If any man will

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.”

“If”…..this is amazing and wonderful. The Almighty God wants us to will with Him.

What are our puny wills next to His?

But it is harmony….union of will with God….that He calls us to.

To hear and answer the call of Christ is nothing unless somewhere along the line you have this reality.

Reality is what is real…what I have in my experience…..not in someone else’s experience….but in mine.

And reality, where Christ Jesus is concerned, is to have the experience of His life being lived in our life, today…..everyday.

The claims of Jesus, saying to you, “If you will…..Deny yourself, pick up your cross—deny yourself in those things which cuts across your natural way of doing, of thinking, and acting.

This is to “follow Me”,…….for I walked this way here on earth, too.

Doing only My Father’s Will….and nothing else.”

The whole objective of denying yourself and bearing your cross, is that you might lose your life in yourself (You say “no” to what you want to do, and “yes” to the Lord),

That you might find reality, which is your life in Christ.

In Christ is the freedom from sin, self, and the world.

In Christ there is the liberty of walking in the light, which manifests God’s love, joy, and peace to us….and others.

But in ourselves there can be: bitterness, anger, distress, depression,

ungratefulness, and desire….all our natural leanings toward the things and attitudes of the world we live in.

Let’s face it, we are often overcome by one of these things within us.

Yes, they are brought out by circumstances of our lives,…..but the power of the Holy Spirit is in us,……

……will we not yield to Him, and deny our self-life?

Letting His Life shine through ours?

We can either remain babes in Christ….never going on to the purpose for which you were born again….

Or we can truly lose all these things that make up our life,…which is influenced by the world’s attitudes….

…..and let Jesus bring another child into the glory of God.

You can not have both your life,……and Christ’s life…..

One will be seen, the other will be denied. Which will it be, Christian?

This is a process, and it is one where every area of your life is touched:

your past,

your future,

your plans,

the way you think,

your way of doing things.

But, I must stress, and this is important: This is between you and your Lord.

No one can intrude here.

It comes down to: “Not my will, but thine”, everyday.

If you do, you will come to the place in your experience with God…..and here is where “reality” is…..

…..where you are no longer resisting His Will in anything.

Here, you have power of choice…

At first you still might be under the power of some sin….but now you have been given liberty over that sin.

It is not instant obedience,…..but it is final obedience….you have determined to leave your old life, and go on with the Lord.

Are you ready for Christ to lead you into a closer relationship with Him?

He said, “ If” any man will come after Me.

So it is not forced. It must be a love relationship.

Nothing will make the way easier, than the growing knowledge of His love to you….and your love to Him.

The question is: will you come after Christ Jesus, by denying yourself, picking up your cross and following Him?

It’s your life, what will you do with it? He said, “If”….so, what will you do?

Keep it for yourself?

Or Follow Him into the reality of His life in me…in you?

Continue in prayer and watch

Paul was in prison…..he had lived two years in his own hired house, when first brought to Rome. He had four guards around him all the time….but now circumstances in the Roman guard hierarchy had caused him to be moved into a prison cell.

At this time he was still permitted visitors…..and some did still come to see him and tell him what was going on in the churches.

But though he was now in a cell…..his influence for the gospel had not stopped.

We know he spoke of Onesimus, and those of Caesar’s palace who believed because of hearing him.

His judgement before Caesar was coming up and he asks these Colossians to pray for his release….which he felt would happen (it did)…..and for an “open door” for the gospel.

Colossians 4:3-4 “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”

Here is the apostle Paul…..yet he asks for prayers that he might speak….”as I ought”.

Paul is looking to the glory of God….he is looking for the furtherance of the gospel…..he is looking to speak with boldness, though he is in chains.

How important is our speech! And how we should be praying for faithful ministers and preachers to preach the gospel with boldness….

….and to watch for ourselves our witness to others.

Then Paul turns back to exhort the Colossians on this point…..”redeeming the time”

Colossians 4:5-6 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

In our everyday interactions, we are to walk in wisdom towards others.

Simply, we are to keep before us that we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ……

……and that our speech is our most readily available means of spreading the gospel, and telling others what Christ has done for us.

We are to redeem opportunities….for in a world under the Adversary, the devil’s power….there will not always be such opportunities.

We must be ready….

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

We must be ready, listening in the Spirit for guidance….for prompting….for boldness.

“Let your speech be alway with grace”……Our speech is to be in the power of the Holy Spirit. The divine influence in heart and the reflection of that in our lives.

Our speech and our lives should agree.

(My husband had a message on the Lord’s words…..

Matthew 12:36-37 “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

We think of “idle words” as just silly conversation with no meaning……but “idle words” are those words spoken that are never done in our lives.

How many times have we said we would become more diligent in our spiritual lives……yet hesitated,….questioned the Holy Spirit’s guidance….or just put it off?

How many times have we given a testimony of God’s goodness with little joy and rejoicing?

Idle words…..those that never got put to use in our lives…

…for by our words we will be justified in the judgement…..because we have lived them…..

….or our very words will condemn us at the judgement seat.)

“Seasoned with salt”….our speech is to be “preserving” others.

(In the sacrifices of the Old Testament….every sacrifice was to be sprinkled with salt. In the New Testament, Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth:…” Matthew 5:13)

….our speech is to be “preserving” others from darkness, with light and truth.

….our speech is to be “preserving” others from the confusion and fear of this world’s influence by peace…showing the peace of Christ by what we say.

…..our speech is to be “preserving” others from Hell.

Jude 22-23 “And of some have compassion making a difference:

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

Some we are to speak to with compassion…..others speaking as though we are pulling them out of the fire right then….with urgency and boldness.

Psalm 141:3 “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips”

We are asking that the Holy Spirit watch our tongues…..and warn us.

Paul, the Apostle asked for prayer that he might speak…”as I ought”;…..and so should we.

“O Lord, let our tongues we used for your glory…..and let us speak according to Your Spirit…..preserving those we come into contact with, with Your truth and Light.”

The way of the Way

Isaiah 43:18-19  “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

           Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;  shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

When we are born again, and we are made aware of the Way we should go…the first thing God asks us to do is to forsake our old way….but forsake it for the new.

“I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth”

          Now it shall spring forth…as a seed planted in the ground.

Mark 4:26-28 “And He said,  So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

         And…the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

         For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself;  first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.”

Here is a picture of the silent, but certain….and gradual growth in God’s Purpose for His Word and His Way….for the believer.

There is a change….suddenly,  or slowly,…a new Way is made for us.

“A way” often stands for the true religion of the heart…for the Lord says:

        “I will  even make a way.”

The reference is to the Way He made through the Red Sea for salvation from Egypt; and through the wilderness (Isaiah 43:15-17)….to finally bring His people into Canaan.

The Red Sea typifies Redemption….

…..the Wilderness typifies Sanctification—faith finally overcoming all that hinders us from possessing God’s Will and Promises for our lives.

God’s Way is the course He takes,  in faithfulness,  in order to make good what He has promised.

        It may lead us through dangers, storms, or still waters….yet it is His way for us to grow in grace, faith, and love to Him.

Man is the only creature on earth that was originally created with faculties which can know God as Savior and Lord…..a mind to understand His Word, a heart to worship and love Him, and a will to obey Him.

        That is why the call goes forth:

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:

        Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

        (True, all creation is to praise the Lord…Psalm 150:6,….but our praise is the reverence of an intelligent heart….and of our conscious choice.)

And yes, at the fall we lost the presence of the Holy Spirit, and became darkened and lost….but we still have the faculties of mind and will,  to honor the Lord,….even though we do not have the desire to do so,….

….until we are born again….and given a new nature….God’s nature implanted within us, by the Holy Spirit.

At that moment,  God’s Way becomes supremely important.

Then,  “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

        HIs guidance…and HIs provision is meant.   By faith we live….for faith always points us toward God.   

       Look to Him and be ye saved.

       Follow HIm and be HIs disciple.

       Call unto Him and He will hear.

       Obey HIs Spirit and drink abundantly of HIs life.

Isaiah 55:8-11 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.

        For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

        For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,  that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

       So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth:  it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

His Word will accomplish His Will in us….(praise God)….by us as we yield to it….and, amazingly, through us to those around us…to the sphere of our influence.

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say,  Come.   And let him that heareth say,  Come.  And let him that is athirst come.   And whosoever will,  let him take the water of life freely.”

Let us weigh ourselves in the balances of God

Daniel 5:1-3 “Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords…

          Belshazzar…commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which…Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem;

          Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God….and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.”

Most believe that Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson.  Belshazzar’s father was away at war….losing….and had left the keeping of the city to his son.

          This great city was a fortress.   And had a river running through it.   It was well supplied for years, and impenetrable…..or so they thought.

So Belshazzar was  simply enjoying the riches his grandfather had gotten….lavishly partying with those wealthy young men like him.

Growing bored with the party….he calls for some of the old glory of Nebuchadnezzar to be brought in:

         The gold and silver vessels of the Temple from Jerusalem.   

They set the M’naurh or Candlestick next to the wall and light it.    Then they pass the vessels, only priests were to drink from,   around….and begin to drink their wine from them.

         What fun to make sport of the God of Israel!!!          Or so they thought.

Suddenly:

Daniel 5:5-6 “In the same hour   came forth fingers of  a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

        Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him,  so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and  his knees smote one against another.”

Notice,   God did not wait long.    “In the same hour”….and He made sure Belshazzar saw His hand in this judgment.

        And it terrified him….but what to do?

Now I want to mention here….that God can,  and does,  take care of HIs own glory.   

       But most of the time,  the Lord uses us, as HIs children,  His Christians,  to explain and “interpret” to others….what they are seeing or hearing, from His Word.

       Often people hear about God’s works for years….yet something suddenly gets there attention about His Word,….for themselves….and then,   we are called upon to show them the Way of life.      Or what God is speaking to them about.

This is what happens here:    enter Daniel.   

       (I want to mention,  that for the most part, Daniel had been set aside for any work for the royal house.    Belshazzar the king did not even know about him…..until the queen….who most believe was his grandmother, the famous wife of Nebuchadnezzar, told him about Daniel.)

Daniel is offered gifts and up to a third of the kingdom,….if he will interpret the message written in front of them.

But Daniel refuses the gifts and rewards….and shows Belshazzar what the Lord is speaking to him about.

       (And how important for us to keep in context the message we are to give.   We do not speak about our Lord for reward….or benefit….but to instruct and show His glory and goodness.)

Daniel begins by reminding this king….who wanted to glory in the victories of his grandfather,….some of the most important “history” of Nebuchadnezzar…..

  ….that God had given Nebuchadnezzar this kingdom….and when his grandfather had gotten “lifted up” in his ego and pride…..yes, like you,   Belshazzar….then God “drove him” out with the beasts of the field….making him mad….

….till…….and here is the important part for you Belshazzar…

…till he knew that God ruled in the kingdom of men….and gave it to whomsoever He pleased.

Yet, though you knew this….you did not want to remember this….

….you have not humbled your heart, even though, you have for a time, been given the opportunity to rule in his kingdom.

Daniel 5:23-25 “But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven;and they have brought the vessels of His house before thee, and thou,…have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praise the gods of silver, and gold….which see not, nor hear, nor know:  

        and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

       Then was the part of the hand sent from Him; and this writing was written.

       And this is the writing that was written,  MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

Then Daniel gives the interpretation of the message to Belshazzar:

       Mene:  God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

This was said twice:   Belshazzar had time to “grow up” and see a responsibility to God where the kingdom of Babylon was concerned….yet though God gave him time….he had not sought wisdom, or concern for his citizens….but looked only for gratifying and satisfying himself.

      Therefore his time was up….his time to rule rightly was gone.

(And what about the people we know,  running to ruin, seeking only the things of this world….seeking satisfaction in worshiping the gods of “silver and gold”.   They have forgotten that there is only true satisfaction in the Lord Jesus Christ, and His salvation. 

      There may be time for them,  if we give them the Word of God.)

      Tekel:  Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.    

Belshazzar did not “measure up” in action,   to the knowledge that he had.

           (And here I want to mention each of us.

            The “balances” that we are all going to be weighed in are God’s balances….His Word.

           John 12:44, 48 “Jesus cried and said,  He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me.

           He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him:  the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

          It is always what we have….and what we could use….that we will be judged by.   His Word is right in our homes,  our churches,  every hotel room, everywhere….what are we doing with it?      

         Do we know what it says to us?

         Can we interpret it to others?)

       Peres ( most believe that Peres is the plural of upharsin…upharsin means “divided”….peres means “dividers”):  thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

Most say this  happened at about daybreak the next morning.   

      Cyrus  (the nephew of Darius),  diverted the river Euphrates into a new channel…and they came up into the city by the river bed….guided by two deserters from the Chaledean army.

The “hand” of the Lord came swiftly to give a small time for some to personally repent and seek God’s forgiveness.   

      The judgment already coming….. God gave time to repent….and again I stress,  personally.

Yet,  Daniel….spoke God’s Word faithfully.    And so should we.

Balshazzar’s kingdom was doomed….judged by God….

….but please listen….

       Everyone who is seeking another “kingdom” than the Kingdom of God by Jesus Christ….will have the same ending….their kingdom will fail.

Let us weigh ourselves in the balances of God’s Word….and seek for HIs Kingdom Come….His righteousness and glory…HIs Will be done….

…in earth,  in me, in you….as it is in heaven.

Waiting on the Lord

Isaiah 30:18 “And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you,  and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you:  for the Lord is a God of judgment:  blessed are all that wait for Him.”

One of the great battles we have with ourselves is to “wait on the Lord”. 

        We know His promise….we know His power….we know He hears us…

….so why are we “waiting”?

Yet, let me say this…He never keeps us waiting without…His good reason,  His good purpose….for us.

Let us consider the Israelites at the Red Sea.   

       When they first left Egypt, then God…”led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near;….but God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea…between Migdol and the sea,…before it shall ye encamp….” (Exodus 13:17-18, 14:1)

       Then the Egyptians come…Pharoah and his army….and the people become terrified and started to doubt and yell at Moses….but Moses, in faith said,  “Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord”. (Exodus 14:13)  

       With the camp of Israel at the brink of the Red Sea….waiting….and the Egyptian army within sight….

…then the Lord went behind them…taking the pillar of light and cloud and putting it in between the camps….the light for the Israelites, His people…

…and the darkness to the enemy, the Egyptians.   

       (and isn’t it the same for us….even in the terrifying moments of our lives….and we have to wait for the Lord to act….He gives us light and His protecting presence and Word.)

       Of course we know what happened…the Sea opened and became a dry bed for the Israelites to cross….But when the Egyptians came into it,  it closed,…killing their enemies and delivering them.

Let us consider the Lord’s turning for a moment from the Syrophonecian woman.(Mark 7:26-29)

       In Matthew, she comes to Him as the Son of David, for her demon possessed daughter.         

       But when she kept following Him, crying after Him….He does not even speak to her….but to His disciples,…. that He was not sent to any but the “lost sheep of Israel”. (Matthew 15:22-24).

       Then,  when she comes and worships HIm as Lord…. He calls her “a dog” (an insult)….telling her that it is not right to take “the bread” of Himself  that He would give the Israelites, and give it to dogs.

       Still she waits on Him….agreeing that she is “a dog”….but even dogs eat of the crumbs from the Master’s table.

       And here, He turns and she will need to wait no more:

       Matthew 15:28 “Then Jesus answered….”O woman,  great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.   And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

Let us consider when Jesus deliberately tarried for two days when Martha and Mary urgently sent for Him to come right away….for Lazarus sake.  

       John 11:1,3,6 “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany,…

       Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying,  Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

       When He had heard therefore that he was sick,  He abode two days still in the same place where he was.”

       Waiting is often hard….and hard to understand….for Martha and Mary both said to Jesus: “Lord, if Thou hadst been here,  my brother had not died.”

       They believed for healing….but…it was time for them to believe further….and for that, they had to wait on Him.

       Mary wept…even in His presence (John 11:32-33)

       But Martha,….when Jesus said that He was the Resurrection and the Life…she surrendered to Him…..for….”I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:25-27)

Let us think about His word to Moses after Israel had sinned with the golden calf….”Let Me alone….that I may consume them”  (Ex 32:10)….waiting for Moses’ faith (not sympathy for Israel…but faith in God’s Word, which promised to bring them into the promised land)….

….to intercede for Israel…which God heard, and in mercy, He led them on.

Or when He had fought all night with Jacob….and said: “Let Me go”  (Genesis 32:26)…bringing out of Jacob a act of clinging…. and word of faith:  “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”

Sometimes He waits…to be gracious….

….waits till the fervency of our love….for Him and His Will comes to the foreground.

Till we are willing to do,  or have, or experience anything….if it be His Will for me.

 Song of Solomon 6:5a “Turn away thine eyes from Me, for they have overcome Me:…”

      Here the Lord is saying to His loved maiden…in poetical language…that her love is so strong…that He sees it in her eyes. 

      This is not a mere look  in His direction….but the locked, riveted gaze upon Him which would move Him to return her expression of love.

      It is the strength of love,  which holds Him.    Yet,…

…He says,    “turn away thine eyes from Me”.

Why would He say that?    So that she can look beyond His seeming rejection….or delay….

….and wait for His love, in return….in His time.

      She is quite aware that He will give it….but she is to wait…and be content that He knows of her love to Him.

And He commends her loving gaze,   “…for they have overcome Me…”

They that wait upon the Lord…

Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;  they shall mount up with wings as eagles;  they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Waiting requires us to give up all else…to the Lord’s time.   

       This is not the same as the Lord’s Will.    We often surrender to the what the Lord has promised or shown us….but it is something greater to wait on the Lord’s time….for we are looking and trusting in Him.    Faith is drawn out…and we are strengthened…even though we may not have what we are asking,….yet.

      “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart:  wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Ps. 27:13-14)

     “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.” (Ps. 62:5)

Let us not fret

Psalms 37:8 “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”

Fret means to eat away, to chafe, to gall, vex or worry, to wear away.

Anyone who has felt the effects of fretfulness….understands how it exhausts us….makes us weary.

(Rub your hands together and they get warm….keep rubbing and they get irritated and tired….keep rubbing and usually there is a place that gets a sore on it…

…that is to fret. A little worry, a little frustration, a little irritation….that can end up causing something that needs to be healed.)

So let us consider the first part of the verse:

Psalms 37:8 “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”

“Cease from anger…..”

Once we get angry?…..Impossible to stop it…..without the Lord’s help.

….we can not talk ourselves out of our anger…..for our emotions or reasons have started to run away with us.

We need to stop, and deal with it. It won’t take hours and hours….we simply have to stop speaking….or complaining in our minds….

….and first ask the Lord to forgive us for being angry

(“anger” here in this verse has to do with the emotions….they are displeased….to enrage!)…..

…..then we need to ask the Lord to show us about this….and He will, and give you the feelings you should have….and how to deal with them.

When we take everything which hinders, or bothers us to the Lord, we allow the Holy Spirit to have sway in our spirits….to, in fact, work His calming influence in our hearts and minds.

(We must honestly consider how we are, when we are angry. How we often fight against the very thing we are in need of!)

“And forsake wrath…”. Wrath has malicious intentions. We may never do anything….but we wish we could!

This verse is written to God’s own. This whole chapter in Psalms is written for believers….against the influence of evil workers….on our minds and hearts.

How they can irritate us! They seem to get by with so much! They mock and sneer….they provoke us! The very word “provoke”….means that we have let someone push us into a reaction!

We must let them pass….out of our minds….out of our emotions…..by letting the Lord give us our thoughts toward them…..

….let Him discipline us….to know whether what we are feeling is from the Holy Spirit….or is merely from the stress and strain of what is going on around us.

We must ever guard against worldliness creeping in….and of being tricked or caught up in snares laid by the devil.

There will be burdens laid on our hearts by the Holy Spirit, but these are never grievous to bear….

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3)

We must learn to tell if what we feel is from God, or from something or someone else.

The more we willingly do this, the better we will get at discerning what comes at us.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to work….allowing His soothing influence on us.

Psalm 39:7, 39-40 “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prosperity in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble.

And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.”

How desperately we need this right now!

Jesus

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.”

Jesus means Savior….but you will notice,  He is our Savior from our sin.

      Sin is our downfall.  No matter who we are,  or what we have,  in ability or things….we are sinners.    Guilty and condemned for our rebellion and refusal of God, and His authority over us.  For sin, in its essence is….I will rule myself,  I will do and think, what I want.

Many people we have dealt with,  say,  “Oh, I know I sin…but not really bad stuff!”

      If we only saw the absolute awfulness of our sin.   God says it as filthy rags(Isaiah 64:6)…

There are besetting sins…which rule with an iron hand our emotions and actions.  

There are sins of omission….where we don’t do the things we should, or could.    

There are sins of commission….where we sin, in error…..and in rebellion against the Word of God and His authority over us.   

           But, Praise God,  Jesus came to save us from our sins.

Psalm 85:2-3 “You forgave the iniquity of your people;  you cover all their sin. Selah.

You withdrew all your wrath;  you turned from your hot anger.”

How accurately is described the beautiful knowledge of Salvation….being covered by the blood of Christ….being saved from God being our Judge….to God being our Heavenly Father…

…and all through….Jesus,  what He is and did.

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

          In  which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, 

         Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Many writers have written concerning sin, as chains.    Sadly, we can become quite used to our own chains…..and though they bind and make us slaves….yet we do not rush forward to get free,  but rather excuse or wallow in them.  We are used to them….we are unaware they are slowly killing us.

Praise God that Jesus is Savior….for how desperately we need Him.

But Jesus is also Preacher:

Jesus has “proclaimed”…

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;  He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,   to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to sent at liberty them that are bruised,

      To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

To “preach” here means to herald, to proclaim  divine truth.

      And Jesus came to preach…to proclaim the gospel…to manifest the Way of Salvation through Himself….and He went through Israel doing so….

…and after His resurrection,  He sent His disciples to do so….to all the world.  (Matthew 28:18-20)

     And to proclaim deliverance from our sin through Him….and also the “acceptable year of the Lord”…to show that there is a time to come to Him….Yet.

But Jesus is also a Teacher…of those that follow Him.

     Mark 4:10-11 “And when He was alone, they that were about HIm with the twelve asked of Him the parable.  

     And He said unto them,   Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God:  but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.”

           Any who really wanted to know His teachings,  He would explain them to them.   But to others, who just came to listen so they could be provided for (food)….He spoke in parables.

But Jesus is also a Servant….and I say this with reverence…that the Great God would humble Himself to serve….me…you. (Philippians 2:5-11)

         For He did, when He washed my sins away….as He washed the disciples feet on the Passover feast night.   (John 13:5-14)

But Jesus is also King….He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:11, 16)….Ruler of all, in charge of all.  

         And He is my King….for when His kingdom has come to us,  His Will will be done by us.

Jesus is also our Advocate

         1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.   And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,   Jesus Christ the righteous:

         And He is the propitiation for our sins:…”

Christ Jesus took all the wrath apportioned for my,…and your sins…on Himself.  So when we sin,  Jesus is our defending lawyer and points to HIs sacrifice which took away all penalty of that sin.

Jesus is our Mediator….for He stands between God and us….

….. before God for us,…and to us for God.

        Mediator means inter-nunciator…..He takes the Word and Will of God and makes them real and available to us….to our understanding and affections.

        (In Hebrews,  Jesus is said to be:

“…the mediator of a better covenant,  which was established upon better promises.” [Heb. 8:6]

“…the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death,….they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” [Heb. 9:15]

“…But ye are come…unto the city of the living God,….and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,…”[Heb. 12:24]

        These are all speaking of the same work for us….yet stressing the promises,   our eternal inheritance,   and our future in Heaven with Him…

….all firmly planted on His Mediation for us.)

        And when we pray,  the Lord takes our prayers before God and makes them acceptable,  by HIs merits,  which are endless….that they may be heard and answered.

1 Timothy  2:5 “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men,  the man Christ Jesus;”

May I pause here and say (there should be trumpets!):

       What hasn’t Christ Jesus won for us?    What a Savior!   What a King is ours!   

Are we availing ourselves of all He has for us….for salvation is always personal.

Jesus…Savior.

       Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name:

       That at the name of  Jesus  every knee should bow,  of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

       And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

It is not at the name of His divinity that every knee shall bow…but at the name of His humility….His great perfection of life….His amazing sacrifice….and by which name He arose from the dead, victorious.

It is at Jesus, all shall bow.  

        We have the privilege to do it willingly, heartily, and lovingly….

….but all will do it….

…and for some it will be the last thing they do before they are cast into Hell…the place made for the devil and his angels (Mat. 25:41)…

….for they will have chosen to refuse His name.

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

Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ,  he is a new creature:  old things are passed away;  behold, all things are become new.”

All things are become new.   And one of the grandest “new” things….is that we are reconciled to God.    

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

         To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

It is interesting to note that reconciled and reconciling are one Greek word….while reconciliation is another.

Reconciled and reconciling means to change mutually together.       

         When Christ died and paid the penalty for our sin….at that moment, we were forgiven our sins,….and were reconciled to God…in Christ Jesus.

        God in Christ was by that very sacrifice reconciling the “world” (those that would trust in Christ)…unto Himself….that is Christ and us were changed mutually together….placed together—never  to be separated.

          Romans 8:35, 37-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

          Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

          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.”

This is what God did in Christ Jesus.   We come by faith….and He does this!   Amazing work!  Amazing love!

“…and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”       “…and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

        The word “reconciliation”  means “to exchange or an adjustment to the divine favor”.   

And Paul is stressing that this is something we do….for God has given us this ministry and word.

(Years ago there was a movement in the church that stressed…”the exchanged life”.   This is basically to…

….”Deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow the Lord.    To lose our life in ourselves….our habits, and plans, and desires….to find our life in Christ.”  (Matthew 16:24-25)

        It stressed a call to discipleship….or a life of  “exchange”,   or adjustment to God’s Will and Way….the divine favor. 

        And let’s face it, there are many things in our life, even after being born again….which needs to be adjusted to God’s Way of doing things.     

       We exchange our will, for His,  we exchange our plans,  for His,….and mostly we come to love Him fervently….for we exchange what we loved before,   for Him….Who becomes our all in all.)

Paul stresses this “strengthening with might by HIs Spirit…in the inner man”….and what He produces within us….”to be filled with all the fullness of God”.

       Ephesians 3:16-19 “That He would grant you,…

(and a grant is given with the expectation that it will be used and improved upon)

….according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;

        That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;…

(this “dwell” is in reverential awe,  it  is not for salvation, but for living)

…that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

        May be able to comprehend with all saints what in the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

(In Romans, Paul says God gives this to us….and here, he says we can come to truly know it in our everyday lives!)

       And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Paul wants the churches to know God’s great work of reconciling us to Himself by Christ….and our work of reconciliation to God’s Will and Way, by the Holy Spirit.

God has given each of us “the ministry of reconciliation, and the word of reconciliation”….for we do not go through this world alone.

       We are to use what God has given us and keep ourselves in His divine favor, and speak to others that they might, by faith, come to Christ and be reconciled in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

       For He hath made Him to be sin for us,  Who know no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 “For the love of Christ constraineth us;  because we thus judge, that if One died for all,  then were all dead:

      And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,  but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”

God hath reconciled us in Christ….we can never be separated from Him….

….but we are to seek the reconciliation of our life with HIs,  practically.

And, to know the love of Christ which passeth understanding….and pass it on.

To Whom is the Arm of the Lord Revealed?

When God speaks of His Arm…..He refers to HIs might.

Isaiah 53:1 “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed?”

To whom indeed was His Arm revealed?

Not to many….and not to many of any consequence to the world.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are nought, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in HIs presence.”

“But God chose”….if you are one of the chosen of God, by salvation in Christ Jesus the Lord….you will have His Arm (HIs power and might) revealed to you……and for you.

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the Everlasting Arms:…”

“Underneath”…to uphold and catch us.

But He is not always seen as He is…

Isaiah 53:2 “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”

This speaks of Christ in His humiliation…..when He came to earth to take away our sins on the cross….He did not come with pomp and pageantry…..but:

Philippians 2:7 “But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

If you had seen Him on the dusty road of Judea, He would have seem quite like everyone else.

Yet He was the Son of God…..and as a Servant to God, He went about doing good and healing people.

He spoke of the Kingdom of God…..inviting men to believe on Him….calling men to follow after Him, if they would.

Isaiah 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”

For the three years of ministry and service to Israel, He had few real followers, although many would come to hear Him,…..or receive something from Him.

And when He presented Himself to them, as the Son of God…..even riding into Jerusalem as the Scriptures said (Zechariah 9:9)….”lowly, and riding upon a colt the foal of an ass”…to Hosanna to the Highest! (Matthew 21:9)

…still they rejected Him.

And have not we done the same….rejecting Who He is…..turning away from Him….until the Holy Spirit has awakened us to His claims on our lives?

To whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? Only to those who will submit themselves to that Arm…..for themselves.

The Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-3 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law,….and he led the flock to the back side of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”

The bush burned, yet was not consumed.

Moses had been in exile from Egypt, and had married, and was caring for the flock of his father-in-law.

Then he saw a sight that was so unusual that he left the herd, and went to see it.

It was a dry desert bush that was burning….the flame was in the “midst of the bush”……..

…….yet it was not getting burnt up….it was not being destroyed by the flame….but was manifesting the flame.

(I want to talk for just a moment about us…..as that dry wilderness bush.

We are in a wilderness of this world….but more, we are part of the landscape; as that bush was. We fit right in to this world’s scene.

There was nothing unusual about the bush……until it glowed with the Presence of God. [When the Lord manifested Himself to men in the Old Testament, He was often called “the angel of the Lord”.]

But when the Lord “enlightened” it…..it became something which drew men toward the Light.

God does not want to “burn us up”…..but rather burn within us, so we will manifest His light.)

Years earlier, in Pharaoh’s court, Moses had thought that surely he could deliver “his brethren”, the Israelites…..and tried (Exodus 2:11-14)…and failed….

……..but the years out on the desert had withered his pride and confidence in himself…..and he was like this dry bush…….waiting for God’s flame to light him,….call him,….and use him.

Exodus 3:4 “And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses, and he said, Here am I.”

As Moses was coming to see this sight, a Voice spoke to him…..it was a Voice he recognized….

…….So when he heard this Voice, he answered: “Hear I am.”

He was answering a Person….a Person Who he believed in,…..for the scriptures plainly say that:

“by faith, Moses…refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter……esteeming the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:…”(Hebrews 11:24-26)

Exodus 3:5-6 “And He said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Moreover He said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”

Moses came forward….but not too far…….(there is that place where we must recognize the Almighty….and bow.)

Then the Lord began the process of calling Moses to do the work of deliverance.

The Lord said, “I am come down to deliver them….Come now…..and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou may bring forth My people…out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:8-10)

But Moses, instead of rejoicing…..now the time has come…..says:

“Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:11)

The wilderness had done it’s job….the confidence of Moses, the prince of Egypt was gone…..

…..but now hesitation was present.

Moses felt, that if in his earlier might and vigor he could not persuade the Israelites…..what could he do now, that he was older, and had no power?

The Lord spoke again of His Presence…..(remember Moses is standing in front of a bush burning….and hearing God)…..”Certainly I will be with thee…”

(It is amazing how many times in the Word, the Lord says the same thing to HIs people….to us!

“I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20; “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Hebrews 13:5)

Moses then asks, Who shall I say sent me? What is Your name?

God then explains His name: I AM THAT I AM. I am from everlasting…there was no time, that I was not….And I always will be.

God explains Moses ministry, first to Israel….

…..then before Pharaoh, who, God told him, would not listen, or let them go…..at first.

But God would deal with him and his nation…

Moses is still unsure…..not of God…..but of himself, and his ability to deal with the people and Pharaoh.

So God shows him another lesson…..Moses shepherd’s rod. The rod he had been using for years, taking care of sheep.

But by God’s Word, the ordinary rod became a tool of God.

Exodus 4:2-4 “And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:”

(You will notice, Moses ran from the serpent, but at the Lord’s command; picked it up by the tail. It was not fear for himself which hindered Moses….but fear of failing in the deliverance of Israel.)

Then God told him to put his hand into his bosom….and it was leprous.

Then put it into his bosom again….and it was whole.

God is able….the message is clear.

….but Moses turns to his speech….he was not a man of words….he did not think he could speak well enough to talk before Pharaoh and the people.

By this time, the Lord’s anger was “kindled” against Moses: The answer God gives comes as a rebuke (to backstrike with words)….

….God was displeased with Moses lack of zeal for his calling….for letting fear, rule his will.

God knew his heart….He knew that Moses wanted the deliverance of Israel….but Moses was letting imaginary hinderances block his sight.

Moses had “turned aside to see”…..and God had showed him that a bush can burn, and not be consumed by God’s Presence…

That a rod can be turned to a terrifying tool for God….

That disease can be given in a moment….and healed in a moment by the God of his fathers….I am that I am.

But Moses was letting his past failure blind his eyes from seeing that in all these examples…..God was saying “I am able….for you”.

God goes on to give him Aaron, his brother, who would speak to the people and Pharaoh, the words Moses would say.

“And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.” (Exodus 4:17)

But God says it in such a way, that there is no “backtalk” from Moses…..”And Moses went…” (Exodus 4:18)

How often do we “see” what the Lord is trying to tell us?

Are we letting past failures, or fear blind us to what God is calling us to do?

Moses went….and as we know, he dealt with Pharaoh…….”The Lord has said, Let My people go.”……..bringing the people out of Egypt, in triumph.

That rod stayed with him to the end…..he used it many times.

(The serpent before Pharaoh, the rod turned the rivers to blood, brought frogs out of the rivers, he held it up at the Red Sea, he smote the rock for water, etc.)

It was just a plain shepherd’s rod….which, when used in God’s service, became a weapon, and a guide for those that were brought out.

The lesson God showed Moses, from the fire in the bush, is just the same for us:

Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” (It is repeated in Hebrews 12:29)

Jealous means that He is zealous of His commandments and calling….He will not let anything else take His place in our hearts and lives….

He will lead us through failures,….speaking to us, to draw us on with Him…..rebuking us, correcting us….so that we may be instruments in His hands.

For Moses,…..and for all of His servants, that He calls……

……it is not what we are at the start,…..but what we let Him make us; that makes all the difference.

1 Corinthians 1:27 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”

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, 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 sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

It is God that makes the difference in any and every situation.