Preaching, Teaching, and Notes

God’s Vineyards

Isaiah 5:1-2 “……My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

And He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.”

Israel was God’s vineyard. He “planted” them…..expecting fruit.

For He had done all that was necessary so that they would bring forth fruit.

The fencing,…..to separate them to Himself….and away from the corruptions of the nations around them, by His laws.

Removing the stones,…..removing the inhabitants which were there……hinderances to receiving the grace through His Word, into their hearts.

He built a tower…..He sent leaders to watch over them.

He made a winepress….expecting fruit to flow from them….to give the joy of the knowledge of God….to others.

These were all external privileges…..means of coming close to Him….

….and opportunities for those blessings to be manifest out to the nations around them….and to the world.

But…

They brought forth wild grapes…..bitter and unusable.

Isaiah 5:7 “For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah His pleasant plant:

and He looked for judgement (discernment between good and evil in their dealings), but behold oppression;

For righteousness, but behold a cry.”

God goes on to tell of how their actions were going to send them into captivity.

He cries, “Woe, Woe, Woe….” (Isaiah 5:20-23)

Woe to them that call evil, good…and good, evil.

Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes….refusing God’s Word.

Woe to them that cause many to get drunk….on wine and money….giving bribes to get the wicked off….and prosecute the righteous.

Isaiah 5:24 “Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as the dust:

Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.”

God sent them into captivity, to be servants and slaves of the heathen…..because the refused His good law…..because they refused His Word through righteous leaders and prophets.

That was Israel…. but there is another Vineyard.

John 15:1 “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the husbandman.”

This shows that God is now placing all His purpose in the One True Vine…..His Son, Christ Jesus….and all that belong to this Vine.

He has given us the privilege of being…..in Christ Jesus,…..as branches, HIs life flowing through us.

John 15:5 “I am the Vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing.”

The purpose for us here, is to abide in Him.

Some, He will have to “purge”….or trim the excess….that His life will bring forth fruit through us….to the full.

John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

(My mother used to have a grape vine….Concord grapes….that was on a line next to the garden. Year after year, it would sprout more branches, and less fruit….for the excess leaves took away the life from the fruit.

One year, my mother took her pruning shears and went out, in the fall, and cut that vine back, till only the main vine and a few main branches remained.

Frankly, I thought she had done it in…..but it came back and produced big, beautiful clusters of grapes, the next year.)

Sometimes, like my mother’s vine….we need to be trimmed of excess things….to get back to the relationship of Vine to branches.

(And I believe this is really where Israel failed….they refused to be purged and pruned….and so became leaves only.)

Christ is the Vine…..we are the branches…..surviving from the life coming from Him.

He gives us fruitfulness as we “abide” in Him.

This stresses the importance of relationship…..fellowship….and worship of Christ.

For our life is in Him….and Him alone.

God’s Vineyards are for the producing of fruit to His honor, glory, and use.

Israel failed to bring forth fruit to God….then. (Although one day they will)

Christ will never fail, and we are to be abiding in Him….and bringing forth the fruit of His Spirit.

Preaching, Teaching, and Notes

The Importunate Widow

Luke 18:2-7 “Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

Yet because this widow trouble the me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”

Here is the story of a widow, a Jewish widow before a Roman judge. (Jewish judges were usually in threes)

He would not care about her, for he thought she could do him no damage, for she had no money, or influence.

But she kept coming back, she was often in his court.

“Avenge me of my adversary”, is not a request for punishment of her enemy;……..but for a court appointed decree that would give her protection from her adversary.

To keep him from harming her, like a restraining order today.

Now he feared not God, nor regarded man; so anything he did, he did out of personal motives.

Her cry of, “Avenge me of my adversary”, he ignored, till he thought that she might ruin his reputation, because she was often in his court.

He, therefore, looked for a way to get rid of her; because she “weary me”. In the Greek, this means that she gives him a “black eye”.

She will ruin his reputation, make him stand out to those in authority. She must be gotten rid of, before people get the wrong idea about this judge.

He cared for nothin but himself. Yet from purely self-involved motives he thought it best to give her the restraining order. Exactly what she asked for.

Jesus says that prayer is to be like this. We are to come to God our Father with the same importunate prayer as this widow came to this unjust judge…..

…seeking a restraining order for the Adversary of our souls.

“Avenge me of my Adversary, Lord!”

Luke 18:1 “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

We are not to give up on God, which is what “faint” means.

After all the widow came to an unjust judge;…..but we come to our Heavenly Father,……which for Christ’s sake hears our trouble and will “avenge his own elect.”

Of what spirit are you?Hebrews 5:13-14 “For everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the Word of righteousness: for he is a babe.But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”As Christians, we are to learn to discern, for ourselves what we feel….and whither it is of the Holy Spirit,….or of the unholy spirit,….or if this is just us, leading us into this situation.We are to learn to discern both good and evil.The Lord showed this, when He was here….the angry spirit:Jesus was going to Jerusalem….it was the end of His ministry…and shortly He would be arrested and crucified.On the way there, they came to a Samaritan village….where they were going to rest and get food…..but they “did not receive Him”.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 said, “What manner of spirit are ye? You are going to ask me to destroy? Because of a slight? An insult?This is not what I came to do…..for I came not to destroy but to save!”We are to know what manner of spirit we are….so we can speak and act as the Lord wants.There is the proud and haughty spirit:James 4:6 “But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”Pride was what brought Lucifer to be the devil….pride came and making him rebel at his place….”I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-15)Pride was one of the first sins the devil tempted Eve with….”Ye shall be as gods…knowing just like God!” (Genesis 3:4-6)And we are often tempted the same way…..“Why should you always be yielding to God? This isn’t so bad, just do it…..for yourself! After all, you deserve to have what you want sometimes!”If we listen….(and we might not even want what is being offered, that much)….we might think….we are owed this!This is pride.But He gives more grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of power….…….and against pride, the Holy Spirit in our spirit, will give more grace….if we will humble ourselves….…..which simply means, that we take our proper place in this situation, and let the Lord lead us….not the devil, the world, or ourselves.An unforgiving spirit:Jesus told this parable….to Peter’s question, “how many times should I forgive my brother?”There was a man who owed his lord a lot of money…..So he was brought before him, and the payment was demanded.But this man could not pay….so he threw himself down and begged for patience.The lord thought…..but then forgave the man all his debt!Thank you, thank you.But then the man went out…..and as he left, forgiven….he sees a man who owes him a little money.What does he do? He grabs the man and demands payment!But the man, also, has no money to pay….and begs for patience.Unlike the lord, this man does not forgive…..but sends this man to prison for the little money he is owed.Sad, though this is…..the lord who forgave the debt of the first man, found out….and brought him back in…..and treated him like he treated the other man.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.There is the spirit of faithlessness and unbelief:`Though the children of Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, and had seen the miraculous crossing at the Red Sea, yet....`….time and time again, they refused to believe God.Finally, they just lost the privileges and inheritance that God had saved them for…….. “they do alway err in their heart; and they have not known My ways.”Hebrews 3:18-19 “And to whom sware He that they should not enter into HIs rest, but to them that believed not?So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”The spirit of faithlessness and unbelief can only be cured by Obedience to the Lord!The last is a broken spirit….which the Lord loves:Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” (Isaiah 57:15)When God calls us to “brake” our spirit’s….He is calling us to repent of our willful disobedience…..…..to come to Him, with sadness for having treated our Lord with contempt….and dishonoring Him.He is calling us to surrender….….this is an old fashioned term….that means giving up fighting with God…..and coming into peace with God’s Will and Way.As Christians, we are to be able to discern good and evil…..and the Holy Spirit is the Discerner in us……yield to Him…and know where you stand.

To be Drawn to Christ, HimselfSong of Solomon 1:2 “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, for Thy love is better than wine.”(Wine is given here, for all that inebriates….all that lifts us up. But the Lord’s intimate love to me, is better than all)Here is the cry of a Christian knowing full well her lack of spirituality. She knows Jesus as Savior….and she obeys what she knows to be His Will….but……she wants closeness to the Lord……and no matter how many commitments she has made, or how many times she determines to “have more of God”,….Still she is troubled by the feeling of dryness in her personal devotions and prayers…..where can she find Him? Do we have this desire?She reads the promises of God….she wants them, and more……it has become a yearning of her whole soul after Christ, alone.She speaks honestly about how she is….she knows she is not worthy to have fellowship with Him….but if He would tell her how….she would follow after.Song of Solomon 1:7 “Tell me, O Thou Whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of Thy companions?”So she starts praying; “How can I learn of You, Lord Jesus?Where is that personal relationship, I hear about?I am afraid to stay still and afraid to walk ahead…..yet here I am, please help me.”Song of Solomon 1:8 “If thou know not, O thou fairest among women (what a name He calls the one who wants to get closer to Him!),…go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the Shepherd’ tents.”And He does speak. He gives a slight rebuke (those who will not be corrected will never be true followers, for corrections come to all of us….to love we must obey)“Shouldn’t you know where to find me?……but since you don’t……the answer is….follow the flock and get to the Shepherd’s tent”We should not neglect the gathering together with other Christians….but when it come to fellowship and that direct expression of His love for us, ourselves….then we must find it in submission to the Shepherd, Himself.This is not submission to obey….but submission of person to Person…..character to His character….my love to His love.Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.”Jehovah-Raah: the Lord my ShepherdThe word Shepherd here means to Tend, to Feed, to Rule, to Associate with.It is a full and expressive word, which covers the actions of One Who has taken responsibility for me……wherever He leads, and whatever is ahead…Do we want this relationship of sheep to Shepherd? Do we want an intimate relationship with Christ?Psalm 23: 2-6 (condensed) “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness…Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff…comfort me.Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (here); and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”If you read this psalm, you will notice that all the praise goes to our Shepherd for His care, and protection.But there is more….notice that it is “He” and “I”. This is not the church….but me….personally.(Some say that this was written by David in his old age….after a lifetime following his Shepherd…through battles, corrections, and blessings.As a young man tending his father’s sheep, he knew what being a shepherd meant……he had defended the flock against a lion and a bear…..even taking one lamb out of the mouth of one. 1 Samuel 17:34-36)Isaiah 40:11 “He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”He carries us through many situations….in sickness, anxiety, and trouble, within and without….by enabling grace.He stops some situations from becoming worse…..He bears us up, by strength and wisdom,…..He makes us to feel His loving presence at times more strongly, to help us cope with circumstances.Yet we must will to follow where He leads….We choose where we are in His flock….following close to Him, or at a distance.Jesus Christ is the Shepherd of the sheep. There is a fullness in this title of our Lord Jesus….are we His sheep? are we resting under His gaze, following in His paths, eating at His table?Are we enjoying that relationship with Him? Are we like the one in the Song of Solomon….Song of Solomon 1:2, 1:7 “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for Thy love is better than wine.Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flocks to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of Thy companions?”Do we have this?If not, we can,…..for He says,…..come to Him, and He will be our Shepherd.

Hast thou Faith?Romans 14:22 “Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which He alloweth.”When we begin to walk by faith and not by sight; we begin to deal with those things that we “condemn” ourselves with.Faith is the active ingredient of our Spiritual lives. It comes to us by the Holy Spirit, when we are born again; but it (usually) takes us a while to use it.Faith tells us to trust and stand…..and our eyes tell us that what were about to do is impossible.Faith tells us to “Get out of here, now.”…….And our eyes do not “see” anything wrong.Faith nudges us to speak to someone about Jesus;…..we wait…but then the subject is changed, the opportunity is gone.We learn (it is called “growing” in scripture: 2 Peter 3:18) to use the faith given in each situation of our lives;….and when we do, we come into Christian Liberty.Our Christian Liberty should make us free to be what we ought: to be what God’s wants us to be.1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought into the power of any.”1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”Twice in the same book, Paul warns these Christians to be careful not to let what “other people” do, or social norms, to be their rule of life.Rather, they should be fully committed to God’s Will and Way; no matter what anyone else does.Paul gives his testimony: “I will not be brought into the power of anything; even though it might be lawful (or nothing, that would seem to be wrong).”Paul said, “I will”, for we must will with God’s Will.For the Christian there are certain things we know are wrong: stealing, lying, adultery, to name a few.But for each Christians there are “convictions” of the Holy Spirit (for them) that say, “This is not for you.”(I, years ago, when I was a teenager….was dealt with, by the Lord, to give up make up. Not because I felt that the make up was sinful; but rather for me, it was wrong to wear it….because of the attachment to the world, it suggested.This is a conviction of the Holy Spirit to me….and I still do not wear it.)True Spiritual Life is following the Lord Jesus wherever He leads in my life.True liberty is freedom from the power of sin in my life.Faith is the “sight” that makes both of these possible.“Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God.”Simply, use the faith the Holy Spirit has given you, and follow the Lord Jesus into the happiness He has for you.Don’t “allow” anything that He does not want,….though it may be hard to part with at the time…………and joy and peace will be your heart’s companion.

A New Way.Joshua 3:4 “Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: Come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which you must go: For ye have not passed this way heretofore.”“You have not passed this Way, before.”The Israelites were crossing Jordan to obtain their inheritance as God’s people.They were to keep in their sight the Ark of God, which was way out front, for that would lead them right.There would be battles, some miraculous, others hard fought. (Jericho—Joshua 6:20; the forced march to Gibeon—Joshua 10:9-10)There would be failures, and repentance’s. (Achan’s theft—Joshua 7:10-11)There would be those who did not want to leave the safety of the camp, to go into their own territory. (Joshua 18:3-4)And mostly there would be God, always present, guiding and leading….first, by Joshua.Then by the Law and priests.Then by their own love of God……if they would continue in it.We have not passed this Way before. We are entering into new territory, new promises.There is new ground to walk, new heights to be gained.[Once I was taking one of my prayer walks, and I was praying about some things the Lord had been dealing with me about….when the Lord showed me that I had finally got these things into my life.(Sometimes, when you have been working at something for a while, as I had, we need to see just how far we have come….it is a great feeling to know you have got further with the Lord.)Wow! I felt on top of the heights! And the Lord let me feel that for awhile as I praised Him for bringing me through.Then it was like He nudged me, and said, “But up there is where we are going”……and as though the fog lifted before me, I saw a mountain, very high, and a pinnacle there.Yes, I had finally gotten this habit taken care of, but there was so much more to have in Christ….and He wanted me to know the….’where “we” are going’.There had been joy before, but now there was joy poured forth. I felt empowered to leap mountains.I have found, since then, the way up, is difficult….but He has been with me. And He has always been my greatest joy.]“You have not passed this Way, before.”Our inheritance is in what we become, by the leading of the Holy Spirit.And the calling and ministries He has given us.It is the fruit of the Spirit within. As we bare this fruit within, we conqueror our souls.Christ has saved them…now we are to possess them and give them back to Him, in love, joy, peace, etc.Luke 21:19 “In your patience possess ye your souls.”In other words, have your mind, heart and will under subjection to God,….so no matter what is going on around you, you will be kept and steady in the storm.The Holy Spirit uses His Word to guide us into bearing these fruits; having what the Lord has for us….within us…and then through us.Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith,Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.”Love: The Spirit first makes sure, you know, you are loved of God. (1 John 4:19)Then He implants love within you, for the Lord, and His people. He leads you into desiring Him, in all His attributes.Joy: This is a choice fruit….for it is the lifting up of our hearts and minds, no matter what is going on. It is of the Lord, and not circumstances…and it can not be “worked up”, but it is a gift from our most Joyous God.(It makes us like cream….always rising to the top)Peace: This places us firmly on the only solid ground…the Rock of Christ…and keeps us there. The wind, storm, and enemies below may threaten….but can not move us off our Rock. (Philippians 4:7)Long-suffering: This is “putting up with” people for Christ’s sake. Giving them another chance. In the Greek it means, “long enduring temper” or patience.Gentleness: Being as kind to others, as Christ has been to you.Goodness: This comes from the “good works” we are to do as His workmanship…”created in Christ Jesus unto good works…”(Ephesians 2:10).We are to be useful: to our family, our church, and others. (Romans 15:14)Faith: This is a gift from God to us, that we might know Him, and this we are to do…using our faith, we are to increase our knowledge of the Lord by believing.Matthew 9:28-29 “And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto Him, Yea, Lord.Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you.”If He said, “according to our faith, be it to us”,…..how would we be?Meekness: This is becoming humble…letting the Lord have all the glory, and letting Him exalt you, when He thinks it is good.[It is interesting to note, that as we go on with the Lord, we become more focused on giving Him all the praise…for we realize, after dealing with us so tirelessly, He deserves more than we can ever give.]James 4:6 “But He giveth more grace, wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”Temperance: Self-control, or to have the mastery over yourself.And this leads us back to:“In your patience possess ye your souls.”God wants us to obtain all the promises, all the gifts, all the fruits…..all…everything that He has for us, in and by the Holy Spirit within.He uses every situation, everyday to lead us forth to new things.Will we be lead out, and follow Him?…..”for ye have not passed this way, before”.

Troubles, Discouragements, Despair.We know that all those that name the name of Jesus, will suffer persecution.2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”Troubles.Who does not have them?Some are financial problems (2 Chronicles 25:9)….some are personal anxieties, some are illnesses,….and….…..Some are trials which we must go through….for our faith.Every trial, or trouble will actually build our faith, as we hang on to Christ and walk….through it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)If you remember the three Hebrew men which defied Nebuchadnezzar’s order to bow to his gold likeness….and got thrown into a fiery furnace.Then you will probably will also remember Who came to join them….”One like unto the Son of God” (Daniel 3:24-25).It was Christ, of course…..He did not save them from the furnace….they went in, bound,…fell down in it….surrounded by the flames….everything was finished as far as they were concerned.But He went in there with them….got them up, and walking, talking with Him.You might say, that was more than troubles….….but every trouble that comes to us, can end the same (not fiery furnaces)….but with anger from others,….being ostracized,….and losing worldly benefit.But it also yields us Christ’s Presence in a special way….getting us up, walking with us, and talking with us….in the troubles…..as we stand with Him.Some troubles come from interactions, which we should not be in?Of course, we think of Lot…and the destruction of Sodom.But there are other entanglements that can lead to our loss:2 Timothy 2:4 “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him that hath chosen him to be a soldier:”Discouragement:One of the graces God gives us, is courage….”boldness”, it is often termed in the New Testament.Yet, as with every gift God gives us,….we can refuse it….and then we become “discouraged”….or “spiritless”………we do not feel the Holy Spirit’s power as we should…….we can feel “deserted”….tired….weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9)Paul was writing the Philippi church….to not be discouraged….because of his being in prison (bonds)….and coming before Caesar to be judged.They had been praying for his release….yet he might be killed.`So he writes to tell them what has happened....and to encourage them, to...`…… in boldness of the Spirit, “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries:…”(Phil. 1:27-28)`Because he is in prison,......some men have preached Christ.....only to stir up trouble for him....`…but others have stepped up and preached Christ out of love.Yet, Paul says:Philippians 1:19-21 “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”This is boldness or courage……and the Holy Spirit works this within us, even in circumstances which worry, and discourage us……as we pray and yield to His Spirit.Despair:Despair is to be utterly at a loss….To feel that all is over or lost….with nothing we can do about it.And when we get into this “place”…..only God can bring us out of it.Only His power can halt the waves of guilt, loss, and nothingness that we feel.(Some people say, that as Christians, we should not feel despair….….I do not believe that. I believe, that as Christians, we should not continue in despair.)Think about Peter, having denied the Lord….not once,…but three times, even in front of a maid,….….though he knew the Lord’s resurrection,…the empty tomb……he felt despair because of his failure, and said, “I go a fishing” (John 21:3).He would go back to fishing, there was nothing for him in Christ….….Jesus came and spoke to him….”lovest thou Me?”…and he was wounded….”grieved”….torn apart by the question…….and when he answered it, “yes, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee”….…he was still unsure what Jesus would do.Till Jesus called him again….anew….”Feed My lambs, feed My sheep”.Peter was then restored….in spirit….in calling….in fellowship with Christ.Peter came out of despair, and into God’s Way again.Paul writes about the many different troubles he had faced as a Christian….2 Corinthians 4:8 “We were troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we we’re perplexed, but not in despair;”Here, he is talking about spiritual life…..and in that, he was upheld from distress and despair in these situations, by the Holy Spirit2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of power may be of God, and not of us.”The “excellency of power” means that, if Paul was protected by all the Roman army…..he would not be more safe, than under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit within.On our way through this life….there are many things which come to us, tempt us, or assault us…which we cannot handle.But God can….in us, and through us….Troubles, Discouragement, and Despair…..are things that we can meet with on the way to heaven….….but we are not to be ruled by them….but by God….and His Will.That does not mean they will not attack us…..they will.But it does mean that God has a way through these attacks,….and we can have His Presence in them.Are we using all that God has given us, by His Spirit?

And the Very God of Peace Sanctify you….1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.Faithful is He Who calleth you, Who also will do it.”Now He will do this, but not against your will.Can two walk together except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3)To walk with God, you must be in your place. We are creatures…..created to please our Creator.Sin has marred that beginning way…..but not our purpose.So to walk with God, we must agree with God as to our place before Him.We each have a place to fill.But it is all according to God’s Will and plan. We can not fill someone else’s shoes…..nor can they, fill ours.But once we have our place as dependent creature before God, then we can go on.And once the creature has come to the place where they agree to be the creature before the Creator….…it is then they walk as friends.John 15:15-16 “Henceforth I call ye not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you.Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.”As friends He wants us to know what He will do…..and very especially what He does through you.He has chosen us….and ordained us….(ordained means that He has provided everything that we need to do the job)……that we should “go and bring forth fruit”.We should go into the lives He has given us, and bring forth the fruit of peace, joy, gentleness, patience, etc.That whatsoever we shall ask of the Father in Jesus Name, He may give it us!All this He has done, and seeks our willing cooperation in it all.“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 in not judicial, but personal peace between us and He.To start this sanctifying, we must start with subjection to the Holy Spirit in our spirit.2 Peter 1:5 “And besides this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;”Here Peter shows the road map to fruitfulness….…we are to add to the faith given us at new birth,….”virtue”…Virtue is “Arte”….or force. By giving all diligence on our part, we are to yield to the force within us by the Holy Spirit.He is there, pulling us on, pushing us out of situations, and molding us.(Diligence is giving all earnest speed to do it.)Through this virtue you will bring your spirit into subjection to the Holy Spirit.These things are all brought about by acts of the Will.And as you yield your will to the Holy Spirit, you find yourself borne along….…as a sailing ship before the wind.Our part is to hoist our sails….giving all diligence….to catch all of the wind of the Holy Spirit, we can.

The Called According to His Purpose

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

If I am one of the called, when did He call me? And for what purpose, did He call me?

He brought us into being; not to live to ourselves, or to do what we want.

We are God’s, bought with a price, and are not our own.

1 Peter 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ; as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

It is His calling, His saving, His purpose and grace for us….we are to find for ourselves.

What is His purpose?

First, His purpose for us, is that we know Him, and keep learning more of Him.

We are to come into a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and grow in that knowledge.

He is life, and as we know Him more, we experience more His life, within our life….in our everyday situations.

His joy, His peace, His hope, His correction, and His satisfaction.

He wants fellowship with His saved, beloved ones.

Second, His purpose is for our conformity to His Will……..He is life, His Word is Truth…and we are to deal with anything that hinders our walk in HIs Will.

There is the cleansing we need,….so we can receive from Him all He has for us.

If there is unconfessed sin, that puts up a barrier between us. Therefore we are to:

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

And this on a daily basis….that no shadows come between us..

His purpose is that we should walk before Him…..as His children,…for He will look after us.

His purpose is for us to follow after Him as His disciples…learning dependence and obedience to our Master’s commands.

His purpose is for us to walk as friends with Him…

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

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

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

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

Shall we not yield to His purpose for us, and honor His love for us?

It is to set yourself aside to Him, in each situation.

This takes some effort, but as someone once said, (and I like this) “It is to find out where Jesus is standing in this situation, and then go and stand with Him.”

To yield to Him. Yes, yield is to “give-in”. And that is what we are to do….give in to Christ….believing He knows best….believing He sees all that is going on with me….believing He loves me.

He is our life, let us embrace Him….and learn of Him.

He made it again.

Jeremiah 18:3-4 “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hands of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

This is Jeremiah, learning the lesson for Israel…..God could still use Israel….even after their rebellion and idolatry…

….if, they would return to Him and let Him make them again….another vessel, as seemed Him good.

And what was that?

God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar had come and put them under tribute to him, for their sin and iniquities.

But….

….if they would turn from their evil, and follow the law….

…even though they would have to pay tribute,…they would be able to stay in the land God gave them…..in peace….under their own olive trees and vineyards…with their families.

But, if they rebelled against this second chance…..they would be destroyed….they city of David and the temple burnt….and their children taken away as slaves or starved.

God was speaking bluntly…..and giving them hope….

….if they obeyed:

Jeremiah 25:5-6 “…Turn ye again now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers forever and ever.

And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke Me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.”

Second chances from the Lord, to be molded into a vessel unto honor….useful to the Lord,…..are a bounty and a blessing.

What are we doing with ours?

Perhaps you have failed in the purpose for which you were sent…or called to someone, or someplace, or to some time?

But let me tell you…..God has a second chance for any who come to Him in repentance and obedience.

The great call of Israel was to be a nation under God….with Him as their King.

Yet,….when they failed….time and time again,….

….He sent prophets and priests….He sent messages of love and correction…

…and finally, before the captivity…..

…He sent a final word:

“Return….obey….and I will give you a second chance at being My people.

It will not be with the great and grand promises that I gave your fathers….

….that will come under the Messiah, My Son…

….but you can still be a blessing….still get my blessing…

…will you have this second chance….this forming of the Potter’s hands….of Me?”

And He says the same to us…..His people….now, to any that have failed, or gone away from Him….

Hebrews 12:12-13 “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and feeble knees;

And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

“Lift up the hands which hang down”…..go and do what the Lord says….get up….here and now……and do it.

“And feeble knees”….have you stopped praying? Have stopped seeking His Word?…start again.

“And make straight paths for your feet”….if you know you have done wrong….correct it….go to the Lord and set it right….and get back in His Way for you.

Hebrews 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Work at your relationships with others….and with the Lord.

“Holiness” here is sanctification….to be set aside in all we are, to the Lord.

His Purpose for us is to manifest His glory….His light and love.

And He gives us a second chance to do just that…..He gave Peter, who denied Him, that second chance….

….and, if we return to Him….He will do the same for us.