Light

Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

The first thing God said to His re-creation, was: Let there be light.

God did not need it. But it was to be in opposition to the darkness prevailing, at that point.

When He created the Sun, the moon, and the stars; He did it so that their light (even the reflected light of the moon) would “rule” the day and the night.

Genesis 1:16 “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.”

When light comes, darkness has to flee. They can not exist together. One rules the other. Even in the dusk of day, when shadows come on, it is still light enough to see.

The night comes, and God still has a witness in the moon and stars; but then the dawn breaks. It is grey at first, but light comes, and darkness goes.

Darkness is a terrible curse. When the last judgement has sounded; God will cast all those who have refused His Blessed Son into great torment, and darkness.

(Jude 12-13 “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”

Most think of the Lake of Fire as light. No, the fire of torment will burn forever, but the darkness will be thicker and blacker than being down in a cave with out light. You can not even see the person standing next to you.)

1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

God is light. He is the author of it and the maintainer of it.

He came as Light, to a world darkened with sin, to save all who come to Him, that He might give us light.

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

John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness.”

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

He shines the light into our hearts (Notice, it is our hearts, not our heads. We are to love Him, not just know about Him.):

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus was the perfect example of God: manifesting His Will and His Goodness….His Light.

So we should follow Him, and manifest the light of God, we have.

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

But He does not just call us; He enables us, for all His will for us.

Ephesians 5:8,11,14 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

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

And then He calls us to walk in the Light, so we will not stumble and fall; either by the wiles of the devil or the influence of others:

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?”

To do this we need to protect ourselves with the armor of light:

Romans 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

Christ is that light, and we are told to put on Christ….His character, as we put off our self life.

His Word gives us light:

Psalm 119:105, 130 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

When we are obedient to the light we have , by the Holy Spirit,……we receive more.

As we are covered with His Light as armor, we become lights in this world:

Matthew 5:14,16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is city that is set on a hill can not be hide.

Let your lights so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Micah 7:8 “Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.”

God is Light, He enlightens us by His Holy Spirit when we are born again, and He enables, guides, reveals, and encourages us by the light.

As we walk in His light, we become lights ourselves; as the moon is light, by reflecting the sun.

And when His light comes, darkness flees.

The Lord that healeth thee

Jehovah-Rapha

Exodus 15:25-26 “And he(Moses) cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them,

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all HIs statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

The first time this Name is given is wonderful!

Israel had just come out of Egypt,….

…..had seen God part the Red Sea….and had crossed over dry shod, while Egypt’s army had been destroyed (all the while they had done nothing….they had not lifted a hand in their deliverance!)

….they had sung God’s praise and danced for joy!

Then….three days into the wilderness they ran out of water…..pretty serious stuff.

But then they came to Marah, here there was water! Hurrah….but no….it was bitter (undrinkable)!

What! Would God bring them out to kill them with thirst?

Of course not! He brought them here to “prove them”.

It is one thing to be ecstatic by circumstances…..and another to plant your faith in God, no matter the circumstances. And this He wanted to teach them.

Trust should be our answer to God when things don’t look good…

Though the people did not trust…..Moses did. He “cried unto the Lord”….where else can I go but Thee, O Lord?

The emblem of a tree cut down and cast into the waters for the people….is a symbol of Christ cut down and cast into the drowning waters of our sin…..

….and the waters were made sweet.

And has not Christ made our lives “sweet” by His salvation? Yes, hallelujah, yes.

He is Jehovah-Rapha. The Lord that healeth thee.

I want to stress….that if you consider the terms “heal, healeth, healed” in the scriptures…..that they are concerning, or for, God’s people.

Healeth means “to mend, to cure, to thoroughly make whole.”

Ps 103:2-3 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;”

(Now I want to explain….that sin has caused the sickness and death of man,….not God.

Man was made upright (righteous before God) but he sought out many inventions (devices) Ecclesiastes 7:29…..and we are still inventing or finding them!

God will chasten us….and sometimes has used illness to get our attention:

Hosea 6:1 “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us;….” but it is always to bring us back to Him.

Psalm 41:3-4 “The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.”)

There are spiritual, mental, and physical ailments which the Lord heals….(all healing comes through HIs hands)…..whether by normal means or extraordinary means….and He wants us to come to Him in prayer, for healing.

Ps 147:3 “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

This has to do with heartaches…..discouragement, depressions, anxieties, stress, and grief.

These deal with our past experiences, attitudes, and our own plans….what we expected.

(Remember, after the Red Sea,…the Israelites thought God would provide with no problems…..

……and when He proved their faith and obedience….

…..they had a “fit”….which caused discouragement, murmuring and failure to trust. What about us? )

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”

“And with His stripes we “are”….(present tense)….healed.”

This is not stated in the past tense….as though the healing had already been done.

This is not in the future tense….as though it was only for a time ahead.

But it is in the present tense which suggests that it is for all time…..for all who will receive Him…

Healed…..a word so complete….it takes in our spirits, our minds, our hearts, our bodies. By His stripes we “are” healed.

Israel ran forward to the springs of Marah…..only to find them bitter….a time of testing from the Lord Who redeemed them.

And when we find our circumstances bitter…..what are we to do?

Look to Jehovah-Rapha….the Lord that healeth thee.

For if the Marah experience that we are going through, is sent to prove our faith….that it may stand and grow….

….we can count on Him to give His blessing and victory in it, if we trust in Him.

Anyone can murmur and complain…..that is the way of this world.

But as Christians, we are called to follow Him wherever He leads…..through the wilderness, by way of Marah’s bitter waters….into the promises and healing He has won for us.

Worldly wisdom

I want to talk a little about the wisdom of this world.

1 Corinthians 3:19-20 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

And again, The Lord knowest the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”

All around us, people are talking up…..or talking down….something.

From toothpaste to the state of the Union…..people all want to tell people what is “best”.

Well, I too, am going to tell what is “best”……

…….and what is best is:

……whatever the Lord wants for me,…for you,…for us.

Praise God we are not left to ourselves to see to what is ahead….

…or what is “best”.

No, He gives us direction and peace…..He gives us light and grace for every task.

And that is the best we can ever have.

The examples I am going to give about worldly wisdom:

Goliath…..was a giant. He was nine feet tall. His armor was of brass….the best there was. And he had been a warrior all his life. His life was to kill and maim.

So when the Philistines came up against Israel…..after Israel had chosen a king (king Saul, who was head and shoulders taller than the normal Israelite)….

….Goliath thought himself very wise when he simply went out and challenged any Israelite to battle.

“If I win, Goliath said….you are our servants.

If you win (not going to happen)….we will be your servants.”

Brilliant, he thought!

Who could stand against such an enemy? King Saul did not try….and for forty days the challenge went unmet.

Enter David, a young man of God….who accepted that challenge in the Name of God.

……and all the worldly wisdom of Goliath was destroyed.

God’s power was shown that day…..against all worldly wisdom.

As the scripture said, “For He (God) taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” Yes, He did!

The second example:

In Jeremiah’s day, Nebuchadnezzar had come three times….twice taking the best, most educated and talented artisans and workers.

The third time, destroying Jerusalem’s walls and temple…….taking many as mere slaves.

But because he had heard of Jeremiah’s prophesy…..he brought Jeremiah out of the prison (where the king of Judah had put him)….and let him go free.

Jeremiah could have returned home….could have let the remnant of the people who were left to fend for themselves.

But when they came and asked for God’s Will concerning staying in the land, now that the temple was destroyed…..he sought God’s Word for them….hoping they would finally listen to God’s wisdom,….

…..and do what He said.

Here was the choice: Stay in the land as caretakers of it under Nebuchadnezzar….which was what God wanted for the last of the Israelites…

….or go down to Egypt….where they thought they would be safe from Nebuchadnezzar.

Worldly wisdom said, “Go, and you will live a life of safety.

But God said, “Stay and I will now take care of you here.”

Jeremiah 42:19 “The Lord hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.”

But they refused God’s Word…..and were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar who conquered Egypt. (Jeremiah 43:4-6)

“God knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain”……nothing.

The last example:

When Christ Jesus came to save us…..all the worldly wisdom said that they could kill Him….and be rid of His Words and authority….to save their “place” in the world. (John 11:48)

They paid a good price for betrayal….

….they took Him where He prayed….

….they brought Him to Rome’s Governor…..

….they chose Barabbas instead of Jesus….

….they cried crucify Him….

….they watched as He suffered and died on the cross…

….and they even set a watch of soldiers at the tomb.

But they could not keep God from raising Him up from the dead! And giving Him all authority and power as the Son of Man/Son of God for salvation.

Worldly wisdom tells you…..that you can do….without God.

But that is vain….nothing…

…and leads to all sorts of traps.

But God’s Word is our sure footing.

What He tells us to do is right…..even though it may seem impossible.

Let us believe His Word to us….and walk on.

Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee;

and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee;

when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;

neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Peter’s refusal, and quick acceptance.

It was the Passover time. Jesus had come into Jerusalem to celebrate with His disciples, and they were in the upper room.

Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him that night, and that He would be condemned and crucified. (Matthew 20:18-19)

That this night, everything would change.

Tonight Jesus would speak of many things to them, but before this; He washes their feet. (Yes, He even washed Judas feet. How this should have melted his heart, but it did not.)

John 13:4, 6 “He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself.

Then cometh He to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto Him, Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?”

It was Peter’s turn. Frankly, I think Peter should have known that if Jesus did something, it was for a good reason. But Peter was always quick to say or do something!

“Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”

Peter was right. Jesus was Lord. And He was Peter’s Lord.

Because of this, Peter thought it was not right for Jesus to stoop to such a humble position!

(How much He humbled Himself when He came to earth to save us! Do we recognize His humility and love?)

John 13:7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”

That should have settled it with Peter, but Peter thought he knew better!

(We are the same way, often. We think we know what God will do.)

John 13:8a “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.”….

Peter would in the next instance, change his mind, but Peter was looking at the moment, not at the lesson Jesus wanted to give.

Jesus wanted to show that they should take care of each other.

He would wash their feet: the job of a servant. If He would do that for them, they should humble themselves in service for each other.

John 13:8-9 “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.

Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”

Finally, Peter is listening. “…no part with” Jesus? No, no, that was not what Peter wanted.

If a part with Christ came with the cleansing, Peter wanted a full bath! He wanted all the fellowship with Christ he could have.

But a full bath was not necessary.

John 13:10. “Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”

Jesus didn’t say, If I don’t wash you, you will have no part “in” Me.

But He said, you will have no part “with” me.

Jesus told Peter he was clean “every whit”, except for the cleansing of his feet.

“In Christ”, speaks of our being born again.

“With Christ”, speaks of our fellowship with Him.

Jesus wanted His disciples, especially Peter, to know that fellowship with Him is maintained by our letting Him cleanse our “feet”, or our walk.

(That is why the feet were washed when coming into a house, because, having walked on the dirt roads, their feet would be dirty.)

John 13:12, 15 “So after He had washed their feet,…and was set down again, He said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

Though Jesus would be taken, tried, and crucified….raised, and ascended…..yet we are to get that cleansing that is through Him everyday….and bring others to Him for cleansing, as brothers and sisters in Christ.

If we are to have fellowship with Christ, and the strength that comes from it, we must be cleansed, daily from our sins, and defilements….for we walk in a “dirty” world.

Christ cleanses us still…..

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.”

And we are to help others to come to Christ for cleansing.

If we are born again, we do not need a full bath; but the cleansing of our daily walk.

So that we can walk with Him, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ…in righteousness.

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Almost Persuaded

“Almost persuaded now to believe,

Almost persuaded Christ to receive;

Seems now some soul to say,

Go, Spirit, go Thy way,

Some more convenient day, On Thee I’ll call.”

Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

We have heard it said, “Almost does not count”;….and it doesn’t.

To almost do…..is not to.

To almost say….is not to.

To almost anything……is in the end, not to have anything done.

Jesus warned:

Luke 8:18 “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

To “seem to have” is like “almost”;….it is nothing for eternity.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

We have been called to “walk” in those good works that God has placed before us, in our lives.

Yet often we shrink back, hesitating to begin that first step…..which is simply to obey His Word to us.

“Almost persuaded, come, come, today;

Almost persuaded, turn not away;

Jesus invites you here,

Angels are lingering near,

Prayers rise from hearts so dear, O wanderer come.”

Acts 26:26-28 “For the king knoweth of these things, before whom I also speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

King Agrippa knew the facts…..they were not called in question.

So where was the hesitation?

To “hesitate”, is to simply and knowingly wait for some other force to help you decide….it is to wait for something to happen to force your hand……to make you do, what you know you should do……but have not, as yet done.

Agrippa’s hesitation was sad…..

….above everyone else there, in that hall, he could do or believe what he wanted…..he was a king, a honored guest there,…what he would do, would not be questioned or scorned….but honored….

Yet, he was “almost” still.

What about us? Isn’t it time we stop hesitating and start standing with the Lord, in our everyday lives….before all we meet?

For in those few words, lies the direction we must go to enter into eternal life…..”with the Lord”….the Lord Jesus Christ.

(and eternal life is a condition of life here, and now…..as well as for eternity in heaven)

Acts 26:29 “And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.”

Paul, even with his bonds, had more freedom then anyone there.

He was free, to be and say what the Lord had called him to……

……which was to speak to any and all of the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus;…..who died an accepted sacrifice for our sin…..and was raised, of the Father, the third day….and who is even now at the right hand of God interceding for all who believe on Him.

We, as His born again ones, need to stop hesitating….waiting for Him to push us…..

….waiting for a better argument or reason to do.

It is now…..that you receive His Word or reject it.

Pray about it…..think about it…..however you say it….it can come to, putting it off….till, it is never done.

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

This knowledge of Christ Jesus is not head knowledge,……king Agrippa had that;…..but ended in “almost persuaded” only.

This knowledge that leads to life, is heart knowledge……which comes by receiving Him, once for all…….and His Word personally, day by day.

An old preacher said, “We have gotten the message backwards. We tell people to ‘read the Bible’, or ‘go to church’;……..when the Bible plainly says we are to receive Christ Jesus, before we can do anything that will please God.”

Have you heard His voice to you, calling you to come…..to stop hesitating…but instead, “to altogether” believe, and receive Him?

Then do it…..just do it.

“God, be merciful to me a sinner; and save me for Jesus sake. I receive You into my heart and life, Lord Jesus.”

Almost persuaded, harvest is past!

Almost persuaded, doom comes at last!

Almost can not avail; almost is but to fail;

Sad, sad, that bitter wail, Almost but lost!”

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

Notice that this peace is not the result of our self-determination….but it is given by the Lord.

“Thou” wilt keep him.

Perfect peace is undisturbed peace. The word “mind” here is the imagination…and how many times it can run away with us.

But when our hearts and minds are occupied with Christ….His peace flows from Him to us….and sustains and holds us….no matter the situation.

One of the chief causes of worry is looking to the circumstances around us….

…(I preach on “leaning to our own understanding” often, because I have, and I know what it has cost me.)…seeing the storms and the winds.

But this robs us of peace.

What did Jesus say when He stilled the raging sea?

“Peace, be still”.

Mark 4:39 “And He arose, and rebuked the winds, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

God’s peace is more than absence of strife……it is a secure place, in mind and heart….a right place before God.

Mark 4:40 “And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have not faith?”

And how many times could He say this to us? (For me, too many)

Why did He charge them with no faith? Because faith sees God, and estimates the situation from there…..

…..the disciples saw the power of the waves and wind….and estimated the situation…wrongly. (Though they finally came to Jesus for help)

“…because he trusteth in Thee.” This God wants from us:

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

As we trust (hang on to) our Heavenly Father, His peace will put up a guard around our hearts….emotions and affections…so that they will put Him first….

….and our minds….imaginations….will be kept from running away from the Light into speculation.

There is no truer place of peace than in doing God’s Will.

Isaiah 48:18 “O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:”

God’s plan for HIs people in every age is:

…to bring them into peace with Him….by salvation

Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

…to bring them into peace with themselves….and how out of joint we often our with our bodies, our looks, our attitudes, our abilities….

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

…to bring them into peace with the circumstances which come to them.

Philippians 4:11-12 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

Peace should be our way of life. Not just absence of strife….but but that secure place in mind and heart…..our right place before God.

Peace like a river…..flowing out of God’s good heart into yours.

And your hand, taking hold on the Almighty, through trust….

…what a Rock we have!

Do we want it?

Your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 “Paul,….unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ:….

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;”

This is the first written letter by the Apostle Paul.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy after they had come out of Philippi, they went through some other cities and came to Thessalonica. (Acts 17:1)

As soon as the Word of the gospel was preached….some believed. But others began a persecution against the believers…..which was continuing, even when Paul wrote this letter.

The Thessalonians listened eagerly to the Word of Christ, for the gospel came to them in power.

(Unless the Spirit of God accompanies and bless the Word of God, it will do no good….for God uses our tongues, not angel ones to speak…and show the power of His gospel in their lives)

When Christ was preached, they were fully convinced of the truth of it and were willing to leave all for Christ.

It was continuing persecution…..yet they did not hesitate to follow Christ….for they saw Paul under persecution and slander….

…..even when he preached for men’s salvation….and they imitated him, in his faithfulness to Christ….and so they imitated Christ in His devotion to God the Father. (1 Thessalonians 1:5-6)

(Paul’s affection for the churches is seen in how many times he mentions prayer for them. In this letter alone he mentions prayer for them three times….1 Thess. 1:2, 3:10, 5:23)

He does not speak of them as the assembly of God in Thessalonica….

…..but the assembly (company) in God the Father….stressing a family of God.

Through Christ these Thessalonians had received new life—from the Father God…Who had become their Father….”in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

That divine life is the force which enables true sight, and moves our affections and thoughts toward righteousness. It is a living force.

(Man has turned his back on God….having listened to the devil.

And what can call us away from that?

It must be Christ’s gospel, that will undo the work of Satan, while at the same time showing us ourselves and the gulf between us and God…..

….a gospel which humbles us in repentance before God.

The cross does both things.

When we see Christ’s cross, and what He has done for us.

For because of Christ’s cross, God is no longer against us….but for us. This draws us to believe and obey Him….in all situations. This is that living force which comes directly from God, through Christ.)

So Paul thanks God for their faith, love and hope…..which are results of this divine life within.

Their work was by faith….their labor came from the internal certainly of God as their Father…..relationships have privileges and responsibilities….

….and their love burst forth to the Lord Jesus, Who through HIs sacrifice, purchased their place in God’s family.

….and they had hope….that confident expectation that God would do what He said….

…..”and to wait for HIs Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

These Thessalonians believed….and then became witnesses in all places they went.

The testimony of their faith was famous:

1 Thessalonians 1:8 “For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.”

They spoke out, even in persecution of the One living and true God….and they waited in joy and thankfulness to Christ who came to save them from the wrath to come.

In this letter Paul speaks of the coming of Christ in the air….” to be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1Thess. 4:15-17)

But his main goal is to encourage them to….”abound more and more.” (1 Thess. 4:1).

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

(Notice how many times Paul mentions the relationship of Father to children….the love relationship of family)

We need to be thankful and encouraging to all we are responsible for…..but always pray and work for them to “abound”….as Paul did here.

(Abound here means to have over and above.)

Paul’s prayer then was that they should abound in the faith, love and hope that they had…..to continue on….

….for there are many promises of His Word we have not yet apprehended.

….for there is more fruit of the Spirit to bear and have in your life.

….for there are many things which bring doubts and fears…..continue and abound, that you may have all He has for you.

And should we not “abound” in the faith we have received?

Should we not grow in love to God, and our family of God?

Should we not continue to “look up…for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28)?

Let us pray for each other….for the church and it’s Godly preachers and teachers….and for those who have not yet received our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Unbelief

Hebrews 4:11 “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

To believe on Christ, is to place the full weight of our existence on Christ Jesus the Lord.

We must find our resting place…..and that resting place is in the Will of God to me.

Unbelief says…..yes, I believe in Christ, but I like to have one foot planted firmly on the ground…..on something I know….am sure of.

In other words…..unbelief knows about Christ….and thinks the things he knows, are great…..but does not trust them….for himself, which is the most important thing.

Unbelief is sneaky…..it slides in, when you least expect it.

Things can be going great, you’ve had some victories,….then suddenly something reminds you of the past…..maybe something you thought the Lord would do, and He did not see to it the way you thought….and bam….

….unbelief….comes charging in.

And you go along with it!

This is the action of defending yourself against disappointment, or hurt, or against the effort it will cost to see something through…..

….so you simply do not believe that God would do this….or this…..or that.

You see, the trouble with unbelief Is that it grows…..you can not distrust God here….

….without it affecting every area of your life.

It is the worst sin….

…for it turns it’s back on God.

The two examples I believe show the awfulness of unbelief are:

Judas, and Peter.

Now I want to start out by saying…..I do not believe Judas ever believed or put the full weight of his life on Christ.

He believed that Jesus might be the Messiah.

For Judas, the Messiah was a means of gaining something. If Jesus was the Messiah, and he followed Him,….he would gain, when Jesus set up His kingdom.

So Judas followed Christ Jesus…..hearing His Words…..sitting with the others while they were taught and shown the True Light of God.

Seeing, and even going two by two into villages to preach….”the Kingdom of God is at hand.” He was being very dutiful….he thought he would be grandly rewarded.

But then Jesus started talking of a kingdom within you…..started talking of being honest with God.

The disciples asked Him about prayer, and forgiveness….and Jesus preached on removing the mote in your own eye.

Judas cared for none of these things…..he looked for reward.

So when certain women ministered by giving of their money….and he was put in charge of “the bag”.

(It was to pay for what they needed as they went, and to provide for others)

But he saw his opportunity to get some of his reward….now.

He stole from the bag, some of the money that was meant for Christ…….and finally sold Jesus for a bag of coins.

Unbelief is a terrible sin….and is found in the circle of religion as well as in the worldling.

It leads it’s victim into the stupidest of places…..(like painting yourself in a corner)…..with often no way out.

Judas never believed on Christ Jesus…..only on the miracles for future gain….and sadly he followed his unbelief all the way to death and hell.

Peter, also was unbelieving…..but not for gain…..but out of fear.

Peter was called first of Andrew to hear Jesus. He did, but did not follow Him.

But then he was called of the Lord to follow Him, and He would make him “fishers of men”….

…Peter knowing the power of that call….followed Christ. (Matthew 4:18-20)

For three years, Peter heard Christ.

Peter grew to love Him, and though he was often the first to question (Matthew 16:21-23)….or charge into things(Matthew 14:28-31)…..Peter had made a choice of love….left all to continue to follow Christ.

Until, the night Christ was betrayed….and arrested….and lead away.

Sadness at hearing He might leave them, had lead them to sleep when they should have been praying….

….and fear lead Peter into unbelief.

Some might be surprised at that statement….but what was it that led Peter to deny the Lord?

Simple unbelief that the Lord would survive.

Therefore unbelief said that Peter better seek something else to hold on to…..unbelief lead to self-survival.

Peter had followed the Lord “afar off” when they had taken Him….but had not joined Him, but stayed by the fire outside.

As soon as he was asked if he was with Christ…..he denied.

Had he gotten up then and went out and wept,…..we could have called it a terrible lapse in courage toward the Lord.

But Peter stayed,…..and stayed. Three times he turned to see someone questioning him….or accusing him of being with Jesus!

Why didn’t he leave? In fact, he was too afraid to leave….unbelief had gotten ahold of him….and he felt all was to collapse….all was for nothing.

He just kept on standing, and denying…..three times, until…

…..(and I want to shout for joy here!)

How good Jesus is to him,….and often us….for a look saved Peter from falling further into unbelief….

…..and brought him back to believing and loving Jesus.

Luke 22:60-62 “And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter…..

And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”

He was still afraid, but no longer standing with the enemy in unbelief….but seeking repentance for his sin.

There are many differences between Judas and Peter…..but the main difference is:

Judas continued in unbelief until he hanged himself….(which is truly an act of unbelief)…..never seeking forgiveness from Christ….which he could have done at the foot of the cross….

….only returning the money…..thinking this act would save him….for money was all he cared about.

Peter, on the other hand, loved Jesus. He yielded to unbelief and denied the Lord….but repented……running to the empty tomb at the word of the women (Luke 24:12)….and a few days latter…..jumping off the fishing boat to go to Jesus on the shore to declare….three times, “Thou knowest that I love Thee”. (John 21:15-19)

Unbelief is a sneaky sin…..sliding in under the pretense of “let’s be practical”…..or “let’s not be hasty”.

But Jesus calls us to believe and love Him….to put the full weight of our lives….and what weights they are!…..onto Him, and follow Him.

“Lovest Thou Me…..more than these?”

Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s

We all know what happened here….

…the Pharisees had sent some men to trick Jesus into saying something that they could accuse Him of….

(Why, I have no idea….for they were accusing Him falsely all the time anyway. But sin blinds. And they sure were blind to the Truth.)

Matthew 22:15-17 “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel that they might entangle Him in His talk.

….saying, Master, we know that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest Thou for any man: for Thou regardless not the person of men.

Tell us therefore, What thinkest Thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?”

(If flattery….to speak smoothly….to make slippery….could have worked….there was a lot here.

But Jesus was never “flattered”…..for He always saw the heart of the person)

Here was the trick….the people hated their subjection to Rome.

If He said to give taxes (tribute)….then they could say He was siding with the Romans.

If He said not to,…..then they could accuse Him of being a dissenter and a troublemaker.

Either way, they figured they had got Him!

Matthew 22:18-19 “But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye Me, ye hypocrites?

Shew Me the tribute money. And they brought unto Him a penny.”

Jesus never flattered…..He did not waver from the mission He was sent on. He came to seek and to save…..

….not banter and bargain…to Israel. “Why tempt ye Me?”

You notice He called them “hypocrites”……which they were. They talked like they honored Him or respected His Word….when they simply wanted to prove Him wrong.

(It is always good to see ourselves in this light……do we really honor Jesus, in our prayers and life…..or are we really looking for a way around what He says to us?)

Matthew 22:20-21 “And He saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

They say unto Him, Caesar’s. Then saith He unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”

Simple…..straightforward truth. Yet, Wow!

And what is God’s? Everything.

He planned, created, and gave us life…..so all belongs to Him.

Give God that.

Again, Wow!

In a few words, Jesus turned everything they were trying to do upside down…..into nothing.

In the place of flattery and tricks…..He gave them the true call of God to their souls!

“Render unto God the things that are God’s”

Would they hear it? Would they step away from their purpose….to see God’s Purpose?

Sadly, though they “marvelled”…..they also…”and left Him, and went their way”.

Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s……

As Christians, we are not to neglect our duties…..and plainly, we have duties to our nation, our state, our town, our families…..

…..but we are first and foremost to “render”….”to give back” to God…..us.

He came to save us…..and when we are saved…..we can “render” unto God ourselves, which belong to Him….in our everyday lives, as we trust and obey.

The “I Want To” of our Christian Experience

It is a good thing to be obedient to the Word of God, by the impressions of the Holy Spirit.

It is a better thing to “I want to”, for Christ’s sake.

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

If the Holy Spirit has not yet created within you a desire for Spiritual Reality, then that is the place to start. This is the “want to”.

We are to come to Him and ask for it, to be placed within us.

It is usually a progressive desire.

We go from lost to born again. But we are babes, needing a whole lot of care. A whole lot of His teaching us His Will and Way.

We go from rebels (yes, this is even as Christians), fighting against God because of our position in the world, our looks, our parents, our circumstances; to yielding to the Holy Spirit, where we throw down these “reasons” against God, and submit.

(2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

We go from stumbling along (because we do not want to do what He asks, or are afraid to find out what He asks), to walking with Him in fellowship.

The way forward, in all of these, is: Yielding, denying self, getting out of the way. There are a lot of terms for the same experience (and it is an experience), of giving into Christ, each time.

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

Notice it is as we give the Lord our hearts, that we will yield to His ways for us.

Now I believe that when the Bible speaks of our heart, it is speaking of our souls.

That which is uniquely us. Our personality, if you will.

I believe, it is the most precious thing in God’s sight, having sent His Beloved Son to save it.

Give Him your heart, and keep giving it; till you know He has it.

“Let” thine eyes observe my ways. Let it happen. This is an act of your will. Let it.

Stop resisting it; for whatever reason.

Now, plainly, it is the Holy Spirit that works these changes within us:

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

(But this spake He of the Spirit, which they which believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

If you don’t have this flowing rivers of living water in you, and through you, then it means you have blocked that flow.

That is why the Word says, “let it”.

(But let me tell you, like the water, the Holy Spirit keeps building up, and building up behind the blockage; till it is dealt with)

It is His power….and love, that molds us into Christ’s image.

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.”

As Christ is our example, we are to follow Him into the experiences of the love of God, our Father;

of doing His Will, willingly;

of trusting, to the end, on His Word to us;

and of living in the Light and warmth of His Love.

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

All of this is by the Holy Spirit working in us:

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