In Him

John 1:4 “In Him was Life; and the Life was the Light of men.”

If we are to come to the completeness of Christian Life….then we must have these two things:…..Life, and Light.

And both are found in Christ……”in Him”.

Without life, we are still dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1-2)

Without light, we are still blind….unable to move forward….we are just wandering. (Ephesians 4:18)

Both life and light are found in Christ Jesus…..and now are given unto us through His Holy Spirit within us.

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

Don’t put out the fire of the Holy Spirit within. Fire is associated with purifying, and with warmth of affection and zealousness.

(My husband likes the Williams version, here. 1 Thes. 5:19 “Stifle not the Spirit”…..simply do not choke Him off.

You know how you are impressed with something….and the first thing you do is….”what?! Oh, no that can not be!”

….or, the Holy Spirit speaks to you through the Word,….and you say, “oh, that must be for so-in-so.”

We “choke” Him off…..won’t let Him finish HIs instruction to us…..and very often, lose by it….though we seek it afterward….it is not with the same power.)

God would have us joyful,….strong,…..in Him.

The Joy of the Lord is our strength….

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: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

(This…”neither be ye sorry”…is not the sorrow of repentance….they had that, and were gathered to hear the Word of God

This Joy is a ever bubbling up of knowledge…..it is the difference between the sun through the window…..and going outside in it’s brightness.

This joy is all from the Holy Spirit within…..nothing we work at,….only yield to.

It is not just power….although there is power and strength within….but in some of my weakest moments, I have had joy….this knowledge of God with me….this strength of heart, and overwhelming feeling of God’s love.

But, as I said, the Holy Spirit must be yielded to in all our doings.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are….”

And one of the first places we learn to yield, is in our thought life….the thoughts we think and the motives behind them.

In reality, we must think God’s thoughts after Him…..not in the grand things of the Universe….but where I am concerned.

What is His thought concerning this?

And how should I act and react?

Now there should come to each of us, that transformation of the mind; where our natural mind becomes Spiritual.

Philippians 3:15 “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded; God shall reveal even this unto you.”

It is there we become aware of how we think of our lives, as a whole.

We have our sacred life,…..we have our secular life.

We have our natural life,……we have our Spiritual life.

We have a habit of dividing our lives up into parts….this part for me, this for God, this for my family, this for work….etc.

But our lives should not be separate…..but all….”in Him”.

We must come to the place wherever we are, whoever we are with, we are before the Lord as well…..His servant and Ambassador.

This is to bring all our dealings up into an act of worship.

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

“Heartily”….with every breath,…every action, beginning in the heart.

Hebrews 13:15-16 “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

HIs life and light lead us on….giving every day a purpose….and a new way to praise and worship Him.

A New Way

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 you must go: For ye have not passed this way heretofore.”

“You have not passed this Way, before.”

The Israelites were crossing Jordan to obtain their inheritance as God’s people.

They were to keep in their sight the Ark of God, which was way out front, for that would lead them right.

There would be battles, some miraculous, others hard fought. (Jericho—Joshua 6:20; the forced march to Gibeon—Joshua 10:9-10)

There would be failures, and repentance’s. (Achan’s theft—Joshua 7:10-11)

There would be those who did not want to leave the safety of the camp, to go into their own territory. (Joshua 18:3-4)

And mostly there would be God, always present, guiding and leading….first, by Joshua.

Then by the Law and priests.

Then by their own love of God……if they would continue in it.

We have not passed this Way before. We are entering into new territory, new promises.

There is new ground to walk, new heights to be gained.

Back a few years, my husband gave this testimony to the church…..

Once I was taking one of my prayer walks, and I was praying about some things the Lord had been dealing with me about….when the Lord showed me that I had finally got these things into my life.

(Sometimes, when you have been working at something for a while, as I had, we need to see just how far we have come….it is a great feeling to know you have gone further with the Lord.)

Wow! I felt on top of the heights! And the Lord let me feel that for awhile as I praised Him for bringing me through.

Then it was like He nudged me, and said, “But up there is where we are going”……and as though the fog lifted before me, I saw a mountain, very high, and a pinnacle there.

Yes, I had finally gotten what I had prayed for….. but there was so much more to have in Christ….and He wanted me to know the….’where “we” are going’.

There had been joy before, but now there was joy poured forth. I felt empowered to leap mountains.

I have found, since then, the way up, is difficult….but He has been with me. And He has always been my greatest joy.

“You have not passed this Way, before.”

Our inheritance is in what we become, by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And the calling and ministries He has given us.

It is the fruit of the Spirit within. As we bare this fruit within, we conqueror our souls.

Christ has saved them…now we are to possess them and give them back to Him, in love, joy, peace, etc.

Luke 21:19 “In your patience possess ye your souls.”

In other words, have your mind, heart and will under subjection to God,….so no matter what is going on around you, you will be kept and steady in the storm.

The Holy Spirit uses His Word to guide us into bearing these fruits; having what the Lord has for us….within us…and then through us.

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

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

Love: The Spirit first makes sure, you know, you are loved of God. (1 John 4:19)

Then He implants love within you, for the Lord, and His people. He leads you into desiring Him, in all His attributes.

Joy: This is a choice fruit….for it is the lifting up of our hearts and minds, no matter what is going on. It is of the Lord, and not circumstances…and it can not be “worked up”, but it is a gift from our most Joyous God.

(It makes us like cream….always rising to the top)

Peace: This places us firmly on the only solid ground…the Rock of Christ…and keeps us there. The wind, storm, and enemies below may threaten….but can not move us off our Rock. (Philippians 4:7)

Long-suffering: This is “putting up with” people for Christ’s sake. Giving them another chance. In the Greek it means, “long enduring temper” or patience.

Gentleness: Being as kind to others, as Christ has been to you.

Goodness: This comes from the “good works” we are to do as His workmanship…”created in Christ Jesus unto good works…”(Ephesians 2:10).

We are to be useful: to our family, our church, and others. (Romans 15:14)

Faith: This is a gift from God to us, that we might know Him, and this we are to do…using our faith, we are to increase our knowledge of the Lord by believing.

Matthew 9:28-29 “And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto Him, Yea, Lord.

Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you.”

If He said, “according to our faith, be it to us”,…..how would we be?

Meekness: This is becoming humble…letting the Lord have all the glory, and letting Him exalt you, when He thinks it is good.

[It is interesting to note, that as we go on with the Lord, we become more focused on giving Him all the praise…for we realize, after dealing with us so tirelessly, He deserves more than we can ever give.]

James 4:6 “But He giveth more grace, wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Temperance: Self-control, or to have the mastery over yourself.

And this leads us back to:

“In your patience possess ye your souls.”

God wants us to obtain all the promises, all the gifts, all the fruits…..all…everything that He has for us, in and by the Holy Spirit within.

He uses every situation, everyday to lead us forth to new things.

Will we be lead out, and follow Him?…..”for ye have not passed this way, before”.

Happy New Year to all who read us. May this year bring us to a closer walk with Christ.

That My Joy might Remain in You

John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Joy and Peace are the criteria of spirituality, for the Christian.

As long as you maintain them, you are strong in the faith.

When you lose them, you grow weak, often unable to stand as you should, against the wiles of the Devil.

They are both given you by Christ Jesus, through the Holy Spirit; but are to be maintained by our diligent effort.

Joy is not happiness. Joy is from the Lord. It is the bubbling up of His life and Presence within us, and can come even in bad circumstances.(Often does, to help us)

Happiness, on the other hand, is centered around the good things that come to us , or someone we love.

Peace is the calm of heart and mind, even in the storms of life; because again, it comes from God, not circumstances.

Joy is usually lost first. We let something come between the Lord and us; or hesitate to follow Him into what is next; and we feel the Holy Spirit being quenched; so joy is lost.

We can not feel joy without His Presence; for again, joy is the Presence of God in my life. So we begin to lose the feelings of His Presence, and we are weakened.

This is where the Adversary, the devil, would attack with a “why?” Or a “How come?”.

(Remember, the Devil got Eve and Adam to disobey God in the first place, when he gave the suggestion that they did not need to be dependent on God. They could be “like” God, if they just took of the fruit which God told them not to eat.)

So the Devil comes to us, and suggests that we were right in questioning the Lord;……and if we listen, it will lead us further from the Lord, and then, disturb our peace.

When our peace is shaken, our belief starts to break down. It is not that we do not believe the Lord or His Word in general;….but we begin to doubt it, where we are concerned….especially in “this”.

“Perhaps the Lord will not do what He said to us; after all, He has not done it yet.”

When our peace is gone; we have two choices:

1). Keep listening to the fear and mistrust that has come into our hearts.

2). Confess our doubts, and hesitation, to the Lord, and get it cleansed from our hearts.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Then we can be restored in peace, and have the joy of the Lord restored to us. It is all about doing His commandments, and abiding in His love; there is our joy.

John 15:10-11 “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Abide in His love…..as Jude says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 20-21)

Full of joy, as we keep His commandments, and abide in His love.

And that is what Christ Jesus wants for us, here and now.

What has taken away your joy?

What has shaken your peace?

Don’t let it continue; seek His forgiveness, and be restored.

“…That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

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 you are “drunk with wine”; you have brought yourself under the influence and power of that wine.

So it is to be filled with the Spirit of God; you have brought yourself under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. He is, in fact, in charge in your life.

Paul writes here that to understand what God’s will is, you must put yourself under the Holy Spirit’s control.

He will tell you the truth.

John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; He will show you things to come.”

The Holy Spirit impresses us through our spirit, if things are true, or if things are not what they say they are.

He will remind us of verses from the Bible (how important it is for us to know the Scriptures), and He will remind us of what Jesus said when He was here.

He will warn us of things coming up in our life, so we can prepare for them, or against them.

Wisdom in the Scriptures is from God. Paul is saying “Get the wisdom you need, to know and do My will, by yielding to the Holy Spirit.”

We are given the Holy Spirit at new birth.

But we are “filled” with the Holy Spirit; only as we are emptied of self.

Not emptied of our personality…that is precious to God. He died to save our souls, which are our personality.

But emptied of self: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-exaltation, selfishness in so many ways.

Basically, it is putting self first in our life.

As we are emptied of this attitude, we can be filled with the attitude of putting Christ, first.

And this is an attitude that is given us by the faith and trust of the Holy Spirit within….but we need to cultivate it by submitting to it.

How many Christians go through their lives, wanting to know God’s Will….they kinda, sorta, know….in general;……but do not know for themselves, for today, for now.

Perhaps you’re not even sure there is a plan and purpose for your life.

Well, Paul says there is, and to know it, you need to submit to the Holy Spirit’s influence from within.

This is a step by step process.

First, acknowledging His right to tell you what to do.

Second, to begin to hear aright what He says to you. (And for this to happen, you need to become readers of His Word.)

Third, we need to yield. Yield as in:

Romans 6:13 “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

Yield means to assist.

We are to assist the Holy Spirit in His work in us, and through us.

Why do we need to “assist” the Holy Spirit? He is Almighty!

Because, though He is Almighty, His desire is that we cooperate with Him…willingly. To come, to walk with, to talk to, to stand with….these are all the terms of willing, in practice.

He wants to fill us to our capacity; and give us more and more understanding.

This is the wisdom of God…yield, assist the Holy Spirit and learn to be under His influence in your life;….and know God’s Will, personally.

The Path of the Just.

Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

When the sun first begins to break, the sky begins to be light. Then the sun comes up, and in the east, the light comes streaming.

But there are shadows, for the light shows all that stands in the way of complete light.

Song of Solomon 4:6 “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.”

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away. When the shadows are gone, then there is nothing between us and the Son of God, our Light source.

Our Lord, here, is inviting us to come with Him further into the Light of His love, so even the shadows “flee” away.

Now shadows are not the thing itself, but the impress of it. But it is in darkness.

What this means is that the sin itself has been taken care of:

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

But the influence of the sin, or the resentment because of the consequences of the sin are still there.

These are the shadows.

They are darkness, but not the substance of sin.

Many people are confused about this.

They think that if the sin is confessed, and they know they are forgiven; then all the other emotions concerning the sin, are gone to.

Suppose you have a habit of lying: you have hurt your family, people at work, etc. by your habit.

Then you are given real light about this, and you confess it.

(Perhaps you say, why would we need light about lying. Surely everyone knows it’s wrong.

Maybe they know in a general sense, but the offense of lying when it lays upon my personal heart, is an eye opener.)

But even though you have confessed your sin, and asked God to cleanse you from the desire and habit of lying;…..the reason for it is still there to face everyday…..the desire to look better than you are….

…and that “shadow” needs to be dealt with.

These are the shadows, the image of the sin, though not the sin.

The trouble with Shadows is that the influence of our Adversary, the Devil can be felt through them.

But how do we deal with shadows?

First, it is the work of the Spirit of God within you to show you light. Light to see and deal with the attitudes surrounding the sin.

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

There is putting behind,…..and there is reaching forth.

This requires us to be in subjection to the Holy Spirit, for He asks you to be obedient to the Light He gives in these matters.

These shadows that remain, are shadows only; but they are there and the influence of the the Adversary can be felt through them.

They are there because of the choices we have made, true; but we can also make choices which remove them, by coming more into the Light.

Shadows do not exist in light

Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

We are to go to the high noon of Light with Christ Jesus. Many choose, instead to stay in the shadowy existence of the fear of the truth.

But don’t.

God’s Light shows truth, yes, and when we see the reasons of our actions, it gives us the ability to deal with what is really behind the: “why we did what we did”.

Let’s face it, we all have reasons we act the way we do. But have you dealt with the reasons? Or just the actions?

True Light; the Light of Life, deals with both. It frees you from both the sin and the reason of the sin.

And gives you joy.

John 16:24 “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

Joy is one of the grandest attributes of God, Himself.

Joy is not dependent upon the people or events around me.(That is happiness, which has to do with how things or people treat us, or those we love.)

Joy springs from the presence of God in my life, for He is the abundant power of good, and peace.

In this, we know the purifying of the Holy Spirit, assuring me that I am right with God.

I am made right with others,

And, importantly, I know that I all is well between me and myself.

(How many things come from the disappointment we have about ourselves? How many times have we hated what we have done, but refused to look at it? How many times have we hidden our hurt behind a phony face of ridicule?)

These all can be brought out into the Light; and put behind us. We can be free from them.

The Joy of the Lord can become a force in my life.

It is a great light, illuminating the whole of my being; dispelling the darkness, and despair that dominates so often. He has it for us, in His Light.

The Power of God in our Lives

Colossians 1:27-29 “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:

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.”

God’s original plan for man was stated in…

Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion

over the fish of the sea,

and over the fowl of the air,

and over the cattle,

and over all the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Image and Dominion….this is what God wanted for man originally (though lost by Adam’s sin);…..

……and what, through Christ, we can have now.

As we gain the image of Christ’s character in our lives…

….we gain dominion over our self-life,….and overcome in our outward life.

Romans 8:29 “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

We will have about as much Dominion in our circumstances as we have the Image of God in our lives.

Paul knew this power in His life…..and the results of that power for his own personal experiences,…..and in His ministry to others:

(Colossians 1:29) “……..striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.”

And the secret of this power is:

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

The Williams Version says, “Stifle not the Spirit”.

Don’t choke off the impressions of the Holy Spirit within you; but yield to them.

We can never know the power of the Holy Spirit while we choose to “stifle” Him.

And how can we stop doing that?

Well, the Lord showed me this, when I asked this question for myself….”The answer is right up there….right above it.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

This is so simple, and yet so very hard to do….to really give thanks to God for this situation….these people…this very hardship.

Not in words….but in heart joy.

This requires us to deny ourselves….and trust the Lord that He knows best, and……as I said…

…this is sometimes hard.

Now if we want the power of God in our lives? Then we must learn to “give thanks…in everything.”

And that means I am to give thanks….for everything.

This is a real step, in the accomplishing of the Lord’s Purpose for my life….for all that comes to me,…..comes by permission of the Lord,……and is part of the total experience of my life, with Him.

I can not be what I ought in the Purpose of God, for the future, unless I pass through these things of today.

Remember, that Paul said the Holy Spirit “worketh in him mightily”….and he stresses to the churches he writes, the importance of thanksgiving.

If you want to have the Holy Spirit working in you…mightily…..deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow the Lord Jesus…..

…..and come to the place where you give thanks to God for everything…..

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Ephesians 5:18, 20 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

Philippians 4:4, 6 “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Colossians 2:6-7 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:

Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

Here is one of the secrets of the power of God for us…..

….heart thanksgiving….to God, in everything…..for everything.

Trust

Isaiah 26:4 “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

The term “everlasting strength” is actually “the Rock of ages” in Hebrew.

(Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.”

This is the first place Rock is capitalized, spoken by Moses……signifying a Name of God.)

Psalm 84:12 “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee.”

“Believe” is to rest the full weight of your existence upon Christ;….”trust” is to “hold on” to Him.

We are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7),…..so when circumstances, people, or trials seem to interfere or hinder the work of God in us, or with others; we might doubt, or at least become faint-hearted.

Then, we are to trust:

Trust is not presumption (which runs ahead and does what it thinks best);….but trust is holding onto the Lord, and His sure Word,…..and doing what He wants, no matter how things seem.

To believe the Lord, will keep our inward life active….always looking to Him.

To trust the Lord, will keep our feet in the way He has marked out….for we are hanging on…..and by hanging on, we will receive the blessing.

Hebrews 10:36 “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

When we are born again, we enter the straight gate, and the narrow way.

In this way, we meet with many things which will shake our belief, and try to tear us away from following Him.

There are difficulties,……trials……and failures by others……and by ourselves, which discourage us.

Yet we are to meet them in faith…..and faith always sees the Lord.

Then we are to hold on….or trust Him, for He knows, He sees, He is Able, and especially….He will for me.

By believing, we have joy in our service.

By trusting, we have peace in our walk.

This trust is based on experience….based on what the Lord has already done for us.

Have we experienced His goodness? Then why would we think He would remove it now?

Have we experienced His control over circumstances,……which we could not control? Then why question His ability to help, now?

Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”

(This Promise was given to my husband, years ago, and the Lord has reminded him of it many times since…..especially when he was becoming discouraged.

The promise is “perfect peace”—complete peace, of mind and heart. We get it….by clinging to Him….and holding on to Him….to see to us,….through the trouble, trial, fear, sickness, etc.

And He has,…not that our trust has been complete. We have failed Him, and not had the peace He offered….though His Word was completed.

But He has never failed us,…..though we have often been surprised by His way of dealing with things. [It is always amazing how God works things out!])

“Hang on to Me and My Word to you.” Jesus tells us.

How important it is for us to know His Word…..how precious is the Word we have stored in our hearts.

Times of distress will come, and then…praise the Lord…that Word comes back to us….grounding us firmly against the storms of life.

Hebrews 10:22-23, 35 “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;)

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.”

Hanging onto Him is not a stubborn refusal to admit we are wrong….but the clinging to the Rock which is higher than I.

For we know Him, and have Eternal life…….and believe Him and have joy…….and will trust Him and have the stability of peace.

Psalm 61:2-4 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I;

For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of

Thy wings. Selah.(pause and consider)

Psalm 62:7-8 “In God is my salvation and my glory: the Rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.”

1 Timothy 4:10 “For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the Living God, Who is the savior of all men, especially of those that believe.”

Are we trusting in the Rock of Ages…..Today?

According to His Purpose.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose.”

The called according to His purpose, are those who are born again.

Everyone has “purpose”……

But God, through Christ, has opened up the way for us, as His, to know His purpose. To be included in it, by a subjection of our will……”to them that love God”

John 15:14-16 “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what His Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things have I heard of My Father I have made known unto you.

Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.”

So when Paul says “the called according to His purpose”; he is showing that we should know His Purpose…..and he goes on to explain what our purpose is:

Romans 8:29 “For whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren:”

This is the purpose I am called to: to be conformed to the image of His Son, in His character.

(There are two things here, we are to know about our purpose:

1.) He foreknew us. Foreknowledge has to do with people, not things. So when He says “He did foreknow”; He means that He saw us in Christ Jesus before the world began. (2 Timothy 1:9)

1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

2.). He predestinated us. Predestination means that God “marked out and set limits, beforehand”.

Predestination has to do with our works….the circumstances we are to pass through, and the work we are to do for Him.

He “marked out and set limits, beforehand”……for the things which would come into our lives…..and He set aside the things we need to go through them.

Ephesians 1:4-5 “According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”)

Then Paul continues to tell of our Purpose:

Romans 8:30 “Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”

As Christians, we are to walk in the reality of this verse….

Called….making our calling and election sure…

2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”

1 Thessalonians 2:12 “That ye should walk worthy of God, Who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory.”

Our calling: We are His servants. We belong to Him. We are each given a part of His ministry, for now…..here, where we are.

Justified…..legally made free from condemnation;….and walking justly (rightly) before Him.

Titus 3:7-8 “That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”

Our justification is to free us from the law and death,…..to live unto God.

Glorified…..one day in heaven, certainly;….but also tasting of that glory of God now.

(Glory is “making apparent the dignity and honor”, “splendor”)

One day we will see God’s glory face to face; and then will we see our honor and dignity…..in Him.

But now, He wants us to taste of that glory,….walking and knowing His Victory in our circumstances.

The honor of His Will being done….where we personally are concerned…..

….this is our glory.

2 Peter 1:3 “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us unto glory and virtue.”

The glory of God and our taste of it here, is to raise our thoughts and affections upward,….knowing the honor that being His child, is….even here.

According to His Purpose…….”the intention of God for our lives”……is that we be conformed to His Son….in character;…..and praise Him for the honor of doing His Will.

Ephesians 1:11-12 “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the Purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own Will:

That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

Christian, What do you think of Christ?

Song of Solomon 1:2 “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth: for Thy love is better than wine.”

This is not the kiss of the Father to the prodigal son. (Luke 15:20)

This is not the kiss of the woman sinner on Jesus feet. (Luke 7:37-38)

This is the kiss of the mouth. One on one relationship of love.

Our Christian life begins a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.

Saved sinner to Savior;……that should lead to disciple and Master.

Which gives way to friend to Friend;….and that can lead to Union and Communion.

There is, as this maiden here in the Song of Solomon finds, always a closer relationship with the Lord.

Have you found His love so?

For surely to know His love is more inebriating than wine. (Ephesians 5:18)

This love is not what He has done for you; but what He is to you.

She loved Him, and wanted a closer relationship with Him. She wanted nothing to come between them.

What about us? What comes between us and our Lord?

What has cooled your affections for Jesus?

What of your heart’s desire? Is it for Christ, and His Will to be done in your life?

Or is it satisfied with just hearing, (at a distance) about Christ?

Is this not the reason of our lukewarm attitude toward our Lord?

And how much of what He has given us, is spoiled because of our attitude toward it?

Song of Solomon 1:7 “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?”

We are Christians; we are not going to desert Christ. But we often are “turned aside by the flocks of Thy companions”. We follow His ministers, or a certain doctrine, or get so wrapped up in “working for Christ”; that we become distanced from Him.

Of course, we should go to Church. Yes, we should be attentive to Gospel messages. We should always know the doctrine of faith.

But for the individual Christian, we should always keep our relationship to Christ in first place.

Proverbs 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

Glory to God in the Highest.

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

When it speaks of God’s glory in scriptures it means to manifest God’s Light and character to others. That is His glory; that others may know Him and His character.

Psalm 145:11-12 “They shall speak of the glory of the kingdom, and talk of Thy power;

To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.”

It means to show God in His true beauty.

1 Chronicles 16:27, 29 “Glory and honor are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

Christ did this in preeminence, for angels heralded God’s glory when Christ was born.

Simeon, a godly man, praised God for Christ:

Luke 2:30-32 “For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

A Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”

And Paul shows that Christ Jesus came to do just that. He was to manifest God’s Light and character in the world: His glory.

Hebrews 1:2-3 “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, which He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds;

Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high;”

Jesus, at the end of His work here, said He had shown God’s glory on the earth:

John 17:4-5 “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work that Thou gavest Me to do.

And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with thine own self with the glory that I had with Thee before the world was.”

And we, who are born again by His grace are to manifest His glory:

John 17:20-22 “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; (Jesus prayed for us here)

That they may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.

And the glory that Thou gavest Me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one:”

Ephesians 1:5-6, 12 “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us excepted in the Beloved:

That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

And we are to use the riches of His glory (the riches of His Light and character) by yielding to His life within us.

He will manifest His glory through us by His might:

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

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

Scripture says we are to do all to the glory of God.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whither therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

The angels heralded, “Glory to God in the highest”;

And we, too, are to herald His glory by word and deed, here in our earthly lives.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”