Lord, teach us to Pray

Luke 6:12 “And it came to pass in those days that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

After His enemies, the scribes and Pharisees, started talking about….”what they might do to Jesus.”

And right before He chose the twelve apostles,…..the Lord Jesus spent a whole night in prayer.

How comforting it must have been for Him, to be before His Father’s presence, when His enemies were plotting against Him. (“They were filled with madness; and communed one with another…” Luke 6:11)

How strengthening for Him, that in the Father’s Will, He would be given eleven men that would stay with Him, till the end…(plus the betrayer, Judas. Luke 6:13-16).

His disciples must have recognized the comfort and strengthening that prayer gave Him…..for…

….one of the times He was praying, His disciples asked:

Luke 11:1 “And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

Teach us to pray…..

Whether they meant, teach us the words to say….or the attitude in doing so;……Jesus did…….giving them all the things they should put into their prayers:

(Luke 11:2-4). “….Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.” He showed them, and us…..Who we are to pray to. And the attitude in coming before the Throne of grace….in reverence for all He is.

“Thy kingdom come.” Let Your kingdom come within me, and then let it come on this earth.

“Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” We are to seek after God to know His Will….and to do it in the joy and confidence….that the angels do in heaven.

“Give us day by day our daily bread.” We have needs, and God does not neglect them….we are to bring them before Him and lay them out before Him….seeking His will in all of them

“And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.” We should bring our daily sins….to be forgiven, so that fellowship will not be interrupted,….or joy, lost.

And we are to forgive others, reminding ourselves, how much we have been forgiven.

“And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” We all have those things that tempt us. All of us are faced with temptation everyday….it is what we do with it, that matters.

So He taught his disciples to pray that we would be led away….clear away from it. But if we are led astray….to be delivered from it.

Next, Jesus showed them what the attitude of prayer should be:

(Luke 11:5-8). Ask….and receive. Seek….and find. Knock….and get the door opened.

Stay after what you need….till you get it.

Then….and I thing this is both wonderful, and merciful…..the Lord Jesus showed them that God was their Heavenly Father, Who will give “good gifts” unto His children….who ask Him.

Luke 11:11-13 “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”

God will not give “look alike” answers. (Stone for bread….a serpent for an eel….and a scorpion, which curls up and goes white; for an egg.)

He gives the need,…..met.

And of all the gifts He gives….The Lord says…..seek for the Holy Spirit….in fullness.

To pray to our Heavenly Father is a blessed right of the born again ones.

To have the Holy Spirit in us….more and more as we yield to Him, is a blessed promise for our journey here, and forever.

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

Are we praying? Are we being watchful?

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

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

We need to learn to pray,…..but the Lord is willing to teach us….

…….giving us His example….and exhorting us to stay after….do not give up on God.

(How weak our flesh is here…..but even in this, we can ask for help.)

Praise our God for all His Word to us.

Lukewarm Laodicea makes Me sick!

Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spur thee out of My mouth.”

Years ago, when my husband was going to write a message on Laodicea, he received this title from the Lord:

“Lukewarm Laodicea makes Me sick!”

And right then, he felt sick….almost like vomiting!

That is what the Lord was trying to show him.

This is the way the Lord feels about this church.

Laodicea is the last of the church age, before He comes to meet them in the air….

….and this is just the time that this church should be zealous for Christ and the saving of souls…..

….but they are neither cold or hot, just lukewarm….sickening.

If we were cold…..He could just judge us.

If we were hot…..He would bless us.

Instead we are just sickening to Him.

We are as Israel of old. (Jesus quoted this when He was here about those religious workers. Matthew 15:8-9)

Isaiah 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men:”

Several things to mention:

First….they say all the right words….all the praises that they should.

Second,….notice it is “removed” their heart far from Me. He does not just say that is is far from Him…..but that they removed it. They chose something other than Him, to set their heart upon.

Third,….the fear toward God is merely taught to be right.

It is something they know because it has been told them……not that they have.

“Fear” here is reverence and awe that the Lord should have as God….and because of the great things He has done for us.

But they do not.

It was not that Israel could not see….for they had enough Light, they could have known their God….but it was that they would not.

In Laodicea, we too, say the right things….we do the right things….but our hearts just aren’t in them.

We draw near with our lips, but our affections are far from Him…..

….to what are they looking?

And we Laodiceans say we reverence God…..but if we did, we would stop congratulating ourselves on our “richness”….and see ourselves as He sees us:

Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

In this last of the Church age, we are “poor”……without the love and fear of God…..in experience.

Head knowledge is necessary…..but heart knowledge of God by personal experience is:

You know a certain Bible truth…..because you have experienced that truth in your life.

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

They say they are Christians…..that they do believe.

But their lives show they are “denying the power thereof”.

(I want to stress here…..”power”. I know some people misuse this word…..I have heard it too.

But the Holy Spirit gives us grace….the unmerited favor of power in our lives….He gives us power over ourselves…..and power to face a world which hates Christ, cheerfully…….and power to stand in the evil day.

And the Word of God gives us power…..the power to shape our thinking and our attitudes and our choices…..by our reading, praying over it, and thinking upon it….till the power of it changes us.

It is not a word to use lightly…..for real power belongs unto God only….He can give it to any He chooses….

….but it is real. God’s power to us is to change us…..and by that, influence and change others….toward God.)

If we are different, it is by the power of God in our life….and not by something I have done myself.

Lukewarm Laodicea is correct…..it says all the right things…..

….but our hearts are far from Him.

I believe our error is of the heart.

The Lord Jesus when He was here, said about the hearts of those who came to hear Him…..but not to obey Him:

Matthew 13:15 “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

Their “hearts” are described as “waxed gross”…..so full of other things, there was no room for Him.

Their “ears” are described as “dull”….only half hearing…..nodding: “Oh, yes, that is good”….but not listening for His Word to them.

Their “eyes” are described as “closed”….they have closed….so they would not see the Truth.

If they had seen, and heard Him, with hearts open to and receptive to Him…..

……they would have been converted (most think of this as salvation, but it means to “turn back again”; it is the same word Jesus used to Peter about his three denials Luke 22:32)

……their hearts would have been turned back to God, by Christ….and they would have been healed.

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

For those He loves…..He rebukes…..speaks like a Father to correct us (Hebrews 12:5-6)…

….sometimes softly…..sometimes loudly…..

….but then…

….well, must He also chasten?

His promise is understanding, to be turned back to Him, and healing….will we hear, and repent?

To be Filled with the Spirit of God

John 14:16-17 “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever;

Even the Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

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

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is like a sponge thrown in the ocean. Dried and shriveled, out of the water. Yet it becomes larger and larger; fuller and fuller in the ocean. It can not take in all the ocean, but it takes in more and more; till it is filled to it’s capacity.

When we are born again, we are given the Holy Spirit.

Our dead spirits are enlightened, and made alive by the Holy Spirit of God when He enters our spirits at new birth.

He makes us entirely new. Yet we are babes in Christ.

As babes we are to learn to walk. We stumble often, but we learn, and are soon walking with God.

To be filled with the Spirit of God, is seen in Acts:

Peter and the apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.

(Acts 2:4) “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”

The Spirit changed these terrified disciples (John 20:19) into men and women which could speak of Christ before a great assembly of people.

Peter, who denied the Lord, now spoke with boldness about him. Boldly telling the crowd that they crucified the Lord of Glory. That in Jesus was salvation; and by none other.

Acts 2:32-33,36 “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Therefore let all the hosts of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Yet, a while later, when they were taken before the council, beaten and threatened; it says they prayed and then were filled with the Holy Spirit again.

Acts 4:23,29-31 “And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness we may speak Thy word,

By stretching forth Thy hand to heal;…

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word with boldness.”

Why? because Peter and the disciples did not need the strength and power to stand against persecution, until then.

On the day of Pentecost……he needed the power to stand and speak boldly before a crowd.

Later, it was power to stand before the council.

And now, when things were getting harder, God gives them more of HIs Spirit, to help them.

We are filled with the Spirit, as we are emptied of self; our self-reliance.

Peter, so full of himself, swore he would never deny the Lord; but he did. (Luke 22:33-34)

Peter, emptied of his bluster, and just obedient; waiting on the Holy Spirit, was filled to speak boldly. Three thousand were saved.

Peter, emptied of any thought of being able to stand against persecution, was filled by God’s Spirit to stand against it.

Who knows what our lives will bring? Where will they lead us?

What we can know is: Jesus Christ has made provision for us in His Holy Spirit.

To guide us, to strengthen us, to empower us: just as we need it, and when we need it.

Like the sponge is filled with the ocean; we can be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, as we see our need and yield to Him.

King Josiah

I have long admired this man….he was the last good king that Israel had before the captivity….and under his reign, Judah had a time of blessing.

Soon, the judgments that God had foretold because of Manasseh’s sin….would come….

….but God granted a time of spiritual awakening….if they would have it….and many did. The nation had rest and blessing in this time.

2 Kings 22:1-2 “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah….

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.”

(One Bible expositor noted, that when the kings were named, it was the mother’s name that was said….”and his mother’s name was…”.

How suggestive that is! For it is often the Mother that teaches the child in the formative years! And Jedidah must have been a righteous woman….even though her husband was evil!)

2 Chronicles 34:3 “For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.”

(You will also notice, that when the kings were righteous….the scriptures speak of them as following “David their father”, who was a man after God’s own heart. There were no righteous kings in the ten tribes of Israel….but in Judah, in the line of David, there were several. Josiah was one of them.)

When a man gets right with God, he seeks to set things right for others, as far as his influence is concerned.

And Josiah was king….his influence was felt all over the nation…and into the other nations that were under his reign.

He began with the House of God….”he brought out all the vessels that were made for Baal,..and for the host of heaven; and he burned them without Jerusalem….” (2 Kings 23:4)

Then he cleansed Jerusalem….”…the houses of the sodomites,….the altars which Manasseh had made,….did the king beat down…and cast the dust into the brook Kidron.” (2 Kings23:7, 12)

Then he made it “that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire” as sacrifice….outside Jerusalem, in the valley of Himmon.

“And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel….2 Chron. 34:33)

Then Josiah in the eighteenth year of his reign….he felt that the Temple needed repair….so he instructed that the money brought into the Temple, should be put to that work.

During this construction….they found the book of the Law….and it was passed from priest to scribe….then to the king.

2 Kings 22:10-13 “…..And Shaphan read it before the king.

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

And the king commanded….Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of the book, to do according unto all that is written concerning us.”

How blessed for a nation, when the king repents….and the Word of God is finally honored!

God would not remove the judgements to come…..but because Josiah repented, and sought what to do,…from the Word….

2 Chronicles 34:27-28 “Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest His Words against this place,….and humbledst thyself before Me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before Me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.

Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers…neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place….”

Josiah could have been content with this…..he was taken care of. But real repentance seeks the good of others as well….

…..so Josiah did what he could, to prepare the hearts of the people….by repentance and a turning completely to the Lord.

2 Chronicles 34:29-32 “Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

And the king went up into the house of the Lord….and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found….

And the King stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments….with all his heart, and with all his soul,….

And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God….”

(We can not really make anyone else repent….but we can, to our influence, show them the Word of God and make them aware of what God is requiring at our hand. This Josiah did….with the whole nation….and anywhere his reign was felt!)

Josiah set up scribes from the priestly families…..to be sent throughout the land to teach all the people again about God and the Law. (Jeremiah was one of these!)

And Josiah kept a Passover….making the priests and the Levites prepare themselves and then the service….reminding the people of God’s Provision and deliverance:

2 Chronicles 35:18 “And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover….”

(It is good, when we have been corrected…..to remember God’s goodness to us in times past. And the Passover was God’s showing to Israel the Way of deliverance….to shelter under the Blood of the Lamb.

God often reminded them of His deliverance from Egypt….and it all came to pass because of their obedience in the sacrifice of the Passover.

And we, as Christians, have all our blessings…..in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

How much we should remember His mercy and goodness to us….for it keeps us “humble and tender”….in the good times,…and when we get corrected)

Josiah continued to follow the Law….the next twelve years….he continued to rebuild the Temple and to “prepare” it…..in other words Josiah kept the Temple the central part of the life of Judah, while he lived.

Josiah also….removed the “workers with familiars spirits, and the wizards,….and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah…”

Anytime anything that was against the Law was seen, he would “put it away”…..and cleanse the land from all these things.

Notice his diligence in the things shown in the Word he read!

And we are told to be diligent in “adding to our faith, virtue…and to virtue, knowledge…etc.”…..if we are to be fruitful in “the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).

2 Kings 23:25 “And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.”

He “turned to the Lord”. He kept The Lord before him in all his reign.

(I want to talk of repentance….or the “turn” we make, when we realize we need the Lord. It generally comes through HIs Word….and makes us see the enormity of our sin….and the penalty of it.

Repentance leads us to “turn to the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul (our thoughts, emotions, and will)….and with all our might”!

The Lord and HIs Word is the focus of our lives….and we seek the good, in the Lord, for everyone else, in our influence.

True repentance is not just wanting things to be different…..but going to the Lord in word and deed….and being obedient, by His grace from the Holy Spirit, to Him….in all things.)

His death was the cause of much sorrow in Judah (2 Chron. 35:25)….and some believe (I believe this)….it did not have to be this way. But he chose to go out and fight the king of Egypt, who was going to fight another king.

The king of Egypt was a horrible man, and had done things wrong against Judah before…..but not now.

Perhaps, he thought that going through his territory was an act of war…..but he was warned….yet continued in his chosen course…and died in battle against the king of Egypt.

Yet….God specifically says in Jeremiah, speaking of four years after Josiah’s death…Jeremiah 46:2, 10….”For this is the day of the Lord of hosts, a day of vengeance…” when Nebuchadnezzar slew Egypt’s king.

The Lord has a time and a way for every purpose of His.

(I want to mention here, that Jeremiah, Daniel, and his associates, were under the influence of Josiah….and by there turning to the Lord….where they were…became lights of influence for God!

How this shows us that our lights for the Lord….give more influence than we think…and can spread beyond what we think!)

Josiah was a good king…..because he turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul and might.

We, too, can do good…..by turning to the Lord the same way. Let us hear HIs Word…..and let it cause our hearts and minds and wills to seek the Lord, always.

The Joy of the Lord.

Nehemiah 8:10 “And he said unto them, Go thy 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.”

In other words, as they experienced this joy, and yielded to this joy; they would be strengthened in His Might.

This is to “be strong in the Lord and the power of His Might.” (Ephesians 6:10)

The need was great for Israel. They were back in the land, after the captivity.

But enemies had and would keep trying to destroy their unity, and commitment to God’s Worship.

Here, when this verse is given,…..they had just had a service where the Law and books of Prophesy were read, and interpreted to the people.

They were excited to learn, but also saddened by the memory of their sin, which had sent them out of the land; and of the trouble they were having now.

There is a time to repent;…..

and a time to rejoice in the goodness of God……

Now was their time to rejoice in the goodness of God.

We are called, as Christians, to have Christ’s Kingdom come with in our hearts and lives, now.

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

The inward Kingdom of God is set up in the hearts, of all who repent and believe the Gospel.

And that Kingdom is none other than:

Romans14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Now joy is a choice instrument, that God uses in a believing soul.

Joy and Peace are the true criteria to judge ourselves, spiritually.

When we are right with God, we have peace with God, and ourselves.

Joy follows.

Joy is particularly designed by God to be a balance against the sufferings; inward and out; of our walk of faith.

It is meant to lift up the hands which hang down, and confirm the feeble knees (Hebrews 12:12).

There is a strengthening power in the joy of the Lord.

Therefore, whatever dampens our joy in the Lord, hinders our holiness…..

(The Devil would “throw water” on our joy, so that he would spoil our enjoyment of the things God gives…and if he could, the use of them too.)

…..when we get discouraged, or depressed,……we begin to let down our shield of faith.

The firey darts of the devil get through, when the shield is down. We are wounded.

When we get like that, we need to be exhorted to do, as Israel was told:

Nehemiah 8:10 “And he said unto them, Go thy 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.”

Joy and Happiness are not the same.

Each springs from a totally different source.

Happiness comes from the situations around me. It is measured by what is happening to me. It is bound up in either the behavior of other people, to me; or the circumstances which I am in.

Joy comes directly from the Spirit of the Living God.

This joy springs from the Presence of God in my life.

It is not dependent on people, places, or the situations in which I find myself; but rather from the Presence of God with me,…..in any circumstances.

(And don’t we find it so,….that knowing that the Lord is with us, is a great blessing…always.)

Joy is one of the attributes of God that He shares with us. Joy runs like a river of goodwill, through His make-up. And He wants to share that with us.

He is the God of all Joy.

He is alive. He is here. That joy was the overflowing of power in the early Church.

And that can be the experience of all who truly allow God’s peace to rule in your hearts. When it does, joy follows.

Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

We have a purpose……and deep delight in the Lord. These are the characteristics of such a person.

There is direction in our duties, no matter how ordinary.

There is purpose in every area of our lives; for we are in harmony with the Holy Spirit within,…….and that lifts me from the confusion and trouble of this world,…….to rest in the arms of the Lord.

This is to know the joy of the Lord, and it becomes a force in my life, to dispel darkness and despair; to energize my life in my walk with God.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

We need it, and He has it for us.

The Power of God unto Salvation

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

The Thessalonians were shining examples of the power of Christ unto salvation.

From gross immorality and idol worshippers….they turned to Christ.

They were deeply loved by Paul.

For when Paul came and preached the gospel to them…..many believed, and were saved.

The persecution that began immediately….against Paul and all who believed in Christ in that city…..did not sway them….

…..but they took a firm hold on Christ….and…

….instead of growing angry or hateful….they loved each other and even their enemies, fervently….

….this was a testimony given them throughout Macedonia. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-8)

Yet no one is ever out of the need of awakening and growing in grace….so….

…..Paul writes them in small exhortations….

….certain they will listen and obey.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22:

“…know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;….and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake…”:

(Admonish means to “put you in mind” of God’s Will)

Paul begins with those “laboring among you”….

…..these are those God has given a responsibility to pray, or speak to us…”in the Lord”.

They were to see their work, and love them for it.

“Be at peace among yourselves”…..”warn them that are unruly”…or disorderly:

The first line of attack against any church is to cause arguments, or cliches….divisions between members.

This will surely make a blessed church…lukewarm, and then the blessings will depart…..

…and Paul warns against this.

“…comfort the feeble minded (faint-hearted)”. This has nothing to do with intelligence,….but courage or weakness. “Sustain the weak”

Some are faint-hearted because of unbelief. They are to be taught and encouraged in God’s faithfulness.

Some are faint-hearted because of fear…..they will not take the next step….wanting to stay in a place they know.

They are to be awakened to the Holy Spirit’s enabling…..His support in their weakness.

(There may be no inclination to give way to evil….but no courage to step out in faith…..they are to be helped in prayer and comfort)

“Be patient toward all”.

We may think we know what the problem or solution is for others…..but misjudging is easy….and patience gives us time to find out what our place is in each situation (Do a say something? Or stay quiet and pray?)

This reminds us that we are all different….yet put together in the body of Christ, as He wants.

“See that none render evil for evil…..but ever follow that which is good….”

Only good overcomes evil. And this is both to the church and outward to “all people”.

We should not show one face in church….and another, in other places. We are to be lights, and representatives of God’s mercy to the world.

“Rejoice always”

The joy of the Lord is our strength. This is in trials, as well as good times.

When we lose it, our peace wavers….and we are tempted to look toward other things for “happiness”.

Re-joy….in other words….the Lord’s joy by the Holy Spirit comes to us…and we receive it….

…then it has a chain reaction…..it warms our hearts and affections…..it calms our minds….it brings stability to our wills. The Lord’s joy is our strength.

“Pray without ceasing”

This is an acknowledged dependence upon the Lord as….Creator, Savior, Keeper, Almighty, Friend.

It is the attitude that we are in His presence all the time, ready to get direction,…. or give a prayer for someone else.

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”.

We might have thought that this would have been next to “rejoice always”…..but actually it is a prelude to:

“Quench not the Spirit”.

If we are giving the thanksgiving that we should…..we will not put out the fire of God’s Spirit within us by being miserable about things….

…..for we will see (and this is important for all Christians to see), that whatever comes to us….comes through the Will and Hand of God.

The Spirit is likened to fire within us…..warm, light,….blazing a way within ourselves, to purify us……for His power and mercy to be shown through us.

But we are charged not to “quench” Him…..not to shut Him off….not to murmur against His Way….not to be unthankful for Him.

“Despise not prophesying”

When the Bible speaks of prophesy…..it is not just speaking of future events…….it is telling God’s people what is on His mind for them for now.

Speaking out of the fullness of the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Prove means to examine, weigh, try what you hear by the Word of God.

And we are responsible to read and know God’s Word.

When we know the truth…..we are to hold it fast, maintain our walk in His light.

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

This is to stay in the light;……keep away…..run away if necessary, from the darkness.

Would you walk through a dark alley if there was a brightly lit way to home?

Then stay away from what God warns about…..walk in the sunlight of His love. (Jude 21)

There are one hundred and thirty words in these ten verses…..yet they incapsulate how we, as Christians, are to follow our Lord through this wicked world….which is full of temptations and traps.

Paul was writing a faithful and loving church…..which was under persecution.

He did not pamper them…..but with great love for their continued growth in Christ,….he exhorted (awakened) them to further godliness and joy.

What of us?

Are we content with our position in Christ….or are we…

……”reaching forth unto those things which are before,….

…pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus” as Paul, himself, did? (Philippians 3:13-14)

Now Unto Him

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.”

“That is able”….this is the first thing to consider….for without His might to do….

…..our prayers are just wishes,….

…..and His promises are just words.

But He is Almighty, Omnipotent,……Able.

When we pray, we often come before His throne with the attitude that:

He probably could, if He really wanted to…..but….

…..And there always seems to be a “but”,…..in our thoughts, if not in our words.

Able to give us just enough to squeak by?

To somehow make it?

No, that is not what this verse says….able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

And His Word endureth forever.

1 Peter 1:23-25 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away;

But the Word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Endureth…..His Word endures forever.

He meant what He said,…….whether He was speaking Himself, or speaking through another….and He said what He would and could do.

He is Able.

The scriptures prove that……the fact that He saved me, proves that….

…..the fact that each day…..yes, even the terrible days (and we have all had them)….He is with me, by His Holy Spirit…guiding, correcting, encouraging me….proves that.

“exceeding abundantly above”. No where else in the scriptures, is all three of these adjectives found together….except here….

Here, where Paul is talking to us, of coming to know Christ in a more complete and powerful way….”in our hearts”.

This is not salvation, but service he is talking about.

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;”

Paul is talking of a “grant”….”That He would grant you,…”

This is not a gift…..but a grant.

A grant is a favor (money or materials) given for a particular purpose.

It is given to be used,…….just for that purpose.

(If a professor is given a grant to find the many uses of the bark of a certain tree…..he can not use the money for other research…..just the research he got the grant for.)

We are “granted” strength by the Holy Spirit so:

That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith (and remember, faith is essential in overcoming 1 John 5:4)

…..we may be rooted and grounded in love…..

……we may comprehend with all saints the breadth, length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ….

…….we might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

There is a lot of love spoken of here…..because there can be no real power or strength for service, with out Christ’s love filling us……

……so that our love for Him is spilling over into everything we do for Him….for others….

We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)

When Christ is abiding in our hearts in love…..that is, when His presence is not just for guidance, or correction…..but in a love relationship…..then His Will is our foundation,…

…..and it is a arm in arm walk with the Lord….heart to heart.

“Exceeding abundantly above”,……what a declaration!……”all that we ask or think”…..

God knows our needs, even before we ask….while we are thinking of how to ask,……He knows,…..and is Able.

And what is the amount of the grant, in the Spirit, God will give us, personally….

The amount that He gives us, is: “According to the power that worketh in us,”

According as we let His power work in us…..to bring us to yield to the Holy Spirit within….that much power He will grant us in our asking…..

….”the riches of His glory” is the limit…..for it is “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”…..

We can become as rich as we want in His grace and love:

We can know more of the wideness of His purpose for us,

We can know more length of peace,

We can know more depth of the scriptures,

We can know more of the heights of glory in His fellowship, here….

Now unto Him that is Able….He is able.

Will we receive the “grant” for His purpose in us? And acquire the riches of His glorious life within us, more and more….

Then let His power, by the Holy Spirit “work” within us…..molding us by His grace….into His character……giving us wideness of life….His life, in us.

Let us make room for Christ.

(“Exceeding” is a favorite term of Paul…..for he gives His testimony of God’s exceeding abundant grace in:

1 Timothy 1:12-14 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who hath blessed me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy,….

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul talks of “…the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward…” (Ephesians 1:19);

“…the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)

Peter says “…..ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:13)

“….given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:….” (2 Peter 1:4)

Jude 24 says: “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,”

Exceeding means “Over, superior to, to surpass”

For Paul, and for many Christians down through the ages…..what Christ has been,…and given,….and granted them….can only be described as “exceeding”.)

Indifference.

Indifference, where God is concerned, is the worst attitude to have….for it means that you absolutely do not care one way or the other.

Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.”

And why are they lukewarm?

Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;…

….and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

Have you ever tried to talk to someone who does not care? They do not even listen,….they are thinking and looking to something else.

Matthew Henry said, “If your religion is worth anything, it is worth everything.”

God calls us to:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”(Matthew 22:37)

“Give Me thine heart,”….(Proverbs 23:26)

“…keep thy heart with all diligence…”. (Proverbs 4:23)

“…draw near with a true heart…” (Hebrews 10:22)

The heart in scripture, signifies our souls….our thoughts and reasons, our affections and emotions, and our wills.

These make up our personality.

And our personalities (souls) are able to have a personal relationship with God Almighty….through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Some people talk about having just enough religion to stay on God’s good side!

Really?

Who thinks that God will settle for hypocrisy?

Who thinks that God will be content with double mindedness or carelessness?

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

And this is to our hearts,……..we are to “be zealous”.

Zealous means to get boiling hot! To have an ardor for….a love that boils over for Christ Jesus….into all that we do!

Titus 2:13-14 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

Most of the time when we find our hearts becoming lukewarm or indifferent to the Lord…..it is because of some sin or iniquity in our hearts.

Iniquity is anything unequal to our high calling in Christ Jesus.

But Jesus came to “purify” us….for when we are cleansed from our iniquity, our hearts can rush forth in zeal toward our Lord, again.

And He purifies us with rebukes…..to correct our hearts with His Words….

….and then chastening…..to correct our ways with afflictions.

Psalms 94:12 “Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law:”

God always speaks first….and then…..and only then….if we refuse to “hear”…..will He chasten.

Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed 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?”

As Christians, we should know and do these things….

Micah 6:9 “The Lord’s Voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see Thy Name:…”

He always speaks first.

Has He not been speaking to us through His Word, His preachers, even through His circumstances?

Let us hasten to His throne….confess our indifference….our lukewarmness….

…and repent and get zealous for the Lord.

Amos; and our calling

Amos 7:14-15 “Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: (wild figs)

And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go prophesy unto My people Israel.”

He was not a prophet or a prophet’s son, but called from being a shepherd and gathering wild figs, he was called to preach repentance to Israel, that they might remember their Shepherd, and bring forth fruit to God.

Israel and Judah had separated. In Jerusalem was the temple. And the king of Israel was afraid that Israel would go back to Judah to worship at the Temple.

So he set up two idols to worship. He told them that these were just a representation of God; but he lied to them.

Israel apostatized. They had begun to worship the idols which were calves.

This was great sin. God is a jealous God, and so He sent them prophets to rebuke the king, the people, and this sin.

But the practice stuck. They refused to be healed of it. And so finally, after many years; God was going to send Israel into captivity.

And to a terrible people: cruel and vicious; the Assyrians.

But before He did, He sent Amos to call them to repentance, and to tell them what was going to happen if they refused to hear,…..this last time.

Amos 3:1-2 “Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

It was because Israel knew the Lord, He was God, that He was going to punish them for turning away from Him. They had seen His works, they had been given His Word, and they knew He was the real God.

Light brings responsibility. When we know to do good and do it not, that is sin. (James 4:17)

(When sinners stand before God, in their judgement day….it will be what they did with the knowledge of Christ and His Word to them.

They may say we never heard…..but the knowledge of God has gone throughout the earth….in creation, in preaching, in Bibles.)

When sin is added to sin,…..it is spitting in the face of God.

He is long-suffering, and merciful; but He knows when enough is enough.

He decides when drastic measures are called for. It is to bring all who will hear His Words, to return to Him.

They knew that what they were doing was against God’s Commandments and laws; yet they continued in them, because they thought they could get by with it.

So Amos came up to Israel, and preached repentance to the people,…..and at Bethel. (This was one of the places where the idols were, and one of the palaces of the king.)

Amos 7:1-3 “Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me; and, behold, He formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth;…

And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech Thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? For he is small.

The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord.”

First, it was grasshoppers to eat the grass to feed the flocks. But at Amos prayer, God “repented” or stopped His judgement, so that all would not be destroyed.

(This show us how important our prayers are. The Lord hears the prayers of the righteous, and many times it is our prayers that change a situation for good.)

Second, God sent scorching heat to lay waste the waters that they counted on.

But again Amos prayed for them, and God halted the judgement that way.

But the third time, The Lord showed Amos a plumb line. (A plumb line is a line with a weight on the bottom to hold it down straight.)

Amos 7:7-8 “Thus He showed me, and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand.

And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line, Then said the Lord, Behold, I have a set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:”

God would put a plumb line in the midst of His people. If they would “straighten out” their lives by turning back to Him, they would be spared.

But those who refused, and remained “crooked”, would fall as a wall which leans.

And how did God want them to repent?

First to return unto Him.

Amos 5:4 “For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live:”

Second, The Lord wanted them to treat the poor with dignity, and fairness.

Amos 8:4-6 “Hear this, O ye that swallow the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah (like a bushel) small, and the shekel (their money) great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?”

(And do we not see this in our time, as well?)

The title of this is Amos; and our calling.

As Christians, we too, are called to our family, our friends, our church, and our nation: to pray for and to seek their good.

And the greatest good we can pray for,……is for them to know and love The Lord, and to treat others as they want to be treated, with dignity and respect.

Under the idolatry of Israel, many were destroyed spiritually, long before God sent them out of their land, in judgement.

He sent prophets to preach His Words,…. and chastening circumstances so they would see His hand.

Finally, He sent them out of the good land, to sift them as wheat:

Amos 9:9-10 “For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not over take or prevent us.”

But even as Amos left Israel to return to being a shepherd, he heard a promise:

God would not utterly forsake His people.

They would have to go through terrible trouble to finally learn the lesson He would have easily taught them, had they listened and turned to Him.

But…

“In that day will I raise up….and I will build…saith the Lord that does this. I will bring again…and I will plant. (Amos 9:11-15)

The Lord sent Amos to preach repentance to “all who will” hear.

And we are all called to witness to our Lord Jesus Christ. To let our lights so shine that all may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven…..

…..and repent…..and turn to the Lord.

Manna,…or the old corn of the Land.

Joshua 5:11-12 “And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the marrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the self same day.

And the manna ceased on the marrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”

On this day the manna stopped. They did not need it any more. It had been God’s miraculous food for His people, in the wilderness. (Exodus16:14-16)

But now there was the old corn of the land, stored up from the harvest of the inhabitants.

When they entered Canaan, the people had fled into Jericho, and had left this supply of food behind.

Now Israel had a supply, not from heaven each morning…….but from their enemies.

Certainly, both supplies came from God:

One was directly from Him, each morning.

The other was a supply He gave from the land which they were entering.

I want to talk for a moment about the different ways God supplies our need…..both spiritual lessons and graces….and physical needs…..

….there is the “ordinary way”…from our jobs, or inheritances….these, though of course, supplied by God is not in a miraculous way.

….then there is the “surprise way”….where some gift or extra money or supplies are given for a specific time.

….then there is (and I think this is amazing!) the way God supplies our needs…through our very enemies.

How many times have we learned a lesson in courage, or peace, or strength…by our enemies?

Our God is an Almighty, and Wise God…..He knows when and where and what to “feed” us….and from what source!

These supplies were also different in the way they were presented to feed Israel.

The manna was on the ground, right outside the tents of each Israelite. So he could walk on it if he so chose.

This is a picture of Christ when He came in His humiliation as the Man Christ Jesus….He was from Heaven,…yet was presented in an earthly manner…..and many people “trod Him underfoot”.

John 6:33-35 “For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.”

He came, presented Himself as the Son of God,….and was despised and trampled on, as often the manna was to Israel.

John 6:41-42 “The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am bread which came down from heaven.

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?”

As the manna was given directly from heaven, but placed upon the ground round their tents for them to honor and receive,…..

…or to walk on…..

…..so Jesus Christ came to this earth to be received or rejected, as Savior to sinners.

The old corn of the land was discovered, as they came to possess their possessions in the Promised Land.

It was part of their inheritance,……and so they received it with thanksgiving.

This is like Christ being presented as Lord and Savior to a lost and dying world….

……after He had ascended into heaven again, receiving all power, and set down at the right hand of God, with all authority.

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and , lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

(You must remember that the apostles began the work of the gospel to the world in Jerusalem, among the very ones who had crucified Jesus.

They preached Christ there, and on the first day of Pentecost three thousand were saved.

From Jerusalem, it was Judea, Samaria [the places Jesus had preached] and to the uttermost part of the world from there. [Acts 1:8])

Christ Jesus was presented to the lost world, and where He was received, there was thanksgiving.

Was their battles? Yes, in both cases:

Israel in Canaan….

…..the Gospel of Christ to the world.

(I do not believe there has never been a time when Christians have not been persecuted somewhere in the world…..for Christ’s sake….we should expect it….and not be caught off guard.)

Yet Christ is set before us as our inheritance;

He nourishes us; builds us up; and sustains us.

Let us give thanks for His Salvation, and all He has done for us….each day.

Christ is still the Bread of Life. He is still being presented to the world.

Both supplies of food represent Christ…..one sent from heaven to be presented to Israel, on the ground.

One sent by heaven through the very enemies they were to overcome, as they entered into their possessions in the Promised Land.

Let us praise God for all the ways He sees to us, to His Gospel, and to the honor of His Son.

“Praise Him, praise Him….sing of His excellent greatness:

Praise Him, praise Him! Ever in joyful song!”

Are we enjoying our portion?