Diligence
Diligence means to eagerly, earnestly see the business done.

2 Peter 1:5 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;”

We think of effortless Christianity, which it is not. We are to keep our hearts with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”)

And we are to diligently “make sure” of our calling and election:
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:”

Our example is Joash, king of Israel.

2 Kings 13:14 “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my Father, my Father! The chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.”

Here, in this example, the king of Israel is in need. The Syrians were coming against them, and he needed guidance, and victory over them.
He knew if that was to happen, he would have to go and see God’s Prophet, Elisha.
But Elisha was sick, so sick he would die; and in bed.
Still the king was diligent and came into him; weeping over him concerning Israel’s need.

He was in the right place for a blessing, and seeing the right person. If there was any help for Israel, here it was, in the person of this dieing Old Man.

2 Kings 13:15-17 “And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the kings hands.
And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.”

The king was told what to do for the deliverance he sought, and had Elisha’s hands on his hands to do it. And the deliverance was promised.
(And a promise is only a promise; until it is obtained)

The king is doing what he is told, so far so good. After all, this was a kingly thing to do. Open the window and shoot an arrow eastward; quite kingly.
Maybe he even thought of a Syrian out there, that he was shooting at.

He was receiving the answer he wanted! Victory was promised!

But now the kings diligence, without Elisha, is tested. After all, the battles were still to be fought; would the king continue in diligence?

2 Kings 13:18-19 “And he said, Take arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice and stayed.
And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: Whereas now thou wilt smite Syria thrice.”

Elisha tells the king to take arrows and hit the ground. Now this was not a very kingly thing to do. But the king, just going along with Elisha; for he thought he had the deliverance he came for; just hits the ground three times.
No diligence there.
His arm had already shot the arrow of deliverance (surely he could take credit for it); why did he need to do this beating the ground? Oh well, he would do it to please the old man, and get on with the Victory.

But the man of God was very angry. Why? Because a promise is just a promise, till we have obtained, or gotten it from God by the means He chooses to use.
And often those means are humbling to us, so that we will not get the idea that the Victory He gives, came by us.
It came to us, by His power, and means; but not by us.

The king came, seeking deliverance from Elisha and God; and got it. But when he had to show diligence toward God’s Word, himself; he failed. He also lost part of the promise; the part he refused to be diligent in obeying.

We are often the same. We are very enthusiastic for a while; especially when we can take part of the credit; but fail when we are called upon to diligently use means which we find humbling, or not to our liking.

Diligence is eagerly, earnestly, seeing the job done. God wants to deliver, wants to supply our needs, wants to place His hands on ours for the work; but will we diligently follow through, just because He says so?

If we will, we will be blessed with the full promises of God.

If we don’t, we will lose a part of the promises God wants to bless us with.

Diligence is eagerly, earnestly, seeing the job done. And I might add, our promises will be fulfilled completely, when we do all for Jesus sake.

Mile Markers for Spiritual Growth

Peter had determined to remind those he is writing, of the basics. So he began with the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ; and how that knowledge leads to spiritual growth. Now he continues with the mile markers, which come along the path to Spiritual Maturity. This is how you know you are going the right way.

2 Peter 1:5 “And beside this , giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;”

Faith is the foundation of our spiritual life. We are justified by faith (Romans 5:1).
But our faith is also to grow. As Peter says here, it is to be added to.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth:”

Virtue is to be added to faith. Virtue here is Artea or force. Virtue is the force of the Holy Spirit within you; the power of the Holy Spirit having freedom to influence and help.
Basically, by faith in God and His Word, we are to yield to the Holy Spirit’s direction and correction; and know the liberty that force within us gives us. To know that God knows all; and has chosen this way, at this time, is very liberating. It is to see the mile marker that says: He has guided me in the right way, and taken care of me so far; why should I fear what is coming next? My welfare is always before Him; why should I look for another way?

And when we have virtue, we get knowledge. This knowledge is the knowledge of what He will do for me.
What He has done in the Bible; great.
What He has and will do for me, personally; wonderful! This knowledge, stabilizes our hearts and minds in adversity, as well as good times.

Can you see us getting stronger in the Lord, by this path?

2 Peter 1:6 “And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness;”

And to this knowledge, we grow into moderation. We’ve come to the place where we know God will take care of us; so we need not try and get more than He gives, or hate the fact others have “more” than we do.

And as we are temperate, we begin to exercise patience.
And this is how we possess our souls.
Luke 21:19 “In your patience possess ye your souls.”
As we come to this mile marker, we realize how much of ourselves we know. How much of ourselves we can now master. And how much of ourselves we have yielded to the Holy Spirit.

To patience, godliness.
This mile marker comes as our character is taking the shape of the character of Christ.
He came to save us, we should seek the salvation of others.
This is where we “Let your light so shine before men, that they many see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

2 Peter 1:7 “And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity.(love).”

To godliness, the mile marker is brotherly kindness. How much do you love your “brother”?
1 John 1:10-11 “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

And to brotherly kindness, charity or love.
1 John 4:16-17 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is , so are we in this world.”

When we reach this mile marker in our journey toward Spiritual maturity, our affections are influenced by the Holy Spirit, and our thoughts are regulated by His good pleasure.
What liberty is this! To be free from the influences of the world’s anger and bitterness; and to follow Christ with joy.

Pete and Repeat

2 Peter 1:12-13 “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle (body), to stir you up by putting you in remembrance:”

Peter is saying that those he writes to, know these truths, and practice them; but he is still going to remind them of the basics.
Why?
Because he remembers his denying Christ three times, even after he had walked three years with Christ, and after he vowed his faithfulness to Him.
Mark 14:29-31 “But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet not I.
And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.”

So, since he failed, he knows that it can happen, even to those who feel that they love the Lord so much, they would never deny Him.

So what are theses basic truths, Peter wanted to repeat?
2 Peter 1:2-4 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.
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 to glory and virtue:
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.”
Grace and peace are not just greetings; but a real prayer for that grace of God in their lives which influences them to follow on.
And for the peace of God to be their fortress in times of trouble and fear.

He wanted them to obtain these promises. These exceeding great, and precious promises. That they might be partakers of the Divine Nature. But weren’t they? Weren’t they born again?
Yes, but the salvation of God for us, is a living thing. It begins with new birth and goes until we are in heaven, standing before God.
And Divine Nature is just not Christ’s life in our life (that we get at new birth); but His character formed in our character. That takes time; just like the forming of your child’s character takes teaching and discipline.
Salvation is to be:
We are saved from the love of sin: by conviction of the Holy Spirit, which turns the sin you love into a curse in your heart, so you begin to seek a Savior from it.

We are saved from the guilt of sin: by being born again.

We are saved from the power of sin: by the power of the Holy Spirit, delivering us from the influence it has on us. This is to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. (Corruption is to decay, shrivel up. Your heart, which has the Holy Spirit in it, becomes sick. The place you have for Him, becomes smaller. While the place and affections you give the world, grow larger. Lust is not just sexual lust. Lust of anything is inordinate affection for it. Your mind is always occupied with it. Your heart is drawn toward it. And then your steps will go after it; even if the way you do it is wrong.). This we are saved from by the power of the Holy Spirit within.

We are save from the presence of sin: when we are taken to heaven.

These verses cover that journey, promising His presence and power at every step.

And it is “through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord”.
This is, of course, personal, experiential knowledge of Him.
Knowledge through His Word; how important reading the Bible everyday is, for it’s guidance and help.
How can we best know how to pray? Listen to the prayers of those written of here.
Knowledge of what He wants to do for us, today, in the very circumstances we are in; with the very people we are called to be around.
Knowledge of His fearless, powerful, and encouraging Presence. What a blessing it is!
And knowledge of what we need to put aside as we grow in grace, and what we need to cast off.

But behind His promises, is His power, by the Holy Spirit.
We need to yield to this, and obtain these promises in our life; for He is with us and has these for us, if we want them.
Yes, it is a journey which takes time; but we have our lives to learn and develop into Spiritually Mature Christians.
And He accompanies us, never leaving us; and sends down His enabling, so we can go through anything with Him.

God’s Faithful Servant
Daniel was faithful to God, even after being taken captive into another land. Here he could have forgotten about God, and His law if he had thought it was troublesome; but Daniel didn’t.

Given an opportunity for real advancement, and maybe power; would he defile himself by the food that he was given?
Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

The man in charge was afraid of the king, thinking that the food they wanted, would make them look weak before the king. That he might loose his head.

Daniel 1:12 “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee ten days, and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.”
So he did, and it proved that being true to their God’s law, was more healthier than the richest food, and drink.

God gave Daniel and his friends wisdom and skill to learn. But Daniel, He gave understanding in visions and dreams. (It would come in handy)

Next, Daniel saves all the wise men in Babylon from the king wanting to destroy them, for they could not tell the king the dream which he had. They would gladly give an interpretation, but could not tell the dream; and the king had forgotten it.
Tell me, he said, or die.

Daniel went in and asked for time to get the answer for the king.
Daniel 2:17-19 “Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Misheal, and Azariah his companions:
That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”
In praise to God, alone, Daniel speaks to the king, and tells him what his dream was, and the interpretation.
But makes it known that it is God in heaven alone, that can, and will reveal this dream.

Time after time, Daniel is faithful to God. Before the drunken Belshazzar, Daniel spoke the judgement on his kingdom that the finger of God had wrote on the wall.
Whether, reward or death, Daniel did not know what would come of his speaking the truth, but he was faithful to God and His Word.

Daniel 5:17, 25-28 “Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king and make known to him the interpretation.
And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.
This is the interpretation of the thing; Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Tekel; thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting.
Peres; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

So Daniel gave God’s Word, and it was exactly as the Word said. That night the city was taken and Belshazzar killed.

Yet he was also faithful to the people he was called to work for.
And this is shown under the Medes and Persians.
Under King Darius, Daniel was promoted above every one else. He saw that the finances of the king was correct. “And the king should have no damage.” (Daniel 6:2)
An honest man is hard to find, where wealth is concerned; but Daniel was.

Also shown, was the jealousy and hatred, his faithfulness occasioned.
For the ambitious princes got together and made a plan.
If they attacked Daniel, it would have to be because of his God.
So they flattered the king, and said that they thought it would be honoring to the king if a law was written that forbid anyone to ask anything of any deity or man, but the king, for thirty days.
Darius was flattered! (How careful we need to be when people start flattering us. When our ego is inflated, it blinds us to what is in front of us.)
The law was made, but Daniel kept right on praying to God. (It was at this time the remnant in Israel was in great need, and Daniel prayed three times a day for that need.)
Caught by these princes, Daniel was accused before Darius.

Now Darius was in a bind. He hated that he had been tricked, but he had to do what the law stated, even though he tried to free Daniel.

Daniel 6:16 “Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.”
This more of a hope of the king, than belief; but it was true.
Thy God who thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
And so He did.
Daniel 6:19-22 “Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever.
My God has sent his angel, and shut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt me: for as much as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”
God sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions, and they did him no harm.

Daniel continued to serve the kings of Persia faithfully, until his death.
But behind it all was his faithful service to God.

He did not have to be in his home land to serve God. For God is the God of heaven and earth; and rules in every nation, kindred, and tongue.

As Christians, we are called to be faithful servants to God, and for Christ’s sake, faithful in our everyday lives to those we should minister to.

The Marriage Supper for the King’s Son

Matthew 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.”

This is one of the parables Jesus taught. The lesson to learn is that all that are invited to come are going to be responsible for the invitation, and what they do with it.

Let us consider the parable:
Matthew 22:3-4 “And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants saying, Tell them which are bidden, behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.”

It was common in those days to send two invitations.
One, to notify the guests of the wedding day, and time.
The second, when things were ready, to collect the guests.

Now the Ministry of Jesus Christ was given twice.
One time to the Jewish Nation, which rejected Him.
The second, when the servants of Christ are sent to the individuals of the world with the Gospel.
All things are ready. Come.

Now for the Nation of Israel:
Matthew 22:5-7 ” But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
And the remnant took his servant and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and sent forth his armies, and destroyed the murderers, and burned up their city.”

This happened in the destruction of Jerusalem, under Titus, when God punished those who rejected, and crucified His Son.

And now for the world’s hearing of this invitation:

Matthew 22:8-10 “Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

Here the commission of Christ before He ascended is foretold.
His servants would go into all the world, preaching and teaching the gospel.
( Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”)

Both good people would hear and come to Christ; and so would bad people, hear and come to Christ.

Christ will be honored. The effectual call of the Holy Spirit, by means of the Gospel,
has gone throughout the world, and brings all who will, to come to Christ.

All those who come, are given the robe of Christ’s righteousness.

And for all the guests at the wedding feast, they would have been provided garments of beauty for the occasion.

Matthew 22:11-14. “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king unto the servants, Bind him and hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen.”

This man didn’t have a wedding garment; which would have been provided to him; so he was asked, Why?

He should have. They were there, and given to all who were bidden and brought in.
So why didn’t he?
The only answer is that he refused to put it on.
Would he thank a king for the privilege of being invited to his son’s wedding supper, by refusing the garment offered; by going in to sit down, in his own street clothes?
And by refusing the wedding garment, wasn’t he telling the king that he thought nothing of the invitation?

No one can come to the Wedding Supper of our Lord and Savior, if they are not clothed with His righteousness. (Revelation 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.)
To “come” in your own works, or in your own goodness; is the greatest insult.

The call: “Come, for Christ has died and raised again to save us”, has sounded through the ages. But you must receive the provision, or refuse it.

For those who come to Christ, simply to get heaven, and not to be saved from their sin; will find that the garment of self-preservation will not be recognized by God.
The garment of self-righteousness will not be recognized by God.
The garment of self-expression will not be recognized by God.
And the garment of self-will will not be recognized by God.

In His Son, God has provided all things for our place with Him. What will we do with our invitation?

The Scribe Which Is Instructed Unto the Kingdom of Heaven.

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?

Blessed

Psalm 65:4 “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

Blessed means twice happy!

God sees us blessed; How do we see ourselves, in His work?

When He chooses us, He causes us to draw near to Him. Would we resist that drawing?

When I was first brought back into the right way, after wandering away from God; I was in awe, that He loved me enough to welcome me back.
My thought was to grow closer to Him. Nearer, Nearer, I prayed. That is what I want.

The song of Nearer My God to Thee, seemed to play in my head, often.
“Even though it be a cross that raises me…”.
The “pig pen” of the world I had experienced; I wanted the “home” of closeness with God.
Blessed I was, and am, for God’s mercy to me.
This Psalm typifies God’s great arms. Drawing us, even when we run away.
Calling us, even when we have refused before.

“We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house,”
For Christians, the closer we get to the Lord, the more satisfied we are. The further away from God, the more opportunity for things to come in between us. These cause barriers.
The barriers we place, between the Lord and ourselves, cause discontent.
And discontent is to be dissatisfied.
And when we are dissatisfied, we start looking for other things.
There are many temptations in the world, the best place to be safe is in the holy temple of fellowship and nearness to the Lord.

Blessed is the one who is close to the Lord.
Blessed, also, is the one who is given opportunity to get near to the Lord again.

Most blessed is the one who never looks for any other satisfaction,than in Him.

The Potter, and the Clay

Jeremiah 18:5-6 “Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,
O house of Israel, can not I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord, Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

Paul says the same thing in:
Romans 9:20-21 “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?”

This is not our bodies; yes, they are all different, but God is speaking of molding our souls. God has used every experience of our lives to shape our souls.
Our souls are that which makes us unique. They are a gift from God that no other creature has.
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.”

The soul is the apartment of self-consciousness. It is where our personality is. There, our individual character is formed, and rules our thought life, our emotions, our will, our conscience, and our social interactions.

When we are born again, we are given the blessed privilege of having the Holy Spirit come and dwell with us, for Christ said He would not leave us comfort less, He would come unto us.
John 14:16-18 “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

As Christians, Paul is saying that as God’s “clay”, we need to accept what we are, how we are, and, even, where we are, and then be reconciled to Him in them.

How much of our discontent lies in this.
God wants to make us a vessel unto honor, and has given us His Spirit to enable and mold us:
2 Timothy 2:20-21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

To move forward with God, you must be in your place before Him. To know that He is there with us, because He loves us.
So many people say, “God knows best”; yet doubt every time trouble comes. They are anxious, burdened, and worried. (Haven’t we all experienced this doubt?)

But we are called to “possess our souls”.
Luke 21:19 “In your patience, possess ye your souls.”

We are to gain, by subjection to the Holy Spirit, real power over our affections:(Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”)
Our thoughts:
(1 Peter 1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”)
And wills:
John 7:17 “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whither it be of God, or whither I speak of myself.”
For it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we possess our souls.

To Yield to the Holy Spirit is true freedom; for it places Him first.
It is His Will you want, and by that will, you are enabled to bring your soul under subjection to Him and yourself.
There is always trouble here, in this world; but as you yield to the Holy Spirit, the influence of the trouble is less, and less. His power to help, strengthen, and encourage is more and more.

He is the Potter, we are the clay.
Yielding to Him we have liberty, and begin to have the fruit of the Spirit working in us and through us.
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Let us yield; or give in; or submit; or surrender; all terms which mean that for us, Christ will choose.

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

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

Sanctification is the setting ourselves aside to God.
Sanctification does not require us to fulfill the will of God as He makes it known to us, without the power to do so.
That would be like the Egyptian taskmasters which required Israel to make bricks without straw. (Exodus 5:9-11)

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

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

This is what he meant. That the life he used to live as the self-righteous Pharisee was over. He saw himself dead in Christ’s death.
“Good riddance” was probably his thought, for the life he had before, did not bring him closer to God, though he worked hard at it.
He also saw that now he lived by Christ’s life. That the life of Christ was so powerful that, not only himself, but everyone who trusted in Christ, could have His character formed in them.

For some time after being born again, I prayed about sanctification.
I had thought this must be some sort of holiness experience, which we have at some altar; or with some crisis experience in our lives.
Years ago, a man was teaching a Sunday School class about:
Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

And, if no one else got the message; I did.
This was the means of being sanctified.

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

When Jesus speaks of “denying ourself”, He means denying our intention to rule our life. And denying every way it shows up in our lives.
It is not just things we deny, but ourselves we deny.

If I wanted to follow the Lord, then I must co-operate with God, when He shows me His will. I must put aside my thoughts in the matter and do what He commands.
I must be honest about my attitude toward what He shows me, and ask for the power to change.
But again, Christ does not demand that we do His Will, without His enablement.

Christ has given us His Holy Spirit, not only to indwell us, but to give us the grace and power we need.
That power comes from our Risen and Glorified Christ. He has all spiritual blessings for me in Him, in Heaven.
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
They are there in Christ, for us.
But how do we get them down here into us, especially in these circumstances?

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

Notice, it is “in earth”, in us.

This is the means whereby we receive into our lives what Christ has for us.
As we yield to His authority in our lives, we become ambassadors of His Kingdom, and authority, here.

Sanctification is the setting aside of ourselves to God, for sacred use.
It is the practical work of having Christ’s Kingdom come within our hearts, and lives.

Where He rules, there is peace, joy, patience, and all the characteristics of Christ, in our lives.

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

To answer the call of Christ in this Laodicean Age requires not an answer of words, but an answer of a life open to, and receptive to Him.

What is sup in this verse? It means fellowship, which is the reaction of a love relationship. The Creator having fellowship with His creature.
We forget that God is God.
At the head of this church letter, He calls Himself the Amen.
And He is the only one who can say Amen, or so let it be, to any plan, or suggestion, or purpose.

Then He calls Himself the Faithful and True Witness.
He is Faithful, never letting the Purpose for which we were created, out of His sight.
And therefore, He truly tells us how we are, so that we can, if we will, bring ourselves to Him, so we can be made what He wants us to be.
He is a faithful and true witness to His church, as how they are.

Then He is The beginning of the creation of God.
When God created: Christ as the Man, Christ Jesus, was His first thought.
For He knew the world, by Adam’s sin, would be lost without providing a Savior.
So, before anything was created; God the Father, and God the Son entered into the Everlasting Covenant.
God promised Christ that if He would come, and die on the cross as the Perfect Man, then He would raise Him up from death, and give Him a people which would love and obey Him.

Christ Jesus tells us here; what we are…lukewarm, and about to be vomited out of Him; so we will be without His sustaining.
He also tells us how we are…we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. All of these things speak of a people, who are not letting Christ make them into what He has planned for them.
They think they are, but He says they are not.

Then He gives us very good advice.
Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

In Psalms the Lord tells us that His counsel will stand. We can count on it , because we can count on Him. That He gives us the best counsel for our situation.
Psalms 33:11-12 “The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for His own inheritance.”
He tells us that the best advice for the strengthening of our Christian lives: Buy of Me.
We are not to buy salvation, no. But we are to buy the things He has already purchased for us, for our Spiritual Health.

You may ask, Why do we buy, if He has already purchased them for us?

We buy them…..of Him. Again, we are not buying Salvation….that is a free gift for all who will come to Christ as Lord and Savior. Once He is our Savior, we are to come to Him in faith receiving all He has for us. But if we refuse? They are set aside, till we….”Wake up”; and want them.
Often, since we have refused them before; He will see how much we want them; and this is when He requires that we “buy them”.
We buy them by Obedience to what He says. If we will Obey Him in these things, we prove that we really want His life and gifts.

We buy of Him the things that we have refused to use before.
Has He not offered the grace to grow and the power to do? Yet we have often prayed for these things, but not the way they come.
“Sorry, Lord, I’m going to refuse this gift, for now, because I don’t like the people I have to work with; no, no, I just couldn’t do it now”

If this is the way you treat your Savior; now you know why He says we are: “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked–not clothed with the righteous acts whereby we manifest His Light to the world.

So He says, Buy of Me. If you finally are willing to Obey Me as your Lord, and Savior; buy these things that I have for you by obedience to My Will.
Get them, and I will manifest Myself unto you in a special way, for you have finally opened your life to Me, as you should.

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

This is Fellowship with the Almighty Christ.
He knocks, and speaks to your heart.
Are you listening?