Have you thanked the Lord, today?

Psalm 136:1-3 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the Lord of lords: for HIs mercy endureth for ever.”

Psalm 105:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon HIs name: make known HIs deeds among the people.”

Psalm 75:1 “ Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks: for that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare.”

Psalm 9:1-2 “I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all Thy marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou Most High.”

We often speak about being filled with the Holy Spirit of God….and the power in our lives He gives…..but, one way to tell whether we are filled and being filled with God’s Spirit, is praise to God….for everything.
We are to be under the influence of God’s Spirit in our lives (like a person under the influence of liquor….they are not in control, the liquor is….so we being filled with the Spirit are under the control or rule of the Holy Spirit.)

Ephesians 5:17-20 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Understanding of God’s Will is promised by the Holy Spirit…praise Him for it!
But the Holy Spirit within us, will also lift our eyes and hearts on high….to praise and thank the Lord, and our Father in Heaven.

David praised God for just about everything which He did in David’s life. HIs praise and confession are some of the most beautiful parts of the Psalms. He trusted the Lord, therefore he praised HIm.
He praised His name, His hearing and answering prayer, His saving him from his enemies, His being His Rock and fortress in the day of trouble.

Psalm 5:11 “But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy,
Because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.”

Though David (and we) have our troubles….yet joy was often his portion…..joy in the Lord!
And it should be ours, as well.

No one in the New Testament praised the Lord more than Paul.
In almost every letter (except Galatians, for they had moved away from the foundation of the gospel), Paul praises the Lord, and instructs others to praise and thank the Lord, as well.

Colossians 1:3, 9-11 “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”

In the Holy Spirit, power and praise go together.

Colossians 1:29 “Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.”

God worked in Paul mightily….and because it worked “in” him….it worked through him as well.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” As that power worked in Paul….Paul was able to ask for those exceeding abundant things that he needed, because it did.

It is a promise to us as well. Let that Holy Spirit work in us….and He will certainly work through us…in praise and power!

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Doves’ Eyes

Song of Solomon 4:1 “Behold, thou art fair, My love; behold, thou art fair;  thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks:..”

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

A dove can only see one thing at a time.   They focus on just that.  

(For this reason, the Holy Spirit is likened to a dove.  [Matthew 3:16]. He has the perfection of Spiritual  insight…and keeps the Lord Jesus ever in our view.)

To see as a dove according to the Lord, is to see reality….your spiritual life,  in it’s relation to Christ.

Everything’s value, is set in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ….that One we are to keep our eyes upon.

As we grow in grace, we gain the maturity and the ability to know the things that the Holy Spirit is showing us, in the situations of life….our life.

He gives us understanding….light, and the ability to know what to do in each situation.

If you will read Ephesians,  the Holy Spirit is the Person of the Trinity, given to us to lead us into the goodness and greatness of God’s power in our lives:

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Whom (Jesus) ye also trusted,  after that ye heard the Word of truth,  the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also, after that ye believed,  ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, 

                   Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,  unto the praise of His glory.”

We are sealed as God’s children, by the Holy Spirit on God’s side; and given the beginning of all our possessions in Christ, through Him, on our side.

Ephesians 2:22 “In Whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”

We are fitted into our place, for our work, in the Church, by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16 “That He would grant you,  according to the riches of His glory,  to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;”

He is the One which shows Christ and all His glory to us.

He grounds us in Christ (Ephesians 3:17), 

makes us to know the things which Christ has for us….His love, in all it’s aspects (Ephesians 3:18-19)….

and His power, as we yield to Him in our lives (Ephesians 3:20)…..According as we let that power work within us.

Then, the practical aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is shown, as far as others are concerned:

Ephesians 4:3, 30-32 “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

                     And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,  whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

                     Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger,  and clamor,  and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

                     And be ye kind one to another,  tender-hearted, forgiving one another,  even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

And we are encouraged to yield to the Holy Spirit more and more,……and get perception and understanding of the will of the Lord, for our personal life.

Ephesians 5:17-21 “Wherefore be ye not unwise,  but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

                      And be not drunk with wine,  wherein is excess;  but be filled with the Spirit;

                      Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

                      Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

                      Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

And of course, the Holy Spirit is found in our armor.

Ephesians 6:17-18 “And take the helmet of salvation,  and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:

                        Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,  and watching thereinto with perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God that comes to our minds, in our battles, and uses it in power, when we say it….

….and, of course, it is He that teaches us to pray (Jude 20).

The Dove of God comes upon us when we are born again,  and imparts to us His vision….a single vision of light, grace, power, and ability.  

The vision of Christ…Who He is to us, and what He is doing for us.

A vision of the world around us in perception, and truth.

And He not only gives us vision, but His power, as we yield to Him….

As we deny our self-life (Matthew 16:24),  we gain our Christ’s life (Matthew 16:25)….through Him.

John 13:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name,  He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

A New Thing 

Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I will do a new thing;   now it shall spring forth;  shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Of course these verses apply to Israel….but once I was praying about something, and the Lord showed me this verse.

I needed a “new thing” right about then….a “new way” in my wilderness….

(Notice….”it shall spring forth”.  I love the Lord’s Words!  Right when we see a wilderness, or a desert…..He shall make things “spring forth”….like the seed coming into a plant;  like the blossoms on a fruit tree!   All the things….the new things of life!   God-given life to us!)

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

They are back in the past….if confessed and forgiven….forget them…

….and get on with the Lord’s Will for our lives….now.

He showed me that I should commit each day into His hand….asking His Will done in it….with me.

Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

We should live each day as if it were our most important time.

I have often gone through a month….thinking of an important date, at the end of the month….when each day, should have been my concern.

The past we can do nothing about….

….the future we do not have….but we can live today for Christ Jesus, giving Him our time, and efforts….to honor Him.

And we should seek His blessing,  guidance and supply, for this day.   

It really is,  our most important time.

How many of us seek His blessing for each day…..true we are grateful for the blessings that come…..health, encouragements, helps.

But the blessing He wants us to experience is…..the blessing of knowing His Will  is done by us,…..the rest and joy it brings.

If we are to truly “apply ourselves to wisdom”….it will be on a daily basis….with the Lord. 

(Wisdom is God’s Light to show us the practical use of knowledge.   We may know certain facts…..even Bible facts;  but are at a loss to be able to use them in my situation.   Wisdom lights things up, practically,…..it shows us how to take what we know….and get the job done.

James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom,  let him ask of God,  that giveth to all men liberally,  and upbraideth not;  and it shall be given him.)

“I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert”.   This is God speaking….He, will “make a way”….

The wilderness in scripture is a place of trials, and discipline.

When the children of Israel needed water….water was given from a Rock (Exodus 17:6)

When the children of Israel needed food….manna was given…along with instruction as how to use it. (Exodus 16:12-16)

When they needed deliverance from attack….instructions were given for Moses and Joshua.   Moses to lift up the rod (prayer)….and Joshua to fight with the sword and men of Israel. (Exodus 17:10-11)

The cloud during the day….and the light at night never left them…but they were told to follow it. (Exodus 13:21-22)

The lessons varied….they were to learn that God will supply, when there is no supply…

….To learn to be a warrior and leader….

….To learn that they are not alone, or abandoned….no matter the correction.

The wilderness is often compared to our spiritual journey here:

Psalm 68:7 “O God,  when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah.

It was God’s “march”…..a ordered set of circumstances which led them through trials…..to prepare them for the step ahead….and their life ahead.

(Some failed….because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19)……

….some learned….the generation which were children when they came from Egypt…went in and took the land (Joshua 24:31)

…and those that learned, reaped the benefits of God’s training.)

But the most important thing for us to remember is……no matter the trial they went through:…..God provided.

He made a way in the wilderness….and rivers in the desert….and He will do the same for us.

Perhaps today is the time to turn your back on the past….not to look  to tomorrow……but to see today….and what your God would have you to learn,  to do,  to see,  to know,  to share…with Him…..today.

1 Peter 1:6-8 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice,  though now for a season,  if need be,  ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

            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.

             Whom having not seen,  ye love;  in Whom, though now ye see Him not,  yet believing,  ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”

              

There is a “new thing” He wants to do,…in us…..for us…..through us…

Will we let Him give us wisdom for today,  and walk in His light,….in that way He is making for us?

The Family Prayer to our Father, God

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

Here Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray.  Showing them God, in a most tender aspect:  Our Father.

Since He is God, He is Almighty.  We do not come to One who can do nothing; but One who will see His Will done.

Since He is our Father,  He looks on us in Christ, and He is concerned for our well-being more than we are.

We are to come as sons and daughters to God, our Father; for Christ Jesus has given all the born again ones, a place in the family of God.   

We are joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), and have received the Spirit of Adoption. (Romans 8:15-16)

As God is our Father, there is that special love relationship.

Jude 20-21 “But ye,  beloved,  building up yourselves on your most holy faith,  praying in the Holy Ghost,  

                       Keep yourselves in the love of God,  looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Keep yourselves in the love of God,  in other words:  

Walk in the sunshine of His love.

When we pray “Our Father which art in heaven”,…….we know that the Great God is ready to give us an audience.

This raises our eyes to see Him above,  and it raises our hearts from earth to heaven’s court.

We come before Him with our requests in full assurance that He will hear.  That we can pour out our hearts before Him.

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

It is to a Divine Person we come. 

One who has our best interests at heart.

And He, through Christ Jesus, has invited us to come,  and come boldly, to His throne.

Boldly means that without fear we come close to God.

When we pray “Our Father which art in heaven”;…….we realize how elevated, and blessed we are,…..by His grace, given us.   

How  much we have,……because Christ Jesus is our Savior.

We also see that we are a member of a family.  Fellow Christians are our Brothers and Sisters in Christ…….for it is to “Our Father” we pray, and we are told we should love them, and pray for them.

He is in heaven, directing all things on earth.  Nothing takes Him by surprise, and He has an answer for every situation.

Psalm 115:3, 16 “But our God is in the heavens:  He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.

                              The heaven,  even the heavens,  are the Lords:  but the earth hath He given to the children of men.”

And we should pray for the glory of God’s Name.  “Hallowed be Thy Name.”

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy,  O Lord,  to receive glory and honor and power:  for thou hast created all things,  and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

The glory of God is the ultimate end of everything.

Psalm 115:1 “Not unto us,  O Lord,  not unto us,  but unto Thy name give glory,  for Thy mercy,  and for Thy truth’s sake.”

We are to seek the glory of God in every prayer and act.  His Holiness is a beauty which makes the glory of the sun and stars, pale in comparison.

Imagine a world full of His Holiness (as it will be one day):  full of compassion, and goodness.   Full of joy and peace.  

Sin has brought all the evils, sickness, and death with it.

But God’s Holiness has redeemed us from sin by His sending His son to die for our sins, and taking all the penalty of them from us.

Colossians 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father,  which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

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

                                    In whom we have redemption through his blood,  even the forgiveness of sins:”

How easy it should be for us, as His beloved children, to pray and seek the glory of His Name, here on earth and in our lives.   “Let Thy Name be magnified.”

True North on the Compass of Your Life. 

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision,  the people perish:  but he that keepeth the law,  happy is he.”

There is, on the compass, a magnetic north,  which is not true North.

You can navigate with this, for short trips.

But when you have long trips over any length of time or of distance; you must be able to ascertain True North, or you will be off your point of destination, miles and miles.

We should all have a goal to which we are headed in life; and a way of getting there, which is not going to lead us astray.

That goal keeps our eyes focused on the real purpose of our existence.

As Christians,  our purpose of life, should come from the Lord:

 Ephesians 2:10. “For we are his workmanship,  created in Christ Jesus unto good works,  which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

We are “created in Christ Jesus” or born again;  for a purpose.

Our purpose is to “walk” in the good works God appoints us, as individual Christians, to do.

We all have the “work” of manifesting Jesus Christ in our life.  His character should shine through us;  His peace, His gentleness, His love, and His determination to do the Father’s Will.

So what is the True North in this walk?

It is making Jesus Christ, Lord of your life, so that you will know what to do, and will be empowered to do, by His life, within you.

Making Him Lord means that we are His servants; obeying Him. 

We are His disciples; learning from Him and teaching what we have learned.

And we are His friends, walking with Him through this world, to the next.

John 7:17 “If any man will do His will,  he shall know of the doctrine,  whither it be of God,  or whither I speak of myself.”

Hosea 6:3 “Then shall we know,  if we follow on to know the Lord:  his going forth is prepared as the morning;  and he shall come unto us as the rain,  as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”

As certain as this old earth keeps turning,  there will be sunrise tomorrow.

You may not be able to see it, for there may be clouds and the day dark and dreary;  but the sun will be there.

This says that we can rest easy in Christ;  we can expect Him to show us His Way for us, and for Him to give us His blessings (the former and latter rains),  in the time we need them.

It also encourages us, to continue to follow Him. 

Psalm 42:8 “Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,  and in the night His song shall be with me,  and my prayer unto the God of my life.”

Psalm 37:40 “And the Lord will help them, and deliver them:  He shall deliver them from the wicked,  and save them,  because they trust in Him.”

He knows where we should be, and how we are to get there.

In life,  in attitudes, and in troubles;  with Him as our Lord and Savior;  we shall know.

Our whole life is a journey. 

(I used to tell a friend, life is an adventure. They thought of “lions” and “tigers”;  and they were not happy about the thought.  But I think of going with a Great Guide into a world that changes all the time….and to me, that is an adventure.)

It is a journey of a life time.  

And, lets face it,  we need help;  we need a guide, who loves us, to get us to the end.

We are to “walk” from here to heaven, with Christ Jesus.

That is a daily walk with Him.

That is how we grow to know Him more.

True North on the compass of our lives,  is to make Him Lord of our lives.  

Then we will see His Purpose for our lives, done.

Then we will get to the end in peace.

Appointed    

Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die,  but after this the judgement:”

By God’s appointment, every life shall end in fire:

                For the Christian, it is the purifying fire of the Bema of Christ,….before we enter the eternity of Heaven:

1 Corinthians 3:13. “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it,  because it shall be revealed by fire;  and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

             

                For the unsaved, it is ultimately the Lake of Fire:

Revelation 20:13, 15 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

           And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

[Matthew 25:41 “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand,  Depart from Me,  ye cursed, into everlasting fire,  prepared for the devil and his angels:”

Notice:  God made the Lake of Fire for the devil and his angels.  Not man.  Man chooses to rebel against his Maker, and refuses the only Savior.]

God has appointed this day:  it is not for anyone to know, when it is…

Acts 1:7 “And He said unto them,  It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,  which the Father hath put in His own power.”

But it is put into God’s appointment book;  it will happen.

As John the Baptist warned those Pharisees and rulers that came to be seen,   when John baptized in repentance:

Matthew 3:10-12 “And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees:  therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,  and cast into the fire.

             I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:  but He that cometh after me is mightier than I,  Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:   He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

             Whose fan is in His hand,  and He will thoroughly purge His floor,  and gather His wheat unto the garner;  but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Yet they would not accept his word….or his baptism unto repentance….and so perished in their sins.

As Job said:

Job 23:14. “For He performeth the thing that is appointed for me:  and many such things are with Him.”

God performs the thing appointed.  

For every Christian, this is a blessed fact.

Every trial,   every person,    every circumstance  which is in the path that I am to take, following Him,……is appointed for me.

1 Thessalonians 3:3 “That no man should be moved by these afflictions:  for yourselves know that we are appointed thereinto.”

Paul was writing them about the persecution he was facing…..and that they were going through…

….God has put in the appointment book of each of us….certain trials….and troubles….and even persecutions….

…but we should not “be moved” (to shake or be disturbed) by them….

….instead Paul was praying…

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another,  and toward all men,  even as we do toward you:

            To the end that He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God,  even our Father,  at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

So because God has appointed this day of judgement for each of us….

He would have us as His born again ones to receive the reward and crown He has for us.

In that day:  He will purify us with fire.   

Today:  He wants to purify us by trials.

Faith must be tried to show us that it is there,  and how much we have.  That is the way we learn what God will do for us.

Micah 6:8-9 “He hath showed thee,  O man,  what is good;  and what doth the Lord require thee,  but to do justly,  and to love mercy,  and to walk humbly with thy God?

                        The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city,  and the man of wisdom shall see Thy name:   hear ye the rod,  and Who hath appointed it.”

[The rod here is the same as “Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23). They are given the Shepherd, both to correct the sheep…and protect them.]

Our path is one in which we deal with ourselves,  and others.  

We ask for mercy, and deal with others in mercy.

We ask for forgiveness, and forgive others.

We ask for help,  and pray for help for others. 

(Giving it in comfort, and encouragement, as we can)

Our path is one which follows our Lord,………”to walk humbly with our God”,  in the many “appointments” He has made for us…

….including the appointment of the day of judgement.

We agree with Him in this path,  leaning on Him and His Word to us, to see us through in safety……And in joy…

…that we might hear,  “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

He has appointed for me, and for you.   Let us receive a full reward (2 John 8),  and enter into all He has for us:    both here,….and there.

In Him

John 1:4 “In Him was Life; and the Life was the Light of men.”

If we are to come to the completeness of Christian Life….then we must have these two things:…..Life, and Light.

And both are found in Christ……”in Him”.

      Without life,  we are still dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1-2)

      Without light,  we are still blind….unable to move forward….we are just wandering. (Ephesians 4:18)

Both life and light are found in Christ Jesus…..and now are given unto us through His Holy Spirit within us.

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

       Don’t put out the fire of the Holy Spirit within.   Fire is associated with purifying, and with warmth of affection and zealousness.

(My husband likes the Williams version, here.   1 Thes. 5:19 “Stifle not the Spirit”…..simply do not choke Him off.

        You know how you are impressed with something….and the first thing you do is….”what?!  Oh, no that can not be!”

….or, the Holy Spirit speaks to you through the Word,….and you say,  “oh, that must be for so-in-so.” 

        We “choke” Him off…..won’t let Him finish HIs instruction to us…..and very often,  lose by it….though we seek it afterward….it is not with the same power.)

God would have us joyful,….strong,…..in Him.

The Joy of the Lord is our strength….

       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 Lord:  neither be ye sorry;  for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

(This…”neither be ye sorry”…is not the sorrow of repentance….they had that, and were gathered to hear the Word of God….

…but this “sorry”,  was the sorrow which won’t let you move forward….which only has you looking back….and which often leads you to fall back into the same sins. 2 Corinthians 7:10

     That is why Nehemiah said….”neither be ye sorry”….because it was time to move forward—in joy—with the Lord.)

         This Joy is a ever bubbling up of knowledge…..it is the difference between the sun through the window…..and going outside in it’s brightness.

         This joy is all from the Holy Spirit within…..nothing we work at,….only yield to.

          It is not just power….although there is power and strength within….but in some of my weakest moments,  I have had joy….this knowledge of God with me….this strength of heart, and overwhelming feeling of God’s love.

But, as I said,  the Holy Spirit must be yielded to in all our doings.

     “Know ye  not,  that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,  his servants ye are….”

And one of the first places we learn to yield, is in our thought life….the thoughts we think and the motives behind them.

        In reality, we must think God’s thoughts after Him…..not in the grand things of the Universe….but where I am concerned.

        What is His thought concerning this?    

         And how should I act and react?

Now there should come to each of us, that transformation of the mind;  where our natural mind becomes Spiritual.

Philippians 3:15 “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:  and if in anything ye be otherwise minded;  God shall reveal even this unto you.”

        It is there we become aware of how we think of our lives,  as a whole.

We have our sacred life,…..we have our secular life.

We have our natural life,……we have our Spiritual life.

We have a habit of dividing our lives up into parts….this part for me, this for God, this for my family, this for work….etc.

But our lives should not be separate…..but all….”in Him”.

      We must come to the place wherever we are,  whoever we are with, we are before the Lord as well…..His servant and Ambassador.

      This is to bring all our dealings up into an act of worship.

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

“Heartily”….with every breath,…every action, beginning in the heart.

Hebrews 13:15-16 “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,  that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.

        But to do good and to communicate forget not:  for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

HIs life and light lead us on….giving every day a purpose….and a new way to praise and worship Him.

They mocked Him, beat Him, and Spit upon His Face 

Three times Jesus had to endure the humiliation of the mockery, and the cruelty of the various beatings:

The chief priests and elders:

Mark 14:63-65. “Then the high priest rent his clothes,  and saith,  What need we of any further witnesses?

                              Ye have heard the blasphemy:  what think ye?    And they all condemned Him to be guilty of death.

                               And some began to spit on Him,  and to cover His face,  and to buffet Him,  and say unto Him,   Prophesy:  and the servants did strike Him with the palms of their hands.”

They first spit on Him,  covering His face with their spit.

They struck Him and said,  “Tell us who hit you?”     “Tell us which hand hit you,  left or right?”

But notice it is the servants of these priests and elders which do the striking.   The chief priests and elders would not get their hands bloody, so they could say they were “clean” when it came to His blood.

(How they fooled themselves!)

Then they led Him away,  so they could get Rome to kill Him.

Herod and His soldiers:

Luke 23:11 “And Herod with his men of war set Him at nought,  and mocked Him,  and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe,  and sent Him again to Pilate.”

Herod did the least, but mocked Him in his court.

He made Him contemptible in front of his soldiers, by putting a robe on Him.   Then they bowed,  and called Him king.  Laughing at the sight of Jesus with such a beautiful robe.

But Jesus was a king.   

The King of kings:  as He said later, “My kingdom is not of this world:  if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight,  that I should not be delivered to the Jews:  but now is my kingdom not from hence…..To this cause I was born….that I should bear witness of the truth.   Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:36-37)

Pilate and His soldiers:

John 19:1 “And Pilate therefore took Jesus,  and scourged Him.”

The scourge was made of the sinews of oxen.   Sharp bones were intertwined in places, so that every time the lash came down,  these small bones would tear into the flesh of the prisoner.

Though Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent,  yet he commanded Him to be scourged.

The cruelty of this is seen in Pilate washing his hands;  saying he is innocent of Jesus’s blood.

Matthew 27:27-31. “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall,  and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers.  

                                   They stripped Him,  put on Him a scarlet robe. 

                                    And when they had pleated a crown of thorns,  they put it upon His head,  and a reed in His right hand:  and they bowed the knee before Him,  and mocked Him,  saying,    Hail, king of the Jews!

                                   And they spit upon Him,  and took the reed,  and smote Him on the head.

                                   And after that they had mocked Him,  they took the robe off from Him,  and put His own raiment on Him,  and led Him away to crucify Him.”

First they beat Him with out mercy with the scourge.  Tearing into His flesh, and making the blood run.

But that was not enough sport:   They stripped Him naked,  giving only a scarlet robe and a crown of thorns to wear.    They gave Him a reed as a scepter,  but there was a cruel reason.

Bowing and mocking,  first.    Then taking the reed the whole band of soldiers beat Him on the head with it.

Isaiah 52:14 “As many were astonished at Thee;  His visage was so marred more than any man,  and His form more than the sons of men:”

(This was the prophesy concerning the beatings.  His face was so beaten,  they could not tell it was the face of a man.)

Jesus was beaten in cruel mockings.     But He endured all of this for us.

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions,  He was bruised for our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon Him;  and with His stripes we are healed.”

[Sometimes we are “beaten up” in our social life, cruel things happen.

Sometimes we are in troubles from finances, or “pressed down” under circumstances which seem without a solution.  

Sometimes we are depressed, in darkness, because of the past, present, or what we see as a hopeless future.

Life is very hard at times…..impossible for us….alone.

Let me remind you, here, that the Lord never belittles our pain, or our anxieties.

On the contrary, the Bible says:

Hebrews 4:14-15 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens,  Jesus the Son of God,  let us hold fast our profession.

                        For we have not a high priest which can not be touched with the feelings of our infirmities;  but was in all points tempted like as we are,  yet without sin.”

He knows how we feel.  He knows pain and darkness…and trusted in the only One who could bring Him through it,  to do so.   

And God, the Father, did.       He is our God, and Father, too.    

And that is not all.  Because Jesus went through this,  we now can go through these things, too.   He has gone before us, and had the victory over them already….so we can.

But He also goes with us….

God, the Father, is our Father….

Jesus is our Mediator, and Counselor….

The Holy Spirit is our inner light……Hold on to Him, and He will not fail you.

He knows, and since He knows,  He is already working in us,  and for us, to bring us through.

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

Mercy is God’s kindness (spiritual and temporal) to sinners;   And grace is His unmerited favor of power (ability to do).]

Imagine,  He did all of this for us,  for me.   

Hallelujah,   What a Savior!

Asa

Have we gotten “mad” at God….and stopped hearkening to His Word to us….and “slid” away from His Will?
Asa did….which was sad, for Asa was a good king for a long while.

Asa came to the kingdom after his father died:
2 Chron. 14:2-4 “And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:
For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:
And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.”

Notice it says: “the Lord his God:” Not just the Lord God….but his God! How blessed, in a king!
God gave Asa ten years at the beginning of his reign to see to the things at home….and he did.

Then, after that:
2 Chron. 14:9 “And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots;…

When God’s work is being done,….there are always enemies. Yet, it is what we do about the enemies, that counts with God.

2 Chron. 14:11-12 “And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said,
Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with then that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy anime we go against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee.
So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.”

Coming back from this battle….Asa is met by a prophet, who tells him: 2 Chron. 15:2, 7 “....Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you. Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”

(What a blessing that God speaks to our hearts in trouble and in triumph! How easily for us to be discouraged…and puffed up with victory!)

Here, Asa hearkens and he “…put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin,…and renewed the altar of the Lord.
And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their sou;
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with their whole desire; and He was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.” (2 Chron. 15:8, 12, 15)

For twenty years there is rest in Judah! Hallelujah!
But then, the king of Israel, the ten tribes, come down and seeks a war with Judah.

And here, we must pause and look to our own hearts, and lives:
Hebrews 13:5-6 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
How many times we do not want our circumstances to change….or how many times we wish for things to be different than they are? Our walk is often straight through the valleys, and storms, and over the mountains….yet the Lord is with us!

In prosperity and in battle, God has helped Asa…..kept him and the nation of Judah….given a time of blessedness and rest…
…but when another battle looms on the horizon….Asa forsakes God, and looks to the help of man! 2 Chron. 16:2-5 “Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the kings’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria,...saying There is a league between me and thee,....I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break they league with…Israel, that he may depart from me. And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel….and Baasha (king of Israel)...left off…and let his work cease.”

Now this looks like it worked! But God is displeased….and sends someone to rebuke and correct Asa.
Would he hear as he had before,….and repent?

2 Chronicles 16:7 “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him,
Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.”

(the Lord was plainly telling Asa that He would have given victory over both the king of Israel, and the king of Syria!)

2 Chron. 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.
Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

If peace was what Asa wanted when he turned to Syria, he was greatly deceived. God is not mocked, whatsoever we sow, we reap.
But if Asa had repented, at least God would have been with him in these battles….and his last years as king would have been blessed ones.
Instead:

2 Chron. 16:10 “Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.”
(Terrible actions toward God, and HIs servants!
The only other thing that is recorded of Asa’s life was that he got a disease in his feet….which grew exceedingly worse. But he still refused to call upon the Lord! How his childish anger ruled his emotions and heart! How sad.)

The seer called Asa’s actions “foolish”….but he could have heard the rebuke and gotten God’s wisdom (James 1:5-8)….and returned to righteous and blessed living before his God.

Let me ask again….Have we gotten “mad” at God…and stopped hearkening to His Word…and slide away from His Will?
Are we being corrected….and instead of repenting and getting His blessed Presence again…are we looking to others…or to entertainment,….or to anything else but Him?

Let us learn a lesson from Asa….and seek the Lord…..and He will be found of us.
As the prophet told Asa at the first:
“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands we weak: for your work will be rewarded.”

The Seven sayings of Christ on the Cross 

Many people have preached on these.    They are wonderful….for think of the beatings He has had…yet He speaks….not for His benefit….but for others.

     And wasn’t that His whole life’s work?

He had come to manifest the Father,  to show God’s Will and Mercy….and even at the end He speaks only for that purpose.

Luke 23:33  “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary,  there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.”

Christ is now brought to the place of His greatest suffering.   The beatings are past but the shame and desertion by God; death, and burial ahead.

But how does He meet them?

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus,  Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

            And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

The first thing He says on the Cross is:  “Father, forgive them.”   

He forgave them first.   They did not ask for it;  but He, as the greatest King, forgave the greatest debt, and He did it before they asked.

The “them”,  were those chief priests who tried Him and took Him to Pilate,  

the Jews who cried “Crucify Him”,  

and those who stood and mocked Him, even in His miserable suffering, 

the people crying, 

and the Romans who nailed His hands.

As the mocking continues, the malefactors enter in.  But then one speaks up for Christ:

Luke 23:40-42 “But the other answering rebuked him, saying,   Dost not thou fear God,  seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

             And we indeed justly;…but this man hath done nothing amiss.

             And he said unto Jesus,   Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Here, one is saved, by belief in the Lord; and one is not.  For the second thing Jesus said on the cross was another word of forgiveness,  and also blessing:

Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said unto him,  Verily I say unto thee,  Today shalt thou be. With me in paradise.”

Then, looking down Jesus saw His mother, and John, the beloved disciple, who was the only one who had followed Him from the Garden…to the Cross.  

He, alone of the disciples, stood at the foot of the cross, ready to be arrested, if necessary, to stay close to Jesus.

So Jesus speaks the third sayings:

John 19:26 “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by,  whom he loved, he saith unto his mother,   Woman, behold thy son!”

John 19:27 “Then saith he to the disciple,   Behold thy mother!   And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Here, Jesus sees to His mother, committing her into the hands of John, the beloved disciple.

She was to look on him as the son she lost. 

He was to look on her as his mother, and take care of her, seeing to her in her old age.

(This he did, and it is said, that she went with him on his preaching tours;  that her bones are buried in the wall of Ephesus.)

Six hours the sun had shone down upon all of this suffering.   

Luke 23:44-45 “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

                 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.”

The sun “was darkened”:  The awful agony of the sin bearer, fulfilling the suffering of the wrath of God on our sin,  was “darkened”.   No one but God and Christ, could enter into this propitiation. 

God darkened the sun, to show that this was not for view;  no one would understand such suffering,  and so, no one could truly view it in it’s terror.  This suffering went on until He paid the price for all that would come to Him.

In this time, Jesus spoke the fourth saying:

Matthew 27: 46 ” And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,  saying,  Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ?  That is to say,  My God, My God,  why hast thou forsaken me?”

God forsaking Him was because of our sin;  for God can not look upon sin, without wrath.  

And Jesus was “‘made sin for us”. (2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us,  who knew no sin;  that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.”)

The price paid, Jesus spoke the fifth saying:

John 19:28 “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith,   I thirst.”

They had offered him wine mingled with myrrh to deaden the pain, earlier;  but He refused it.   He would feel every moment of pain,  that He would be able to pay the full debt of our sin.

Mark 15:23 “And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.”

But this time, they gave him vinegar.

John 19:29 “Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.”

Then, He spoke the sixth and seventh sayings:

John 19:30 ” When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said,  It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Luke 23:46 “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, (That is He cried for all who would hear, to hear “It is finished”) he said,  Father, into they hands I commend my spirit:  and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”

Jesus, having finished the work of  atonement,  cried out;  but then he gave his spirit unto the Father, in the last solemn moment before death.

Christ was our High Priest,  who offered Himself as the Sacrifice for sin, for us.    

In every saying there was love, offered again and again, for those who would receive it.

He drained every drop of suffering for us.  And died, was buried, and rose again to give us His Eternal Life.

Have you received Him as Lord and Savior?

Do you have Him in your life?