Jacob’s Wrestling with the Lord

Genesis 32:24 “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.”

Jacob was coming home to Canaan. He had been told of God:

Genesis 31:13 “I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointest the pillar, and where thou vowest a vow unto Me: now, arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.”

So he was coming home, with his wives, sons and substance………But also with a guilty conscience. He had tricked his father into giving him…… the blessing, instead of Esau.

God had wanted him to have it, but Jacob and his mother schemed to get it; instead of waiting for God’s way.

Now he was coming back into the land, and Esau, his brother, would surely hear of it, and seek to kill him, as he had often promised he would. (Genesis 27:41)

What could he do? When he first set foot into the land again, angels met him.

Most believe these “hosts of angels”, were positioned one in the back of his family, and one before.

(The Lord does that to us, as well. We may not see them, but:

Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”)

Genesis 32:1-2 “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s hosts: and he called the name of the place Mahanaim.”

Jacob took this as a sign that God would protect him, and so sent word to Esau that he was back in the land.

“…thy servant Jacob…I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.” (Genesis 32:4-5)

Perhaps time had softened his hate.

But then he got word that Esau was coming to meet him—that wasn’t bad—but with four hundred men! (Genesis 32:6)

That sounded like an army; and Jacob was fearful…very fearful.

(I use the term fearful, because fear strikes at the heart of every person. You may be scared in a moment…jump in panic; but fear is often an attack against the Word of God, as it was here.)

Jacob became so fearful, he began to rely upon his schemes again.

First, he divided the people into two bands. If Esau would destroy the first, maybe he will spare the next.

Then, he prayed. (Genesis 32:9-12)

This should have been first…but Jacob schemes before he trusts, yet God is merciful. The Lord told him to come back to the land, would He desert him?

Jacob prays to God on the basis of the covenant God made with Abraham, and his Seed.(Christ)

(So, too, we pray on the basis of the covenant God made with Christ, for us)

Jacob reminds God of what He said to do, of His own Word, which is what we should do. Jacob tells Him he has obeyed.

He tells God, he is not worthy of the least of His mercies and of the goodness God has already shown him.

Then he prays for deliverance, reminding the Lord of His promise where his children are concerned.

This was a wonderful prayer, but it seems as though Jacob’s fears were not removed, for….

he started to think….hmmm….I can send a present to Esau. Maybe that will appease him.

So off he goes, scheming. He starts picking out this and that; sending it on to Esau with shepherds, with the words: “A present….Jacob is behind us, but here is a present for my lord Esau”. (Very flattering; at least Jacob hopes so)

Then he sends his family over the brook; so that there would be that between Esau and them.

He was alone then, on this side of the brook.

And then…..

Genesis 32:24 “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.”

We are not shown how this “man” came, or what they said to each other for most of the night.

Those are things between the Lord and Jacob; for this “Man” was a theophanic manifestation of the Son of God.

Genesis 32:25-26 “And when He saw that He prevailed not against him, He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as He wrestled with him.

And He said, Let me go, for the day breaketh.

And he said, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”

But why did the Lord wrestle with Jacob all night? Why didn’t He just touch him right away?

Because He wanted to bring Jacob to a point of recognized weakness. To a place where Jacob’s strength and schemes were seen as the Lord sees them: useless.

And this takes time.

And Jacob kept wrestling, and kept wrestling, to gain the victory.

(But, thankfully, he was not the one who gained the victory.)

When it was almost sunrise, the Lord touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh; and he fell! But Jacob kept clinging to the Lord…he did not let Him go.

Yet he still did not say anything, till the Lord said, “Let me go…”.

Here was the real test:

At the end of a battle, we might be willing for it to be over; but Jacob knew Who the “Man” was.

By now Jacob knew, if he was to get what he needed for himself and for the future, he must get the Lord’s blessing.

(And do we know this for ourselves? “It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” [Zechariah 4:6]. It is often not until we know our own powerlessness, that we seek to hang on to the Lord, for His blessing…..but this takes time.)

Jacob, still clinging, says, “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”

Genesis 32:27-28 “And He said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Isra-el: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

Jacob (supplanter, contender) who had schemed and planned; was to become Isra-el (God commands or prevails).

Jacob was to be a prince or a delegated authority of God’s Name,……but only in his recognized weakness.

(Paul wrote of the same thing: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Isra-el was to be his new name. (When the first part of a name is combined with “El” or God, then the doer in the name is always God. [Daniel…God judgeth; Gabriel…God is my strength, etc.])

So now Jacob was to stop scheming; and let God command or prevail in him and for him.

This did not always happen: read Jacob/Israel’s life and you will see from now on, the two names still apply.

But God had brought him into a new way of life, and God would prevail.

It is natural for us to work out, for ourselves, the plans of our lives. We often feel very capable to do so: God gave us a brain…right?

But God, in patience and longsuffering, deals with us (wrestles?) to bring us to the place where we are clinging to Him, alone.

Esau came (with the four hundred men) but when he saw Jacob, he ran and hugged and kissed him! (Genesis 33:4)

When God prevails in us;……He will prevail for us. His Word is ever true…we need to claim it.

His power is never limited.

His blessings are only waiting for us to cling to Him.

 Light for the Way that I must take

Proverbs 4:18 (ASV) “But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

And just what is “light” in the scriptures?

Light is that instruction, guidance and revelation from Christ Jesus to you,  which comes by HIs  Word.  

       Though the scriptures are read every day,  yet the Holy Spirit within a Christian will open up the eyes to see what the Lord is speaking about….to me,…to you.

Ephesians 5:13 “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:  for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.”

This verse is not much preached on….but “reproved” here means to  “convict,  convince,  tell a fault.”

And the light of God does all these as we hear or read HIs Word.

        Convict…..means that you feel the guilt of your error, and the harm that it has done to you and others.

       Convince….means that the Holy Spirit uses the Word to show you that which is true, and that which is false.

       Tell a fault….we are all responsible to use the Word and His grace to do His Will….and if we fail,  what a blessing it is when someone is sent….or the Word shows us what is wrong.  

              Proverbs 25:12 “As an earring of gold,  and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.”

       (Rather than going on in the wrong and hurting someone….or be hurt and maybe become resentful.

             Matthew 18:15 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee,  go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone:  if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”)

God is light,  and He manifests the truth…

……that we can manifest the Truth in our lives, as well.

Paul says,  but “we know that whatsoever doth make manifest is light.”

      And Paul should know….having been knocked down by  the Light of Christ on the road to Damascus.

      In Acts 9:3-4,  the narrative says,  “…and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  and he fell to the earth…”

      In Paul’s testimony (Acts 22:6-7, 9),  he says,  “…suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.    And I fell unto the ground,…  

      And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid;  but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me.”

This is exactly as it is in real life….many “see the light”….and are afraid.    

      But others “see the light” and bow to it….and hear what it being said to them by the Holy Spirit.

Light makes manifest….or makes apparent.  

       It is not the gray….I am not sure.     But the knowledge of God and His Will shown to us.

       Five times in this practical chapter in Ephesians, light is mentioned.   

              Twice in,   Ephesians 5:8 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord;  walk as children of light;”

              Twice in    Ephesians 5:13 “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light;  for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.”

              And…

Ephesians 5:14 “Wherefore He saith,   Awake thou that sleepest,  and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Paul begins this chapter with,   “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given HImself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.”  (Eph. 5:2)

But to walk in love….we need light.   We need to “Awake” and “Arise” to the light that Christ shall give.  

       Notice,  it is “shall give”….if we acknowledge our “being asleep as if we are dead”.

       Rest is essential….but this sleep is dangerous.   We are to “watch” and keep our lights burning brightly…trimming our lights, keeping them filled with the oil of the Spirit  (Matthew 25:1-13)…till He comes.

Wake up to just what you are….get honest with Christ Jesus…and “Christ shall give” thee light.

The Lord is My Shepherd

John 10:11 “I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”

In the Psalms, we are called the “sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3), denoting His ownership of us. We belong to Him, and by this…..are under His protection.

It is a good thing that we are; for the Lord Jesus warns us of the enemies which are against us:

Thieves and robbers…wolves…and those that are not sheep:

John 10:1 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

John 10:12 “But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, see the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.”

John 10:26 “But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you.”

The true flock of God, hear His voice and follow where He leads:

John 10:3-4 “To Him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear His voice: and He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice.”

Do you think Jesus doesn’t know you? Certainly He does.

He calls you by name—your name; that you may follow Him.

He does not drive the sheep before…..but leads them.

Anything that is waiting for the sheep, will first be faced by Him.

He has prepared the way, we are to go.

He measures every temptation, and trial….and makes a way through it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”

Rightly has Matthew Henry said:

“I shall be supplied with what I need. And if I do not have everything I desire, I may conclude that it is not good for me; Or I shall have it in due time.”

Psalm 23:2-3 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.”

His leading us is essential; for He knows where and how we are to safely rest.

He restores me in His redemption, to God;…..in His forgiveness, to peace;….in His fellowship, to joy and love.

And we walk and rest, under the banner of His Name. (Song of Solomon 2:4)

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”

Even in the darkest times…times of shadows between us…..and times when things are not so clear….

Thy rod….Your Word of correction, and instruction comfort me….for in the trials, it is so easy for me to become discouraged….and begin to “look around”.

But Your “rod” awakens me to who I am…..I am Yours; and that You are here, with me….now….fully in charge of every circumstance.

Your Staff….the Holy Spirit….nudges me along….rescuing me from dangers.

They both are used on me, to keep me safe behind You….

…and You use them on the enemies which wait for my soul.

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

We walk through this wilderness world…..with temptations, anger, and even hate, all around us…..Yet, He has supplied a feast….in Himself…..for us.

We can come to Him anytime, getting protection….and guidance through this maze of life.

The Holy Spirit gives us His “anointing”:

“But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth,….”. (1 John 2:27)

So that I may testify to others of Your overflow in my life.

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

In this life of troubles, and trials, and joys……I will praise Your goodness to me. And praise Your mercy in my weaknesses, my doubts, my backsliding, my failures, and my discouragement under them all.

I praise You for all You have done….and I am confident it will continue forever, with You, in Your heavenly home.

The Good Shepherd is Jesus Christ….is He your Shepherd?

Perhaps you have said you would follow….but your confidence is wavering…

You know you’re calling….but, you are feeling anxious…

He has always known the way, and delivered you….but time has passed….

Then, read again Psalm 23…..and put your name there. For if you are born again, then He is “my shepherd”……

Call out to Him, and hear again His voice….and follow Him.

We must turn our backs to the world

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

It is an old saying,…that we can never go anywhere….without leaving where we are.

We have been part of the world….we have friends there, and relatives there….

…….yet we have been called to separate ourselves from the world…..and those who would seek to draw us back under it’s influence….

….to give up everything contrary to the Will of God for our lives.

1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

This stresses that we follow what we love…..

1 John 2:16-17 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

Two choices are contrasted here (really throughout the Bible)….

….To know and do God’s Will.

….Or to follow the world’s leading.

Colossians 1:9-10 “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

(Colossians is an interesting book, in that the Spirit of God is only mentioned once…Colossians 1:8.

And that is because Paul is setting Christ before our eyes…..as the great and marvelous Object to move our our hearts….

….this is our provision for the way we turn our backs to this world….the strength and power we receive by seeing the glory of our Head…..Christ Jesus our Lord.

The main verses of the book are:

Colossians 2:9-10 “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.”)

Our provision for turning our backs on the world is spoken of here….through the merits of Christ.

Colossians 1:12-13 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:”

This God the Father has done for us,….in Christ….it is done.

He has translated us from the kingdom or “authority” of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son.

He has…..in Christ….delivered us.

We are made children of light….with the peace, joy, and satisfaction that is in the Light of Christ.

“Translated”….means that God has taken us….spirit, soul and body….from the authority of the darkness we were in….

….and by Christ’s merits….we have been placed under the authority of the kingdom of Christ Jesus.

We have new citizenship….new rights and privileges….and new responsibilities.

We have this…..spiritually.

But it rests with us….by an act of our wills….to see these practical privileges entered into….in our everyday life.

What does this mean? It means that those old habits, those old sins, those old attitudes…..do not have authority over you…..they can not control you…….unless you consent to them.

Anything left in the kingdom of Darkness….will give an occasion to the devil….and an open door to the world’s influence.

It needs to be practically dealt with….

….bringing them to the light….and seeing why we have felt or thought the way we do about this.

Then, doing what the Lord says…..confess and forsake, or surrender to the authority of Christ.

(All is light, if we walk in the Light….1 John 1:7…..so it is only by our consent that darkness enters our lives….whether by thinking sin a small thing…..or by “looking back” to the world as Lot’s wife….)

As we deal with these things one by one, we practically take all from darkness to Light…..until all is light.

We need single eyes.

Matthew 6:22-23 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Christ spoke of this when He was here.

What we “look to” is what we feel is important or desire. That is our “eye”.

If our eye is “single”…..which means that we are like doves which see only one thing at a time.

Our eye should see Christ….He is our Savior, Lord, Example,….our Rock, our Shepherd, our Truth, our Glory.

If we keep our eye turned toward Him…..we will be turning our backs to the world.

This is the reason Paul is spotlighting Christ as the Object of Power, Fullness and Light for the Colossians.

For with Christ in our view…..the world’s show and noice, is seen as just that.

We must turn our backs to the world…..

….it is often not a matter of opinion about “right and wrong”….

…..but do I see Christ in this?

Is this God’s Will for me?

And Jesus wept over it

Luke 19:41 “And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it.”

Here, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, the Beloved city…..seeing all that would shortly come to pass for it….and how it could have been avoided.

            “But ye would not”.

And so they must bear the consequences of their refusal to receive their King.

Matthew 23:37-39 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,  how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,  and ye would not!

            Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

            For I say unto you,  Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say,   Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

           (The hen,   when danger or storm or enemies are about…will cluck and bring her chickens to her….and hide them under her wings:  sheltering and defending them.    This Jesus Christ would have done…

           Yet, again,  they would not.)

Luke 21:24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations:  and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

(This was all brought about in 70 A.D., when Rome put Jerusalem to the sword.    And we believe the time of the Gentiles in Jerusalem continued,  until the Israelis took the “old city” in 1967.

Of course, God’s timetable is His…..and we are waiting the next thing for the church….the Rapture,  where we will be caught up to be with the Lord in the air.)

         Today, it is not Jerusalem over which Jesus weeps….but the church….which must soon be spued out of His mouth….if we will not repent….turn from our own ways.

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

(Actually,  there are only two of the seven churches He writes to in Revelation, symbolizing the seven dispensations of the church, that He does not call to repentance.

         Smyrna, which was the church under the Caesar’s persecution.

And Philadelphia,  which had just a little strength, yet kept His Word and would not deny His Name.

         The rest of the churches He called to repent….and in this last dispensation of Laodicea…when time is so short….

….His Voice calls us to be zealous (boiling hot!) and repent.)

We often think of repentance for the lost….and surely as they turn from their sin, and by faith come to Christ,  they are repenting.

But repentance is for His people….any time we have “turned to our own way” of thinking, reasoning, and feeling.

Titus 2:12-13 “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

         Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 10:37-38 “For yet a little while, and He  that shall come  will come, and will not tarry.

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

1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand:  be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

2 Peter 3:11-12, 14 “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,  what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

        Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,…

        Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace,  without spot, and blameless.”

It is true….we need to be diligent, in order that we might be without spot….all our daily sins confessed, and covered under the blood of Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:9)

        And blameless….by using all the grace and means He gives us…to do His Will, in us and by us.

        Then, we will be found of Him in peace.   

We should be looking for His coming….and for the joy of being in His Presence….wanting to have something to give to Him….who gave so much for us. 

Luke 21:34 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”

Surfeiting is to overindulge in food or drink:  which is eating for the pure pleasure of eating,…and not for nourishment for the body…nor with the fellowship with others

        But for the pleasure of the mind and emotions of the body.   To satisfy our desire to taste.

        This becomes sin as we let these pleasures override our concentration on the Lord’s Will.

And the cares of this life-–so very many to be concerned about!   “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:…” (Luke 21:26)

Yet the Lord said about these times….about these things….”Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time…”   No matter what is going on,  we are to look to Him….and His Will for “the goings on”.

       It is in the repentance from sin, that we do the most good.  In repentance, we prepare ourselves for the blessing of God.   

      And when the circumstances are falling apart…isn’t that when we need His peace, most?

Luke 21:28 “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads;  for your redemption draweth nigh.”

The Lord has said….”Take heed”. 

      Is there something in which He is trying to awaken you to?

      Is there something that you have become a little “heedless” in?

Then hear the Lord to you….and repent,  and take heed to yourselves….look up and lift up your heads,  spiritually to Him….

….for,  Hallelujah,  our redemption draweth nigh.    He is coming….are we prepared?

The creature must find a resting place

Hebrews 4:9 “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”

In this day and age,  people are anxious,  worried, and often depressed.   There is a great many personal reasons for that….but there is also the simple fact that we need to find our resting place in the Will of God….

…for that is the only real resting place there is.

Now I am not talking about surrender to His Will, in general.   Every Christian, I believe must come to that place….where they have decided to do the Lord’s Will.  Period.

No, I am talking about coming to the place where we rest in God.

When I was in the hospital this last year,  and in pain,  and troubled….I cried to the Lord…and knew He was there.

      But…..and I want to say this with the most reverent speech….that was not enough.    Why?  Because at that time….I wanted Him to do something….I wanted my circumstances to change….I wanted to be able to get up….and,…. well you get the idea!

      My prayers were full of myself….not necessarily whining (although I am sure I did some)…but reminding the Lord of promises, and what I thought was the Lord’s Will concerning them.

      There was no rest.    

Hebrews 4:10-11 “For he that is entered into his rest,  he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.

       Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

Then, I got real serious with the Lord….for trouble seemed to come onto trouble.  Sleepless night upon sleepless night.       And I sought His Word concerning this.

       And He gave me:

Psalm 18:1 “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.”

And He started to show me,  me….and His Way.  There were failures to deal with,  testimonies to give….His Word to study.

       And then He showed me, my heart.   I love the Lord,  and the joy of that fact…amid what I felt….

……and the strength of His love….in the midst of all the terribleness….was my rest.

      We think of His greatness….He can do anything!     But what He showed me was HImself…and that all I was going through was from Him….and HIs love.

      That brought me to this place of rest:   whether in death (and it seemed a possibility), or life…He was going to say…

…..and I was at peace…..He was my place of rest.

      He became an anchor to my soul….and the bed which I wanted to flee,  became an altar to His Way.

“Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest”

And what is the one thing that keeps us from entering into rest?    Unbelief.

“Lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”   (This “fall” is not to fall away….but to fall down on something.   To fall on the promises God has given you….to seemingly crush them.)

Unbelief destroys things.   

       It comes into our minds first (whether by a suggestion of the devil or a temptation from the world) and says:   God has not given you what He said…..and then the suggestion repeats what God has said….but adds things…

…or takes away from what He has really said. 

Then unbelief comes into our hearts….and here is the “fall”.   We feel that His Word has been crushed….that He will not do it for us…..or now.

But the very next verse,  if we will see it, takes care of these temptations….

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

How wonderful to give us HIs Word!   How wonderful to show us what He is speaking to us about!

His Word is quick or enlivening!

His Word is powerful….we know this, so many times He has spoken and moved our hearts and lives!

His Word is sharper than any two edged sword….for it reaches through the hindrances to our soul (reasons, emotions, and will) and reaches our spirit which responds and yields to His Word.

His Word is a discerner of our thoughts and intents of the heart (1 Cor. 14:24-25)….and shows us exactly how we are….and what we need!

      We have but to yield to it….and the Lord gives us grace to overcome.

John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

He has offered abundant life….”…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

     Overflowing life….a resting place for us, as creatures….in this world of turmoil and trial.   

Will we yield….to Him….and His Way for us?   For this Way may take us down into the valley of the shadow of death…..or up into the mountain top of joy…or may lay a table in the presence of our enemies….

….but in it all,  as we yield,  we can say….”Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (Ps. 24:5)

Psalm 18:1 “I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.”

Spiritual Warfare: Our thought Life.

Our thought life is important. We often just think that what we do is of value, and it is. But what we think, and what we allow ourselves to think on, is important to God.

2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: “

Our flesh is our natural self life.

It is what we have become over the years as Adam’s children.

It is our habits, our desires, our plans, and our way of thinking; all of which make us do, and say, and act, the way we do.

This is the flesh.

When we become born again, and Christ’s life is within us by the Holy Spirit, then our flesh fights against the new life; so that it will not have to obey Christ, but can continue to do what it pleases.

A warfare takes place within us:

Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

“The things that ye would”, are those things that Christ leads you in, for you are born again, and want to serve Him.

But, because there is warfare within, it hinders the joy of service, and often the service is marred.

What to do?……..we can not get rid of the flesh, it will always be with us.

But we can win the battles to bring it into subjection to our King, Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

What are these “strongholds”? They are those thoughts that take hold in our minds and do not let go.

They could be a “good” reason; or suggested by the emotions flowing and toward a certain motive.

In the Spirit, we may know it is not right, though we can not tell how; but how ever it comes; if it is not dealt with,…….it builds a fortress in our thoughts.

It could be about the value of a certain thing. Simple in itself; but given power over the thought life by the flesh,…….and built upon again and again, because every time you go to get rid of it;…..and don’t,….it’s value becomes stronger.

(I once knew a Christian who became convinced that there was no hell. He, of course, did not want to think about some of the people he knew who would go to hell, because they were not born again. It became a big snare in his life; and dulled his sense of urgency where dealing with the lost was concerned.)

If you refuse, once, to deal with it; then the Adversary inflates the object with all sorts of affections, or opinions……to keep it.

“Casting down imaginations”. Our imagination is a faculty which brings to our minds, in pictures, the things we are dealing with.

We can let our thoughts “go”, and pretty soon, we are in a world of our own making; no reality; where the truth is what we want it to be.

Dangerous…….because the truth can then be twisted to be what the Adversary wants it to be….into a lie.

Casting down imaginations is tearing them down, to reveal the Truth that is in Jesus for this situation.

It can be a tough fight,…..but the Holy Spirit inclines our hearts and minds as we yield to Him….in dealing with what it is…how it got started…and the way to get rid of it.

But again the fight is not with carnal or natural weapons, but mighty through God, by His Holy Spirit, to cast them down in our affection……….so that we can be free from the influence of the Adversary through them.

In a world where “virtual reality” is accepted everywhere, we need to be especially careful, if we want to please the Lord Jesus Christ; Who is the Truth.

Or we may end up like those Paul warned of:

2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

God has promised power to live His life through us….by His Spirit…if we cooperate with Him.

The power of God is mighty to pulling down strongholds within our minds;…..and to cast down imaginations which have given a alternate view of Reality.

The power of God is through the Holy Spirit….working in our hearts.

“Every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”.

God will tell you something; through His Word.

Then you hear, “You don’t really believe that do you?”

Or a question of “How can I do this?”

That is a high thing which is exalting itself against the knowledge of God.

God has said something to you, He is dealing with you about this situation; and the Devil would sent a doubt, and a hesitation, or a “very good reason, not to do what God said”.

What is it that we must do? Try and reason with the Devil? No! Eve tried that and sin was the result.

We can not reason in the flesh,…

….or try and work up affections for God in the flesh…..

God asks us to yield…..to the Holy Spirit within us, and let Him lead us.

When we do, we will be “captives” of God’s reasons, And “captives” of His love.

“Captive”, here, means “to prefer, to choose to have”…..

….the Holy Spirit works that choice within us…..giving us the reality of God’s love and peace in the enjoyment of following Him in our thought life.

If ye love me, keep my commandments; Jesus said. (John 14:15). And when we do love Him, we will. This is where God’s power comes in.

His Power is given to us to have His Life.

To have His Light, to see reality.

To have His love shed abroad in our hearts. (Romans 5:5).

To have His peace, shelter us.

To have His joy, make us strong.(Nehemiah 8:10)

We can make ourselves our own lord; and every time we refuse to yield to the clear command of God, that is what we are doing.

But that is bondage of the worst kind.

Strongholds,

Virtual Reality for Reality,

and a form of godliness.

Or we can yield to the Holy Spirit, and have the power of God, which is mighty, working within us, to bring us into captivity to the Life of God.

Which will we have?

The Light that lighteth every man.

John 1:9 “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man which cometh into the world.”

Inside every man there is the place of the knowledge of God. It is the spirit of man, a gift given by God to man, when he was first created.

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

God is: God the Father, God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit: a Trinity.

Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

God formed man of the dust of the ground: his body.

And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: giving him his spirit by the Holy Spirit (the breath of life).

And man became a living soul: a living personality was the result; mind, heart, and will.

Man, created in the image of God, is Spirit, Soul, and Body: a Triunity.

At the first, man’s spirit was Lighted by the Holy Spirit, for fellowship with God.

When Man fell by sin, the Holy Spirit left his spirit, and man’s spirit became darkened, but not destroyed.

The impress of the Light of Life was still there, so there was a knowledge of God……..but a hinderance also was there: sin.

Romans 1:21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; and became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Sin hardens the heart and mind against the Light, because it wants to stay in the darkness, and hide.

John 3:20 “For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

Ephesians 4:18 “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:”

Since the fall of man, we have missed the mark (or purpose) for which we were created.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

That is the definition of sin: “missing the mark”.

We have all sinned; we are all sinners; we have all come short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We as sinners, have earned the wages of death. Death is the separation from God.

The question is? Will we continue in this death, through all eternity?

Or will be receive the gift of God, by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ…and have His life?

“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

This eternal life is a condition of life, now; not just for eternity.

Certainly, those who receive Christ Jesus as Lord, and Savior, will go to Heaven which is the abode of God, but the eternal life He offers is for us,…now.

He gives us light and life now, for the darkness and death we have lived in.(Ephesians 2:1-3)

At the time of regeneration; when we are born again (John 3:7); the Holy Spirit comes back into our spirits and gives us Faith, Light, and Life.

The Holy Spirit, within our spirits, then begins to bring our spirits into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Word to us;….for our lives.

He does this by showing us God’s Will, and influencing our hearts and minds to will after God’s Will.

This brings us from being babes in Christ, to grown up children of God.

But we must yield to the Lord’s Will.

This increases our Light.

And light makes plain everything in our path….both in us, and around us.

Our wills are the determining factor:

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

He works within us, that we might know His Will and do His Will.

That His Light will grow within us, and that we might be blessed of God.

The Vine’s Purpose

Ezekiel 15:1-2 “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,  

           Son of man,   What is the vine tree more than any tree,  or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?”

Ezekiel has been “warning” (enlightening by caution)  the captives against a false sense of entitlement.  

         Jeremiah and Ezekiel had told them that the Lord would destroy Jerusalem for the sins of the people there.    That they would be in captivity for years (as Jeremiah had said)….

….but they did not want to believe that things were that bad….or that the Lord would drive them out of the Land that He had once given them.

Israel was figuratively God’s grape-vine.

        Their purpose was to bear the fruit of the knowledge of God in praise,  work,  and worship (Deuteronomy 6:20–25) among their children and family….

….and to be  witness to the nations round about, of the joy in serving the True God…and to show HIs glory.

This was the “fruit” they were to bring forth in their lives.

       But they refused (in general) and so God was finally….after years of speaking to them….of sending them prophets…going to “burn” them….give Jerusalem to the fire of judgment.

Ezekiel 15:4-5 “Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel;  the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned.   Is it meet for any work?

      Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work:  how much less shall it be meet yet for any work,  when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?”

The Lord says,  “What good is it for wood?”   Not much good….”will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?”      

      To be cut down for wood….it is little….it can’t even make a pin to hang something on in the house.

It is not even good for burning….for it is not as other trees,  which when cut down make stacks of timber.     

      But it burns at both ends, and burns up….with no lasting heat.   It is of little use.

When it was a vine, “it was meet for no work”.  It did not fulfill its Purpose.

This is an important phrase,  for we, in the church are told:

2 Timothy 2:21 “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

      Prepared unto the honor of the Lord….and the work of the Lord for us.

Are we?

      (As my husband’s Papers, about his Awakening meetings,  said:

…we are to be set aside–”sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”…and that is what these meetings will deal with.   It is to the church….when we are ready,…we can invite the lost.

      For it is always first in us….then in our church, and our home and ever outward.

Again I would ask…are we set aside to God and His Will for our everyday lives?   Are we prepared by submission and yielding to every good work?)

Ezekiel 15:6,8 “Therefore thus saith the Lord God;  As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel,  so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

      And I will make the land desolate,  because they have committed a trespass saith the Lord God.”

Therefore, as the vine wood is given for the fire when it is useless, so I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the fire….because of their “trespass” against Me.

(I want to speak briefly about the Trespass offering.

         The Trespass offering was for sins done knowingly:  stealing,   defrauding someone,    or things found and kept, when they should have been returned to the owner.   

         The law was that the person was to make restitution of these things….plus…one-fifth more was to be given,  from his own possessions.

          But it was not enough to repair the wrong done to the neighbor or to the social group….the person was also required to bring an offering….a ram, without blemish, which would be placed on the Burnt Altar, and roasted, and then given to the priests.

        This was to be done to show his sorrow and repentance for having slandered and dishonored God and His laws of mercy.)

Israel had willingly sinned–yet had not repented and changed their ways….their had been no Trespass offering … 

…..even when He had rose up early and spoken to them (Jeremiah 29:19  actually the Lord says eleven times in Jeremiah how He has done this!)….yet they refused to hear His warning.

The Lord Jesus Christ has called us to bring forth fruit….to “abide” in Him, and let His Words “abide” in us.

“Abide” here means “to stay”.   We are to stay with Him.   This is not for salvation…it is not our hold on HIm, but His hold on us that counts for our salvation.      

         But this is to stay in heart, and action with Him….to follow,  and walk along with….to not leave His Will for us….or His Work and Word to us…for another.

         And He warns us:

 John 15:6-7  “If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

        If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Eight times in this chapter, the Lord speaks of “abiding”….of staying with Him.     

        And I love this…”…ye shall ask what ye will,  and it shall be done….unto you.”

This is not a promise for someone else….no, it is a promise for us….if we will stay with the Lord,  we may ask what we will….and it will be done unto us.

We can be those “vessels unto honor,  meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”.

       Prepared!   Think of it….prepared by God, the Holy Spirit, for   every  good  work!

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,  that the excellency of power may be of God, and not of us.”

The purpose of the Vine, was to bear grapes for the Husbandman….and we are to bear the fruit of righteousness….of His likeness,  and yield the Spirit’s fruit (Gal. 5:22-25),  showing that we belong to Jesus Christ.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down

Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them who are exercised thereby.”

Have you been exercised thereby? Simply, have you learned from your failures?

You see, this term is from the training those of fighters that went into Roman arena for sport.

They would be trained by a master trainer, and they would get plenty of bumps and bruises along the way.

To be “exercised thereby” is to learn, through all the training, how to use your hands and feet aright.

The training was strenuous and extensive. It covered attitude, as well as form. It covered strength, as well as technique.

And if you really wanted to learn, the master trainer would often give extra time to teach you harder things. (Yes, that usually meant more bruises.)

Here, it is talking about our learning from the hands of our Heavenly Father, who has to correct us, when we error; so we can learn to walk and stand aright.

Hebrews 12:12 “Wherefore lift the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees:”

Our hands symbolize everything that we accomplish, in the will of God. Everything that is our responsibility to do.

Therefore if they hang down; become weakened by discouragement or “weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9), then we can not have the victory in the battle. (And sometimes the consequences of this discouragement, lasts for a long time)

Our knees are feeble, when our hearts begin to weaken, and our minds begin to wander.

They can hardly hold our weight; for we are burdened with the cares of this life.

We have forgotten that we are yoked with Christ, and that we are to:

“Come to Him, all ye that labor and are heavy ladened”. (Matthew 11:28-30)

We are to come, all through our life and walk, to Christ, as our yoke partner.

Hebrews 12:13 “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which be lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

Outward problems come when we do not maintain our way before God.

Perhaps we think we know what we should do.

Perhaps we have been careless in letting something “slip”.

Perhaps we have been too tired, and feeling sorry for ourselves, we have not put forth the effort, or even asked for the strength we need.

Proverbs 4:25-27 “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”

When we have stumbled in our ways, we are to “straighten” them.

Set them right before the Lord, by confession and ask for joy and peace; strength and courage, to conquer our hinderances…..

…….so that none that follow after will be turned aside by our lack of maintaining our way.

“Healed” is the ultimate goal of all who are in such a situation.

Don’t doubt.

Don’t fear.

Come to Christ, and be restored to spiritual health.

The verse says, “let it” be healed.

How often the Lord would give us joy for sorrow; and we have turned away from Him, because we want the circumstances to change, not us.

You see, “happiness” has to do with our circumstances. If they are good to us, we are happy.

Joy, on the other hand, comes directly from the Lord to us, through His Holy Spirit within.

It does not care about circumstances (and often comes in the worst circumstances, as we believe God),……because it cares only about our relationship to God.

He showed me once, that He would give joy a lot more often, if I would “Let it”.

All this comes as our Heavenly Father corrects our failures, to bring us into a closer relationship to Him.

When we see the correction; to “let” ourselves be healed, we must see our Father’s love behind them.

Hebrews 12:7, 9-10, 14 “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he who the Father chasteneth not?

Furthermore, we have had father’s of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”

His great love for us is the reason He corrects us.

Let us lift up our hands to Him!