Jesus’ lesson on Prayer

Matthew 6:5-6 “And when thou prayest,

thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the street, that they may be seen of men.

Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

This is pretty straight forward,….Jesus said that praying for admiration, or attention from others is not anything God will answer….”they have their reward”……in the applause from others.

But to pray aright, is to go to God “in secret”.

Or where others can not hear, and “shut the door” on the world….and talk to God alone about everything.

Our Father in Heaven, shall hear such a prayer, and will answer you.

(Yes, there are hurried prayers….any where….”Lord, I need calm now…”. Or “Lord, help me say the right thing.”

But the general tenor of our prayers should be between us and God, in the quiet times of our lives….or making quiet times for Him.)

Then Jesus tells us the way in which we should pray…this is not just a form-prayer….pray these words……but the pattern for all prayer….beginning with:

Matthew 6:9 “After this manner therefore pray ye; Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.”

We come before God as our Father….and honor His blessed name, for He is worthy of our praise and of our all.

For it is in His presence, we gather together….and to Him, we ask our requests. (John 16:23)

To praise and honor God, lifts our spiritual affections and prepares our souls to hear from Him concerning our requests.

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

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

Here is our first request, and we should always consider God’s glory, first……that Christ will rule and reign in us. His kingdom will come “in earth”….in us….for today, and every day.

We are asking that His Holy Spirit work within us….”both to will and do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Here, the Lord, tells us that we should come to Him for all our needs….this includes physical…both health and financial.

For help with our emotional wellbeing,…..and, we should pray for our family and friends, the same way.

This teaches us that the Lord is ever mindful of our days….we should be, too.

Today is important…we may not even know all the things we will need for this day…but we can bring what we know to Him, and commit whatever else the day brings into His hands.

Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Sins are “debts”.

As His creatures, made in His image, we owe God perfect obedience and love.

But since Adam fell, this has not happened….sin entered, and marred the work of God in us.

Even when we are born again, we often fail to hear, or respond to God and His Word as we should; but He has made provision for us in Christ Jesus.

All our sins are forgiven the moment we are born again;……but for fellowship’s sake, we are told to confess our sins….bringing them before Him in honesty, and knowing they are forgiven, and our conscience cleansed. (1 John 1:9)

Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

And He shows us that we should forgive others, as Jesus Christ has forgiven us….how important this is for fellowship with other Christians, and that our prayers are not hindered…(Mark 11:24-26)

Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:…”

He alone can uphold us….we can and are exhorted, to “hold on” to Him and His Word….but it is His grace (the unmerited favor of power) by His Holy Spirit which can show us the right way to go….

(We have been told to “watch”….Mark 13:35-37)

And to pray that He will deliver us from the wrong path we have wandered into…..by error or choice….sending us help (Jude 22-23)…..or pulling us out of it, Himself.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Matthew 6:13 “…For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Here, we tell God that we know He is, and He has all authority to do. We praise Him, that He is our God….His kingdom rules over the world we see, and that which we do not.

He is All-powerful…and therefore He is worthy of all our confidence and trust. He never slumbers, or is weary of us….nothing is too hard for Him.

And we give Him glory for all His excellencies: His character is all glorious, for He is everything we need. (1 Corinthians 1:31)

Here we are telling God that because He reigns supreme, we know He is able to grant our requests.

“O Father, how many enemies are against us….from within our own heart…and from without….from the world, and the devil.

We come to You, because we belong to You,…..and we ask for strength and courage to overcome by Your faith the corruptions of our habits and old nature within…and to stand with You, in Your protection, against our enemies without.

We pray for Your Will done in us,…help us to know it and do it; that we might be to Your praise and glory.

In Jesus Name. Amen.”

“Forever. Amen.”

When we pray, we can look beyond time, and begin to measure the things of now, in the scales of eternity,….which helps us see things clearly.

Amen…so let it be.

Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;”

Psalm 67:5-6 “Let the people praise Thee, O God: let all the people praise Thee.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.”

Sneaky Sins

I call this “sneaky sins” because these sins creep in with other things…..

…sort of behind them…and become a snare to us.

Sleeping when we should watch:

You could have gone through a trial….been watchful….then it is over, and you just want to rest….a little…

Proverbs 6:10 “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man.”

(Notice all the “little”s, here.)

sleeping,……when we should be alert and working for Christ.

It may come from over confidence in our position, or what we know,……

…..or it may come from fear; it is better to close our eyes and wait the battle out.

Anyway…..the “rest” we seek, becomes sleep…..

We are not going on with God, here…..only agreeing to go on.

There are several examples of this rest turned into sleep….

David “rested” at Jerusalem, when he should have been at the head of his army…..and grievously sinned with Bathsheba. That sleep cost him a great deal….all through the rest of his life.

The disciples slept for sorrow…..and ran when they arrested Jesus and took Him away.

Ephesians 5:14, 16 “Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Resentment:

Anger is a sin you can easily recognize…..

…..but resentment is that whispering voice which reminds you of the hurt you experienced a day, a week, a year ago…or longer…anytime you are around this person, or remember it.

Resentment says: “I don’t know how you can put up with them…..after what they did.”

Frankly, we should not be “putting up with” anyone…..we should be forgiving them….even if they never asked us, or admitted their wrong.

“Putting up with” is the attitude of the world…..a sort of superior, “I am better than you”, looking at people…..especially those you do not want to be around.

Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

Pride….

In the Bible, pride is never in a good sense.

Pride means “arrogance, swelling, ornament”. It is that which we put up for all to see….to make us more than we are…better than another.

…..whether ability, or looks, or intelligence…..those things are not us….they are part of our make-up, which God gave us….

….but our character/soul is the real us….that which is developed by choosing God’s Will…or ours….

…..and for a Christian, we are to have the character of Christ….so that He may have the glory in all things.

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

Like Eve, we are often tempted to pride (Genesis 3:5-6)…..to be “like” someone else…

….When God wants us to be us….sanctified to Him….but always us.

Lying… God is the God of Truth. (John 1:17)

The best example of lying, to me, is Peter….

Matthew 26:69-70, 74 “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying. Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.

But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

(Maybe Peter thought, “This was a half-lie,….not really denying knowing Jesus…..just not knowing what she said…”)

Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.”

Peter got himself into this lie, by being in the wrong place….with the wrong people….

We are to get honest with ourselves…..and get honest in our dealings with God, and with others….and of course, the Holy Spirit helps us to do that.

Colossians 3:9 “Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”

James 3:14 “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.”

To refuse correction:

The Lord corrects us as His children….often many times,…to show us how to act.

But when we refuse His correction….we are double sinning…for we are not just refusing His Word,….which is terrible….but we are refusing Him.

Proverbs 13:13 “Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.”

Proverbs 15:10, 32 “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the Way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.

He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.”

Hebrews 12:5 “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:”

Worry….

We often let our concern for something or someone (which might be of God….to pray for)……become worry. (This usually happens when we do not pray, but think about the problem)

Worry is to let something in between us and God’s Word.

It is to let emotion or reasons, wear away our peace….then our trust….then it effects our belief in the Lord.

Psalm 37:1, 3 “Fret not thyself because of evildoers,….

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”

Luke 8:14 “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

I called this “sneaky sins”, because for the most part we are not aware they are sins…..until they have a hold on us, or have led us into a fall.

There used to be a saying…..I like it, because it is practical….

“Anything which disturbs our peace in Jesus, should be dealt with right away.”

We sometimes are unaware of the way we are walking…..everything seems fine.

But we should be aware of any dimming of our light…

…of any time we feel further away from Christ…

Luke 11:34 “The light of the body is the eye:…

(To see, we need both sight and light)

….therefore when thine eye is single, they whole body also is full of light;

(“Single” means keeping our eye on One….the Lord Jesus Christ)…”

That is what we need to do….Keep our eyes on Him:

If He is guiding….follow Him.

If He is awakening us….let us rouse ourselves to the work.

If He is correcting…looking at Him, Who loves us….we will yield more easily.

In His light, we will recognize these “sneaky sins”…..and be free of them.

The means of Deliverance

Matthew 5:21-22 “Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever will kill shall be in danger of the judgement:

But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement: and whosoever will say unto his brother, Raca (silly person), shall be in danger of the counsel: but whosoever will say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

Sin, self, and the World are connected. They are our “enemies”. For they work to lead us away from Christ and His Will.

Sin is wrong doing (we all agree here, although we may not agree with what “wrong doing” consists of).

But it is also wrong being, which includes all the inward sins of resentment, a flash of anger which never leaves the mind, and wrong attitudes.

Jesus set this forth in the verses above.

And so sin always involves self.

Self is the term for the old nature.

The old nature is our fallen man from Adam.

It is our nature which claims your right to rule yourself: your right to decide and lead yourself (morally or not), your right to feel what you want, your right to think what you want.

It is you, as your own lord.

1 Corinthians 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (The natural man)”

And so we see, the old nature is always open to the influence of the World around us: and the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

The World’s influence comes, as we walk in it everyday.

(When the Bible speaks of the World, it is talking of the “spirit of the times”.

It does not mean the birds, trees, etc.

But the attitudes, and the rage, of the times we live in)

As Christians, we are to be in the World, but not of it.

John 17:14-16 “I have given them thy word: and the world hath hated them; because they are not of the world; even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “

The World’s system wants no part of Jesus Christ as Lord.

They may accept or praise Him as a holy man, a great teacher, or a good guy;…..but they will not submit and yield to Him as Lord.

1 John 2:15-17 “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.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world.

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

These are formidable foes. But we are not left to ourselves, thank God, but are enabled to live and work in the World, as it is, by the enabling of the Holy Spirit within.

1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

To overcome is to still be standing with God, when the battle against the influence of the World for today, is over.

(How many of us hear horrible swearing, filthy suggestions, dirty jokes, hatred filled speeches).

It is to still be hanging on to God’s Word. To still be looking to Christ, for everything.

It is deliverance in the situation, as well as out of it.

It is to be energized within, given strength and comfort.

It is to know what to do, here and now. (not just for next week, or next year)

1 John 5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

And how does faith give us victory?

Faith centers our life around Christ Jesus. And if He is the center, all other things must take their rightful place.

Faith receives the Word of God, and by the Holy Spirit places within us the power to do it. (Grace is the unmerited favor of power)

Faith makes us aware that we are not alone in this fight; on the contrary, we are made to know His presence in a real way. (Remember the servant’s eyes being opened to see who was for them, 2 Kings 6:12-17)

We have a much more powerful friend.

Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

God’s grace is provided through the Holy Spirit, that we may do the task at hand.

It is power we receive in our spirits, our souls (our mind, heart, and will), and our bodies.

It comes as light for our walk, so we will not stumble, or be tripped up.

Overcoming should be our everyday experience.

It usually isn’t. We fail to hear. Or we give in to self.

But Christ Jesus has supplied all we need to overcome; we must yield to Him in the situation we are in.

1 John 3:22 “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.”

1 Corinthians 10:13-14 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above which ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”

The means of deliverance for any Christian is yielding to the Holy Spirit within.

Receiving and using the grace given, in the situation.

Reading His Word, letting it give us all He has for us in it. ( all the promises, and commandments)

Overcoming by faith in Him.

Walking in His Light.

Joy, a choice gift from God

Joy is the special Presence of God in my life. Joy, comes though the Holy Spirit……and not only comes under “good” situations….but comes to us, even when the afflictions of life, harass us.

Joy is that buoyancy of spirit, which translates to speaking and acting above the circumstances we are in….

(Faith: we can encourage, but not give faith, only God can.

Hope which also comes individually to us.

Joy……We can not pass on our joy, although we can manifest it, and draw others to Christ by it.)

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Peace and joy are often put together, for peace with God leads to a joyous knowledge of His presence, and sufficiency…..God with me, in this.

John 15:10-11 “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

“That My joy might remain in you”

Anything that hinders the joy of the Lord with you, should be dealt with immediately;……that your joy might be full.

I believe, like many things in the fullness of God…..joy is one of those things that can be easily deflated.

We are praying, and struggling with a particular sin, habit, or self-thing….and we receive light….

….we yield to it, and suddenly joy from the Presence of God is sent, right there in the situation we are in.

Receive it….it is a sweet gift from above….to encourage you.

Don’t think…..oh, I don’t deserve this….pop!…..the joy is gone….you may still have peace…..but His joy is gone.

No, we never deserve joy,…..but He give it to us….like a bouquet of flowers…..to our souls.

Example:

Nehemiah 8:1-3 “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; And they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation…….

And he read therein…..from the morning to midday,….and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.”

Here are the children of Israel, who have come back after the captivity….(the Lord sent them out of the land, because of their sin)….but they have by faith returned, when they could.

But now they are returned, and in great need of instruction as to the Law of God, and of encouragement….

…..for there are enemies about them, which seek to destroy their worship, separation, and blessing. (Sounds like the world attitude to us….)

Nehemiah 8:6, 8-9 “And Ezra blessed the Lord, the Great God, and all the people answered, Amen, amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord….

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

And Nehemiah,….and Ezra,….and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep, for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.”

Hearing the Word, made them aware how much they had sinned against God, and so they wept.

They realized that if they and their fathers had just obeyed His Word, they could have had blessings, and not what had befallen them.

How much they had missed out on…..how many good things God had for them, they refused, for themselves and their children……so they wept.

But…..when Truth is faced…..peace, and grace is applied (John 1:17)

Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared:

for this day is holy unto our God: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

There is a time to mourn for our sin…..and repent. (Mourning without repentance is merely feeling sorry that we got caught)

You might think, this is what God wants…mourning…..but what He wants is true repentance……which is always the first thing in coming to God,….or back to Him….

….but then…

….as Paul wrote the Corinthians, after correcting them so severely (1 Corinthians 5)……

……when they had repented…..

….2 Corinthians 7:7-11 “….when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

Now I rejoice,….that ye were made sorry after a godly manner….

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of this world worketh death.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

But when you have repented…..it is time to get up!…and get on with God….and this should bring us renewed Purpose….and joy.

This is not the joy of good circumstances, or happenings,….but the joy of the Lord…..again, His special Presence with you.

Romans 5:10-11 “For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son: much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement.”

The atonement is our covering from our sin,….where in Christ we are given an exchanged life…..we stand in Him. God sees Him….Who is always pleasing in His sight.

Therefore rejoice…..our sins are forgiven…..repentance will turn to joy…..He covers our sin…..and makes us whole, in Himself.

This day is holy unto the Lord; Neither be ye sorry (anymore);….

….for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

The Little Foxes

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

A little background might be helpful.

When the grape vines are first in blossom….all the grapes are in that flowering blossom, in miniature.

They will grow and become grapes….small and green….then larger and ripe.

Large foxes will not be interested in the blossoms….they are not enough for them…they will wait till that blossom becomes fruit….then try and wiggle in and eat the grapes. (Though you can erect fences that will keep out most large foxes)

Though this is bad for the end harvest, yet there will be grapes they do not eat. It will not be as it should be, but there will be grapes enough to pick.

But little foxes,….those spring foxes….squeeze in the smallest holes, and eat the blossoms…..and when they do, the whole cluster, that could have made grapes….is destroyed.

These little foxes are little things which discourage, or annoy, or little troubles, or little sins, or little resentments…..

……things which seem not big enough to take to the Lord…..things we think we can “handle” ourselves.

This is wrong. For these “little” things can destroy our fruitfulness.

We are to bring forth the fruits of love, joy and peace….(Galatians 5:22-23)

First, peace is disturbed….joy vanishes,….and our love is often overshadowed…when theses things happen…

….and we often do not do anything about it….they are such “little” things.

(You see, we often think God wants us to do things for Him,…..and obedience is required of all God’s servants)..

But what the Lord wants from us is “abiding”…..a personal relationship with Him….

…..and to bear the fruit of that relationship….”abiding in My love;….My joy might remain in you….love one another.”

(These are the blossom and fruit of every Christian….they are both seen and the fragrance of our relationship is spread abroad to others.)

John 15:8-12 “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.

As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you,: continue ye in My love.

If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

(Notice the words….”continue”, “abide”, “remain”….these are words that are express our willing with the Lord…

…following Him…

…and talking to Him…

…and helping one another…

…again that personal relationship with Him.)

Big problems often come….but we know what to do with them: we are to come to Christ…and deal with them, with Him.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

But small irritations of life….small sins of omission or forgetting our duty to love one another…small hurts……these we should see as very dangerous.

As one preacher used to say: “A small hole will sink a boat, as well as a large hole”

What will we do with our “little foxes”?

“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines.” It is “us”…..Christ Jesus and me,….Christ Jesus and you.

Take them together….and deal with them together. He will not do it alone, and you can not do it alone.

It is “Take us”….will we?

The Little Foxes

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

A little background might be helpful.

When the grape vines are first in blossom….all the grapes are in that flowering blossom, in miniature.

They will grow and become grapes….small and green….then larger and ripe.

Large foxes will not be interested in the blossoms….they are not enough for them…they will wait till that blossom becomes fruit….then try and wiggle in and eat the grapes. (Though you can erect fences that will keep out most large foxes)

Though this is bad for the end harvest, yet there will be grapes they do not eat. It will not be as it should be, but there will be grapes enough to pick.

But little foxes,….those spring foxes….squeeze in the smallest holes, and eat the blossoms…..and when they do, the whole cluster, that could have made grapes….is destroyed.

These little foxes are little things which discourage, or annoy, or little troubles, or little sins, or little resentments…..

……things which seem not big enough to take to the Lord…..things we think we can “handle” ourselves.

This is wrong. For these “little” things can destroy our fruitfulness.

We are to bring forth the fruits of love, joy and peace….(Galatians 5:22-23)

First, peace is disturbed….joy vanishes,….and our love is often overshadowed…when theses things happen…

….and we often do not do anything about it….they are such “little” things.

(You see, we often think God wants us to do things for Him,…..and obedience is required of all God’s servants)..

But what the Lord wants from us is “abiding”…..a personal relationship with Him….

…..and to bear the fruit of that relationship….”abiding in My love;….My joy might remain in you….love one another.”

(These are the blossom and fruit of every Christian….they are both seen and the fragrance of our relationship is spread abroad to others.)

John 15:8-12 “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.

As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you,: continue ye in My love.

If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

(Notice the words….”continue”, “abide”, “remain”….these are words that are express our willing with the Lord…

…following Him…

…and talking to Him…

…and helping one another…

…again that personal relationship with Him.)

Big problems often come….but we know what to do with them: we are to come to Christ…and deal with them, with Him.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

But small irritations of life….small sins of omission or forgetting our duty to love one another…small hurts……these we should see as very dangerous.

As one preacher used to say: “A small hole will sink a boat, as well as a large hole”

What will we do with our “little foxes”?

“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines.” It is “us”…..Christ Jesus and me,….Christ Jesus and you.

Take them together….and deal with them together. He will not do it alone, and you can not do it alone.

It is “Take us”….will we?

Obadiah. (This is not the prophet of the same name)

1 Kings 18:3 “And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:”

I want to speak a little about the fear of the Lord….

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding,”

This fear is reverence…you are awed by the Lord, for you see Him as High and lifted up….and you see your place before Him.

(Isaiah 6:1-7, Luke 5:4-10. These are great verses. For both Isaiah the prophet and Peter the apostle, recognize God’s greatness and power, and righty, put themselves in their place before Him.)

How great it is to have everything in the right perspective….God’s perspective.

This fear shows us our sinfulness…..but then God meets that sinfulness, by pardon, and a call to follow Him.

Obadiah feared the Lord…greatly. He knew He was the only and true God. He was not a idol worshipper, though most of Israel was at this time.

He was a servant for king Ahab, and in a position of authority….so he must have done his job for the king, and his household, well….

…..but he believed and trusted in the Lord.

1 Kings 18:3-4 “….(Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:

For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

This took great courage….but the fear of the Lord gives wisdom and understanding, and so Obadiah knew what to do.

For he wanted to save some of God’s worshippers from Jezebel’s, killing them.

(Jezebel was Ahab’s heathen queen. When she came to power, she killed and intimidated most of the servants of the Lord, and introduced Baal (an idol) worship.)

But Obadiah hid one hundred of them; fifty in a cave…..and fed them, bread and water….and this for three years.

Now Ahab goes out with Obadiah to see if they might get some grass, to feed the animals, that they would not lose the animals of war.

How wicked a king, which does not see to the needs of his people, first!

But on his way, Obadiah sees Elijah…..the man who told king Ahab that there would be no dew or rain till he said.

(Elijah had prayed, claiming the promise of Moses….that if God would withhold the rain,…..the people might remember God’s Word,…..and the chastening by famine, might bring His people back to Him. Deuteronomy 11:16-17)

And for three years and six months…. (James 5:17-18. Elijah had prayed for six months, then was sent to notify Ahab of God’s Word)….God had not given rain….everything was in famine…and dieing; yet Israel had not turned back to God.

But Elijah came, and said that he would see Ahab. Now Ahab had tried to find Elijah for three years, to kill him…..but now, God had said the trial was over….He would send rain.

God always brings us through “measured” trials.

He knows how much to demand….and when to lift up. One is to awaken to His claims….the other is to bring them to look up, to see Him again.

So Elijah comes, and Obadiah sees him. Elijah tells him to go get Ahab and bring him.

But Obadiah was frightened…..this was not the fear of the Lord, but fear of Ahab. What if God’s Spirit would catch away Elijah….and Ahab would be furious…..then he would surely die,….and he had those godly people to see to…..

But…

Instead of remaining in fear to the world, Obadiah told Elijah his fear,…….and Elijah, respecting this servant of God,….

1 Kings 18:15 “And Elijah said, As the Lord of Hosts liveth, before Whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him today.”

In the Lord’s name, Elijah assures this man…..you are safe.

1 Kings 18:16 “So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him:…..”

Obadiah feared the Lord greatly….he served even the wicked Ahab, faithfully….and faithfully kept alive one hundred of God’s prophets.

This took courage,….but even for a faithful servant, the fear of the world can come into our thoughts….and if not stopped: into our hearts.

But Obadiah did not let it go further than his thoughts….and sought an answer from God’s servant, Elijah…and obeyed, when he got it.

We, too, need to fear the Lord….get wisdom for our walk, and understanding of His Way. In times of blessing in the Church, and in times of declension…..we need to fear the Lord, and do good to those that belong to Him.

And when the fear of the world comes in….we need to address ourselves to God and get His answer.

Obadiah is not mentioned again. There are only thirteen verses that speak of him….yet, God noticed his godly fear, and put it in His Book.

As Christians, our names are written in the Book of Life…..but there is a “book of remembrance”, which is before Him….for those that fear the Lord.

Malachi 3:16 “And 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.”

God sees our faithfulness, our diligence, and every word and thought that reaches out to Him.

There is fear of the world,….which will terrify and halt our progress.

And there is the fear of the Lord,….which brings wisdom to our situation, understanding to our minds and hearts, and courage to our lives.

Reality, is it for me?

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

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

This is the Path to Reality for everyone of us.

We will have spiritual reality, to the degree we walk in it.

Will you choose this path?

It must ultimately come down to “for His sake”.

God never alters our wills; our will must be exercised for Him.

We must choose to deny self, and follow Him.

We must choose to lose our self-life, to find our Christ life.

Our wills are not free, because they are influenced by our minds and hearts.

What or Who do you love?

What influences your thinking most; God’s Word, or the World’s opinions?

As you go along with Christ, you find out these things and (if you will) deal with anything which comes between you and Jesus.

We are to go about our Father’s Will, by denying ourselves, picking up our cross, and following Christ.

But what is “my” cross?

Christ’s cross was the wooden one on which He sacrificed Himself, and shed His blood for my sins.

We can never “pick up” His cross. Nor are we called to.

We are called to pick up our cross:

Our cross is anything which God requires that cuts across our wills. It must be something you can refuse to do. Christ said, “If any man will”; therefore you may “will not.”

Sickness, your parents, or siblings (no matter how trying) are not your cross.

You can not refuse them.

(It can be something concerning them: taking care of your parents–you don’t have to, but God wants you to. That can be your cross.)

Your cross is anything which God requires that cuts across our wills; which is a matter of choice.

True Sanctification is the heart’s longing after the Lord, Himself.

Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”

Trials

and let’s face it….some days there are many trials:

Trials of belief…..”do you trust God for this?”

Trials of hope….”How long, Lord, before this is as You said?”

Trials from friends, family, and enemies.

Trials of finances, and need…..some to overwhelming.

Psalm 61:2-4 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.

For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. Selah.”

In the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place….the curtains that covered in between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies and on top of the of the space was embroidered with cherubims wings (Psalm 26:1, 31-33)……so that when the priests entered…..and ministered there….they were covered with His wings.

The Lord said to Jerusalem….the place where one day the King of kings shall rule:

Matthew 23:37 “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!” (Luke 13:34 says the same)

The Lord would “hide” us under His wings…..in protection, and comfort, and closeness….in our ministry and life.

They would not…..will we run to Him and be safe? (Proverbs 18:10)

Trials are of two kinds…..trials of everyday life we simply must “pass through” with Christ.

1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

The walk of a Christian is full of trials…everyday trials we overcome before the world. And my trials are not yours….nor yours, mine. They are sometimes small (wonderful) and sometimes hard….but they are meant to teach us to cling to Christ….and pass through.

(They used to say: If we would be arrested for being a Christian….would there be enough evidence against us….to convict us?

And the……there trials which test our faithfulness to Christ.

1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” (Hebrews 11:36-37)

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

Paul said at the end….”….I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 3:7)

(One thing I would mention here,….in all trials, but esp. those of our faithfulness…….we need to keep close to Christ.

We will never come through the trials in blessing, if we are trying to walk with the world and Christ.)

How many trials we pass through, yet the place of safety and care is offered….

Psalm 91:4 “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

Psalm 36:7 “How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.”

Psalm 17:8-9 “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings,

From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.”

(You will notice again what these “wings” give….

….A place to stand and hold: His truth.

….His lovingkindness….which draws us to trust Him.

….Protection…but it is the protection of a loved one….the apple of His eye.)

The song, “What a Friend”, says:

“What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.”

God knows and has measured the trials of our life….and He intends we walk through them (on the lonely road, and in the fire of the furnace) with Him.

Raised

We celebrate Christ’s birth….and sinless life…and honor our Lord who was sacrificed, crucified for me…..but…

…one of the great Bible facts is that:

Christ was raised the third day by the power of God, in acknowledgement of His perfect redemption.

(God’s ways are complete….He never leaves things half done. He finishes all that He begins….not always right away…not always the way we think….but He will see it finished. John 19:20)

Jesus showed His disciples what He was to suffer….but that He would be raised:

Matthew 16:21 “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day.”

And why was this the time He began to warn them, of what was coming?

Because they had just declared faith in Him as the Son of God.

Matthew 16:13-16 “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

He saith unto them, But Whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

They had followed Him….hearing His Words, and believing His works….that He was the Messiah, the Anointed One…..but now they knew He was the Son of God…….Who had come to call a people to believe and follow Him, wherever that led.

He warned them twice more:

(Matthew 17:22-23)

Matthew 20:17-19 “And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death,

And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again.”

But then the arrest happens….surrounded with so much darkness and hatred……they fail Him….

….but God, His Father, does not.

Christ’s perfect purity, kept Him through His life.

Christ’s perfect subjection and peace, kept Him through His arrest, questions, beatings, and the cross.

(At the end, even with the horror and the weight of our sin upon Him….the agony of the pain and separation from the Father…still He “yielded up the ghost”…it was His choice to die for us….throughout it all. Matthew 27:50)

And God, the Father, raised Him up, the third day.

Matthew 28:1-2, 5-6 “In the end of the Sabbath (Saturday), as it began to dawn toward the first day (Sunday) of the week, came Mary Magdalene

and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

“He is risen.”

And because He lives, we can, too.

The resurrection was a choice part of the gospel that the Apostles told….as they traveled all over the world.

We have a living Lord and Savior!

(There are fourteen times that Acts says about Christ’s being raised, or His resurrection.

Peter preached it…

Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

And Paul preached it…

Acts 17:30-31 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.”)

In Romans, Paul takes the resurrection and explains it where we, as believers are concerned:

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

We are to walk……in the power of His Resurrection Life.

Wonderful that our sins are put away by His death and sacrifice……but what about my life, here……without His resurrection?

I am still a sinner….and without the power of His Everlasting Life flowing in me and through me….I can not live to please Him.

But…..He is risen!

His life is now given me, when I believe and receive Him:

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Paul explains it:

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

And Peter says:

1 Peter 1:3,5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Jesus said here on earth:

John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the Resurrection and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

As Christians:

By His life on earth, we are given an example as how we should live.

By His death, our sins are forgiven and put away…so we stand righteous before God.

By His resurrection, we are given Christ’s life in us, that we have power to live unto God.

He is Risen! Hallelujah! He is Risen, indeed!