Launch out into the Deep
Luke 5:4 “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”
Here the Lord is getting surrounded about with people , who want to hear more of the word of God, by the lake of Gennesaret.
Two fishing ships were at hand, although the men were out of them, so Jesus enters into one of them and asked the owner, named Simon, to:
Luke 5:3 “And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.”
There was some effort to this favor for Jesus, and now Jesus is going to do Simon a favor.
“Launch out into the deep, and let down your nests for a draught.”
Simon, here, was trying to be polite; and gently tells Jesus that they had already done everything they could to get a catch of fishes.
Luke 5:5 “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing: Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
But he also added, “But at thy word ”
Here is obedience. Peter might not have agreed with the plan. Might not have thought it would work; but would do it anyway, to honor Jesus.

Jesus had “borrowed” Peter’s ship, and now He would “pay” him for the use of it.
Luke 5:6-7″ And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.”
A net full of fishes, to the breaking point, was what He gave.
“Pressed down and running over”. (Luke 6:38). He spoke this word…He fulfilled this word to Peter, here.

But now, with the “payment” given; Peter realizes this Jesus was who John the Baptist testified; “The Lamb of God”. (John 1:35-41). That He was indeed the Christ.
Peter then fell down (probably a most unusual position for the energetic fisherman)
And cried “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
Luke 5:8-9 “When Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes that they had taken:”
“Lord” is the right title for Jesus. And it led to following Jesus.

Luke 5:10-11 “And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed Him.”
They forsook all and followed Him.
This is the best gift–to be called to follow Jesus.

Launch out into the deep. A simple command, simply followed; which led to becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus also calls us to “Launch out” with Him in our everyday lives, to be obedient to Him.
We may not “agree” with the command; or think we have already done all we could;
but we will obey.
“They forsook all”; they had known Jesus before (as John 1:35-41 shows), but now their lives were at Jesus’ command.
What about us? Do we know Jesus, yet have not “launched out” with Him into true discipleship?
He calls, will we follow?
We may never “forsake all” in the same way as Peter, James, and John did here….but we are always called to place Him first.
And with Him first, everything else is seen to. (Mark 1:20)
Matthew 6:33. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Faith and Hope
Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
And both faith and hope take the things of the Holy Spirit, in our spirit, and make them real to us.
We must exercise our wills with the Holy Spirit within, and then faith and hope become strong helps in our walk with God.

If you are born again, then you have this peace with God by Christ Jesus, and we are ready to proceed further.

Romans 5:2 ” By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
“Access”, think of the doors of heaven opening; and power, strength, encouragement, whatever you need; coming down to you.
This is this access that faith in our Lord Jesus Christ gives us. For it opens into “grace”.
“Grace” is the unmerited favor of power.
Grace is the power of God to save, of course.
But it is also the power of God to keep, change, to do what He has called you to do in your life.
Zechariah 4:7 “Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

This is the grace we have access to, through faith, by our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the grace that empowers us to stand.
We seek it from Him, or we never stand.

And if you are experiencing this grace, you should also be experiencing:
“And rejoice, in hope, of the glory of God.”
This hope is from the Holy Spirit…you can’t work it up, it is given.
It is the confident expectation that God will do what He said.
He will work glory out of my life, as I yield to Him, and stand with Him.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Paul was rejoicing in that power, even though it meant his prayer was not answered the way he wanted.

Romans 5:3 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience;”
When you are kept–sustained is a better word. Kept is taken care of like we are still babes in Christ.
Sustained is upheld, and that is for maturing Christians.
Our Rock is Christ…and He is always strong for us.
So when you are sustained by this faculty of hope (that confidence from the Holy Spirit that God will do what He said), you can indeed glory in tribulations–for you see that they are all to the glory of God.(though you may not see how at the time)

Tribulations work patience within us. These tribulations aren’t just those which lead to martyrdom. No, they are also the trials, which are really trials of the way.
Places so hard to overcome (they are often called mountains in Scripture) that they are seen as impossible to us.
But they work patience with in us, by waiting on God to do the impossible.(and how many times He has done so for us!)
“Worketh”. That doesn’t mean we will be instantaneously patient—Oh, No.
But worketh patience.
If we are having a “fit”; or rebelling against a certain set of circumstances; you need to go back and “access” more grace.
For you can not be experiencing that hope that will enable you to gain patience in these circumstances, for you have given up that confidence in God.
Grace is enabling; and how much we need enabling in our work, and life.
And God does do the impossible; If not for us the way we want….then in us to yield in a mighty way to these circumstances and have the victory in them.

Romans 5:4 “And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
And how much experience we will have in our walk with God! That patience that He has worked within us, will gain us such experiences that will increase our dependence on God, Who gives us hope.
You will know as you receive from your Father’s Hand, all that comes to you; His grace abundantly, and His love.

Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
This confidence that God will do what He says, has been proved again and again; and the Holy Spirit within us lights up the love of God within us, so that we are blessed by His Presence in all circumstances.
We are not ashamed of our God and His working in us, though the way be rough or smooth….God’s love encourages us to have more of His boundless joy, peace, and love.
All of this is by the Holy Spirit within. Stifle not the Holy Spirit. Yield to Him, and enjoy His gifts of faith and Hope.

By His Word
Mark 11:2-3 “And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, wherein never man sat: loose him, and bring him.
And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? Say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.”

This is, of course, the colt that Jesus rode into Jerusalem with the shouts of “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”. “Hosanna in the highest”.

This is where Jesus presents Himself to the King’s City as King, according to prophesy:
Zechariah 9:9 ” Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

As King, although unrecognized by the rulers, He goes into the temple:
Mark 11:11 “And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.”

And as King, He sees all that needs to be set in order in the temple.
But He does not stay in Jerusalem….but goes out of the city.

The next day, coming into Jerusalem, to do the work that needed to be done; He was hungry.
Mark 11:12-13″And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.”
Here Jesus was hungry, and walked out of His way to have some figs.
On fig trees, the figs come on before the leaves; and there were leaves, so there should have been figs.
It was not the time of figs, but there were leaves; so there should have been figs.
But He found none.

So by His Word:
Mark 11:14 “And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it.”
You will notice “And Jesus answered”; Why this term?
Because the tree had “spoken”. It had rejected feeding the Son of Man, Jesus Christ; therefore Jesus “answered” it with a curse.
(Some say the fig tree is a figure of Israel: Religiously looking good, but without fruit unto God. But is there any among us, that can say that the Lord has not looked for fruit from them, and found leaves, only?)

So they continue into Jerusalem, where yesterday they had praised and blessed Him.
Mark 11:15-16 ” And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.”
Yesterday it was to manifest Himself as King, today it is to do the work of His Father, for His house. Setting in order that which was wanting in the service of God.
He did this Himself, casting out; and refusing entrance to those who would violate the temple. He had done this once before at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:13-16). Now He would do it again, as a witness against the hardness of their heart.

Then by His Word:
Mark 11:17 “And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Not only did He cleanse, He spoke concerning God’s will for His house.
To set in order.

Mark 11:18-19 ” And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought out how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
And when even was come, he went out of the city.”
But here again, He was rejected. The people were amazed at Him speaking with authority the doctrine of God. Amazed but unresponsive. And the rulers, instead of submitting to God’s Word, only sought to destroy Him.

The work finished He came into the city to do, He again leaves the city. He would not stay a night in Jerusalem, until the night of the passover feast.

By His Word the fig tree was cursed, and by His Word the temple was cleansed.

Mark 11:20-21″And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
And Peter calling to rememberance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree that thou cursedst is withered away.”
By His Word it was all done.
Then the Lord Jesus, wanting to set forth the importance of our words, showed His disciples what it was all about.

Mark 11:22 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.”
Faith is that active ingredient in our life which makes real the things of God.
God will act for you if you have faith in Him. For real faith, trusts Him.
Are you doing and saying because it is what you want?
Or are you doing and saying because God wants you to?
Leaves are words, Fruit is obedient deeds.
A temple serving man, is not God’s temple.
Have faith in God….don’t just look good, or go along with everyone else. But believe God’s Word and obey Him.

Mark 11:23 “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
What a wonderful Word from our Lord Jesus! What an encouragement to His disciples, for soon everything was going to change. The reality of their faith would soon be shown. There were going to be plenty of “mountains” that would need to be removed in front of them, to bring them past Jesus crucified, to Jesus resurrected, to Jesus ascended, to the Holy Spirit given.
Here is faith in action.

And what is the mountain that I want to see cast into the sea?
It is that “mountain” (within me, and within my circumstances) that hinders me from seeing done, what I’ve been called to do by the Lord.
I want that mountain or mountains removed!

It is according to :
“And shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass.”
Faith sees God; “shall believe” is the hearts response to God’s Word to us.
The disciples were called to put their faith in action and believe God’s Word to go on in their callings.
So are we.

Mark 11:24-26 “Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, when we pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
To believe when you pray, asking God for your requests, is to place yourself at His disposal to bring them to pass.
To do this, nothing must come between you and God.
Therefore, forgive, if you have anything against another person; and God will forgive you.
Everyone is on the same level: we all need forgiveness. And Jesus was plainly teaching that sins are to be forgiven, that our prayers are not hindered.
We need to pray…we have mountains to be removed. So have faith in God, and believe when you pray, forgiving all; that you may be forgiven. Then those mountains will be removed!
By His Word: He has said these things that we might put them into practice.
What will we do with them?

Loves thou Me more than these?
John 21:15-19 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith unto Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, loves thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkest whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
This spoke he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.”

Jesus brought back Peter after his three denials, with three affirmations of love.
Jesus knew Peter loved him. But there is a big difference in loving the Lord, as long as it is not going to cost me anything to do so.
Or loving Jesus, even though it costs you everything to do so.
Peter fell into sin and denied the Lord, because he stood outside with those waiting to see what would happen….rather then go in with John to the palace and be there with Jesus during the judgement of the Sanhedrin.
Outside, neither with or against, is a dangerous place to be. For surely someone or something will make you choose. And when you do; you may find, like Peter, you have just denied your Lord.
But Jesus knew Peter’s heart; and had made provision for it:
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.”

The Lord has also made provision for us; that we might be restored any time to Him and that we might go on and be used for Him. (Peter certainly was: Feed my sheep and lambs. And he did.)
We, too, are asked, “Lovest thou Me?” The Spiritual Reality of our hearts is our answer…for Jesus already knows if we love Him.
Spiritual Reality is not measured by our accomplishments;
But by the hearts loving embrace of all that is set before us:
“For His Sake”

Reality, is it for me?
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.”
This is the Path to Reality for everyone of us.
We will have spiritual reality, to the degree we walk in it.
Will you choose this path?

It must ultimately come down to “for His sake”. God never alters our wills; our will must be exercised for Him.
We must choose to deny self, and follow Him.
We must choose to lose our self-life, to find our Christ life.

Our wills are not free, because they are influenced by our minds and hearts.
What or Who do you love?
What influences your thinking most; God’s Word, or the World’s opinions?

As you go along with Christ, you find out these things and (if you will) deal with anything which comes between you and Jesus.
We are to go about our Father’s Will, by denying ourselves, picking up our cross, and following Christ.
But what is “my” cross?

Christ’s cross was the wooden one on which He sacrificed Himself, and shed His blood for my sins.
We can never “pick up” His cross. Nor are we called to.
We are called to pick up our cross:
Our cross is anything which God requires that cuts across our wills. It must be something you can refuse to do. Christ said, “If any man will”; therefore you may “will not.”
Sickness, your parents, or siblings (no matter how trying) are not your cross.
You can not refuse them.
(It can be something concerning them: taking care of your parents–you don’t have to, but God wants you to. That can be your cross.)
Your cross is anything which God requires that cuts across our wills; which is a matter of choice.

And He calls us to do it for His sake.
The Christian walk is a love story–or should be.
Yes, in every relationship where our hearts are concerned, there are going to be arguments. (Some call these differences of opinion, some call them having a fit with God) but they are arguments.
Even in the Old Testament times God wanted a love relationship with His people and asked them to:
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
He wanted them to come and talk to Him about what was between them.
What reason had they for seeking idols?
What reason had they for refusing to understand His corrections?
Proverbs 1:23 “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

He was and is ready, always, to give more understanding and grace by His Holy Spirit, to us in any situation (yes, even the ones we are not suppose to be in; to help us out).

His call to us is, always, “come and follow Him.”

True Sanctification is the heart’s longing after the Lord, Himself.
Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”
This is what we should desire and long after: fellowship, and communion with the Lord.
David wanted this: “that will I seek after”.
And David was not without sin or corrections.
Yet he knew God, and His love for him, and loved the Lord.
What about us?
Lovest thou Me more than these?

Disciples–Learners, and Friends.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Come and learn of Him.
If we are born again, we know how to “Come”…for we did come to Him for Salvation.
To learn of Him is to stop thinking we already know…and to hear what He is saying.
A good example is the feeding of the five thousand.
The story is in all four gospels:
Matthew 14:15-21. (Verse 16) “But Jesus said unto them (His disciples), They need not depart; give ye them to eat.”

Mark 6:35-44. (Verse 37) “He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?”

Luke 9:12-17. (Verse 13) “But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.”

John 6:5-13. (Verse 5-6) “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.”

In all the accounts, Jesus is healing and teaching the multitudes which followed Him into the desert place. He has compassion on them. For He sees them as sheep, not having a shepherd.
He has let the time pass, because He wants to teach His disciples a lesson.
First: In themselves they can do nothing. “Give ye them to eat.” Showed them that they couldn’t.
Second: If they give what He has blessed, and given them; there is enough and to spare. “Bring them (the loaves and fishes) hither to me….and looking up to heaven, he blessed and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled:…”(Matthew 14:18-20)

Lessons from our Lord includes everything. From prayer (Luke 11:1-13), to strife among brethren (Matthew 18:15-17, John 13:34-35), to faith (Matthew 15:30-31, 17:20), and forgiveness (Matthew 1 9:21-35).
We are learners of Jesus:
Ephesians 4:20, 24 “But ye have not so learned Christ; (speaking about all those who have understandings darkened, who are separated from the life of God)
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:”  “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”

All this comes down to; learning to walk with Him:
Amos 3:3 ” Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
As we lose our self-life, we must come to many agreements with Him. This is the learning process.
There must be an Absolute Surrender to Christ; For He must Reign. This is where we decide, once and for all, that we will follow Christ; wherever He leads.
But it is only by many deliberate acts of the will, that we make Him Lord of our lives, practically.
For it is only through our wills that we submit to His Lordship.
In each instance of obedience, our minds and hearts move the will to decide for Christ. This is another agreement made and another part of ourselves given to Christ to rule.

Friends:
John 15:15 “Henceforth I call ye not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
These disciples had traveled a long way with Christ, and had determined to go on with Him, although He was hated by the Pharisees, and rulers.

There is an old saying: “A wise man is he, that keeps his friendships in constant repair”
And this is as true with Christ, as well as our other friends.

A man with God can be a majority of One in any situation.
Look at John, the disciple:
When Jesus’s time was come, He went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray.(John 18:1)
The eleven were with Him, but three of the eleven were closest to Him…Peter, James and John. When Judas and the band of soldiers which were to arrest Him, came; they all fled. Jesus had asked that His disciples be let go:
John 18:8 “Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:”

Mark 14:48-52 “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?
I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the Scriptures must be fulfilled.
And they all forsook him, and fled.
And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:
And he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.”
This young man, I believe was John….but look what he did right after that.

John 18:15 “And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.”
Here he was allowed to go into the place of judgement….the high priest knew him. This could have been life threatening. But he went into the palace to be with Jesus.

And after they led Jesus away to Pilate? And to Golgotha? John was there also. None other disciple, but he was.
John 19:25-27 “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Then saith he to his disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”
John was a young man; who had fled to save his life….but came back to follow Jesus, not only to find out what would happen to him, But to stand with Him, both in the place of judgement and death.

Friends. We, too, can be friends with Christ.
We can stand with Him, not that we won’t fail, but that we will seek Him and stand with Him, after we have.
A wise man is he, that keeps his friendships in constant repair.

Profitable Servants to the Lord.
Luke 17:7-10 “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

As servants, it is our duty to serve, and do all that our Master requires.

The full price of every soul to be saved;
And the work of every soul which is saved;
Has already been paid for by our Master, Jesus Christ.

But if all we do, is that which is required of us, we too, must say unto Him:
“We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do.”

Now if we would be profitable servants, we must go beyond doing what we are told, (although that is VERY important)…We must become devoted to our Master, Jesus Christ.
Deuteronomy 15:12,16-17 “And thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let them go free from thee. (Notice the servant is purchased, as we are purchased by Christ–redeemed)
And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thy house, because he is well with thee;
Then thou shalt take an awl; and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant forever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.”

This speaks of loving our Lord. We become profitable servants by the loving obedience we give Him.
2 Peter 1:10-11 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Then we shall be “ministered unto abundantly”….”if ye do these things”. This speaks of reward.
Heaven is the place for all His children. We will all be welcome, whether weak Christians or strong Christians. But the “everlasting kingdom” is a place where our reward for devoted service is given. Our place in this kingdom is determined by our devotion to Christ here, and now.
What we have become under the hand of the Holy Spirit in our submission to Him; and to what and Whom we have loved.

Again, God is love…and wants us to love Him and others.(This is impossible, naturally, for we really only “love” ourselves {if we were honest}, and those who love us. (Matthew 5:46)

But Christ calls us out of ourself love to learn, through faith, the way to real love.

2 Peter 1:5-7 “And besides this, 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)”

Notice, we are to give ” all diligence”. In other words, we are going to have to work at yielding to the Holy Spirit.
He gives us faith at new birth; and what we are to do with is: add to it.
Faith used, gives us Artea (virtue) or force, the force of the Holy Spirit within us (and how grateful we should be when we can “feel” His presence in our walk)
And this leads to knowledge–about ourselves, and about what God will do for me.
And this encourages us to be temperate, (or as I like to say: To walk, not run into things; to look before we leap…to be ready to leap, but to look first)
And this leads to patience, for we must wait on the Holy Spirit’s guidance in all things.
And this leads to godliness, or being conformed to the image of Christ’s character, and having His opinions.
And this leads to brotherly kindness….If we have come this far, we know a whole lot about ourselves, and we have learned not to judge anyone; rather to see our brothers in Christ as just that: Beloved Brothers.
And this leads to charity or love. This is not sentimental love. But rather the practical “Standing with” love that God does to us.

Look at all the “fruits” you have learned! Look at what you have accomplished by now!
2 Peter 1:8-9 “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

I have separated these, because there is a great gulf between these two believers.
One having submitted to the Holy Spirit goes on in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
And the other, limping along toward heaven….no “seeing” the joy of service to Christ, living as the world around them.
Christ calls us to be servants…which will we be?
Profitable or not?

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, in order to stand.
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.

If we do not resist evil, we are part of it. For as Christ said:
Matthew 12:30 “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.”

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. 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 His righteousness.

But there is also the righteousness we are to do: Romans 6:16, 19 “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?”
“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

To put on the breastplate of righteousness, we need to be sure we are born again; and then yield our members to obedience.

The term here “having” for both of these suggests the thought: “Will you have it?”
For these are the beginning of our protection. And we can not stand without truth and righteousness.

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.

And when we have experienced this for ourselves, our feet are shod, and 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 “darts” 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. (It suits what the devil is suggesting, or accusing; taking the influence of that attack away.)
Then God’s power is there, for you, too.
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?

“The greatest need for our day is a return to first principles”
(The Papers)

In as much as our ministry is to the Church, and we believe this is the Laodicean Age of the Church; we have been called to speak and make known the first Principles for which the Church was established.

In a short journey, it is easy to keep focused on the destination, while enjoying the view along the way. But when the journey becomes long and the way begins to become tedious; we are often confounded by the directions, and become uninterested in the way.

To return again to first principles, is to become awakened to the joy of the journey; to become aware of how far we have come; and to remember the goal for which we work.

Jude 25 “To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
This is the goal for our walk, our callings, and service: To be to His praise and glory.

To do this, subjection to the Holy Spirit is always of first importance.
Ephesians 1:3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Many a servant of God has been called and been given gifts of the Spirit to the edifying of the Church, and has thought that he has everything.
But the gifts and callings of God are the means of bringing us, and others to a more fuller knowledge and appreciation of God. (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit)
Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

God the Father is our Eternal Provider:
In eternity past, He provided the way of Salvation (Christ), the means of Salvation (Christ’s life, death, and resurrection), and the work of Salvation in our individual lives. (The drawing power, which brings us to Christ [John 6:65]).He has given us our inheritance. He rules our ways, and means.

God the Son is our Eternal Lord and Savior. As the Creator of the Earth, and us; He has shaped each of us, body, soul, and spirit in our given circumstances. He has redeemed us by His own sacrifice, and given us His example as the Man Christ Jesus. Commanding us, that “if” we will follow Him, then we must deny ourselves.
It is always Christ or self in our hearts and lives.

God the Holy Spirit is our Eternal Molder. He is given as a holy guest within our spirits. He is the gift giver: for with Him we receive faith at the new birth and the knowledge of His presence (we are never alone). We receive the Holy Spirits fruits as we let Him mold our lives around Himself. As we yield to Him in thought, word, and deed; we become molded into vessels unto honor, able to be used by God.(2Timothy 2:21). The Holy Spirit frees us from the constraints of sin–our sin; and from the rule of self. He is the ruler of our walk or practical holiness.

We need a guide; and the Holy Spirit has come to us to guide us into all truth.(John 16:13) And that always begins with the truth about ourselves.
James 1:23-25 “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty , and continued therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

This is what you, as a Christian, must decide about the Holy Spirit:
Will you have a life which says to Him: Help me do what I must, help me through trouble, but otherwise leave me alone.
Or,
Will you have a life which yields to His direction and discipline, and gains true liberty.
This is spoken of in:
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
As we behold Christ, by the Holy Spirit’s showing us Him in the circumstances of our lives; we are changed into the same image, or become like Christ in attitude, and character; as we yield to Him in these circumstances.
Which will we have?
Liberty? Or a closed life?

The Scribe Which Is Instructed Unto the Kingdom of Heaven.

We have given this before,   But it is worth repeating;

Matthew 13:52 ” Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

We are starting this blog for Christians. To strengthen and encourage God’s people to seek, and trust the Lord.
All given with the prayer that they meet the need of those who read them.

We believe that one of the greatest needs of this Church Age is to understand and Have Christ’s kingdom come within the heart of each of His own.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.”(KJV)

Notice it is “in earth”, not on it.
This is His Personal Kingdom coming with in your life. When you make Him King, and He reigns there.
When we are born again (John 3:3, 7) and “ye must be born again”….we enter His kingdom as His citizens. But it is only when we are obedient to His laws and ordinances that we make Him King in our lives.

If we are still “running the show” ; He is not King, Personally.
“Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done.”
When this becomes a fact in our everyday lives, we are subjects of that Kingdom, and expressions of it:
Our Wills are His, and are then empowered to do His Will.
For it is then, He sits on the Throne of our Hearts.

Not that we make others do His Will….but that WE DO HIS WILL.

Then HIS KINGDOM HAS COME ….WITH IN US.

It is a great feeling to come to the place where the arguments WITH GOD, end; and the Holy Spirit–instead of correcting , empowers to go forward in peace, joy and faith.

AND HOW SHALL HIS KINGDOM COME?
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?”

This is “on the earth”.
There are some who believe that His Kingdom will be brought in, when enough of His Own are praying for it.
I do not know if that is true.
But I do know that readiness for His return will be conditioned by prayer:

Luke 18:1 “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
Jesus speaks here, of the closing days of the Church Age. Just before He returns. Just how the times will be, and just what we should be doing about it .

Luke 21:28 “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.”

Everyday we hear and see more of what Jesus said would happen….happen.
And what are we to do about it? Hide our heads….Act out…..wring our hands in fear?
No! That is not it!!
Look up! Lift up your heads!
1st turn your eyes away from the world-system.
2nd be actively seeking the joy and peace of God for each situation you need to go thru, till He comes.

We should rejoice in seeing these come to pass , even as Jesus said they would.
We should be praying. “Amen! Even so Come LORD JESUS”
And we should be “loving His Appearing”. For there is a Crown of Righteousness laid up for all who Love His Appearing! (2 Timothy 4:8)

Luke 18:2-7 “Saying, there was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Tho I fear not God, nor regard man;
Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.
And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, tho He bear long with them?”

If this were a Roman Judge (the Jews were always in 3’s). He would not care much for the needs of a Jew. Especially one of no importance, like a widow. For she could do him no damage!
But she kept coming back! She was often in his court!

Now he feared not God nor regarded man.
So anything he did , would be on a personal level….without thought of anything or anyone else.
Not because of pressure from someone or something.

But she kept coming! Avenge me of mine Adversary!
This is not a request for punishment of her Adversary.
But for a Decree, issued by this Judge, that would give her PROTECTION from his injustices.
To keep him from harming her.
LIKE A RESTRAINING ORDER ISSUED TODAY

Luke 18:5 “Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”

“She weary me”; Literally means. “She give me a black eye”
Her always appearing there , in his court, might ruin his reputation!
People might get the wrong idea about him.

This Judge acted from only self-involved motives.
From this consideration–alone–he thought it best to avenge her.

And our Lord said “Hear what the unjust judge says”
Because the Lord Jesus wanted to show that all the judge’s motives were personal…yet what she sought ; she got.

Then our Lord Jesus contrasts the unjust judge and God. Shall not GOD surely do right?
Shall He not avenge His own elect? From their Adversary?
And how are we to ask?

Luke18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
Faint means to weaken in purpose, or spirit; to languish; TO JUST GIVE UP.

When we pray, we ought to believe that God is going to hear and keep at it until we know He does.

Luke 18:7 “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, tho he bear long with them?”

We are not what we ought to be in this Age; yet He bears long with us.
Wanting us to be other than we are ….to enjoy the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit’s enablement. To get us out from the Adversary’s injustices. To know the power of life (abundant life) as obedient subjects of His kingdom now.
Loving us, rebuking us, and chastening us that we might become full sons.

Luke 18:8 “I tell you (and this is the Lord Jesus speaking) that he WILL avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Yes, He will avenge us…speedily.
“Heavenly Father, Avenge me of my Adversary!”
This is like a restraining order, remember; against our Adversary , the Devil.
To keep him from hurting us.
And we should always ask for such decrees against our Adversary.
He will not only issue such Decrees, He will do so speedily.

Yet , Jesus asked; “shall he find faith on the earth?” Not that He doesn’t know….but to AWAKEN US to the VERY DANGEROUS TIME IN WHICH WE LIVE.

There are temptations, cares, enemies of God, worldly pleasures, evil companions, …..
All of them can be used by our Adversary to “hurt us”.
To keep us from entering into God’s Best for us.

The Devil seeks to defeat every child of God….not in Salvation.
But in Progress.
To keep them children , when they should go on to maturity in the faith.

To keep them self-centered, instead of Christ-centered; That will devour up a whole lifetime of works and attitudes.

Shall He find “faith” on the earth?
This faith here is (in the Greek “pistis”). Conviction of truth or the truthfulness of God. Reliance upon Christ for salvation and CONSTANCY IN SUCH PROFESSION.

Do you TRUST Christ for Salvation, but not for today?
Shall we not all apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ Jesus?

Has the Church ever had so much riches as it has today?
With so little results?

Why is it we see so little Reality in a Christian’s Profession?
I don’t know…but I am sure it is a matter of the Heart.

I believe that today many claim the Promise; without having the corresponding experience of that Promise.
They honor the Word, while rejecting the living LORD of that Word.
As Israel of old, they draw near with their lips, to God; but their hearts are far from HIM.
For I believe it is a matter of the heart. Who or What do you love?
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”
What “life” will you have?
1 Peter 1:3 ” According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, thru the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue”
He “hath given”. Then why don’t we have it in practice?
Because the PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST COSTS US . He wants to “COME” and reign in our lives, with that joy and power that comes with HIMSELF.

What takes 1st place in your life?
To what do you give final obedience….for surely this is your God.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven”
He is King. But is He my King? Is He your King?
Who sits on the throne of your heart?

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

He stands ready to do. To do for you. And Jesus has said God will issue such Decrees against our Adversary when we cry unto Him.
So where does that place us?
And just what kind of Christians ought we to be; with so much offered?
He is King….Will you make Him your King?

All: He has reconciled all things

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Christ Jesus, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Colossians 1:20-22 “And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whither they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight:”

“ALL”, a small word in itself, yet inclusive to the greatest degree.
“ALL”, describes in three letters the enormity, the numbers, and the greatness of power to accomplish without limits.

We, in ourselves, are helpless to right the broken relationship with God which once existed:
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.”

Dust we are and unto dust we will return; but God breathed into us the Holy Spirit, and we became a living soul. No other created being was formed by God in this way, no other created being has a soul.
We were whole, then; full of Life and Light. We were body, soul , and spirit; a whole creation made in the image of the Triune God:
God the Father, God the Son, And God the Holy Spirit.

In Adam’s choosing to disobey God, all humans fell to the lower consciousness of right and wrong.
To the consciousness of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; and so lost the Life of God within us.
The Holy Spirit, which indwelt our spirits, left; and we became darkened, alienated from the Life of God….and so we are removed from His Presence.
(We had the knowledge of Good in God; Adam by his sin, gave us the knowledge of Evil.)
Genesis 3:24 “So He drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life.”
Ephesians 4:18 “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:”

Even the best life is out of harmony with the God of holiness, and His Heavenly Government.
So much so, that we can all cry out in the same amazement as did the Apostles, “Who then can be saved?”
Matthew 19:25 “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?”

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With man this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
Again, “ALL things”. All things are possible with God.

The plan of reconciliation was made before times eternal, yet here it is stated as only it can be…”With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
We can not reconcile ourselves to God, but we can come at His invitation and “be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17, 21 ” Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
“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 (Christ Jesus).”

All things are become new by being born again (John 3:7)
And at the reconciliation of new birth, God begins the process of the complete reconciliation which is spoken of in:
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Reconciliation is the process of removing all things that hinder fellowship.

Romans 5:10 “For, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

At new birth, God begins the process of saving us by His life:
First He sends the Holy Spirit into our spirits (which were darkened by the fall of Adam); And gives us Light.
Then there is a gift of faith given to our souls to encourage, strengthen, and help guide us.
Then there is a way of seeing made available by Honesty.
There is His Presence in our adoption to His Heavenly Family, and His love to hang on to.
His lovely Life has begun to fill our life with Christ.
This is reconciliation…
A process not without rebukes or corrections, yet always in His love.

This reconciliation (and yes, Paul is writing to Christians, too; as his letters show); is beyond the impassible barrier we have made of our own lives, and begins with coming to Him;
All of you; just as you are; To have “all” that you can hold of Him.
It is impossible with man, but all things are possible with God.