Say not, that there are yet four months to Harvest.

John 4:34-35 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the Will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His Work.

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

This was said, when Jesus had rested at a well in Samaria,…..and had a conversation with a women at that well. (John 4:4-42)

The Bible speaks often of seed time and harvest. Though they are different, they are connected;….though the harvest should be a time of rejoicing; yet it will never happen without the planting of the seed.

The sowers and the reapers are both necessary….both will be equally rewarded….both are sent of God.

If they do not harvest, when the field is ready….then some of the grain would be lost….

Johns 6:39 “And this the Father’s Will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, and should raise it up again at the last day.”

The Old Testament, for Israel was a “seed time”. God sowed His Word, and His laws in the hearts of the people;….sending leaders (Moses, Joshua), judges, and prophets to spread God’s Word, and message of the coming Christ.

But now, He has come, and He speaks of this here to His disciples,…..because in a few minutes they will experience a great “harvest” in this Samaritan town.

There was a saying in those times: “Sow and in four months you will reap a harvest.”

So here, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, so they can “Look up” and see what God is doing,….by the Word God has spoken in the Old Testament,……and the Word that He speaks, now, through His Son.

(How much training in “seeing” do we need, in order to see the way the Lord sees things!)

In the other places where Jesus speaks of sowing and reaping: He is preparing to send out the twelve into the fields, to say:

Matthew 9:37-38, 10:5-6 “Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few;

Pray therefore the Lord of harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.

These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Israel was to be presented the Way to the Kingdom of heaven, first. The harvest was to begin with them.

Later in His ministry,….Jesus sent the seventy. Seventy of His disciples went two by two; to preach “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

Prepare the people’s hearts to hear Me, when I come through their towns.

(This was in His last year of ministry…..there was an urgency, therefore He sent more of His disciples out….to minister, and to prepare them for His coming through their towns…..prepare them for His Word.)

And the encouragement from the Lord is the same…..look, for the harvest is ready.

Luke 10:1-2 “After these things the Lord appointed other servants also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come.

Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.”

Jesus is showing them (and us) the work they are called to do: sowing and harvest.

1 Corinthians 3:8 “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

(Planting, is to spread the Word….the good news of Christ. Watering is to pray for the Word to take root in the heart and life of a person.)

Psalm 126:5-6 “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring his sheaves with him.”

Later, right before the Last Supper,…..Jesus speaks again about that “Precious Seed”……which will die that it might produce a great harvest.

This time, not just in Israel…..but throughout the whole world.

A harvest of believers in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

John 12:24-25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

The Lord was showing His disciples that He, as the Son of God, was going to die,…..but that was not the end.

He would be raised up in newness of life (in His resurrection, and ascension) to produce a further harvest: “much fruit”….

…..the fruit of a believing “harvest”….in hearts all over the world.

From His death and sacrifice, the knowledge of His atonement, has spread……and from His resurrection and ascension, the power of His eternal life has been given……To those that believe on Him, to the saving of their souls.

And He went on to say, that, as His believers, we, too, are not created, to be unto ourselves…..

Our Salvation was not an end,…..but a beginning…a sowing, for the harvest to come.

We are being “sent forth” today…….to bear our “Precious Seed”—Jesus Christ,……that we might return in joy,…..rejoicing in His Salvation for men.

Sanctification is not imitating Christ; but Living by Christ’s Life.

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

Sanctification is the setting ourselves aside to God.

Sanctification does not require us to fulfill the will of God as He makes it known to us, without the power to do so.

That would be like the Egyptian taskmasters which required Israel to make bricks without straw. (Exodus 5:9-11)

Instead, Sanctification is the growing life of Christ, in our life; whereby we experience by His Holy Spirit, the holiness, patience, love, peace, and power that is in Christ;……over the enemy of our souls.

When Paul said:

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

This is what he meant. That the life he used to live as the self-righteous Pharisee was over. He saw himself dead in Christ’s death.

“Good riddance” was probably his thought, for the life he had before, did not bring him closer to God, though he worked hard at it.

He also saw that now he lived by Christ’s life. That the life of Christ was so powerful that, not only for himself; but everyone who trusted in Christ, could have His character formed in them.

For some time after being born again, I prayed about sanctification.

I had thought this must be some sort of holiness experience, which we have at some altar; or with some crisis experience in our lives.

Years ago, a man was teaching a Sunday School class about:

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.”

And, if no one else got the message; I did.

This was the means of being sanctified.

I was to deny myself.

We think, that when we talk of denying ourself, we mean: just not doing what we want. We think it means denying things in our life.

When Jesus speaks of “denying ourself”, He means denying our intention to rule our life. And denying every way it shows up in our lives.

It is not just things, we deny,……but ourselves we deny.

If I wanted to follow the Lord, then I must co-operate with God, when He shows me His will. I must put aside my thoughts in the matter and do what He commands.

I must be honest about my attitude toward what He shows me, and ask for the power to change.

But again, Christ does not demand that we do His Will,…..without His enablement.

Christ has given us His Holy Spirit, not only to indwell us, but to give us the grace and power we need.

That power comes from our Risen and Glorified Christ. He has all spiritual blessings for me in Him, in Heaven.

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

They are there in Christ, for us.

But how do we get them down here into us, especially in these circumstances?

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

Notice, it is “in earth”, in us.

This is the means whereby we receive into our lives what Christ has for us.

As we yield to His authority in our lives, we become His servants, in obeying our Master;……His soldiers, in standing with Him;…..and His ambassadors, honoring and speaking for His Kingdom and authority, here.

Sanctification is the setting aside of ourselves to God, for sacred use.

It is the practical work of having Christ’s Kingdom come within our hearts, and lives.

Where He rules, there is peace, joy, patience, and all the characteristics of Christ, in our lives, for us…(Hallelujah)……and through us, into our circumstances.

To be a Good Steward

1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

A steward is one, who under the owner, manages part of the house, or property.

As Christians we are to be good stewards, and administer or manage our part of the household of God….our gifts, those we are responsible to teach, encourage, or pray for.

We are going to consider a “good steward” of Abraham.

Genesis 24:2-4 “And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.”

Abraham was old, and “stricken” or weakened, so that he could not go out and do the things he had before.

Sarah, his wife, was dead. Now Abraham begins to consider a wife, for Isaac.

Abraham was not to return to his land,…..so he calls for his trusted steward, and makes him swear (put your hand under my thigh),….that he will go and see about a wife for Isaac,…..from his family in Mesopotamia.

There is some question about whether the steward was to take Issac to Mesopotamia again…….

…..No, this is the land the Lord gave me after He brought me out of my homeland;……so do not take Isaac back.

And if the woman is unwilling to come……then the steward would be free from this oath.

Abraham gives a promise to the steward: “He (the Lord) shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.”

So this steward sets out with ten camels laden with goods from Abraham, to give as presents to the family of the woman who would come.

(First to notice, that this steward did all this effort for someone else: his Master’s son…..not for himself.

And aren’t we to be faithful servants for our Master’s Son, Jesus Christ?)

How long this journey was, it does not say….but the steward arrives at Nahor in Mesopotamia….in the evening……” the time that women go out to draw water.”

He makes his camels kneel down by the city well, and wait.

And he prays…

Genesis 24:12-14 “And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.

Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,

and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also:

let the same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.”

(How this shows us the spiritual witness Abraham was on his household and servants: each knew God,…..and what God could do…..because of him.

Abraham wasn’t just a good man…..but a Godly man.)

Before the steward was finished praying, Rebekah, who was of Abraham’s family came to the well, with a pitcher, to draw water.

Genesis 24:17 “And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.”

She not only gave him a drink, but as he prayed,….she watered his camels, as well.

He was cautious, and waited till she was done, and them asked: “Whose daughter art thou?” Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge in?

As soon as he heard who she was, and who her family was:

Genesis 24:26-27 “And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of His mercy and His truth:

I being in the way, the Lord lead me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

(Abraham had been promised the land of Canaan for an inheritance….not to him but to “his seed”. Without a proper wife for Isaac, this promise would not be fulfilled.

So the steward praised God for His mercy…..not to him…..but to Abraham.

And praised God for the truth of His promise….that an angel would go before him and lead his way.)

Rebekah goes home, and her brother comes and leads the steward and the camels to their house…..for a steward from their relative Abraham, was come!

How exciting.

Then the steward tells the business of his journey, and how the promise was fulfilled concerning the Lord’s guidance; and how his prayer had been answered…..

…and he asks:

Would Rebekah come? Would she leave her family, and come and be Isaac’s wife?

The family gave permission…..but when they wanted her to stay for at least ten days….the steward said:

Genesis 24:56 “And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.”

(Part of our business as stewards of the gospel, is to deal with hinderances. To not be persuaded to “put off” till tomorrow, what should be done today.)

Rebekah is called, and she agrees to go….right away. “I will go”

(When speaking about our Master, and the gospel He gave us to tell…..we need to know that often delay is hinderance. “He commands all men everywhere to repent.” “Today, if you will hear His voice.”)

Genesis 24:61, 63, 66-67 “And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

And Issac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

And Isaac brought her into her mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

This is a story of a good steward…..working not for himself, or his family,…but for his mater, and his master’s son.

(This man is never named…..I believe it is because he illustrates all “good stewards”.

Those, that fulfill their duty,…..out of love and honor for their Master,….down through the ages…….which should include us)

It is a story of fulfilled promises….and promises that were to be fulfilled later, because of the obedience of the steward.

[Abraham’s children did obtain the promise of the Land….and Abraham’s Seed (Christ. Galatians 3:8-9,14,16) came from this line.]

Yet, we too, have stories like this. We too, have been sent to deliver and bring home to our Master, God,….and His Son, Jesus Christ….those that will belong to the Church (the bride of Christ. Revelation 19:7-8)

As with Rebekah;……if they will not come,…..we are free of our duty….we have done what we could.

Like this steward of Abraham,……we need to follow the Lord’s guidance,….pray for blessing,….and deal with any hinderances,…..that we might fulfill our duty to our Master, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let us go on to Perfection

Hebrews 6:1-2 “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgement.”

These verses follow a correction to the Christian Jews, who had failed to “go on”.

They were still viewing Christ as their Messiah, coming back to re-establish the traditions of the Law.

They were to “leave the word of the beginning of Christ”; or the ceremonial law, which had in it a repentance which had to be repeated….sacrifices which were repeated.

Or even for the baptism of John to repentance….for he said “believe on Him that comes after” (Acts 19:4-5)

They had not let go of the fundamental doctrines, which linked their ceremonial law to the fulfillment in Christian teaching.

The one leads to the other, but you must let go of one, when the other comes….and they had not.

Instead they clung to the old, as well as trying to hold on to the new.

But Paul tells them to “go on to perfection”.

And this is what we will deal with: Going on to perfection.

Someone has said, that this verse pictures us as a sailing ship in the current of the sea, and the wind of the air…..being pushed along under their power.

For a sailing ship, there are two things which stabilize and move the ship along…..the ballast, and the sails.

The ballast is the weight in the bottom of the ship which keeps it from being knocked about by the waves.

Which holds it in the sea, which for us, is the Will of God.

We need that weight.

1 Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

1 Timothy 6:18-19 “That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate,

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

This ballast, then, is when we are established in the faith: we have surrendered to the Jesus as Lord of our life. It is a life open to and receptive to Him….all the time.

That gives us real weight in the storms of life…..in our troubles and in our joys. We neither ride too high, or sink too low. We are “settled” in our will….we will with God.

Then, the sails, which move the ship along,…..when they are filled with the wind.

Of course the “wind” is the Holy Spirit. He comes and blows on our sails, and we move forward….again and again.

The sails are our willingness to yield to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

The sails will get a breath of wind,….and at first they “flap about”,…not really doing anything to move forward…..but feeling the wind.

Then, as the sails open up to the wind….suddenly we are moving toward God’s goal.

And isn’t it true, that as we yield to the Holy Spirit’s guidance,….our lives open up in light!

Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

1 John 2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”

(Unction means anointing for consecration)

So with the “ballast” of our surrender to Christ;….and the willingness to open up and yield to the Holy Spirit, in our “sails”……we move across the waters, to our Rest.

The Captain of our vessel is Christ Jesus:

Hebrews 2:10 “For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings.”

Our Captain has laid a course for us….through many waters.

But they are measured waters (Ezekiel 47:3-5).

Waters which He has passed through before, and given grace for us to pass through, now.

The Helmsman is navigating, looking to the Captain; and relaying all that He says, to us, about our course:

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

Let us go on unto perfection!

Let us,…..as a ship under sail yields to the wind,….and is driven before it……..Yield to the Holy Spirit,……that He might bear us along to the accomplishing of Our Father’s Will.

Praising God for the privilege of being surrendered and settled; so that the storms of our life will not wreak us.

(Yes, they will get us wet….soaked at times; but not sink us.)

Psalm 17:5 “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.”

Psalm 119:117 “Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto Thy statues continually.”

The writer to the Hebrews called all who had first begun to follow Christ….to go on….on to perfection, or the completing of the Will of God for them.

The call is for us, as well…..Go on with Christ….to complete all the Will of God for us.

Eternal Life

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

John 17:1-3 “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may also glorify Thee:

As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent.”

Eternal life is a a condition of life now……it begins the moment we are born again…..and continues throughout our life….and onward throughout eternity, forever, with God.

It is a gift from the Eternal God to His people.

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The Eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say, Destroy them.”

[It is interesting to note here, in this verse….there is the promise of His protection (our refuge),…..and care (underneath are His arms)…..but also the assurance that the victory shall come from Him (He shall thrust out)……yet, He calls for our personal cooperation, in our wills and by His Word. (destroy them)!]

And what does Eternal life bring to us, now?

1 John 5:11, 20 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

First, eternal life gives us the knowledge that He is with us! We are in Him, and He is in us.

In eternal life, we have “understanding”:

Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

(How much we need this, in a world which blinds us with glitter; and calls us to do as it does. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21)

And in eternal life, we “know truth”:

John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (When truth is faced, grace is given to us for it.)

John 7:17 “If any man will do His Will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.”

(The Truth, sanctifies all who receive it: It sets them aside to God, and His Way to go.)

And eternal life “purges” our conscience. His sacrifice cleanses us from our sin (in power, as well as legally, from punishment)……..but His life, gives us peace and power for the work ahead (1 John 3:19-21).

Hebrews 9:12-15 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh. (Under the law)

How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

This is a complicated section…for it contrasts the relief under the Law: which had to be repeated again and again……..and the cleansing under Christ, which is eternal, once for all.

But notice here, that three times, “eternal” is used to describe what Christ did for those that look to Him for redemption.

1. Eternal redemption (vrs. 12) by His own blood. We are eternally bought back from sin and death….we are HIs purchased possession….none can take us from His hand (John 10:28).

2. Who offered Himself through the Eternal Spirit (vrs.14). This speaks of His consent…continual consent, by His own will, in offering Himself to God as the Sin sacrifice.

He consented in the Everlasting Covenant to come and die for us….

He consented in the garden, when He said, “Not My will but Thine.”……

He consented before the men who took Him away (or they would not have been able to)….

and before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and the beatings…..

And consented, even when the mob cried, “Crucify Him”….

He consented when they made Him carry the cross….and when they nailed Him to it….

He consented when the people around the cross mocked Him….and the thieves which were by Him….leading one to believe and be saved.

Yes, through His Eternal Spirit He offered Himself.

And it was He, the Son of God, Who said, “It is finished”……and He consented to all He had to do……till it was completely finished.

3. That they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance (vrs. 15). This eternal inheritance is a pardon from the guilt of our sin….and a cleansing of our minds, hearts, and wills from sin.

It also includes the Holy Spirit, and reconciliation and fellowship in life to God.

And it includes heaven, and the bliss that is to be found with God forever.

Eternal….the Lord never does things by halves. What He promises us, through His Son, He will do…..He is faithful.

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

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

And His life…..His eternal life for us….this condition of our lives, now…and trough eternity……comes to us, as we look to Him, Who was lifted up for us,…..and believe.

God’s Correction of the First Church

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Problem:

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

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

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

This is all really great stuff! But…..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Behind Christ.

Christ first, everything else next.

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

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

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

A life open to and receptive to Him.

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

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

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

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

This is what Jesus is saying:

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

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

He puts in one side, our love to Him,

And in the other, what we do for Him.

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

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

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

The Mountains we are Called To

Song of Solomon 4:8 “Come with Me from Lebanon, my spouse, with Me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions den, from the mountains of the leopards.”

Mountains in scripture speak of insurmountable problems….things we can never handle on our own.

But the scriptures also show that God’s people are people of the mountains. (Lot choosing the plain, but Abraham on the mountain. Genesis 13:10, 14-15)

And in this beautiful song, which speaks of the believer (in the maiden) being drawn to a personal relationship with Christ (the shepherd-king);….there are mountains….several mountains.

By the time this call comes to the believer, he has followed the Lord and learned to come out from the wall of our past experience, and go on. (Song of Solomon 2:8-10)

But, though hesitant at first, the believer has come….and found more of that relationship power…..for the believer has found more of Christ.

But now, the call comes to “come with Me” to the peaks of Lebanon. (“From” here, means to look from)

There are three peaks the Lord is calling us to experience with Him…always with Him….

Amana: means “confirmation”. It is a word related to “Amen”….”let it be done”

(Only He can say Amen to anything….for only He can speak, and it will be done.)

He is the Amen….and from this peak….as we follow Him….we can see His view point on the things below.

For God sees us in Christ, and as we are in Christ….all the things that come to us, are purposed….either for blessing or correction.

Trials are to be seen as from Christ’s hand. Christ as our Teacher leads us into lessons we could not learn in other circumstances.

Corrections are to seen as sent in love, to bring us back to Him.

These are high things….heady things, which we need His Arm to steady us, as we climb up.

As we climb up, we begin to put the things of our circumstances, into perspective…..His perspective.

Amen, Lord, this is Your will, so I will do it.

Shenir: means “pointed word or saying”; as in the Sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:17)

This peak speaks about our warfare against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11 “

But, as we climb this peak with the Lord Jesus, we begin to be given the “pointed word” which we can use against our adversary.

Up on this peak, the Lord gives us a view of how the adversary is trying to trick us….we see more clearly the things which might trip us up.

Thank you Lord for this sight ahead…and for Your Word to use in the battles coming up.

Hermon: means “abrupt”….like a unseen cliff at the end of the way.

That is what our sin had brought us to: destruction;…….but remember, we are with Jesus, our Savior. We have come with Him.

And on this peak, we see the Victory of the Cross of Christ in a fuller way.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

His salvation is a complete one: over the curse of sin in every way…..sin, itself in us (power by His grace).

Death brought on by sin is separation from God for eternity….but we are not separated, but with Him.

And therefore the sting or terror of death is gone……..as Christians, we fall asleep (Acts 7:60),….we close our eyes here, and open them in heaven.

And in seeing these, we can enter into the joy of them.

But beside these wonderful peaks…..there is danger, for we are traveling through this world, still.

There are….”The lions dens, the mountains of the leopards”.

In our walk with Jesus, there are enemies, which we will have to meet for our work and walk.

Lions roar…..they frighten and terrify, to throw us off guard, and into panic.

Leopards are tremendously strong, carrying their prey, and devouring them.

And the closer you grow to the Lord,……the more the enemy will fight.

But the Lord is with us…..and He has brought us up on these peaks to give us His view point…..

….and with that view point, we become enabled:

With His Will…..Amen….only He can say, “Let it be done”, for the things ahead.

With His Word….the sword of the Spirit….to use against the tricks which come against us.

With His Victory….there is no destruction for us….death is to fall asleep. The body may be in a grave, but we are not. We will be with Christ in heaven.

These mountain peaks the Lord calls His believers to. They are high, and sometimes dangerous….but they are with Him.

“Come with Me.”

The Power of God unto Salvation

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

The power of God to everyone that believeth.

Are you such a one?

Do you evidence this power of God in your life?

For this power unto salvation is spiritual reality.

“For He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

This means Jesus Christ delivers us from them. In Hebrews it is said, “to the uttermost”

Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

This is not just a wiping away of the past sins, although that is true.

It is the saving of the sins of today: that is, He saves us from doing them….and yes, He saves us from wanting to do them, as well.

This is what it means by “to the uttermost”.

Our Salvation is four-fold:

From the love of sin….this is not complete,….but it is a real change in you, where your sin is concerned.

It becomes a burden….and you feel it’s weight against you, and you want to be saved from it.

From the guilt of sin…by being born again: receiving Christ Jesus into your heart and life.

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

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

We are not condemned, but at liberty to walk with God!

From the power of sin…by obedience to His Will…by yielding to the Holy Spirit within.

Romans 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whither of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Here we get the power of God for our everyday lives….against sin and the world.

(We are “under new management”). For God empowers obedience,….

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

…..and the Holy Spirit within gives us a growing love for Christ.

From the presence of sin.

Taken into His glorious Presence in Heaven…whether by Rapture, or when we die, to be with Him forever.

Ephesians 1:3-4. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:”

He has a purpose for all He has saved. And all this was set in motion for us….you and me…before times eternal.

Think of it! God Almighty has a purpose for me. Though I rebelled against Him and His Will, yet He set His love upon me, and drew me to Himself:

John 6:37, 44 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

In the scriptures, the purpose God called me to, is spoken of as: “good works”, or “bringing forth fruit”

John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.”

(And His works were prayer, preaching, calling others to the Kingdom of God, feeding, healing, and manifesting the words and works of His Father God.

All this He did before He laid down His life for us.)

John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.”

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Colossians 3:16-17 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

Titus 2:14, 3:8 “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto all men.”

Our purpose, is to pray—for ourselves, and others; to witness of the light of God in our own life; to preach, teach, be a soul winner, as we are called.

We are to seek the good of all men (and there is no good, without God in it).

These are the obediences which are given to us to do, for the glory of Christ. Big or small in the world’s eyes….they are of great value to Jesus.

Everyone has their place in His purpose.

And it is as we are in our place, walking with Him everyday, that we fulfill our purpose.

God’s salvation is full of power. Power to save us to “the uttermost”, and power to save others.

What greatness dwells in Him….and He is, by the Holy Spirit, in us.

Let us draw out His grace for our life.

Don’t come short, when it comes to God’s Promises

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.”

Have you ever tried to reach up or out to something and it is just out of reach?

This is the way many of us think about the promises of God. They are great and we want them;…..but they seem just out of reach.

But God never intends His Word to be seen, and not used. He intends us to have what He promises us.

Faith reaches out and gets what God has for us.

Every promise in the Word, and every promise given to you personally, is nothing until entered into by faith.

And there can never be completed faith, without obedience.

Promises are only promises, until we have them.

First, we apprehend them by faith.

That is, you see that God has this for you, personally, and you reach out in belief to His Word.

When you do, you should have the hope (remember hope is the confident expectation that God will do what He says) of these promises by the assurance of the Holy Spirit within.

Second, you apprehend these promises, by obedience. You live them.

Sometimes there are conditions to the promises the Lord gives, like the seed on the ground:

one, a hard walking path—no receiving there.

Others on rocks and thorns, which received by faith, but never put it to use.

The last, the good ground, which was tilled and received it by faith, (it says it “keeps” it) and also put it to use. Some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, some an hundred-fold.

(Mark 14:14-20)

Without the element of faith, there is nothing.

For faith is that which makes the things of God, real to us, so that we can apprehend them.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

It is a true substance. It exists within you by the Holy Spirit.

It gives us the proof within us, to use the word God gives us. In other words, you know it.

Faith is what is within us that reaches out to God in times of trouble, in praise, for help, for comfort, and for fellowship.

Hebrews 11:3,6 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made by things which do appear.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

By faith we understand, or perceive truths which were mysteries before.

And again, we are to use our faith, and reach out to God in obedience, and get what He promises.

Hebrews 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

Let us not lose what He promises, by not believing Him.

But let us gain all that He has for us to have, through the Holy Spirit, and His promises, which He wants to give.

Let us apprehend His promises to us, and gain one hundred-fold for Christ Jesus,……..in believing obedience to His Word.

Stand ye in the Ways

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

Jeremiah was called to a time, like ours, where much religion was going on; but very little obedience to God. They had all the outward trappings, but none of the devotion to God and His commandments.

Under King Josiah, who was a godly king; Jeremiah was given the job of going about Judah and instructing the people in the laws of God.

Many did not want to hear, for they had been influenced by the idolatrous nations round about them; and refused subjection to the Lord, although they went along with the outward ceremony.

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living water, and hewed them our cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

Then he was told to go to Jerusalem and preach there…telling the people what God would do, if they would repent and turn back in obedience to Him.

He would forgive and help them:

Jeremiah 7:5-7″For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor;

If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:

Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.”

For what God wanted of His people was that they obey Him, from the heart.

“Stand ye in the ways”. In the Hebrew, means “Get up and do it”

Start actively seeking My ways.

If you just do this seeking, you are returning to your God and honoring Him.

This I will count,….and will honor you, in return.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the Lord:….”

And ask for the old paths: The path of obedience to His Word,….which leads us to straighten out our lives before Him.

God has made a way to return to Him…..take it.

(How was it with those who came before us?

Those that martyred their lives for God and his gospel? From the apostles to our forefathers?

How did they attain to what they had?

Through the Holy Spirit’s enabling, and the Word of God to them.

We must seek out the truth of the Scriptures for ourselves: What does it say to us?

For now? For our calling and ministry? And yield to the Holy Spirit within!)

As Jeremiah said to Judah:

Jeremiah 7:23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

Obey My voice….and I will be your God….and ye shall be My people.

Jesus said the same thing when He was talking to His disciples, before He went to the cross.

John 15:10″ If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.”

Though there were failures,…….His disciples did, and they stirred the whole world, for Christ Jesus.

If we get our life in order before Him, and honor Him in this,……He will honor our obedience, in our everyday life.

God speaks through His Word: whether read, preached, or spoken by His inner Voice.

Hear Him, and return to the ways of peace,…..knowing His presence with you,……and for you,……everyday.