It is the Eleventh Hour

I am going to speak frankly about some searching internal things of God,  I experienced years ago.

For years I had gone along, (a Church goer, Sunday School Teacher).  But over a series of months, I was “forced” (by the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment) to admit  to myself and God, the lack of permanent spiritual fruit in my own life.

I would be peaceful and joyful, at times; then angry and bitter, at other times.

I began to doubt the reality of my conversion.

My obedience I knew was partial, so I sought to be obedient in all things; to be more diligent.

Yet I longed with a greater and greater yearning to hear some Word from the Lord about it all.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

I the Lord search the heart,  I try the reins,  even to give every man according to his ways,  and according to the fruit of his doings.”

I started to pray that He would search me, hoping that it would lead to an experience.

A once accomplished setting in order, if you will.  Then my life would be under the control of the Holy Spirit.  No problems.

But time and time again, the Lord lead me to discover the times I simply did not deny myself in this attitude,  or in that reaction. 

Our reactions to people and things tells God, as well as others, a lot about our true spirituality.

To “deny myself” (Matthew 16:24);  this was not what I wanted to hear.  

I do that;  I’ve done that.

But time and time again,  I came face to face with the fact that I had started to do it,  but my “reasons” for putting up with myself, seemed too good.

Or I had denied myself in the action.  I did not do what was wrong.   

But I sure wanted to.  

Was that really “denying myself”?

So then the Lord showed me that I was born again,  but I was not walking with Him.

I was following my own way.  A way which was not producing fruit for Him,  or true life for me.

He showed me, that time is important.   I had made choices in things I could not change:  consequences I must bear.

So, what could I do?  How can I do for the time I have left?

Matthew 20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.”

The Kingdom of Heaven, if it is to be gained, is by One man.  The householder here; our Lord Jesus Christ; and His call to us.

God’s call is always to Himself:  it may be to Salvation,  or it may be to a work,  or it may be to more knowledge of Himself.

But His Call is always to Himself.

Christ calls those who would be part of the Kingdom of Heaven, not to sit around, but to labor in His Work in this World.

The Lord showed me, through this parable, my life; and how I had served Him. 

Will you see yourself here?

Now, within every believer, there is a “clock”, so to speak.

This clock begins to tick the moment we are born again.   It is like a time clock for the Work of the Lord, for ourselves.

When Christ calls to the Work:

Some respond early, and go to work for Christ.  

Matthew 20:1-2 “…a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.   

And when he had agree with the laborers for a penny a day,  he sent them into his vineyard.”

(Back then, there were twelve hour days, and a penny was a good days wage.)

Some respond later, but still go.

Matthew 20:3-5 “And he went out about the third hour,  and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

And said unto them;  Go ye also into the vineyard;  and whatsoever is right I will give you.  And they went their way.

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour,  and did likewise.”

But some, stand idle all the day;  inactive, and barren.

Matthew 20:6-7 “About the eleventh hour he went out,  and found others standing idle,  and saith unto them,   Why stand ye here all the day idle?  

They say unto him,  Because no man hath hired us.    He saith unto them,  Go ye also into the vineyard;  and whatsoever is right,  that ye shall receive.”

How can religious people be idle?

Because they have bee brought into the Christian faith without any confrontation of the total commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord.

Without any instruction that real Christian Victory, means complete abandonment of our self and person to Jesus Christ.

So when the householder said,  “Go into my vineyard”;   Jesus was giving us the opportunity of doing that.   How many times in my life had He done so?

Now where were these “idle” ones during the times He came before?

He accuses them of standing idle “all the day”, so they must have been there.

Yet they did not heed His call to go and work.

What about you?   Has the Lord Jesus called for laborers, and you stood idle?

When others went, you were relieved that you did not “have to” go?

Yet the time (remember each of us have a clock, ticking) goes by, and the emptiness with us seems to weigh us down. (It did for me)

Now the day is almost gone.

Oh, if He would just call again;  for the Kingdom of Heaven is wrapped up in the laborers He has called.

Then He does, rebuking us for our laziness,  for our attitude of letting someone else do the work.

What will you do now?

Let this last opportunity go by again?    For it is the eleventh hour.

Matthew 20:9-10 “And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour,  they received every man a penny.

But when the first came,  they supposed that they should have received more;  and they received every man a penny.”

Here is the wages of these workers. (Not the wages of sin;  Christ took those)

But in Him we receive the “wages” of our obedience to His call; and our faithfulness (even after we were unfaithful).

Some labored longer;  some a very short time. 

Yet the householder, Jesus Christ, pays out the same wages to all.

Those wages are the reward for the faithful following of His call.  The faithful putting of yourself aside for Christ’s sake, and for the faithful love which (finally) follows Him.

In that day of receiving, we will enter into His Joy and into His courts with praise.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Enoch and Methuselah

Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;  and was not found,  because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony,  that he pleased God.”

Just seven generations from Adam,  Enoch was a man who never died, but was translated to heaven.  (It is a picture of our Rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

He had evidently been tempted to walk with the rest of the world.

The people around him were turning more and more wicked: 

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

The Hebrew for “every imagination” signifies not only thinking about these things but also the purposes and desires:  there was the heart’s reaching out to them, and the will to do them.

The world in which Enoch lived was growing worse and worse;  no one was thinking about what God had created them for:  To walk with Him….not in a garden anymore,  but in the labor of their days.  

Even the knowledge of good and evil had deteriorated into just the knowledge of evil.

No one kept themselves from doing what he wanted.   No matter who it hurt.

And Enoch considered having that way of life;  till the Lord showed him the consequences of such rejection of God and the actions which come from it.

Not just for himself,  but for the generations to come.     For when he was going to have a son, whom he named Methuselah;  something changed.

Jude 14-15 “And Enoch also,  the seventh from Adam,  prophesied of these, saying,  Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints,

                      To execute judgement upon all,  and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Enoch was going to have a son, and I believe the Lord gave Enoch the name for him:  Methuselah.

Methuselah means “the man of the branch or shoot which dies.”   It puts two Hebrew words together;     and as Enoch heard this name he knew God’s plan.

All men from Adam had died:  if you read Genesis 5,  “and he died” is written many times.  Generations of men had died,  and Enoch’s son would die one day: but this child’s death would be different.

Methuselah’s death:  the branch (just a shoot in infancy) would grow up and when he would die….so would the world of wicked men.

Enoch had a word from God concerning the judgement to come;  and the reason for it.

The “ungodly deeds”.   This means that they were “in Your face, God” rebellions.   They knew God,  but did not want to give Him the glory:   so they became vain in their imaginations and their heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21)

And “the hard speeches” they spoke against God.

These “hard speeches” were words of rebellion,  inciting others to forsake Him and begin to worship “nature”.    

(Romans 1:22-23 “…changed the glory of…God into an image…made like man, birds, and beasts…”)

This shows how much sin corrupts and perverts;     for this is what happened   just a few generations from Adam’s first sin. 

(Jesus also said that these actions would be prevalent in the end times, and He uses the example of a tender branch:  Matthew 24:32-39)

So Enoch made a choice,  for himself and the generation to come:  he would prophesy God’s Word,  and warn them of the judgement to come.  

Perhaps some would repent. 

And how would they know when it would come:  Enoch’s son,  Methuselah.

When Methuselah would die;  as all men had, up to that point:  then they would know the judgement was at hand.

(It is interesting to note,  that Methuselah is the man who lived the longest of all recorded men.)

God gave those He created,  many years to believe His Word and warning.

To turn away from foolishness and come back to God.

Because Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years…..that is almost a millennium to repent.

2 Peter 3:8-9 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,  that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years,  and a thousand years as one day.

                          The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,  as some men count slackness;  but long-suffering to usward,  not willing that any should perish,  but that all should come to repentance.”

Why does God send out His preachers to call all men everywhere to repent, and turn to God?   Because He remembers His promise to His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to save all who will come to Him.

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

If you will come,  He will save you.

To walk with God is to make God’s Word our rule of action, and His glory our end.

And twice it is said here that Enoch walked with God.

Genesis 5:22,24 “Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah   three hundred years,  and begat sons and daughters:

                               And Enoch walked with God:  and he was not;  for God took him.”

For three hundred years Enoch warned his fellow men what God had told him.

For three hundred years Enoch sought to glorify God before the world that was becoming increasingly more wicked and violent. 

(Genesis 6:11 “The earth also was corrupt before God;  and the earth was filled with violence.”)

Then one day:  Enoch “was not, for God took him”.     

Nothing is said whether there were some who looked to kill him for his testimony:     and “he was not, for God took him”.

Or whether, walking and talking along the way with God,  when God manifested another sign to the perishing world:

Enoch did not die.   “He was not, for God took him.”

God was showing all who would see,  that those who believe and follow God,  never really die. 

Methuselah grew and had a son of his own;  who had a son who he called Noah.

Methuselah saw the birth, and lived on as sign to all who would see it, of God’s extended mercy.

But there came a day when that mercy was no longer offered.  

(We all know that Noah built an ark and saved the animals and his house,  after preaching one hundred years to his fellow men. Hebrews 11:7,  2 Peter 2:5)

The year Methuselah died,  the  flood came.

It is sad,  but true:

Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because sentence against a evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

God’s Word has come down to us through the centuries that He will be found of any who seek Him.

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.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then shall ye call upon Me,  and ye shall go and pray unto Me,  and I will hearken to you.

                                    And ye shall seek Me,  and find Me,  when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.”

God has gone beyond this;  for He has sent His Beloved Son to seek and to save all who will come unto Him.

Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”

Titus 3:3-6 “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,  hateful, and hating one another.

                      But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 

                      Not by works of righteousness which we have done,  but according to His mercy He saved us,  by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  

                      Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;”

Let us walk with God; waiting for the day of His coming.

Showing forth His glory and mercy to all those who will seek the Lord.

An Offering of a Willing Heart.  

Exodus 35:4-5 “And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying,  This is the thing that the Lord commanded, saying,  

                            Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord:  whosoever is of a willing heart,  let him bring it,  an offering of the Lord;  gold, and silver, and brass,”

The Tabernacle of the Lord was to be made.  The very intricate pieces were to be done by those selected by God, and given the ability. (Exodus 35:30-35)

But before they could do the work,  materials had to be gathered.   And God did not require any to give;  but it was to be an offering of a “willing heart”.

Exodus 35:21-22 “And they came,  everyone whose heart stirred him up,  and everyone whom his spirit made willing,  and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the Tabernacle of the congregation,  and for all His service, and for the holy garments.

                                And they came,  both men and women,  as many as were willing-hearted,  and brought bracelets, and earring, and rings, and tablets,  all jewels of gold:  and every man that offered,  offered an earring of gold unto the Lord.”

                               

Exodus 35:29 “The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord,  every man and woman,  whose heart made them willing to bring for all the manner of work,  which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.”

This was wonderful.   But the example I want to speak about is:

Exodus 38:8   “And he made the laver of brass,  and the foot of it of brass,  of the looking glasses of the women assembling,  which assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation.”

These woman had given before:  bracelets, and earrings, gold and silver.   Yet they continued coming to the  door of the Tabernacle to see what else was needed.

Back in those days,  looking glasses (mirrors) were not made of glass, but of brass.   Highly polished brass.   It was an art to make them and they were very valuable.

(Actually it was flattering to the faces,  for it gave them a shine, and did not show up every flaw.  

In 1 Corinthians 13:12,  it says,  “For now we see through a glass (looking glass) darkly,  but then face to face:  for I know in part;  but then shall I know even as also I am known.”   

The apostle is saying,  “Now you see yourself a little better than you are.  You are not seeing clearly.   You are also not seeing clearly the love God has for you,  as you.   But then, when you put away “childish things”,  you will see yourself clearer,  and God’s Amazing love for you,  as you;  a lot clearer, too.)

These women had gotten these looking glasses from the Egyptians [who were scrupulous about their looks],  and had them stored in their treasures.   

To be able to pull them out after journeying through the desert, and brush the sand out of your hair.  To see how your face looks after a few years:  this would have been a real treasure!

But, they saw the need for brass for the laver.  (the large basin with feet, which was filled with water.  It was outside the Holy Place, in the court.

This is what the priests washed at after working at the altar with the sacrifices.  They were to wash before going into the Holy Place,  and eating the bread, or lighting the Lamp,  or offering incense to God.

For the sacrifice spoke of God’s sacrifice to save us in Jesus Christ;  and the Holy Place speaks of fellowship with Jesus:  having His light,  feeding on Him as our Bread of Life, and praying [the incense going up to God].   

So the priests had to wash before going in.)

These women saw the need, and brought something very personal, and very valuable to them.  Their brazen looking glasses.   Of all their treasures,  these would have been something they would want to hold on to.

They came willingly and gave something which would have made them feel beautiful.   So it was a matter of the heart, choosing God’s work, over their vanity.  Not such an easy choice at times.

Yet it was an offering of a willing heart from all of them;  and God gave witness of their offering in His Word, as a testimony to their love.

The Lord has books of all the deeds down through the centuries,  of those that do something willingly, out of love to Him.  

(Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another:  and the Lord hearkened,  and heard it,  and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord,  and that thought upon His name.”)

Is our service to the Lord, of a willing heart?

Who hath ears to hear,  let him hear…

Matthew 13:9 “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus had just told the parable of the sower, and the four kinds of ground: wayside, stony places, among thorns, and the good ground.

Then His disciples ask:  Why do you speak to them in parables?  

(We must remember Jesus has preached plainly to the crowds:  Matthew 5-7 is the Sermon on the Mt.; and there He speaks very plainly what they should do)

So Jesus explains:

Matthew 13:12-13 “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given,  and he shall have abundance; but whosoever hath not,  from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

                                 Therefore speak I unto them in parables:  because they seeing  see not;  and hearing  they hear not,  neither do they understand.”

Basically He said:  exposition must have application.    

When they come and hear,  do they want to know what it means for them? 

Or are they happy just to hear a story and go away,  untouched by the meaning of My Words?

“For whosoever hath”.  The crowds had been following Him, and listening.  

But to truly follow Him as Christ,  they would have to want to understand for themselves what He was demanding of them.   What the parables meant where they were concerned.

Jesus said the kingdom of heaven was at hand.   Did they really hear that? Then, what should they do, to have it? 

But to those who are His disciples, He said:

Matthew 13:16 “But blessed are your eyes, for they see:  and your ears for they hear.”

How? His disciples had taken the first step and obeyed His call to them, whether from fishing boats, or tax collector booths…they came after Him (and that is always the first step: to leave the old life and come after Him)

Matthew 13:36 “Then Jesus sent the multitude away,  and went into the house; and His disciples came unto Him, saying,  Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.”

They did not always understand at first what Jesus parables meant.   But they wanted to know what these things really meant, and because they did, Jesus explained it to them.

That is the difference in hearing,  and having hearing ears.  The first one hears the words….they are lovely, and probably from God.

The hearing ears comes after for the understanding they need,  to know and have what Jesus says.

When we have a Bible truth in reality;  we have it in our everyday experience.

Romans 5:17 “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one (that was Adam, by his sin);

Much more they that receive abundance of grace 

And of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life  by One, Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:17 (Williams version) “For if by one man’s offense death reigned through that one (Adam, by his sin);  

To a much greater degree will those who continue to receive the overflow of His unmerited favor, and His gift of right standing with Himself;  reign in real life, through One, Jesus Christ.”

I like the Williams version because it explains:  “receive abundance of grace”.

Jesus says in John 10:10 “…I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Abundant life comes as we continue to receive the overflow of His life and grace.  He gives them to us: drop by drop;  or showers of grace.

There are graces we need to just “get through”.  

But peace under trial;  joy in pain;  strength in sickness; perseverance in times of distress;  etc.

These are all abundant graces which we can receive from Him…His overflow of power to us by His Holy Spirit in us.  

Him flowing through us: in us (it is always in us first),  and by us.

So we can reign (that’s right,  we can rule our spirits in the situation: what ever it is).

And we can reign in “real” life.

Yes, the real life we live…not the one we would like to live;  or the one we read someone else lived;  but our life:  all the people,  jobs, troubles, griefs, and happiness…our life.

If we continue to receive His abundant grace:  His overflow….for He has enough and to spare of grace or power for us all….

If Thou Wilt

James 4:13-14 “Go to now,  ye that say,   Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city,  and continue there a year,  and bye and sell and get gain

                            Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.   For what is your life?   It is even a vapor,  that appeared for a little time,  and then vanisheth away.”

Only God can say “So be it”.  For it is His Will alone,  that stands every test.

We, as Christians,  may say,  “If God wills”,  we will do this or that.

How many plans have been destroyed or laid aside,  because we have not considered what God wanted with our time?

That we should not walk through life “Willy nilly”:  this way, then that way.  

We should have a definite goal to head toward,  and find out God’s way to get there.

Philippians 3:12-14. “Not as though I had already attained,  either were already perfect:  but I follow after,  if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

                                 Brethren,  I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I  do,   Forgetting those things which are behind,  and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

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

Paul “followed after”; not knowing what lay ahead.  But knowing that Christ Jesus did;  and that whatever was ahead, was prepared for.   Grace was laid up for him to get through each situation.

This should be the goal we are headed for:  what Christ Jesus has saved us for.

We are to grow up into Him.  For we are all called to go from babes in Christ to full grown Spiritual Adults.

We should ascertain our calling.  (We are all called as witnesses,  if nothing more.     A witness is a personal testimony of what Christ has done for me.)

And this should be the way we go:  forgetting those things which are behind me—really putting them behind me—failures and successes;  

And reaching forth (in heart, in mind, and in will)  to those things He has before me,  today,  tomorrow, and on.

We have family. We have jobs.  We have friends.   All of these,  we are not to neglect—that is not God’s will.

But before all of these, as Christians,  we have our personal duty to God,  and His Will.

1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required of stewards,  that a man be found faithful.”

God’s stewards, are Gospel Stewards.  Their duty is to live the Truth of the Gospel.

Truly, if we put God first,  He will see to it,  that all the other people, and things in our life are not neglected.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God,  and His righteousness;  and all these things shall be added unto you.”

God never forgets our faithfulness to Him.   Never. 

What is Brotherly Love? 

1 John 4:11 “Beloved,  if God so loved us,  we ought also to love one another.”

Hebrews 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.”

I am going to use Abraham as an example,  for he is the father of all who believe. (Romans 4:16)

Abraham came out from Mesopotamia with his wife, his father, and his nephew Lot and his wife.

He was suppose to come out alone:  He and Sarah (At first his name is Abram and her name was Sarai). (Genesis 12:1-3)

His father died before they reached Canaan, the land God had called Abraham to;  but Lot was still with him.

(Lot was a believer in God, but he is a picture of a worldly Christian; who hung onto the world’s illusion till it was too late.)

After a time they both had large herds, and servants.  As they were still together, a struggle for pasture and water broke out between the servants of both men.

Abraham called Lot and talked to him. (Notice it was not Lot that sought a solution, but Abraham.)

Genesis 13:8-9 “And Abram said unto Lot,  Let there be no strife,  I pray thee,  between me and thee,  and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen;  for we are brethren.

                             Is not the whole land before thee?   Separate thyself,  I pray thee, from me:  if thou wilt take the left hand,  then I will go to the right,  or if thou depart to the right hand,  then I will go to the left.”

To Abraham God had spoken and given a promise concerning the land, and his dwelling there.   

But instead of asserting his rights,  he gives Lot the choice of what portion of land he thought best.

Genesis 13:11-12 “Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordon;  and Lot journeyed east:  and they separated themselves the one from the other.

                                 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan,  and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain,  and pitched his tent toward Sodom.”

Lot chooses the plain, and soon pitches his tent toward Sodom.   Then next we read, he lives in Sodom.  

Then there is war.  And four kings come against the cities of the plain.  They are a huge army and they attack and loot Sodom.    Lot is taken with the captives.

(Genesis 14:11-12)

As soon as Abraham hears, he gathers his servants to go and save Lot.

Genesis 14:14 “And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants,  born in his own house,  three hundred and eighteen,  and pursued them unto Dan.”

Now these men are not soldiers.  But “trained servants”.   Ones which probably kept watch at night for any trouble with the herds that Abraham had.

But they went with him, and under cover of night he fought against this large army,  by dividing his men on several sides.

Genesis 14:15-16 “And he divided himself against them,  he and his servants,  by night,  and smote them,  and pursued them unto Hoban, which is on the right hand of Damascus.

                                And he brought back all the goods,  and also brought again his brother Lot,  and his goods,  and the women also,  and the people.”

Abraham surely sought the Lord’s guidance and help,  for the Lord blessed him in this very lopsided fight.

Later Abraham said, when offered a reward for returning the goods and people to the king of Sodom:

Genesis 14:22-23 “And Abram said to the king of Sodom,  I have up lifted up mine hand to the Lord,  the Most High God,  the possessor of heaven and earth, 

                                 That I will not take a thread, even to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine,  lest thou shouldest say,   I have made Abram rich:”

But you hear nothing from Lot.   No Thank you.  No word of regret that he had gotten entangled with Sodom.  Nothing.  

As a matter of fact, Lot goes right back into this evil city.

Time passes.  At least 13 years, and The Lord and two angels appears to Abraham.   They entertained them with food, and the Lord gives Abraham and Sarah a promise of the child they had been waiting for.

When they are done, they rise and walk east, toward Sodom, and the Lord tells Abraham that the evil of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great that it “cries” out for judgement. (The cries of injustice,  and of the victims of it’s evil and abuse,  are great cries.)

But before God judges these cities,  He is going to send His angels to see if the cries are true.

Abraham thinks of Lot and begins to intercede;  not for the cities,  but for the righteous that might be in the cities.

Genesis 18:23-25 “And Abraham drew near, and said,   Wilt  thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

                                  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city:  wilt thou also destroy and spare not the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

                                   That be far from thee to do after this manner,  to slay the righteous with the wicked;  and that the righteous should be as the wicked,  that be far from thee:  Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”

Now Abraham knows the Lord, and His goodness, so he feels he can speak to the Lord this way.

First he begins with fifty righteous people.    

The Lord said that if the angels found fifty righteous,  He would not destroy it.

Genesis 18:26 “And the Lord said,  If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city,  then will I spare all the city for their sakes.”

But then Abraham thought that in a city so wicked, there might not be fifty. (He was right)

So he prayed; what if there were forty-five righteous persons?  The Lord said, He would not destroy it.

Abraham considered, and asked:  What if there are forty righteous persons?  And the Lord said again,  that He would not destroy it.

The  Lord was still walking with Abraham, so   Abraham says,   Oh let not the Lord be angry, (actually, Abraham’s intercession pleased the Lord).    He asks,  what if there were thirty?

The Lord said He would not destroy it for thirty’s sake.

Abraham goes further and asks,  What if there were twenty found there?

I will not destroy these huge cities, for twenty’s sake;  the Lord said.

One last time, Abraham lowers the number to ten.   What if there were only ten righteous persons in those cities?

The Lord said,  I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

But after this the Lord “went His way”.   

Genesis 18:33 “And the Lord went his way,  as soon as he had left communing with Abraham:  and Abraham returned unto his place.”

Abraham had done what he could for Lot, and his family.

God loves to have His people pray for their fellow believers.

But the evil of these cities and their victims also needed to be dealt with.

God did save righteous Lot,   that he perished not with the wicked.

2 Peter 2:7-8 “And delivered just Lot,  vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked,

                         For that righteous man dwelling among them,  in seeing and hearing,  vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds:”

(The story of this deliverance of Lot is quite horrible.  The poor man had prestige, for he was sitting at the gate, as judge of the city.   But when it came to influence for good,  he had none:  he went to tell his daughters and sons-in-law of the coming destruction, but they thought his warning was a joke. “As one that mocked”.)

It is also horrible to think that if there had been just a few more righteous people than Lot’s own family,  the cities could have been saved.  (Lot, his wife, two daughters at home, two married with husbands.   That is eight people!  Two more righteous was all they needed;  but there was none.)

Abraham had shared the Word of the Lord with Lot, and Lot had believed and followed Abraham into the land,  but he became entangled in the beauty,  and riches of the world,  and his testimony for God was ruined.

Abraham looked to the welfare of his nephew at every turn.  No matter Lot’s attitude toward Abraham;  Abraham showed brotherly love to Lot.

So we are called to do:

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you,  that ye love one another, as I have loved you,  that ye also love one another.

                            By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,  if ye have love one to another.”

Standing before the God Who is there.

 

Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

If the Lord has ever called you to a ministry or work (we call it work, because so many people feel “ministry” is only for preachers), He has not changed His mind concerning you.

Our whole existence should be:  to will to please our Lord, as His creature and servant.

As creatures, we are responsible for all He has given us.  

Who I am and what I am rests with the God before Whom I stand.

I can not make myself what I am not;  nor can I excuse myself for what I have been.

But I can give myself over to the molding of the Holy Spirit within, and do God’s Will in obedience, now.

He will work within the increase of faith, hope, peace, and joy that I need, as I yield to Him.

It is:  I stand, as His servant, before Him in each situation.

It is not as someone else,  or someone I might be someday,  but who I am, using the faith that God has given me.

Example:

Acts 3:1-2 “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer,  being the ninth hour.

                     And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried,  whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful,  to ask alms of them which entered into the temple;”

Peter and John,  had been filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

But they were still Peter and John.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, is to be filled to the capacity in your soul at that time, to receive the rule and power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit never interferes with you being you, in your personality,  but only guides you away from sin, and into knowledge of God’s Will.

Then He gives grace or the empowerment to do God’s Will. (We still have to use it)

Peter and John were going along to prayer service,  when they see this lame man.

He sat at the gate of the temple to beg alms.

He saw Peter and John, and as usual,  he asked them for some money.  

Acts 3:4 “And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John,  said,  Look on us.”

The lame man saw nothing different in them,  for he expected some small change, as others gave him.  

But Peter wanted to direct his eyes away from the coin,  to what he said.   For he knew that the Lord wanted to heal him. (“Fastening” here, means looking with a purpose in mind.)

Acts 3:6-8 “Then Peter said,   Silver and gold have I none;  but such as I have give I thee:   In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

                      And he took him by the right hand,  and lifted him up:  and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

                      And he leaping up stood,  and walked,  and entered with them into the temple,  walking,  and leaping,  and praising God.”

Notice Peter said,  “such as I have give I thee”.  What did he have?

He had the knowledge of Jesus Christ and of the power of His name. 

For Jesus Christ can change men’s lives.

And Peter knew the Lord’s Will, and used what he had to obey.

Notice also,  he took him by the hand.   Peter did not wait for the man to believe, but “lifted him up” in faith, himself.

And God did the rest:  “his feet and ankle bones received strength” to walk and leap.

Then faith in the man caught up and he did not run home;     but went into the temple to praise God.

If you read further,  you will see how God used this to enable Peter to preach about Christ to others.  Many believed.  (Acts 4:4)

(Yes, they were put in “hold” for a night, but even that gave them the opportunity to preach in Jesus Name to the rulers, elders, and scribes.

They were threatened,  but told the council,  “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.    For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”)

After such an experience,  Peter and John  went back to the company of believers and told what had happened.

All the gathered believers prayed for boldness to “speak Thy word”.  

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed,  the place was shaken where they were assembled together;  and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,  and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

Here they were filled to the greater capacity in their souls.   They had a larger capacity because of what they had done, and they needed more of His help.  

And He gave it.

Standing before the God Who is there is simply being His obedient servant; and receiving and using the faith and help He gives.  And going on in this way, is more grace and help.

Abraham and the Great Sacrifice

(This is a “picture” of God’s great sacrifice of His beloved Son.   

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

                         For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”)

                   

Genesis 22:2 “And He said,  Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac,  who thou lovest,  and get thee into the land of Moriah;  and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

Abraham and Sarah finally had a son by a miracle.   Sarah had been enabled by God to have Isaac.   They both had been past age for child bearing, and Sarah had been barren, as well.

But God had given them Isaac.  And now, some years later,  God calls Abraham to sacrifice this well beloved son.

The obedience of Abraham is necessary for us to see.  

We often hesitate, or try and get around what God wants (and yes, this happened to Abraham, too, especially in the early life with God.),  but Abraham believes God’s word: that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Genesis 22:3. “And Abraham rose up early in the morning,  and saddled his ass,  and took of his young men with him,  and Isaac his son,  and clave the wood for the burnt offering,  and rose up,  and went unto the place which God had told him.”

Abraham gets up early.  Not eager to go;  but eager to return, and that would not happen without going.

He takes two servants to keep the donkey that carried the wood, and to carry the fire in a container.

He and Isaac go.   It is a three days journey to Mt. Moriah, where God has told him to take Isaac.

Three days to contemplate his failures:  was this in consequence for his many failures?

Three days to look at the promised son, and remember the love he and his mother have for him.

Three days to remember his first step, first word, and the strong quiet young man he had become.

Three days to consider this command,  and therefore the obedience was more reasonable and honorable.

What did they speak of?  Of the promises of God, I believe,  for Abraham was counting on God to fulfill His Word.

Hebrews 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham,  when he was tried,  offered up Isaac:  and he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 

                                  Of whom it was said,  that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

                                  Accounting that God was able to raise him up,  even from the dead;  from whence also he received him in a figure.”

They could have talked of the promise of the land in the future.  The promise God had told him of future generations.  And the promise that the coming Savior would come from them.

They come to the mountain, and Abraham leaves the servants with the donkey at the foot of the mountain and says:

Genesis 22:5 “And Abraham said unto his young men,  Abide ye here with the ass;  and I and the lad will go yonder and worship,  and come again unto you.”

“We will come again”

To believe is to place the whole of our being upon the thing or person we say we believe in.

Abraham believed God.  Isaac and he would come back down the mountain.

Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead, if necessary.

So they climb up Mt. Moriah (in the New Testament, it is called Calvary), together.

Genesis 22:6-8 “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering,  and laid it upon Isaac his son;  and he took the fire in his hand,  and a knife;  and they went both of them together.

                             And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father,  and said,   My father, and he said,    Here am I,  my son.     And he said,  Behold the fire and the wood:  but where is a lamb for a burnt offering?

                            And Abraham said,  My son,  God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering:  so they went both of them together.”

“Together”,  Abraham is trusting that God will bring Isaac back to life;  and Isaac is trusting that God will supply the sacrifice. 

Genesis 22:9 “And they came to the place which God had told him of;  and Abraham built an altar there,  and laid the wood in order,  and bound Isaac his son,  and laid him on the altar upon the wood.”

Abraham bound his sons hands;  those that had been held out to him when he was learning to walk.   He bound his legs, and placed him on the wood.  Perhaps taking a final kiss on the forehead of Isaac.

Let me mention here, that Isaac was a strong young man—not a child.   If he had willed to, he could have resisted Abraham, anytime.

But he did not.

Genesis 22:10 “And Abraham stretched forth his hand,  and took the knife to slay his son.”

Abraham begins to do exactly what God told him….

He does not hurry,  nor delay, to sacrifice his well beloved son.

Sacrifice means: to place on an altar,  with the intent of giving all to God,  whither by knife, or fire,  or other means.  When you placed it on the altar,  it was dead to you.

Genesis 22:11  “And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven,  and said,   Abraham, Abraham:  and he said,   Here am I.”

The angel calls Abraham twice, to make sure he got Abraham’s attention.

God had wanted to test Abraham’s devotion to Him, by his obedience to Him.

Genesis 22:12-13 “And he said,  Lay not thy hand upon the lad,  neither do thou anything to him:  for I know that thou fearest God,  seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,  thine only son,  from Me.

                                And Abraham lifted up his eyes,  and looked,  and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns;   And Abraham went and took the ram;  and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”

The test was done.   God had provided the sacrifice.     

Genesis 22:14. “And Abraham called the name of that place  Jehovah-jireh:  as it is said to this day,   In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.”

Jehovah-jireh  means in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen to,  or provided.

God did provide the true sacrifice through His Son, Christ Jesus;  to take away the sins of the world.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only begotten Son,  that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,  but have everlasting life.

                          For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;  but that the world through him might be saved.”

God, the Father, sacrificed His well beloved Son that we might be provided for.

We might be provided salvation:  full and free.

We might be provided His Holy Spirit: and all the power and guidance He brings us.

We might be provided a place with Him forever.

Let us praise His Holy Name for all He has given us in His Son.

Even the trials He leads us through,  to manifest Himself in us.

He never Slumbers

Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,  from whence cometh my help.

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

As Christians where should we look for help?  There is only One who can really help us.

And our testimony should be:  “my help comes from the Lord…”

He is the creator and sustainer of heaven and earth.  

He rules and overrules in the affairs of men,  whether they acknowledge Him or not, for He is God, and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:22-23 “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:  for I am God, and there is none else.

                               I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return,  That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

Isaiah 50:7 “For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded:  therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”

And how does He help us?  By a guidance in the Holy Spirit,  which keeps us from “being taken” in the devil’s traps.  And gives us courage to follow Him.

And if we are tripped up;  He keeps us from being “utterly cast down”.

Psalm 121:3-5a “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved;  He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

                            Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

                             The Lord is thy keeper:…”

He, who numbers the hairs of our head, will watch the steps that we take.

The illustration here is as children are watched by their parents; ever ready to intervene if needed.

And as sheep are watched by their Shepherd to protect, as well as guide into right paths.

He is called the Keeper of Israel…He guides and preserves those that are His.

(It also suggests that He fights for us: as David did against the lion and the bear. [1 Samuel 17:34-36])

Proverbs 3:23, 26 “Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

                                   For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

Psalm 37:23-24 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

                                 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:  for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.”

God neither sleeps nor slumbers.

He neither sleeps at night….so we can.

Nor slumbers during the day….when it is time to work,  He is right there to help us.

The Keeper of Israel is a covenant Name of God.    When He looks at us,  He sees us in Christ, covered by His blood and righteous in Him.

His eye is ever toward the righteous.

Psalm 33:18 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him,  upon them that hope in His mercy;”

Psalm 121:7-8 “The Lord shall preserve thee from evil:  He shall preserve thy soul.

                            The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth,  and even for evermore.”

Three times in these two verses, it says:  preserve.     Preserve means to hedge about with thorns, so nothing can come in to harm.

He shall preserve from all evil.  From sin, the world, and the devil.  (“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation…” 2 Peter 2:9)

He shall preserve thy soul.  With all its emotions, thoughts, and actions;  He shall keep us by His Spirit.  (1 Peter 1:5 “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to revealed in the last time.”)

He shall preserve thy going out and coming in.  Our every day life is here spoken of.  We go out of our prayer times to face the world and all that comes to us;  and we come in to seek Him for strengthening fellowship and love.

(John 10:9 “I am the door:  by Me if any man enter in,  he shall be saved,  and shall go in and out,  and find pasture.”)

The Lord our Keeper shall preserve “thee”.   It is always personal.  

He shall preserve you.  He shall preserve me.

Praise Him for all His wonderful works.

The Man with the Withered Hand.

Matthew 12:9-10 “And when he was departed thence,  he went into their synagogue: 

And behold, there was a man who had his hand withered.   And they asked him,  saying,  Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?  That they might accuse him.”

Jesus had been on a teaching tour through the cities of Israel.  And now he was come to their synagogue.

The Pharisees had laid a trap for him,  in the appearance of a man with a withered hand.

To have a deformity in Israel, was to be disgraced, for it meant that sin was somewhere in the family of the person.  (They thought that this man had sinned, or someone in his family had sinned, and he was being punished for it.)

So the Pharisees asked a question, that they thought was pretty straight forward.

Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

The Sabbath was the day of rest.  A day which should be spent in contemplating God, and His Word.   A day of fellowship with others of His people.

They were to do no work on the Sabbath, or it would be defiled.

But what is work,  and what is mercy?

Jesus points out the difference.

Matthew 12:11-12 “And he said unto them,  What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

How much then is a man better that a sheep?  Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.”

Would you save your one sheep?   Your only sheep?   Are you not commanded in the ceremonial law,  to save a sheep, even of your neighbors? (Deuteronomy 22:4)

This is interesting.    Jesus does not say one out of a hundred.  Or a thousand.

But one.

That is exactly the way He feels about us.  If He only came to save one,  He would have.

We are that one.   The man with the withered hand was that one.

He would save us, and He would save him.

So His question to the Pharisees was really: 

would you save the one sheep you own;   would you save your  livelihood?  

Or the livelihood of your neighbor?

He said the truth:  of course they would.

Therefore, since they would save your one sheep on the sabbath,   I will save this one man on the sabbath.

Also notice, the way He talked of the sheep:  “if it fall into a pit”.  Are we not also ready to fall into a pit, without His Salvation?

Christ’s answer showed God’s character.

The Sabbath was made for man to have rest with His God.  It is lawful, then to show mercy on the sabbath days.

Matthew 12:13 “Then saith he to the man,   Stretch forth thine hand.  And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.”

This man with the withered hand had heard enough to know that the mercy of God was being extended to him.  Did he believe it?  

To believe Jesus and obey would cost him something.   He would have to stretch out his hand for all to see his deformity.

It would cost him embarrassment.

(And how many of us would be stopped right here?)

It could also cost him the company of these people. 

To obey Jesus might be dangerous, as these people were influential.

So, here is the choice:  Jesus, and God’s mercy;  or his normal existence, but accepted by the religious rulers.

Which would he do?

“And he stretched it forth.”  

His choice was Jesus, and obedience.         For it,  he was healed.

But Jesus was also speaking to all who were there in the synagogue.   

He was  offering mercy to all those who heard Him:  including those Pharisees, if they would simply submit to the truth and believe in Him.

But they refused to believe Him.   They refused His healing their hearts.

Matthew 12:14 “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.”

God’s mercy and salvation was refused by them that day.

Their choice was to keep the life and influence they had;  not to yield to the mercy offered.  

How much they lost by their choice!

Jesus talked of saving the “one sheep”,  because each of us are that one sheep.

He came to save us:  from the guilt of sin,  the power of sin, and one day from the presence of sin.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!