The call of Elisha

1 Kings 19:15-16 “And the Lord said unto him (Elijah),  Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus:  and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

            And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel:  and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.”

Elijah had failed and run away (1 KIngs 19:3)….”he arose and went for his life..”.

           But God had not deserted him….but spoke to him while he was hiding in a cave:  “What doest thou here, Elijah?”

           And Elijah had been honest with the Lord….telling the truth of the threat against him (Jezebel was not only a wicked queen, but was the power behind the throne.  She gave no empty threats)

….and about his fear concerning it!

But the Lord told Elijah to come and stand before Him again,….when he heard His Voice.

          And Elijah did….it was not in the great things of wind, earthquake and fire…..but in a still small Voice, which called Elijah to come and hear again what he was to do.

If you read again those verses of Elijah’s tasks to perform….they were pretty amazing.  

         Anoint a foreign king….Hazael to be king in Syria.

         Anoint a man, Jehu, to be king in Israel (the ten tribes in the north of Judah).

And anoint a man to take over as prophet in Elijah’s place.

(It would be ten years before Elisha would take over the job of prophet….preacher and teacher to those who believe.  To be a man of God to help all who would come to him….including kings, and widows.    But he was to be called….now.)

1 Kings 19:19-21 “So he (Elijah) departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat,  who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him,  and he with the twelfth:  and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

        And he (Elisha) left the oxen,  and ran after Elijah, and said,  Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.    And he(Elijah) said unto him,   Go back again:  for what have I done to thee?

         And he (Elisha) returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat.   Then he (Elisha) arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”

Three short verses to describe a complete surrender of heart and life to the call of God!

Here Elisha….though obviously rich, with twelve yoke of oxen….was not slack or lazy in helping run the farm….or work for his parents.   

         He was at the tail end,  seeing to everything and every servant before him….and plowing was real work then.

And Elijah came by and simply took his outer cloak off….and threw it over Elisha’s shoulders.

Instantly, Elisha knew what it meant….that he was being called to follow Elijah into a work for God.

         And he “ran after Elijah”!

The call was answered….he would follow into whatever work the Lord had!    

         But then he asked permission to go back and kiss his father and mother.   He wasn’t demanding….but like a servant, already….he sought the blessing of Elijah, God’s prophet, to do this.

When Elijah gave permission…..”Go back again”…..then added:  “for what have I done to thee?”

        Elijah wasn’t being snippy….but stressing to Elisha that God called him…..and so everything was to be done…”as unto the Lord.”

That settled everything for Elisha. 

        He returned only long enough to take his yoke of oxen….kill them….and take the plow and use it for the wood of the fire….and cook the yoke of oxen on it.

        Then, he gave the meat of it to the workers….he did not eat it….but showed that he  was done with any work….but for the Lord.

        There was nothing of his to come back to.   

(When I was first born again,  there used to be a saying for a Christian who was considering  Christian work:

         “Burn your bridges behind you….so that you can’t  try and cross back to your old life.”

It came from a general, who saw his army deserting the battle,… running back across a bridge they had just crossed to engage the enemy….

…..who said to his aid….get the men across and burn those bridges behind them….then they will have to go forward and fight.

             Elisha did this,  himself.    For he wasn’t coming back to his old life.)

“Then he (Elisha) arose,  and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”

Elisha “ministered”  unto him (Elijah).      This “ministered” here is menial work, with the suggestion of doing it in worship to the Lord.

           He walked with him,  and learned from him….but also ran and got things for him….and cooked his meals.    

          For ten years….Elisha helped Elijah finish what God had called him to….to awaken the people of Israel to God’s claim on them. 

         Elijah formed a preaching circle in Israel….going from place to place (Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho)….where the “sons of the prophets”….a dedicated group of men would meet for prayer and teaching from God.

It was Elijah’s work….but learned by Elisha….and continued and grown,  by him.

For the most part….you hear nothing more of Elisha during these ten years….till Elijah was taken away in a fiery chariot  (2 Kings 2:11-14).   

          Then there is the test of devotion:  Elijah kept asking Elisha to stay behind, for he was called of God to go further…..but Elisha would not leave him. 

          (Let me say here,  that if there was a time to think of going back to the luxury and comfort of home….having seen the opposition to God and His people….now would be the time.   Elisha could have left the service of God….and sought out his fields and vineyards again.

          But he had not looked back….and didn’t for a minute think of leaving God’s prophet,  till the Lord HImself took him.)

          As they crossed the last obstacle before Elijah’s departure….

Elijah said:

“Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee”     

         And Elisha asked….not for advice…

….but for the very power that Elisha knew had kept Elijah….by the Spirit of God.

 Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit….for he knew he would need it, to finish the work.

        (Sometimes it is hard to start a work….and sometimes it is harder to see it finished,  faithfully.    This was Elisha’s ministry.)

          Then, as he saw Elijah go….Elijah dropped his mantle….the same mantle that he had thrown over Elisha’s shoulders at his calling.

Elisha went over to where it was….and tore his garment in two….leaving behind in the dust his life, again….and picking up Elijah’s mantle,  being completely given the work as prophet in Israel.

2 KIngs 2:12b-14 “…and he (Elisha) took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

        He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

        And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said,   Where is the Lord God of Elijah?  And when he also had smitten the waters,  they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”

In fact,  Elisha did finish the work.   He maintained and grew places for the sons of the prophets…and went about preaching and teaching all through Israel.

       He was more of a prophet to the people,  but ministered to kings, and even to foreigners sent to him (Naaman the leper).

Elisha was faithful….to God, to Elijah, to the people of Israel.

There would be no fiery chariot for Elisha….no,  he fell sick when he was old,  and would die from it.

        But, even then,  God would show to Israel,  His power by HIs Spirit….through a life that was given over to Him….completely….and faithfully:

2 Kings 13:14,20-21 “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died….

        And Elisha died, and they buried him.    And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.  

        And it came to pass, as they (Israelites) were burying a man, that, behold they spied a band of men;  and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha:  and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha,  he revived, and stood up on his feet.”

Let me say here….that life is what we are to manifest….real life in God, through HIs Son, Jesus Christ.

       And we manifest it most,  by being completely devoted to God….to serve the Lord in joy…and minister to  His people….in temperance, longsuffering, and love. 

Go tell it on the mountain…

Romans 10:15 “And how shall they preach,  except they be sent?  As it is written,   How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings,  that publisheth peace;  that bringeth good tidings of good,  that publisheth salvation;  that saith unto Zion,  Thy God reigneth!”

Of course we know that these  “good things”….are the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

            The good news of His birth, life, sacrifice, and resurrection….and of His ascension and intercession now for all who are born again!

“How beautiful”… in Romans,   means “belonging to the right time or season”.     

            In other words,   “how seasonable is the gospel when it comes to us…for salvation!”  

It comes at just the right time….to deal with us, and lead us to Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Isaiah,…”how beautiful” means “to be at home”.    

            Our hearts were always made to be in love with God.   How beautiful….then, that He sends His servants out to us….even in the impossible difficulties of our lives (the mountains)….to give us the good news….to bring us to our intended “home” in God and His Word.

The song says:   “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere…

…Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.”

Mountains in scripture often indicates the impossible or difficult challenges of our lives.

              Things we can not do anything about….ourselves.

Hills indicate small problems….which seem not too hard….but which weary us and wear us out, if we deal with them in our own strength.

But God has sent us to climb these mountains…

….and to cross these hills…

….and the very difficulty makes us cry unto the Lord,  and look for HIs help.

Psalm 121:1 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,  from whence cometh my help.

               My help cometh from the Lord,  which made heaven and earth.”

When John the Baptist was sent to forewarn Israel that the Messiah was here….that the Lord was calling a people to follow Him, and receive Him as King…..

….John the Baptist was sent with this ministry:

             Luke 3:3 “And he (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan,  preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;”

            (Let me say here, that there were many “baptisms” under the Law.   The most important was the baptism of the prostylete.   If a Gentile wished to come to the Temple,  he would have to be circumcised and baptized into the Jewish faith.  

             This “baptism” was what John was doing. 

             For he was saying,   “You can not live like the Gentiles,  and pretend to serve God.   No, you must come and be baptized into faith and obedience to God…again.” )

And here is the Word to the Forerunner of Christ:

Luke 3:4-6 “As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying,   The voice of one crying in the wilderness,   

            Prepare ye the way of the Lord,  (in your hearts and lives)

Make HIs paths straight.

 (So when Jesus Christ comes and shows the Light….you will be able to come to Him, without deviation)

            Every valley shall be filled,

  (We often have “holes” or “gaps” in our lives or works….fill them in.    John said,  Do the works of love to God, and  seek the good of all)

            and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; 

 (It does not say that they will be done away with….but “brought low”.   As we submit to God’s Ways,  these mountains and hills shall be put into proper perspective for us….will be seen and passed through in the Lord’s strength and by the Lord’s guidance)

            and the crooked shall be made straight,  and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

 (No matter our attitudes, or past….”crooked” or “rough”….the Lord “shall” save us,  form us into His character and show us HIs mercy.)

            And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

John showed Christ to all who would “see”…..”Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world…..this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29, 34)

And the Word has gone out to all of us: 

           Romans 10:13-15, 17 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

           How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?

          And how shall they hear without a preacher?

(Preacher here means “a public crier”….or “someone to herald”….not necessarily someone called to the ministry…..and we are all called as witnesses.)

         And how shall they preach,  except they be sent?  As it is written,  

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

         So then  faith cometh by hearing,   and hearing by the Word of God.”

We are all called to someone….to tell the good news of Christ Jesus our Lord to another.

        It may be the privilege of leading our children to Christ!   Hallelujah!

        It may be the privilege of witnessing to others in Word and deed.

But however the Word goes forth from us…..we should pray that the good news will enter  the  ears, and  hearts of those that hear it.

“Go tell it on the mountain”….in difficult and impossible circumstances, let us shine our light of trust in the Lord.

 “Over the hills and everywhere”….at all times, let us look to the Lord….and others will see our peace in Him.

“Go tell it on the mountain,  that Jesus Christ is born”

O Come

Psalm 95:1 “O come, let us sing unto the Lord:  let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation.”

Here is an invitation to acknowledge by praise the Lord…Who is the Rock of our Salvation.

               (even if our voices sound more like noise,  than singing)

And why should we praise Him?

Psalm 95:3 “For the Lord is a great God, and a great KIng above all gods.”

Now I want to mention here,  that the “gods” spoken of here is any god….anything that we give final obedience to.

         God requires us to obey HIm.   Not for salvation,  but for life….a intimate relationship with Him.       It is not instant obedience….but final obedience that proves our “following”.

(We may question the command…..we may not like it, or the people the Lord sends us to…or the way He wants something done….but when it comes down to it:   “I will do what the Lord wants.”   “Not my will,  but Thine be done.”)

              If we follow and obey God…then He is our God.

              If we follow and obey our own hearts….fickle as they are….then we are worshipping our own desires.

For the Lord is a great God….and that is so true.   

             Great in love….for in eternity past He loved us. 

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.”

             When we gave Him no reason to love us,….still He loved us.   (John 3:16)

He is great in works.

Psalms 9:1 “I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart;  I will shew forth all Thy marvellous works”

              The work of creation….and the work of regeneration or salvation!

He is great in mercy.

Psalms 94:18 “When I said,  My foot slippeth;  Thy mercy,  O Lord, held me up”

He is great in Might.

              He is mighty for our help.  

Psalms 80:8,13 “O Lord God of hosts,  who is a strong Lord like unto thee?  Or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee?

             Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is Thy hand, and high is thy right hand.”

Job 36:5 “Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:  He is mighty in strength and wisdom.”

He is a great Rock in a weary land….He is our King.

             Isaiah 32:1-2 “Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

             And a Man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest;  as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great Rock in  a weary land.”

He is great in Purpose.

             Ephesians 1:11-12 “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance,  being predestinated according to the Purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will:

             That we should be to the praise of His glory,   who first trusted in Christ.”

And here, we come back to our acknowledgement and worship of Him, Who is our Rock of salvation.

(I wish to remind us all…..Salvation is all encompassing.   From being convicted of the Holy Spirit and seeing the awfulness of our sin….to being born again….to learning to follow and serve our Lord….to knowing the sanctifying influence and power of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives….to taking us to Heaven.

            Salvation encompasses all these….for He is our salvation….we are “in Christ Jesus”

As the Lord Jesus said,  the wind will rise….the rain will fall….the floods will come.     These are certainties in our lives…..both to the wise and to the foolish.  (Matthew 7:24-27,  Luke 6:47-49)  These will come.

            But it is the “Foundation” on which we build that matters in the end.     For in the end…we will be on the Rock….or we will be in ruin,  because we refused the Rock of salvation.)

Three times in this Psalm, we are invited to come:

          “O come, let us sing unto the Lord:….” (verse 1)

          “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.” (verse 2)

          “O come, let us worship and bow down:  let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”  (verse 6)

And the invitation still is being sent to come to Christ Jesus for salvation….

….to come and praise Him….to come and worship HIm.

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give a sign;  Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” 

Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for HE shall save His people from their sins.”

Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:11-12 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

      And this shall be a sign unto you;  ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

I have quoted these verses to remind all of us….that no matter how long it seems we have to wait for God to fulfill a promise…..He will.

God sent HIs Son….on a mission so vital to us….with a message designed to show us our hearts….withdrawn, alone, distressed…

….and draw us to God.

When God sent HIs Son,   is very important.   

Israel was barely a nation anymore….they were under Rome….mostly despised….and the people and country trampled under foot of all the soldiers, laws, and trappings of Rome.  

Yet God sent His Son to save us…..to manifest His glory and grace to a nation, a people, and a world that had refused His authority for almost two thousand years.

As the song says 

“O little town of Bethlehem…how still we see thee lie.  Amid thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent hours go by.    Yet in thy dark street shineth the Everlasting Light….

….the hopes….and fears….of all the years, are met in thee tonight.”

 Christ Jesus was sent…yet He came as a “helpless” babe.      

      God could have sent HIs Son….full grown and capable of taking care of Himself….but God placed His Son, by the Holy Spirit within a woman….fulfilling the first promise He gave concerning the coming of the Savior.  

     (Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”)

When Christ came,  He became to us, all that was told of Him.

Isaiah 9:6 “For  unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder:  and His name shall be called:

     Wonderful. (How many times have I thought this about my lovely Lord Jesus….about Him…and what He has done for me!)

     Counselor.   (His Word comes to us as guidance and encouragement…to come boldly to our Heavenly Father….and to show us the way to go,  since He traveled this road, too.)

    The Mighty God:   (He has always been in control….for His Word spoke the heavens and the earth into being.   And He is in charge now,  for me.)

     The everlasting Father:  

(Christ is one with the Father….and when He was risen, He said,  “I ascend unto My Father, and your Father;  and to My God and your God.”   John 20:17

And He has made it possible for us to know the love of the Father…”I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me and  hast loved them, as Thou hast loved me.”  John 17:23)

    The Prince of Peace:  

(Peace is His gift to us….but it also is His element, and way.  He is the God of  peace….and when He comes to a heart….He gives His peace to “..keep our hearts and minds..” (Philippians 4:7)….as when He stilled the raging sea by, “Peace, be still.”

      John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world.”

        His kingdom now, within us is a kingdom of “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17)

Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even for ever.    The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

We started this by reminding all of us,  of God’s faithfulness in sending Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   

And I will end in reminding all of us of God’s faithfulness to us this past year….even into the coming one.

He will perform…would be enough.

But it says the zeal….the ardor and fervor of the Lord of hosts…will perform it.

Let us praise HIs Name….Jesus, who came to save us from our sins….

….Christ, anointed with fullness by the Holy Spirit and with gladness to do the Father’s Will…to fulfill the Purpose of God for us.   

Let us remember and stand with Him in the days, months, and years ahead….and praise Him.

      “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will toward men”

How did we get here?

Galatians 4:4 “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.”

God’s purpose for the earth has to do with Christ and His glory….before times eternal God the Father made the Everlasting Covenant with His Son.

God the Father would draw a people to His Son,  if……

……Jesus would come to earth and live a perfect life…..in this wicked world…..and if you read about the world, Jesus lived in…it was a desperate and despicable place.

It was as if the devil knew the Son of God was coming, and wanted to make it impossible to live a perfect life.

And then die a perfect sacrifice….He would receive the reward of His labors…..us. (Isaiah 53:10. Think of how marvelous a thought that is!)

In Bethlehem, He was born…..but promise concerning His birth began,  right as soon as sin enter the world, through Adam.    The promise of a Savior, to save us from our sin.   Hallelujah!

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee (the devil) and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed;  it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”

Jesus  Christ who came to save the world from sin,  would be born of a woman.

Christ would bruise the devil’s head (on the cross when Jesus said “it is finished”, the victory over sin and death was won)

The devil would bruise Christ ‘s heel (the mocking, beatings, the betrayal)

Abraham was chosen to be the one who God spoke to next, about His beloved Son:

Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish My covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their generations for a everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee.”

        Seed not seeds

Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.  He saith not,  and to seeds,  as of many;  but as of one,  And to thy Seed,  which is Christ.”

Under Jacob (and he was a schemer,  but he really did want the spiritual blessing…..the birthright….which was to have the Christ come through his line. Genesis 25:31-33)

      In Jacob’s last blessing for his sons, God made known in prophesy that Judah would be the tribe from which Christ would come.

Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;  and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.”

This prophesy continued until David….then God added more information…..Christ would come as King through David’s line:

2 Samuel 7:25-26 “And now, O Lord God, the word that Thou has spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as Thou hast said.

          And let Thy name be magnified for ever, saying,  The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee.”

Matthew 1:1 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”

The line is set….but one more promise:

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:  Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

A virgin…..a total miracle will take place in the womb of a woman….whose known no man……and He will be the Son of God placed within her.

This was the last promise….until….

Luke 1:26-27, 31-32, 35 “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

         To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David;  and the virgin’s name was Mary.

          And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

          He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David:

           And the angel answered and said unto her,  The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:  therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Although God had chosen Mary,  it was still up to Mary to choose God.  

Of course, she did….

Luke 1:38 “And Mary said,  Behold the handmaid of the Lord:  be it unto me according to Thy Word.    And the angel departed from her.”

The title of this is……How did we get here?   

How did a sinful world get a Savior, and King?

It was all planned for us in eternity past…..a Savior and King…..and as the years rolled down the promise was added to,…..some believed,  some did not.

It is the same to day.

Some believe the testimony of His Word, and others do not…..

But it is certain I am in the time and place that the Lord wants me…..and so for you.   

Out of all the world of men, God called Abraham

Out of two brothers God chose Jacob

Out of twelve brothers God chose Judah

Out of many thousands of virgins in Israel….at the time of Roman rule….He chose Mary.

And Jesus plainly says “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you (made provision for), that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain;  that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.”  (John 15:16)

He chose us,  made provision for us,  and called us……now, like Mary,  we need to choose God….His Son,  His Lordship,  His Will and His Way….

…in our hearts and lives.

Come let us Reason together 

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now,  and let us reason together,  saith the Lord:  though your sins be as scarlet,  they shall be as white as snow,  though they be red like crimson,  they shall be as wool.”

This is one of my husband’s favorite verses in the Old Testament.

Think of it!   The Almighty God wants us to come and give Him our reasons for our behavior.

And He will listen to them,  and then, He will give us His reasons for His Way of doing things!

I have always been amazed at that much love to us!

This is reality,   sinking deep within your soul.  This requires honesty.

We can all blurt out feelings,….things which we may or may not really mean.

But Christ Jesus wants us to get honest, with ourselves (with the help of His Holy Spirit) about what is going on.

And then to tell Him.

“Come” , shows that we are far away from Him.  So Come, now.

“Let us” means that this is not one-sided, but “us” talking.

(What a nice word, “us”,  when it is the Lord and I)

“Reason together” means that we come, wanting to tell our side,  but willing to be corrected, and go to His side.

This is intelligent conversation.

“Though your sins be as scarlet”:  and who can say that their’s is not?   Not me!

“They shall be white as snow”:   by His cleansing us in His precious blood. 

 He died to save us;  was raised to empower us;  and intercedes for us in all we do.

If we are born again,  He gave us His Holy Spirit,  Who is with us always…..Who

helps us to get honest,  for He is the God of all Truth;…….and helps us interpret our emotions, so we can see where we truly are,…..and what we truly want.

With God with us, even when we are out of the Way,  He will help us.

He is the Creator,…we are His creatures.  He created us,  for He has a Purpose for us.

And we must come;……always we must come to Him, for all we need.

If we learn the lesson of coming before His throne, as creature before the Creator:  knowing our weakness, and His Might, then we have learned a lesson which will be the corner stone of our life.

He calls: Come now, let us reason together.

He wants to hear from you.

And you to hear from Him.

Frustrations

Frustrations are those small irritations and discouragements which come,  when what we thought would happen….whether we planned it or not….does not happen.  

        How many times do we have the day planned….and something comes up…interfering with what we thought… should happen?!

And how many times do we get “frustrated”!?     We may stop ourselves before we get angry or say hurtful words….but a damp cloth has come over our spirit.    And instead of peace, we feel unsettled.

Song of Solomon 2:15 “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines:  for our vines have tender grapes.”

Isaiah 5:1-2 “Now will I sing to My well-beloved a song of My beloved touching His vineyard.  My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

         And He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof , and planted it with the choicest vine,  and built a tower in the midst of it,  and also made a winepress therein:….”

In those days, if you had a vineyard,  you might hedge about it….and put men to watch it….for there are many pests which would hinder the harvest of grapes.

         The fences usually kept out the larger animals.   But the little foxes would squeeze in through the hedge…drawn by the fragrance of the sweet grape blossoms, in the spring.

         The trouble is,  when a little fox eats one of the blossoms…..he is eating a whole cluster of grapes,  in embryo form.    That blossom would turn into grapes….and in one bite, it’s gone!

Now I have mentioned this before, that fruit is what the Lord expects from us, as HIs.

         The fruit of the Holy Spirit…and the fruit of a Christian, which is another Christian.

In God’s order….the fruit of the Spirit leads to the fruit of a Christian.    (whether by witness, prayer, or soul winning)

         But the sweet fragrance of the life of the Spirit through us….can be hindered….by little frustrations….by little self-sins.    And that hindrance in the life of the Spirit,  can interfere with the spreading of the gospel….whether by word or life.

This message is going to deal with frustrations….those things which can snap away our peace and joy in a moment….

….and cause us momentary loss of direction, and give us anguish…. or can balloon into a real problem.

          Ecclesiastes 10:1 “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor:  so doth a little folly  him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.”

(Years ago, the Lord pointed out to me how easy it was for me to deal with the large problems.   I would hasten to the Throne of grace and do what the Lord said.    End of problem,  at least the solution was in the works.

         But little frustrations,  little hindrances which came up…during the day…..would sometimes make me  fall apart!   Or get angry…whether I said anything or not (and I often would).

         Then the Lord showed me through my husband’s message on “fret not thyself” (Psalm 37:1,8)…that the little things that come up are not just frustrations….but Purpose,  God’s Purpose to draw out of me….more subjection and more of a reliance on Him…in all things.

         Once I saw that, I started to go to the Lord in prayer every time a frustration came up.   

“I know this came through Your hand…tell me how to deal with it….in me,  and through me”)

Frustrations are anything that comes along and says…..”That should not have happened…now!   What are You doing,  Lord?”

But the thing we need to realize is that we will not always know what the Lord is doing….but we can come to Him and submit to what He wants us to do about it!

I would mention here,  an example:

        Paul and Silas had been called to come to Philippi.   In Philippi they were being followed by a demon-possessed girl stating that they were come to show them….”the way of salvation”. 

         Now this was true….but it grieved Paul’s spirit that it would be shouted out….like common merchandise….from the mouthpiece of the devil.   

         Paul did nothing for several days….but then,  Paul, in Jesus name, cast out the demon.   

And they were taken, beaten, and put in jail for it!  (Acts 16:19,22-24)

This was not….what they had come to Phillipi for…..or was it?     

        We all know what happened next….after Paul and Silas prayed, giving themselves into the Lord’s hand for whatever would come….seeing whether the Lord’s Will was done in this….and then….they sang songs!

                “And the prisoners heard them.”   (What a testimony!   No cursing!  No yelling!  But instead songs of praise to the God that led them there!)

An earthquake interrupted their song….and as we know a Phillippian jailer…and his house….was saved by all of this!

Frustrations are those interruptions to our lives which we did not count on,….nor are prepared for.   

        But the Lord is….and we can come and surrender to this moment….to this frustration….and be given HIs peace,  or HIs word,   or HIs song!

We are called as: Pillars of smoke

Song of Solomon 3:6 “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the Merchant?”

Here the Lord’s bride is coming out of the wilderness….like pillars of smoke.

           We know that the Bride of Christ is the church….and it should be like pillars…strong and steady.   

           Here the bride is seen as moving out of the wilderness experience (which was full of wanderings and trials)….and the church should be moving ever onward as Christ’s army of servants toward the appointed goal:

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

Here is the goal of the church….to be and manifest His kingdom here on earth….till He comes again and sets up His Everlasting Kingdom.

Joel 2:28-30 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,  your old men shall dream dreams,  your young men shall see visions:

           And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit.

          And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth,  blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.”

(Jesus Christ was placed on the cross,  between heaven and earth.    The sky was darkened like night….in the middle of the day.     His blood shed….and the fire of the Holy Spirit given after He ascended up to heaven [John 7:37-39]….led to the making of pillars of smoke! [the church of believers])

These verses were quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the church. (Acts 2:16-21)

He was stressing that the Holy Spirit was given to each person who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

        Before, in the Old Testament,  the Holy Spirit would come on people for prophesy and ministry.    

But now….wonder of wonders….anyone who believes on Jesus Christ,  will be given His Holy Spirit.  (sons, daughters, old men, servants, handmaids)

When we are born again we are filled with His  fullness to our surrendered capacity.     And by His Spirit, we will become “pillars of smoke”.

We have mentioned this before….but it is pillars of smoke….because God makes us strong, in HIm. 

       In ourselves we are weak as smoke…blown every which way by just a puff of air.   

       But in Christ,  through the Holy Spirit we are made wise, righteous, sanctified, and redeemed…..strong in the Lord.

       1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “But of Him (God the Father) are ye in Christ Jesus,  who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

       That according as it is written,   He that glorieth,  let him glory in the Lord.”

Our strength lies in our total dependence on the Lord…His Word…and His Spirit.  

In these verses in Joel,  the people are called to come between the porch and the altar to repent….to call upon the Lord.

       Joel 2:15-17 “Blow the trumpet in Zion,  sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

       Gather the people,  sanctify the congregation,  assemble the elders,  gather the children….

       Let the priest, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, 

       Spare Thy people,  O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach,  that the heathen should rule over them:  Wherefore should they say among the people,   Where is their God?”

Joel 2: 18-19 “ Then will the Lord be jealous for His land, and pity His people.

        Yea,  the Lord will answer….”

“Then”…after we have humbled ourselves and sought to the Lord for His correction, deliverance, and help.

(It is interesting to note that not once in these verses is a time for these circumstances given.

        Some say that Joel was written before the king of Assyria came to Jerusalem when Hezekiah was king.

        Some say that it was written before the captivity under Nebuchadnezzar…and that it was just another call by the Lord to His people to repent.

        Some say that it was written much later….after the people had returned and rebuilt the Temple….and the troubles that came then.

 But there is no time given….it could be for any time that HIs people are in desperate need…when they have become slack concerning God’s Word….against an adversary that makes “the earth quake before them”.

The only “time” part of it, is when it references what we believe could be  Armageddon Joel 3:11-13.)

My husband received these verses as part of our work….that we might  bring to light the need of the church: which is  to humble ourselves and repent…in the church (the porch and the altar)……and the great blessing that will come when we do:  through the Holy Spirit’s power for life and circumstances, now.

1 Peter 4:17, 19 “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,  what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?   

           Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

Let me repeat….our strength lies in our total dependence on our Lord Jesus….His Word, and His Spirit.

We are to be pillars of smoke…conscious of our weakness….conscious and leaning on His strength….receiving His Spirit’s help, continually. 

Song of Solomon 3:6 “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke,  perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the Merchant?”

At first the by-standers do not recognize this bride!    She is so different than they knew her before!    “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”  (1 Peter 4:4)

But then they see that she is a “pillar”….steady and strong in the Lord.

           And she is sending forth the influence of “myrrh”….the fragrance of the sacrificial death of Christ Jesus…and her identifying with Him by denying herself, picking up her cross and being obedient to His call.

         But there is also the influence of “frankincense”  which is the spice of royalty….showing her authority as a servant and ambassador of the King of kings.

         And finally, there is the influence of the “powders of the Merchant”….or the gifts of the Spirit and the graces of the Lord Jesus Christ on our lives.

The church should manifest the lovely fragrance of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…everywhere we go.    

         And that means that we must come out of the wilderness we have been wandering about….and humble ourselves under His call….and seek the Lord for His Word and blessing.

Joel calls “Hear this…” (Joel 1:2)

         “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain:  let all the inhabitants of the land tremble:  for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;” (Joel 2:1)

When trumpets were blown in Israel….then the people must gather together.    Some trumpet sounds were for war….some for assemblies before the Lord….but those that belonged to the Lord,  must come.

Have we heard the call to come and repent of something?   Have we been called to assemble with the church….and seek the Lord, for the church.

         Let us come out of the wilderness we are in…..and become pillars of smoke….totally relying on our Lord,  and being continually filled with His Spirit to become strong in the Lord.

Do we have sure footing? 

Ephesians 6:15 “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

The Roman hobnail sandal’s were made of leather….coming all the way up the calf.  They had very small spikes on the bottom for gripping the ground when in march or battle.

And these describe what Paul says is the Gospel of peace.

In the Christian life, we need sure footing.

If we are to walk and resist the Adversary of our souls,…….that solid footing is provided in the Gospel of peace.

There is a place of rest,  and peace of mind,  for every Christian.

It is God’s hiding place for every believer…..

Psalm 32:7 “Thou art my hiding place;  Thou shalt preserve me from trouble;

Thou shalt compass me about with psalms and deliverance.  Selah.”

Psalm 119:114 “Thou art my hiding place and my shield:  I hope in Thy Word.”

Isaiah 32:2 “And a Man shall be a hiding place from the wind,  and covert from the tempest;  and as rivers of water in a dry place,  as a shadow of a great Rock in a weary land.”

If we do not learn to depend upon the promises of God, and receive His peace……..then we will not have sure footing to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The devil will knock us off balance,…..with accusations of past sins,  or doubt,……and we will be on the ground,  before we know it.

Worry, anxiety, trouble, or fear……meet all these with a promise from His Word.

One that you can get a hold of……and that can get a hold of you, by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit’s assurance of Christ’s Word is very important.    

The Bible is full of promises….which we can claim.

But one given by the Spirit to our spirit in the midst of trouble or battle,  is precious.    And must be held on to.

The Lord wants to garrison or guard you about with peace….His peace.

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God which passeth understanding,  shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

This is of the Holy Spirit….not something we do,  but what He does within us…..so that we can get our “footing” in this situation.

John 14:26-27 “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.

                     Peace I leave with you,  My peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth,  give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled,  neither let it be afraid.”

But we must will with Him,  for the battle rages around our minds, hearts and wills. 

It says,  “Let not”….”neither let it”.   

These are acts of our will.  We are staying hidden in His peace.   (This is not presumption:  for we have His Word.   Nor is it indifference:  for we will do anything the Lord wants done concerning the matter.)

Therefore, when we will with Him,  letting Him do as He wills,  in His time,   in His way….then the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, will teach us (again and again, if need be) about His peace….and surround us with it…….and keep us till we receive the promise.

The Holy Spirit will garrison, or guard us….with His peace. 

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God,  believe also in Me.”

Peace comes to us by the Holy Spirit…..and it is that assurance that God knows our situation…..and He has a plan of deliverance for it.

That is the sure-footing that we need in this world…..God’s Spirit helping us “dig in” and “hold on” to God’s Word….till we get the promise.

Notice it is the gospel of peace…..for it rests firmly on Christ Jesus…..He is our firm foundation. He is our Promise.

What is the chaff to the wheat?

Jeremiah 23:28 “The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream;  and he that hath My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully.   What is the chaff to the wheat?  Saith the Lord.”

Jeremiah was a prophet to Judah under the last godly king, Josiah….and under the three kings which were after till the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

            He has tried to teach the people the sufficiency of the Lord….and the uselessness of trusting to Egypt, or any other league.

            He has told them to submit to the chastening of the Lord….and remember HIs Word and “amend their ways”….

….and then the Lord will cause them to dwell in the land God gave them.

He has preached:

           Jeremiah 7:1-3 “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

           Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house,  and proclaim there this Word,   and say,  Hear the Word of the Lord, all ye of Judah  that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.

           Thus saith the Lord of hosts,  the God of Israel,    Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.”

And how were they to “amend” their ways?

           “…if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor;…

If ye oppress not the stranger,  the fatherless, and the widow,….

            And shed not innocent blood….

…neither walk after other gods to your hurt:”   (Jeremiah 7:5-6)

Jeremiah 23:28 “The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream;  and he that hath My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully,    What is the chaff to the wheat?  Saith the Lord.”

My husband received this verse for his messages once, years ago.   It seemed as though people were getting tired of hearing about…”Deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow the Lord.”      

         They were tired of the precepts of the Word….and wanted more of the promises of the Word.

         Praying about it….my husband received this verse:   this he was to do:

He was to preach God’s Word for the need of the church….faithfully.

“What is the chaff to the wheat?”     What does this mean? 

Back in the days of the scripture….they used the winnowing method of separating the chaff, which was the outer husk….pretty much useless,  

….from the wheat…the real prize.   The food that was needed.

The gathered grain,  would be placed in a heap in a large blanket and held by two people on either side…and would be tossed up. 

        The wind would blow the light chaff away….but the heavier kernel of wheat would fall back and be saved.

Can bread be made with chaff?   No….only the wheat can be made into bread.   

         Can the promises of God be used without obeying the precepts of God?

Precept both in the Hebrew and Greek, means injunction,   an authoritative prescription! 

        (Injunction is a court order requiring a party to do or refrain from doing a specific act.)

        And as our King and our Physician,  Christ Jesus gives us precepts which are to teach us to walk in the paths of righteousness….to stand against the wiles of the devil,….to prepare us against the onslaught of the world’s temptations….which lead to us be healed.

       Which leads us into the blessings of the promises He has for us.

Jeremiah 7:5,7 “For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings;….

        Then will I cause you to dwell in this place in the land that I gave to your fathers,  for ever and ever.”

We must lose the chaff before the wheat is useable….

…….and we must “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us”….before we can “run with patience the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

Jeremiah 23:28 “The prophet that hath a dream,  let him tell a dream:  and he that hath My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully.   What is the chaff to the wheat? Saith the Lord.”

The chaff will blow away….the wheat will remain…..if we speak His Word faithfully.

         And it is the wheat after all,  that counts.