What kind of ears do we have?

Mark 4:23-25 “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

            And He (Jesus) said unto them,  Take heed what ye hear.  With what measure ye mete,  it shall be measured unto you;  and unto you that hear shall more be given.

           For he that hath,  to him shall be given;  and he that hath not,  from him shall be taken even that which he hath.”

We must hear aright….for we are responsible for our hearing.   

Once we have heard,  we must act on our hearing.

Are we, in some way, trying to get around what we have heard the Lord say to us?

[Remember the scribe who asked “Who is my neighbor?”  

This man could speak about the two most important points of the Law….”to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love thy neighbor as thyself”.

But when Jesus told him to do it…..then….he asked all sorts of questions, to look like he did not know, so he would not have to obey.  (Luke 10:25-29)]

If we fail to answer His claims on us….then we have not heard with hearing ears.   

(Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 13:43, Mark 4:9, 4:23, 7:16, Luke 8:8,14:35.  In all these verses Jesus says “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”)

Are our ears,  dull of hearing?  

Hebrews 5:11 “Of Whom we have many things to say,  and hard to be uttered,  seeing ye are dull of hearing.”

They weren’t “hard of hearing”…..but dull.   It was their spiritual understanding that was not working….for times were hard for them….and they became like children again….wanting only to be comforted….not encouraged to grow,  in the faith.

The writer of Hebrews was setting forth some wonderful aspects of our Lord’s ministry as High Priest in Heaven for us…..

……but the people he was writing were not as “grown up” in the grace of God as they should have been…

…they should have been teachers,…

…..but were still acting as babes in Christ….needing the milk of the Word…instead of being able to go on in the harder, more blessed things.

What the Lord asks from each of His own,  is…..”a life open to and receptive to Him” (Revelation 3:20)

Without this, we shall never succeed by faith,  in the pilgrim life.  

We should walk before Him in spirit and truth….listening to His Holy Spirit within us….and getting honest in the things He shows us.

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

This is to know the things that the Lord is requiring of us,  and then do them.

We should know when things are not quite right….and by the Holy Spirit, we should take the effort to set it right.

1 John 2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye shall know all things.”  

Though it is not within man to direct his steps….yet it is within God to do it.

Philippians 3:15 “Let us therefore,  as many be perfect (complete…up-to-date in their walk) be thus minded:  and if in anything ye be otherwise minded,  God shall reveal even this unto you.”

God shall reveal this to you….

Psalm 78:1 “Give ear, O my people, to My law: incline your ears to the words of My mouth.”

“Incline” means to lean over to hear…..to really want to hear what the Lord is saying to us.

Do we want to hear Him?

Where there is no sense of our lack….there will be no reaching forth to the further purpose of God for us. (2 Peter 1:9-10)

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:  but this one thing I do,  forgetting those things which are behind,  and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  

              I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

But in our acknowledged weakness,  we are made strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “And He said unto me,   My grace is sufficient for thee:  for My strength is made perfect in weakness.   Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (my weakness) that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

             Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches , in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake:  for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Paul heard the Lord speak to him, about his “weakness” (his eyes were often blurry,  because of a disease he had…and he often had a hard time reading or writing.)

Paul need direction for everything….he asked for it,  waited on the Lord for it, and praised the Lord for all that He gave him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;  and lean not unto thine own understanding,  

             In all thy ways acknowledge Him,  and He shall direct thy paths.”

If we acknowledge Him….He shall direct our paths.

Do we have ears to hear?

Well, He is speaking….Let us incline toward Him and His Word …and hear

“For unto you that hear shall more be given”.

Now According to the Faithful and True Witness 

Revelation 3:14 “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;  these things saith the Amen,  the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the Creation of God.”

I will say here, that we believe that we are called to this Laodicean age. In other words we believe that we are called to Awaken the church to God’s claims on their lives.  

As Christians, we are redeemed;  we belong to Him, therefore His Will should be the purpose of our lives.

(Yes, we believe that these letters each represent both a real church being written to;  and an age within the Church dispensation.

In each letter,  the church or the true believers is the focus—not the lost.  Jesus Christ is dictating these letters so they will know how He feels about their problems,  their tribulations, and their failures;  and the grace they need to get, to deal with them.)

Thus saith the Amen.

Now, He alone can say this:  this means “Let it be,  Let it happen.”  He alone is the Affirmation and Confirmation of every Word of God.

We must say,  “If God wills.”  (James 4:13-15).  But He can say Amen, and it will be.

The Faithful and True Witness.  A witness just states what He sees and what He knows.

And what does Jesus see when He looks at Laodicea?

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know thy works,  that thou art neither cold or hot:  I would thou wert cold or hot.

                                   So then because thou art lukewarm,  and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.”

(Indifference to God, after He has done so much for us;  is the very worst state we can possibly be in. 

And if continued in, will result in being “spued out of His mouth”.)

And the reason of our indifference?

Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest,  I am rich, and increased with goods,  and have need of nothing;  and knowest not that thou art wretched,  and miserable,  and poor,  and blind, and naked:”

Because we say, that I am rich, and increased with goods….and our attitude is 

I “have need of nothing”….not even God’s direction,  anymore.

This attitude is: 

“I am saved, and for that I will praise You;    but let me have my place in this world with all of it’s goods…..

……for I can have heaven and earth;  both salvation and the world…..

and do what I want for now.”

But Jesus sees their true condition before Him, and says:  And knowest not!

Is it possible to be in such a state and not know it?  According to the Faithful and True Witness, it is;  and we Laodiceans, are.

We do not know that we are really wretched:  

This is a terrible word,  but Paul used it of himself when he was testifying of his battle with himself, his “old man”.

Paul was a very religious Pharisee,  but he discovered from the Spirit of God, his covetousness.   

To covet is to “set the heart upon”. 

(When we set our hearts upon something, it takes over our emotions, our reason, and our wills…..we even become unwilling to listen to God,…to have this thing.)

Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

      Why did he say this?   Because he saw that even as a Christian, we have our old nature within us.

Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me;  but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Paul was having trouble with his old self.   He was trying to do what God wanted, but found that his trying often failed.  

Paul knew he was wretched.

So what did he do?    He sought freedom from self, by the Spirit of God.

Romans 8:2, 4 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

                         That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,  who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Here was the answer to his wretchedness:  walking in the Spirit,  not in the flesh.

We Laodiceans are trying to do both:  be in Christ, and in the world……for ourselves.

Christ Jesus plainly teaches that if you would be a follower of Christ you should deny yourself, pick up your cross [does that sound like something the world would like to be around?] and follow Him.

We are to lose our self-life,  to have our Christ- life (Matthew 16:24-26)

That is why the Faithful and True Witness says we are also:  

     miserable…..how many Christians today are unhappy, discontented.

     and poor….not rich in God’s grace by His Spirit, but barely getting by.

     and blind….someone has said,  we are blind because we have our eyes shut, so we can not see ourselves as Christ sees us.

     And naked…..without the righteous acts which are those obediences to God, which separate us from the world, and give a “covering” of peace, and power.

Christ’s witness has been against us so far……..but our blessed Lord Jesus does not leave us (never!);    but counsels us, as our Advocate, with the best advice:

Revelations 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire,  that thou mayest be rich;  and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed,  and that the shame of thy nakedness  do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,  that thou mayest see.”

When we “buy” from Jesus,  we are not buying salvation;  that is a free gift.

But when we are His,  we are to come to Him and get what we need.  

He calls it “buying” here because we are to come with the attitude of getting real gain, real value.

To come with the knowledge of our lack;  and seek Him for His precious grace,  being obedient to His call;….this is to “buy” from Him.

He knows all and counsels us to get gold—gold always speaks of God.   So we are to get the true riches of His commanding presence and power in our lives. 

(Tried in the fire, is true gold with the dross or admixture burnt out, by the trials of standing with Him)

He counsels us to get white raiment, or the covering of righteous acts, so we will not be ashamed at His coming. (2 John 8-9)

He counsels us to stop being blind, by getting honest (by the Holy Spirit’s help) with Him and with ourselves. 

As the Lord told my husband once:  that if any true Christian would get a good look at their own heart, they would want to do something about it immediately.  

Then Jesus says to His Laodicean church:

Revelation 3:19-20 “As many as I love,  I rebuke and chasten:  be zealous therefore, and repent.

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

This is fellowship…

And the power of His presence. 

(Psalm 23:5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  Thou anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”)

“I will come into him and will sup with him”….these two things the Lord says He will do…..if we will repent and open our lives to Him,  again.

Do you hear Him today, calling you to repent of your lukewarmness to Him?

Then answer His voice:

To answer the call of Christ in this Laodicean age, requires not an answer of words at some altar;

But the answer of a life open to and receptive to Him.

None other will do.

He says, “I will”.      Will you?

Marching Orders

We, as Christians, are on our way to Heaven.   This world is not our home….but  the place of our testing and growing in grace….and the place where we prove our devotion to Christ, by our obedience…and standing with Him.

The Lord has given us many promises in His Word that we may obtain them….to help us in our march to our inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4)….are we obtaining them?

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

To obtain here, is “to get ahold of”.  (“obtain” and “obtained” is spoken of ten times in Hebrews.)

Are we truly “getting ahold of” the many promises the Lord has given us, to help us in our days and nights?

Paul uses many terms identified with the Roman soldiers he was around (the armor is a good illustration)….and he uses them to illustrate that we are to stand and be watchful as we travel this world.

       We are not to be entangled with the things around us….hard,  sometimes when we are struggling with things.

       But the admonition to….”be in the world, but not of the world”….is the way to walk. (John 17:11,  Jesus was not of this world,  and we are not of this world.)

Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.”

      In the A.S.V. it says “your holy boldness”.  

 Confidence is “to pour forth assurance,  frankness in speech and demeanor”.    

Confidence is an acquired thing….for we gain confidence in Christ as we follow Him….for this confidence comes from the Holy Spirit within.   (It is a strengthening influence in our daily walk….a constant looking to Him, Who is our life)

     When we are confident in Christ Jesus our Lord,  we speak about Him easily…and our walk takes on an air of worship, in all things, for we are seeking His glory in all things.  

(We are not apologizing for Christ being our King, but instead glad to share His kingdom with others.)

We know His presence with us….and His Word is our light….

…..for we see the darkness around us,  but we have the Light of life within us, and shining on our actions and thoughts to give clarity and understanding through the Word that we read and study,  as to what to do.

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Paul loved the Philippians…

…..the church was under persecution from the start.

     Yet…

……and here is the beautiful and blessed result of confidence….theirs is the book most full of joy and encouragement.

Here Paul tells them:  “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,….and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.” (Phil. 2:10-11)

What a letter…

…..telling these that heard the name of Jesus cursed, and slandered…

…..who were tried and persecuted for His name’s sake…

……that at the mention of His name…all should finally acknowledge His Lordship!

Confidence….that the Lord will continue to work in us.  And He uses the promises He gives us to bring His Word to pass in us and by us.  

     2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature (take on the Lord’s character), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  (to be in the world, but not of its character)

Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.”

What reward is there in being confident in Christ Jesus?    

      First, there is the reward in our hearts:  for confidence leads to trust and obedience in life,  and blessing in our prayer life.

      Second, there is the reward of others being made aware of Christ, by our lives.   True assurance of His Will….and a frankness or honesty in our speech and life…will show others that Christ Jesus is real to us.   

     Third, and maybe the most stressed here in Hebrews:  that we might receive the promise.   

Hebrews 10:36 “For ye have need of patience, that , after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

It is in the doing….that there is the receiving.

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ:”

It does not say…might bless us….or maybe will bless us…but “hath blessed us”…in Christ.

        Past tense,  it is already done.

But how can I obtain…(and we are to obtain them)…..or get ahold of…all these blessings in Christ?   Very simply:

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

Our “marching orders”  are to make sure that He rules in the kingdom of mansoul….in me….while we pass through this world.

       And a good start to doing that is:

1 Thessalonians 5:19 “Quench not the Spirit.”

      And the best way to stop stifling the Holy Spirit is:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Look at this:   this is the will of God in Christ Jesus….giving thanks to Him for every thing.

    This is bowing before Him as creature to Creator….worshiping  Him as our King.

For as the Almighty,  He could change all our circumstances.

But what He wants to change most….is us.     Our deliverance should be in the circumstances…not out of them.    Our joy should be in the will of God being fulfilled in us.

Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

      Now this does not say “with Christ”….but “in Christ”.

We are seated in the heavenlies “in Christ”….and He is seated in me,  here on earth.

Though we are traveling through this world….we are to be subjects of our King, Jesus Christ.   We represent Him, here…..

…Praise God,  He represents us,  there….working within us and through us to the accomplishing of His Will in all things.

Let us “march on”….giving Him thanks for all things….growing in the grace and confidence in Him.   

He is King….may we show that He reigns within each of us….and may we each fulfill His Will in the path He has for us.

Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

1 Samuel 15:1-3 “Samuel also said unto Saul,  The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people….now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.

        Thus saith the Lord of hosts,  I remember that which Amalek did to Israel,  how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

        Now go and smite Amalek,  and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”

To “hearken” in scripture means “to hear intelligently, so you understand what to do, and do it”.

“Hearken, Saul.   Hear what the Lord wants done by you….who are at the head of My army….hear, and complete the task,…for Me.”

Saul had not asked to be king….as a matter of fact, he hid from it at first. (1 Samuel 10:21-24)

     But now that he was king…..he liked it.   The power over the army…the prestige and praise….this was a pretty great job!   He was finally “somebody”!

Amalek was the people that attacked after the water was given from the Rock.  But they did not stop with that….for they had been defeated that day.

      So they came up and would kill the ones who were in the back….the weakest who could not keep up, in sneak attacks….

….and the Lord promised He would not forget what they had done.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 “Remember what Amalek did unto thee…

       How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary: and he  feared not God.

       Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies….that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven;  thou shalt not forget it.”

Now this task was  assigned to Saul…..for the Lord.   

It was not because Saul thought it a good idea….

…but because the Lord keeps His Word….He sent Saul to destroy Amalek.

But Saul did not destroy Amalek….he took a “trophy” captive….the king…Agag.

     And he let the people take the best of the animals as spoil.   Some, it is true for a sacrifice to the Lord….but a lot…just for them.

The Lord spoke to Samuel….”It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king:  for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed my commandments.”

“He is turned back from following Me”…..this disobedience is of the heart,  not just of the actions.

This made Samuel sad….but he would speak to Saul for God, one last time….and he did.

1 Samuel 15:16-17 “And Samuel said unto Saul,  Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night.   And he said unto him,  Say on.

           And Samuel said,  When thou wast little in thine own sight,  wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?”

“When thou was little in thine own sight.”

How much is said here.

      When you had no personal plans or ambitions….then it mattered not what was to be done,…..only that it was God’s Will.

(But it is when we set above God’s Word, and decide what is “better”.   We stifle the Holy Spirit.   

      “No, this can not be the way to do it.   Surely God would not care about this or that.”)

And that is what Saul thought…..God would not care about a king taking a king as a trophy…..but it was….”evil in the sight of the Lord?” (1 Samuel 15:19)

Then Saul tried bargaining with Samuel and God…..the people brought these animals for sacrifice….surely God would like that!

And then Samuel said…..

…(I believe ever so sadly….for he had hopes that Saul would be able to lead Israel in obedience….teaching them to follow the Lord, as a nation….but Saul never did.)

1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said,  Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?   Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Remember,  Saul was told to “hearken”…to hear intelligently so you understand what you are to do,  and do it.

Saul had heard….with his ears what he was to do.

        But his heart had not “understood” the importance of God’s Word.

        Saul let his reasoning, and his heart’s desire overrule God’s Will.

(All our religious activities….no matter what they cost….are of no value, without obedience.)

1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.”

To be rebellious about God’s Will is as bad as practicing witchcraft, and to be stubborn, is as worshipping idols.

Where there is a divided heart….where we think we can have God’s Will and our own….there is danger.  For God may let us have our will….what danger that is!

(We think we can never lose out…but we are warned:  

        2 John 8 “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”

        This has nothing to do with salvation….that is a free gift.    But it has to do with our joy and peace here,…..and our reward in heaven.  For we receive a reward for those things we have done out of love to the Lord.)

I believe the truth of God is only revealed to us, as Christians,….personally….by obedience.

       It is by our full committal to HIs Truth, that we know it.  And by full committal I mean…actually doing it.

John 7:17 LNT “If any of you really determines to do God’s Will, then you will certainly know whether My teaching is from God or is merely My own.”

Are we “hearkening to the voice of His Word”?    

The God of Peace.

God is a God of peace in two ways…..

…in HIs very attributes He is peace….nothing “ruffles” Him….nothing takes Him by surprise….

….all things move forward…at His time and at His decree.

God is also a God of peace….to us, who have been born again….for we are in Christ Jesus.

    First, He can be at peace with us, because of His Son’s life, sacrifice, resurrection, and ascension in power.

    Second He sets our hearts right, practically….giving us peace by His Holy Spirit from sin and self.

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.”

I love the book of Hebrews…

(I once taught a Sunday school class in it for two years…..Hebrews has amazing lessons which are written to  to a weak and wobbly people.    But aren’t we weak and wobbly at times?   That is why it was so amazing….every lesson dealing with something the devil uses to trick or “shake” us.)

….it starts out with Christ in the Heavens….having come and “spoken” to us of HIs Father God….drawing our eyes up to heaven where Christ sits at the right hand of God in all power…for us.

….and ends…calling each of us to “let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.”

….and then Paul prays to the God of peace….

….Who raised Jesus from the death of perfect sacrifice….and accepted His blood in payment for our sin…

….that the mighty God of peace….would “make you”….mold and shape us…that our outward obediences would be in love to Him (perfect means complete; and nothing is complete without love to Him)

…and that inwardly, we would be molded into His character….through Jesus Christ.   

Let me tell you about the power of Christ’s life…..for this whole book is a praise to Him:

      He came….and manifested HIs Father.

      He came….as very God and very Man,  under the angels….to elevate us into the Presence and Peace of God.

      He came….as a High Priest to sacrifice Himself to God….not under Aaron’s priesthood,  but under Melchisedec.

      He came and ascended, and is now before the throne of God….for us. (Hebrews 9:11-12)

      He came that we might come before God…..by Him (Hebrews 10:19-20)

      

Then the writer warns….we who have received Christ….must live by faith in Him, and “hold on”,….and gives examples of those who did, by faith.

Then the writer says…

       

Hebrews 12:2-4 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the enjoy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

        For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself,  lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

        Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

This world is in chaos….and we too,  are often affected.    But, praise God, He is peace….and bids us receive His peace and stand with Him.

God is a God of Peace to us,  because of Christ.

     In Christ’s life we have all things we need.

     Hallelujah what a Savior!

     

      

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.