A Kingdom must have a King

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The natural man never chooses God….

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lord trieth the righteous:….”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Revelation 11:15)

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

…..the praise and honor for the Father,

….the provision, physically and spiritually for today,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Let me honor Your name and character)

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

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

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

Give us day by day, our daily bread.

(Supply my needs, spiritually, and physically)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now Unto Him

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

“That is able”….this is the first thing to consider….for without His might to do….

…..our prayers are just wishes,….

…..and His promises are just words.

But He is Almighty, Omnipotent,……Able.

When we pray, we often come before His throne with the attitude that:

He probably could, if He really wanted to…..but….

…..And there always seems to be a “but”,…..in our thoughts, if not in our words.

Able to give us just enough to squeak by?

To somehow make it?

No, that is not what this verse says….able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

And His Word endureth forever.

1 Peter 1:23-25 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away;

But the Word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Endureth…..His Word endures forever.

He meant what He said,…….whether He was speaking Himself, or speaking through another….and He said what He would and could do.

He is Able.

The scriptures prove that……the fact that He saved me, proves that….

…..the fact that each day…..yes, even the terrible days (and we have all had them)….He is with me, by His Holy Spirit…guiding, correcting, encouraging me….proves that.

“exceeding abundantly above”. No where else in the scriptures, is all three of these adjectives found together….except here….

Here, where Paul is talking to us, of coming to know Christ in a more complete and powerful way….”in our hearts”.

This is not salvation, but service he is talking about.

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

Paul is talking of a “grant”….”That He would grant you,…”

This is not a gift…..but a grant.

A grant is a favor (money or materials) given for a particular purpose.

It is given to be used,…….just for that purpose.

(If a professor is given a grant to find the many uses of the bark of a certain tree…..he can not use the money for other research…..just the research he got the grant for.)

We are “granted” strength by the Holy Spirit so:

That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith (and remember, faith is essential in overcoming 1 John 5:4)

…..we may be rooted and grounded in love…..

……we may comprehend with all saints the breadth, length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ….

…….we might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

There is a lot of love spoken of here…..because there can be no real power or strength for service, with out Christ’s love filling us……

……so that our love for Him is spilling over into everything we do for Him….for others….

We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)

When Christ is abiding in our hearts in love…..that is, when His presence is not just for guidance, or correction…..but in a love relationship…..then His Will is our foundation,…

…..and it is a arm in arm walk with the Lord….heart to heart.

“Exceeding abundantly above”,……what a declaration!……”all that we ask or think”…..

God knows our needs, even before we ask….while we are thinking of how to ask,……He knows,…..and is Able.

And what is the amount of the grant, in the Spirit, God will give us, personally….

The amount that He gives us, is: “According to the power that worketh in us,”

According as we let His power work in us…..to bring us to yield to the Holy Spirit within….that much power He will grant us in our asking…..

….”the riches of His glory” is the limit…..for it is “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”…..

We can become as rich as we want in His grace and love:

We can know more of the wideness of His purpose for us,

We can know more length of peace,

We can know more depth of the scriptures,

We can know more of the heights of glory in His fellowship, here….

Now unto Him that is Able….He is able.

Will we receive the “grant” for His purpose in us? And acquire the riches of His glorious life within us, more and more….

Then let His power, by the Holy Spirit “work” within us…..molding us by His grace….into His character……giving us wideness of life….His life, in us.

Let us make room for Christ.

(“Exceeding” is a favorite term of Paul…..for he gives His testimony of God’s exceeding abundant grace in:

1 Timothy 1:12-14 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who hath blessed me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy,….

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul talks of “…the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward…” (Ephesians 1:19);

“…the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)

Peter says “…..ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:13)

“….given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:….” (2 Peter 1:4)

Jude 24 says: “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,”

Exceeding means “Over, superior to, to surpass”

For Paul, and for many Christians down through the ages…..what Christ has been,…and given,….and granted them….can only be described as “exceeding”.)

Matthew 25:1 “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.”(page)

This begins the parable of the ten virgins…..

…five which are wise…for they not only brought their lamps….but extra oil for them….”in their vessels”….trying to be prepared for every good work (Ephesians 2:10)…..while waiting for their Bridegroom.

(In scripture, wise means reverent to God and His commandments. Only the Holy Spirit works this awe in us.)

….five which are foolish….for they brought lamps but no extra oil for them….”shining”,…..only looking forward to their reward and happiness forever.

(In scripture foolish means “heedless”….turning a deaf ear to God’s commands….as though they could bypass them. The Lord said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments”. It is not agreeing with His Will, but doing His Will that shows our love to Him.)

They were all …..full of excitement for the celebration to come….at the first.

They thought that they were all ready to light their lamps when He came!

But the bridegroom tarried. He did not come when expected….so they first sat down…..then they fell asleep….all of them.

But there was a shout, to wake them up….(praise God that He sends some to wake us up! How many awakenings and revivals have come by the voice of….”the Bridegroom cometh!”)

So they all got up….and tried to “trim their lamps”…..

That is, they began to be diligent in the outward forms of religion….Bible study, going to church, praying.

But the error was not in the lamps……in the outward actions……but in the oil (a picture of the Holy Spirit)…..

…..some had Him….some did not.

The wise had extra in their vessels…..for the Holy Spirit is always with us…..and when we yield to Him there is abundant power for enlightening, and courage.

It is true they were guilty…..they did not stay awake and shine for Christ as they should…..but when they were awakened…..they got themselves right with God, yielding to the Holy Spirit……and right with others…..

….standing ready for the Bridegroom’s coming.

But the foolish had none. Why? Did not they have lamps? Yes….there are many which have the outward form of Christianity…..many good works are done by people who love what Jesus stands for….yet who have never given themselves to Christ Jesus the Lord.

Weren’t the foolish prepared at first? No, for they never had a supply of oil….or the Holy Spirit.

Many have a ‘spirit’ of enthusiasm….or a ‘spirit’ of happiness at being part of something larger than themselves….

….but only the wise had the supply of oil (Holy Spirit) that would not run out.

Matthew 25:8 “And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.”

You would think this the right thing to do…..but the wise said that they could not provide for them…..

….Only God could…and that is what these foolish refused to do from the first…they would not “go” or submit to God…….for “foolish” is heedless.

Matthew 25:10 “ And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut.”

Jeremiah 8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

Time runs out for every person on earth.

These foolish virgins had let their time of “seeking the Lord” go by…..without doing it….till time had run out.

Like Jeremiah, I often look at our generation and feel:

Jeremiah 8:21, 9:1 “For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt;….astonishment hath taken hold on me.

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!”

How many around us need to hear the gospel?

How many we meet, can see the Light of Christ shining in us?

Jeremiah 8:22 “Is there no balm in Gilead: is there no Physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?”

Yes, there is a balm to heal every ailment.

Yes, there is a great Physician to mend and heal every sin…..Jesus Christ the Lord.

Let us awaken…..and…..be wise and receive Him and His Word to us…..and shine as lights in this world.

We can not give the “oil” of the Holy Spirit to others…..but we can sure lead them to the Lord Jesus Christ….before it is too late.

Spiritual Warfare: Our thought Life.

Our thought life is important. We often just think that what we do is important, and it is. But what we think, and what we allow ourselves to think on, is important to God.

2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: “

Our flesh is our natural self life.

It is what we have become over the years as Adam’s children.

It is our habits, our desires, our plans, and our way of thinking; all of which make us do, and say, and act, the way we do.

This is the flesh.

When we become born again, and Christ’s life is within us by the Holy Spirit, then our flesh fights against the new life; so that it will not have to obey Christ, but can continue to do what it pleases.

A warfare takes place within us:

Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

“The things that ye would”, are those things that Christ leads you in, for you are born again, and want to serve Him.

But, because there is warfare within, it hinders the joy of service, and often the service is marred.

What to do?……..we can not get rid of the flesh, it will always be with us.

But we can win the battles to bring it into subjection to our King, Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

What are these “strongholds”? They are those thoughts that take hold in our minds and do not let go.

They could be a “good” reason; or by the emotions flowing and toward a certain motive.

In the Spirit, we may know it is not right, though we can not tell how; but how ever it comes; if it is not dealt with,…….it builds a fortress in our thoughts.

It could be about the value of a certain thing. Simple in itself; but given power over the thought life by the flesh,…….and built upon again and again, because every time you go to get rid of it;…..and don’t,….it’s value becomes stronger.

(I once knew a Christian who became convinced that there was no hell. He, of course, did not want to think about some of the people he knew who would go to hell, because they were not born again. It became a big snare in his life; and dulled his sense of urgency where dealing with the lost was concerned.)

If you refuse, once, to deal with it; then the Adversary inflates the object with all sorts of affections, or opinions……to keep it.

“Casting down imaginations”. Our imagination is a faculty which brings to our minds, in pictures, the things we are dealing with.

We can let our thoughts “go”, and pretty soon, we are in a world of our own making; no reality; where the truth is what we want it to be.

Dangerous…….because the truth can then be twisted to be what the Adversary wants it to be….into a lie.

Casting down imaginations is tearing them down, to reveal the Truth that is in Jesus for this situation.

It can be a tough fight,…..

But again the fight is not with carnal or natural weapons, but mighty through God, by His Holy Spirit, to cast them down in our affection………. for so that we can be free from the influence of the Adversary through them.

In a world where “virtual reality” is accepted everywhere, we need to be especially careful, if we want to please the Lord Jesus Christ; Who is the Truth.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Or we may end up like those Paul warned of:

2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

The power of God is mighty to pulling down strongholds with in our minds;…..and to cast down imaginations which have given a alternate view of Reality.

The power of God is through the Holy Spirit….working in our hearts.

“Every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”.

God will tell you something; through His Word, the preaching and teaching of ministers, or personal communication. Then you hear, “You don’t really believe that do you?”

That is a high thing which is exalting itself against the knowledge of God.

God has said something to you, He is dealing with you about this situation; and the Devil would sent a doubt, and a hesitation, or a “very good reason, not to do what God said”.

What is it that we must do? Try and reason with the Devil? No! Eve tried that and sin was the result.

We can not reason in the flesh, or try and work up affections for God in the flesh; but we can yield to the Holy Spirit within us, and let Him lead us, in bringing every thought and affection, into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

When we do, we will be captives of God’s reasons, And captives of His love.

If ye love me, keep my commandments; Jesus said. (John 14:15). And when we do love Him, we will. This is where God’s power comes in.

His Power is given to us as we bring ourselves into captivity by the Holy Spirit to have His Life.

To have His Light, to see reality.

To have His love shed abroad in our hearts. (Romans 5:5).

To have His peace, shelter us.

To have His joy, make us strong.(Nehemiah 8:10)

We can make ourselves our own lord; and every time we refuse to yield to the clear command of God, that is what we are doing.

But that is bondage of the worst kind. Strongholds, Virtual Reality for Reality, and a form of godliness.

Or we can yield to the Holy Spirit, and have the power of God, which is mighty, working within us, to bring us into captivity to the Life of God.

Which will we have?

Obedience

God is Sovereign…..and He claims His right….His prerogative, to rule.

Sometimes His rule is unseen, with those who are unthankful, and disobedient….for He rules and overrules in all circumstances.

Sometimes His rule is seen, with those whose obedience to His commands bring down peace, love and joy.

Obedience then is the one thing in life that will decide man’s destiny.

In the life of man, to obey God is the one thing needful.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep HIs commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

In our obedience, we “side with” God,…..or in our disobedience, we “side with” the Adversary of our souls, and his principal of rebellion.

(He said to our first parents……“Ye shall not surely die”. Genesis 3:4

“It won’t be like God has warned,…don’t worry….just do what you want…and I will tell you what you want.” So the Adversary tricked Adam and Eve…..and so he has tricked us down through the ages. Are we still listening to him?)

1 Samuel 15:22-23 “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected thee from being king.”

No amount of religious activity can ever take the place of simple obedience…..no matter what it costs you.

To fail to obey is to reject His Word to us……whether it is for a “better” idea, or reason, or just going after our lusts…..to fail to obey God is a rejection of His Word.

Jeremiah 7:21-23 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts,…

For I said not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

When the Lord first brought Israel out of Egypt, He did not give them a system of sacrifices, at first (actually it was months later, at Sinai)……but He told them to obey Him (Exodus 15:26)

And this is what He requires of us, as well…

…….because we love Him.

◦ John 14:21 “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me:….”

Obedience is our choice to follow Christ…..to give unto Him our hearts and hands….

…not just in words, but in real love, which believes His Word, holds on to it, and does it, though the whole world refuses Him.

Jeremiah 7:28, 9:3 “But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction:…..

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth…..for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me, saith the Lord.”

They do not receive correction….and they know not Me, saith the Lord.

One criteria for spirituality…..is to be able to receive correction. (Hebrews 12:5-8)

God corrects those He loves…..for how much we need it! So that we may walk with Him closer,….with more blessing.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

The expected end for His purpose for us.

Though His purpose goes through trials, or storms, or corrections, or blessings….He does it to lead us to our expected end:

The Lord’s “well done, thou good and faithful servant”.

Will we be obedient and choose Him?

The Faithful and True Witness says of Us.

Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

Consider this very carefully: All these things spoken of here, every Christian should have.

We should have the gold, which speaks of God in our lives; and how rich we are with Him in our lives!

We should have the white raiment of Christ’s righteousness, to cover us; and the righteous acts of our obedience to our Lord, to adorn His mercy to us.

We should have eyes that see, by faith; for darkness brings blindness. So Christ says to anoint our eyes, by the Holy Spirit, using that honesty which removes the darkness, and brings us to the Light.

Yet the Faithful and True Witness says we lack these three essential things; and are not even aware of it.

How can this be?

It can only be if the letter of the promise is claimed; without the personal experience of that promise.

Christ promises Eternal Life to all who come and receive Him into their hearts and lives.

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:”

It is receiving Him, not heaven, which gives us the power to be saved.

In Christ is Life. We open our lives to Him, as sinners in need of a Savior from our sin.

We do not come to Christ to receive heaven, He will not give us “pretend” life, but real life, in Him.

In Laodicea, the Church is seen as gathered in a place which does not have Christ in it.

It is not that He does not have first place there; He does not have any place there.

He is out side the door of His own Church asking that each individual that hears His knock and voice, will open to Him.

It is not the Church door they open, but the door to their hearts and lives; for He offers communion and power to “any man” who will open to Him.

Revelation 3:20″Behold, I stand the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”

This “sup” is communion, and fellowship.

And then He says that all who overcome will receive throne authority.

Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

But what do we “overcome”?

We are to overcome anything which stands in the way of God’s Will for us. Just as Christ overcame everything which stood in the way of His Father’s Will for Him.

Will you….give Christ a life open to and receptive to Him?

To be Saved Spirit, Soul and Body

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.”

Sanctification is when we are “set aside to sacred use”; to God’s use.

We are sanctified by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; for in their purpose and Will for us, they are One….

“Sanctified by God the Father…” (Jude 1)

“Sanctified in Christ Jesus…” (1 Corinthians 1:2)

“Through sanctification of the Spirit…” (1 Peter 1:2)

Sanctification is done by God and us, cooperating together…….by us yielding to the Holy Spirit’s “artea” or force within….as He manifests the Will of God to us.

Now the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly.

We can not be at odds with God in anything and know this peace. This peace is not judicial (the peace between us and God we get, when we are born again: Romans 5:1)…….but this is personal peace….the peace that garrisons our hearts. (Philippians 4:7)

And this sanctification begins with our spirits. We bring ourselves into subjection to the Holy Spirit, which indwells our spirit.

You yield to the Holy Spirit within…..and when you do, you are empowered to do.

He manifests a “force” within us.

Luke 9:54-56 “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did?

But He turned, and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”

Jesus turned to his disciples, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are manifesting. For it is not what I will to do…..for I came to save men, not destroy them.”

The spirit they were showing, was the spirit of anger and revenge. They wanted to “show them”, for rejecting Jesus, and them.

But Jesus said, that it was not the Spirit He would show…..and walked away.

Let us talk of the spirit we show, and how the Lord wants us to be, by the power of the Holy Spirit:

A proud and haughty spirit…..which is surprisingly easy for us to manifest…..we can even be proud that we are born again!

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

An indefensible spirit….we go this way, then that way,….letting circumstances rule us….and our conduct.

Proverbs 25:28 “He that no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.”

We are responsible to rule our own spirit, by keeping the walls of separation from the world…..up.

An unforgiving spirit….how hard it is to let go of hurt and anger…..until the Lord helps us.

Matthew 18:35 “So likewise shall My Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.”

We must through the power of the Holy Spirit, forgive from our hearts….and know we have forgiven. To forgive is to not feel the influence of the hurt or insult any more.

The spirit of faithlessness and unbelief:

To start well, and backslide….to come to some temptation which is too strong for us….. unless we give it to the Lord, and get the victory,…..in Him.

Hebrews 3:12 “Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”

2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,….”

And a broken spirit, which the Lord will not despise

Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite spirit, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”

The Soul is next:

The Lord Jesus taught that those that truly follow Him, must lose their “life” in themselves,…..in order to gain it….in Him.

We must lose our own way of reasoning and looking at things…..and then….we can begin to value things from an entirely different viewpoint…..His.

The will is dealt with by denying ourselves: saying no to our attitudes and thoughts and going with the Lord in His.

Luke 9:23-24 “And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

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

In this, the mind and heart is also dealt with….till our minds are “renewed”,…….so we want to think about things the way the Lord does…

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

And our hearts are brought out from the prison of worldly lusts (I want this, and I want this now)….to the open sunshine of His love….

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

1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

This requires honesty between the Lord and us….but…

…..when this happens our souls quiet ourselves under the loss of anything it formerly loved, and lives….peacefully and joyfully….upon God, and His grace.

Yet these are not separate from our body…..they are seen in our body. The facial expressions we use….the reactions to comments, and to people.

All these are seen in our body.

And our body is to be the temple of the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed: we are perplexed, but not in despair,

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

We manifest through our bodies….which we are to give to God,….His character.

Here is where the ordinary living comes in.

As an old preacher once wrote:

“We may enjoy the heavenly things now and again…..or we can elevate the ordinary things we do, each day.

Doing each act as a sacrifice to the Lord….whether sleeping or waking,…..working or resting,….whether with others or by myself; I am walking with the Lord, and all I do, is for Him.”

Sanctification is to set ourselves aside to sacred use….to be used by God anywhere or any how.

And we only set ourselves aside, as we yield to God’s influence, by the Holy Spirit, His Word, and His working:

Philippians 2:12-15 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Do all things without murmurings and disputings.

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”

Shining as His lights in this world…..is HIs use of us.

We are taken from darkness, and given light.

Then we are to shine all the light we have, in a world which is in darkness.

What a purpose we have!

And we accomplish it by letting God sanctify us….yielding to Him….and letting His life be manifested,…..in us.

God’s Correction of the First Church

Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

This verse was written toward the end of the Apostolic Age of the church.

The apostles had gone forth into the world, preaching the good news of Christ.

Their hearts were so full of love to Him;….many suffered persecution and death, to show forth Christ, to a dying world.

But time had past. Some believe the Apostolic Age to have lasted only 100 years, before it was plunged into the persecution of the the ten Caesar’s, where thousands of Christians were beaten and fed to lions, to please the bloodthirsty crowds of Rome.

But before the persecution, there was the error of putting work, for Christ,….of putting service in the place of devotion to Christ.

(Now we all need to work for Christ…..there is a work for each of us. But we easily get “wrapped up” in what we are doing…..and lose sight of Who we work for. Service becomes doing…..when Christ says, Obedience to Me, is love service.)

The Apostle Paul had warned this Church about such men that would come in and lead them away, from what was really important: devotion and obedience to Christ, Himself.

Acts 20:28-30 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Also of your own selves shall men rise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

Notice, it is “take heed” unto yourselves…..we are responsible to grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ Jesus.

If you love Christ; what wouldn’t you do for Him?

But if you are doing a work for Christ without great love to Him, what good does it do?

The value of any work, is that it is done out of love to Him: to please and honor Him, as it says in Corinthians…..”….it profits me nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:3 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (love to Christ), it profiteth me nothing.”

The Problem:

Like all of us,…….that church had become focused on one part of our lives. (It is so easy to do)

Revelation 2:2-3 “I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear with them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

And hast borne, and hast patience, and for My Name sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.”

This is all really great stuff! But…..

…they had become so busy in their responsibilities to others (so they thought), that they had set Christ aside.

He was no longer first…..He was no longer the goal to which they “reached forth”

Philippians 3:7-8 “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”

(This is not for Salvation,….but for a relationship which draws me nearer, nearer still, My Beloved Lord. And we do need to “hang on” in this; for so many things try and lead us away from Him.)

Sadly, for this church, He was no longer the reason they did what they did.

They had fallen short in the loving fellowship and devotion to Christ, Himself,……for themselves.

And there is no bigger step out of the Way of God, than this.

Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

Jesus warns them to repent: To turn around and remember their first love;……the warmness and sweetness of clinging to Christ,…..for themselves in everything.

If we do this, we won’t forget others; but they will be in their proper place.

Behind Christ.

Christ first, everything else next.

How sweet our lives are, as we are walking hand in hand, arm in arm with the “Someone” we love.

Christ calls them to repent. To stop placing their personal relationship with Him after others,…..and do “the first works”.

The very first “work” we do, is to look to Jesus, and Believe and Trust Him; opening our hearts to Him, and our lives to Him.

A life open to and receptive to Him.

All our lives should be an expression of love for Christ. Whatever we are, think or do; it should be out of love to Jesus.

Then He promises them to eat of the Tree of Life.

Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Life is personal; you can not eat for someone else. You can only have it for yourself.

This is what Jesus is saying:

Come and have as much of Me as you want. This is My personal invitation and promise……for I will not take second place, in your life.

When God takes our lives and puts them into His balance:

He puts in one side, our love to Him,

And in the other, what we do for Him.

The balance only comes out even, if the love we have to Christ is the reason we do what we do.

John, the Beloved Apostle, wrote to warn the church about anything which should take Christ’s place in our hearts. It is short, and inclusive:

1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

They made me the keeper of the Vineyards, but mine own Vineyard have I not kept.

Song of Solomon 1:6 “….they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”

In Scripture, there are three gardens of note:

The first, is the garden of Eden…..

…a paradise that God had made for man to live in, and have fellowship with Him.

There man (Adam and Eve) were rulers under God…..over the garden itself, and the animals, and their circumstances.

They were cared for, and caring for the garden for Him….and in the evening, were having fellowship with God.

They only had one…..just one….law that they were to obey,….

…..but in everything else they had abundance.

But here, in this garden, the upright man threw off the law of God, and rebelled…..he sinned, and through Adam’s sin, we all became sinners, separated from God…

….”dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1)….from which we would never have the Purpose God created us for.

They were thrown out of this paradise garden, into a world of “the sweat of thy brow”…..never to return.

The last garden is the garden of Gethsemane…..

….a garden which Jesus Christ often went to, when He was by Jerusalem….to pray.

He went the night He was betrayed,….falling down on the ground to seek HIs Father’s company…..and final Will….before the great work of expiation (taking away the sin of His people)…….and propitiation (the appeasing of God’s Holy wrath and anger )…….by His sacrifice was to be done.

Jesus came as man, bowing before His Heavenly Father,…..seeking HIs Will.

This was the opposite of Adam…..who rejected God’s Will.

Here in this last garden, Jesus Christ, replaced……in man (Himself and from Him to everyone who comes to Him)….the Way to Paradise….by fellowship and submission to God.

He opened up the way to God the Father in HIs prayer of….”not my will, but thine be done”.

He made the garden bring forth the choicest fruits of purity, holiness, and sacrificial love…..by His prayer there.

And He did it for us.

The second garden is the garden of our souls….

…it may be the place of thistles and thorns (Hebrews 6:7-8)….for we all grow something in our soul’s garden….

…or it is a place of flowers, fruit trees, and the place God will walk with us again.

Song of Solomon 4:12, 16, 5:1 “A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse;….

Let my Beloved come into HIs garden, and eat HIs pleasant fruits.

I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:….”

This garden of our soul is tilled and planted and seen to by the Great Husbandman, God our Heavenly Father…..for His Son’s sake.

But we are called to tend to it, as well. It is a garden “inclosed”…..for the Lord Himself to enjoy….not to be trampled on by another.

We are not to be so busy with the affairs of this life, or the work of others, that we will forget to tend our own garden for Him…

…for it is there that we are to learn of Him, have fellowship and the company of God, and rule there.

(You say, “no one can rule their own circumstances”…..and it is true. But we can rule our response and actions to circumstances. We can rule for Him in all that comes to us.)

How do we look to Him in the garden of our soul?

Through prayer, and our devotions.

Through asking, seeking, and knocking.

Through Obedience to His commands.

Song of Solomon 4:13-14 “Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:”

Here is abundance….pomegranates with the juice and sweet seeds.

….camphire, a henna plant used for dyeing….spikenard, made into the ointment Mary poured on Jesus,….saffron….calamus and cinnamon, both rod spices….

(No, I am not setting forth a recipe for anything…..but showing that God sees to every need, every hunger and thirst, every grace and help, in every way.)

Sometimes we cry out:

“They made me the keeper of the vineyards”……”but mine own vineyard, I have not kept.”

“I am so busy seeing to everything in my life….how can I have this personal relationship with God?”

Set aside time…..five minutes, even. “Let my Beloved come into His garden” should be our prayer.

Bow our heads, as Christ did,….and seek Him and His Will…

…and bring forth fruit to God…for His pleasure.

Have you Heard the Lord call you?

Song of Solomon 5:2 ” I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.”

This is a story of a believer, who has gone to sleep. But she hears the voice of her Lord, in her heart, and she awakes.

So far, so good.

Then with her understanding, she hears Him call to her to open to Him.

This opening up of her life, is different than the Salvation she has already experienced. For He calls her, His sister; being joint-heirs with Christ.

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.”

She has had fellowship with the Lord; and has gone on in that fellowship to be called His dove.

Now a dove can see only one thing at a time, and this has been her experience in Christ; keeping her eyes on Him.

Song of Solomon 1:15 “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves eyes.”

Matthew 6:22 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

He calls her His undefiled. This shows, that in that love relationship, she has gone on with Him;…..so she is being saved from the defilements of the world, and self.

1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

But this calling, here, is a deeper calling, for Jesus calls her, as the One who sweat great drops of blood as in the garden (Luke 22:44).

But there seems to be a hinderance to His call,….

Song of Solomon 5:3 “I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?”

It would seem that having experienced so much of Her Lord, she has become a little proud. (Remember, one of the things the Lord deals with His own about is the “pride of life”)

“I have put off my coat”…….simply means she had begun to put off the old man with it’s deeds.

Colossians 3:9 “Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”

Was she now to be defiled by working in the world?

“I have washed my feet”……..All her sins were confessed, up to date. And she had been cleansed from them. If she ventures out into the world to work for Jesus, won’t she again be contaminated by it?

These might have been very good questions,…..if…..Jesus were not the One calling her to go out with Him,…..to the work of bringing souls to Christ.

Song of Solomon 5:4-5 “My beloved put his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.”

The ancient doors used to have holes in them by the handle, so that when someone dear would come, they would put perfume (myrrh) on the inside of the door handle, to show they had been there.

Though she had hesitated to go further with the Lord,…..for what she thought were good reasons;……still she loves Him and is moved to go and open her hearts door again to His Call.

When she does, her hands drip with the perfume of myrrh.

(Myrrh was used to anoint the bodies of the dead, before burial, and was one of the treasures brought to Jesus at His birth by the wise men.)

So Jesus Christ is calling this loved one to go with Him into the experience of intercession, and travail for those He wants saved…..

and to work for those who are babes in Christ,….to help them grow up in Him.

Often, this is a hard work, for it recognizes our imperfections, as well as those of others.

Also, it is a long work; it is not done in a day, or even a week; but till Christ be formed in them.

Galatians 4:19 “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,”

But she had opened,……..but she found Him gone.

Christ never retracts a calling; but He often withdraws the feeling of His presence, to prove us.

Will we become angry?

Or will be seek Him?

Song of Solomon 5:6 “I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer:”

She seeks Him. She sought Christ Jesus in the usual means….of prayer and church services…..hoping to find Him there.

She calls to Him to speak to her again, but it seemed as if He was refusing to call again.

She had come so far with Him, and now she had failed Him, the dearest Friend she had ever had.

She wanted to go back to the way things were….but the call had come, and she was either going to seek till she did find,……or yield to the pride she had shown earlier.

What follows is a conversation between her, and those who would seek Him also.

“What is thy beloved more that another beloved?” They ask. (Song of Solomon 5:9-16)

Then she describes His Greatness, His strength in times of her weakness,…….and that He is the altogether lovely One to her.

Song of Solomon 5:16 “His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

When she describes Him, she realizes that He has never left her, but proved her love to Him.

Did she love Him?…….Or His gifts?

She loved Him, and found Him.

They were united in the work as well as in life.

Theirs was a love relationship; And true love follows to the end, for the Loved One.

Have you heard the Lord call you? Perhaps you have hesitated, too. Listen to the love in your heart for Jesus, and answer His call.

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.”

His, has been, and is an everlasting love, for us.

Will we answer His call?