Make Your Calling and Election Sure

2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:  for if ye do these things,  ye shall never fall:”

According to Peter, you prove that you are of the elect (or born again) by fulfilling your calling. 

Peter reminds all believers how important the question is, of where you stand with God:

Peter had been called to follow the Lord as he was a fishermen.  He was one of the first to be called.

Matthew 4:18-20 “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter,  and Andrew his brother,  casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 

                                And He saith unto them,  Follow Me,  and I will make you fishers of men.

                                And they straightway left their nets,  and followed Him.”

Peter had been the first among the disciples that declared Jesus was the Christ:

Matthew 16:16 “And Simon Peter answered and said,  Thou art the Christ,  the Son of the living God.”

Jesus blessed Peter for declaring it:  “Blessed art thou, Simon…for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,  but My Father which is in heaven.”

When Jesus spoke of His going to Jerusalem, and “suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and ….be killed, and be raised the third day”; 

Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him: 

Matthew 16:22 “Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying,  Be it far from Thee,  Lord:  this shall not be unto Thee.”

But Jesus would not tolerate any thought or saying which rejected for any reason,  the work the Father gave Him to do:

Matthew 16:23 “But He turned,  and said unto Peter,  Get thee behind Me, Satan:  thou art an offense unto Me;  for thou savorest not the things that be of God,  but those that be of men.”

He had been there when Jesus said “ If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Peter had been there when Jesus was transfigured before then:

Mark 9:2 “And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into a high mountain apart by themselves:  and He was transfigured before them.”

After they had followed Jesus for almost three years,  Peter had told the Lord: Luke 18:28 “Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all,  and followed Thee.”

And Jesus answered him:

Luke 18:29-30 “And He said unto them,   Verily I say unto you,  there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children,  for the kingdom of God’s sake,

                            Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time,  and in the world to come life everlasting.”

He had seen miracle after miracle: the blind, seeing.  The deaf, hearing.  And even the dead, raised.

Peter had been there when Jesus was welcomed with “Hallelujah,  blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord;” (Luke 19:38) to Jerusalem.

Peter had been there when Jesus said, “there is one here with Me that will betray Me.” (John 13:21)

And Peter had wondered then, if it was him.

Jesus had prayed for Peter,  that his faith fail not.  Peter was impetuous, and did not really know the fears of his own heart,  yet….

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

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

And it did not fail, for though Peter denied the Lord three times;  yet when Jesus looked at him,  he went out and wept bitterly.   He stayed with the disciples,  and was restored. (John 21:15-19). 

How many times had Peter heard Jesus say to him:  Follow Me? 

How many times have we?

So now,  Peter, in his last letter,  is seeking to warn others,  thinking of his many failures.   

So he warns these believers, that though they do these things that he has written: 

You believe and are obtaining the promises.  

You use your faith to gain patience, knowledge and love; and you have done it in diligence.

Still, because I remember my failures,  so I warn you to faithfully continue to follow Christ.

2 Peter 1:13,15 “Yea,  I think it meet,  as long as I am in this tabernacle (body), to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;  

                             Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able  after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.”

I encourage you to follow our Lord,  and not become weary or frightened, and “fall from your own steadfastness”. (2 Peter 3:17)

We will never be what we should be without passing through all the everyday trials of our lives,  with Christ.

Everything that comes to us has it’s place in the everyday happenings which God intends.    

They are all His lessons to bring us closer to Him.  So Peter writes:

2 Peter 1:5-7 “…giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue,  knowledge;

And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness;

And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness,  charity (love).”

His way is always best;  though we can not see it, now.   

He will lead,  and be a shoulder to lean on in all we go through,  if we continue to follow His Word.

2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:  for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”

God’s Substitution 

1 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.”

The substitution taught in the New Testament is two-fold.

He has made Christ Jesus to be sin for us, though He knew no sin.

He was holy in His divine Person;  and He was holy and perfect in His humanity as the Man Christ Jesus.

But when He became the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice, on the cross;  He took all the sin of His people onto Himself.

And because of His Holy Person, He paid the penalty for that sin.

It was completely wiped out.  

Because of this, He was raised again and set at the right hand of the Father,  with the new administration of power. 

As our Mediator. (1 Timothy 2:5)

“That”,  here is the reason Christ Jesus did this:

“That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

Notice,  it is “made” in both substitutions.

God “made”.  It means “to establish,  or make strong”. 

He strengthened Christ to finish the work,  by the blessed Holy Spirit, which He poured upon Him,  without measure.

He strengthens us to do righteousness by the same Holy Spirit,  which He gives us according to the measure we are emptied of self.

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.”

We find our Christ-life, as we lose our self-life, by denying ourselves.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit to the degree we are emptied of self.

And as we deny ourselves, pick up the cross of His will, willingly (for it is “if any man will”),  then we are emptied of our self-life, and given more power by His Spirit.

The substitution in us is:  Christ is formed in me.   We are “made” into His character here.    (We are not divine;  never.)

But we can do righteousness,  as representatives of our Lord,  by His character formed in us.

HIs goodness, gentleness, forgiveness, peace, and love.

But, as He showed me (about me);  I need to get out of the way, by denying myself.

So the Holy Spirit can work through me:

In words….

Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be always with grace,  seasoned with salt,  that ye may know how ye ought to answer everyone.”

In actions…

Colossians 3:17 “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.”

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do,  do it heartily,  as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

In attitude….

Colossians 3:1-2 “If ye then be risen with Christ,  seek those things which are above,  where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

                                Set your affection on things above,  not on things on the earth.”

Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,  to which also ye are called in one body;  and be thankful.”

The substitution taught in the New Testament is two-fold:  Christ became sin for me,  

That…I may be made the righteousness of God in Christ.

Amos;  and our calling.

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

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

He was not a prophet or a prophet’s son,  but called from being a shepherd and gathering wild figs,   he was called to preach repentance to Israel, that they might remember their Shepherd, and bring forth fruit to God.

Israel and Judah had separated.   In Jerusalem was the temple.  And the king of Israel was afraid that Israel would go back to Judah to worship at the Temple.

So he set up two idols to worship.  He told them that these were just a representation of God;  but he lied to them.

Israel apostatized.   They had begun to worship the idols which were calves.  

 This was great sin.  God is a jealous God, and so He sent them prophets to rebuke the king, the people,  and this sin.  

But the practice stuck.  They refused to be healed of it.  And so finally, after many years;  God was going to send Israel into captivity.   

And to a terrible people: cruel and vicious;  the Assyrians.

But before He did,  He sent Amos to call them to repentance, and to tell them what was going to happen if they refused to hear, this last time.

Amos 3:1-2 “Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you,  O children of Israel,  against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt,  saying, 

                       You only have I known of all the families of the earth:  therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

It was because Israel knew the Lord, He was God,  that He was going to punish them for turning away from Him.  They had seen His works,  they had been given His Word,  and they knew He was the real God.

Light brings responsibility.     When we know to do good and do it not,  that is sin. (James 4:17)

And sin added to sin,  is spitting in the face of God.   

He is long-suffering, and merciful;  but He knows when enough is enough.  

He decides when drastic measures are called for.  It is to bring all who will hear His Words, to return to Him.

They knew that what they were doing was against God’s Commandments and laws;  yet they continued in them,  because they thought they could get by with it.

                                       So Amos came up to Israel, and preached repentance to the people, and at Bethel. (This was one of the places where the idols were, and one of the palaces of the king.)

Amos 7:1-3 “Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me;  and,  behold,  He formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth;…

                        And it came to pass,  that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land,  then I said,  O Lord God,  forgive,  I beseech Thee: by whom shall Jacob arise?  For he is small.

                        The Lord repented for this:  It shall not be,  saith the Lord.”

First, it was grasshoppers to eat the grass to feed the flocks.   But at Amos prayer,  God “repented” or stopped His judgement, so that all would not be destroyed.

(This show us how important our prayers are.   The Lord hears the prayers of the righteous,  and many times it is our prayers that change a situation for good.)

Second, God sent scorching heat to lay waste the waters they counted on.

But again Amos prayed for them, and God halted the judgement that way.

But the third time, The Lord showed Amos a plum line. (A plumb line is a line with a weight on the bottom to hold it down straight.)

Amos 7:7-8 “Thus He showed me,  and, behold,  the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line,  with a plumb line in His hand.

                        And the Lord said unto me,  Amos,  what seest thou?  And I said,  A plumb line,   Then said the Lord,  Behold,  I have a set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel:  I will not again pass by them any more:”

God would put a plumb line in the midst of His people.   If they would “straighten out” their lives by turning back to Him, they would be spared.

But those who refused, and remained “crooked”,  would fall as a wall which leans.

And how did God want them to repent?

First to return unto Him.

Amos 5:4 “For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel,  Seek ye Me,  and ye shall live:”

Second, The Lord wanted them to treat the poor with dignity, and fairness.

Amos 8:4-6 “Hear this,  O ye that swallow the needy,  even to make the poor of the land to fail, 

                       Saying,  When will the new moon be gone,  that we may sell corn? And the sabbath,  that we may set forth wheat,  making the ephah (like a bushel) small,  and the shekel (their money) great,  and falsifying the balances by deceit?

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

The title of this is Amos; and our calling.

As Christians,  we too, are called to our family, our friends, our church, and our nation:  to pray for and to seek their good.   

And the greatest good we can pray for,  is for them to know and love The Lord, and to treat others as they want to be treated,  with dignity and respect.

Under the idolatry of Israel,  many were destroyed spiritually,  long before God sent them out of their land, in judgement.

He sent prophets to preach His Words,  and chastening circumstances so they would see His hand.

Finally, He sent them out of the good land, to sift them as wheat:

Amos 9:9-10 “For, lo,  I will command,  and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations,  like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

                         All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword,  which say,  The evil shall not over take  or prevent us.”

But even as Amos left Israel to return to being a shepherd,  he heard a promise:

God would not utterly forsake His people.   

They would have to go through terrible trouble to finally learn the lesson He would have easily taught them,  had they listened and turned to Him.

But…

“In that day will I raise up….and I will build…saith the Lord that does this.  I will bring again…and I will plant.  (Amos 9:11-15)

The Lord sent Amos to preach repentance to “all who will” hear.

And we are all called to witness to our Lord Jesus Christ.   To let our lights so shine that all may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven.

Are we indifferent to God?

Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto me,  and be ye saved,  all the ends of the earth:  for I am God, and there is none else.”

In the world,  there are many gods. 

But for the one who is truly born again,  there is no other God,  but the Triune God.

God, the Father.

God, the Son.

God, the Holy Ghost.

They are three persons in One.   

God the Father formulated our Salvation.

God the Son purchased by HIs redeeming blood, our Salvation.

God the Holy Ghost works that Salvation within us;  day by day,  moment by moment.

Indifference in religion is the worst of attitudes. (Indifference means a lack of decision,  for either for or against something.)

Really?!  How can this be for a Christian?

We should either be,  “all in”;   Or “all out”.

When I was younger,  many preachers used to mention the proverbial “fence-setters”.

As a true Christian,  you really cannot be on that fence.   You must choose which side you will walk on.

Joshua 24: 14-15 “Now therefore fear the Lord,  and serve Him in sincerity and in truth;  and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood,  and in Egypt;    and serve ye the Lord.

                               And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord,  choose you this day whom ye will serve;  whither the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood,  or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:          but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

You see, everyone will serve a god:

Either the true God.

Or a god of their own making. (Which includes themselves…making themselves a god of their life.)

We are not in charge.  There are circumstances which come up we are not prepared for.

There are people who have an effect on us,  for good and evil, come into our lives.

There is the “bug” that bites:  greed,  success,  and power.

And there is the emotional roll-a-coaster from the choices we make.

As Christians, we should gladly submit ourselves to God.

He has saved,  and in a real sense,  saves us everyday;  as we yield to His Holy Spirit, within.

We should give up the attitude of the world to our God:  

Psalms 14:1 “The fool hath said in his heart,   There is no God.   They are corrupt,  they have done abominable works,  there is none that doeth good.”

In the original Hebrew, it means that they say,  “No,  God.”  For they work very hard to say that there is no God,  and as they work,  they seem to more and more, believe it.   

We cannot afford to be hesitant about our life with God. 

We must stand with someone.

We will come with the zealous attitude of following after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Or,  in indifference,  we will take on the attitude of the world, and lose our greatest strength.

Where do we stand?   

Are we indifferent to our God?

Today!

Hebrew 3:15 “While it is said,  Today if you will hear his voice,  harden not your hearts as in the provocation.”

All our lives comes down to ‘Today’.     Tomorrow is not yet.   Yesterday, with its success and failures,  is done.

But today we have.   Today we have the opportunity to turn to God and do His Will.

We never know what a day will bring.    We should, therefore, determine which direction our lives will go,    while we have today.

So today,  if you will hear His Voice.   

We can hear God’s voice in nature;  many have seen the changing seasons and heard God speak to them:

Psalms 74:17 “…Thou hast made summer and winter.”   If the seasons change, all over the world,  surely that means that the sadness of today is not permanent;  but will give way to rejoicing.

We can hear God through His Word.  It is His revelation of Himself and His Ways to us.    The Holy Spirit will help us understand it,  when we ask Him.

And we can hear His Voice to us, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit within.   He is Light, and will make known to us HIs Will.

John 7:17 “If any man will do His will,  he shall know of the doctrine (teaching) whither it be of God,  or whither I speak of myself.”

Jesus said,  If we really want to know His Will,  we can know.

God considers our “heart” the seat or throne of our mind, emotions and will.

So when we hear Him,  we are to “soften” our hearts by yielding to His Will.

To “harden” our hearts is when we will not to do it;  for whatever reason.

Zechariah 7:9-11 “Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying,  Execute true judgement,  and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother:  

                           And oppress not the widow,  nor the fatherless,  the stranger,  nor the poor,  and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

                          But they refused to hearken,  and pulled away the shoulder,  and stopped their ears,  that they should not hear.”

A hardened heart is not caused by circumstances, or birth;  but a choice of will, to the circumstances or birth.

When Israel hardened their heart:   they first refused to listen,  for they did not want to be responsible.   They thought that if they had not heard,  God could not require His Word to be obeyed.

They pulled away from the work of “shouldering” the burdens of prayer, faithfulness,  and love.

Finally they stopped their ears, or filled their ears with other voices, so they would not have to know God’s Voice in the circumstances.

Again, God considers our heart, the throne of our mind, emotions,  and will.

But He can give us “hearts of flesh”;  or tender hearts which return the love He gives us to Him.

Ezekiel 11:19-20 “And I will give them one heart,  and I will put a new spirit within you;  and I will take the stoney heart out of the flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:

                        That they may walk in my statues,  and keep mine ordinances, and do them:  and they shall be my people,  and I will be their God.”

The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, is given to us in our hearts to make alive again, and guide.   He rules and over rules in circumstances  which affect His People.

Without Him we can do nothing.

But with His Almighty energy,  the most extraordinary results can be produced.

Everything depends upon His manifesting or concealing His Power.

Are we anxious to obtain His help?

Are we watching so we will not provoke Him to be silent?   Oh how much we need Him to speak to our inner man and give us courage!

The Holy Spirit is not a temporary gift;   He abides with us.  

He does not weary of us (Amazing Love!);   But waits to be gracious at times, till we really see our need, and seek Him.

It is love which makes a hard heart into a softened heart, yielding to God’s Spirit.

God’s love placed into our hearts,  and returned to Him.

In love, He speaks of “Today”,  if…..

Turn to  Christ Jesus, and yield to HIs Spirit within.  

Receive His love,….and return it to Him.

He wants to bless each heart given to Him,   let Him,   Today.

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.

It is the Eleventh Hour

I am going to speak frankly about some searching internal things of God,  I experienced years ago.

For years I had gone along, (a Church goer, Sunday School Teacher).  But over a series of months, I was “forced” (by the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment) to admit  to myself and God, the lack of permanent spiritual fruit in my own life.

I would be peaceful and joyful, at times; then angry and bitter, at other times.

I began to doubt the reality of my conversion.

My obedience I knew was partial, so I sought to be obedient in all things; to be more diligent.

Yet I longed with a greater and greater yearning to hear some Word from the Lord about it all.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

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.”

I started to pray that He would search me, hoping that it would lead to an experience.

A once accomplished setting in order, if you will.  Then my life would be under the control of the Holy Spirit.  No problems.

But time and time again, the Lord lead me to discover the times I simply did not deny myself in this attitude,  or in that reaction. 

Our reactions to people and things tells God, as well as others, a lot about our true spirituality.

To “deny myself” (Matthew 16:24);  this was not what I wanted to hear.  

I do that;  I’ve done that.

But time and time again,  I came face to face with the fact that I had started to do it,  but my “reasons” for putting up with myself, seemed too good.

Or I had denied myself in the action.  I did not do what was wrong.   

But I sure wanted to.  

Was that really “denying myself”?

So then the Lord showed me that I was born again,  but I was not walking with Him.

I was following my own way.  A way which was not producing fruit for Him,  or true life for me.

He showed me, that time is important.   I had made choices in things I could not change:  consequences I must bear.

So, what could I do?  How can I do for the time I have left?

Matthew 20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.”

The Kingdom of Heaven, if it is to be gained, is by One man.  The householder here; our Lord Jesus Christ; and His call to us.

God’s call is always to Himself:  it may be to Salvation,  or it may be to a work,  or it may be to more knowledge of Himself.

But His Call is always to Himself.

Christ calls those who would be part of the Kingdom of Heaven, not to sit around, but to labor in His Work in this World.

The Lord showed me, through this parable, my life; and how I had served Him. 

Will you see yourself here?

Now, within every believer, there is a “clock”, so to speak.

This clock begins to tick the moment we are born again.   It is like a time clock for the Work of the Lord, for ourselves.

When Christ calls to the Work:

Some respond early, and go to work for Christ.  

Matthew 20:1-2 “…a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.   

And when he had agree with the laborers for a penny a day,  he sent them into his vineyard.”

(Back then, there were twelve hour days, and a penny was a good days wage.)

Some respond later, but still go.

Matthew 20:3-5 “And he went out about the third hour,  and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

And said unto them;  Go ye also into the vineyard;  and whatsoever is right I will give you.  And they went their way.

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour,  and did likewise.”

But some, stand idle all the day;  inactive, and barren.

Matthew 20:6-7 “About the eleventh hour he went out,  and found others standing idle,  and saith unto them,   Why stand ye here all the day idle?  

They say unto him,  Because no man hath hired us.    He saith unto them,  Go ye also into the vineyard;  and whatsoever is right,  that ye shall receive.”

How can religious people be idle?

Because they have bee brought into the Christian faith without any confrontation of the total commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord.

Without any instruction that real Christian Victory, means complete abandonment of our self and person to Jesus Christ.

So when the householder said,  “Go into my vineyard”;   Jesus was giving us the opportunity of doing that.   How many times in my life had He done so?

Now where were these “idle” ones during the times He came before?

He accuses them of standing idle “all the day”, so they must have been there.

Yet they did not heed His call to go and work.

What about you?   Has the Lord Jesus called for laborers, and you stood idle?

When others went, you were relieved that you did not “have to” go?

Yet the time (remember each of us have a clock, ticking) goes by, and the emptiness with us seems to weigh us down. (It did for me)

Now the day is almost gone.

Oh, if He would just call again;  for the Kingdom of Heaven is wrapped up in the laborers He has called.

Then He does, rebuking us for our laziness,  for our attitude of letting someone else do the work.

What will you do now?

Let this last opportunity go by again?    For it is the eleventh hour.

Matthew 20:9-10 “And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour,  they received every man a penny.

But when the first came,  they supposed that they should have received more;  and they received every man a penny.”

Here is the wages of these workers. (Not the wages of sin;  Christ took those)

But in Him we receive the “wages” of our obedience to His call; and our faithfulness (even after we were unfaithful).

Some labored longer;  some a very short time. 

Yet the householder, Jesus Christ, pays out the same wages to all.

Those wages are the reward for the faithful following of His call.  The faithful putting of yourself aside for Christ’s sake, and for the faithful love which (finally) follows Him.

In that day of receiving, we will enter into His Joy and into His courts with praise.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Enoch and Methuselah

Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;  and was not found,  because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony,  that he pleased God.”

Just seven generations from Adam,  Enoch was a man who never died, but was translated to heaven.  (It is a picture of our Rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

He had evidently been tempted to walk with the rest of the world.

The people around him were turning more and more wicked: 

Genesis 6:5 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

The Hebrew for “every imagination” signifies not only thinking about these things but also the purposes and desires:  there was the heart’s reaching out to them, and the will to do them.

The world in which Enoch lived was growing worse and worse;  no one was thinking about what God had created them for:  To walk with Him….not in a garden anymore,  but in the labor of their days.  

Even the knowledge of good and evil had deteriorated into just the knowledge of evil.

No one kept themselves from doing what he wanted.   No matter who it hurt.

And Enoch considered having that way of life;  till the Lord showed him the consequences of such rejection of God and the actions which come from it.

Not just for himself,  but for the generations to come.     For when he was going to have a son, whom he named Methuselah;  something changed.

Jude 14-15 “And Enoch also,  the seventh from Adam,  prophesied of these, saying,  Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints,

                      To execute judgement upon all,  and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Enoch was going to have a son, and I believe the Lord gave Enoch the name for him:  Methuselah.

Methuselah means “the man of the branch or shoot which dies.”   It puts two Hebrew words together;     and as Enoch heard this name he knew God’s plan.

All men from Adam had died:  if you read Genesis 5,  “and he died” is written many times.  Generations of men had died,  and Enoch’s son would die one day: but this child’s death would be different.

Methuselah’s death:  the branch (just a shoot in infancy) would grow up and when he would die….so would the world of wicked men.

Enoch had a word from God concerning the judgement to come;  and the reason for it.

The “ungodly deeds”.   This means that they were “in Your face, God” rebellions.   They knew God,  but did not want to give Him the glory:   so they became vain in their imaginations and their heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21)

And “the hard speeches” they spoke against God.

These “hard speeches” were words of rebellion,  inciting others to forsake Him and begin to worship “nature”.    

(Romans 1:22-23 “…changed the glory of…God into an image…made like man, birds, and beasts…”)

This shows how much sin corrupts and perverts;     for this is what happened   just a few generations from Adam’s first sin. 

(Jesus also said that these actions would be prevalent in the end times, and He uses the example of a tender branch:  Matthew 24:32-39)

So Enoch made a choice,  for himself and the generation to come:  he would prophesy God’s Word,  and warn them of the judgement to come.  

Perhaps some would repent. 

And how would they know when it would come:  Enoch’s son,  Methuselah.

When Methuselah would die;  as all men had, up to that point:  then they would know the judgement was at hand.

(It is interesting to note,  that Methuselah is the man who lived the longest of all recorded men.)

God gave those He created,  many years to believe His Word and warning.

To turn away from foolishness and come back to God.

Because Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years…..that is almost a millennium to repent.

2 Peter 3:8-9 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,  that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years,  and a thousand years as one day.

                          The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,  as some men count slackness;  but long-suffering to usward,  not willing that any should perish,  but that all should come to repentance.”

Why does God send out His preachers to call all men everywhere to repent, and turn to God?   Because He remembers His promise to His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to save all who will come to Him.

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

If you will come,  He will save you.

To walk with God is to make God’s Word our rule of action, and His glory our end.

And twice it is said here that Enoch walked with God.

Genesis 5:22,24 “Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah   three hundred years,  and begat sons and daughters:

                               And Enoch walked with God:  and he was not;  for God took him.”

For three hundred years Enoch warned his fellow men what God had told him.

For three hundred years Enoch sought to glorify God before the world that was becoming increasingly more wicked and violent. 

(Genesis 6:11 “The earth also was corrupt before God;  and the earth was filled with violence.”)

Then one day:  Enoch “was not, for God took him”.     

Nothing is said whether there were some who looked to kill him for his testimony:     and “he was not, for God took him”.

Or whether, walking and talking along the way with God,  when God manifested another sign to the perishing world:

Enoch did not die.   “He was not, for God took him.”

God was showing all who would see,  that those who believe and follow God,  never really die. 

Methuselah grew and had a son of his own;  who had a son who he called Noah.

Methuselah saw the birth, and lived on as sign to all who would see it, of God’s extended mercy.

But there came a day when that mercy was no longer offered.  

(We all know that Noah built an ark and saved the animals and his house,  after preaching one hundred years to his fellow men. Hebrews 11:7,  2 Peter 2:5)

The year Methuselah died,  the  flood came.

It is sad,  but true:

Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because sentence against a evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

God’s Word has come down to us through the centuries that He will be found of any who seek Him.

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found,  call ye upon Him while He is near:

                         Let the wicked forsake his way,  and the unrighteous man his thoughts:  and let him return unto the Lord and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God for He will abundantly pardon.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then shall ye call upon Me,  and ye shall go and pray unto Me,  and I will hearken to you.

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

God has gone beyond this;  for He has sent His Beloved Son to seek and to save all who will come unto Him.

Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”

Titus 3:3-6 “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,  hateful, and hating one another.

                      But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 

                      Not by works of righteousness which we have done,  but according to His mercy He saved us,  by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  

                      Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;”

Let us walk with God; waiting for the day of His coming.

Showing forth His glory and mercy to all those who will seek the Lord.

An Offering of a Willing Heart.  

Exodus 35:4-5 “And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying,  This is the thing that the Lord commanded, saying,  

                            Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord:  whosoever is of a willing heart,  let him bring it,  an offering of the Lord;  gold, and silver, and brass,”

The Tabernacle of the Lord was to be made.  The very intricate pieces were to be done by those selected by God, and given the ability. (Exodus 35:30-35)

But before they could do the work,  materials had to be gathered.   And God did not require any to give;  but it was to be an offering of a “willing heart”.

Exodus 35:21-22 “And they came,  everyone whose heart stirred him up,  and everyone whom his spirit made willing,  and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the Tabernacle of the congregation,  and for all His service, and for the holy garments.

                                And they came,  both men and women,  as many as were willing-hearted,  and brought bracelets, and earring, and rings, and tablets,  all jewels of gold:  and every man that offered,  offered an earring of gold unto the Lord.”

Exodus 35:29 “The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord,  every man and woman,  whose heart made them willing to bring for all the manner of work,  which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.”

This was wonderful.   But the example I want to speak about is:

Exodus 38:8   “And he made the laver of brass,  and the foot of it of brass,  of the looking glasses of the women assembling,  which assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation.”

These woman had given before:  bracelets, and earrings, gold and silver.   Yet they continued coming to the  door of the Tabernacle to see what else was needed.

Back in those days,  looking glasses (mirrors) were not made of glass, but of brass.   Highly polished brass.   It was an art to make them and they were very valuable.

(Actually it was flattering to the faces,  for it gave them a shine, and did not show up every flaw.  

In 1 Corinthians 13:12,  it says,  “For now we see through a glass (looking glass) darkly,  but then face to face:  for I know in part;  but then shall I know even as also I am known.”   

The apostle is saying,  “Now you see yourself a little better than you are.  You are not seeing clearly.   You are also not seeing clearly the love God has for you,  as you.   But then, when you put away “childish things”,  you will see yourself clearer,  and God’s Amazing love for you,  as you;  a lot clearer, too.)

These women had gotten these looking glasses from the Egyptians [who were scrupulous about their looks],  and had them stored in their treasures.   

To be able to pull them out after journeying through the desert, and brush the sand out of your hair.  To see how your face looks after a few years:  this would have been a real treasure!

But, they saw the need for brass for the laver.  (the large basin with feet, which was filled with water.  It was outside the Holy Place, in the court.

This is what the priests washed at after working at the altar with the sacrifices.  They were to wash before going into the Holy Place,  and eating the bread, or lighting the Lamp,  or offering incense to God.

For the sacrifice spoke of God’s sacrifice to save us in Jesus Christ;  and the Holy Place speaks of fellowship with Jesus:  having His light,  feeding on Him as our Bread of Life, and praying [the incense going up to God].   

So the priests had to wash before going in.)

These women saw the need, and brought something very personal, and very valuable to them.  Their brazen looking glasses.   Of all their treasures,  these would have been something they would want to hold on to.

They came willingly and gave something which would have made them feel beautiful.   So it was a matter of the heart, choosing God’s work, over their vanity.  Not such an easy choice at times.

Yet it was an offering of a willing heart from all of them;  and God gave witness of their offering in His Word, as a testimony to their love.

The Lord has books of all the deeds down through the centuries,  of those that do something willingly, out of love to Him.  

(Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another:  and the Lord hearkened,  and heard it,  and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord,  and that thought upon His name.”)

Is our service to the Lord, of a willing heart?