Paul’s Practical Preaching

Paul had begun this last bit of Romans, not with more doctrine, but with the practical.

How we are to live in this world, as Christians; belonging to Christ.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul shows that presenting your bodies to God, and refusing to be conformed to the world, will strengthen you to find and do the will of God in your life.

Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Paul was saying that God has given every man, by His Holy Spirit, a “measure” of faith and grace.

(We can, as Peter said in 2 Peter 1:5 “…add to your faith…”. This will increase our measure, so we “grow in grace”. We learn to use what we have, by the Holy Spirit’s instruction, and are given more.)

Our “measure” is given to us; so we should not be proud that we know something, but instead, we should use that measure of faith to:

Romans 12:6-18: “…according to the grace that is given…” we are to do the work God has given us to do.

Let love be true, and not phony:….turn away from evil……love the good.

Be kind to one another,…..preferring the fellowship of believers.

Working hard to do our job, because we serve the Lord in it.

Yield to the joy of the Spirit, and be steadfast in the trials of the day.

Pray always.

Minister to the needs of others, as you are told: both spiritual and temporal.

Bless those who seek our hurt. Do not seek revenge.

Be honest. And try and live at peace with all men.

How can we do these things?

They seem impossible!

And in our own strength, they are. But God has given, with the measure of our faith….a Leader to show us how and when to do….but also to give us the grace and inclination to do….He has given us His Holy Spirit.

We must go back to:

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

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.”

You see, it all starts with giving ourselves to God. It says “bodies”, here; to illustrate how we need to yield to the Holy Spirit, completely.

The Lord Jesus was given a body to come to earth and suffer and die, and be raised again…..in His body.

But the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,…..has come to earth, without a body….but instead to indwell and empower our bodies (which include our spirit, soul, and body).

Paul is saying here, that we are to “present”…..which in the Greek means to “stand by, to be at hand, to offer something intangible (our friendship, ourselves)” to God the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will then take our offering, and work with us to perform the will of God, and to mold us into the likeness of Christ’s character.

Our hands need to be His; not doing things which they should not.

Our feet need to be His; not going places we should stay out of.

Our mouths need to be His; not saying unkind things or lying.

We could go on,……but you see the reason Paul said this.

We need to give ourselves, inside and out, to the Holy Spirit; so we are no longer under our own management….but fully yielded to Him.

But thankfully when we do: we are “transformed” (changed) in motive ,…..in the inner most thoughts and attitudes of my being.

And then given power to “prove” His Will…..by doing it, in the circumstances of my life, day by day.

How good and acceptable it is in our lives!

He wants us to get “our measure” of all we need,…..to live the life He has for us.

A life of goodness and power.

Will we present our bodies to Him?

Habakkuk 2:20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

There was a time when we read this before each service in our church. A time to bow our heads and consider that we were gathered together to worship God.

It is a good practice to do the same thing, sometime during the day….to bow the head, and consider the Almighty God.

We often think of His attributes: His mercy, grace, His unchanging love, His power….

….but to contemplate God, in His majesty…in the fullness of His splendor….Who created and upholds the universe, and all that is in it…is helpful.

Psalm 104:1-3 “Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty:

Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment: Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

Who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters: Who maketh the clouds His chariot: Who walketh upon the wings of the wind:”

For me, it keeps me small.

I can get stuck into the middle of many things….and get to think that all I need to do is keep moving.

But God says: be quiet….stop…let the silence of your awe and reverence for Me, still your soul.

And it works.

Psalm 46:10-11 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

The Lord of Hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

I love these verses….they remind me of when Israel was standing at the Red Sea…with the most powerful army of the day behind them, with vengeance;….

….yet God says, “Stand still, and see…”

So when I have these verses….I think that God knows what is around me….I must stop….watch, and wait on Him to speak….

….to speak about what I need to deal with.

….to speak about a battle ahead (John 16:13)

….to speak about Himself.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalms 93:1-2 “The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith He hath girded Himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting.”

Our God is the Almighty God….full of power, mercy, goodness, strength, wisdom, knowledge,…

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

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

I believe that “secret place” is the quiet times before Him, when we know He is God Almighty, for us.

Habakkuk 2:20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

One day the whole earth will do so….the whole of mankind will have their mouths stopped,….from excuses, curses, and lies….(Romans 3:19, Matthew 12:36-37)

….but for us Christians, who belong to Him, we can stop and be still, now…..and know His majesty and power…..

….and find our rightful place before Him: at His feet.

Which gives order and perspective to everything else ahead.

Ruth, Naomi, and Orpah

Ruth 1:1 “Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.”

Background:

In the land of Israel, at the town of Bethlehem, there was a famine.

So a man and his wife, with their two sons, left there home there, and went into the near country of Moab.

They thought they would “sojourn” there till the famine was over.

(They could have sought the Lord, for the cause of the famine; but instead they left that to others, and in doing so missed a blessing.)

Their “sojourn” turned into ten years! During that time Naomi’s husband died. Her sons married two women of Moab, but soon also died, leaving her alone in a strange land, far from her God, and home.

She longed for her country; and she had heard that the famine was over in Israel…”the Lord had had visited His people in giving them bread.” (Ruth 1:6)

So she “arose”, always the first move in returning to God. Arise from where you are, to come home to Him.

She started to leave Moab to return to Bethlehem.

Her two daughters-in-law followed her; and how far they went is not told…but after a while, Naomi realized it would be a hardship for them if they followed her.

They had parents they could return to, for they would certainly take them back.

They could have new lives: marry and have children among their own people.

If they followed her to Bethlehem, she did not know what would happen there.

For herself, she could at least die among Israelites, back home with her God; but for them…..she could not say whether there would be even a place to lay their head.

Ruth 1:8-10 “And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each unto her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

The Lord grant that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.”

Naomi prays for them here…using the name Jehovah (the Lord) twice. Seeking for them kindness from the Lord, and in doing so, gives witness that all true good comes from the Lord.

Both had real affection for Naomi. And both declared that they would continue the journey with her.

An old woman alone, is a sad thing; and they felt her kindness in so speaking to them.

“Surely we will return with thee.”

But again Naomi spoke. Seeing them as young women, able to live full lives with other husbands, and have families. She would not have them return with her out of duty, but out of a real determination, having seen the cost to them…and choosing this way into her nation and with the Lord.

She spoke for their benefit, not hers…for she loved them.

Ruth 1:11, 13 “And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? Are there yet anymore sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

Would you tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters; for it greiveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.”

Here Naomi confesses that the Lord had dealt with her this way. Her family should have stayed in Israel, the promised land, and sought unto the Lord for removal of the famine and the reason for it.

(Israel often followed after other gods, to their hurt. And the Lord often had to use circumstances to awaken them to His voice. Judges 2:14-16)

Naomi told Ruth and Orpah, that she could not give them a life like they had.

She again suggests that they go back where you can have an easier life for young women.

Now both had said that “Surely they would return with her”; but now…..

(There comes a time in each life where we choose the thing we love most.)

For Orpah, though she had affection for Naomi, her choice was her nation, her people, her god.

She wept over the situation, but the decision became easy….she would go no further.

A life of relative ease is what her heart loved most…..and so she went back, and left Naomi.

There are many who have an affection for Christ, because of Who He is and what He has done.

But who do not love Him enough to go on with Him in all of the sufferings and situations which come, by following Him.

Many, therefore, go back to the world. For that is where their hearts are.

Ruth 1:14-15 “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her.

And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god’s: return thou after thy sister-in-law.”

But Ruth hung onto her. What ever would come, she was staying right beside her….to suffer want, or to get by; Ruth would not leave her.

She would return with Naomi.

Here she takes Naomi’s God as hers.

And instantly calls upon the Lord to be her witness, of her decision.

(“The Lord” as a name here is very important. It is Jehovah, the personal name of God. Jehovah means the ever-existent, becoming One…the Almighty God becomes what we need.

She was not just acknowledging a god of Naomi’s nation….but she was placing her whole life into the hands of The Lord, Who was Naomi’s God)

Ruth 1:16-17 “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: The Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”

Ruth instantly calls upon the Lord, now her God, to be her witness of her decision.

And the two go on together.

Was there hardship? Yes, for they only had food by Ruth gleaning the fields…but by doing so, she met a man who first gave her permission to continue after his reapers all the harvest, insuring food for some time.

And then a blessing; he called upon the Lord to bless her.

Ruth 2:12 “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”

This man would become her future husband, putting Ruth into the genealogy of Christ. (Matthew 1:5)

She was the great-grandmother of David. (Ruth 4:17)

The lesson here is: Who or what do we love enough, to leave everything else for?

Affection for Christ Jesus is wonderful….but only leads us so far.

The real determined choice of whether we will continue with Him, in all situations, is the crossroads of our lives.

Temptation, in the form of an “easy life, or normal life”, comes. And we must choose what we love the most.

Will we like Orpah turn back….

Or will we cling to Christ?

Yet If we choose the Lord; though there are hardships(and there are), there will be blessings as well…now and for eternity.

David’s Choice, and Ours

David had been king of Israel for years. He had fought the Lord’s battles to gain all the land that God had given Israel, which had not been theirs before.

He had brought the capital to Jerusalem. He had victories on every side.

But, as with every believer, there are temptations. And one of these was a whisper of our adversary, Satan.

1 Chronicles 21:1-2 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.”

[The children of Israel had been numbered in the wilderness (Numbers 1:2-3,18-19), after the Tabernacle had been set up, so that they could each be in their place according to their tribes, around the Tabernacle.

And for each to give an offering for the service of the Tabernacle, according to their tribes. (Numbers 7:1-2)]

But that was the last time God had said, that all Israel was to be numbered.

But now David wants to number them. The record shows that this suggestion was not his idea.

But he did yield to it, and commanded that Israel be numbered.

1 Chronicles 21:7 “And God was displeased with this thing, therefore He smote Israel.”

Now, we will pause here and ask: why did God let Satan tempt David and fall into this sin?

Wasn’t he the man after God’s own heart? (Acts 13:22).

He was, but every man is tempted, when he is “drawn away” from God’s will, by something he wants.

James 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Certainly David did not want to sin?

No, but he did want to see how great he had made his country. A little pride, yielded great trouble.

1 Chronicles 21:8 “And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

One thing you could count on with David: once he knew God was displeased, he did something about it.

So God gives David a choice:

1 Chronicles 21:9-10, 12 “And the Lord spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying,

Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose the one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

Either three years famine, or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advice thyself what word that I shall bring again to Him that sent me.”

God was giving this choice to David to test him. What did he really think of his God? Or His Will?

He might think like this:

Three years of famine were harsh, but they might get by. Only the weakest would die.

Three months of fighting, where the enemies win. Perhaps he would think, “I could always take back those lands; and it is only three months.”

Or three days of pestilence—illness, where God indiscriminately kills strong, and weak, old and young, according to His will.

Which would David choose?

1 Chronicles 21:13 “And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are His mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

David chose God’s hands. God’s ways. God’s mercy.

To “let me now fall now into the hand of the Lord”.

The pestilence began, and many (70,000) died. And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but the mercy of the Lord, stopped the angel, giving David time to seek the Lord:

1 Chronicles 21:17 “And David said unto God, Is it not that I commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray Thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on Thy people, that they should be plagued.”

David took full responsibility for the sin. He did not try and point to another, but confessed fully, and asked that the plague stop for Israel.

And he got an answer right away.

1 Chronicles 21:18. “Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

(This is where the angel with the sword drawn had been told to stop on his way to Jerusalem.)

1 Chronicles 21:22-23 “Then David said unto Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: thou shalt grant it to me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshingfloor instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.”

A generous offer, but…again David’s choice to honor the Lord:

1 Chronicles 21:24 “And king David said to Ornan, Nay, but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.”

David would not give another man’s livelihood, but would only give what was his, by “the full price”. It was David’s responsibility, and he would not skimp or bargain.

(A burnt offering was a sacrifice of love. David would not offer it, without paying full price for it.)

Six hundred shekels of gold was the price, so he gave it. He also built the altar from the lumber of the place, and sacrificed the oxen himself.

1 Chronicles 21:26-27 “And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offerings.

And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.”

David had sinned. But he came in full confession and asked for mercy.

David’s choice was God: His way. For he knew God to be merciful, and He was.

What is our choice, when it comes to God’s will and way? Do we try and bargain a better “price” when it comes to our responsibilities?

Or do we chose God, believing that even in corrections, He will deal with us in mercy?

What will you give in exchange for your soul?

Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

We know this is the summary of Christ’s call to follow Him. (Matthew 16:24-26)

It is a call He gave all…(Luke 9:23-25)

Here, the Lord Jesus puts into perspective the choice we truly make….Him or the world.

If you had everything, and lost your soul, of what value could it be?

(Let us speak for a moment of losing our soul: it is not just going to Hell and then the Lake of Fire….although that is the end result.

No. We are in subjection, as mankind,……..to something.

We do not rule our destiny….we can not…..for circumstances, people, times and seasons, and places are all factors we can not rule.

In fact, we can not rule ourselves…..our souls, our personalities.

We can be phony….pretending to like or love things we do not….for “profit” or advantage in the world.

We can “learn” to like things….making ourselves over in the image of someone we want to be like….but we can never be them….but just us—like them.

We can not, at times, subdue our anger, or our affections….both fly away where they want.

But we can, as Jesus Christ said, come and let Him rule in us.

If you refuse this…..as many people mistakenly think this liberty is bondage….then the simple answer is:

You will be ruled by the world, the flesh or the devil.

The world’s thoughts will be yours.

You will always be frustrated, because your way is not being done.

The devil will trick you into real bondage of some sort.

You have lost your soul…..and you are not in Hell, yet.

There is still hope…..you can come to Christ Jesus, and let Him bring you into His kingdom.)

Jesus asked, “Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Many things in this world, say, “Don’t worry about your soul’s well being….after all your young….or after all your intelligent….or after all you go to church.”

Matthew Henry said in his commentary on the Bible: “If your religion is worth anything, It is worth everything.”

Christ says we must lose….to gain Him.

We must “Come”……and then, “Follow”.

Colossians 1:10-13 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful unto every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness;

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”

This is what is promised all who come to Christ….who are born again:

Being fruitful…..increasing in the knowledge of God….strengthened with all might….with joyfulness….partakers of the inheritance….delivered from the power of darkness….translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.

It is in the walk we have with Christ….bringing all that we are and have, step by step, and placing it under His control.

By a deliberate act of the will….placing all things at His disposal.

Here, Lord is my anger….I am mad and feeling it worsen….But it not just the anger….it is my resentment toward these people,…..my frustration at the lack of appreciation,….my frustration to You, even.

(By this time, when I pray, I am usually agreeing with the Lord, and giving up the feelings….they are not worth having anything come between me and Jesus.)

Now, Lord, I am sick….I am full of grief….I am weary, so weary….

What ever it is, it is….

…..and must be dealt with by bringing it all….Yes, bringing it all to Christ….to be delivered from this darkness….and no longer under the influence of the Adversary……into Light.

As Christians, we have the ability to bring ourselves into subjection, by the Holy Spirit’s power within us….by our deliberate act of our will.

(I remember talking to a man who was having some difficulties,….and he said:

“I just need more of God in my life.”

Now, I thought that sounded good….and praying for him, the Lord said to me, “What that man needs is a whole lot less of himself.”

God showed me, that He was there for that man….and His power was there for that man….but the man was not letting Him rule……

….pray for that.

And how many times the Lord has reminded me about this….for myself.)

Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Jesus tells all who will follow Him…..it will be the world….or Me.

Which will it be?

It is time to Come, for all things are Ready

Luke 14:16-17 “Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.”

Who would refuse a great supper, unless they wanted to dishonor the One giving it?

Luke 14:18-20 “And they all with one consent begin to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I can not come.”

These are ridiculous excuses:

Who would examine a piece of ground in the night? With torches? What would you be able to see?

Or who would check on five yoke of oxen, to see if they pulled together, in the night?

Wouldn’t they take a chance of hurting some of them?

And this last was the worst: In Israel, when you were first married, all you did was go to parties, and dinners. Relatives, and friends, all sought to have you come, to honor your marriage.

But they all refused the invitation; and forfeited the privilege of feasting with Christ.

Luke 14:21-22 “So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.”

The call has issued down through the ages. All who would, have come.

To the world: they were the poor, downtrodden; and the maimed, halt, and blind. Those who realized they were lost and hopeless without Christ.

They were ushered in, to sit at the table, and feast with Jesus.

But there are places yet to be filled.

The last invitation is now going out.

There is an urgency to this last call, as the feast can not begin, until every place is filled.

Luke 14:23 “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highway and hedges, And compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

So, he sends his servants again. It is late, there is no time now. They must compel them to come in.

“Compel them” means constrain them, or stop them in their tracks and bring them in.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”

To stop them in the highways……going on in their own ways, unknowing or uncaring of Christ and His invitation of grace.

To make them hear the invitation.

Stop them in the hedges……hiding out, from all the chaos of the world; and speak to them of the invitation, which is being offered to them.

And the Holy Spirit will bring them in, “compel them”; that every place in the feast will be filled.

Luke 14:24 “For I say unto you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.”

We don’t like to think of God’s Voice this way.

We don’t like to think of the “down side” to our rejection of God’s invitation to us: the fact that we have put off doing anything,…even though we know we should do something.

We have given excuses for our lack of desire; to know God, or even about Him. Wanting instead to pretend He does not exist, or that He is cruel and not to be yielded to.

But, unfortunately, one day, we will hear His Voice very clearly.

What we hear Him say will be most important, then.

We think of the merciful God; and He is. That is why this invitation is still going out.

The invitation to fellowship with Him is still be given out.

Some are being stopped, now, in their ways, and being presented with it.

What will you do? “Come, for all things are ready.”

There is a place for you, at Jesus table…..if you will come, at His invitation.

Is the Holy Spirit compelling you with Christ’s love, today?

The God of Peace

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

At least six times in the New Testament, God is called the God of Peace.

(Romans 15:33, Romans 16:20, Philippians 4:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Thessalonians 3:16 [here it is said “Lord of peace”], Hebrews 13:20)

Christ Jesus, Himself is the source of our peace.

We are not given peace by self effort….but it is given by the Holy Spirit as we “stay” ourselves on Him.

Perfect peace of mind……and freedom from the gripping hand of “cares”;….can only be known only as we learn to commit all our ways to Him.

(“Cares” grab ahold of us, and say: “You need to do something about this!”

“Mind” here is the imagination; which can think of all kinds of thoughts about the things that…will happen….could happen……the “what ifs” of the situation.

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”

Casting,….it is a energetic action….we are not to think of them awhile, then think about giving them to the Lord…

…no, we are to cast them upon Him….He is able….He has seen to these cares and worries already….and will see to them in us, through us, and by us…

…..for He cares for us. (this is a term for “taking care of us”)

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and He demonstrated this so marvelously on the cross.

1 Peter 2:23 “ Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:”

The first part of the verse, is what He did before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, the soldiers, and on the cross….here was His obedience…

..He reviled not…He threatened not.

And it was because…He “committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.”

He did this at Gethsemane, when the thoughts of the shame and defilement of the cross came fast and furious…each, an attack against Him.

Matthew 26:38-39 “Then saith He (Jesus) unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me.

And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

But His answered these attacks on His peace, with: “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

This should be our stand, as well….when the attacks of concern, worry, doubt, and panic come against us.

We, too, should commit ourselves to God, for all that will come to us…and let the peace of God guard us….keeping our hearts and minds.

1 Peter 4:19 “Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

He created us for a purpose, we need to submit to that purpose, for today…..not my will, but thine be done…and be obedient…for this is the “way of peace”…

Isaiah 48:17-18 “Thus saith the Lord, Thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit (by My teaching), which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

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

Obeying His Word we will be lead into His peace.

The listening and obedient ear knows true peace….for it knows the Voice of the God of Peace….and follows Him.

Unbelief…and what we lose by it.

The Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem had suffered many things for Christ.

They had been cast out of the Temple worship;….often they had been betrayed by family, and deserted by them. Yet, they had rejoiced…

Hebrews 10:34 “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”

……but after years of waiting for Christ’s return (for they thought it would be in a few years)…..they became weary in well doing. (Galatians 6:9)

Doubts came in…..and many had either settled down in misery….or had gone back.

Instead of going on in Christ…..growing in grace…..they stayed the same.

Because of this, they needed someone to teach them again the first principles of God.

Hebrews 5:11-12 “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Milk is for babies…..but meat is for adults.

Hebrews 5:13-14 “For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

They had not continued to follow close to the Lord….or His Word…

If they had, they would have continued in the joy and peace they once had,….even among the tribulations.

And they would have grown in more grace,……which sustains us in the midst of terrible days,…..as well as good days.

But they became stagnant…..and really went backwards.

The great sin of unbelief is the problem:

So let us look at unbelief.

We think unbelief is just not believing something said…..a mental thing.

(But the Lord showed me once, when I was struggling with promises which I thought should be fulfilled….and were not, yet….that unbelief is a thing of the will.

That scared me…..no, no, no, Lord…I would never will to not believe You.

But I was.

How could I do that?

First I want to explain that the will is our powerhouse.

And when our will unites with the Lord’s Will, the Holy Spirit gives us amazing grace for the situation now.

I was not getting that grace….and the grace that I was getting I was not using….

….and the Lord showed me why.

I wanted Him to do this promise….to get it done. I got convinced that I had waited long enough….had done my part….

….so now it was time for Him to do His.

Wow! Sometimes when I look back at how stupid and willful I have been, I wonder at the love of God!

And, of course, when the Lord showed me this…..I confessed it….and stopped it. “Lord, You can do what You will…..when You will”.

And fresh grace was applied to me….grace I used to believe my Lord and Savior.)

Hebrews 4:1 “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”

“His rest”. When He said, “It is finished”, on the cross….it was.

Our salvation was full and complete….we need to “enter into” it…..fully.

When we get born again….often with joy and love…our hearts are so full, we think that we can not love the Lord Jesus any more.

So did the Hebrew Christians.

As we grow in knowledge of the Lord,….and are called (each is called to witness, if nothing else)….we are led into the “if any man will” stage of our spiritual growth…

…as long as we will to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Christ”, we continue to grow…and enter into new promises, new experiences with Him, and (this is really wonderful) new attainments in grace (the unmerited favor of power).

Here, some of the Hebrew Christians began to fail….by unbelief.

As we go along in our spiritual journey, we are given trials of faith,…

…we are given joy and peace….

…we are given corrections for our falls…

…we are given people to help us…..and to help.

This is growing up into maturity….”entering into His rest”….the rest of mind, heart, and will…He has for us.

This, the Hebrew Christians were missing out on….they had gone through trials….but became miserable,…

….because they let unbelief come into their lives.

Hebrews 6:9 “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.”

Come, now, Christians…..Paul says,….we know that those who have held on, though they are miserable….have that life of Christ within them….

….therefore take hold on Him with both faith and love, again….and let us enter into all that His salvation gives us.

Hebrews 10:35-36 “Cast not therefore away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

What about us?

Where are we in our walk with the Lord?

Are we following along….in trials and joys….in believing obedience?

Or have we, too, stopped short of entering into all that the Lord has for us?

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do His Will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

With that same power that He raised the Lord Jesus from the dead….He will

make us complete in Him,…

….if we will follow on….and continue in His Word (John 8:31-32).

The Power of God in our Lives

Colossians 1:27-29 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you the hope of glory:

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.”

God’s original plan for man was stated in…

Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion

over the fish of the sea,

and over the fowl of the air,

and over the cattle,

and over all the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Image and Dominion….this is what God wanted for man originally (though lost by Adam’s sin);…..

……and what, through Christ, we can have now.

As we gain the image of Christ’s character in our lives…

….we gain dominion over our self-life,….and overcome in our outward life.

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.”

We will have about as much Dominion in our circumstances as we have the Image of God in our lives.

Paul knew this power in His life…..and the results of that power for his own personal experiences,…..and in His ministry to others:

(Colossians 1:29) “……..striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.”

And the secret of this power is:

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

The Williams Version says, “Stifle not the Spirit”.

Don’t choke off the impressions of the Holy Spirit within you;…..but yield to them.

We can never know the power of the Holy Spirit while we choose to “stifle” Him.

And how can we stop doing that?

Well, the Lord showed me this, when I asked this question for myself….”The answer is right up there….right above it.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

This is so simple, and yet so very hard to do….to really give thanks to God for this situation….these people…this very hardship.

Not in words….but in heart joy.

This requires us to deny ourselves….and trust the Lord that He knows best, and……as I said…

…this is sometimes hard.

Now if we want the power of God in our lives? Then we must learn to “give thanks…in everything.”

And that means I am to give thanks….for everything.

This is a real step, in the accomplishing of the Lord’s Purpose for my life….for all that comes to me,…..comes by permission of the Lord,……and is part of the total experience of my life, with Him.

I can not be what I ought in the Purpose of God, for the future, unless I pass through these things of today.

Remember, that Paul said the Holy Spirit “worketh in him mightily”….and he stresses to the churches he writes, the importance of thanksgiving.

If you want to have the Holy Spirit working in you…mightily…..deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow the Lord Jesus…..

…..and come to the place where you give thanks to God for everything…..

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Ephesians 5:18, 20 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

Philippians 4:4, 6 “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

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.”

Here is one of the secrets of the power of God for us…..

….heart thanksgiving….to God, in everything…..for everything.