Precious

1 Peter 2:7 “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious:…”

Precious means “valuable, dear, beloved”.

Let us consider the Value of Christ.

To God, Christ is the foreordained Beloved Son, given for the world.

He is Creator and Sustainer of all things.

(Hebrews 1:2-3 “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son,…by Whom also He made the worlds;…and upholding all things by the word of His power…”)

To God’s glory, Christ was promised, came, and fulfilled all HIs Will for the atonement of sins, the redemption of mankind and creation, and the defeat of all enemies of God…sin, the devil, death.

To God the Father, Christ HIs Son….is dear, most beloved (John 3:16-17)….

….yet He “spared not HIs own Son” (Romans 8:32) when our sin was laid upon Him, on the cross.

Not one part of our punishment was “spared” Christ…..that we might become “precious” to God, in Christ. That God might become our Father.

1 Peter 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Christ is the “Stone, a precious corner Stone” of His Church.

Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”

He is our Precious corner-stone. And as we are in Him, we are lively stones…builded up in HIs spiritual house. And Peter says to those who have tasted that the Lord is “gracious”.

(This grace is not the grace that saves…Eph. 2:8-9,….

….but the grace which comes to us day by day from the Lord….and enables us to stand against the wiles of the devil….and have joy and peace, even in the trials and suffering of our way, from here to heaven.)

1 Peter 2:3-5 “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

To Whom coming, as unto a Living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

(Have we so tasted that our Lord is gracious day by day?)

Then comes the blessed statement:

1 Peter 1:17 “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious:…”

And He is! He is the value of my life.

Through Jesus, we have received….”like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1)…..and His divine power (grace) hath given unto us all things that works in our life for godliness….

….He gives us “exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Peter1:4)….that we might be enabled to be like Him…”partakers of the divine nature”…escaping the pollution that is in the world through lust.

[Think pollution of air and water. We breathe, the air may seem fine, but there are particles of things which may cause illness. We drink water, and within the water their may be chemicals or germs which will hurt. So we are in the world….and it is a beautiful and wonderful world….but there are also many things which defile us, as we walk through it…..

…..and so we are warned of them. But that alone would not be enough….so, God, through Christ, has given us His Word…..His precious promises to escape these “pollutants”.]

Peter writes, after many years of ministry of the precious trial of faith. (1 Peter 1:7). For we are called to trials…..to strengthen and encourage our faith and dependency on our Lord Jesus….for He is not only our example in this…..but our courage, our strength, our peace and joy.

The Psalmist, when he saw that God saw him in every way….and his situation….exclaimed in joy and hope!

Psalm 139:17 “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”

And surely we can say the same. He sees, He knows, He thinks of us always….and in His thoughts of us, are the means and ways to bring us through. He is gracious!

He is Precious!

So we are called to go forth in our everyday days…..and shine His light….sow HIs gospel seed…..proclaim that He is Precious:

Psalm 126:6 “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring his sheaves with him.”

John 4:35 “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

Our lives show Christ Jesus. Are we showing how precious to us, He is?

The Potter, and the Clay

Jeremiah 18:5-6 “Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,

O house of Israel, can not I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord, Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

Paul says the same thing in:

Romans 9:20-21 “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?”

This is not our bodies; yes, they are all different, but God is speaking of molding our souls. God has used every experience of our lives to shape our souls.

Our souls are that which makes us unique. They are a gift from God that no other creature has.

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.”

The soul is the apartment of self-consciousness. It is where our personality is. There, our individual character is formed, and rules our thought life, our emotions, our will, our conscience, and our social interactions.

When we are born again, we are given the blessed privilege of having the Holy Spirit come and dwell with us, for Christ said He would not leave us comfortless, He would come unto us.

John 14:16-18 “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.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

As Christians, Paul is saying that as God’s “clay”, we need to accept what we are,

how we are,

and even, where we are,

and then be reconciled to Him, in them.

How much of our discontent lies in this.

God wants to make us a vessel unto honor, and has given us His Spirit to enable and mold us:

2 Timothy 2:20-21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor.

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

To move forward with God, you must be in your place before Him. To know that He is there with us, because He loves us.

So many people say, “God knows best”;……yet doubt every time trouble comes.

They are anxious, burdened, and worried.

(Haven’t we all experienced this doubt?)

But we are called to “possess our souls”….our souls are our mind, heart, and will….which make up our personality.

Luke 21:19 “In your patience, possess ye your souls.”

We are to gain, by subjection to the Holy Spirit, real power over our affections:

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”

Proverbs 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

Our thoughts:

1 Peter 1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

And wills:

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

There is always trouble here, in this world; but as you submit to the Holy Spirit, the influence of the trouble is less, and less.

His power to help, strengthen, and encourage is more and more.

He is the Potter, we are the clay.

Submitting to Him we have liberty, and begin to have the fruit of the Spirit working in us and through us.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Let us yield; or give in; or submit; or surrender; all terms which mean that for us,…we choose Christ…..and Christ will choose for my life.

To be Saved Spirit, Soul and Body

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.”

Sanctification is when we are “set aside to sacred use”; to God’s use.

We are sanctified by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; for in their purpose and Will for us, they are One….

“Sanctified by God the Father…” (Jude 1)

“Sanctified in Christ Jesus…” (1 Corinthians 1:2)

“Through sanctification of the Spirit…” (1 Peter 1:2)

Sanctification is done by God and us, cooperating together…….by us yielding to the Holy Spirit’s “artea” or force within….as He manifests the Will of God to us.

Now the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly.

We can not be at odds with God in anything and know this peace. This peace is not judicial (the peace between us and God we get, when we are born again: Romans 5:1)…….but this is personal peace….the peace that garrisons our hearts. (Philippians 4:7)

And this sanctification begins with our spirits. We bring ourselves into subjection to the Holy Spirit, which indwells our spirit.

You yield to the Holy Spirit within…..and when you do, you are empowered to do.

He manifests a “force” within us.

Luke 9:54-56 “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did?

But He turned, and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”

Jesus turned to his disciples, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are manifesting. For it is not what I will to do…..for I came to save men, not destroy them.”

The spirit they were showing, was the spirit of anger and revenge. They wanted to “show them”, for rejecting Jesus, and them.

But Jesus said, that it was not the Spirit He would show…..and walked away.

Let us talk of the spirit we show, and how the Lord wants us to be, by the power of the Holy Spirit:

A proud and haughty spirit…..which is surprisingly easy for us to manifest…..we can even be proud that we are born again!

James 4:6 “But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but give grace to the humble.”

A fence-sitting spirit….we go this way, then that way,….letting circumstances rule us….and our conduct….not God’s Spirit.

Proverbs 25:28 “He that no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.”

We are responsible to rule our own spirit, by keeping the walls of separation from the world…..up.

An unforgiving spirit….how hard it is to let go of hurt and anger…..until the Lord helps us.

Matthew 18:35 “So likewise shall My Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.”

We must through the power of the Holy Spirit, forgive from our hearts….and know we have forgiven. To forgive is to not feel the influence of the hurt or insult any more.

The spirit of faithlessness and unbelief:

To start well, and backslide….to come to some temptation which is too strong for us….. unless we give it to the Lord, and get the victory,…..in Him.

Hebrews 3:12 “Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”

2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,….”

And a broken spirit, which the Lord will not despise

Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite spirit, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”

The Soul is next:

The Lord Jesus taught that those that truly follow Him, must lose their “life” in themselves,…..in order to gain it….in Him.

We must lose our own way of reasoning and looking at things…..and then….we can begin to value things from an entirely different viewpoint…..His.

The will is dealt with by denying ourselves: saying no to our attitudes and thoughts and going with the Lord in His.

Luke 9:23-24 “And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.”

In this, the mind and heart is also dealt with….till our minds are “renewed”,…….so we want to think about things the way the Lord does…

Romans 12:2 “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.”

And our hearts are brought out from the prison of worldly lusts (I want this, and I want this now)….to the open sunshine of His love….

Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

This requires honesty between the Lord and us….but…

…..when this happens our souls quiet ourselves under the loss of anything it formerly loved, and lives….peacefully and joyfully….upon God, and His grace.

Yet these are not separate from our body…..they are seen in our body. The facial expressions we use….the reactions to comments, and to people.

All these are seen in our body.

And our body is to be the temple of the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed: we are perplexed, but not in despair,

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

We manifest through our bodies….which we are to give to God,….His character.

Here is where the ordinary living comes in.

As an old preacher once wrote:

“We may enjoy the heavenly things now and again…..or we can elevate the ordinary things we do, each day.

Doing each act as a sacrifice to the Lord….whether sleeping or waking,…..working or resting,….whether with others or by myself; I am walking with the Lord, and all I do, is for Him.”

Sanctification is to set ourselves aside to sacred use….to be used by God anywhere or any how.

And we only set ourselves aside, as we yield to God’s influence, by the Holy Spirit, His Word, and His working:

Philippians 2:12-15 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Do all things without murmurings and disputings.

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 shine as lights in the world;”

Shining as His lights in this world…..is HIs use of us.

We are taken from darkness, and given light.

Then we are to shine all the light we have, in a world which is in darkness.

What a purpose we have!

And we accomplish it by letting God sanctify us….yielding to Him….and letting His life be manifested,…..in us.

(There have been a lot of verses, and a lot set forth here…..but I wanted to show that the “so great salvation” which God prepared for us, is extensive.

He saves to the uttermost, all who come to Him.

And for those who keep coming to Him…..for that is what true believing does….keeps coming to the Only One Who can do anything about me…..then He leads us on, and I believe, He will continue to, through all eternity….more, more of our blessed Lord.)

The Mountains we are Called To

Song of Solomon 4:8 “Come with Me from Lebanon, my spouse, with Me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions den, from the mountains of the leopards.”

Mountains in scripture speak of insurmountable problems….things we can never handle on our own.

But the scriptures also show that God’s people are people of the mountains. (Lot choosing the plain, but Abraham on the mountain. Genesis 13:10, 14-15)

And in this beautiful song, which speaks of the believer (in the maiden) being drawn to a personal relationship with Christ (the shepherd-king);….there are mountains….several mountains.

By the time this call comes to the believer, he has followed the Lord and learned to come out from the wall of our past experience, and go on. (Song of Solomon 2:8-10)

But, though hesitant at first, the believer has come….and found more of that relationship power…..for the believer has found more of Christ.

But now, the call comes to “come with Me” to the peaks of Lebanon. (“From” here, means to look from)

There are three peaks the Lord is calling us to experience with Him…always with Him….

Amana: means “confirmation”. It is a word related to “Amen”….”let it be done”

(Only He can say Amen to anything….for only He can speak, and it will be done…although we may join His Amen with ours…aligning ourselves with Him.)

He is the Amen….and from this peak….as we follow Him….we can see His view point on the things below.

For God sees us in Christ, and as we are in Christ….all the things that come to us, are purposed….either for blessing or correction.

Trials are to be seen as from Christ’s hand. Christ as our Teacher leads us into lessons we could not learn in other circumstances.

Corrections are to seen as sent in love, to bring us back to Him.

These are high things….heady things, which we need His Arm to steady us, as we climb up.

As we climb up, we begin to put the things of our circumstances, into perspective…..His perspective.

Amen, Lord, this is Your will, so I will do it.

Shenir: means “pointed word or saying”; as in the Sword of the Spirit….our armor…(Ephesians 6:17)

This peak speaks about our warfare against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

But, as we climb this peak with the Lord Jesus, we begin to be given His “pointed word” which we can use against our adversary.

Up on this peak, the Lord gives us a view of how the adversary is trying to trick us….we see more clearly the things which might trip us up.

Thank you Lord for this sight ahead…and for Your Word to use in the battles coming up.

Hermon: means “abrupt”…or “destruction “…..like an unseen cliff at the end of the way.

That is what our sin had brought us to: destruction;…….but remember, we are with Jesus, our Savior. We have come with Him.

And on this peak, we see the Victory of the Cross of Christ in a fuller way.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

His salvation is a complete one: over the curse of sin in every way….. in us by the power by His grace.

Death brought on by sin is separation from God for eternity….but we are not separated, but with Him.

And therefore the sting or terror of death is gone……..as Christians, we fall asleep (Acts 7:60),….we close our eyes here, and open them in heaven.

And in seeing these, we can enter into the joy of them.

But beside these wonderful peaks…..there is danger, for we are traveling through this world, still.

There are….”The lions dens, the mountains of the leopards”.

In our walk with Jesus, there are enemies, which we will have to meet for our work and walk.

Lions roar…..they frighten and terrify, to throw us off guard, and into panic.

Leopards are tremendously strong, carrying their prey, and devouring them.

And the closer you grow to the Lord,……the more the enemy will fight.

But the Lord is with us…..and He has brought us up on these peaks to give us His view point…..

….and with that view point, we become enabled:

With His Will…..Amen….He can say, “Let it be done”, for the things ahead.

With His Word….the sword of the Spirit….to use against the tricks which come against us.

With His Victory….there is no destruction for us….death is to fall asleep. The body may be in a grave, but we are not. We will be with Christ in heaven.

These mountain peaks the Lord calls His believers to. They are high, and sometimes dangerous….but they are with Him.

“Come with Me.”

Really determining to do His Will

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

Let us consider what “to will” means.

The will is the whole man active…..the will alone, does not rule the person….for it is brought into subjection to our thoughts (our reasons, and attitudes) and to our hearts (our emotions and feelings).

Both of these push and pull the will into doing things.

But when we will something….we become wholly active….and begin do it.

The Lord often spoke to the will…..especially to His disciples (those that follow Him)….”If any man will, let him…” (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23); but He was speaking to the whole man….”Let the heart want to….the mind take hold of My Words….and the will move you, to follow Me.”

If any man will do His Will…..the Living New Testament says, “If any man really determines to do His Will…”….

…that is to “will” to do.

Thus, you prove His Will by doing it. When you have really determined to do God’s Will, then when you hear His Word…..you will know what He wants you to do.

And you will know whither it is of God, or your own idea…..He will not leave you in darkness….but will give you light for your walk.

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

The creature must find that resting place…..and that resting place is in the Will of the Creator….in the light and knowledge of it.

It is not the “success” or “failure” of any given task…..but was it what the Lord wanted?

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remainth therefore a rest for the people of God.

For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.

Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

We “labor” by willing it.

And that “rest” is in the Will of God. It is a peace of being…..by the Holy Spirit….no matter the outward circumstances; because we are uniting with the Almighty.

We can live a productive life, in the world; a successful life; a kind life;….all of which is good….

But God wants us to live a restful life in Him….in His Word….in His Will.

That “rest” is of the spirit, soul and body……looking to Jesus Christ for help, and sustaining grace….because the enemy of that peace in Him…..is unbelief.

Unbelief is not some little sin…..it is the worst of all sins….it crucified the Lord of Glory.

It says: I do not trust You, Lord….I am scared.

It says: Surely, this is something even You, Lord, can not see to.

It says: I do not see You doing anything, therefore You won’t.

Unbelief says a lot of things to our hearts and minds….it can lead us away from God quite quickly…..into imaginations of panic, or anger, or hurt…

But when unbelief comes….telling us all, what God can not do….we need to quickly say:

“I believe….help Thou my unbelief” (Mark 9:24)

…..and then hold on to the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

This is an amazing verse….The Word of God (yes, read, spoken, and heard) is quick: It acts now, making a difference to all who will hear it.

Is powerful: for it works within us to enlighten the situation, and encourage, and tell us what to do,….or what God will do.

Is sharper than any two edged sword: the Word “cuts”…separates the spirit, and what the Holy Spirit is impressing us…..

…..and the soul, what we feel, and think of the situation.

It shows us what we are really thinking…..what we are really feeling.

(How many times have you thought…..”It’s Ok….I can deal with this hurt”.

Then you hear a message,….read a devotion….or speak to a Christian concerning some scripture:

And, “bam”…..you know you have not gotten this healed.

But then, this Word can show you how to get it restored.

[There are many verses which show His healing: spiritually, mentally, physically. Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 53:5, Malachi 4:2, 1 Peter 2:24. And sometimes, it is healing of our whole being.])

This requires us to hear His Word….and be honest with Him about what He is saying to us. (Luke 8:15)

But the quick, powerful, sharp Word of God will be that guide we need, to get the “rest”, here, the Lord has for us….in the knowledge of His Will.

It will show us what His Will is, that we may “really determine”….or “will to do His Will”,…

….that we may know that we have done His Will….no matter the outcome, and be at rest in believing obedience to Him.

A Victorious Christian should not feel resentment.

Let us consider what resentment is….and who it is against.

If we are a Christian….and belong to Christ, everything that comes to us is through His hand. He permits it…either for our learning, to draw out our faith in Him….or for our correction, to awaken to His claims on our life….or for our blessing, for every time we grow closer to Him, it is a blessing.

So we need to see first what resentment is:

Resentment is spoken in the scriptures as “bitterness”

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

This was spoken of Esau. He sold his birthright easily enough, he never cared for it. But when it came time to acknowledging Jacob with the birthright…..he refused and hated him for obtaining it. He never let this resentment go….and it continued in his descendants, the Edomites toward Israel….till they were destroyed.

Peter told Simon, the sorcerer, when he pretended to be converted….and then tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit to make himself important…Acts 8:22-23….”Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

(The story is an interesting one. A revival was going on in Samaria, where Simon was “Somebody”….For they thought he was from God.

But when Jesus Christ was preached, and people were truly saved, they realized that he had fooled them.

But then Simon “believed”, and followed Phillip around, seeing the healing and miracles that he did in Jesus name. Then when the Holy Spirit was given by Peter coming and laying on of his hands….he felt he could regain his power….and sought to buy it.

The object of his affection wasn’t God’s glory but his own glory….because at the root of his heart….there was bitterness or resentment that Christ Jesus had replaced him with the people!)

Resentment then has to do with us….our place in the world, our place or position in our own thoughts:

Why did they do this to me?

Why should they have this, and not me? Why am I always the one to give in to this person’s way?

Why? Why? Why?

But all these “whys” have to do with the way people or God is treating me…..in other words, resentment has to do with our self-life.

My husband once was preaching on this verse in Hebrews and told a story on himself:

When he first came back into the Way with the Lord, and the Lord was dealing with him about people at work…about the church he was to attend…and about being called to preach….he kept asking God, “Why”.

Every time the Lord would deal with him, about this question…..”It is not for you to know why I tell you to do something….but for you to obey.”

Again and again, my husband would catch himself starting to ask, Why?

And again and again the Lord’s Words….”Not my Will, but Thine be done” would come to him.

It began to hurt every time he thought “why”…..and finally he settled things with the Lord…..he came as God’s servant, and simply told Him that he would obey….he would be in the place that God chose, with the people God chose, and doing the work God chose.

His heart came to the place of rest, and the bitterness….resentment….was gone.

And it is the same with each of us….

….when we see that we resent this or that….whatever it is, and for what cause or reason….we must deal with it by going to the Lord and laying it all out to Him.

“Lord, I resent this….and I want to deal with it….please show me the whole root of this, and I submit to You in it. Remove the bitterness, and resentment that is here….for I give it, and myself…and my place in this, to You.”

He will have the Victory over us….He will lead us as One with Him in our everyday things….and we can know the amazing liberty from the burden of bitterness and resentment.

A Victorious Christian should not feel resentment….for we have left the world’s accolades….and our desire for being first….and given ourselves to be the servants of the Most High.

He rules and overrules….and though we face many problems….and though the nights are dark, and the enemies are many….yet we rest in the Sovereign Pleasure of the Lord Jesus Christ….and yield in thanksgiving to the blessings He has for me,….for us.

His Fulness

John 1:16 “And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”

As born again ones, we….”and of HIs fulness have all we received”.

It is “of His fulness”….which suggests out of the fulness of God….His Word, His merits, His ability, His character, His strength, His love….comes to us.

We have the Holy Spirit within.

We are babes in Christ….but as we grow in grace, we learn to trust His grace….and are filled with Him to the capacity we are emptied of self. (Eph. 5:18)…

….and as we continue to yield to the Holy Spirit within….we will continue to be filled….even to overflowing.

Romans 5:17 (Williams Version) “For if by one man’s offense, death reigned thru that one, to a much greater degree will those who continue to receive the overflow of His unmerited favor and HIs gift of right standing with Himself, reign in real life through One, Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:17 (KJV) “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.”

In Christ Jesus, it is “to a much greater degree”. We will receive more….and can continue to receive more….than what we lost in Adam (and we lost a lot).

This “overflow” of grace….is the same, as the promise of “abundant life”…

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

There are two things here: life in Christ, and abundant life in Christ. And Jesus Christ said He had come to give both to His sheep.

It is the Creator, giving of Himself to the creature…God, giving of Himself to you.

We are to experience this overflow of grace (the unmerited favor of power).

The more you use the grace given…and remember it is “grace for grace”…the more you acquire grace.

Grace is not just for salvation….but it is the ability we need to see us from being born again to heaven. We are not to stumble along….but we are to:

Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

This we are to do….have our strength, renewed. (Renewed means changed)

Whether we will mount up with wings as eagles…seemingly flying over our circumstances in attitude and obedience.

Or we will run, focusing on the Lord’s Way before us….yielding to His stamina to finish our race.

Or we will walk with Him, in our day by day situations….in perseverance….no matter what comes up.

“Of His fulness have we all received”. Notice, it is we all. Not one Christian is exempt from this fulness.

They may be “Little-faith”. Or they may be “Great-grace”…but they have received…”of His fulness”.

And we are called to “continue to receive the overflow”.

How? Let me ask you…..how did you first believe?

Simply, the power of the Holy Spirit worked in you the desire for salvation. “For by grace are we saved”…..So it is with His fulness.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

The grace we received from Christ changes us into “the same image”….or the image (character) of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Even as by the Holy Spirit, Who creates within us the desire to grow up. From babes in Christ, feeding on the milk of the Word…..to flying, running, walking with God.

We experience the good will of God toward us, and the good work of God in us….keeping us to “continue to receive the overflow” of HIs grace…..His fulness.

It is not that we earn these things, but that we continue to receive them…..with open face….open hearts toward Him.

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17)…and as we see ourselves in that glass (mirror James 1:22-25)……facing the truth about ourselves, “grace for grace” will be applied.

How much ability do we need? To that extent….God’s grace is given….every time.

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Again, “in the face of Jesus Christ”. As we behold Him in eyes of faith, we are changed….by grace….into the same image….

….and that light can shine out through us.

His fulness….all that He has done….and all that the Lord Jesus Christ is….as Creator, Savior, Lord, King, Mediator,….

….all that He is….is shone us as we behold Him….and as we yield to the Holy Spirit, He changes us into the same character…..by grace.

Tabitha/Dorcas

Acts 9:36-38 “Now there was in Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did.

And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

….and the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.”

Notice two things: she was a disciple….a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.

Whether she had been saved before the Lord’s death….or after, in the outflowing of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church….it does not say.

But she was living proof of what Jesus said,….

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

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

….for she loved God, and others in word and action….doing all she could for those who had no one to care for them…..the widows.

(Widows were often destitute….unless they had children who would care for them, as well as their own families.)

Acts 9:39 “Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.”

Second, she had two names…..one Hebrew, and one Greek. Both mean “gazelle, or beautiful”.

She had two names, I believe, because she ministered to any and all widows.

As a believer….she had not confined her ministry to the Hebrew widows but to others as well.

She made coats and garments for these…..things of her own hands….not a penny here, or there as if they were beggars…..but providing coverings for the cold nights, and garments for dignity.

(As Christians, we too, should provide for those we minister to…..we should cover them by our prayers, and seek for their good….not just outward, but inward blessing.)

Peter, who had just healed a man in the neighboring city (Acts 9:34 “…Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.”)…

…… was hurriedly called to come to see if he could do anything for Tabitha.

Peter had healed…….this would be resurrection from the dead in Jesus Name. Was it possible?

Peter comes, as he is called, and goes in…..not stopping to admire her good works….or grieve with their loss….

….he knew what he had to do….and did it….according to the Lord’s Will.

Acts 9:40-41 “But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body (she is still dead, at this point)

said, Tabitha, arise.

And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.”

Jesus had brought back to life, several, when He was here…..but no one had been risen from the dead since the Holy Spirit had been given on the day of Pentecost.

Yet, praying in the Name of Jesus Christ, Peter then speaks the same word as Jesus did to the ruler’s daughter (Luke 8:54-55)…”Arise”.

Because of this, there was not only joy in those widows and the believers there…..but this was a witness to Jesus Christ throughout the city…..

Acts 9:42 “And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.”

We think that this happened because she was so good…..

….but it happened because those around her sought for her…..the Lord’s Will.

They might not have believed that their prayers alone would have brought her back to life…..but they believed that Peter would know what to do….so…

They called for Peter…..and Peter did just that….the Lord’s Will.

What of us?

Are we hesitating to seek in prayer for the spiritual life of someone….because we are not very important?

Then let us call for the One we know will do what is right…Jesus Christ…..and seek His Will done in every situation.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Would you have this promise? Would you have the opportunities opened to you, or those you are praying for?

(Notice the “it shall”, “ye shall”, “it shall” of this promise.)

The first thing we must do….is ask.

Well, that is nothing new….and it is not.

We need to “ask” for everything. We are so poor, so desperate,….that we are in need of everything from Him.

For without Him, we can do nothing.

We are called to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

And the first thing we need to know is,…….Is what we are asking for, according to His Will?

Well, if it is, then we can continue with the promise, for we will receive an answer.

We can then “seek, that we shall find”

Seeking requires effort.

If you are looking for something in one place, and it is in another place…..no matter how hard you look, you won’t find it.

You must go where it is….to look for it.

For instance:

There are times that what we ask for…..is right before us.

But we refuse to see it…..because it is not what we think it ought to be, or the way it ought to be.

(I must tell you, I have many a discussion with the Lord about “the way” He is doing things….the people He used to show me things….the times of waiting on Him to speak.)

Simple Example: When my daughter was younger, she had a paper route, she walked around every evening. I was not always home at the time she left, but about half the time I was.

I had been praying about losing a little weight, for my health….as I was getting older, and I thought the Lord would give me directions for diet, or exercises…..but what He said was….”go out on the paper route with your daughter.”

First, I thought this ridiculous (yes, I was the ridiculous one)…..because it was her job, and “I thought” it would be taking some of that responsibility away from her.

But, the Lord insisted….and I went….every time I was home to go. It helped my knees, my breathing…..but it also gave us time to talk…..about something….about nothing things.

And it led to some conversations with other people I had not officially met, and some prayers shared.

Did the Lord know what He was doing? Of course!!! And it was right in front of me the whole time! God is so good!)

So we “seek” the means or the way the Lord wants to show us the door, that needs to be opened.

So many examples….

Moses’ shepherd’s rod….just a shepherd’s rod (Exodus 4:2-5)…..but in God’s Way, it was used……before Pharaoh, at the Red Sea, bringing water from the rock, holding it up in battle. (This was a means for Moses….God had him use it all the time)

David before Goliath…..stones and a sling, instead of Saul’s armor. (1 Samuel 17:38-40) was God’s way for him.

David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem….using the wrong means at first, for they did not seek His Way….but then bringing it up after God’s “due order”,….in joy.(2 Samuel 6:3-15)

Daniel praying for Jerusalem…..should he continue to do what the Lord wanted………and be thrown into the lion’s den…….or save himself, giving up prayer? (Daniel 6:5-23)

Paul and Silas in jail…..when the earthquake came…..they remained in jail, not moving until the Lord gave permission….to the saving of a jailer.(Acts 16:25-34)

And my daughter and I. Our relationship was good….but so much better after I began to go out with her……an opened door that would not have been,…..had I rejected God’s Word to me.

When we find the door, we are to “knock” at the “door”.

This is the doing, the obedience to God’s answer; for He will open it at the right time.

When we ask…..we are to receive the answer. Sometimes that is it…..the answer given, we are done.

In some cases, we need to seek the means for further instruction as to how to find the door we need to knock on.

Some prayer seems simple: This person is troubled….”Lord help them find an answer, or comfort.”

But what if the Lord shows you that you are to seek a promise to claim for them…

Then, when you have it,…..you are to knock with that promise till the “door” is opened….whether it is a door within them….opened more to Jesus;

Or a “door” of opportunity,…a “door” of forgiveness,…..a “door” of liberty.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.”

It is not calling Jesus, Lord…..but it is doing the Will of the Father that counts.

When the Lord Jesus has my will….then He will use my will to bring His Will to pass…..many different ways….but all His Way.

Because our Wills are One with His.

How many “doors” are still shut in our lives, or the lives of others……because we are not going the full way with the Lord,……and seeking,….and knocking?

Take Heed

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

If you have the desire to hear what the Lord is saying to you….you will. If you do not really want to hear…you won’t.

Take heed, or pay attention to those things that will hinder our profiting from the Word that we hear.

Jesus just gave the parable of the Sower sowing the Word. There were four kinds of soil which it landed on:

1)The wayside….the really hard ground around the prepared field where the workers walked.

The seed was so little considered, that when it landed there, it was walked on; “trodden under foot”.

This is the way some people treat God’s Word…they might listen to it, but they do not regard it, so they eventually they trample all over what it says…and Jesus, Who said it.

2)The rocky ground…the part of the field where they had taken out the large rocks, but there were still smaller ones there.

The seed there was starved for moisture…or the healthful influences of the Holy Spirit.

It “sprung up”….started to hear and to see what was being said for themselves, but the hard places in the heart…even though they were smaller(resentments, hurts, anger)….quenched the Holy Spirit….and because they refused to remove these “rocks”, the Word withered within them.

3)The thorny ground…the part of the field where the seed grows up with the weeds.

At first, it looks like you can get some harvest, though it maybe small.

But the “thorns” or the things of the world (worries, riches or wanting them, and pleasures of this life) are too strong….they pull all the life from the plants, and do not produce anything.

(How many times have we felt our desires taking over our thoughts, and actions?

And these desires can be for a better home, job, car, or anything else. It is not the desire, itself….but how much it influences our affections.

Are we becoming depressed because we do not have them?

Are we thinking about them all the time?

These are thorns, which if we continue to let them grow; and do not pull them out, will choke the Word of God from our hearts.

We pull them out by coming to the Lord and turning them over to Him; confess any sin about them, and ask Him to remove the affections for them….and the influence they have on us.)

4)The good ground…the part of the field where the most preparation has taken place (Jeremiah 4:3).

The ground has been turned over, and smoothed, so when the Seed was placed there, there was nothing to hinder it’s growth.

Luke 8:15 “And that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

There is nothing that God loves so much than a person that get’s honest with Him…..it is an acknowledgement that our hearts are open to Him in everything.

Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

If a person’s ways are honest with the Lord, He will reward his honesty with spiritual fruit.

This heart produces fruit….for the Word we hear, we keep, and we use to help us.

Any honest man who comes to God as he is, comes to the ground where God can meet with him.

Isaiah 57:15, 18 “For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

I have seen his ways, and I will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners (those that sympathized with him).”

On that same ground of honesty, God grants grace….the unmerited favor of power to do something about ourselves, and the situation we are in.

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

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

When we face the truth about ourselves, in any given situation….His grace is applied, right then….and we can produce the fruit of the Spirit within us.

Grace changes us….enabling the weakest Christian to remain strong, patient, to forgive, or any ability we need…..when we get honest with the Lord.

(To be frank, this is the hardest part….for when we pray, we often just ask for grace, without telling the Lord all our deepest feelings. Tell Him all, and let Him heal all…that is the truth and grace of Christ Jesus being applied to us…to make us whole.)

If you read this parable, it was only His disciples who asked, “What might this parable be?”

They wanted to understand the Word that they heard.

To “understand” means “to come together”……..to comprehend so that the actions follow the mind.

The crowd seemed happy just to listen and be around Jesus. Like a vacation from their life….but with no change in their life.

Matthew 13:13, 15 “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

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 hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

They did not understand…because they let their hearts become heavy with cares. (Their life was hard….This might be natural)

They let their ears stop hearing Him, because He required more than they wanted to give.

[He asked them to trust and believe in Him….they wanted Him to keep feeding them, and healing all their illnesses John 6:26-27].

(This is a turning away with their hearts)

Their eyes they closed, because they did not want to “see”, that the Lord was calling them to be His, completely. (This was a choice of the will…they closed them)

Luke 8:15 “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

A good and honest heart: Good because it is honest with God.

(In the Greek, the word for “honest” (“kalos”) here, means “beautiful, valuable, or virtuous”. I believe the Lord shows that to be honest with Him, is beautiful.)

Again, any honest man who comes to God….as he is….comes to the ground where God can meet with him….and He will.

“…I have seen his ways, and I will heal him…”. The Lord says “I will” and where He wills, there is power.