Isaiah 43:21 “This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise.”

As Christians, we are here, by His appointment.

He has placed us, for His own purpose.

And of course, His first purpose is?

“They shall show forth My praise”!

But how?

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

“Foreknowledge” has to do with us….it means He saw us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9)

“Predestination” has to do with the personal Will and Way we are to go….God has chosen…will we follow along?

Here, wills collide.

Your will and God’s revealed will for you. And His way of bringing His will to pass, through you.

Our battle may be short, or it may be long; but it is finished when He has had the Victory over us, and we see (with the eyes of faith, willingly):

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things,…

(Usually, we have no problem with this. We shout hallelujah!)

….and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

(But here, is where we squirm a little)

We do not like to think of ourselves as “creatures”.

It is true, we are blessed, for we were made in the image of God.

We were the only creatures that He formed, by His hands; and so an intimate bond was given us.

But we are creatures, and God is the Creator.

Therefore He has the Right to do what He wills with His own.

For the Christian, there is the double right, that He bought us with His own precious blood, from the penalty of sin.

The word “pleasure” here, is really “determination”.

God has a determined Will for each, He has created. For you and me.

And He works,…..to see that Will performed within us.

We must be brought to the place in our experience with God, that we throw down the weapons of our warfare against Him, and as the creature, yield to the Creator.

You say, What weapons?

How about the weapon of self-pity.

If we do not lose “sympathy” with ourselves,…..we will lose out on many joys, and blessings.

They will simply be ruined, for we are too wrapped up in what “we thought” should be.

How about the weapon of “You can’t ask me to do that!”

Pride is a terrible king.

(It makes us do the stupidest things: because “I” can’t be made to look silly, or embarrassed, or wrong.

“Why should I forgive? They were the ones who were wrong.”).

Isn’t it enough that Christ Jesus asks you to?

How about the weapon of “I’m sure someone else can do that,…and probably, better.”

We look for ways to get out of our duty, and one of the easiest is,….giving the job to someone else.

There are many “weapons” we use against Christ and His Will for us.

Little things we give in to; which hinder our joy.

(They are called “little foxes” in Song of Solomon 2:15….for they sneak in……and nip the blossoms of the grapes, which is the grapes in embryo……destroying our fruit bearing, just when we were beginning to be fruitful.)

Sometimes we are praying about things, we already know the answer to…..just putting them off a little while longer.

The Lord showed me once, that I was like “a certain lawyer”:

If you read Luke 10:25-37, you will hear how a certain lawyer asked Jesus, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Pretty good question,……very pious….till he got Christ’s answer. “What is written” in scripture?

He knew the answer:

“To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thy self.”

That is right….Jesus said, “This do, and you will live.”

“Whoa, wait a minute….You don’t want me to take that literally, do you?!”

(Of course those were not his words….but mine, when the Lord showed me something from the Bible)

And like this “certain lawyer” it had to do with “and thy neighbor as thy self”.

I doubt he treated his neighbor as himself”….but neither did I want to.

He was not willing to obey, but to justify himself.

[10:29] “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?”

Of course, that wonderful parable of the Good Samaritan came from that conversation…..where the brotherly-kindness of a Samaritan (one who was not thought well of) was better than the religious people.

I doubt that “certain lawyer” learned anything….but I did.

I got Jesus’ point,….to me.

We are often not even aware we are arguing with the Lord,…..over this….or that.

But, He reminds us…..You are My people….I have formed you for Myself. That you will show forth My praise.

For me it was enough….to know this, from Him. And I stopped making excuses, and did what He wanted.

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

Forget all your fast failures. All those things that did not turn out the way you thought they should have.

The past, is just that: past.

So cast off the former things; and determine to face today.

To do His Will.

And let Him make a way for us in the wilderness of this world,…..and to see Him give rivers of living water of the Holy Spirit…..in us and through us, because we are yielding…..to Him,…and His determination for us.

Reality

The Faithful and True Witness, Jesus Christ, says that Laodicea lacks reality.

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.”

What is reality? It is having in our experience, what we have been promised; and what we say we have.

The Promised Land was real….yet Israel did not know reality concerning it, until they crossed Jordan in the power of God, and began to possess it.

Then the reality of the land being their inheritance began…..and continued till every Israelite had their parcel of land, for themselves.

2 Timothy 2:6 “The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits.”

The Lord gave this promise to my husband, shortly after calling him to preach…..anything he would get into his own experience,…..the Lord would bless it….as he preached it to others.

Doctrine, sound doctrine, must be taught, and preached.

But it is only doctrine appropriated into our own lives, that counts.

If preachers and teachers, have the experience of what they are preaching or teaching on; then the Holy Spirit will honor the teaching.

If they do not, then the word might be honored, as a good lesson;……but the real power is lacking, and it falls short of what the Lord wants to give.

(For He has so much He wants for us)

Head knowledge will give a mental agreement with certain facts.

But it is the getting of those same facts in our experience, that will save us, and set us free!

And that comes through subjection and obedience.

If Israel had never entered Canaan, they would never have had their inheritance….

…..and if we will not “enter into” the experiences God places before us day by day….we will not have our full inheritance, either.

Personal example:

When I was first called to preach, I used to ask the Lord, “Why?” a lot.

Why did this happen? Why does that not happen? Why? Why? Why?

He allowed it for a while…..sometimes explaining….sometimes telling me to just trust.

But finally, He told me,…..”I was not a child; and I was to obey, without an explanation for everything.”

(Really, I wanted Him to explain what was going on….to see by sight, and not by faith….to help Him be in charge. How silly.)

Obedience in the Greek…..is willingly doing what we are told……willingly.

And my constant “why?”…..seeking a reason to obey….was wrong.

The Lord began to deal with me every time I asked “why”……..till it got to the point that it even hurt to think why!

I confessed my childishness, and rebellion,…….and stopped asking.

I would do what He said, without reason, without trying to see the end of the matter…..I would just willingly obey.

And something wonderful happened…..I experienced contentment in not being in charge.

That experience showed me that God is Very Personal.

That He “put up with” my childishness for a while is amazing.

Yet when He said this was not to be anymore, He showed me something more amazing: He was to be trusted….and obeyed…..and in that experience is heart’s joy and peace.

For His peace in the everyday trials, and His joy is of so much more value than the “reasons” I was trusting in.

To hear that God is Trustworthy is one thing; to experience it, is another.

The Lord wants all His children to experience all He has for us….all our inheritance;

His love,…

….His peace (and it does pass understanding…keeping our hearts and minds), His joy…..

….His faithfulness to each of us.

He calls us to a life open to and receptive……to Him. To Him, personally.

Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at 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.”

The “door” that we open is the door of our lives. Open to Him, as Lord…..and have His fellowship.

Keep yourselves in the Love of God

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

In other words: Walk in the sunlight of His love.

He upholds us by His Word (Psalm 119:116), and “builds us up” by His Holy Spirit (Jude 20); and we are to cooperate with Jesus, and hang on to Him…..Keep ourselves in His love.

There is a lot of talk about God’s love today, which is just not so.

Some say, “If God loved us, why does He correct us?”

Would a loving parent let his child do something which would hurt them, just because he “loved” them?

Sin is the ultimate hurt.

Through sin, Adam fell; which means that he left the state of innocency he was in, to know evil. (Good he knew, for he knew God; after he rebelled, he knew evil. Genesis 3:6-7)

So when it says that God loves us……you need to look beyond the sentimental affection we think is love,……to the Will of God.

There is nothing more powerful in the universe than God’s Will; therefore if He wills to love us:…..He will provide for us,…..hold us up,…..protect us,…..and correct us,…….that we might stay in the bright and warm light of His love.

To measure His love is impossible,…..for the measuring line would have to stretch across the immense expanse of the “time” in eternity, when God willed to send His Beloved Son to die on the cross.

And this was because He willed to love us. (John 3:16)

When we are born again, we are receivers of His Love. (It was always there, we just had our backs to it.)

The only thing we are told to do, is walk in it.

This walk signifies that you are obeying His Word to you.

1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”

If they are “grievous” or burdensome to you……then you are not walking in His love. You might be walking in anger to His Will, as Jonah. (Jonah 4:1-4)

Or you might be walking in fear, as when the disciples were at sea, in the storm (Mark 4:37-38)…”Master, carest Thou not that we perish?”

But when you walk in love…..His commandments are the lightest things.

To sin or turn away from Him, at this time, would be the hardest thing. For love gives songs in the darkest night, and makes His work, joyful.

This walk in the love of God is also shared:

1 John 4:7, 11 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

This tells us that the love of God is to be shed abroad through us to other Christians, and to those in the world.

(Remember, God’s love is willed love. There is nothing in us that would draw out God’s love to us; but He willed to love us.

So we should love others. Often there is nothing in them that merits our love.

No, love is never merited; either in God’s love to us, or our love to others.

That is called respect and honor)

But God commands us to love others, so we will to do so; and walk in His love.

John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

The presence of God within us, comes with His love.

This Presence is felt.

Romans 8:15-16 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

(This “Abba, Father” is like “Daddy, Daddy”.)

To walk in the love of God, is to appropriate for ourselves the joy found in the statement:

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

This knowledge reaches down into the depth of our being!

(You will notice I have quoted a lot from John’s books. John and Paul were the authors that spoke most of the love of God, either for their own selves, or for the Church.

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Ephesians 3:17-19 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is that breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

2 John 3 “Grace be with you, mercy and peace, from God the Father , and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

John and Paul bring forward again and again the Love of God to His own.)

Let us walk in the love of God.

Keep yourself in the love of God.

Three things God calls us to do, to come out of childhood

Ephesians 4:13-15 “Till we come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

Childhood for every Christian is slightly different, but basically,….

…….it is the time where we are more concerned with His taking care of us…..than we are, in following after Him.

There are several things we need to do, to come out of childhood.

“Be strong and of good courage.”

You say that sounds like something an adult, not a child would do…..

….but we will never give up our childish ways without….strength and courage.

Joshua was a young man when Moses took him as his helper. Yet now he had been given the leadership of Israel.

But being a helper to Moses, is one thing, but leading by himself, is another. Hence, Joshua needed to “grow up” into his calling…..

…..and God tells him:

Joshua 1:5-6, 7-8 “….as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage:….

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe according to all the law,…..thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for……then thou shalt have good success.”

(The command to be strong and of good courage is repeated again by God Joshua 1:9,…..and once more to Joshua by the tribes which stayed across the Jordan. Joshua 1:18)

That is four times Joshua hears these words….this was the way he was to “grow up” into the leadership position….and finish his course.

“Be strong” here means to persevere…..to finish what you start.

How many children start something and drop it, for one reason or another. But God calls us to finish our course….complete the work….

Joshua needed to forge ahead in strength….that which he had, though small….and let God give him more…

….and with courage….which is the actions of a person who knows the goal….and heads toward it….

….not with boasting….but with determination…..this is courage.

And the way of strength and courage…..was God’s acknowledged Presence and God’s Word.

Read it, think upon the promises in the things that come up….and follow it.

God would increase both his, and our strength and courage….as we do.

The other thing we need to do to grow up, is to see the enemy of God’s people……as though they are standing next to God….how ineffective they will seem, then….

….Just like David does with Goliath…

1 Samuel 17:26, 45-46 “And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defied.

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and will smite thee,….that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

David was not meant to be there…..he was sent on a simple errand, and came into these circumstances unexpectedly…..yet he did not see Goliath as a giant….but as a uncircumcised Philistine that was hindering God’s Will.

And he knew that anything that hindered God’s Will could be overcome….

….and as soon as he realized how….or the means (the sling, and the rocks)….

….then he was ready to stand and do it.

Children, when they come into unexpected circumstances, often withdraw….or run ahead blindly….

….but when we begin to grow up, then we see all our circumstances as opportunities to serve the Lord….and find out how.

And the last example about growing up is: To Continue

2 Timothy 3:14-17 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of Whom thou hast learned them;

And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation though faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

That the man of God may be perfect (complete, grown up), throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Paul was writing Timothy about “perilous times”…..about times when many will be “lovers of their own selves, covetous,…unthankful to God, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:1-2)

About trouble that will come…..”Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12)…

And he told Timothy, “my dearly beloved son” in the faith…..to continue…to stay the course…..in all that he had learned from God…..from the Holy Scriptures.

The Word of God has every situation in it…..enemies, lies, hypocrisy and false friends, joy, instruction for being born again……and the way into sanctification….

…..it has examples of depression, and of overcoming….

…..it has laid out before us, the road Jesus took while He was here….and we are told by Peter to “follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21-23)….

In the Word, Timothy was to continue….and all who would grow up into Christ, our head, must continue….must stay the course laid out for us in the Bible.

Each of these examples….Joshua, David, and Timothy were younger men. They were men that had come to know God, early.

(And we should all be praying for our children…..those who are dear to us, and this generation in our country….that they may come to know Christ Jesus the Lord as their Lord and Savior….and grow in Him.)

Yet, each had to grow in grace and the knowledge of God….into their respective lives and ministries.

They had to grow up.

So do we…..

……each of us must face our responsibilities as servants of God….and persevere with courage…..

…..in unexpected situations, we are to see things in comparison to Him and His might…..and find out what we are to do there…..

……and we are to continue in the Holy Scriptures…..seeking out all that He would tell us, teach us, and help us, with them.

Peter, who knew failure, wrote in his last letter….

2 Peter 3:17-18 “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”

So let us “beware!” (It is if he is shouting down the ages of the church)…

…”beware lest ye also” (yes, that is us)…”fall from your own steadfastness”…

“But grow in grace”…..we need to grow up in Him.

Thy Mercy, O Lord

Psalm 138:8 “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”

His mercy is a wonderful character of God.

Mercy is the kindness of God to those who are sinners.

God shows mercy for mankind in general, which includes: light, heat, rain/water, food. The external mercies for life.

Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

But to His beloved Church,……His mercies are internal, and eternal, as well.

He brings them closer by His love and Care, by the mercy He gives. This mercy includes their Salvation:

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”

(The first time “merciful” is used is with Lot, [Genesis 19:16] who was saved from the destruction with the rest of the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah. “The Lord being merciful unto him”.)

The mercy of God lifts up the trembling sinner, so they can see God, in the face of Jesus Christ.

And brings comfort and knowledge of the character of God, to those who are following after…….seeking a closer relationship to God.

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

God’s mercy completes (perfects) the work He has started within us;…….He will not desert us, because we fail Him;……..rather, in mercy, He forgives and sanctifies us……and preserves us by His Word, that we may be kept in the love of God.

Jude 20-21 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

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

God’s grace holds us up,……in power.

God’s mercy puts His arm around us in love,…..and keeps us close to Him and His life for us.

This is mercy: The kindness of God to us, who are sinners.

And this kindness, we should show to others,……as He did to us.

Psalm 138:8 “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands.”

The Lord will complete my education in His school of life,

and bring me to have His likeness, by His mercy;

for His mercy endures, and lasts through my whole life experiences, and forever;

for He will never forsake His work in me.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.”

Our speech does not save us…..our works do not save us…..Jesus Christ saves us,…

…but once we are saved, we are to do the will of God.

That is,…..we are to know it….and do it.

Matthew 7:16-17, 20 “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Here Jesus contrasts a good tree, and a corrupt tree.

The good tree…is one that brings forth fruit of righteousness

(righteousness is right living before God…..not in men’s estimation……but before God.)

Romans 6:22”But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life.”

Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Then there is the corrupt tree…..corrupt means rotten, spoiled.

(most of the Greek words when corrupt is used is warning of being spoiled….but here, it is already rotten….unable to produce righteousness….unable to bear fruit.)

Philippians 3:18-19 “(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”

Romans 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

For they are such that serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

The “belly” means “hollow”…..it is the inward hunger to be satisfied with things of this world.

John the Baptist had said, “ the axe is laid at the root of the tree….every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down….

(For the contrast is “good trees” and “corrupt trees”.

What the tree is……the fruit is.)

And how do we become “good trees”?

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be that go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

We must enter in at the strait gate. “Strait” here means “narrow with obstacles placed around it.”

That sounds hard to see and to enter.

Jesus says that “few there be that find it”….so it takes a diligent and willing heart.

We need a Guide….and Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to guide us into this Way….as we yield to His convictions.

Because there are obstacles are there, around the strait gate….obstacles put there by the world, and the Adversary of our souls….

…..and there are many things that get our eye off looking for God’s Way….

…..bright and shining things…..

…..piles of the newest things…..

…..emotional things…..which can get our eyes off God’s Way.

[Many see in this strait gate…..a reference to repentance….and the laying aside the things we carry….

….burdens, giving up sins, etc….

And although I do not disagree with the repentance….which is a change in our attitude toward our sin….(we do not love it any more….it has become a burden instead of a delight)…

….I believe that this burden gets taken care of at Calvary….it is rolled away forever, there.

And the power of our sins is dealt with by the Holy Spirit…after we are born again….by denying ourselves….and being obedient to Him.]

(I have mentioned before about Pilgrim’s Progress….So much practical instruction for those going to the Celestial City….and one of the first lessons is:

Christian has left the city of Destruction for he has read in the best of Books that the soul that sinneth it shall die…..and he knows he has sinned….he realizes he has a burden of sin, that would carry him to the lowest hell….

But where is Salvation from his sin?

He meets Evangelist who tells him of the Way of salvation….

…and by the instruction of Evangelist has headed toward the little light at “yonder wicket gate”….

He still has a great burden on his back, which Evangelist says will come off at the right time. [it falls off at the cross and rolls into Christ’s tomb…never to be seen again]

So Christian is going toward the light, but he gets “muddied” by falling into the Slough of Despond….a place where all the muck of sins we have done gathers in our minds….

……but he still diligently struggles toward the light….and “Help” comes and gives him a hand out.

Back on the way to the light….he meets a very finely dressed “gentlemen”.

Mr WorldlyWiseman.

Seeing Christian….and he wasn’t a particularly inspiring sight with mud still clinging to him, and a burden on his back….

Mr. WorldlyWiseman asks him where is he going in such a state. And Christian tells him….and he laughs!

“Don’t believe it”. He exclaims…..”it is a way full of trouble…look at what it has already done to you. You are a mess!”

Christian feels like a mess….and the burden is heavy….so he says…”but I am going to the wicket gate to get this burden off”.

[Really!? is that what he is doing? Is not salvation from his sins the reason for his going?

But he already has his eyes off salvation,…..and onto simple relief from his burden…how easy it is to get our eyes off of Christ.]

Well, Mr WorldlyWiseman tells him of another way of getting rid of his burden….

…….from a man in the town of Morality……a few towns over from Destruction.

Christians would even be able to bring his family…..it was a nice town….they could live well, and everything would be fine.

[There are many “fine” places in the world…..that have nothing to do with God, or His Word. Places that can trap those who live in them…..because they are so fine. There is only One Way to Eternal life….and that is through the strait gate….up to the Cross of Christ. He is Eternal life….and none other.]

So Christian had listened to Mr WorldlyWiseman (first mistake).

Then he stops and thinks about the relief from his burden (second mistake).

Then he turns from the Way he was sent and starts to follow his advice….but then….[Praise God] he begins to think that the he will die if he goes further…..

….but he is too scared to go back….or forward….

…till by God’s grace, Evangelist comes by…

….and he asks Christian….”how can you be out of the Way, already?”

[and have not some of us done the same? Praise God for His deliverance!]

Christian tells him what happened….

…..and Evangelist sharply corrects Christian….

….showing him the error of the speech of this WorldlyWiseman….”Anyone who leads you away from the light….or out of the way is an enemy of God.”

…..No one can take off your burden, except it fall off at the foot of the Cross.

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Christian cries out, “Is there any hope that I may go back…seeing I have so soon departed from the Way?”

Evangelist tells Christian that there is forgiveness……and to beware those who would lead you to mistrust the Word….that anyone who seeks to do that, is an enemy of God’s good.

Then he sends him back….

……so Christian, with diligence, gets to the Wicket gate….and in the Wicket gate……and to the Cross where his burden falls off.)

There are many obstacles by and to the Strait gate. Some from others, some from the Adversary of our souls,…….and some from us getting our eyes off of the Light.

Not everyone that says, “Lord, Lord”….shall enter into the kingdom of heaven….

….but he that does the Will of My Father in heaven.

And it is the Father’s Will that we follow after Christ….and His Word….all the Way.

For strait is the gate that leads to Everlasting life…..and few there be that find it.

By their fruits you shall know them….

What sort of fruit are we bring forth?

Lost

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Lost. That which was lost.

Lost to God, and all His plans and purposes.

For He purposed life and fellowship for each one of us. But we are lost to it, by sin. The sin of Adam, our father in the flesh. And our sin of choice.

And more, we are even lost to ourselves.

Our minds, which could have thought God’s thoughts after Him,……is now filled with our plans, and desires…..or the world’s plans and desires……all without consideration of what God wants for my life.

Our hearts, which could have loved God, and our fellow man with respect and care,……is now filled with love of myself, my friends, my…my…my…

Our hearts experience wrath and violence against God and others.

(We all need to test ourselves here: what do you feel when people cut you off, or speak rudely to you, etc.)

Our wills, which could have willed to do God’s will, in joy and peace……now seeks only to go along in the world.

(All going closer and closer to the pit.)

But Jesus Christ came to seek and to save us.

First He seeks us out in our own circumstances.

He sends the Holy Spirit to Awaken us to Christ, and His way; then to give us truth.

This is usually quite a shock, to see where we are. Who we are. And where we are going.

(No, I don’t mean Hell, here. I mean the downward spiral of our lives, into selfishness, and confusion: remember the “my..my..my”)

Then, He draws us to Christ. The loveliness of the person of Christ, we begin to see.

The fact that He loved us, enough to come and save us, we begin to believe.

The Light that He will save us, we begin to have.

The Holy Spirit then opens our hearts to hear the Word of Christ to us:

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, Verily,(Verily means Truth. Jesus is saying: Truth, Truth.) I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

John 7:37-38 “In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

And when we hear Christ Jesus’ voice to us……..we reach out in faith…

(and the amazing thing is God gives this to us so we can!)…..and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, to be born again.

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

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

As this happens, we are no longer lost to God, or to ourselves. We have a reason to live….a purpose for our existence and lives……and the beginning of a way to go.

We are Found.

We can begin to fulfill the purpose for which we were created: God’s Purpose for us, personally; for He has one for us.

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus (this means molded into the same image in the Greek) unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 1:13 “In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”

The Holy Spirit is placed within us the moment we are born again…as Comforter, Guide, Helper….and Power.

He will never leave us…….but we are told to…

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

Simply, do not stifle the fire of His life and love within you.

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

And by His life and love, we are guided through this world and all it’s traps, and taken to heaven.

God saves us spirit, soul, and body…to the uttermost; for He is faithful.

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 until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

From Lost to Found by Christ Jesus! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

The Heart’s longing after the Lord, Himself

Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”

David was called the man after God’s heart, for his love to Him.

Despite David’s many failures, some terrible, David always returned to God.

Notice the action of this verse:

“One thing have I desired of the Lord”; this is of the heart. He wanted it so much that he asked the Lord for it.

But he did not just ask. He said, “I will seek after.”

He put his actions with his heart, and did everything he could to “dwell” with God.

That is what it means by “I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”. He did not want to lose his fellowship with God. Or the joy of His presence with him.

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

We praise God for the mercies we receive, the grace given….that is good…

….But how much do we love Him?

Love is willed. It takes in the whole of man…..for once we really will something, it moves our heart and mind to follow.

David said, he would keep loving and seeking after the Lord; for the Lord was beautiful in all His glorious character:

The Lord is merciful, for He had heard David’s prayer, when he was under a sky as a shepherd, or fighting the Lord’s battles, or in the palace.

(The Lord hears our prayers, too.)

The Lord is powerful, for the Lord strengthened David against a bear, a lion, Goliath, king Saul, and the many enemies he came against.

(The Lord strengthens us by the many graces He gives us, in all our circumstances.)

The Lord is present, always. In help,….and in correction.

The Lord did not forsake David when he sinned; but brought him back in love.

(He has promised to forgive and cleanse us from our sin: 1 John 1:9

And He has promised us that He will never leave us. Hebrews 13:5)

We can deny ourselves and do our duty, as Christians, because we know we have to, or should.

Or maybe, for a benefit;…….perhaps the Lord will answer my prayer and give me what I want, if I do what He wants.

But those that love God, sees things differently….willing to follow after….not a set of rules,….but Christ Jesus…for I know Him, and want to know Him more.

The Lord always blesses obedience.

But He loves to be sought after; and gives double blessings to those whose obedience is in love.

“I will seek after” is the willed heart’s response to the Lord, Himself.

David began this psalm with:

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Here is the beauty David saw when he looked to the Lord….light for him, and salvation…..strength so that he did not need to be afraid….even of his many enemies.

And David ended this psalm with:

Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thy heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

The Lord will always answer our desire and seeking of Him….

He will show Himself more, in all His attributes and character,…to all those who want to have it.

Wretchedness.

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:”

The Faithful and True Witness calls us this.

So let us consider the facts of the accusation:

First, to understand the term “Wretched”….it is “To be deserving strong condemnation in condition or circumstances.”

(This is the Bible’s definition…..the world has added “pitiful”…..but that is not what God thinks. We are wretched because we choose to be….for everyone there is a way of being saved from it.)

And we, Laodiceans are wretched….for we could be different.

First, we are sinners, and as such, all our righteousness is as filthy rags ( Isaiah 64:6).

True, we are saved sinners, if we are born again; but are we acting like it?

We are also the Church, but living among a world that thinks the Bible is out of date, and that Christ’s words can be ignored.

Do we agree?

Aren’t we just what, He says we are?

Now the only other place that this term wretched is used in the New Testament, is:

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

Now just what is it that Paul wants here?

He wants to be saved from himself.

Self examinations are for the most part useless; because it is calls upon self to examine self! What?!

It is:

“How could I ever do such a thing?”

“How can I change to be a better I?”

But when you begin to see you are wretched, in the same way Paul saw, by the power of the Holy Spirit, then you also see that Christ Jesus is the only hope for deliverance.

It is not a “better” I, that I need…..it is to lose all the “I’s” in my life and exchange them for “Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20)

Woe is me! Paul said.

And so does everyone who realizes that they can not deliver themselves, from themselves.

And when this happens, then we turn to the Lord to be saved from ourselves.

Romans 7:15, 22-23 “For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Paul saw his natural man (flesh), fighting against his spiritual man; and winning a lot of times.

This is the wretchedness Paul saw in himself…….does any of it ring true to us?

Do you know anything about this, personally?

Wanting to do the will of God;….

……but finding that root of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15),……

……or that anger turn to hatred,……or finding that you are willing to do anything, but that…

……all the things which deal with covetness (the desire for something we do not have: Whether it is prestige, riches, other people in our life, different circumstances, or great ability.)

This was the sin in Paul’s life which showed to him, his “wretchedness”: it was the sin of covetousness.

(Romans 7:7)

Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Paul is saying, “I do not have the reality of His power working in my life, now.”

Paul later wrote concerning some who stayed in this position:

2 Timothy 3:7 “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Because that is the crux of the matter.

Will you stay in the same position, when you see your wretchedness?

James 1:23-24 “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”

God in Christ has offered us so much; how much have we obtained?

How much of Christ’s deliverance from ourselves, have we sought after?

We are as Christ says:

Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.”

Our lukewarmness, is our lack of zeal.

We set so little store by the things God has given us; the things we are called to do.

They are just not that important.

Maybe we think…….”We don’t really count for much; God does not really care about my obedience.”

This is lukewarmness in our Spiritual Life. We are sick….and we do not even know it.

And Jesus Christ, the Faithful and True Witness, says we make Him sick because of this. (I will spue thee out of My mouth.)

So what do we need to do?

We need to see in honesty, our condition before the Lord; like Paul did.

We are what He testifies to: wretched. Sad, but true.

But what are we going to do about it?

We can:

Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

This is how we repent:

We turn from our ways, our thoughts and our feelings…..and yield….give in to the Holy Spirit….in all our ways, thoughts, and feelings.

Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Being lukewarm, and wretchedness…….or repentance, and being boiling hot towards God, and getting His life.

Which will we do?

Are We Like the Morning Cloud?

Hosea 6:4-6 “O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, as early dew it goeth away.

Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain by the words of My mouth: for thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth.

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

The morning cloud promises much. “Maybe there will be the rain we need.”

But the day gets hot and the morning clouds go away.

The early dew evaporates as soon as there is a little sun.

Both look good, but give no lasting benefit.

So were the “revivals” and changes of Ephraim and Judah.

God would send a prophet to preach repentance to them; to restore them to His fellowship and blessing.

But though they would often “repent” when God was chastening them; yet as soon as that was removed, they would resume their idol worship.

We all know what an idol is: it is a fabricated god. We worship it. It is what we put into first place in our lives.

Worship is worthyship: counting God, or whatever, worthy of ourselves. (Our time, our awe, our confidence.)

Worship comes from the Hebrew “to fall down before”.

Sadly, though Israel saw miracle after miracle in deliverances, and blessing; yet they kept choosing to put their confidence in stones, and wood; rather than the Living God. (Jeremiah 10:10-11)

(If you really want to see God’s thoughts about the idols, read: Isaiah 44:15-17. One part of the tree, warms the man, another he bakes bread with, and the rest he fashions into a god! God is laughing at their devotion to stocks!)

Many even came and brought sacrifices to the Lord; and then went out and offered sacrifices to idols.

God said, “If your heart was not in the sacrifice you offer Me. It is nothing……

I desired mercy and not sacrifice.”

The Lord wanted them to obey Him….with their hearts….then the sacrifice they brought would really be looking forward to the great sacrifice, Christ Jesus.

He wanted them to give mercy….had not He given them mercy many times?

This is what He wanted for them:

For Israel to know Him,……to get their hearts right with Him,…and their brothers.

He has always wanted this: for His people to know Him.

To “see” Him as He is: the Almighty God, who rules the heavens and the earth; and yet loves us.

And with this love, He seeks fellowship with us.

So God says:

Hosea 5:15 “I will go and return to My place (heaven), till they acknowledge their offense, and seek My face: in their affliction they will seek Me early.”

When God leaves us (though not really, but in our feelings)……when we quench the Spirit by unbelief, disobedience, or seeking some other way to do His Will;…….then He will wait to see if His absence makes us “wake up” to our need of Him.

The prophet Hosea calls to his people “to return”

Hosea 6:1 “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.”

The call to everyone who has gone away from God is always: “return”.

Return to God, and return to His way for you.

He will heal us; and will restore (bind us up).