To be a Good Steward

1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

A steward is one, who under the owner, manages part of the house, or property.

As Christians we are to be good stewards, and administer or manage our part of the household of God….our gifts, those we are responsible to teach, encourage, or pray for.

We are going to consider a “good steward” of Abraham.

Genesis 24:2-4 “And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.”

Abraham was old, and weakened, so that he could not go out and do the things he had before.

Sarah, his wife, was dead. Now Abraham begins to consider a wife, for Isaac.

Abraham was not to return to his land,…..so he calls for his trusted steward, and makes him swear (put your hand under my thigh),….that he will go and see about a wife for Isaac,…..from his family in Mesopotamia.

There is some question about whether the steward was to take Issac to Mesopotamia again…….

…..No, this is the land the Lord gave me after He brought me out of my homeland;……so do not take Isaac back.

And if the woman is unwilling to come……then the steward would be free from this oath.

Abraham gives a promise to the steward: “He (the Lord) shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.”

So this steward sets out with ten camels laden with goods from Abraham, to give as presents to the family of the woman who would come.

(First to notice, that this steward did all this effort for someone else: his Master’s son…..not for himself.

And aren’t we to be faithful servants for our Master’s Son, Jesus Christ?)

How long this journey was, it does not say….but the steward arrives at Nahor in Mesopotamia….in the evening……” the time that women go out to draw water.”

He makes his camels kneel down by the city well,…..and waits

And he prays…

Genesis 24:12-14 “And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.

Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,

and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also:

let the same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.”

(How this shows us the spiritual witness Abraham was on his household and servants: each knew God,…..and what God could do…..because of him.

Abraham wasn’t just a good man…..but a Godly man.)

Before the steward was finished praying, Rebekah, who was of Abraham’s family came to the well, with a pitcher, to draw water.

Genesis 24:17 “And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.”

She not only gave him a drink, but as he prayed,….she watered his camels, as well.

He was cautious, and waited till she was done, and then asked: “Whose daughter art thou?” Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge in?

As soon as he heard who she was, and who her family was:

Genesis 24:26-27 “And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of His mercy and His truth:

I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

(Abraham had been promised the land of Canaan for an inheritance….not to him but to “his seed”. Without a proper wife for Isaac, this promise would not be fulfilled.

So the steward praised God for His mercy…..not to him…..but to Abraham.

And praised God for the truth of His promise….that an angel would go before him and lead his way.)

Rebekah goes home, and her brother comes and leads the steward and the camels to their house…..for a steward from their relative Abraham, was come!

How exciting.

Then the steward tells the business of his journey, and how the promise was fulfilled concerning the Lord’s guidance; and how his prayer had been answered…..

…and he asks:

Would Rebekah come? Would she leave her family, and come and be Isaac’s wife?

The family gave permission…..but when they wanted her to stay for at least ten days….the steward said:

Genesis 24:56 “And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.”

(Part of our business as stewards of the gospel, is to deal with hinderances. To not be persuaded to “put off” till tomorrow, what should be done today.)

Rebekah is called, and she agrees to go….right away. “I will go”

(When speaking about our Master, and the gospel He gave us to tell…..we need to know that often,….delay is hinderance. “He commands all men everywhere to repent.” “Today, if you will hear His voice.”)

Genesis 24:61, 63, 66-67 “And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

And Issac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

And Isaac brought her into her mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

This is a story of a good steward…..working not for himself, or his family,…but for his mater, and his master’s son.

(This man is never named…..I believe it is because he illustrates all “good stewards”.

Those, that fulfill their duty,…..out of love and honor for their Master,….down through the ages…….which should include us)

It is a story of fulfilled promises….and promises that were to be fulfilled later, because of the obedience of the steward.

[Abraham’s children did obtain the promise of the Land….and Abraham’s Seed….Christ. Galatians 3:8-9,14,16. Came from this line.]

Yet, we too, have stories like this. We too, have been sent to deliver and bring home to our Master, God,….and His Son, Jesus Christ….those that will belong to the Church (the bride of Christ. Revelation 19:7-8)

As with Rebekah;……if they will not come,…..we are free of our duty….we have done what we could.

Like this steward of Abraham,……we need to follow the Lord’s guidance,….pray for blessing,….and deal with any hinderances,…..that we might fulfill our duty to our Master, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Moses failing sin

Numbers 20:7-12 “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy bother, and speak ye unto the Rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth His water,….

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this Rock?

And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the Rock twice: and the water came out abundantly and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

To be frank, Moseos like all of us, sinned many times…presumption when he killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-12)

Doubting and fear at the fiery bush (Exodus 3:11, 4:1, 10)

Losing his patience and becoming angry and breaking the first stones that contained the Ten Commandments, because of the sin in the camp (Exodus 32:19)

Unbelief for quail (Numbers 11:23)

Listening to the suggestions of the people about searching the land

(Deuteronomy 1:21-23)

But then….

…being peeved and rebellious…..and losing out of God’s best.

Moses had been leading them a long time…..surely by now he would have learned about human nature…..and trials.

They do not mix….they only bring out the worst in people’s emotions, if they do not believe God.

When we trust in God,….even in the worst of times…..it brings out the best in us….for our eyes are ever toward the Lord….and we shine as lights in the darkness and storm….

…….but, trials and troubles bring out our fears, anxieties, anger, and grumbles in our old man…..as we do not believe the Lord…..only bringing more troubles.

Perhaps it was the nearness of the wanderings finally coming to an end…..perhaps Moses let these people “wear him down”….so that he was not completely trusting in the “I Am” that sent him on his ministry….

Whatever the internal struggle…..Moses should have gathered himself together when God gave him direction…..so that he was right within himself…before the Lord….

….and made sure he followed God’s direction.

We all know that Moses should have spoken to the Rock, the second time….but he sinned and struck it again….twice.

(The first time he was to strike the Rock with his rod….symbolizing Christ smitten for us and the flowing out of life to us! Exodus 17:5-6

But the second time, he was to speak to it…..symbolizing our speaking to Him in heaven, and the flowing out of the Holy Spirit to us in our circumstances!)

Moses failing sin was in several parts (like most of our sin)…..but it began inside of him….

He was “provoked”….(Psalm 106:32-33 “They angered him also at the waters of strife……because they provoked his spirit,…”)

“Provoke” here means “to make bitter, to cause to resist.”

Now Moses did not start to resist God, but Israel’s complaining….

….but….

…..he did not deal with this. He should have gone to God and said:

“Lord, I am angry with this people because they continually want….without turning to You. They are angry with me all the time. Please help me to see things in Your way without my own murmuring.”

He should have reasoned with himself:

“God knows them….if He wants me to do this a certain way….He knows what is best…..I will honor Him, no matter what they do.”

But he did not….

….instead he became “provoked” with Israel…and then with God.

Which lead to:

Unbelieving. (Numbers 20:12) “….because ye believed Me not….”

When I first read this, years ago…..I could not believe it! Moses, not believe the Lord? But belief is an active grace…..not something we store in a drawer like a deed or a will.

And Moses did not believe God. He thought he knew what to do for this rebellious people! (And probably this was only a few minutes of reasoning…that brought terrible consequences for him)

Which lead to:

“….and spake unadvisedly with his lips…” (Psalm 106:32-33)

With bitterness in his heart (what a warning for us)…..Moses opened his mouth and let loose his unguarded feelings….”Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this Rock?”

Was that the way God spoke about this need…..no matter how the congregation spoke……how did God speak?

He did not call them “rebels”. There was only one reason Moses “must” fetch water out of this Rock…..God’s Will….

….and that is what our eyes should always look for….nothing else….or it will hinder our words and work…..like it did Moses’s

Which lead to:

He did not sanctify the Lord before the people. “To sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel”.

God did know Israel’s hearts…..He did know their need to see a Rock…..flowing with water for them…..because of words.

If Moses would have obeyed…..he would have shown them that their words, too, could bring outfrom God, a blessing.

And finally, it was called “rebellion against His commandment.” (Numbers 27:14)

Moses came to see the awfulness of letting his bitterness get in the way of God’s plan and Will….and marring a lesson that God wanted Israel to have.

What of us?

In a world filled with anger, bitterness, strife, hatred…..where do we fit in?

Will we let it “get to us” and respond in kind?

Or will we deal with those provocations which come up…..before the Lord,…

….and go out into the world….with His Word….and in His peace?

Heed my Reproof

Proverbs 1:20-23 “Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My Words unto you.”

If you will notice here in these verses, Wisdom is seen as female….”she”.

This is important…..because it is to be us, as God’s servants (no, not just His ministers, pastors, or teachers)…..but all of us as HIs church, His believers, who are crying out HIs Wisdom to all passerby’s.

(Now I am not advocating for preaching on street corners…..unless you are so called. I am advocating for us to “send the light”…..to witness to others….to show the truth of God’s Word.)

But it is a picture of God’s Wisdom being shared with all the others….

….in the streets, in the work places, in the place of courts and gatherings, and in the city….

….all that we come into contact with….to be “crying” to them to repent and come to God.

This is true Wisdom.

(It is interesting to note that there are two definitions for “crieth”, in the Hebrew in these verses….

….the first “Wisdom crieth without” speaks for letting out a shout for joy! Letting everyone know the good news.

The second….”She crieth in the chief places…”. Speaks of stopping someone to make sure they hear the invitation.)

“How long ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?” These “simple ones” are those who refuse to go on with the Lord.

They know “enough”. They are “comfortable” in their lives with God….except God says that He has been calling them to go on with Him, and they have refused.

“The scorners delight in their scorning”. The scorners are they, who mock God’s Word…..who love to “poke holes” (or so they think) in the gospel.

They work very hard at laughing at the call to repent. They will not hear of their “sins”…..no, they are eager to point out others “faults”, and call all believers hypocrites, as they slander them.

The best illustration of scorners are those…..who seeing Noah build an ark on a hill…..came to hear him preach to repent and believe God….and went away laughing at that “crazy Noah”.

At least, until it started to rain.

“Fools hate knowledge”. Fools say “no, God”. (Psalm 14:1)

They refuse to hear, proclaiming the absence of Truth….and rejecting God, who is Truth.

“A fool is he who through this life pursues the clouds he can not own…..and leaves a wealth of things undone…..his tomb a final stepping stone”

When preaching on these verses, my husband used to quote this.

What emptiness and doom! What a life! Wishing for things that can never be…..while the things they could have been done,……were right before them….left undone.

But God’s call goes out to all of them…..”Heed My reproof”

“Turn you at My reproof”.

And it goes out through us, His believers.

But, no matter who goes by on the street, work place, or anywhere…..God’s reproof…..God’s call to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ….goes forth in Wisdom….

…..as we show His light and Word.

For if they will “turn”…..God would pour out His Spirit in faith, grace, salvation and sanctification.

God would make known to them His Words of life.

If they will do it…..He would “pour out”……that is abundantly meet the need….

……His Spirit unto them.

Are we ready to manifest God’s Wisdom…..and shout out with joy…..and give the invitation to those we come into contact with…..His Word, His Gospel.

Acts 17:30-31 “….but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man(Christ Jesus) whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.”

Christ is coming again,….have we given the message, we’ve been given?

Really determining to do His Will

John 7:17 “If any man will do His Will, he shall know of the doctrine, whither it be of God, or whither I speak of myself.”

Let us consider what “to will” means.

The will is the whole man active…..the will alone, does not rule the person….for it is brought into subjection to our thoughts (our reasons, and attitudes) and to our hearts (our emotions and feelings).

Both of these push and pull the will into doing things.

But when we will something….we become wholly active….and begin do it.

The Lord often spoke to the will…..especially to His disciples (those that follow Him)….”If any man will, let him…” (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23); but He was speaking to the whole man….”Let the heart want to….the mind take hold of My Words….and the will move you, to follow Me.”

If any man will do His Will…..the Living New Testament says, “If any man really determines to do His Will…”….

…that is to “will” to do.

Thus, you prove His Will by doing it. When you have really determined to do God’s Will, then when you hear His Word…..you will know what He wants you to do.

And you will know whither it is of God, or your own idea…..He will not leave you in darkness….but will give you light for your walk.

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.”

The creature must find that resting place…..and that resting place is in the Will of the Creator….in the light and knowledge of it.

It is not the “success” or “failure” of any given task…..but was it what the Lord wanted?

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remainth therefore a rest for the people of God.

For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.

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

We “labor” by willing it.

And that “rest” is in the Will of God. It is a peace of being…..by the Holy Spirit….no matter the outward circumstances; because we are uniting with the Almighty.

We can live a productive life, in the world; a successful life; a kind life;….all of which is good….

But God wants us to live a restful life in Him….in His Word….in His Will.

That “rest” is of the spirit, soul and body……looking to Jesus Christ for help, and sustaining grace….because the enemy of that peace in Him…..is unbelief.

Unbelief is not some little sin…..it is the worst of all sins….it crucified the Lord of Glory.

It says: I do not trust You, Lord….I am scared.

It says: Surely, this is something even You, Lord, can not see to.

It says: I do not see You doing anything, therefore You won’t.

Unbelief says a lot of things to our hearts and minds….it can lead us away from God quite quickly…..into imaginations of panic, or anger, or hurt…

But when unbelief comes….telling us all, what God can not do….we need to quickly say:

“I believe….help Thou my unbelief” (Mark 9:24)

…..and then hold on to the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

This is an amazing verse….The Word of God (yes, read, spoken, and heard) is quick: It acts now, making a difference to all who will hear it.

Is powerful: for it works within us to enlighten the situation, and encourage, and tell us what to do,….or what God will do.

Is sharper than any two edged sword: the Word “cuts”…separates the spirit, and what the Holy Spirit is impressing us…..

…..and the soul, what we feel, and think of the situation.

It shows us what we are really thinking…..what we are really feeling.

(How many times have you thought…..”It’s Ok….I can deal with this hurt”.

Then you hear a message,….read a devotion….or speak to a Christian concerning some scripture:

And, “bam”…..you know you have not gotten this healed.

But then, this Word can show you how to get it restored.

[There are many verses which show His healing: spiritually, mentally, physically. Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 53:5, Malachi 4:2, 1 Peter 2:24. And sometimes, it is healing of our whole being.])

This requires us to hear His Word….and be honest with Him about what He is saying to us. (Luke 8:15)

But the quick, powerful, sharp Word of God will be that guide we need, to get the “rest”, here, the Lord has for us….in the knowledge of His Will.

It will show us what His Will is, that we may “really determine”….or “will to do His Will”,…

….that we may know that we have done His Will….no matter the outcome, and be at rest in believing obedience to Him.

Our Tongues

James 3:5-6 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

Often people talk about our tongue as though it is a separate entity…..it is not.

It is an extension of our hearts and minds. We are to control it…..and use it for the glory of God,….as with all our faculties.

James 3:3 “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.”

Psalm 39:1 “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.”

A bridle is there to check the animal’s willful actions…..so with a bridle on our tongues.

As long as the horse, mule, or whatever is going along with a nudge…..everything is fine…..the reins are loose, and the rider and horse are working together.

But let the horse begin to run off or take another path, and the rider instantly…..gently at first, pulls on the reins.

If we control our tongue, we are “perfect”….or complete. Our whole being is subjected to Christ and His Will and glory.

James 3:2 “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

But when we do not check ourselves in our conversation…..

……our testimony can be damaged….or someone may be hurt,….and we should always be watchful for that. (Matthew 18:6-7)

Psalm 141:3 “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”

When I read this verse, I don’t see a locked door……

…..but rather an open door with a butler there….

…..ready to assist with anything…..taking our “extra baggage”….so that all that comes through that door is ready to go in or out….prepared for any good work or audience with the King.

Proverbs 10:32 “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness (perversity or fraud).”

How great! To know what is acceptable to say! How far to go, what words to use….the tone in which to speak. Amazing promise, to those who obey the Lord.

James 3:9-10 “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

Matthew 12:37 “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

Our mouths are an important part of our work…..our speech is the outlet of our testimony.

Granted, it is only good, as our actions are right…..but as they are, our words carry real weight for the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

That hope within us…..is Christ Jesus.

Are we ready to use our tongues for His glory?

Our Hiding Place is God

Song of Solomon 2:14 “O My dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”

Here the Lord Jesus is calling…..to a place in the cleft of the Rock. The cleft Rock speaks of Christ’s Sacrifice…..He was “cleft” for us.

So the Lord is speaking….calling us, as believers, to stand in the protection of the cleft Rock….

…..but let the world hear our voice.

What the Lord desires is that the believer should live for Him alone.

“For HIs sake”….should be the reason for every part of our lives….the suffering as well as the hallelujah times.

So He calls us to a place “in the cleft of the Rock”….so that we can see the price of our protection and provision…..and give testimony concerning it in our lives.

The Lord is calling her take her place in His provision…..and to be a living expression of His death and resurrection life.

He calls her to “the secret place of the stairs”.

Psalm 91:1-2 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him will I trust.”

Every benefit which we can have from His resurrection life, we already have…..He has given them to us in His Holy Spirit…..

…but at the same time we still carry with us our old man….that which hinders the joy and the grace God gives.

So the question is not how much do we possess of Christ, but the question is how much have we lost of the old man, which hinders us?

Psalm 27:5 “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; he shall set me up upon a Rock.”

These verses describe a secret protection…..a secret supply of help.

Psalm 31:20 “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.”

It is not secret from us…..but from the enemies we have.

God’s help comes from many places….many different places.

And many different ways.

(In Pilgrim’s Progress….Christian has come in the wicket gate…..and on to the house of the Interpreter (the Holy Spirit)….so He will show Christian some things that will instruct and encourage him, on his journey to the Celestial City.

There, the Interpreter shows him a fireplace, with a blazing fire!

In front of the fireplace, there is one who is throwing water on the blaze, to put it out….this He explains is the devil, who wants to put out our light.

As Christian looks slightly concerned,….

….the Interpreter takes him around the back of the fireplace and shows him One (our Lord Jesus), who is always pouring oil on the fire, to keep it going.)

This is our secret supply of Help. God is always pouring grace on us, as we use it…..He is always giving us His peace (we have none of our own)….He is always showing us His Will, in His Light….

….He gives us courage, and strength. He gives us ability and guidance.

What need won’t He meet? None.

When I say that our hiding place is God….that does not mean He wants us to hide out from the world….

….but it means that we shelter under His sovereignty, His peace, HIs love, His joy;….and use His courage and grace.

It means that though circumstances may be terrible…

….in Him, we are at rest.

(This rest is not “calm”……I have been calm, like the eye of a hurricane…..where it is deadening….yet waiting for the next part of the storm.

That is calm. I want “rest”…the rest of God, Who has seen the end from the beginning…

…and has enough grace to see me through, if I will take and use it.)

Song of Solomon 2:14-15 “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the Rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.”

Let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice.

He is our hiding place…..are we being His lights?

So much of what we are and say, is a reflection of our love to Christ.

Is He seen in us? Is He testified by us?

Well, if there are any hinderances to that…..”take us the foxes….the little foxes…..that spoil the vines.”

Christ is calling this loved one (me, you, us)….to remove even the little hinderances to fruit bearing.

Sometimes it is not the “big” things……we know they are wrong.

But it is the little hinderances…..little sins, little grievances, little twists in the truth….that can cause us to loose fruit for Christ.

Let us rejoice that He is our safety…..our joy….our rest.

And let us remove all hinderances to us being seen and heard….”for His sake.”

O Wretched Man that I am!

Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Paul wrote this, telling of the revelation of God to himself….about his sin. He thought himself a very righteous person….till God awakened him to the sin within.

Now, we too, are wretched…….according to the Word of the Faithful and True Witness.

Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

“And knowest not”. Jesus says that this we are….and we are all unaware of it.

Yet the Lord has told me, that any Laodicean,…. that would get a good look at his own heart…..

…..would do something about it!

But the problem is that we think we are rich and increased with goods….and have need of nothing.

(No wonder God warns us of “deceitful hearts”. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”)

And the devil would keep us blinded to reality, if he could.

(But God also gives us sight,….if we want it. Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins (will), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” If you really will to do the Lord’s Will, then He will show you, your ways and your heart.)

Revelation 3:18 “…..and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

What is the eyesalve?

Some say the Holy Spirit….and of course, He is the agent, always!

But to consider this wretchedness, we must see our side of it.

Luke 8:15 “But that on the good ground are they, which in a honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Notice…..”honest and good heart”…..good only because it is honest.

What does an honest heart do?

Having heard the Word, keeps it.

It answers the demands that the Word makes….doing what we are told.

(We must stress everyday obediences…..I believe this is one way the Adversary has deceived the church…..

….waiting for some special time, special place, special Word….when what He wants is us to just do what we’re told.)

We usually do not see the last strongholds of our rebellion, until His love points them out.

But once God has shown you, His love for you….personally, then you are never the same person again.

But all this rests with honesty…….as we will get honest with the Lord…we will see the reality, that is our own heart.

This is a deliberate act of our wills…..we must all come to believing obedience.

Believing what He shows us…..believing what His Word tells us….believing it is for now….today.

I see it!

I know what this life of obedience entails for me.

I desire it!

This is the life I want to live!

I expect it!

I will, by His enabling, live it.

I accept it!

I know I have it, and I thank you Lord for it. I trust Christ for it!

“Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Would you be delivered from your wretchedness? If so, get obedient.

Let His love open up your eyes and heart to His Faithful and True Witness.

Light versus Darkness.

The first Word we hear from God is….

“Let there be light”

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

Of course this was spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ….He is called the Word.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

(How do we communicate our thoughts, our feelings, and our will? By our words…..whatever language you use…..it is in words.

So with God….He communicated His Will from the very first, by His Word, through HIs Son.

And His Will is……that Light overcomes darkness.)

And what is the first thing God communicates to His new creation formed in us?

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.”

When He was here on earth, the Lord Jesus showed more of the Glory of God…..than the creation around us……although that is a very powerful witness to the Godship of God, (Psalm 19:1-3)….

……and more than the personal testimonies of all His servants….Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, the Prophets, John the Baptist…..

……..for the glory Jesus showed of God, when He was here, was “the brightness of His glory.”

Hebrews 1:1-3 “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom 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 Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

Jesus Christ showed us God….the Light of the knowledge of God….in His person, in His actions, in those He called,…….and in the Word He spoke then.

John 12:46, 48-49 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness.

He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”

Light….He showed us Light, the Light of God, by His Word.

He came to shine light into a world of darkness. And He came to shine light into the darkness of our souls…..by His salvation….

….. (as Paul describes it…for himself and others….”To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light…” Acts 26:18)

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.”

Walking in the Light He has given us, we have fellowship….(remember, “fellowship” means “a sharer, a partnership”……The Lord with us, and us with the Lord…..and with fellow Christians.)

And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.

This “cleanseth” is in the present tense….it is always there to cleanse away the defilement that the sin causes….and it cleanses the intention of the heart, so we want His Will, not ours.

The defilement of sin…..is the stain of it.

You know when you spill something on a white tablecloth….it can become stained. You clean up the spill….but the stain remains…..and everyone sees what happened.

So it is with our sin.

We were completely forgiven “in Christ Jesus”, the moment we were born again….

……but, the stain of the sins we commit….are there, till we go to Him, and confess them to the Lord.

His blood then cleanses our conscience from this stain.

It is cleansed, so that the influence of that sin,…

is removed from our hearts [for otherwise, they can begin to grow cold toward Christ],……

our minds [as long as we do not confess our sin, there is a draw there…that our minds goes after],…..

and our wills [Let’s face it…there is something which we have put above Christ, and we need to dethrone it].

It is in our going to Him, and getting honest about our sin, in confession, that brings the cleansing of liberty.

1 John 1:8-9 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

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

Here is the means for that cleansing from all sin….confession to Him.

It is to know deliverance from the stain of the sin,…….and the power of the sin, in our life.

It is not ever sinless perfection…..but deliverance……

For I want to stress this….

When light comes in, the darkness is driven out.

They cannot dwell together. It may not be completely light….but the darkness of our sin, attitude, intent….is driven back….and the Light of God begins to rule.

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.”

As Christians, we are responsible to know God’s Will…..

Psalms 34:5 “They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.”

James 1:16-17 “Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Commit your life in unreserved obedience to Him….you will do His Will….no matter what….

When you come to this point….you are looking ahead….and up to Him.

(I have only talked of the Light of God, here. That is the only Light that will defeat darkness.

There is a light which is “kindled” by us…..”sparks”, God calls this light…for it only starts fires within us….fires of doubt, or presumption….fires of accusation or false peace….fires which bring only sorrow [worry and anguish]….not truth and peace.

Isaiah 50:10 “Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servants, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

If you seem to be walking in darkness,….in Him you will find true Light. [Remember the name of God means all that He is]

But for those who will not come to the Light of God….

Isaiah 50:11 “Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of Mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.”

It is coming to Christ Jesus, that we receive real Light…..for He manifests God’s Light as nothing else….and He is found in the scriptures.

Isaiah 61:1-3 [Jesus quoted this in Luke 4:18-19].

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, was

that He might be glorified.”

This is the reason for our existence: that He might be glorified!

Let us come to the Light of God….and walk in that Light….and glorify Him.)

God’s Words

Isaiah 28:9-10 “Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breast.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little.”

If we would grow up into Christ—go on to maturity—this is the path that we must walk.

We are never “zapped”, But the scriptures speak of “growing in grace”, “grow up in Christ”. And these take time and a little effort.

When we first learned to walk as children,….there were a few bumps.

So our Christian walk is a series of lessons, and experiences…..lessons, and experiences….toward the goal the Lord has for us.

Paul said, “I have learned…”and that should tell us that we, too, must learn from Christ, through the Holy Spirit,…..how to, when to, and what to do.

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: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

I have never met any Christian that has not suffered defeat…..at least once.

I have never met any Christian that has not battled something….some with terrible battles……some mild….but they would not call it anything but what it is…..a battle.

But our Teacher is the Lord.

And He builds on the foundation of “Come unto Me”(John 6:35)…..our first command.

Then He says, “If any man will…” (Matthew 16:24)

And it is onward from there.

“Precept upon precept”:

Precept means appointed rules, or an authoritative command.

(precepts is used most in Psalm 119:

Psalm 119:4 “Thou has commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently.”

It is used twenty times, in this psalm. [this is the psalm that every verse but one has a reference to the God’s Word in various forms: law, commands, precepts, etc])

We must realize, that what He says to do, we must do. He is not giving suggestions for our lives…..but He is giving us the authoritative rules to follow, so that we will know the way to go.

“Line upon line”

Line means a cord put together to connect things….and for measuring.

And it is used here to speak of the Voice which has been heard….connecting God’s purpose to His Word…..measuring our response to His Word.

(Psalm 19:4 “Their line is gone out to all the earth, and their words to the end of the world….”. Paul repeats this changing “line” for “sound”, in Romans 10:18)

When Christ was here, the Bible often tells of His “teaching” them. (Matthew 11:1, 26:55. Mark 4:1, 6:2, 6:34, Luke 13:22)

And so He continues to do, to us…..teaching us, through the experiences He leads us into.

Sometimes it corresponds to something in His Word,…..something someone else has passed through as well.

Sometimes He leads us into new paths, which are to strengthen and encourage…..not only us…..but others who hear of it.

And I believe it is true, that no one experiences things, the same way….though they go through the same set of circumstances.

(Loss and grief, for instance. Some are delivered from the waves of emotion, which others pass through. Some are brought almost to the edge of an abyss by the loss of someone….yet saved from falling over.)

Each lesson is to bring us…..yes, that is “me” and “you”…..each of us, to a closer reliance on God…..and a firmer grasp on the reality of His presence and power for me.

That is to grow up into Christ.

Ephesians 4:20-21 “But ye have not so learned Christ;

If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:”

In the battles of life, we need to know what the Lord will do for “me”.

(And on occasion, it is good to make a spiritual inventory of our blessings.

It brings all we are going through into a new focus…..He is able,…..able for me, in this situation;…because He has done great things for me…before.)

Paul, writing Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:6-7 “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

For God hath not given us the Spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

(“Stir up” here, means to “rekindle” the love, joy, peace, etc of the Holy Spirit within us)

He goes on to say: “….for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”

“Persuaded” here means “an inward certainty”.

Paul’s ministry was in the Lord’s hands,…..what he had done (even before being saved on the road to Damascus,…..and in the ministry with the Gentiles),…..what he was doing now (in a Roman prison, and before Caesar),….and what he would do (in the death God appointed for him).

Paul was certain His Lord would keep him in all the things he was to pass through; because “He is able”……and because He had.

2 Timothy 4:17-18 “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul had heard the precept the Lord had laid down for him, and been obedient. (Acts 9:15-16, 26:16-17)

He had gone to the Jews first…..and when they rejected Christ; gone to the Gentiles…..which was his calling.

He was a Jew of the Jews, a Pharisee of Pharisees,…..yet followed the Word of the Lord,…..and did the work the Lord had given him,…..faithfully, even to Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22).

God’s Words to us,……what we read, and what we hear,…….should be the authoritative commands of a Lord to His servant…..leading us to connect His Word to His purpose for us…..measuring ourselves and our response, by it….

….that we too, may have confidence that…..”the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom…..

…to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.”

Two things are considered……

The nation….

And the people….

…..both in their relationship to the Lord.

Moses, in his conversation with Israel right before he died…..spoke of the faithfulness and mercy of God to His people….and what their relationship to God should be:

Deuteronomy 4:32-33 “For ask now of the days that are past,……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 that been heard like it?

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

Or hath God assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation,…….by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that He Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?”

Frankly, Moses is saying:

“Think of it! You have heard God. You have seen His mighty works. He has done this because He loves you….remember His faithfulness.”

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you….”

Deuteronomy 7:12-13 “Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers:

And He will love thee, and bless thee,…..”

An older preacher once wrote: “All religion is in effect, love.”

That is…..when we truly believe….when we obey His Word…..when we truly worship….when we truly pray….we are loving the Lord.

I started this with: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people He hath chosen for His inheritance.”

I pray for our nation…..May God bless America….

…..but as the early Christians were subjects of the Roman Caesar;…

…yet had another King, Christ Jesus. So we too, are subjects of our nation’s laws….yet….

We are subjects of the King of kings…..and He rules, not just in outward laws and ordinances….

….but in inward joy and peace.

Let us hold up our nation in prayer for it’s salvation…..from sin and tyranny.

Let us hold up our states,….our communities….and our homes

Faith sees God,….setting the affections of our hearts, and eyes of our understanding upon Him, and His Word.

True repentance is mourning love.

Hungering and thirsting after righteousness is searching love.

We prove our love to God, by obedience to Him.

When we deny ourselves…..we are actually denying our self-love.

Everyday that passes, the Christian should be more and more out of love with sin, and self, and the world…..and more in love with God.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”.

This is truth.

If we become careless or indifferent…..not caring so much….not so diligent in faith….our love has cooled…..become lukewarm…..and we are in danger of seeing God in terms of the world, rather than walking in the sunlight of His love.

1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.”

God set His heart on us…..in Christ Jesus, before the world was created (2 Timothy 1:9)

Love either grows….or is choked off with cares, and worries,….selfishness, and anger.

The first commandment is that we should love the Lord with all our heart and mind, and soul.