished,  and rose up in haste,  and spake,  and said unto his counselors,   Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?   They answered and said unto the king,   True, O king.

          He answered and said,   Lo,  I see four men loose,  walking in the midst of the fire,  and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

While waiting for them to disappear from view, Nebuchadnezzar gets surprised by the men, up and walking in the furnace.

But there were four men walking there.   And one was like to the Son of God.

This is an amazing sight.  But unlike the others, Nebuchadnezzar saw the truth, and acknowledged it.

          He did not try to ignore it, and say:  “No, I will not believe that there is this kind of power, which can withstand me, and my fiery furnace!  I will close my eyes to this, and let them burn.”   

He did not do this.   He saw,……and he acknowledged,…..and then he believed.

Some men refuse the truth right before them.  They refuse to see, and will not acknowledge God’s Authority.   

         He can, and does what He will, with His own.  

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego knew this.

Now Nebuchadnezzar does, too.

Daniel 3:26-27 “Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace,  and spake,  and said,   Shadrach,  Meshach,  and Abed-nego,  ye servants of the Most High God,  come forth,  and come hither.  Then Shadrach,  Meshach,  and Abed-nego,  came forth of the midst of the fire.

             And the princes, and the governors,  and captains,  and the kings counselors,  being gathered together,  saw these men,  upon whose bodies the fire had no power,  nor was a hair of their head singed,  neither were their coats changed,  nor the smell of the fire had passed upon them.”

There was no smell of smoke; nor was there burnt clothing on them.  God had not only brought the men through……but also everything of theirs was without hurt, as well.

Nebuchadnezzar was changed;  though not completely purged from self-honor, yet.

But he honored the God which could deliver them.

        For he said (and he was talking about his own gods, as well): “because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”

Daniel 3:28 “Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said,  Blessed be the God of Shadrach,  Meshach, and Abed-nego,  who hath sent his angel,  and delivered his servants that had trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word,  and yielded their bodies,  that they might not serve or worship any god, except their own God.”

           

The principal we always need to remember is:

(1 Samuel 2:30).   “…for them that honor me  I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

We are to be in the world, but not of it.

        We are, instead, to be looking to the Lord, for His Word, and His help;  to honor Him.

Psalm 34:4-8 “I sought the Lord,  and he heard me,  and delivered me from all my fears.” 

          (This is when they were first called to come before Nebuchadnezzar.  How many fears went through their minds.  But the Lord saved them from these fears)

“They looked unto Him, and were lightened:  and their faces were not ashamed.” 

           (This is when they spoke boldly before Nebuchadnezzar, for their God.)

“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,  and saved him out of all his troubles.”

          (This is when, bound and thrown in the furnace, they lifted their prayers to God.)

“The angel of the Lord campeth round about them that fear him and delivereth him.”

           (This is when God saved them, by the Presence of Himself with them.)

“O taste and see that the Lord is good:  blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”  

           (This is the conclusion for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego……

And all who will trust in the Lord.)

The Woman at the Well 

John 4:3-4, 6-7 “He left Judea,  and departed again into Galilee.   For he must needs go through Samaria.

                 Now Jacobs’s well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey,  sat thus on the well:  and it was about  the sixth hour.

                There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water:  Jesus saith unto her,   Give me to drink.”

Why is the woman at the well important?

1. the Salvation of every person is important.
2. She became a light which brought her city to Christ,  though she was an adulteress.
3. Because Jesus lets us know that it is not in a place,  or because you are a particular people….but He tells that anyone must worship God in Spirit and in truth.

Jesus is passing through Samaria, and was tired, hungry and thirsty.   His disciples went into the city to buy some food.  And Jesus sat on the well, waiting.

She had come to the well when no one was around, because of what she was;  and yet wanted the truth of God’s Word…..even though she was, what she was.

(I am stressing this, because we all begin our journey with the Lord the same way:   We are sinners.   Maybe we have never done what she did,  but sin places us all on the same plain….on the way to death.)

“Why do you a Jew ask a drink of me, a Samaritan?” (John 4:9)

It seemed a good question,  for the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans,….thinking them defiled. 

(The Samaritans were the descendants of the inter marriages of Hebrew and the other nations. Ezra 9:1-2,12)

But Jesus came to save all those who would believe and receive His life.   

So, instead of pressing His right to a drink again;…….Jesus speaks to her about “living water”.

John 4:10, 13-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knowest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink;  thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.

                    Jesus answered and said unto her,  Whosever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

                    But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;  but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Her reply was very practical:   “Give me that water so I won’t have to come and draw from this well.”

So Jesus brings her a step further toward real life, by dealing with her real problem:   “Go get your husband.”

Would she tell the truth?  

She replied,  “I have no husband”.  

John 4:17-18  “….Jesus said unto her,  Thou hast well said I have no husband:                    

                    For thou hast had five husbands;  and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband:  in that saidst thou truly.”

What would she do now?  Run away?  Spit on Him?  Throw water on Him?  

But instead she considered the truth, instead of her feelings,….and spoke to this man of something which was on her heart:   worship,….for she knew He was a prophet.

She wanted to know,  what was right,  in God sight.  

This is amazing…..she was being shown for what she was….yet…she is drawn out of herself….because she sees He is a prophet (she still does not see Who He is as Lord and Savior)….but she is being drawn toward more of the truth…

Let me say, that Jesus does this within us….He draws us out of ourselves….our circumstances….toward Him.

 “Were they right to worship in this mountain, as their fathers did?   Or were the Jews right in saying Jerusalem was the only place to worship God?”

Odd conversation for a woman who had been looking for satisfaction in sexual and romantic emotions.

John 4:21-22 “Jesus saith unto her,  Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

            Ye worship ye know not what:  we know what we worship;…

            …But the hour cometh, and now is,  when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:….

             God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

 Right here, could have been a problem;  if she did not really want the truth.

(Maybe this was what she had been searching for in those five husbands she’d had.

But to want the truth,….generally, and to face the truth for yourself,  is two different things.)

Yet, here again, she does not back away from getting the truth,……of getting that living water;……even when it came to what He would say about herself.

John 4:25-26 “The woman saith unto him,  I know that Messiah cometh,  which is called Christ:  when He is come,  He will teach us all things.

           Jesus saith unto her,  I that speaketh unto thee am He.”

Jesus had revealed Himself to very few people;  but to this woman who wanted the truth,  He did.

This  shows us the great value the Lord Jesus puts on truth,….and those that seek it.

(John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses,  but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

When truth is faced,  grace is always given….no matter what our background)

This woman was afraid of people….and how they treated her.

Because of that she  had come to the well at this time…..and met Jesus.

But hearing the Truth, and from the Messiah……sent her into that same town,   to tell all that she would meet, about Christ Jesus.

John 4:29 “Come, see a man,  which told me all things that ever I did:  is not this the Christ?”

By her witness,  many came to believe on Jesus, too:

John 4:39-42 “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman,  which testified ,  He told me all that ever I did.

               So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that he would tarry with them:  and He abode there two days.

               And many more believed because of His own word.

               And said unto the woman,  Now we believe,  not because of thy saying:  for we have heard Him  ourselves,  and know that this is indeed the Christ,  the Savior of the world.”

Notice, she is not afraid of the townspeople, now.   They are not different….she is.   She has met the Savior….and believed on Him. (John 1:12, Romans 10:8-13)

What of us?    How much do we value the truth, especially for ourselves?

Have we hidden lives we do not want to admit to?

Or are we believing in a doctrine,  and that is enough?

The truth is,  that everyone who comes to Jesus Christ,  can find the water of life……

……real satisfaction…..and know for themselves that He is Lord and Savior,  for themselves….and show Him to others.

Rain 

Hosea 6:3 “Then shall we know,  if we follow on to know the Lord:  His going forth is prepared as the morning;  and He shall come unto us as the rain,  as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”

Christ Jesus, when He comes to us by the influence of the Holy Spirit, is like a shower of rain, to a dry and thirsty ground.

When we are without Jesus in our lives, our hearts are hard, and nothing seems to soften them or make an impression on them.

(We may feel many emotions….which come and go….bring thoughts to lift or depress…..but our hearts are not softened by them….only used like a sponge….fluid in and out….never becoming the fruitful garden full of beauty and usefulness to the Lord.)

When we are born again….the Holy Spirit comes within us…..like a gentle rain, He softens us…..to feel the impressions of the Word of God for our lives.

But when we fall into sin after becoming Christians,(and sadly this can happen)…..we can again become “hardened”.     

So we need to turn to Him again, and pray for showers of His mercy and grace to come to us, and soften our hearts in repentance,  and cleansing in His blood.

Wherever Christ comes,  the rain of the Holy Spirit and of grace, comes to our souls;…..and we are turned into a well watered land.  

Fruitful and beautiful, for we drink Him in;…..and by His Spirit’s influence, we are changed little by little,  into His character.

As rain is a free gift of God to the earth……to poor and rich alike, the rain falls.

So Christ is offered to all who will receive Him.

The rain is most necessary to all the parts of the plants:  roots, trunk, branches,  leaves, and blossom.

So Christ is necessary to every part of us:  our understanding,  our will, our emotions, and our memories.

        He strengthens us in good things, and enlivens us as we grow.  

        He increases our peace, and love for Him and others.  

        He preserves us within, by His Spirit; and without, by HIs Word.

As rain sometimes comes amid thunderstorms, as well as the gentle warm rain;  so  Christ comes to us to warn us, as well as to encourage us.

As rain satisfies the dry earth,  so Christ comes and satisfies us.

He gives us the fruit of His Spirit within us.

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.”

Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt show me the path of life:  in Thy presence is fullness of joy;  at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

If we follow on to know the Lord,…..He will come unto us as the rain,  the former and latter rain,  upon the dryness of our souls.

Hope 

Hope, in the Bible, is of the Holy Spirit,….

….it is the confident expectation that God will do what He says.

If He gives us a word, or promise…..the Holy Spirit places hope within us….giving us assurance that God will fulfill all He has said.

It is not the “hope so”, which is more like a wish….but the Holy Spirit within us…implanting the roots of what will be the tree of promise,….and in the end….the fruit of the fulfillment and answer.

There is stability in this hope….for again,  it is of the Holy Spirit within.

Hebrews 6:18-19 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie,  we might have a strong consolation,  who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope sent before us:

          Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul,  both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”

Our example:

Jeremiah and the land he buys:

Jeremiah was in prison….the king had ordered his arrest for speaking the truth about the coming victory of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon….and the destruction of Jerusalem.   

He tried to save the people……but most did not want to hear the truth.

(Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah, king of Judah….to simply go out to Nebuchadnezzar….and submit to him.   Then the king and the people would be able to stay in the land.   

God was trying to teach His people about submission…..giving up their proud ways of doing what they wanted….and yield.

But Zedekiah the king of Judah….was too proud and scared to do what he should….for himself or his people.)

But in prison,  Jeremiah hears the word of the Lord….a very strange word, in these times:

Jeremiah 32:7 “Behold, Hanameel…..thy uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth:  the right of redemption is thine to buy it.”

Anathoth was Jeremiah’s hometown…..and with the siege of the country…..there was much poverty…..and little crops were being produced.  

His uncle, no doubt needed the money….perhaps to save some of his family from becoming servants.

“The right of redemption” was Jeremiah’s right to buy the land of a poor relative….at a reasonable price….for himself……in order to keep it in the family.

Jeremiah 32:9-11 “And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

            And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

            So I took the evidence of the purchase,….”

This is very remarkable…..an act of hope about the word of the Lord:

….Jeremiah knew that Nebuchadnezzar would take the city….that the inhabitants of the whole land would be made into slaves….and dragged away to a foreign land…

….and servants…..taking care of the land so that the crops would go to Nebuchadnezzar.

There was no reason of thinking that Jeremiah would ever use that land….

…why then did he buy it?

Remember hope is the confident expectation that God will do what He says.

And Jeremiah’s hope was in the Lord’s Word…..not in lands, or deeds.

Jeremiah 32:12-15 “And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch….in the sight of Hanameel….and in the presence of the witnesses….

…..and I charged Baruch before them…

…..Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel;  Take these evidences,….and put them in an earthen vessel,  that they may continue many days.

      For thus saith the Lord of hosts,  the God of Israel;   Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”

Here was where Jeremiah’s hope lay…..in….”Thus saith the Lord of hosts”.

What a joyful word this was!  This land will be possessed by Israel again!

Hope for a time coming….hope in the Word of the Lord.

After the purchase…..he prays….

Jeremiah 32:17, 24-25 “Ah Lord God!  Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth, by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee:

        Behold the mounts (places they put the machines which catapult into the city),  they are come unto the city to take it;……and the city is given….because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence:  and what Thou hast spoken is come to pass;…

         And Thou hast said unto me,  O Lord God,  buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses;  for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”

Though God saw all that Israel had done…..and was chastening them for it….yet God also saw what would be…..and gave a word of hope to His servant.

During this siege,  there was sword, famine, and pestilence…..

…..yet Jeremiah heard of a time….through God’s Word….that things would return to “normal”….

“…and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:  and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” (Jeremiah 32:37-38)

This purchase was to be an earnest….a down payment….on the promise to come.   

The Lord showed Jeremiah that the land and the people would be desolate….for a time (seventy years)….but then:

Jeremiah 32:27, 42-44 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?

        For thus saith the Lord;  Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people,   so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

        And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say,  It is desolate….

        ….for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord.”

Jeremiah knew that he, himself would not redeem this land,  in this life (though certainly in the Millennial reign, that land will be his.)….

….but he was looking to the promise of God in hope.

(And in fact,  among the very first of Israel to return from captivity,  were men of Anathoth,  Jeremiah’s hometown.   Ezra 2:23)

What of us?

Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime  were written for our learning,   that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Hope is the confident expectation that God will do what He says.

He has done all that He has said….

….and all that is written in the scriptures will certainly come to pass.

Romans 15:13 “ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,  that ye may abound in hope,  through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

I do not know how Jeremiah felt about his uncle…or about the land….or about the process of redeeming the land (the deeds and witness)….

….what I do know about Jeremiah,   was that he desired above all else God’s glory and honor…

….and that a deed in an earthen vessel…..symbolized hope….and that it honored God.

Are we yielding to the hope of the Holy Spirit?

A Kingdom must have a King 

We have been made in the image of God:   He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

We are spirit, soul and body…and within each of us there is place where someone rules.    Who rules in the kingdom of Mansoul?

(We have often pictured it as a throne in our hearts….Who sits there?)

Psalm 24:9-10 “Lift up, O ye gates;  even lift them up, ye everlasting doors:  and the King of glory shall come in.

                 Who is this King of glory?  The Lord of Hosts,  He is the King of glory.  Selah.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

A King rules…..that is His job.   He is at the head of His army….He is directing circumstances for His kingdom,……He is commanding His people.   That is what a King does.    

He does it according to His due order,  and for the good of the Kingdom and His people.

The Lord Jesus Christ is King…..is He our King?

In the beginning, Adam was put under a trial of his faith to God.

Yes, the devil’s wiles, and the temptation through Eve, was part of the trial….but, it came down to:  who was Adam going to choose, to rule his life…..himself,   or God?

And for each of his decedents,  it is the same choice:  who will we choose to rule us?

The natural man never chooses God….

Psalm 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:  God is not in all his thoughts.”

Romans 8:7-8 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:  for it is not subject to the law of God,  neither indeed can be.

                  So then they that are in the flesh shall not please God.”

The natural man fights against Him in his life, everyday.    This man may be religious,  go to church, or do charitable works…..but it is always them doing it,  their way of doing it, and for their own praise.

But the born again man, will…..by the Holy Spirit within,….be lead into a Narrow Way,…..where trials and choices, will bring us to give our whole life over to the Lord, as King.

Psalm 11:4-5 “The Lord is in His holy temple,  the Lord’s throne is in heaven:  His eyes behold,  His eyelids try,  the children of men.

                 The Lord trieth the righteous:….”

If we have faith in the Lord,…..it must be tried….to strengthen it and prove to us that it is real.   For faith digs in and holds on to God….faith moves us ever closer to the Lord;…..for the object of real faith is God.

We call this life:   A life open to and receptive to Him,  the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because we must open up our life in so many areas…..today it may be here, in our guidance.

And tomorrow, or next week, it will be in some other area,….in our friends, and family.

Next, it will be in the area of our health,  our finances,  our time….and it is amazing how many area’s of our life, we have never really given over to Him….

(I know this was the case with me….until He tried me there,  then He said,   “Is this Mine?”)

But we must “open to Him”……for we have a tendency to “close Him off” from things in our minds, and affections.  

Though in the main stream, we will do His Will,…..yet our eyes look elsewhere,   our minds think other plans, and our hearts can yearn after other things.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come.   Thy will be done in earth,  as it is in heaven.”

“Thy kingdom come.”     Full stop.     It is a statement all on it’s own.   One which we are to pray for.

Christ’s kingdom will come one day on earth…..and we are to pray for it.

(Revelation 11:15)

But this whole prayer Jesus taught,  is practical…..it is for His people,  for today.   In fact, it stresses the day….this day…

…..the praise and honor for the Father,  

….the provision, physically and spiritually for today,

….the forgiving of our sins, and our forgiving others for today,

….the prayer for His keeping us from evil,….today,

….the reason we can pray for these things….because He is King of His kingdom, now….with power and glory….for ever.

So the prayer for His kingdom to come,  is for today…..”in earth”…..in us.

We are to be expressions of His kingdom, here, today……because His kingdom has come with in us…..and He reigns as King of my life….remember, a life open to Him,……and receptive to Him, in all that He says.

Luke 11:2-4 “And He said unto them,  When ye pray,  say,  

      Our Father which art in heaven,  Hallowed be thy name.

(Let me honor Your name and character)

Thy kingdom come.   (In me and let it be shown by me to the sphere of my influence, today.)

Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.  

(With the joy that all  the angels do Your will,  let me do it….in me and by me)

Give us day by day, our daily bread.

(Supply my needs, spiritually, and physically)

And forgive us our sins;  for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.

(Forgive me, Lord, for my sins this day.    And as You have forgiven me, I forgive everyone who has injured and sinned against me.)

And lead us not into temptation;  but deliver us from evil.”

(Help me, Lord, to know the Way to go, this day….keep my steps from slipping, and me from falling….for their is so much to trip me in my walk.)

He calls us to have a life open to and receptive to Him…..will we?

When Jesus is our King,  we are always behind Him….protected in His guidance,…..and He is always in us….helping us, cheering us,….and calming our minds….for He is always in charge, where I am concerned.