On the Way to Gethsemane

It was the night Jesus was taken, arrested, illegally tried by the Sanhedrin, and taken to Pilate.

Jesus was to have the passover feast with His disciples. He had washed their feet…Judas still being there.

(John 13:4-12. What an act of great mercy;….rejected mercy…..but it shows the mercy of God….one last act to Judas, though his heart was too greedy to receive it. It is either sin or Christ which rules within us.)

Then Jesus sat down and announced that one was there that would betray Him. None knew that it wasn’t them…..

(All thought they would be loyal…..but they did not realize their own weaknesses.)

Jesus shows the betrayer is Judas….giving him the first piece of the passover bread.

Judas goes out:

John 13:30 “He then, having received the sop, went immediately out; and it was night.”

(Terribly, it would never be “light” for him again.)

Then the Lord goes on to begin a new service;….what we call the communion service: the disciples given broken bread….to symbolize His body being broken for us….and the wine…symbolizing His blood being shed in sacrifice for our sins; and their being partakers of His gift….

Matthew 26:26-28 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

They left the house, and began to walk to Gethsemane.

On the way, Jesus explains to them of His coming death and resurrection:

Mark 14:27-28 “And Jesus said unto them, All ye shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.”

Peter emboldened by the fact that Jesus had not said he was the betrayer, confidently says he will never leave Him….

But Jesus speaks to warn…..and comfort him….

Luke 22:31-32 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Then Jesus begins to speak of the future….

…..a future without His bodily presence with them….beginning His final conversation with them, before His crucifixion:

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”

He begins to turn their eyes to Someone else….always with the provision of His love and peace.

“Trust Me that I will not leave you as Heavenly orphans,……but will send the Holy Spirit to take My place”…..(John 14:16, 18)

Twice He says that “whatsoever ye shall ask in in My name, that will I do….”(John 14:13-14)

The theme this part of His discourse is: peace….don’t be afraid, I will give you peace.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, giveth I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Then Jesus speaks of their future work, letting them know….even in this He will not leave them….He will be their strength and life, in the time to come;…..as the Vine is to the branches.

He promises them fruit.

(Seven times He mentions the “fruit” that comes by abiding in Him….once He mentions the end of those branches which do not bear fruit, even though they are in the vine.)

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.”

And what is that fruit?

First the fruit of joy….

John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Then the fruit from bearing witness of Jesus….

John 15:26-27 “But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me;

And He also shall bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning.”

(Once He says to ask in His Name.)

Jesus turns now to showing them what the world will do, now that He will go away…

John 16:2 “They shall put you out of the synagogue; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”

But that even in this, He has provided for them.

The first provision being the Holy Spirit….

John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.

The other provision: the truth….

John 16:13 “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He will hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.”

In the truth, there is great safety…..we know what the Lord says,…..therefore we know what we need to ask for….

And again He three times says to ask in His name: John 16:23, 24, 26.

He here tells them beforehand that He had overcome the world.

Remember, this is even before they took Him,…He was beaten,…He was mocked and given over to the cries of the mob,….and crucified……

….He knew all that was going to happen to Him; and He said they would treat His disciples the same way….

John 16:33 “….but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

(This He calls us to do in Revelation 3:21)

And then, as He grows closer to Gethsemane….(for He will be arrested before they leave)…..

He becomes very, very intimate….for He begins to pray to the Father:

John 17:1 “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee:”

He was showing us the pattern for our lives….glorify God, and He will honor us.

Telling how He had finished the work God had given Him to do….so we should “finish our course”.

He tells the Father that He had manifested His Name (verse 6)…..and His Words (verse 8, 14)

And then, right then….He begins to pray for them:

John 17:9 “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine.”

He prays that they will be kept:

John 17:11, (15) “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee, Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are.”

He prays they will be sanctified,

John 17:17, (19) “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.”

Five times He prays that “they may be one, as We are.” (John 17:11, 21-23 )

That they may know God’s love through Christ Jesus.

John 17:26 “And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

(Sixteen times in these chapters Jesus speaks of love

Six times He speaks of joy)

In this last part of His talk with them, He prays also for us: You and me, there.

John 17:20 “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word;”

Then He came to the garden: All the things He needed to say, were said….everything would proceed according to the Father’s Will (Acts 2:22-23).

The Nation stood on the brink…..what would they do with Jesus, Who was called the Christ?

But it was in this very important, intimate discourse with His disciples….that Jesus showed His Father’s heart and plan for them…..and us.

Jesus wants us to know His peace…..

…..His purpose for each of us: abide in Him and bear fruit……

…He wants us to know His overcoming amidst the tribulation and suffering of this present world;…and because He has, we can too……

……and HIs prayer—intimate and full of tender love for those who follow Him.

Will we walk with Him this day, and hear these things for ourselves?

There is a famine in the Land

Amos 8:11 “ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:”

Have you heard God lately?

Have you heard Him in your Bible reading? Or in your Church services? Or in your innermost spirit, where the Holy Spirit dwells and speaks?

Well, if you have not heard Him lately, you are starving.

1 Peter 2:2-3 “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

All our growth comes through Him; by the interaction of His Word to us by the Holy Spirit, and our receiving it.

This verse in Amos was given to Israel when they had turned from God, to idols.

And Amos was sent as a prophet to speak to Israel to warn them, so they would repent: turn around and choose God.

Amos 7:14-15 “Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit:

And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. “

So he did, but those around the king were afraid that the people would believe him,……..for he told of God’s promise of judgement on those who followed the idols.

So they just wanted him to go away. Go back to Judah and live a normal life there.

Prophesy there, if you must speak God’s Words;……..but not here.

How ridiculous! How could Amos be obedient, and not do what he had been told?

How could the people have a chance of repenting, and returning to the Lord, without hearing His Word to them? (Romans 10:14-15)

Well, Amos did not leave, but gave out the Word of God to His people. He stood fast in a land that had turned to idols,……and forgetting everything God had taught them about His love of justice and truth.

Instead they turned to stones, and wooden stocks covered with silver and gold, but no life.

This is what they wanted. This is what they looked to….it was ridiculous: for these idols did not answer, or hear….there was no life in them.

(How sad, to exchange true life, for illusion; to exchange the love of God, for the love of things. Isaiah 44:9-11)

Amos 8:4-7 “Hear this, oh ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

Saying, when will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the sabbath, that we may set forth the wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances of deceit?

That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

The Lord has sworn by the excellency of Jacob, surely I will never forget any of their works.”

The merchants were cheating the buyers. Giving less for more; by changing the balances. Saying they had got what they paid for, when they did not.

It was all so that they could have more power over people, to have greater leverage in bargaining, because of this wealth.

The idols that they worshipped were not only images to bow down to; but the idols of silver and gold in their hearts.

Amos preached God’s Word, and not many listened and turned; but he had warned them faithfully, and God was pleased with him, for his faithfulness to Him.

Amos warned them that there would be a day, when God would stop speaking and calling them to repentance; then would come the day:

Amos 9:1, 10 “I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the post may shake: And cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.”

Who is He talking to?

“All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake or prevent us.”

All those who think to get around God and His Word, won’t.

We, too, in this Church age have been warned against turning from God to idols of our own making.

Instead of staying true to God, and His Word:

2 Timothy 4:1-2, 4 “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Preach the word; be instant in season; out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables.”

Fables might instruct, but only God’s Word gives life—true life. Do you want it?

Have you heard God, or His Word to you, lately?

God’s Words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philippians 4:11-12 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

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

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

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

But our Teacher is the Lord.

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

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

And it is onward from there.

“Precept upon precept”:

Precept means appointed rules, or an authoritative command.

(precepts is used most in Psalm 119:

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

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

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

“Line upon line”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That is to grow up into Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

Paul, writing Timothy:

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

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

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

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

“Persuaded” here means “an inward certainty”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

But how much do we love Him?

Love is willed. Emotions come and go.

But love will last, or will not. If you “give up” on love, you are willing to end it.

If you will to; you may keep loving.

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

But love to God, sees things differently.

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 loving heart’s response to the Lord, Himself.

Psalm 63:8 “My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.”

With the Lord, there is always an answer to our love.

He will show more of Himself to all those who want to have it.

The Path to Reality

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.”

To hear and answer the call of Christ is nothing unless somewhere along the line you have this reality.

Reality is what is real…what I have in my experience…..not in someone else’s experience….but in mine.

And reality, where Christ Jesus is concerned, is to have the experience of His life being lived in our life, today…..everyday.

The claims of Jesus, saying to you, “Deny yourself, pick up your cross—deny yourself in those things which cuts across your natural way of doing, of thinking, and acting.

This is to “follow Me”,…….for I walked this way here on earth, too.

Doing only My Father’s Will….and nothing else.”

So many say they have surrendered to the Lord’s Will for their lives, yet constantly fight against the “way” His Will is to be brought to pass in their lives.

When the reality of it all is, His Will includes doing it His Way.

The whole objective of denying yourself and bearing your cross, is that you might lose your life in yourself (You say “no” to what you want to do, and “yes” to the Lord),

That you might find reality, which is your life in Christ.

In Christ is the freedom from sin, self, and the world.

In Christ there is the liberty of walking in the light, which manifests God’s love, joy, and peace to us.

But in ourselves there can be: bitterness, anger, distress, depression,

ungratefulness, and desire….all our natural leanings toward the things and attitudes of the world we live in.

Let’s face it, we are often overcome by one of these things within us.

Yes, they are brought out by circumstances of our lives,…..but the power of the Holy Spirit is in us,……will we not yield to Him, and deny our self-life?

Letting His Life shine through ours?

We can either go back, and make ourselves of no account in the kingdom of God, (remain babes in Christ….never going on to the purpose for which you were born again)…..

Or we can truly lose all these things that make up our old life: our way, our rights (what right do we really have, if we belong to Christ?), and our preferences;….

…..and let Jesus bring another child into the glory of God.

You can not have both your life, and Christ’s life being manifest through you.

One will be seen, the other will be denied. Which will it be, Christian?

This is a process, and it is one where every area of your life is touched:

your past,

your future,

your plans,

the way you think,

your way of doing things.

But, I must stress, and this is important: This is between you and your Lord.

No one can intrude here.

It comes down to: “Not my will, but thine”, everyday.

If you do, you will come to the place in your experience with God (and here is where “reality” is…..your personal life in Christ, experienced)….

…..where you are no longer resisting His Will in anything. Therefore God’s power is flowing through you, unhindered.

It is not instant obedience,…..but it is final obedience….you have determined to leave your old life, and go on with the Lord.

Are you ready for Christ to lead you into a closer relationship with Him?

He said, “ If” any man will come after Me.

So it is not forced. It must be a love relationship.

Nothing will make the way easier, than the growing knowledge of His love to you.

The question is: will you come after Christ Jesus, by denying yourself, picking up your cross and following Him?

It’s your life, what will you do with it?

Keep it for yourself?

Or Follow Him into the reality of His life in me?

The Mighty God, even the Lord

In Psalms 50 we see “the mighty God, even the Lord” call all His people together,……to judge His people.

Psalm 50:4-5 “He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people.

Gather my saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

The term “judge” here means the One who has a righteous balance in His hand. He balances everything against the weights of His Holiness, and His Word.

“Judgement” in scripture, does not just mean hell, or thunderbolts from God…….it is the rules of conduct formed by a Holy God for the well being of men…..leading Him to decisions of approval and blessing;…..as well as correction.

So God “shall come, and shall not keep silence” (Psalm 50:3).

Psalm 50:7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.”

(There are many things seeking to rule in the world, so it is very important for us to know that “the mighty God, even the Lord” is our God.

Which means that His might, wisdom, and holiness;…all His attributes have been set as a fortress round about us….as we are in Christ.

Which also means that we are His people;….bound by the laws of love; to hear and obey Him.

It is important to understand…..God is Sovereign over all: in Will and Power…..certainly, to those who believe and trust Him,….

….but He is Sovereign to those who do not; whether they see it or not.

He is in charge….He is from Everlasting to everlasting. He is Almighty, the God of all Grace, the Merciful One, the One who holds the world in the hollow of His hand…

Isaiah 40:25, 28-29 “To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? Saith the Holy One.

Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? That the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.”)

God goes on to say to Israel:

Psalm 50:9 “I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy fold:”

(The bullock had to do with whole burnt offerings…which symbolized the person giving themselves to God [Leviticus 1:3].

The he-goats were used in the sin offering [Leviticus 16:9-10])

Isaiah 1:11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of the he goats.”

God did not want sacrifices which did not mean anything….but only served to make the person look good before others……

….but He wanted the sacrifices to be offered from the person’s heart…..the person looking forward to the coming Christ.

Psalm 51:17, 19 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon Thy altar.”

If you read Psalm 50:17-20 The Lord corrects those who follow the world’s ways of stealing, lying, and slander. Every Israelite was to treat a fellow Israelite as a brother…..helping him if he could,…..but never hurting him.

Psalm 50:21 “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.”

I will not let you continue to follow the Way of the world, but will correct you as a parent corrects his child.

Then I will show you the right way……hear it….and live.

Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil:

Learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

Jeremiah 31:33-34. “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for they shall know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord, wherefore I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

(And Jesus promised this in:

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

Paul speaks of this in Hebrews 8:10-12……in Christ Jesus, this new covenant has come to all who believe…Hallelujah!)

In Psalm 50, God speaks to all His own…..all saints.

In this day and age….He calls to His church to judge themselves according to what He said. (John 12:48)

1 Corinthians 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”

The Lord calls everyone of His, to come to Him….and “come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord….”(Isaiah 1:18).

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the Way everlasting.”

One day the church, and the whole universe will stand in silence, to hear God’s judgements…..”that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” (Romans 3:19)

He will judge all,….in the righteous balances He holds.

(The born again ones at the Judgement seat of Christ [1 Corinthians 3:11-15]. And the lost, at the White throne judgement [Revelation 20:11-15])

Paul preached this almost nineteen hundred years ago:

Acts 17:30-31 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

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

“Judgement” in scripture, does not just mean hell, or thunderbolts from God…….it is the rules of conduct formed by a Holy God for the well being of men…..leading Him to decisions of approval and blessing;…..as well as correction.

Romans 2:6-7 “Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:”

In that day, I want to hear:

“His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matthew 25:23

It always comes down to the heart of the matter….what does your heart want?

To honor the Lord, or yourself,…..in this time,….in this place….in this life?

Priscilla and Aquila

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.”

Proverbs 31:30 “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”

Priscilla and Aquila were husband and wife;…..and partners in their tent making, and their spiritual work. (They are always mentioned together)

It does not say that they were converted by Paul, so they might have been born again before meeting him.

Whether that is so, or they became believers in Christ Jesus after meeting Paul, they became a strong, spiritual ally in the work Paul did; and in the early church.

Paul met Priscilla and Aquila in his second missionary journey, (they were tent makers like Paul.)

Yet they had a helpful impact on him throughout his ministry….he speaks of them in his last letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:19). They stayed true to the simple gospel of Christ, and to the believing workers which they met.

Acts 18:1-3 “After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome) and came unto them.

And because he (Paul) was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.”

Paul spent one year and six months in Corinth….”teaching the Word of God among them.”

All this time he also worked, looking after his needs and the needs of those workers with him, by tent making.

His preaching was successful, though there was opposition, for the Lord told him: “Be not afraid,….hold not thy peace: for I am with thee,….for I have much people in this city.”

It was not a likely place for the gospel to come; for it was a great city, having hundreds of thousands of people living there. They were notorious for sin….some using as a slang for wonton behavior, elsewhere,……they were “Corinthians”.

Paul went into the synagogue first, to listen…then when the opportunity was given, he preached about the scriptures in the Old Testament about Christ….then finally he preached that Jesus was Christ. (Acts 18:5)

That the One: Jesus Christ, that was crucified at Jerusalem, had been raised from the dead, and was even now at the right hand of God.

And all that would believe on Him, would be saved….fulfilling all the promises that were given their fathers.

When the synagogue rulers cried out against the message….he went to the gentiles….and preached there for a year and a half.

When he left and came to Ephesus; Priscilla and Aquila went with him. He did not at this time stay for long…..though he preached in the synagogue there….but left Priscilla and Aquila to encourage those that believed.

In Ephesus, a man named Apollos came. He had been baptized by John the Baptist and believed that the Jews were to repent and prepare for the Messiah. He was eloquent in the Old Testament scriptures and preached diligently the things John had said about the Lord.

When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and showed him all the things of Jesus Christ; and the Way that Jesus’ death and resurrection, had opened up for all who would believe on Him, by faith.

Instantly he believed, and became a powerful preacher, not just in Ephesus, but in Corinth. (1 Corinthians 1:11-12)

Paul came on his third missionary journey back to Ephesus, and stayed two years:

Acts 19:10 “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwell in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”

Paul mentions Priscilla and Aquila, and the church at their house in Ephesus, when he writes 1 Corinthians 16:19.

Priscilla and Aquila returned to Rome, after that, and began a church in their house:

Romans 16:3-5a “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Jesus Christ:

Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Likewise greet the church that is in their house….”

When Paul wrote the Roman church, he includes a special tribute to these two helpers, he knew there. He knew that they would read his letter to the church in their house, and pass it on to others in Rome.

Paul tells that they risked their lives for him….willingly laying aside their safety, putting “their own necks” in danger. (Quite a descriptive phrase, since in the end Paul was beheaded in Rome)

And in the end of Paul’s life, (he was arrested, sent to Rome,….released, and arrested again,….then executed)….he wrote to Timothy that if he could, Timothy should come and bring a cloak (how cold it must have been in prison); and some parchments.

He asks that Timothy salute Priscilla and Aquila, which it seems, had returned to Ephesus in Asia…..and had a church in their house there.

(Perhaps they were sent by Paul, because the churches in Asia were turning away from his instructions….he had warned Ephesus:

Acts 20:29-30 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

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

They were not in Rome when Paul went before Cesear the second time.

They and another Christian, had remained loyal to the simple gospel Paul preached, when others had begun to assert their own authority, and added philosophy to the gospel….corrupting it. (2 Timothy 1:15)

As Christians, we need to know the gospel of Jesus Christ:

The Son of God came in the flesh,

born of a virgin,

lived a perfect life,

died a sacrifice to God for the sins of the world,

was raised again the third day by the power of God,

and sits at the right hand of God the Father in power, as our Mediator for all who believe on Him, by faith.

We should be able to tell it to others;…..and encourage other believers in the Word.

Priscilla and Aquila were just two people who worked and lived in the time of the early church….but they became a force for God’s Will, and Paul’s encouragement….always having a church in their house….always giving the gospel of Christ Jesus to all who would hear.

Why does God want us to be cold or hot, not lukewarm

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold or hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.”

What is wrong with lukewarm?

At least it is not cold.

But Jesus says, He would rather have us cold, then lukewarm.

If we were cold, we would know we are far away from Him. (Frankly, the devil likes us to have a little “heat”, rather then for us to know we are lacking)

If we are lukewarm, there is some kind of “heat” within, but it is natural heat from emotions, not the fire of the Holy Spirit making us zealous for God.

(Zealous means “boiling hot”. Revelation 3:19)

And what is wrong with emotional “heat”?

Plainly, it fools us. It deceives us into believing we are Ok with God, when the only thing which is touched is our emotions, which often are high, and then low.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Our hearts (emotions) are deceitful. They tell us one thing, when the truth is something else.

They say, “We love God.”

But we do not do what He says. Is that love of the Lord?

John 14:21 “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.”

Thankfully God has made a way for His born again ones to become “hot” by the fire of the Holy Spirit within.

Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins (will), even to give ever man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Search means to penetrate into the inner part; to examine intimately.

God promises to get through our wall of self-righteousness and our wall of self-consciousness, that has been erected to keep the Lord at arm’s length.

Then, He and you, will examine together the things (fear, anger, resentment, and hurt) that hinder us from knowing Him as we should.

You see, that is what He wants. You to know Him; who He really is and wants to be to you.

He gives every man “according to his ways.”

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

If we will get honest with the Lord about our attitudes and hurts; (He will give “accordingly”) He will give you the fruit of the Spirit within you to meet that need.

I would say that most of the hinderances in our spiritual live’s come from mistaken ideas about God and His Will for us.

Is He really like the Egyptian taskmasters? Commanding you to make bricks without straw?

(Remember, after Moses told Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, Pharaoh was furious. So he told the taskmasters over the people to stop giving them straw for the bricks.

But make them go out to gather stubble and make the same number of bricks as before; beating them if they could not. Exodus 5:6-18)

Do you think the Lord is asking you to do what is impossible for you to do?

That He will not give you the knowledge and power by His Holy Spirit, to do what He asks of you? (“…for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13)

Luke 11:13 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

But we must not stifle Him, but yield to Him, within us.

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

Quench means “put out”. Paul is telling these here, “Don’t put out the fire of the Holy Spirit

Perhaps you feel, you have too heavy a burden. Then cast it on Jesus.

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

Psalms 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, for He shall sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved (fearful).”

He not only speaks peace, but sustains it within us, as we yield to Him.

You see, it is the Lord’s Will that we work with Him. We are never sent out on our own. He is within us, and He goes before us, to prepare our way.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to save His people from their sins. He saves us, all the way to heaven. Forgiving us, keeping us in peace, giving us joy for sorrow, love for hate, and mostly (this is has been my greatest joy) Himself as our companion.

He will never leave us; but have we left Him for some reason?

Have we let our feelings come between us and Him?

Come, stop being just lukewarm, and get hot, by the fire of His Holy Spirit.

Get honest with Him, and repent.

Get zealous, boiling hot for God. For He is ready to do within you, and for you.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Would you have this promise? Would you have the opportunities opened to you, or those you are praying for?

The first thing we must do….is ask.

Well, that is nothing new….and it is not.

We need to “ask” for everything. We are so poor, so desperate,….that we are in need of everything from Him.

For without Him, we can do nothing.

We are called to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

And the first thing we need to know is,…….Is what we are asking for, according to His Will?

Well, if it is, then we can continue with the promise, for we will receive an answer.

We can then “seek, that we shall find”

Seeking requires effort.

If you are looking for something in one place, and it is in another place…..no matter how hard you look, you won’t find it there.

You must go where it is….to look for it.

For instance:

There are times that what we ask for…..is right before us.

But we refuse to see it…..because it is not what we think it ought to be, or the way it ought to be.

(I must tell you, I have many a discussion with the Lord about “the way” He is doing things….the people He used to show me things….the times of waiting on Him to speak.)

Simple Example: When my daughter was younger, she had a paper route, she walked around every evening. I was not always home at the time she left, but about half the time I was.

I had been praying about losing a little weight, for my health….as I was getting older, and I thought the Lord would give me directions for diet, or exercises…..but what He said was….”go out on the paper route with your daughter.”

First, I thought this ridiculous (yes, I was the ridiculous one)…..because it was her job, and “I thought” it would be taking some of that responsibility away from her.

But, the Lord insisted….and I went….every time I was home to go. It helped my knees, my breathing…..but it also gave us time to talk…..about something….about nothing things.

And it led to some conversations with other people I had not officially met, and some prayers shared.

Did the Lord know what He was doing? Of course!!! And it was right in front of me the whole time! God is so good!

So we “seek” the means or the way the Lord wants to show us the door, that needs to be opened.

So many examples….

Moses’ shepherd’s rod….just a shepherd’s rod (Exodus 4:2-5)…..but in God’s Way, it was used……before Pharaoh, at the Red Sea, bringing water from the rock, holding it up in battle. (This was a means for Moses….God had him use it all the time)

David before Goliath…..stones and a sling, instead of Saul’s armor. (1 Samuel 17:38-40)

David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem….using the wrong means at first, for they did not seek His Way….but then bringing it up after God’s “due order”, in joy.(2 Samuel 6:3-15)

Daniel praying for Jerusalem…..should he continue, or follow a decree that was wrong, and be thrown into a lion’s den? (Daniel 6:5-23)

Paul and Silas in jail…..when the earthquake came…..they remained in jail, not moving until the Lord gave permission….to the saving of a jailer.(acts 16:25-34)

And my daughter and I. Our relationship was good….but so much better after I began to go out with her……an opened door that would not have been,…..had I rejected God’s Word to me.

When we find the door, we are to “knock” at the “door”.

This is the doing, the obedience to God’s answer; for He will open it at the right time.

When we ask…..we are to receive the answer. Sometimes that is it…..the answer given, we are done.

In some cases, we need to seek the means for further instruction as to how to find the door we need to knock on.

Some prayer seems simple: This person is troubled….”Lord help them find an answer, or comfort.”

But what if the Lord shows you that you are to seek a promise to claim for them…

Then, when you have it,…..you are to knock with that promise till the “door” is opened….whether it is a door within them….opened more to Jesus;

Or a “door” of opportunity,…a “door” of forgiveness,…..a “door” of liberty.

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.”

It is not calling Jesus, Lord…..but it is doing the Will of the Father that counts.

When the Lord Jesus has my will….then He will use my will to bring His Will to pass…..many different ways….but all His Way.

Because our Wills are One with His.

How many “doors” are still shut in our lives, or the lives of others……because we are not going the full way with the Lord,……and seeking,….and knocking?

Are You Listening?

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.”

If any man (person) hear My Voice.

Are we hearing what Jesus is saying to us? Each day?

Jesus said:

Luke 8:18 “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and to whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

Take heed how ye hear.

If we have been born again, then we, as His children are to hear what He is telling us by His Holy Spirit through the Word, or by direct communication in our spirits.

He speaks to us.

The promise here is: If you have the Holy Spirit within you, and have heard Him; more will be given you. More light, more ability, more knowledge, more everything we need.

And this is because we hear Him.

But the promise also says: If you are one who has heard the invitation of Christ Jesus, and answered it with all the right words.

But it has been just that, an answer of words; not an answer of a life open to and receptive to Christ.

Then that which he “seems to have”, he does not.

[Not that that person can not be saved by opening their heart to Jesus Christ, but that, they have not, as yet, been.]

Remember, when Jesus Christ saves a life, He claims that life.

He will not be used as a “fire escape” from Hell; but He is a Savior, from sin.

Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.”

That is me, being saved from my sins……and you, being saved from your sins. We each are sinners…..with our own particular leaning toward certain sins. Each of us has a “besetting sin” (Hebrews 12:1) which gives us a lot of trouble. Yet He saves us from our sins…..all of them, by cooperating with the power of His Holy Spirit within us.

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

When we are saved; from that time on we are bought with a price and no longer our own.

Luke 8:16 “No man, when he hath lighteth a candle, cover it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”

This is what we are to do with what we hear: light a candle.

By our obedience to what Jesus says, we are manifesting Him in this lost world. We are lighting a candle.

It is amazing when you go into a dark room…really dark. Blackness seems to surround you. Then to light a candle, there, will make the darkness flee.

True, the whole room will not be as light, as it is around the candle; but it will force the darkness into the corners, away from the light….even a small one, like a candle.

Raise that lit candle up, and more light will be shone around, for you are not blocking the light, but it shines all around.

Amazing, right? The Lord Jesus uses this example for that very reason: a candle can bring a lot of light, if it is placed where “they which enter in may see the light.”

In another place, Jesus accused the religious lawyers of hindering those which would “enter in” to the kingdom of God. (Luke 11:52)

Let us not do this. Instead let us hear Him, and recieve the light He gives by His Word, and Holy Spirit; and then let us shine the light, by holding up Christ Jesus to others.

Ephesians 4:21 “If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:”

Are we hearing Him? Are we learning from what we have heard? Are we holding on to it, and sharing Christ?

(Years; yes, lots of years, ago, I was called to preach. I had recently been brought back to God; my rebellion and sin forgiven, and taken care of. I had started to go to church, and after a while I had been asked to sing a song for the church services.

I sang “Trust and Obey”.

Well, I sang it, and sat down; and the minister had his message. Then the Lord Jesus called me to be a preacher!

I could not believe it; me? The way I had been? This must be some mistake!

But the Lord spoke plainly to me: “You sang it [Trust and Obey], now, do it!”

So I went forward and committed my life to be a preacher of God’s Word.)

Jesus Christ always shows us the truth, for He is Truth.

And as we face the truth, He gives us grace.

Grace is the unmerited favor of power: the power in our lives, to bring us to the place where we willingly do what He has said…to be obedient to all His words to us.

John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Will we receive Christ Jesus as Savior of our sin?

Will we hear His voice, and learn of Him?

Will we answer His call to lift our lights, and shine them in this dark world?

Well, if we will, He has everything we need.

He can tell us everything we need.

He is everything we need……and He will lead us into more of Him everyday.