Are we hiding behind our Wall, because we are afraid of the next step?

Song of Solomon 2:8-9 “The voice of my beloved! Behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, He standeth behind our wall, He looketh forth at the windows, showing Himself through the lattice.”

As we go on with God, we come to many places where we are given difficult problems to overcome….some harder than others.

Some are mountains of difficulty….impossible things for us, in our own strength, to overcome….

And some hills….not impossible, but hard going.

But, these are the experiences, the Lord often calls us to. Not alone, but with Him. That is what is set forth in these verses.

The Lord is seen as a Roe or a Young Hart….ever vigorous, and ever victorious leaping toward us, calling us…on with Him.

Seen through a window, with lattice over it. We know it is the Lord, for we heard His voice…went to the window, to see Him….but He is outside, ready to go on….but we are still behind our wall.

Song of Solomon 2:10 “My Beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

This is personal…”said unto me”. He is not calling His church, but “His love, His fair one”; His personal call to you…..to come away.

But from what are we to come away?

We are to “come away” from “our wall”; for He has come and found that we are behind a wall.

I believe that this “wall” is our spiritual experience up-to-date. It separates us from the world….but, when we continue to stay behind it, it can also separate us from going on with Him.

(It is wonderful to know how far we have come with Jesus; we can rejoice in what we have! But He is calling us on,…..to keep going with Him)

It is safe, here. I know I am saved….I go to church…I love the Lord.

I see those mountains up ahead…and they are too much for me.

I see those hills,…and when I think I could, maybe, go out and walk them….I worry about….what if I fall?

But Jesus, calls again.

He has already shown me that He is able to surmount any of the obstacles that stand in our way…..He leaps mountains, and skips hills…..and He is asking me to do the same….in His strength, with Him.

Song of Solomon 2:11-14 “For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle(dove) is heard in our land;

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away.

O My dove, that art in the clefts of the Rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”

The Lord shows that the winter conditions of the soul are past (I have heard His voice)…..new life is springing up (my heart is moved to answer His call)……now is the time to arise, and leave the good that I have, for the better He calls me to…..with Him.

What is this next step He is calling us to?

I know He is calling me to come out completely…to be seen as His, even in the difficult and impossible times of my life….to trust His might.

I know He is calling me to speak to Him more,…..and of Him.

Jesus calls us:

“Arise, My love, My fair one, My dove, and come away. Don’t be afraid, but come out from behind our wall,….trust Me, and come with Me.”

The Centurion’s Faith.

Matthew 8:5-7 “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him.

And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.”

(In Luke, it says that he sent the elders of the city, and then friends, which represented him to Jesus. Luke 7:1-10. He thought himself unworthy of the Lord coming to his house, for he was a gentile.

This representation was, as if he came himself)

Jesus has said he would come and heal the centurion’s servant.

And this draws a statement of faith from the centurion, which “marveled”, or pleased the Lord a lot. So much so; that He speaks of it to the crowd.

Matthew 8:8-10 “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say unto this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith took hold in this centurion’s heart, when he heard of all that Jesus was doing, both in Capernaum, and other places.

(Capernaum was the place Jesus lived, after leaving Nazareth. It was the place he did many miracles.

Luke 4:31-32 “And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.”

Luke 4:36-37 “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! For with authority and power he commanded the unclean spirits, and they come out.

And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.”)

When this centurion heard of these things, he must have thought they were wonderful, for he loved Israel.

But, until he needed Jesus’ power for himself (for his sick servant, who was dear to him), it was just information.

Good news, but it had not touched him.

Then, his servant got sick, grievously tormented, and ready to die.

Suddenly, those things he had heard about Jesus, were for him.

(How many times we are the same: we have heard Bible lessons for years, and they are good news, but then something happens that affects us, and “Wham”, that good news hits us where we live.

We can have this! This is real! This is for me.)

Faith has made the information real from the first. We believe it.

Then faith evidences that information within us, because we have a need that is only met by Christ Jesus.

The centurion also knew, by faith, that if Jesus heard of the need, He could meet it.

Faith reached out, through the elders, and friends, to Jesus; and stated the need.

When Jesus said He would come, the centurion’s faith reached out further by the evidence of Jesus’ coming; and said:

“Speak the word, only”

Why? Was he testing Jesus?

No. But he felt unworthy that Jesus should come into his house.

And why did he feel Jesus could do this? Was it just because of what he had heard?

No.

It was from his own experience. He was a voice of Rome, as a centurion (he had one hundred men under him).

Under the authority of Rome, he spoke and told men what to do. And they did it.

So he knew that Jesus, who was the voice of God, had the authority to speak, and make things happen, because He spoke for God.

He could heal, because He was the Son of God.

This was the centurion’s faith. Wow!

Matthew 8:13 “And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”

Believe is the action of faith. And as he believed Jesus could heal by his word, only; so it was.

What of us? We say we have faith in God. We say we believe what Jesus has said, and done for us.

Are we using this faith with God, and having the evidence of His authority and power in our lives?

And for the lives of the people we pray for?

The Lord honors true faith in Himself. (Not presumption, or to ask of Him, what we know is not His will). But real faith, reaches out to Him: that He will do what He wills.

Do we have a need Jesus needs to meet?

Then ask Him, believing.

Jesus’ will was to heal the sick; both sin-sick and many illnesses, while He was here on earth; as He preached that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.

He did this to meet the need of the people……that the chief priests and scribes had discounted….and for the most part, had abandoned.

But God never abandon’s His people. Those that come unto Him, He will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)

But it takes humbling of our hearts, to come. (As this centurion did)

John 6:40 “And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the last day.”

The centurion’s faith was real. He had heard. And he came, humbly to Jesus to ask that He speak a word of healing.

The centurion honored Him, and believed.

And Jesus answered him “according as his faith was”.

What is our faith doing?

The Brazen Laver

Fellowship is a word of intimacy. It means: partnership, participation, or social sharing between close companions.

What does this have to do with the brazen laver?

Because it was at the Laver, that the priests washed their hands and their feet before going into the Holy Place….the place which spoke of fellowship with God.

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:”

In the Holy Place the priests ministered at the altar of incense (picturing our prayers ascending to God) or the table of shewbread (picturing our feeding on the Bread of Life—Christ Jesus).

All those things, were things of partnership, participation or sharing with God….in other words they pictured the fellowship we should have with God in prayer and communion.

Fellowship, which could only be entered into by washing outside the Holy Place…..at the Laver.

(It is interesting to note, that at the beginning of their ministry as priests, they were to be given a complete bath, and given the garments for their work. This was not to be repeated! It was a picture of our regeneration….being born again. Exodus 29:4-5)

In our daily walk, as Christians, in this world, we come into contact with trespasses and sins…..in our lives and in the lives of others….and we are in need of cleansing.

Exodus 30:18-19 “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and it’s foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the Tabernacle of the congregation and the Altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:”

So the Laver was put between the Altar, dealing with sin; and the Holy Place, speaking of fellowship.

The blood and sacrifice of the Altar deals with sin, and the water of the Laver cleanses from defilements which working and walking in this world, brings us into contact with.

Their hands—their service; and their feet—their walk; was to be cleansed before fellowship with God could happen.

1 John 1:7, 9 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

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

Ephesians 5:25-26 “….Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it;

That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.”

The Brazen Laver represents Christ’s ability to meet every need we have…..for our continual cleansing.

The Laver was not silver or gold….but brass, which represents judgement.

(The Lord judges His people according to the Word He has given them, and what they did with it. Jesus is seen in Revelation 1:13-16 as having brass feet….judging the walk of His church.)

The Lord tells us, now, to judge ourselves in the water of the Word, that we might have fellowship with Him….in all our days through this world.

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

The priests were to wash their own hands and feet in the provision of the Laver and the water….that they might enter into the Holy Place and have the fellowship provided by the bread and in prayer.

Remember, fellowship is intimate partnership, participation, and social sharing between close companions.

Are we having this for ourselves?

Do we see ourselves as “with Christ” in all His works?

Peter learned a great lesson about this when Jesus was washing the disciples feet at the Last Supper:

“Lord, doest Thou wash my feet?” Peter asked.

Jesus explained that this was one of those things that Peter might not understand now, but would afterward…”

But Peter often jumped in, where he did not need to….

John 13:8 “Peter saith unto Him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”

Jesus did not say, “in Me”, but “with Me”. “In Christ” has to do with Salvation…..”with Christ” has to do with fellowship and communion with Him.

Peter was saved….all he needed was his feet washed by Jesus….to have the fellowship and instruction which they had as they went to the garden of Gethsemane. (John 14-17 amazing chapters for Christians)

But again Peter jumped in….

John 13:9-11 “Simon Peter saith unto Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

For He knew who should betray Him; therefore said He, Ye are not all clean.”

Christ Jesus washed the disciples feet to show that fellowship with Him requires His cleansing….the cleansing of our walk before Him.

Again, I ask, are we having this fellowship—this partnership, participation, and social sharing between Jesus and us?

Ask, and You Will Receive.

Luke 11:9 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

The disciples have just asked. “Teach us to pray” after seeing Jesus pray.

Then Jesus tells a story:

The story of a friend who comes to his neighbor at an inconvenient time. “At Midnight.” (Luke 11:5-8)

He has company. Someone who has come from a long journey and is in need of bread. But the man has none to give.

So he goes to his neighbor and knocks.

“Forget it…it’s midnight, I am in bed, and I’m not getting up!” Is basically the word given the knocker.

But he keeps knocking.

So…..not because he is his friend (he might not be, after this);……but because he kept knocking; the neighbor opens and gives the man what he has asked for.

Then Jesus says, the way to get from God is the same:

Ask, like you really need it.

Seek, like you really want the reply.

And knock, till the answer comes.

When we pray to God, Jesus is saying that we should come believing God will hear,……and expect that He will make known His will.

Ask, and you will receive. Ask till you receive an answer as to what and how you should ask. (How many times we think we know what we need, but as we are praying we receive what we really need to know)

Seek, till you get the means of getting your petition answered. (Sometimes there is a verse to claim, or a prayer promise to use: Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 5:14-15)

Then knock, using those means, till you get the answer that you were seeking.

Just to be clear, “means” are those parts of the promise that we must use:

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

“Come unto me”, is the means; His rest is the promise.

When Jesus healed the ten lepers: (Luke 17:14) “When he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.”

Jesus healed them by His word, but they were only healed, as they went to do what He said. That is the means.

Luke 11:10 “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

As Christians, our lifeline is prayer.

Paul said:

Philippians 4:6-7 ” Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The promise is: you will receive, find, and have an open door set before you.

The means is: ask, seek, and knock.

The Power of God and the Power of the Word of God

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

“Created”: God made something out of nothing. He spoke and it was so.

Christ is the Word. And He spoke all things into being; and they were as He spoke.

Psalm 33:6-9 “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.

He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap: and layeth up the depth in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of world stand in awe of him.

For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

The power of God is often displayed through His Word. What He says will be, will be.

Isaiah 14:24 “The Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so it shall it come to pass; and as I have spoken, so it shall stand:”

When God created the heaven and the earth, He was well aware by His Omniscience (all seeing ability), that the earth that He spoke into being, would be ruined by the fall the devil and then the fall of Adam.

Yet God’s purpose would not be altered:

Isaiah 45:18 “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.”

So God’s Voice rang out in re-creation. Re-making what had been.

Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

God began to re-create with light; for darkness was upon the earth by Lucifer’s (the devil’s) fall. (Isaiah 14:

God is Light, and in His light we see light.

After re-creating the earth, forming man after His image:

Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

No other of His creatures are living souls. They have instincts, but no souls.

Man’s soul was the faculty God gave him alone, so that man could have fellowship with His Creator.

He has a mind to think after God, to understand His Words.

He has a heart to love God, and want to please Him.

And he has a will, to will after God’s will.

But Adam sinned, disobeying God’s Word, making all people, sinners…..separated from God.

God was not surprised.

He saw this, and made provision for it, before times eternal.

For in His determination and purpose, Christ would come and save out a people for His Name’s sake.

God made the first promise of Christ right after the fall:

Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between thee (the devil) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed (Christ); it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heal.”

Christ Jesus came and fulfilled the Father’s Will in everything. Jesus said:

John 12:45-46 “And he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness”

As God spoke light to the re-creation; He sent His Son as the Light to the world, to all who would believe in Him.

John 12:49-50 “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”

Christ came to reveal the purpose, and determination of God: And to present the light of Salvation by receiving Him by faith.

Hebrews 1:1-3, 2:1,3. “God , who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the father’s by the prophets,

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;

Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

God’s purpose and determination is that all that believe and receive Him should be saved.

Do you believe in Christ Jesus the Lord?

Do you have the salvation He purchased, at such a great price, for you?

Are you walking in the Light He has made available?

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

This is God’s power, for “cleanseth” in this verse is in the past, present and future tense.

Cleanseth means forgives, and then gives power to get that sin out of our lives.

For yesterday, today, and tomorrow; for every sin that comes up. Power for it!

This is the power of God and the power of His Word.

God’s Rest for your Soul

I want to start this by saying….our only true rest of soul is…..Christ Jesus.

Otherwise, we are often restless, or doubtful, or angry, or frustrated, or envious,….discontented in so many ways….and unable to solve these.

Isaiah 55:1-2 “Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”

This is a merchant, as in the old days, going up and down in the world….crying out what He has to sell…..”Come, buy the best; wine and milk.”

Only this merchant is selling His wares, “without money and without price”.

This “merchant” is Jesus Christ; calling for all who will, to come and get rest of soul and true satisfaction from Him.

(The “without price” is in a double sense: It means those that come, do not pay, for He has paid the full price for us [1 Peter 1:18-19].

Also….that which the Lord offers, is priceless.)

You may say….we do not “buy” our salvation; and this is true.

I believe it is not talking of Salvation here, but the “wine and milk” of spiritual life, after we are born again.

I believe the Lord is talking to those who belong to Him:

Israelites in the Old Testament, and Christians, now….He uses the same term in Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of Me…”.

And we “buy” from Christ, as Christians, by coming to Him,

acknowledging our need in our life,

and taking off our old man to put on Christ…..

….which is what the Merchant is offering here…the very best of things….His life lived through us, everyday. (Wine and milk)

Ephesians 4:22-24 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man,….

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Are you hungering to have the Holy Spirit guiding and helping you more?

Are you thirsting after more peace and strength in life?

He calls to everyone that thirsts (Matthew 5:6), And to everyone that “hath no money”……

First, to want what He is offering.

[Some want Heaven, but not Christ.

And Christ in our life, He is the “wine and milk”. The wine of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and the milk of His Word (1 Peter 2:2)]

He is asking….do we know how desperately we need Him?…..for to “hunger and thirst” are the terms of need.

(I have come to experiences in my life where I thought, “it could not get better than this…”. I have had things taken care of in my life, where I thought….Wow, look how far I have come with You, Lord.

I was so close to Jesus (so I thought) that it seemed like a small part of heaven.

But I found out, as wonderful as it was, it was just a stepping stone to the next trial..and help….the next lesson from my Teacher, Jesus)

If we don’t know our need; we may come, we may hear…we may even look at His “wares”……but we will not “buy” from this Merchant.

Many think Jesus Christ was a great man….or a good man, falsely accused and killed.

But those who come to Him for satisfaction…..find that He is a Savior, King, Lord, Almighty, and full of joy….and wanting to share all of it with us!

Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”

Again, how do we buy? And why is He calling us to buy?

We “buy” from Jesus, again, by wanting His satisfaction in all that He has for us.

(Isn’t that the real problem of Laodicea?

They are “poor”, and they think they have, everything they need….

so they will not “buy” the “eye salve” of the Spirit’s enlightening by honesty that Jesus offers…..

for they do not need it….or so they think.

But Jesus is standing outside the door of their church. Revelation 3:16-21)

Why we have to “buy” is because; though we are born again, there is much we do not understand, or many things of the Spirit we do not have……we are in need everyday, for what that day, holds.

Therefore He calls to all who will, to come….”Come to Me”.

Again we “buy” when we come with the desire to lose our self-life, to gain our Christ-life.

(In effect, we exchange one for the other.

Christ gives us peace, as we let go of our worry, and cares

Christ gives us victory, as we yield to His Spirit’s power in us….not to do this, or to do that.

Christ changes our attitude about things, as we let go and confess our resentments and bitterness….our desire to “get even”….even if it is just a thought.

Christ gives assurance of His Word, as we refuse the nagging doubt.

Christ life flows into us, as we deny our selves.

What a life we can have, if we keep turning our lives over to Him…He is King, here, in my heart; and I am buying everything I can get from Him! Hallelujah!)

But it starts with wanting the change, and coming to Christ for it.

Isaiah 55:2d “…..let your soul delight itself in fatness.”

God’s rest for our souls is a complete rest.

It is of heart….contentment.

It is of mind…instruction and understanding.

It is of will…giving us the solid foundation of His Will.

He offers us this to us, if we know our need and want to have the Lord’s satisfaction.

Take Heed

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

If you have the desire to hear what the Lord is saying to you….you will. If you do not really want to hear…you won’t.

Take heed, or pay attention to those things that will hinder our profiting from the Word that we hear.

Jesus just gave the parable of the Sower sowing the Word. There were four kinds of soil which it landed on:

1)The wayside….really the hard ground around the prepared field where the workers walked.

The seed was so little considered, that when it landed there, it was walked on; “trodden under foot”.

This is the way some people treat God’s Word…they might listen to it, but they do not regard it, so they eventually trample all over what it says…and Jesus, Who said it.

2)The rocky ground…the part of the field where they had taken out the large rocks, but there were still smaller ones there.

The seed there was starved for moisture…or the healthful influences of the Holy Spirit.

It “sprung up”….started to hear and to see what was being said, but the hard places in the heart (resentments, hurts, anger) quenched the Holy Spirit….and because they refused to remove these “rocks”, the Word withered within them.

3)The thorny ground…the part of the field where the seed grows up with the weeds.

At first, it looks like you can get some harvest, though it maybe small.

But the “thorns” or the things of the world (worries, riches or wanting them, and pleasures of this life) are too strong….they pull all the life from the plants, and do not produce anything.

(How many times have we felt our desires taking over our thoughts, and actions?

And these desires can be for a better home, job, car, or anything else. It is not the desire, itself….but how much it influences our affections.

Are we becoming depressed because we do not have them?

Are we thinking about them all the time?

These are thorns, which if we continue to let them grow; and do not pull them out, will choke the Word of God from our hearts.

We pull them out by coming to the Lord and turning them over to Him; confess any sin about them, and ask Him to remove the affections for them.)

4)The good ground…the part of the field where the most preparation has taken place (Jeremiah 4:3).

The ground has been turned over, and smoothed, so when the Seed was placed there, there was nothing to hinder it’s growth.

Luke 8:15 “And 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.”

There is nothing that God loves so much than a person that get’s honest with Him…..it is an acknowledgement that our hearts are open to Him in everything.

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

If a person’s ways are honest with the Lord, He will reward his honesty with spiritual fruit.

This heart produces fruit….for the Word we hear, we keep, and we use to help us.

Any honest man who comes to God as he is, comes to the ground where God can meet with him.

Isaiah 57:15, 18 “For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

I have seen his ways, and I will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners (those that sympathized with him).”

On that same ground of honesty, God grants grace….the unmerited favor of power to do something about ourselves, and the situation we are in.

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

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

When we face the truth about ourselves, in any given situation….His grace is applied, right then….and we can produce the fruit of the Spirit within us.

Grace changes us….enabling the weakest Christian to remain strong, patient, to forgive, or any ability we need…..when we get honest with the Lord.

(To be frank, this is the hardest part….for when we pray, we often just ask for grace, without telling the Lord all our deepest feelings. Tell Him all, and let Him heal all…that is the truth and grace of Christ Jesus being applied to us…to make us whole.)

If you read this parable, it was only His disciples who asked, “What might this parable be?”

They wanted to understand the Word that they heard.

To “understand” means “to come together”……..to comprehend so that the actions follow the mind.

The crowd seemed happy just to listen and be around Jesus. Like a vacation from their life….but with no change in their life.

Matthew 13:13, 15 “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

They did not understand…because they let their hearts become heavy with cares. (Their life was hard….This might be natural)

They let their ears stop hearing Him, because He required more than they wanted to give.

[He asked them to trust and believe in Him….they wanted Him to keep feeding them, and healing all their illnesses John 6:26-27].

(This is a turning away with their hearts)

Their eyes they closed, because they did not want to “see”, that the Lord was calling them to be His, completely. (This was a choice of the will…they closed them)

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.”

A good and honest heart: Good because it is honest with God.

(In the Greek, the word for “honest” (“kalos”) here, means “beautiful, valuable, or virtuous”. I believe the Lord shows that to be honest with Him, is beautiful.)

Again, any honest man who comes to God….as he is….comes to the ground where God can meet with him….and He will.

“…I have seen his ways, and I will heal him…”. The Lord says “I will” and where He wills, there is power.

Ezra, a man of Prayer

We meet Ezra, after the captives have come back to the land of Judah, seventy years after the fall of Jerusalem.

He is a priest, and devoted to the Word of God. He wanted to return to Judah and teach the returning people what the law said, for their good.

Ezra 7:6, 10 “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.

(This is a phrase we will hear again about Ezra)

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements.”

(Scribes had been established under the good king Josiah; and Jeremiah the prophet, who was also of the priestly family, was one. They were to go around the land and reacquaint the people with the law of Moses. This was before the captivity….Josiah being the last king who loved the Lord and followed His Word. 2 Chronicles 34:1, 15-33)

Ezra’s love of the Lord and his Word was known, and so the king sent him to gather more people of a willing heart to return to Judah….to teach the Law of God to those who were already there.

They were to take a offering of gold and silver to the Temple at Jerusalem for the king, as well.

Ezra 7:25 “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.”

Ezra was more than grateful….he was thankful.

Ezra 7:27-28”Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem:

And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counselors,….And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.”

So he gathers the men, and the gold and silver….weighs everything, and sets certain men over the keeping of them.

Then he gathers at the river of Ahava, to start the journey.

But men who knew the Word of God were lacking….till….”And by the good hand of our God upon us” (Ezra 8:16-18) men of understanding came.

After so much preparation, I would think they would be anxious to begin, but they first prayed.

Ezra 8:21-23 “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him.

So we fasted and besought our God for this: and He was entreated of us.”

Wow! What a testimony….and what a life, that backs it up!

Ezra 8:31 “Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.”

And God blessed the prayers….

It took four full months to go to Jerusalem….and “the hand of our God” was protecting them……without soldier or horsemen from the king to keep them from thieves along the way. (Ezra 7:9)

When they came to Jerusalem, everything was great, right?

Many of the people of God had returned; and more were coming back into the land, according to promise.

But…..

Ezra 9:1-2 “Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, the people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the land, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites…..

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers have been chief in this trespass.”

God has always said that we should be in the world, but not of it…not tied to it, or under it’s influence.

2 Corinthians 6:14, 17-18 “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

That we are to not love the world or the things in it…

1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

We are too easily swayed by these things…therefore we are to keep our hearts separated to God.

But what to do? Ezra was eminently a man of prayer. He knew his word was not going to make a lasting difference.

God must speak to the people’s hearts….there must be an awakening there….if God’s Word was to be obeyed.

Ezra 9:3 “And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonished.”

The first thing was to pour out his anguish to God about this sin….and soon many “that trembled at the words of God” were gathered with him.

Then he prayed out loud….(Ezra 9:6-15) “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased…and our trespass is grown up…..since the days of our fathers….for our iniquities have we,…been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands….

And now for a little space grace hath been shown from the Lord our God…and to give us a little reviving in our bondage. For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us….and now, O our God what shall we say….after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds,…seeing that Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve….

Should we again break Thy commandments….O Lord God of Israel,…behold we are before Thee in our trespasses; for we cannot stand before Thee because of this.”

(It is interesting to note in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel that each have a prayer for confession of sins…the people’s sins that have returned from the captivity,…in chapter 9. That in each, they include themselves…”we” and “our”.)

And what was the result of such prayer?

Those that had gathered…”assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation…for the people wept very sore.”

Then one stood and said, “We have trespassed against our God,……yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this…” because Ezra had come….

The man suggested a covenant between the people and God, which Ezra should write and see to.

Ezra 10:4 “Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: We also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.”

It was if they had been waiting for someone to come and see to this matter….they knew it was wrong, yet did nothing till they saw the Lord’s reaction to their sin….through Ezra’s prayer!

Ezra did this very thing, and this covenant continued.

By prayer, Ezra showed a powerful king the greatness of his God….He was as Mighty as Ezra said He was.

By prayer, Ezra confessed the iniquity of Israel, including himself; waiting upon God for His Power for the people. And he got it.

Ezra continued to serve his people….teaching the Word of God to them (Nehemiah 8:5-6)….and encouraging the joy of the Lord.

Nehemiah 8:9-10 “…mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Then he said unto them, Go you way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Joy is strength; and joy is from God.

It is not happiness…that is in circumstances or the things or people that effect us…..there is nothing wrong with happiness, but it centers on what happens to us or others we love.

But joy is from God to us…no matter the circumstances. And it is a great strength in us, to carry us through good and bad.

Ezra did, “according to the good hand of the Lord upon him”.

And prayer was the means God gave him.

So can we….

Psalm 17:6-7 “I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O God: incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

Show Thy marvelous lovingkindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them.”

Isaiah 41:13 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

Psalm 91:14-15 “Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.”

Psalm 37:24 “Thou he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.”

We can know these promises for ourselves, too.

Our Armor of Proof

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”

Ephesians 6:13 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

We are to put on the whole armor of God; to stand, that we might withstand.

Stand in this military context, means “to hold the ground given”. In other words, we are to hold the ground Christ bought and paid for; and has given us (individually) to stand on.

To withstand means to resist or oppose. We are to resist or oppose evil, that we might continue to stand on the ground Christ has given us.

The ground Christ has won for us is life….eternal life, lived now in the circumstances we are in. It is our ministries, and our gifts….it is peace and joy.

This ground Christ has won, but we are to hold on to it…..and not let the world or the devil deprive us of them.

Our armor of proof is not so many imaginary pieces, but real, spiritual helps; that we might stand in the evil day.

Ephesians 6:14 “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,..”

We first need truth. It is pictured as surrounding us, as protection.

This truth covers the will. When we do God’s Will, we are yielding to the Truth. We are in the Light, in the path we are to tread; and as such, certain things can not touch us. There is power in the truth, and it is at our disposal.

(There is the truth of our salvation, the truth of our convictions….these are personal, the truth of our confessions, etc.)

And Jesus again said:

John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

As we let the word of God surround us in our everyday life; it will be like armor to our soul. Nothing will be able to get in that is not according to His will, for we know His Word.

(This is not the offensive weapon of our sword, but defensive knowledge)

Ephesians 6:14 “…and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”

There is the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to us; which makes us righteous before God.

(2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”)

We can come before God in boldness (Hebrews 4:16) because of Christ’s righteousness.

But there is also the righteous acts we are to do:

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

Titus 3:8 “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 men.”

This breastplate of righteousness, covers the heart.

The term here “having” for the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, suggests the thought: “Will you have it?”

For these are the beginning of our protection. And we can not stand without truth and righteousness in our lives.

Ephesians 6:15 “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

We need peace to stand on. The peace that passeth all understanding.(Philippians 4:7) keeps us in all sorts of circumstances. The storm may blow, but we are at peace. It keeps us grounded, so our emotions and thoughts do not “run away with us.”

And when we have experienced this for ourselves, we are able to stand firm , no matter the storm.

Ephesians 6:16 “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Faith is that amazing gift of the Holy Spirit, that delivers us in times of doubt (Hebrews 4:1-2), in times of temptation from the world (1 John 5:4), and here it states that it keeps us from the accusations and suggestions of the devil.

It will “shield” us by covering the mind with Light to see these tricks as they really are.

It will “shield” us by covering our heart with Love, God’s love for us.

It will “shield” us by covering our walk with the knowledge of God’s forgiveness, and power.

Remember, this piece is movable…for faith covers all of us.

Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation,…”

“Take” implies use.

Take the knowledge of your salvation to keep you from sin:

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Our salvation can protect our mind:

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Ephesians 6:17 “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

This and all-prayer are our offensive weapons. All the rest are defensive. For we don’t go out to conqueror; but we are standing, holding ground that Christ has already won.

But when attacked, we need to defend ourselves.

And the best offense is:

God’s Word given to you at the time of attack….by the Holy Spirit to you.

It suits what the devil is suggesting, or accusing you of……taking the influence of that attack away.

It is verses, or parts of verses, and promises.

Then God’s power is there for you.

James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.”

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

We are to pray always (1 Thess. 5:17)

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

Prayer is our life line to direction, comfort, correction, everything we need.

This kind of prayer is “in the Spirit”.

Both of the offensive weapons are by direction of the Holy Spirit.

The sword of the Spirit, and prayer…in the Spirit.

He guides us into what to say to the attacks of the devil; And what to pray for, to get the help we need against these attacks….both for ourselves and for others.

I titled this Our Armor of Proof, because the Lord has provided these spiritual helps…..He has given us His Word, His Spirit, and knowledge of our enemy’s wiles….and in our “Stand”, we need to prove them, for ourselves.

They are all we need to stand against the wiles of the devil….will we use them?

Through the Knowledge of Him

2 Peter 1:1-2 “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.”

How much we need grace (the unmerited favor of power), and peace in these days for our individual lives.

It is to be had, in Christ.

If you are born again, you have access to it by the Holy Spirit within.

But you get it “multiplied unto you”, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.

(You will notice that our “faith” is through our Savior Jesus Christ; but the grace and peace multiplied is through Jesus our Lord. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your life?)

He is our Savior as we believe and receive Him, through the faith that is given us by the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12)

He is Lord, but He is only “our” Lord, by our submitting our wills to Him, in obedience.

And we only do this as we get to know Him, and submit to His character through the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us unto glory and virtue:”

(“According as His divine power”; It is not according to my miserable ability. But according to His divine power. The limitless, and Almighty power of God.)

“Hath given” means they are given us in Christ Jesus. They are ours to have and use by the Holy Spirit within us. They are all the things we need to have Christ’s character formed in our everyday lives. “All things” means all things.

Again, it is through the knowledge of Him.

How important it is that we know Christ, and continue to gain knowledge of Him.

He has indeed called us to “glory and virtue”; to manifest His glory (His light and goodness), even here in these circumstances, and among the people we know.

And called us to the virtue of His Holy Spirit within us: The Artea of His power.

Artea means “force”. He is that force within us, “working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

So we manifest His glory–the glory of His salvation, of His calling, of His love by the force of the Holy Spirit within our spirits; helping us to obey, and joy in it.

2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Christ has given us promises….His Word to claim and obtain for yourself; they are ours , but we must get them into our experience. That is what obtain means; to get them for ourselves.

They are given to us, that you might have the character of Christ, and escape the corruptions (envy, anger, lying)that the world’s system lives in.

We each have our own lusts.

Whether they be spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical; we lust after what we don’t have.

Until we make Christ Lord of our lives, and yield to His will and way for our lives.

And the way that happens is to : Know Christ more and more, for ourselves.

This not to know about Him (although that is not bad), but to know Him.

It is to know what He requires of me.

It is to know the force of the Holy Spirit , and how we are to yield to Him.

It is to know what He will do for me in the temptations, and trials that I go through.

It is to know Him. Through the Knowledge of Him, we multiply grace and peace.