Hebrews 11

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is called…the faith chapter.

         Here the heroes of faith from the Bible are set forth for us….to show us that we are all one in faith.

        It matters not that they were before Christ Jesus came as Lord and Savior…..or that we are after He came and died for us….

….only that “by faith” we are saved….and live to God.

Romans 4:15-16 “Because the law worketh wrath:…

        Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed;  not to that only which is of the law, but that also which is of the faith of Abraham;  who is the father of us all,”

But the faith chapter is still being written….in heaven:

Hebrews 11:39-40 “And these all (those he has already named), having obtained a good report through faith,  received not the promise:

       God having provided some better thing for us,  that they without us should not be made perfect.”

The “promise” here is Christ Jesus being manifested…..and giving a perfect sacrifice….that He could declare,  even in the depths of pain and agony….”It is finished” (John 19:30)

What is finished?   God’s plan to expiate the sins of HIs people.    “Expiate” means to atone for, to pay the penalty for the wrong done, to make amends. 

Christ Jesus not only took away our sins….which is so amazing!…by the shedding of His blood, but also made up for all the wrongs we have done by His perfect life and perfect death.

      He only did the Father’s Will….

      He uttered not a word in His defense….”as a lamb before his shearers was dumb, so he opened not his mouth” Isaiah 53:7      (1 Peter 2: 21-23)

      He suffered and died the death of a criminal (like we are)…even though He was innocent and positively holy.

And why is it important that we know that “ it is finished”?

Because it is not according to our works that we are saved, or sanctified….it is according to His.

      (Yes, we must enter into His provision….but that is by receiving HIm as Lord and Savior,… and obeying Him…in the faith and grace He gives us!  Amazing!)

Paul (I believe he is the writer to Hebrews) was telling those Jewish Christians that though they were going through persecution and trials….yet Jesus had paid the full price for the grace that they needed to live by faith,….like  Able, Enoch, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc.

      And he goes on to tell them that they (we) are more blessed because we have seen the promise of His sacrificial death and resurrection….and the power of it in our lives!

Therefore,  we are to live by faith…and finish the faith chapter.   Our lives are being recorded….everyday faith,  extraordinary faith,  moving faith,  praying faith,  and faith by our works, which is by His grace by the Holy Spirit through us!

“God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

Hebrews 11:40

      Perfect here means complete….the faith chapter will not be complete till the whole church… and even those saved and set aside in the Tribulation period…will finish and manifest the faith and grace He gives us.

The first song in Heaven will be:

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power:  for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”

For us, in eternity past, He has planned and purposed….and He has sent His blessed Holy Spirit that we should have a Person of the Godhead with us,……shall we not do all His Purpose?

      Shall we not diligently,  joyfully, see to His Will for us, day by day….even as these heroes did by the faith the Lord Jesus Christ gives us?

      They looked forward to Christ,….we look back….but it is the look of faith toward Him, that counts.

Should we not be for Him, what He has made us?       For He has made us joint-heirs with Him….giving grace and glory to us…as we follow His Will, by faith.

1 Peter 4:1-2, 7 “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh,  arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:  for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

      That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh   to the lusts of men, but to the Will of God.

      But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

He is coming again….first, in the air to take HIs church with HIm to heaven.   

      Then in power and glory as the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords to put down all evil and reign forever!   

Let us live by faith….read His Word, and listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our days ahead…

…that it might be said of us also:

Hebrews 11:33 “Who through faith subdued kingdoms,    wrought righteousness,   obtained promises,   stopped the mouths of lions,”

“….but the people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32)

The Ark of God. 

                 

             There are three Arks in scripture:

First: 

Genesis 7:1 “And the Lord said unto Noah,  come thou and all thy house into the Ark;  for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation.”

Noah’s Ark proclaimed salvation from the wrath to come, upon the whole world, because of the wickedness and violence of man.   

Genesis 6:5, 11 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,  and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

                     The earth also was corrupt before God;  and the earth was filled with violence.”

“Imagination” here means desires and plans….they were always planning some new way of hurting others,  gaining from someone else, or destroying something.  

Even the earth was becoming spoiled, and wasted.

[God had set a way to meet with Him, in sacrifice as Abel had (Genesis 4:4),  but they had refused it.

God had warned Enoch, and he had been a preacher to his generation (Jude 14-15).

And when Enoch was translated…for he “walked with God, and was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24)….they knew what had happened…..but still resisted the Holy Spirit.]

Genesis 6:3 “And the Lord said,  My Spirit shall not always strive with man,  for that he also is flesh:  yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

Twenty years later God called Noah to build an Ark…(he had found grace in the eyes of the Lord Genesis 6:8)….

[It is interesting to note:  he “found grace”….maybe he had thought to follow the world too,  yet was convicted of the Holy Spirit,  and found grace?]

Noah built and preached for one hundred years to the mockers, and people who came to watch.   (2 Peter 2:5, Hebrews 11:7)

He preached as he brought the animals….a miracle before the people, as well….yet they refused God’s Word.

The Ark was given as a beacon: a  revelation to man that God was not mocked (Galatians 6:7-8)……

And a light…..He set a way of salvation,  in the Ark,  to the world from this destruction…..if they would turn,  hear,  and believe it.

The Ark saved all who entered into it…through rain, flood, and decay;  yet all inside were safe…till they came out into a new, clean earth,  one year, and two months later…(Genesis 8:13-17).

So our Great Ark, Jesus Christ is preached to a lost and dying world…Come and enter into life….in Him.

Acts 4:12 “Neither is their salvation in any other:  for there is none other Name under heaven given among men,  whereby we must be saved.”

Second:

Exodus 2:3 “And when she could no longer hide him (Moses), she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein;  and she laid it in the flags by the river’s (Nile’s) bank.”

Moses’ ark of bulrushes…. to save one soul, from the most powerful man in the known world.

We need to first remember, that at that time,   Pharaoh had planned to kill all the male Hebrew children, because the Israelites were multiplying…and he was afraid of an uprising.   

They were often killed,  by throwing them into the Nile.

Exodus 1:22 “And Pharoah charged all his people, saying,   Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river,  and every daughter ye shall save alive.”

So his mother made a ark of bulrushes,  and sent him into the same river that the children had been drowned…hoping no one would hear his crying…and set his sister to watch out for him.

We know the rest:  the daughter of Pharaoh saw the ark, and when she opened it….God moved her heart to have compassion on a child her father would have killed. (Exodus 2:5-6)

Moses was to grow up, and was called to be the leader of God’s People to deliver them from Pharaoh, and Egypt’s slavery, by obedience to God.

To lead them to the land promised Abraham and his children. (Hebrews 11:23-29)

 [We, too, are like babes in this world of cruelty and anger,  but kept safe in the arms of Jesus]

This Ark saved a single soul, and was a hiding place in the storm of fear, and death.

So Christ Jesus came to save all who would shelter in Him…”whosoever will” (John 3:16)

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded,  that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come.

                Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,  which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:55, 57 “O death, where is thy sting?   O grave, where is thy victory?

                But thanks be to God,  which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Third:

The Ark of the Covenant, which was to lead His people, and be the gathering place for the worship of God.

Exodus 25:10-11, 17-18, 21 “And they shall make an Ark of shittim wood:….

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold,  within and without shall thou over lay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

                    And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold:….And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold,  of beaten work shalt thou make them,  in the two ends of the mercy seat.

                    And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the Ark;  and in the Ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.”

It was the presence of God in the midst of His people.  (The Tabernacle was actually set up in the middle of the camp…with three tribes on each side.)

Exodus 25:22 “And there I will meet with thee,  and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat,  from between the two cherubim which are upon the Ark of the testimony,…”

The Ark of the testimony was wood…a picture of Christ’s humanity;  and overlaid within and without with gold….a picture of Christ’s Divinity, within and without…even when He was the Son of Man,  He was the Son of God.

The mercy seat was all gold.  It was the lid of the Ark.  

It had two cherubim on it.   One on each side, looking down to the center.  Their  wings covering them. 

The center of the mercy seat was the place where all looked to pray….and where the blood of the atonement was poured out.

Leviticus 16:14, 30 “And he shall take of the blood of the bullock,  and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward;  and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.  

                   For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you,  to cleanse you,  that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”

In the Ark, was the two tables of stone on which the Law had been inscribed, sheltered under the blood.

The Ark lead them from Sinai, to the Promised land:

Numbers 10:35-36 “And it came to pass, when the Ark set forward,  that Moses said,  Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.

                   And when it rested,  he said,  Return, O Lord,  unto the many thousands of Israel.”

The Ark lead them through Jordon, and around Jericho to victory. (Joshua 3:11,  Joshua 6:11)

And came to rest in Canaan, first in Shiloh; and then in Jerusalem, under king David, where all were to gather for worship at least seven times a year (the feast days).

All are a picture of Christ, and His work as Lord and Savior:

First, as a Light to the world……for all who will come and believe:

Acts 17:30-31 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at;  but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

                 Because He hath appointed a day,  in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained;  whereof He hath given assurance unto all men,  in that He hath raised Him from the dead.”

Christ is presented as the Savior from sin…..if they will come to Him.

Second, as a Personal Lord and Savior:

Romans 5:8, 11 “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us.  

                 And not only so,  but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  by Whom we have now received the atonement

Third, as our  Center and Guide:

                 He leads us through “rivers, battles, and gives us rest”:

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way thou shalt go:  I will guide thee with Mine eye.”

Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passes through the waters,  I will be with thee;  and through the rivers,  they shall not overflow thee:  when thou walkest through the fire,  thou shalt not be burned;  neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

The Arks of the Old Testament showed what the Lord would do for all who came to Him,  and put their trust in Him.  

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not;  for I am with thee:  be not dismayed;  for I am thy God:  I will strengthen thee,  yea,  I will help thee;  yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”

Are you sheltered in Christ Jesus?   Are you following His guidance?

What is the difference between knowing and knowing?

Mark 1:22 “And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”

This is astonishing!   When Jesus came to Israel,  preaching the Kingdom of God is at hand….there were many scribes who knew the Word of God. 

       Many who could point out exactly what should be done according to the Law.

(Under king Josiah, the scribe was established.  As many things, at the beginning, it was a very blessed plan.   

      Send men out into the land of Judah, who knew the Law….to teach it, so that everyone would know what God wanted them to do.   It was exactly what Moses had said to do when they entered the land……though Israel had failed to do it….and many did not know what God had said in His Law.)

        

But now, at Jesus time,  the scribes had degenerated into a class of men, separate from others…..better than others….who generally used their knowledge of the Law…..not to teach others,  but to point out other people’s faults.

Then comes Jesus…..He preaches and teaches what should be done from the scriptures….but with the authority of One Who knows God,…..and that His Law is good, merciful, and right.

(It is not real authority for others, without the Authority of God and His Word for me, myself.)

Mark 1:21 “And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught.”

This is the same incident as in…

Matthew 4:13, 23 “And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum…..

         And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

This was at the beginning of His ministry…..and we see Him teaching the people….with authority.

         Giving the Word, with power to change them……to those starving for it.    

(At least seven times in scripture it is recorded that they were astonished at His doctrine,  wisdom and understanding….for it was with authority…”power”. Luke 4:32)

We think He had power only because He was the Son of God….yet He plainly says…

John 8:26, 29 “I have many things to say and to judge of you:  but He that sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of Him.

          And He that sent Me is with Me:  the Father hath not left Me alone;  for I do always those things that please Him.”

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

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

Here is a real….”And I know”.   Christ Jesus knew God HIs Father,….and that His Word is good, merciful, and right.

How much do we know God, and His Word in us?

          

Though the scribes knew the Word…..yet they did not know the reality of the authority of that Word….for themselves.     

          They could give good advice,  but could not command the heart of their hearers…..because the blessing of God comes to the devoted and obedient heart….and through them,  to others.

We, too, must acquire the knowledge of the Word…..how important for these days….

….but also the authority of that Word in our lives,  that we might show the Lord to others,….and the goodness, mercy and power of His Word, by being under it’s Authority ourselves.

It is not head knowledge, but of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the Person of the Godhead that we work with mostly.

      When we speak for the Lord,….by His Word, or by obedience…..and we have that experience in our lives,….the Holy Spirit takes what is said, and done….and empowers it in the lives of the hearers.

They may reject the conviction, or help…..but they can not get around that Word, when spoken with the power of the Holy Spirit.

What is the difference between knowing and knowing?   

        The knowing of our heads….not bad, but not enough.

        And the knowing of our lives…..we have what the Lord said…..in us!  

And we can speak with authority anything we get into our own lives.

         

I will never leave thee 

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:  for He hath said,  I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

When my daughter was small, this was her favorite promise. (Her favorite song was….”If Jesus said it, I believe it”)

     Ask about a Bible verse,  and she would quote this part….”I will never leave thee”…

….and I must admit, it is a blessing to read and hear it for me, as well.

The Lord has promised believers:

He will never leave us….therefore He is always with us, whether we “feel” like it or not.

       He will never forsake us….therefore He will always stay after us,  nudging us by His blessed Holy Spirit to keep coming….to keep praying….to keep taking that next step with Him. (Matthew 28:20)

Whether we acknowledge it or not,  we are a people who are made for the fellowship and communion with God….for we have a light that “lighteth every man”.   John 1:9.  A desire for true belonging.

      

We have a spirit that should be filled with the Holy Spirit….

….yet by sin, man has become a solitary creature.   

      Full of secrets,  of dark places in our minds and hearts….of anger, hate, or rebellion against good,……and we have chosen ourselves to consider,….first.

Many yearn for the comfort of “someone” caring about us…..but refuse to open their hearts to the greatest lover of our souls…..Jesus Christ.

      He sees us,….He knows all about us, yet died to save us,….He cares for us….for He came to “seek and to save that which was lost”.

Luke 15:4-5 “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

      And when he hath found it,  he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

(What hinders our turning to Christ Jesus?   

      As there are three parts to our souls….mind, heart, and will.

      There are three “lusts” which keep us in bondage.

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.”

I want to explain,  “lust” in scripture means “I want this, and I want it now”.

       It could be anything….anything which comes between God and our souls.

The lust of the flesh….something which we want to satisfy our taste, smell, touch, or sight.

The lust of the eyes….something which is pleasing or beautiful to us….we must have it, or something like it.

The pride of life….something we want that will elevate us…make us “better”…..either to ourselves or others.

These are the lusts which bind us, keep us prisoners……to this world’s influence…..and keep us wandering away from God.)

But though we are bound….God is not hindered…..He came to seek and to save that which was lost…

Matthew 18:11-12 “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

        How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray,  doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?”

Notice in this,  Jesus said that the sheep was “gone astray”….

…..and that this sheep had chosen the worst conditions to be wandering around in….”the mountains”.

     Lions and bears had dens there,…the way is steep and slippery,….rocks and cliffs are there….and this sheep thought that this way would be better than following the Shepherd!?

Yet, the Lord does not leave this sheep to die….for that is what is out there for it….

….He goes and finds it…brings it home….rejoicing over it.

“I will never leave thee.”

The term “gone astray” describes us:

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray;  we have turned every one to his own way;     and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

If there was not that last part…..which God has done in Christ….the end of us all….sadly, would be…..”his own way”. (Proverbs 1:31-32)

1 Peter 2:21, 24-25 “….because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow HIs steps:

       Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by  whose stripes ye were healed.

        For ye were as sheep going astray:  but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

(It says “but are now returned”….not that  we returned ourselves.  How gracious God is.)

Ezekiel 34:11, 16 “For Thus saith the Lord God;  Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

       I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick:…”

God has never left us without witness to Himself—in nature and His Word;..

…..nor left us in our sins, without supplying a Way—through Christ Jesus, His Son—for salvation….

….nor left us to guide ourselves through this world—giving His born again ones His Holy Spirit.

Nor will He forsake us….in trouble, or shame, or storm, or enemy….He will never leave nor forsake us….for we are His sheep…..His flock….His people,  whom He loves.

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me,  saying,  Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:  therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

       

“I will never leave thee.”

      

     

     

A Living Sacrifice 

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.”

When I was first saved,  I wondered at this verse:

What does it mean: “Sacrifice”?

Where is the altar?  At the forefront of the Church?  Or somewhere else?

In a message, I began to understand the verse.

Let me explain what was said.

The word sacrifice in scripture, signifies what is given to God.

We are to give our whole selves over to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;  and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When we are born again, we ask that the Lord Jesus would come into our hearts and live.

The Holy Spirit then comes into our spirits, and abides with us.

We are to bring the rest of our selves to Christ as His, by a series of choices.  Him or self?

Then our souls, which is our personalities, are brought little by little into subjection to Jesus. 

  The souls are that which makes us, us.  No two are exactly the same.   We believe they are the most precious thing in His creation, since He died to save them.

Our bodies we must give over to the Holy Spirit.   This is the sacrifice spoken of here.

He has come to us, and dwells in our spirits, and we must give him our hands, to do what He wants; our feet to go where He wants;  and our mouths to speak His words faithfully.

In fact, every part of our bodies must be given to Him, to use as He wants.

This is the “Sacrifice”.

The altar is not the one at the front of the Church, although you may yield to His call to do this there.

But it is the “altar” of our everyday lives.  It is there that the “fire” of life, tries us.

Will we stay on the altar and let everything go to Christ?

Or will we crawl off the altar, and try and save ourselves?

Romans 12:2 “Be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,  that ye may prove what is that good,  and acceptable,  and perfect will of God.”

We are not to be conformed to this world’s system.

Now I love nature, the birds, trees, sky, stars, etc.   They show forth God’s beauty, and order.   

This is not, what the “world” in scripture is talking about.

It is the world’s system:  which is corrupt, greedy, seeking power and praise for itself,  that is spoken of.

We are not to be conformed to it.

We are to be conformed to Christ (Romans 8:29), and His character which He manifested here, in this world.

But since we live in this world,  how are we to do this?

We are to be transformed:  our natural ways of doing things is to be changed into God’s way of doing things.

The thoroughness, and power of our transformation rest with us. 

He works within you both to will and do of His good pleasure;  but we must work it out.

We must take the grace given at the time, and use it.  Whether it is words, power to walk away,  power to stand in the day of trouble, etc.

The power comes from the Holy Spirit,  but we must yield to Him and use it.

Philippians 2:12-13 “Wherefore my beloved,  as ye have always obeyed,  not as in my presence only,  but now much more in my absence,  work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:

                       For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

The salvation mentioned here is the salvation of ourselves in our everyday life.

Salvation from sin, and self. 

(As we have written before, salvation is 4-fold:  

from the love of sin….conviction

from the guilt of sin…being born again

from the power of sin…sanctification

and one day, from the presence of sin….heaven.

This salvation covers our whole lives from here through eternity)

We are to work out the character of Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, given within:  Ability,  Strength, Joy, Peace, Patience;  all are of Him,……but through us.

This is to prove what is that good, and acceptable,  and perfect (bringing us to be what we were created for) Will of God.

May the blessing, that comes from God,  open our eyes to the grace for this day, whatever we are going through.

Daniel in the lion’s den

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.”

We often think of our circumstances, especially when we are in storms and troubles…that we are overly tried.     That we go from “the frying pan,  to the fire” sometimes.

        And we  think of Daniel as privileged….he was in a palace, not Jerusalem that would be destroyed…

…..he was placed in a position of authority…not in the fields and poor villages of Babylon with Ezekiel and many of the captives.

We think he had it “pretty easy”! (and often times we think others have it “easy”….when we do not necessarily see behind the scenes.)

But…

I want to first mention about Daniel…that as a young man, problably in his teens,….he was taken to Babylon.   Since he was educated, for he was a prince in Israel,  he was put in with others who were to become the advisors and “wisemen” to Nebuchadnezzar.   

        Daniel prayed to God, and he and his friends, were set aside from the normal food and drink of the king’s portion which was first given to  idols….

….”But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:…”( Dan. 1:8)

        Yet a while later, he was almost killed…along with all the other “wisemen”,  because the king’s dream was not being retold to him.       Daniel prayed, and had the dream told him….and, giving all the glory to God Who knows all things,  told the dream to the king…and saved the lives of all the wisemen.  (Dan.2:27-28)

         Because of this,  he was placed in a position of some authority and access to the king….

        Some time later, another dream was given to Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel prayed, giving all the glory to God for the interpretation again…..

……and boldly told the king to stop being so proud, for God had given him all he had….and to stop being so violent or he would suffer madness.  ( Dan. 4:27)  

        This happened….seven years of Nebuchadnezzar’s madness….where Daniel is set aside, till Nebuchadnezzar is given sanity….and his kingdom back.

        When Nebuchadnezzar dies, all goes silent for Daniel…he is not consulted or called for (at least three years)…..till Belshazzar’s feast…and there Daniel boldly speaks for God and His judgment on them,  for their mocking Him.  Their kingdom was to end,  that night….and it did. (Dan. 5:22-23, 26-28)

How old Daniel is,   the scriptures do not say….yet when Darius came to power,  Daniel had been at court for many years.   He would have been middle-aged or “older” by then.

His life already had many ups and downs….many visions had been given to him, already….and he had become a man of prayer.    Three times a day he set aside for prayer.

Then:  Darius came to power in Babylon.   He was a Median…older and greedy.   Very much interested in the accounting of the kingdom…for his own gain, of course….so:

        Daniel 6:1-3 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes,  which should be over the kingdom;

       And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first:  that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.    (He would not be cheated by having  so many checks and balances!)

       Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him;  and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

(Daniel was a honest man who could be counted on.   “…they could find none occasion nor fault;  forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.” Dan. 6:4

        And so should every Christian be….in business, in our homes and churches,  with our friends and enemies,…honest and faithful.

       Daniel, at this time, realized that God’s time for bringing back Israel to the land after their captivity, was coming…so he began to pray fervently for that promise  Dan. 9:1-3)

Envy and  jealousy are sins which cause the sinner to reject, and hate the one they are jealous of.

       Hate never stands still….it moves the sinner to act against….in some way the object of their envy.

So the other princes come up with a plan….”we shall not find any occasion…except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Dan. 6:5)

        So they decietfully flattered the king Darius….and said that they (all his counselors, and governors and princes) have gotten together and decided that they would establish a royal decree that no one could ask a petition from any God or man….for thirty days, except from the king….you, O Darius!   And they wanted him to seal it, so it could not be changed,…according to the law of the Medes and Persians.

And Darius thought:

“How flattering!   And they did say all the higher-ups had agreed to it!   Wow, think of it!  Every one would have to come to me,  Darius, to get an answer to anything!     

        Let me sign it right away!”

As I said,  Daniel’s life was full of ups and downs….he was in a place of position…and intrigue.   

        But Daniel’s life was in God….therefore he let all that pomp and authority and intrigue not trouble him one bit…

…again his life was in God….in prayer for His Will done for Israel,  God’s people, was a burden on his soul….and he continued to pray…

…even when he heard of the decree.

Well, we know he was arrested, brought before Darius….who was flabbergasted…and tried to save Daniel….but could not…

…for the decree could not be changed,  “according to the law of the Medes and Persians,  which altereth not.”

Hungry lions eat anything.   And Darius had to throw Daniel into the pit of hungry lions….had to.

      (  But notice,…and I think this is wonderful.  

         Daniel did nothing.     Daniel said nothing.     Daniel submitted to their actions….leaving all to God.  

         And doesn’t this remind us so much of Jesus Christ before the Sanhedrin and Pilate!  )

Now the law could not be changed….

……..but God didn’t change the law….but “shut the lions mouths”!

And how many times the Lord has delivered us from “hurt”,…and from enemies,…in a different way then we thought…or even prayed for.    His Way is best.

         Daniel had to go through the lions den….but God’s angel was with him….not to destroy the lions, or fight with the lions….but to simply close their mouths!     And God can do the same for us!

Daniel 6:19-23 “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:…O Daniel, servant of the living God,  is thy God,  whom thou servest continually, able to deliever thee from the lions?”

        Then said Daniel unto the king,   O king, live for ever. 

        My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me:  forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me;  and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 

        Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den.  So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him,  because he believed in his God.”

“…because he believed in his God.”    Let us be faithful to our God,  and let us believe Him.

        He has given us HIs Word to read and appropriate….to get those promises in to our lives….let us do it.

Daniel in the lions den is history we all know….but it has come to mind again and again lately.

        We all must pass through….again,… “pass through” tribulations and troubles.

But God is with us….to keep us before people of position and accusors,  alike….wherever they are.

 Let us be faithful to God…..that it may be said of us…”we are people of prayer”…..”we believed in our God.”

      (And remember…to believe is to put the full weight of ourselves, our lives on Him.)

The Way of the righteous

Psalm 1:6 “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

           It is a constant source of peace when we recognize that “The Lord knoweth” my way….the way He has led me in….and…that He knows what is in that way, for me.

           John 10:27, 12 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:

           But he that is an hireling (one doing it,  just for the money,  not for care of the sheep), and not the shepherd,  whose own the sheep are not,   seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:   and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.”

How important it is that we know “the way of the righteous”….the way He leads us “in and out,”…and to “find pasture.” (John 10:9)…and to follow His Way.

Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good,  a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.”

(When God is said to “know” someone,  He is said to recognize them….the real them. 

          For the righteous,  this means to care for, and instruct.

          For the wicked, this means judgment as to their attitude and actions.)

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

This is the way of the righteous….and we should all walk in it.   We should be diligently concerned for the souls we come into contact with….that they, too, might be saved.

          And once saved, that they might come to the full realization of the life of Christ in them.

Hebrews 4:13 “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight:  but all things are  naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”

(As children, we are taught that our Heavenly Father sees us, and watches over us…to keep us from harm.

          “Be Careful little eyes what you see, be careful little eyes what you see,  for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.

           Be careful little feet where you go, be careful little feet where you go…for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little feet where you go.”

          It continues with “hands, what they do”…and “mouths, what we say”…

Perhaps this isn’t taught anymore….but it always was a good way to show that God knows us…who we are,  and what we do…

…and because He loves us,   He wants us to be careful in this world.  

         This is a good foundation to show God’s Almightiness and Goodness….and the evil that can be in this world.

Psalm 34:11 “Come, ye children, hearken unto me:  I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”)

God “knows”….

….if we would come to God with this in mind….we would find it easier to get honest with Him, and ourselves.

Our souls…our thoughts, affections, and our willful actions.   God knows us.   And sent His Son to seek and to save the lost…because God valued our souls.

           Now,  that we are saved,  we need to follow our Lord, wherever He might lead….whether into prayer for others to be saved….or in witness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ….or in leading others to Him, by the Word of God…God values their souls.

          And we too, should value the souls around us.

Righteous….or to be right-wise with God….to think God’s thoughts after Him.  

          For in our thoughts are the intents of our hearts made manifest.

(Are we following the Lord in this?   Are we thinking His thoughts?   Or,  are our thoughts after the world’s ways?)

Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,  piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Piercing….that certainly describes the Word of God when we are being dealt with about something.     

          It pierces our excuses,  our reasons,  and our affections that have gotten tangled up into things….it pierces and opens us up to the truth…

…….and then (blessed be HIs Name!) He gives discernment in the way to go to set these right…and to get back into the way of the righteous.

Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.”

Psalm 37:17 “…but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.”

Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee:  He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 112:4 “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness:…”

Psalm 112:6 “…the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.”

Psalm 146: “….the Lord loveth the righteous:”

The Way of the righteous is to follow the Lord whithersoever He goes….and it is shown us in HIs Word….again and again.    

            His promises to us are in some ways an anchor to hold us against the storm….

….and in other ways a warm breeze which fills our sails and keeps us moving toward our home in  heaven, in peace.

Let us get into His Way,  and stay there…for there are many ways presented to us from the world….and we need His discernment in these days. 

Ultimate Reality. 

I believe our souls are the most precious thing in all of God’s Creation.   

Having lost it through the fall of Adam (Romans 6:18-19);   He bought it back again, at such a high price:  the sacrifice of His beloved Son.

I believe that our souls are our personalities.  They are what makes us unique.  No two are exactly alike.

They are what the Bible calls “the heart”.

Our souls are the seat of our personalities….all that makes us, us!

When Christ Jesus was here, He set forth a way of following Him: 

Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Me.   Lose your self-life,  that you might find your Christ filled life. (Matthew 16:24-25)

Then He added a verse which often confuses us,  but it shouldn’t.   

Jesus spoke in terms of profit and loss.  Showing the value that Jesus placed on our souls.  One soul is worth more than a whole world of things.

The question is:  how much do we value our own souls?

Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited,  if he shall gain the whole world,  and lose his own soul?    Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

What, of all creation could possibly be of more value than our eternal soul?

What will we give in exchange for our souls, in this world?  

For that is what Jesus is asking.

Will it be temptations, cares, riches, or pleasures of this life? (Luke 8:13-14)

In Luke, Jesus says:

Luke 9:25 “What is a man advantaged,  if he gain the whole world,  or lose himself,  or be cast away?”

Or “lose himself”;……….for our soul is our personality,  our mind, heart and will.

When we are immersed in the world, we are conformed to it, and really lose who we really are.

Come to Christ, and have your soul “saved”….freed from all the entanglements of the world,…..freed to be all He has created you for.

Man is an eternal being.  He will exist for eternity in one of two places:  we will save our soul, and live for eternity with God in bliss.

Or we will lose our soul,  and spend eternity with Satan in torment.

There is no other ultimate reality than this.   

People have tried to say that God is too merciful to condemn people to hell.

God is merciful:  that is why He saves anybody who comes to Him……because He is merciful.

That is why He sent His Son to save us, by the sacrifice of Himself.   

He came and lived a perfect life…becoming the perfect sacrifice.  

Not in His Divinity,  for He always was and is holy.

But in His humanity.   And because there was found no sin in Him (Hebrews 4:15);  He could give His life a ransom for all,  who will come unto Him.

Here then is what Jesus says we are faced with:  our souls must choose.

Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior?

Or some attractions in the world? 

Romans 10:9, 13 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,  and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead,  thou shalt be saved.

         For whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In this age for each Christian;  to answer the call of Christ,  is to come with a life open to and receptive to Him.

This is a continual open door to Christ.  

Christ Jesus is still asking all who will follow Him:

Will you bring yourselves to Me?  Will you fully surrender your wills that they may be Mine?

Hear My word to you;  for My Word is a living Word,  it will not return unto Me void.  But it will accomplish My purpose in you,…. yield to it.

I will empower you to do My Will;  only get it settled that you will do it. 

(And If there is someone faced with that challenge especially at this time;  remember time has a way of dimming the value of all things in this world.   What we consider “essential”,……….can become sawdust in our mouths,…..though it may not seem like it now.

You can turn your life over to Jesus Christ,  and ask Him to make it whole in Him.)

Know the liberty of the Spirit of Christ,  in your union with Me. 

Hear and your soul shall live.

Only Christ knows the true value of your soul,  for He paid the ultimate price to save it,…….He knows you,  and loves you.

Amazing love for such as I.

The Everlasting Covenant and His Everlasting Love

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace,  that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,  that great shepherd of the sheep,  through  the blood of the everlasting covenant,

                                   Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight,  through Jesus Christ;  to Whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

A covenant is an binding agreement where one agrees to give something, if the other agrees to do something.

God the Father agreed to draw and give all the elect,   to God the Son:

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

God the Son, agreed to become the man, Christ Jesus and die for all the elect at the fullness of time:

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the time was come,  God sent forth His Son,  made of a woman,  made under the law,  

                               To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

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

God the Holy Spirit, agreed to be the agency by which faith is produced within us,  and to stay with us, as our Comforter:

John 14:26 “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.”

The triune God made this Everlasting Covenant before they even created the earth.

For They saw, by their Omniscience, that sin would enter into the world by the man they would create.   And that by that sin,  man would have to be separated from God, the greatest Good.

All was lost to God.   He showed me once, just what a great loss it was to Him.

So They made full provision for  the salvation of man:  through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

That blood was shed on Calvary by our Lord Jesus Christ.  He paid the price to redeem us from every sin, for all who come to Him.

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

And to make us perfect (complete) in all the works we are to do, by the merits of Jesus.    Changing us into the character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

They made this covenant before the world was created;  so that we might be saved. For God loved us before He even created the earth. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying,   Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:  therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.”

Notice how personal His love is…to you, to me.

It was an Everlasting covenant, based on everlasting love!  In Christ Jesus!

Are we enjoying His grace and love?

Will the iron swim for you? 

2 Kings 6:6 “And the man of God said,  Where fell it?   And he showed him the place.   And he cut down a stick,  and cast in thither,  and the iron did swim.”

Elisha is a prophet in Israel.  As an itinerant preacher, he would go around Israel meeting with the sons of the prophets;  a group of people separated to God and His worship.   (There was still a lot of idol worshippers in Israel)

Some of them come to Elisha, telling him that they need more room for their growing numbers.   So they plan to go down to the river Jordan, and cut down saplings from along the bank.

Elisha agrees to the plan…”Go ye.”

But one of them asked him to accompany them; not to work, but to be there.

And Elisha agrees…”I will go”.      

2 Kings 6:4-5 “And he went with them.   When they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

                         And one was felling a beam,  and the ax head fell into the water:   and he cried, and said,  Alas master!  for it was borrowed.”

This would have been an expensive tool….valuable and rare.

And he had borrowed it;  so the honor of their word to return it, would have been on the line.

So he told Elisha….perhaps this was the very reason God wanted him to be there.

(A word about the Jordan:  it is a very muddy River.  That ax head,  or “iron” which fell into that;  it would be impossible to find it….it would be covered with mud.)

2 Kings 6:6 “And the man of God said,   Where fell it?…”

Elisha, was immediately praying for the matter…..standing in his place as a representative of God.

What should he do?   He could pray for money to be given to replace it…..or he could pray that God would retrieve it…..

….whatever would be more to God’s glory….that is what he wanted.

2 Kings 6:6-7 “…….And he showed him the place.  And he cut down a stick,  and cast it thither;  and the iron did swim.

                        Therefore said he,  Take it up to thee.   And he put out his hand and took it.”

Up from the muddy depths came the “iron”,  by the simple obedience of Elisha.

This was an impossible situation, but the iron did swim.

Are you confronting an impossible situation?   Then,  hear our Lord Jesus to His disciples: 

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

I want to point out (as the Lord pointed out this word to me, years ago) this little word “all”.

What does it signify?    It includes the numbers, and the vastness of things.   It is inclusive…it leaves nothing out, not small or large,  not physical or spiritual,  not anything.   It includes “all”.

And that is what the Lord says is possible to God….and it was in answer to a question about salvation. 

Matthew 19:25 “When his disciples heard it,  they were exceeding amazed, saying,  Who then can be saved?”

(Remember salvation is everything related to us from the time we are born again………through all eternity.   

Conviction,       being born again,      being saved from the power of the world, sin, and ourselves,      being saved from others [Romans 8:35-39 “…nothing can separate us from the love of God…”],      being taken to heaven.   

All that effects our walk with Jesus……is included in the term salvation.

God can bring anyone…..”all”…..anyone from drowning in the mire of this world….to salvation in Him.   The iron can swim.)

We are placed in situations, as Elisha was at Jordan, for us to have the Lord’s direction and help, for ourselves….and others. 

(Often by helping others in prayer, word, or deed,  I have been strengthened myself.   By giving the Lord’s Word, grace is also received.)

This is a simple story of a miracle….there are no trumpets or bands….seven short verses describe a amazing feat.

It also is a story of personal loss….not just for the money which he did not have to replace it;……but of his word to return the ax for this believer.

And a story of the Lord’s goodness,…….especially in something we would think insignificant for the Lord to “bother with”.

But He did it.   The iron did swim.

Sometimes, I believe, we pray as though we know the Lord will not answer us….

….we pray…sure,  He could….if He would…sort of, prayers.

Matthew 21:21-22 “Jesus answered and said unto them,  “Verily I say unto you,  if ye have faith and doubt not,  ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree,  but also if ye shall say unto this mountain,  be thou removed,  and be thou cast into the sea;  it shall be done.

                            And all things,  whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,  believing,  ye shall receive.”

By faith, is according to His Will, as He has shown you.   

Believing is the act of obedience to what He wants you to do about it.

(Elisha had to cut down a stick and cast it in the Jordan, to make the iron swim.)

Will the iron swim for you, in your situation….big or little;  crisis or not?

No matter what the size, or extremity;  God hears, and gives guidance.

Will we come to Him believing,  and receive it?