Hear, O Lord 

Psalms 27:7-8 “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice:  have mercy also upon me and answer me.

             When Thou saidst,   Seek ye My face,   my heart said unto Thee,  Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”

I love these verses…..

They speak so clearly as how we should pray…..what we should pray.

Some people struggle with “how” we should come to God.    Should we kneel,  or bow our head,  or is it alright to pray walking or jogging.

I believe:

Reverence in our personal prayer times….kneeling, when we can.

Bowing our head (again, in reverence to Him), when praying with family, church, or friends.

Otherwise the “meeting-place” of us with God in prayer,……is in our hearts.   We can pray….anywhere.

When God shows us our need,  “seek ye My face”……then we should respond with that prayer….”Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”

When I pray, I often find a verse that the Lord has showed me, concerning what I am to pray about…….and use that as a start.   

I start with what it says to me….and move outward, claiming it for others.

(One of our “go-to” verses is:

1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His Will,  He heareth us:  

              And if we know that He hears us,  whatsoever we ask,  we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”

To pray the Lord’s will is to open up, for ourselves, a lighted path…..it is to open the way to the Lord’s ear….it is to show Him how willing we are that His Will,  not mine, be done.  

It is to hear from our own lips the Will of God, and in prayer ask Him to perform it.)

Prayer is talking to God…..about our troubles,  confession of sins,  praise for mercies received,  and seeking direction,…..seeking peace…..seeking the Lord’s face….to come into His presence, in a special way or time.

“Hear, O Lord”

If we expect to be heard…..we need to come as servants, wanting to really know what to do….and how He wants us to do it.     He is Lord, and should be our Lord….in this situation.

If He is asking for us to pray….then He is asking us to agree with Him, and seek it from Him……

….Putting us in our place in the Battle which always rages between the Lord and our Adversary……

Most people do not realize that prayer is so hard, because it is so powerful.

In it, we are asking the Almighty God….to act on our behalf or for someone else…..we are asking Him to speak….to move…..people’s hearts and lives;    

To change circumstances,  which are adverse to His Will;    

To remove hinderances.

No wonder the Adversary of our souls, fights it so hard…….interfering in thoughts  from yesterday,  tomorrow,  or next year.   

(an old proverb says,   “You can’t prevent birds from flying over your head…..but you can keep them from building nests in your hair.”)

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.”

Daniel is our example:

Daniel had been praying for a particular promise for the people, back in Israel….one which had been shown him from the Word of God:

Daniel 9:2-3 “….I Daniel understood by books the number of the years,  whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet,  that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

           And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth,  and ashes:”

Once Daniel knew the Lord’s Will concerning the time for restoration of Israel and Jerusalem……he prayed…..earnestly seeking God to do what He said.

And what did he pray?   Confession, first….then claiming the promise, according to His righteousness and mercy.

Daniel 9:16-19 “O Lord, according to Thy righteousness, I beseech Thee, let Thine anger….be turned away…:

            Now therefore,  O our God,  hear the prayer of Thy servant,  and his supplications,  and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate,  for the Lord’s sake.

            O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear;…..for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousness,  but for Thy great mercies.

            O Lord, hear;   O Lord, forgive;  O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God:  for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name.”

(I love Daniel’s prayer, here…..like Ezra and Nehemiah to come,  they confess as representatives of the whole nation of Israel…their sin….praising God, that in His chastening and wrath….He remembered mercy to them.   All three great prayer chapters are in the ninth chapter.   And all are for the restoration of Israel to God’s Word….in their lives, in Israel, and in Jerusalem.)

And what happened, when Daniel prayed (how long he prayed this prayer or other’s like it, it does not say…a day, a week,….but…)?

Daniel 9:21-23 “Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,  being caused to fly swiftly,  touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

               And he informed me,  and talked with me,  and said,   O Daniel,  I am come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

               At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee;  for thou art greatly beloved:  therefore understand the matter,  and consider the vision.”

Our prayers, matter…..to God.    This is His means of bringing certain things to pass….when we ask for them.

Nothing takes the place of obedience (if you are a child of God),…..nothing…..but to pray is the first sign of an obedient heart….the seeking of His Will…..and asking Him to perform it….through you,  or others.

New Testament example:

Herod (all of which were bad), saw the church growing, and arrested James the brother of Peter….and beheaded him.

He saw that it pleased the ruling religious body, so he arrested Peter and put him in prison….to die the same sort of death.

Acts 12:5 “Peter therefore was kept in prison:  but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”

They were praying day and night for God to do something to save Peter….

Acts 12:6-7 “And when Herod would have brought him forth (to behead him), the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers,  bound with two chains:…..

                  And, behold,  the angel of the Lord came upon him,  and a light shined in the prison:  and he smote Peter on the side  (had to wake him up!),  and raised him up,  saying,  Arise up quickly.   And his chains fell off from his hands.”

The angel wakes him up…..the chains fall off,  and the angel guides him through the prison,  across the Romans walled fortress, to the gate, separating it from the city…..which opens before Peter.

The angel then guides him toward the right street and departed from him.

Peter then went to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark….and knocked.

(It is interesting to note that when the maid heard it was Peter, she went and told those gathered to pray inside….they did not believer her……

…..this is just like us, so many times with out prayers…..we often pray,  wanting God to hear us….but not believing, as we should, that He does.)

Acts 12:16-17 “But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door;…

               But he,  beckoning unto them with his hand to hold their peace,  declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.  And he said,  Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren.  And he departed,  and went into another place.”

Prayer is God’s means of accomplishing certain things…..

….and He blesses it.

• In these last days ….let us make sure our confessions are up-to-date….and let us seek to know His promise for the days, and months ahead….

….that we might ask for it,……and have His blessing in us…..for us…..and for the church.

               

I Will,  will you? 

This is God speaking,  and when He says, “I will”,  nothing can hinder Him,  except what He allows.

And in His people, which should know and believe Him;  He allows their unbelief to hinder His works.

And why does He allow this?

Hebrews 3:10,12 “Wherefore I was grieved with that generation,  and said,  They do always err in their hearts,  and they have not known My ways.

                               Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief,  in departing from the living God.”

                                

For unbelief is departing from the living God….however that departing is….in heart,  or in life.

The example I want to talk about is in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel is an interesting prophet.  Exiled with many of Judah’s people in the second captivity under Nebuchadnezzar (there were three times people were taken away.),  Ezekiel’s ministry was:

To tell the captives the reason of their captivity.  

He tells them of their forsaking of God, and the terrible iniquity that was still going on in Judah and Jerusalem.  He tells them that God will judge Judah, destroying the Temple, and the kingdom, because of their continued wickedness.        

Ezekiel 33:28-29   “For I will lay the land most desolate,  and the pomp of her strength shall cease;  and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate,  that none shall pass through.                          Then shall they know that I am the Lord,  when I have laid the land most desolate,  because of all their abominations which they have committed.”

And he encouraged the captives to accept the chastening of the Lord, and build houses and take care of their families.  

To do the commandments of the Lord,  till God was pleased to bring them back into the land.   

For after God had chastened them,  He would remember His covenant with Abraham,  and bring them back.

Ezekiel 36:28 “And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;  and ye shall be My people,  and I will be your God.”

This is a great promise,  for it deals not just with the outward inheritance,  but the inward heart.

Ezekiel 36: 32-36 “Not for your sakes do I do this,  saith the Lord God,  be it known unto you:  be ashamed and confounded for your own ways,  O house of Israel.

                                 Thus saith the Lord God;  in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities,  and the wastes shall be builded.

                                  And the desolate land shall be tilled,  whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

                                   And they shall say,   This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden;  and the wastes and the desolate and ruined cities become fenced,  and are inhabited.

                                    Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruin places,  and plant that that was desolate:  I the Lord have spoken it,  and I will do it.”

“I have spoken it, and I will do it.”  But it would not be for their sakes.

I was not a matter of merit.  But God would do it, for His Word’s sake.

This should have caused the people to praise God, and pray and pray for it.

To get right with God, and seek the good of their brethren.

But what did they do?

Ezekiel 36:37 “Thus saith the Lord God;  I will yet for this  be inquired of  by the house of Israel,  to do it for them,…”

They did nothing. 

God had promised.  He would do it.  Great!   

And then:   

Forget about it,  till we actually see it.

Unbelief abounded:

Not the “I don’t believe in God”,  unbelief.     

But the “I will believe, only when I see it”,  unbelief.

For unbelief is departing from the living God.

Ezekiel spoke and warned them that God required righteousness from them.  To do what they, as His people,  should do, even in a foreign land.  

Not for merit, but to show their belief in Him, as their God.

(Ezekiel 33:14-15 “…if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statues of life, with out committing iniquity; he shall surely live,…”)

They could pine away, wishing for better days;   Or turn from their sins of idolatry and rebellion against God’s dealings,  and “live”.

Again, and again Ezekiel spoke to them;  but they mocked him.  Listening,  but still refusing to “hear and obey.”

Ezekiel 33:31-32 “And they come unto thee as the people cometh,  and they sit thee before thee as My people,  and they hear thy words,  but they will not do them:  for with their mouth they show much love,  but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

                               And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice,  and can play well on an instrument:    for they hear thy words,  but they do them not.”

God says, “I will”.  And nothing can hinder God, but what He allows.   And with His own people,  who should know Him;  He refuses to bless our unbelief (whatever kind it is).

He rebukes us to get our attention, so we will hear His Word to us.

He chastens us, to awaken us to the seriousness of our way.   To draw us back into the right way.

Real life is in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  It is by faith.

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back,  My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Now let me ask you:   Which really lived?  Ezekiel or the people who “pined” away in their sins?

Ezekiel’s way was hard.   But God was with him.

What do you consider “life” to you?     Life with Christ Jesus?  Or life here and now?

God says, “I will”.   Will we believe Him, and live?

Take heed 

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

Take heed how ye hear.   

       I believe  the one thing that God requires to save a soul….is honesty.

He will justify the worst sinner…but not in their sin.  We are to come to Christ….just as we are….to be saved (not from Hell,  but from our sin.  Matthew 1:21)

He justifies them, by deliverance from their sin.

     And there can be no justification without obedience.

Realm 103:20 “Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word.”

     The voice of His Word.   Here He speaks clearly….His revelation to us, is the Word of the Creator…to His creatures.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:   Fear God, and keep His commandments:  for this is the whole duty of man.”

Man, under the sun….natural man….yet God’s Word to every man….

….Fear God and keep HIs commandments.   This is the whole duty of man.

After the flood, where every man was destroyed….who was not found in the Ark God had Noah build….”eight souls” were saved.

( And Noah preached the coming destruction for the years the Ark was building…so every man was without excuse.)

        When Noah stepped out on a clean earth….he built an altar.

Genesis 8:20-21 “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

          And the Lord smelled a sweet savor; and the Lord said in His heart,  I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake;  for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth;  neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”

God said,  I will not do this again that I have done….for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.

But this thing I will do…

Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remaineth,  seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

In other words,  look to the natural order of things….the seasons,  day and night.

          All things will continue until the End.

(But we hear everyday, that things tell us….in the natural order of things….that there must be a New order soon.   2 Peter 3:10-13

Romans 8:22 “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”)

God did speak…..God will certainly speak…..

….and God speaks now, to all that will hear.

         Yet it is how we hear that must be considered.

Take heed how ye hear.   To hear aright, requires obedience.

          The truth heard, has to be taken into our lives….and it has to be lived.

(Otherwise, it might be good advice….it might be good doctrine, even….

….but Truth to have any effect must be followed,…..obeyed…..lived.

          Those that heard Noah….I am sure some scoffed,  some mocked or threatened him for preaching such things…

….but others just probably felt sorry for this “crazy” old man.  Shaking their heads….quite confident that nothing will change.

           But how wrong they were….every man, woman, and child (and yes, every parent was responsible for their child)…drown in the deluge from their sins….

….because they refused the Word of the Lord,….and refuge in His Ark of salvation.)

Take heed how ye hear.

       We must first bow as creature to the Creator to His Word. 

(He can do what He will with HIs Own.)

       Then as His servant, we must stand with Him, and “hold out the Word of Life”….to all He sends us to.

       Then we are to walk with Him…..in Him, and He in us…..in union with….as sons of God,   Our Father…..through this world….by His Word.

He speaks to us, if we will but hear.

       The Path before us is clearly marked….again by His Word.

Our duties are plain as to what we are do to….

…..and to take heed, and hear aright,   is to do them as we ought.

Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying,  This is the way, walk ye in it,  when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight

Matthew 11:25-26 “At that time Jesus answered and said,  I thank thee, O Father,  Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,  and hast revealed them unto babes.

        Even so, Father: for so it seemeth good in Thy sight.”

Jesus had just upbraided or rebuked the cities that He had done many works in….because they repented not.

(Repentance is a change of mind, heart, and direction for our lives.)

Then Jesus turns away from them….turning His eyes to the Father and His Will…and gives thanks.   In Luke 10:21, it says “…Jesus rejoiced in spirit,..”. How beautiful

      Jesus saw that His Father’s Will was being done….those that did repent and believe….were not “the wise and prudent”…..but “babes”.

“Babes” here means….not speaking, an infant, a simple minded person.   

       Most Israelites were not versed in the scriptures….they could not say,  “Well in Isaiah it speaks of exactly what Jesus is doing”….

…but they could hear, and believe on Him….and this many did.  They were the babes.

Chorazin (a city near Capernaum)….Bethsaida (many around there were healed Mark 6:45,55-56)…..and Capernaum (the place Jesus lived after leaving Nazareth Matthew 4:13)….were all great cities…..Jesus had preached and done many miracles in them….

…but the many people, though amazed at His works….repented not.

Jesus message was “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

….and He thanked the Father that His Way was being accomplished….not by the “wise”, who should have seen, heard, and known He was the Messiah…

…but by the simple people….who heard, saw and believed….and repented.

Matthew 11:27 “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

This is the way we know God….Come to Christ Jesus…and He will show you.

And here Christ Jesus gives a call…again….to come to Him….and have “rest”….”to repose,  to lay your head on His strong shoulder.”

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.”

All our answers are:   “Come unto Christ”.

      But He calls those that labor or are wearied because of their labors….both physically and mentally….

…and those that are laden down….”over burdened…with spiritual anxiety”….from darkness around, and confusion within.

(At this time in Palestine,  there were many who had given up the goal of life….distress and despair….was commonplace.   

      Yes, there were many who still sought God in the temple and in the sacrifices…

….but the Roman occupation, and the lack of value in their lives…along with the cruelty and greed of their own rulers….was destroying all hope.

      But Salvation came…peace came…in the person of Jesus Christ….for all who would receive Him.)

This is a spiritual call….for our sins and iniquities are real burdens.

Jesus said:

“Come unto Me….don’t stay away because of sins, illnesses, grief or despair….Come unto Me…I am the One who is salvation.   

…then,  “Take My yoke upon you”.

       I take away the yoke and burden of sin….and give you a yoke which is always connected to Me…you will have My strength….we are in this together….no matter what comes up….

….and this is real rest….to repose or lay your head on My strong shoulder.

       My yoke, unlike the one which is labor and weariness….is easy.   Union with Me makes it easy to go forward in all the steps I have for you, and learn of Me.

       My burden,…and  there will be burdens, for in this life we must be faithful….but they are lite.  They do not weigh you down….they give you purpose….that goal of God’s glory returned, with joy and peace.

       Come unto Me.  This is the call to any who recognize Who I am.   This is to all who recognize who they are….and want to repent.”

Come….get up from where you are in your thoughts, actions and life….and receive the Lord Jesus Christ….believe on Him….trust Him.

This call is still going out to all the world….and to you, who are burdened.

       Today, if you will hear Him…receive Him and believe.

Come to Jesus Christ.

        

                                   

        

Blessed 

Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

Blessed means twice your happiest moment!

And we are blessed the nearer we come to Christ Jesus our Lord.

But this “nearer” is of the heart and will, not just of word.

Mark 5:24 “And Jesus went with him,  and much people followed him,  and thronged him.”

Here are many who want to be “near” Jesus…..but for what reason?  Are we coming near Jesus along with the crowd….or because we know He is the Son of God?

                      

Mark 5:25-28 “And a certain woman,  which had an issue of blood twelve years,  

                     And had suffered many things of many physicians,  and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered,  but rather grew worse,

                     When she had heard of Jesus,  came in the press behind,  and touched His garment.

                      For she said,   If I may but touch His clothes,  I shall be made whole.”

Here was a woman in need.   

She had done all she could, and gone to others who did all they could;  but she was none better,  but worse.

Hearing of Jesus (all the great miracles He had done, and the many He had healed),  she came after Him.

Seeing the crowd (for they all were pushing to be around Him),  she thought she would sneak up behind Him,  and just touch His clothes.

She came, not just to see, or hear Him,….she was not curious about Jesus…..

…..but, by faith she came near…… to touch His clothes,….to be healed.

She thought that if she could just touch the hem of His garment (Matthew 9:21), she would be made whole.

        So she came,  pushed forward, and leaned down and touched the hem of His garment.  (Some say, that she was crawling through the crowd to get to Him)

Mark 5:29 “And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up;  and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.”

(Luke 8:44  “immediately her issue of blood stanched.”)

Finally, wellness!

She touched His garment,  and she felt the fountain of blood dry up, and that she was  made whole.  She was overcome with joy and wonder!

But then she heard Jesus say:

Mark 5:30 “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press,  and said,    Who touched My clothes?”

I want to take a moment here, and point out exactly what the disciples are going to say:  

There are many who are “touching” Him. There is a large crowd, pushing to be around Him.

(It is an interesting point that none of them were healed.)

But the Lord knows those who really come to Him in faith…….and they will always be blessed.

Mark 5:31-32   “And His disciples said unto him,   Thou seest the multitude thronging thee,  and sayest thou,  Who touched Me?

                          And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing.”

Jesus was not looking for those who follow for position,…or for curiosity,…or to see the next greatest thing.

He was looking for her,  who had come to Him,  believing that He could meet her desperate need.

That is faith.    

And faith in Jesus,….always brings us “near” in heart, and will.

And again,  faith in Jesus will always be blessed.  

Although right now she is afraid, she does not run away,  or try and hide in the crowd: but came, again, in honesty, and told Him all.

Mark 5:33 ” But the woman fearing and trembling,  knowing what was done in her,  came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth.”

She did not know what He would do.   He might revoke His healing.  He might be angry at the way she had been healed.  

She does not know;  she fears and trembles:…..but she comes to Him, and tells Him all the truth.

She should not have feared the One who heals, and saves.  

The One who saves, receives us again and again,  despite our weakness.   

And so He does here.

Mark 5:34 “And He said unto her,  Daughter,  thy faith hath made thee whole;  go in peace (always a sign from God that she is saved), and be whole of thy plague.”

The Lord always rewards faith.  His first thought is, for her peace with Him (salvation);  then He doubles the healing by speaking,  “be whole of thy plague.”

He heals body, soul and spirit.   He heals mind, heart and will.

Blessed is twice happy; and she was.  Both saved and healed, because she came to Him;  first in secret faith, and then in honesty.    

Her faith was given the healing that she sought.

Her honesty was given blessing;  To be brought near to Jesus in Salvation, and to be made whole. 

(The God of peace will sanctify us wholly:  body, soul and spirit:  

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,  and who makes their hope in the Lord.

It is in our coming to Jesus Christ, that we are blessed.  We shall be satisfied as we abide with Him.

His Answer 

Luke 17:20-21 “And when He was demanded of the Pharisees,  when the kingdom of God should come,  He answered them and said,   The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

                           Neither shall they say,  Lo here!  Or , Lo there!  For behold,  the kingdom of God is within you.”

He was demanded of the Pharisees!

Show us some manifestation of the kingdom!……..Something we can observe.

Now did they want this, so they would believe Him?

Or did they want this so they could prepare for the coming of the kingdom?

No.   They simply demanded of Jesus, to get Him to say something He should not.

“Demanded” here means that they tried to show their authority by interrogating Him.

His answer?

“If you are really looking for the kingdom of God,  it will not come with trumpets, or solar flares.   People will not be able to tell you when or how.   Because….

The kingdom of God is within you.”

Jesus Christ the King, was standing within their midst….representing His kingdom to them…..if they would have Him.

But also He was telling them;  that God’s kingdom would come within their hearts first;  before it would come to them in any outward manner.

The answer is the same to us:  The kingdom of God will come first within our hearts:   He must reign within us.

The place and power of His Presence is manifested within me.

It is always;  first in me, before it can be through me.

He is to reign within my heart, and life.  Guiding, Comforting, Correcting, and Commanding:  that is what the Lord Jesus does, by His Holy Spirit within me. (How can we make it through this life,  with all the pitfalls all around us,   without His commanding Presence?)

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,  according to the power that worketh in us.”

That power that works within me, bringing me into subjection to God’s Word and Will;  will then be an influence through my life, on the lives of others.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit, to the amount that we are emptied of our self-will.   God will never empowers me to see my will done (thank goodness!), but He will empower me to see His will done in me, by me and through me.

Matthew 7:28-29 “And it came to pass,  when Jesus had ended these sayings,  the people were astonished at His doctrine:

                                 For He taught them as one having authority,  and not as the scribes.”

He taught as one having authority;  not like their scribes,  which told them how to act,  but did not do it for themselves.

This is the difference between one who is in subjection to God for himself; and one who just talks well.  

(Of course, Jesus, the Son of God, was obedient in all things—“He did always those things that pleased Him.” John 8:29)

We, too, can be empowered to do God’s Will, as we let His kingdom come within us……for it is within us first….

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

……When we are obedient to our King;  it influences others, for good.

The enemies of our wills

We all know that when we become a Christian, our wills (which were under bondage to the devil)…are now freed. They become a power for God. (Romans 6:13-14) We can will to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and….follow the Lord!

1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love tht world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

But we also know, as Christians, we often have a battle in our wills. (Paul shows this in Ro. 7)

The enemies of our wills are:
…. the world….and it’s influence on us in fashion, in speech, in attitudes.
….the flesh….and it’s inclination to our old sins, and having our own way.
…..and the devil….who works through the world and the flesh to try and bring us under his influence again.

Sin is the means for each of these enemies. To sin is “whatsoever is not of faith, is sin”…..and “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

One is having to do with our use of the faith given us. Unbelief is sin, doubt is sinful, anger is sin, an unloving attitude is sin…..all having to do with the fact that we are not using our faith.
Faith sees God and works within us to bring all that we see in HIm….into us.
To reject or ignore faith….is sin. For it is the Light we need to lead us to Heaven, through a world of traps.

The other definition of sin has to do with our believing obedience. Doing….or not doing, what we know to do.

Our enemies are not only around us….but in us. The flesh is something we are going to have to deny all the way to Heaven.
Paul said, “I die daily.”(2 Cor. 15:31) His life was one of dying to self, wanting to be alive to Christ…in everything.

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

We know all this began in Eve, in the temptation of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.
To consider what he was saying, instead of believing God.
To see the fruit as good for food….though she had all the other trees to eat from.
To think of being as God, knowing good and evil.

The devil knew how to tempt her….and tempted Adam because of her….and we sinned.

We sin the same way….when we doubt God…..when we look for something other than His Way for us….and when we think we know at least as much as God does about this situation.

When we are born again, our wills turn toward God….but through temptation, they can be “turned out of the way”.

The will, willing is a beautiful thing…..for it leads us to come boldly before our Father in time of need….it calls to the Lord and learns of Him….and it hearkens to the voice of the Holy Spirit in His Word.

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

Such a simple sentence….yet it sets forth the power of a spirit-filled life.

When Christ reigns within, we are not only enabled to do His Will, willingly…..
…but we become His Will in all our every day activities.

Battles we will have….always have. And they may be hard and long. But victory through the faith of Christ overcomes.

1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

Luke 9:23 “And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

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

We have enemies….but we have our God, Who has given us His Way and Word to lead us and bring us to Heaven in peace.

His Way is to love Him.
Let us love God….and not the world….and stand with the Lord in the battle ahead.

His Way is to trust and hold on to His Word.
Let us…”Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.” (Isa. 26:3)

His Way is obedience.
Even when the storm arises, and the light seems to fade,….to go on and do what the Lord says…in believing obedience to….and for Him.

Our wills will propel us on…..let us bring them into subjection to our loving Lord, and go in His Way.

Obadiah. (This is not the prophet of the same name)

1 Kings 18:3 “And Ahab called Obadiah,  which was the governor of his house.  (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:”

I want to speak a little about the fear of the Lord….

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom:  and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding,”

This fear is reverence…you are awed by the Lord, for you see Him as High and lifted up….and you see your place before Him.   

(Isaiah 6:1-7,  Luke 5:4-10. These are great verses.  For both Isaiah the prophet and Peter the apostle, recognize God’s greatness and power, and righty, put themselves in their place before Him.)

How great it is to have everything in the right perspective….God’s perspective.

This fear shows us our sinfulness…..but then God meets that sinfulness,  by pardon, and a call to follow Him.

Obadiah feared the Lord…greatly.    He knew He was the only and true God.  He was not a idol worshipper,  though most of Israel was at this time.

He was a servant for king Ahab, and in a position of authority….so he must have done his job for the king, and his household,  well….

…..but he believed and trusted in the Lord.

1 Kings 18:3-4 “….(Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:

                    For it was so,  when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord,  that Obadiah took a hundred prophets,  and hid them by fifty in a cave,  and fed them with bread and water.)

This took great courage….but the fear of the Lord gives wisdom and understanding, and so Obadiah knew what to do.

For he wanted to save some of God’s worshippers from Jezebel killing them.

        (Jezebel was Ahab’s heathen queen.  When she came to power, she killed and intimidated most of the servants of the Lord, and introduced Baal (an idol) worship.)

But Obadiah hid one hundred of them;  fifty, each, in a cave…..and fed them, bread and water….and this for three years.

Now Ahab goes out with Obadiah to see if they might get some grass, to feed the animals, that they would not lose the animals of war.

How wicked a king, which does not see to the needs of his people, first!

But on his way,  Obadiah sees Elijah…..the man who told king Ahab that there would be no dew or rain till he said.  

(Elijah had prayed, claiming the promise of Moses….that if God would withhold the rain,…..the people might remember God’s Word,…..and the chastening by famine, might bring His people back to Him. Deuteronomy 11:16-17)

And for three years and six months…. (James 5:17-18. Elijah had prayed for six months, then was sent to notify Ahab of God’s Word)….God had not given rain….everything was in famine…and dieing;  yet Israel had not turned back to God.

But Elijah came, and said that he would see Ahab.  Now Ahab had tried to find Elijah for three years, to kill him…..but now, God had said the trial was over….He would send rain.

God always brings us through “measured” trials.   

He knows how much to demand….and when to lift up.   One is to awaken to His claims….the other is to bring them to look up,  to see Him again.

So Elijah comes, and Obadiah sees him.   Elijah tells him to go get Ahab and bring him.

But Obadiah was frightened…..this was not the fear of the Lord, but fear of Ahab.  What if God’s Spirit would catch away Elijah….and Ahab would be furious…..then he would surely die,….and he had those godly people to see to…..

But…

Instead of remaining in fear to the world,  Obadiah told Elijah his fear,…….and Elijah,  respecting this servant of God,….

1 Kings 18:15 “And Elijah said,  As the Lord of Hosts liveth,  before Whom I stand,  I will surely show myself unto him today.”

In the Lord’s name, Elijah assures this man…..you are safe.

1 Kings 18:16 “So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him:…..”

Obadiah feared the Lord greatly….he served even the wicked Ahab, faithfully….and faithfully kept alive one hundred of God’s prophets.

This took courage,….but even for a faithful servant, the fear of the world can come into our thoughts….and if not stopped:  into our hearts.

But Obadiah did not let it go further than his thoughts….and sought an answer from God’s servant, Elijah…and obeyed, when he got it.

We, too, need to fear the Lord….get wisdom for our walk, and understanding of His Way.   In times of blessing in the Church, and in times of declension…..we need to fear the Lord, and do good to those that belong to Him.

And when the fear of the world comes in….we need to address ourselves to God and get His answer.

Obadiah is not mentioned again.   There are only thirteen verses that speak of him….yet,  God noticed his godly fear,  and put it in His Book. 

As Christians, our names are written in the Book of Life…..but there is a “book of remembrance”, which is before Him….for those that fear the Lord.

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

God sees our faithfulness, our diligence, and every word and thought that reaches out to Him.

There is fear of the world,….which will terrify and halt our progress.

And there is the fear of the Lord,….which brings wisdom to our situation,  understanding to our minds and hearts,…and courage to our lives.

Have you thanked the Lord, today?

Psalm 136:1-3 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the Lord of lords: for HIs mercy endureth for ever.”

Psalm 105:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon HIs name: make known HIs deeds among the people.”

Psalm 75:1 “ Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks: for that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare.”

Psalm 9:1-2 “I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all Thy marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou Most High.”

We often speak about being filled with the Holy Spirit of God….and the power in our lives He gives…..but, one way to tell whether we are filled and being filled with God’s Spirit, is praise to God….for everything.
We are to be under the influence of God’s Spirit in our lives (like a person under the influence of liquor….they are not in control, the liquor is….so we being filled with the Spirit are under the control or rule of the Holy Spirit.)

Ephesians 5:17-20 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Understanding of God’s Will is promised by the Holy Spirit…praise Him for it!
But the Holy Spirit within us, will also lift our eyes and hearts on high….to praise and thank the Lord, and our Father in Heaven.

David praised God for just about everything which He did in David’s life. HIs praise and confession are some of the most beautiful parts of the Psalms. He trusted the Lord, therefore he praised HIm.
He praised His name, His hearing and answering prayer, His saving him from his enemies, His being His Rock and fortress in the day of trouble.

Psalm 5:11 “But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy,
Because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.”

Though David (and we) have our troubles….yet joy was often his portion…..joy in the Lord!
And it should be ours, as well.

No one in the New Testament praised the Lord more than Paul.
In almost every letter (except Galatians, for they had moved away from the foundation of the gospel), Paul praises the Lord, and instructs others to praise and thank the Lord, as well.

Colossians 1:3, 9-11 “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”

In the Holy Spirit, power and praise go together.

Colossians 1:29 “Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.”

God worked in Paul mightily….and because it worked “in” him….it worked through him as well.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” As that power worked in Paul….Paul was able to ask for those exceeding abundant things that he needed, because it did.

It is a promise to us as well. Let that Holy Spirit work in us….and He will certainly work through us…in praise and power!

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Doves’ Eyes

Song of Solomon 4:1 “Behold, thou art fair, My love; behold, thou art fair;  thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks:..”

Matthew 6:22 “The light of the body is the eye:  if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

A dove can only see one thing at a time.   They focus on just that.  

(For this reason, the Holy Spirit is likened to a dove.  [Matthew 3:16]. He has the perfection of Spiritual  insight…and keeps the Lord Jesus ever in our view.)

To see as a dove according to the Lord, is to see reality….your spiritual life,  in it’s relation to Christ.

Everything’s value, is set in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ….that One we are to keep our eyes upon.

As we grow in grace, we gain the maturity and the ability to know the things that the Holy Spirit is showing us, in the situations of life….our life.

He gives us understanding….light, and the ability to know what to do in each situation.

If you will read Ephesians,  the Holy Spirit is the Person of the Trinity, given to us to lead us into the goodness and greatness of God’s power in our lives:

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Whom (Jesus) 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.”

We are sealed as God’s children, by the Holy Spirit on God’s side; and given the beginning of all our possessions in Christ, through Him, on our side.

Ephesians 2:22 “In Whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”

We are fitted into our place, for our work, in the Church, by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16 “That He would grant you,  according to the riches of His glory,  to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;”

He is the One which shows Christ and all His glory to us.

He grounds us in Christ (Ephesians 3:17), 

makes us to know the things which Christ has for us….His love, in all it’s aspects (Ephesians 3:18-19)….

and His power, as we yield to Him in our lives (Ephesians 3:20)…..According as we let that power work within us.

Then, the practical aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is shown, as far as others are concerned:

Ephesians 4:3, 30-32 “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

                     And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,  whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

                     Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger,  and clamor,  and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

                     And be ye kind one to another,  tender-hearted, forgiving one another,  even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

And we are encouraged to yield to the Holy Spirit more and more,……and get perception and understanding of the will of the Lord, for our personal life.

Ephesians 5:17-21 “Wherefore be ye not unwise,  but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

                      And be not drunk with wine,  wherein is excess;  but be filled with the Spirit;

                      Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

                      Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

                      Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

And of course, the Holy Spirit is found in our armor.

Ephesians 6:17-18 “And take the helmet of salvation,  and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:

                        Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,  and watching thereinto with perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God that comes to our minds, in our battles, and uses it in power, when we say it….

….and, of course, it is He that teaches us to pray (Jude 20).

The Dove of God comes upon us when we are born again,  and imparts to us His vision….a single vision of light, grace, power, and ability.  

The vision of Christ…Who He is to us, and what He is doing for us.

A vision of the world around us in perception, and truth.

And He not only gives us vision, but His power, as we yield to Him….

As we deny our self-life (Matthew 16:24),  we gain our Christ’s life (Matthew 16:25)….through Him.

John 13:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name,  He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”