Ultimate Reality. 

I believe our souls are the most precious thing in all of God’s Creation.   

Having lost it through the fall of Adam (Romans 6:18-19);   He bought it back again, at such a high price:  the sacrifice of His beloved Son.

I believe that our souls are our personalities.  They are what makes us unique.  No two are exactly alike.

They are what the Bible calls “the heart”.

Our souls are the seat of our personalities….all that makes us, us!

When Christ Jesus was here, He set forth a way of following Him: 

Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Me.   Lose your self-life,  that you might find your Christ filled life. (Matthew 16:24-25)

Then He added a verse which often confuses us,  but it shouldn’t.   

Jesus spoke in terms of profit and loss.  Showing the value that Jesus placed on our souls.  One soul is worth more than a whole world of things.

The question is:  how much do we value our own souls?

Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited,  if he shall gain the whole world,  and lose his own soul?    Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

What, of all creation could possibly be of more value than our eternal soul?

What will we give in exchange for our souls, in this world?  

For that is what Jesus is asking.

Will it be temptations, cares, riches, or pleasures of this life? (Luke 8:13-14)

In Luke, Jesus says:

Luke 9:25 “What is a man advantaged,  if he gain the whole world,  or lose himself,  or be cast away?”

Or “lose himself”;……….for our soul is our personality,  our mind, heart and will.

When we are immersed in the world, we are conformed to it, and really lose who we really are.

Come to Christ, and have your soul “saved”….freed from all the entanglements of the world,…..freed to be all He has created you for.

Man is an eternal being.  He will exist for eternity in one of two places:  we will save our soul, and live for eternity with God in bliss.

Or we will lose our soul,  and spend eternity with Satan in torment.

There is no other ultimate reality than this.   

People have tried to say that God is too merciful to condemn people to hell.

God is merciful:  that is why He saves anybody who comes to Him……because He is merciful.

That is why He sent His Son to save us, by the sacrifice of Himself.   

He came and lived a perfect life…becoming the perfect sacrifice.  

Not in His Divinity,  for He always was and is holy.

But in His humanity.   And because there was found no sin in Him (Hebrews 4:15);  He could give His life a ransom for all,  who will come unto Him.

Here then is what Jesus says we are faced with:  our souls must choose.

Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior?

Or some attractions in the world? 

Romans 10:9, 13 “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.

         For whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In this age for each Christian;  to answer the call of Christ,  is to come with a life open to and receptive to Him.

This is a continual open door to Christ.  

Christ Jesus is still asking all who will follow Him:

Will you bring yourselves to Me?  Will you fully surrender your wills that they may be Mine?

Hear My word to you;  for My Word is a living Word,  it will not return unto Me void.  But it will accomplish My purpose in you,…. yield to it.

I will empower you to do My Will;  only get it settled that you will do it. 

(And If there is someone faced with that challenge especially at this time;  remember time has a way of dimming the value of all things in this world.   What we consider “essential”,……….can become sawdust in our mouths,…..though it may not seem like it now.

You can turn your life over to Jesus Christ,  and ask Him to make it whole in Him.)

Know the liberty of the Spirit of Christ,  in your union with Me. 

Hear and your soul shall live.

Only Christ knows the true value of your soul,  for He paid the ultimate price to save it,…….He knows you,  and loves you.

Amazing love for such as I.

The Everlasting Covenant and His Everlasting Love

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace,  that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,  that great shepherd of the sheep,  through  the blood of the everlasting covenant,

                                   Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight,  through Jesus Christ;  to Whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

A covenant is an binding agreement where one agrees to give something, if the other agrees to do something.

God the Father agreed to draw and give all the elect,   to God the Son:

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

God the Son, agreed to become the man, Christ Jesus and die for all the elect at the fullness of time:

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the time was come,  God sent forth His Son,  made of a woman,  made under the law,  

                               To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

John 6:40 “And this is the will of Him that sent Me,  everyone that seeth the Son,  and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life:  and I will raise him up in the last day.”

God the Holy Spirit, agreed to be the agency by which faith is produced within us,  and to stay with us, as our Comforter:

John 14:26 “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.”

The triune God made this Everlasting Covenant before they even created the earth.

For They saw, by their Omniscience, that sin would enter into the world by the man they would create.   And that by that sin,  man would have to be separated from God, the greatest Good.

All was lost to God.   He showed me once, just what a great loss it was to Him.

So They made full provision for  the salvation of man:  through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

That blood was shed on Calvary by our Lord Jesus Christ.  He paid the price to redeem us from every sin, for all who come to Him.

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

And to make us perfect (complete) in all the works we are to do, by the merits of Jesus.    Changing us into the character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

They made this covenant before the world was created;  so that we might be saved. For God loved us before He even created the earth. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying,   Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:  therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.”

Notice how personal His love is…to you, to me.

It was an Everlasting covenant, based on everlasting love!  In Christ Jesus!

Are we enjoying His grace and love?

Will the iron swim for you? 

2 Kings 6:6 “And the man of God said,  Where fell it?   And he showed him the place.   And he cut down a stick,  and cast in thither,  and the iron did swim.”

Elisha is a prophet in Israel.  As an itinerant preacher, he would go around Israel meeting with the sons of the prophets;  a group of people separated to God and His worship.   (There was still a lot of idol worshippers in Israel)

Some of them come to Elisha, telling him that they need more room for their growing numbers.   So they plan to go down to the river Jordan, and cut down saplings from along the bank.

Elisha agrees to the plan…”Go ye.”

But one of them asked him to accompany them; not to work, but to be there.

And Elisha agrees…”I will go”.      

2 Kings 6:4-5 “And he went with them.   When they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

                         And one was felling a beam,  and the ax head fell into the water:   and he cried, and said,  Alas master!  for it was borrowed.”

This would have been an expensive tool….valuable and rare.

And he had borrowed it;  so the honor of their word to return it, would have been on the line.

So he told Elisha….perhaps this was the very reason God wanted him to be there.

(A word about the Jordan:  it is a very muddy River.  That ax head,  or “iron” which fell into that;  it would be impossible to find it….it would be covered with mud.)

2 Kings 6:6 “And the man of God said,   Where fell it?…”

Elisha, was immediately praying for the matter…..standing in his place as a representative of God.

What should he do?   He could pray for money to be given to replace it…..or he could pray that God would retrieve it…..

….whatever would be more to God’s glory….that is what he wanted.

2 Kings 6:6-7 “…….And he showed him the place.  And he cut down a stick,  and cast it thither;  and the iron did swim.

                        Therefore said he,  Take it up to thee.   And he put out his hand and took it.”

Up from the muddy depths came the “iron”,  by the simple obedience of Elisha.

This was an impossible situation, but the iron did swim.

Are you confronting an impossible situation?   Then,  hear our Lord Jesus to His disciples: 

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,  With men this is impossible,  but with God all things are possible.”

I want to point out (as the Lord pointed out this word to me, years ago) this little word “all”.

What does it signify?    It includes the numbers, and the vastness of things.   It is inclusive…it leaves nothing out, not small or large,  not physical or spiritual,  not anything.   It includes “all”.

And that is what the Lord says is possible to God….and it was in answer to a question about salvation. 

Matthew 19:25 “When his disciples heard it,  they were exceeding amazed, saying,  Who then can be saved?”

(Remember salvation is everything related to us from the time we are born again………through all eternity.   

Conviction,       being born again,      being saved from the power of the world, sin, and ourselves,      being saved from others [Romans 8:35-39 “…nothing can separate us from the love of God…”],      being taken to heaven.   

All that effects our walk with Jesus……is included in the term salvation.

God can bring anyone…..”all”…..anyone from drowning in the mire of this world….to salvation in Him.   The iron can swim.)

We are placed in situations, as Elisha was at Jordan, for us to have the Lord’s direction and help, for ourselves….and others. 

(Often by helping others in prayer, word, or deed,  I have been strengthened myself.   By giving the Lord’s Word, grace is also received.)

This is a simple story of a miracle….there are no trumpets or bands….seven short verses describe a amazing feat.

It also is a story of personal loss….not just for the money which he did not have to replace it;……but of his word to return the ax for this believer.

And a story of the Lord’s goodness,…….especially in something we would think insignificant for the Lord to “bother with”.

But He did it.   The iron did swim.

Sometimes, I believe, we pray as though we know the Lord will not answer us….

….we pray…sure,  He could….if He would…sort of, prayers.

Matthew 21:21-22 “Jesus answered and said unto them,  “Verily I say unto you,  if ye have faith and doubt not,  ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree,  but also if ye shall say unto this mountain,  be thou removed,  and be thou cast into the sea;  it shall be done.

                            And all things,  whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,  believing,  ye shall receive.”

By faith, is according to His Will, as He has shown you.   

Believing is the act of obedience to what He wants you to do about it.

(Elisha had to cut down a stick and cast it in the Jordan, to make the iron swim.)

Will the iron swim for you, in your situation….big or little;  crisis or not?

No matter what the size, or extremity;  God hears, and gives guidance.

Will we come to Him believing,  and receive it?   

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me

Psalm 138:8 “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me:  Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever:  forsake not the works of Thine own hands”

Two things to notice here….that it is the Lord Who will perfect or complete the work in me (and as always, He stresses the personal!  Hallelujah!)

To perfect, or complete that which concerns me….is in my life,  what concerns His Will done in me.

          And to complete that which “concerns” or bothers, frustrates, or worries me.    As we bring all these things to Him,  even as David did in this psalm 

          Psalm 138:7 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me:  Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand (notice His hand at work for us, again) against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.”

And second,  that it is with “Thine own hands”. 

         His hands shaped man first out of the dust of the ground.  

His hands were nailed on the cross to redeem me from my sins…and brought salvation to His own.

His glorified hands will hold on to us, till the end….leading us (John 10:10) as our Shepherd.

          But now,  for those who seek Him, and love Him….He speaks again of shaping with His own hands.   (How personal is that!)

           With His own hands means…He will work in a very personal manner for His child….molding us into the character of His Son within us.  (Eph. 2:10)

Isaiah 64:8 “But now,  O Lord, Thou art our Father;  we are the clay, and Thou  our potter;  and we all are the work of Thy hand.”

And what is the ground that we can pray on?   “Thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever”.

(My husband once, years ago, was praying about our ministry….for it seemed that there was  a general apathy, and lack of personal obedience to the Lord.

          He prayed about his own heart….and the discouragement that was there about the situation.   He prayed about our family….and our church….and was given this verse:

          Psalm 138:8 “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me:  Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever:  forsake not the works of thine own hands.”

We were all called to be there….we were all given promises to obtain.   It was His own hands that had done this work….therefore my husband was to use this as a promise and stir up the gift that was in him….and awaken all of us to God’s warning.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 “…stir up the gift of God, which is in thee….For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;  but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.”

He started praying for the Lord to work….(and it is a prayer that we too, can pray)…forsake not the work of Thine own hands.

Psalm 119:126 “It is time for Thee, Lord to work: for they have made void Thy law.”

          And there was a difference….in him…the Holy Spirit giving him joy again…

…..and in others, once they became aware that they had “fallen asleep”…they were more diligent in seeking the Lord’s Will and doing it….and thanking Him for it!

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

          See then that ye walk circumspectly (looking around to check for dangers), not as fools, but as wise,

          Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.   

          Quench not the Spirit.”)

No matter where we are in our walk to heaven,  there will be times of discouragement.   We will grow sleepy….and our joy in the things of God may be overshadowed by our own,  or other’s lack of diligence and obedience. 

          Let us seek our Lord in these times….and not try and deal with them alone.   

It is His Work we do….it is His Word we preach,….it is His Will we want.

The Lord will (not maybe,  or perhaps…but will) perfect that which concerns me….

….Thy mercy, O Lord endures for ever (praise God, so that I can always look up and see Christ standing before God for me, in power and might!)….

….forsake not the works of Thine own hands (and here is the prayer we can always pray…which will lead us back to placing our all,   in His capable hands.)

We are His Workmanship

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith;  and not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  

                Not of works, lest any man should boast.    

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

For all those who are saved, we are His workmanship.  This means ” a molded image of “.   

In other words, we are given the grace to be molded into a image of Christ Jesus: in all His characteristics, and in the good works that He did, when He was here on earth.  

We do not have His divinity.   He is God,  we are but His creatures; but we are given His grace (the unmerited favor of power) in our lives, and His Holy Spirit to guide, and comfort us in our walk. 

Now God the Father thought man worth saving.

And God the Son thought man worth dieing for, as the Man, Christ Jesus.

And God the Holy Spirit thought man worth regenerating. (Living within him and using His power to change us from self-centered to God-centered.)

The Will of the Father is the originating cause of our Salvation.

The Worth of the Son’s redemption is it’s meritorious cause.

And the Work of the Spirit makes our Salvation effectual in our everyday lives.

John 6:44 “No man can come to me,  except the Father which hath sent me draw him:  and I will raise him up at the last day.”

God the Father draws us to Christ Jesus, that we might believe on His Person and Works, and receive Him;  whereby we are born again.

And when we are born again?  What do we do then?

We should walk in those good works which God ordained for us.

To explain:

We were never born again, simply to fill up Heaven one day.

We were born again to “walk” with God.

This walk begins, for us, the moment we are born again, and never ends.

This walk includes personal communion, and those good works we are chosen to do.

First, Personal Communion, by the Holy Spirit, in our spirits to The Lord Jesus Christ:

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;”

The Holy Spirit shows us Christ Jesus, and strengthens us to further receive His love:  which is abundant!

Ephesians 3:17-19 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;  that ye,  being rooted and grounded in love, 

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

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

You may say, I know God loves me.

But this is further knowledge.  One that works in every situation, under all circumstances.

And to be filled with all the fullness of God, you must be willing to be emptied of all the fullness of self interests.

When we are children, we may know our parents love us because we are taken care of.

When we grow up, (if we are fortunate), we come to know the love of protection,  correction,……and friendship.   

So with our walk in our personal communion with Christ Jesus.   By the Holy Spirit, we come to “comprehend”  God’s love which encircles us,  holds us up,  corrects us, and (if we go on with Him) the love of friends. (John 15:14-15)

In these verses Paul puts together the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and our knowledge of the love of Christ.   

(And they never are separate.  To love Him more is to have more of Him in your life.   To love Him little, is to have little of Him in your life; no matter how much head knowledge you have.)

Second, there is the “walk” in those ordained good works.

This is a personal thing.  He has good works for each of us.  

Ordained means that Christ Jesus has made all the provision (what we need….it is personal)……for these works that He calls you to do.

How  much we disagree with this!    We often murmur at the people, situation, time, or…..our ability…..to the Lord.   

Surely, you have made a mistake, Lord.   (Are we hearing what we are saying?!)

We must seek His guidance,  and when we have it,  use it.   It is a map to show us where to go, and how to go.

Haste can make waste.      And sloth can steal not only time, but every reward we should have received.

Ordained means His Provision is given us.  And we just need to “walk” in what He has said….and with what He has provided.

Which always brings us back to the first:  to know the Love of God, in Christ Jesus, which is beyond measure, a sure anchor for our lives.

Will we fail?  Yes.   

But remember this is a walk with Christ….not a sprint…..but a step by step walk with our Beloved…….and it continues all our lives.

Imagine the amount of love we will know,  in a year, or two.   

Or the fullness of His Spirit we can have as we walk with  Him.

We are His Workmanship;  yield to the Holy Spirit within, and know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge; and walk in those good works He has for you.

Soul

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

And man became a living soul.    By some marvelous fiat of God….man became a living soul….meaning man had intellect or mind,  he had affections or heart,  he had will to be active in the Will of God.

Man’s body was formed out of dust by God, the only part of creation that God handled (the others He spoke)….and God breathed into his formed nostrils, the breath of life or the Holy Spirit…giving him a spirit,  and then:

       Man became a living soul…to live to God and enjoy Him.

We were whole then….our consciousness was Godward.   Our desire was toward knowing His Will, and doing it.    

Ecclesiastes 7:29 “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright;  but they have sought out many inventions.”

This “sought out” is exactly what happened when Eve, leaving her duties as a helper to Adam, went to “look” at the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.

       Adam, leaving the duties of seeing to the garden, found Eve and “sought out” the Way to death and destruction, by:

       First: listening to her, as she had listened to the devil  (Genesis 3:17 “And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife,…”)

      Second: staying,…when he should have run from the temptation.

      Third:  taking what he knew to be wrong, and eating it,…choosing her,  over God. (Gen.3:6)

What they “sought out” was evil….for they already had good.   And are not Adam’s children all the same….our inclination to evil…

      …till,   (and praise God there is a till)….The Holy Spirit convicts us,  and the Lord Jesus Christ saves us….then we can become whole again…with a desire to know and do God’s Will.

Our soul’s are our true personality….the real us.   Granted, they are influenced by our bodies which are in the external world….and they are influenced by our spirits which are the spiritual part of us. 

      (If they are still in a darkened state….that darkness blinds the soul to God (2 Cor. 4:4)

       If they are in a enlightened state (Eph. 1:18), with the Holy Spirit within, after being born again….then they are influenced by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to the soul.)

Accordingly, the principal thing God does when He gives admittance into the covenant of grace is to teach man to know Him.

Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy,  and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

To truly know the Lord, is to love Him.    And this knowledge of God leads us back into the garden of our souls….. to get to work for Him, there.    

I desired mercy….this mercy is “hesed”  or affection for our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

        It is the love of God and love of all the household of faith.    (And true love is a willed action of our whole being.)

These things are the results of the genuine knowledge of God.    (notice it is “of God”,….not about God.)

I want to mention here, that when we are born again…there becomes a unity in our life again.(2 Cor.5:17)   We learn of the Lord, how to be one with Him.

Our spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit can be ablaze with love,  our soul given a new nature can become holy unto the Lord,  our bodies yielding to God’s Will can become pure and undefiled.

      Our eyes are toward heaven,  where our citizenship is.

      Our hearts are toward His Will done here, that we might please Him,  Who gave all for me.

      Our thoughts are not wandering into “maybe”,  “if”,  and “why not”….for we have learned…the whole of “me” has…”learned, that in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”. (Philippians 4:11)

Our souls are where the warfare rages.   

       But by the force that is the Holy Spirit within our spirits,   we can bring all the faculties of our soul under His control….by His grace (the unmerited favor of power).

True fellowship with the Lord is in surrender to His Will and Word.   

      We fellowship in prayer

 (and true prayer is asking, seeking, and knocking for HIs Will done 

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

      We fellowship in sufferings for His name sake. (Col. 1:24)

Philippians 3:10 “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;”

      We fellowship in rejoicing in Christ.

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

      We fellowship in the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18-20 “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;”

      We fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Philippians 2::3-4 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;  but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

      Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

For fellowship is our meat and drink in the Lord.    

Our souls are who we really are….our wills,  our minds or understanding,  our hearts or affections, and our conscience.

When we surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ (and this must be first)…

…”For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet.” (1 Cor. 15:25)

Then we must present our bodies a living sacrifice to the Holy Spirit….

…”..to whom ye yield yourselves, his servants ye are…”  (Romans 6:16)

Then that blessed divine nature, through the Holy Spirit, transforms our minds into the reality of  a spiritual force within our lives…to think after Christ.

No matter how we say it….

….or what terms we use to try and explain it….we, as Christ’s servants….must yield to God and let the natural us…..become spiritual….usable to God, in the garden of our souls, first….

….and then in the wilderness of this world….holding out the Word of Truth. 

Philippians 2:15-16 “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,  among whom ye shines as lights in the world;

        Holding forth the word of life;…”

Victory that overcomes the World 

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

The word “Victory” means conquest.   To completely defeat what we are fighting with….

…..and for the Christian, we have three major enemies: the world, the flesh (our self-life), and the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18)

The world here,  is not the birds, flowers, sunsets….but it is the spirit and actions of the times….

The world would have us be like everyone else…..

…..it is the common “commercial”………advertising the perfume….makeup…..car…..tennis shoes….

…..or whatever it is selling at the time……

….come and be like all of us.

We smell great,….look great,….are successful,….are all your heart could want.

Come and join us.

Peter calls this: “the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  (2 Peter 1:4)

Anything that corrupts….spoils, and decays……this is what the world does to the Christian life. 

But, we often look toward the world,…. even if we do not follow along.

The Lord calls us out of the world system when we are born again…..

Galatians 1:4 “And gave Himself for our sins,  that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”

He gives us a new life in Him….

“Come and follow Me…and I will make you….” (Matthew 4:19) is what He told the disciples,…

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,  that great Shepherd of the sheep,  through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

               Make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight,  through Jesus Christ to Whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

He works “in you”….to “make you” complete in Him.

He calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds….and not be conformed to this world. 

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

          And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,  that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

He gives us a new way to think about our circumstances,  our situation…..His way…..instead of being conformed to the world’s thoughts about it.

The Lord calls us to……get godliness,…..with contentment:

1 Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.

          For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

          And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.”

(Example:  Demas had some show of spirituality, for he went with Paul for quite a while….but there came a day, when….”For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world…”2 Timothy 4:10.  

Demas never got godliness….with contentment.)

The world calls us to “be sorry”.    A sadness for being wrong, or for being caught…….but God calls us to repentance….a change of mind, and life….by faith.

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:  but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

The Lord calls us out of the world…..but also calls us into a relationship with Himself:

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

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

And this is all by faith.

Faith is a gift from God when we receive the Holy Spirit….and it is active, always…..working in us.

It is always showing us God:  His Word, and His Character.   What He has done, and what He will do.

Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith….”

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

Even while faith shows us Christ Jesus……it is strengthening our belief, so we hang on to Him more…

It is enabling our trust, so we stand more firmly on His Word,….and obtain the promises of what He has said to us.

        All the while saying,  “God is here, with you,  in this….and He is able for this.

Faith leads us out of our selves and into the path of obedience…..for His sake.

By faith we can have the victory.   First it works victory over ourselves,  then over the world.  By faith we can have the power of choice.

1 Corinthians 15:13-14 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith,  quit you like men, be strong.

               Let all your things be done with charity (love).”

Are You Listening?  

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door,  and knock:  if any man hear My voice,  and open the door,  I will come into him, and will sup with him,  and he with Me.”

If any man (person) hear My Voice.

Are we hearing what Jesus is saying to us? Each day?

Jesus said:

Luke 8:18 “Take heed therefore how ye hear:  for whosoever hath,  to him shall be given;  and to whosoever hath not,  from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

Take heed how ye hear.  

If we have been born again,  then we,  as His children are to hear what He is telling us by His Holy Spirit through the Word, or by direct communication in our spirits.

He speaks to us.

The promise here is:  If you have the Holy Spirit within you,  and have heard Him;  more will be given you.  More light,  more ability,  more knowledge,  more everything we need.

And this is because we hear Him. 

But the promise also says:  If you are one who has heard the invitation of Christ Jesus,  and answered it with all the right words.  

But it has been just that, an answer of words;  not an answer of a life open to and receptive to Christ.

Then that which he “seems to have”, he does not.

[Not that that person can not be saved by opening their heart to Jesus Christ, but that, they have not, as yet,  been.]

Remember,  when Jesus Christ saves a life,  He claims that life.

He will not be used as a “fire escape” from Hell;    but He is a Savior, from sin.

Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son,  and thou shalt call His name Jesus:  for He shall save His people from their sins.”

That is me, being saved from my sins……and you, being saved from your sins.  We each are sinners…..with our own particular leaning toward certain sins.   Each of us has a “besetting sin” (Hebrews 12:1) which gives us a lot of trouble.  Yet He saves us from our sins…..all of them, by cooperating with the power of His Holy Spirit within us.

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  

When we are saved;  from that time on we are bought with a price and no longer our own.  

Luke 8:16 “No man,  when he hath lighteth a candle,  cover it with a vessel,  or putteth it under a bed;  but setteth it on a candlestick,  that they which enter in may see the light.”

This is what we are to do with what we hear:  light a candle.   

By our obedience to what Jesus says,  we are manifesting Him in this lost world.  We are lighting a candle.

It is amazing when you go into a dark room…really dark.  Blackness seems to surround you.   Then to light a candle, there, will make the darkness flee.

True, the whole room will not be as light, as it is around the candle;  but it will force the darkness into the corners, away from the light….even a small one, like a candle.

Raise that lit candle up,  and more light will be shone around,  for you are not blocking the light, but it shines all around.

Amazing, right?   The Lord Jesus uses this example for that very reason:  a candle can bring a lot of light,  if it is placed where “they which enter in may see the light.”

In another place, Jesus accused the religious lawyers of hindering those which would “enter in” to the kingdom of God. (Luke 11:52)

Let us not do this.  Instead let us hear Him,  and recieve the light He gives by His Word, and Holy Spirit;  and then let us shine the light, by holding up Christ Jesus to others.

Ephesians 4:21 “If so be that ye have heard Him,  and have been taught by Him,  as the truth is in Jesus:”

Are we hearing Him?  Are we learning from what we have heard?   Are we holding on to it, and sharing Christ?

(Years; yes, lots of years, ago,  my husband was called to preach.  He had recently been brought back to God; his rebellion and sin forgiven, and taken care of.  He had started to go to church, and after a while, had been asked to sing a song for the church services.

He sang “Trust and Obey”.  

Well, he sang it, and sat down;  and the minister had his message.   Then the Lord Jesus called him to be a preacher!

He could not believe it!  The way he had been?  This must be some mistake, Lord!

But the Lord spoke plainly to him:

“You sang it [Trust and Obey],  now, do it!”

So he went forward and committed his life to be a preacher of God’s Word….to awaken others to Christ’s claims on their lives.)

Jesus Christ always shows us the truth, for He is Truth.  

And as we face the truth for ourselves, He gives us grace.   

Grace is the unmerited favor of power: the power in our lives, to bring us to the place where we willingly do what He has said…to be obedient to all His words to us.

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

Will we receive Christ Jesus as Savior of our sin?

Will we hear His voice, and learn of Him?

Will we answer His call to lift our lights, and shine them in this dark world?

Well, if we will,  He has everything we need.  

He can tell us everything we need.  

He is everything we need……and He will lead us into more of Him,  everyday.

Afterward 

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

Hebrews 12:17 “For we know how that afterward, when he (Esau) would have inherited the blessing,  he was rejected for he found no place for repentance,  though he sought it carefully with tears.”

Twice in Hebrews 12, we have the word “afterward”.

Afterward, here, means simply that something happened before;  God chastened;  and something happened as a result of the chastening: or “afterward”.

You will notice for both cases, it is a matter of the will,  willing one way or the other.

To explain:

We will begin with “them that are exercised thereby”.

Now, God does not chasten,  if there is not been sin in our lives.   

Something which needs to be set right before Him.   

Otherwise we will experience spiritual weakness in our life,……..then spiritual atrophy sets in.

(in the next verses it describes the beginning of this:  “Therefore lift the hands which hang down,  and the feeble knees;  and make straight paths for your feet,….” Hebrews 12:12-13)

But with the chastening from God, comes the knowledge that He does it out of love.

(When God “rebukes” us,  He does it with words….His Word, or through messages, devotions, testimonies from others. 

        But when God chastens,  He allows things to happen to us, to awaken us to the fact that He is trying to speak to us….but we will not hear.  Psalm 89:30-33)

Hebrews 12:6, 10 “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth,  and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth.

                                For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure;  but he (God) for our profit,  that we might be partakers of his holiness.”

       Although this does not make the chastening pleasant;  it does work within us a great and good knowledge of our God.   He loves us so much that He interferes with things, to keep us in the right way.

       His love gives us the desire to learn from it:  to be exercised by the chastening, so that we will not have to go through it again and again.

Because He loves us, and He is doing this to help us grow in grace;  we stir ourselves up to learn all we can in this chastening;  to please Him.

By this, we gain fruit….the fruit of repentance, which is a cleansed conscience and renewed fellowship with God, and other Christians;…..

And the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)….more peace, joy, love, etc.

This is the afterward of those who are exercised thereby.

Now for Esau:

Hebrews 12:16 “Lest there be any fornicator,  or profane person,  as Esau,  who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”

      Esau and Jacob were twins.  Esau, being older by a few minutes, was the inheritor of the birthright.   

      This did not mean riches or cattle;  but it meant the Spiritual blessings that God promised Abraham,…..a people separate to God, the land of Canaan, and mostly:  

      The birthright meant that Christ, the Savior,  would come from his line, in the future.

It was a blessing,  only the one who wanted Spiritual ties with God,  would desire.

Jacob did.   Esau did not.

Esau had been out hunting, and came by Jacob’s tent, without game.   He was hungry, and saw Jacob (he was more of a farmer and cattleman) cooking something on the fire.

It was a pot of red beans,  and Esau asked that he be given some.

Jacob, always trying to figure out a way that he might inherit the blessing instead of Esau,  told him;  “Sure,  but only if you sell me your birthright.”

Now any Spiritual person would have said,  “No,  I will wait, even though I feel faint, till I go to my tent.” (maybe on the other side of the camp)

But not Esau.

He was not Spiritual,  but thought more of his belly,  than the privilege of being the holder of the Promise of the Lord to come.

Genesis 25:32-34 “And Esau said,  Behold I am at the point to die:  and what profit shall this birthright do for me?  

                                  And Jacob said,  Swear to me this day;  and he sware unto him:  and he sold his birthright to Jacob.

                                  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils;  and he did eat and drink,  and rose up,  and went his way.   Thus Esau despised his birthright.”

Now for the afterward for Esau:

It is time for their father, who was nearly blind, to bless the one who would inherit;  so he calls Esau, who was firstborn, in, and told him to prepare a special feast for him, and he would bless him.

I will not go into all the details, but Jacob, afraid to trust God,  dressed up as Esau.

He fooled his father and received the firstborn blessing.

Then Esau came in (afterward) and sought the blessing, but could not receive it.

He cried……then.

Genesis 27:34,38 “And when Esau heard the words of his father,  he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry,  and said unto his father,   Bless me,  even me also,  O my father. 

                                And Esau said unto his father,  Hast thou but one blessing, my father?  Bless me,  even me also, O my father.   And  Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.”

Esau had not wept, and sought repentance for his foolish behavior when he was hungry and wanted Jacob’s food;….no.

He had not wept when he thought of the bargain he made with Jacob,…..for he thought he could still have everything,  even though he despised it in his heart.

He would still be the elder.  

He did not need to have a change of heart before God about anything.

After all,  who knew,  but Jacob?

You never hear of Esau building an altar or seeking God.  

Even in the tears that flowed when he was denied the blessing, he did not cry to God;…..just to his father.

Afterward,  when he was rejected by the God he rejected,…..he cried;   but only for self-pity, not for despising the promises of God (the birthright).

Afterward,…..

…….will we receive God’s correction, and learn from it?

Or we will go on thinking we are alright, till…afterward, there is no more time to have what God wants for us.

God corrects us for our profit.

What is “profit” for us?

And we must always consider profit and loss;  only Spiritually consider it.

Esau said, “What profit is this birthright of God’s promises?”

He did not care for a Christ to come….only his belly now.

And despised it.  And lost it.

The one who is exercised (weighs profit and loss by God’s thoughts)……will gain more of the fruit of the Holy Spirit…..for that is what profit is in God’ sight.

       More peace….could we not use it, in these days.

       More love toward God and others…when all around us is anger and contempt of persons.

       More patience and joy….in our lives, this is real gain.

God says, He chastens me for my profit, and although I do not feel like it, now;    I can trust Him.

So I will pick up my  hands and my feet……and take the next step with Him…though it is hard now…

I know that “afterward”,  I will feel differently about this correction.

“Afterward” I will rejoice,  because God has seen me through it, and given me His promises of more life in Him.

The touch of faith

Matthew 9:20 “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment:”

In Mark it also mentions that she had tried to do something about this disease….and had sought out physicians….spending all the money that she had to get this fixed.    

           But instead of helping her…they had caused her much suffering…and actually made it worse.  (Mark 5:25-26)

           So now she was broke….and still broken.

But then….she “heard of Jesus”:

Mark 5:27 “When she had heard of Jesus,  came in the press behind and touched His garment.”

(Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”)

Now this message is about faith.   For we can “touch” Jesus today,  by faith.

           It was her faith in Jesus that made her whole….

Matthew 9:22 “But Jesus turned HIm about, and when He saw her,  He said,   Daughter, be of good comfort;  thy faith hath made thee whole.   And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

My husband used to stress….”Jesus never did anything to her.   He did not reach out and touch her….she touched Him.

          The  only thing Jesus did to her,  was to speak to her in comfort….after she was healed….because….

….and I want to stress this….

…..because of her faith.”

Her faith said…..that if she touched even His clothes….which in Matthew it says it was the hem of His garment….that she could be healed.

Her faith was both simple and great.   

          She did not say,  “Well, I need Him to do something for me.  I need to tell Him,  what others have done.”

…..no,  her faith said that He was so mighty, and so much in charge of everything….that she would not need to tell Him her troubles….He could just heal her….if she touched even His garment hem.

Do we have such faith in Jesus?   

         Let me tell you,   whatever our trouble….whatever our addiction….whatever our sin….Jesus is able to heal us…..according to our faith.    

         Faith reaches out and touches Him…

…and whether we come up behind Him as He is doing other work….or whether we place ourselves in front of Him….it is our faith in Him that “touches Him”.    

When Jesus praised people….it was because of their faith.     (Matt.8:10, 15:28)

        And when He corrected people…it was because of their lack of faith because of the hardness of their hearts,….or “little faith”.(Matt.6:30, 8:26, 14:31,16:8)

Jesus healed once saying,  “According to your faith be it unto you.”  (Matt. 9:19)

       Faith sees God, in the person of Christ Jesus….and keeps Him in the vision.

Faith reaches out and does what is necessary to get close to Him.  (the woman, it would seem came crawling behind….through the many people that were around Him…to touch Him)   

This woman, having nothing, and broken…hearing about Jesus, which stirred up faith in her,….came by that faith in Jesus…and got healed wholly.

What of us?    Are we going on in our broken way? 

        Or will we come in faith,  to Jesus, Who is mighty and in charge of everything….yes, even of what is going on now?