Reality, or Virtual Reality;  Which?     

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,  but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;  

                                       Casting down imaginations,  and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,  and bringing into captivity ever thought to the obedience of Christ;”

What is the difference?  They both have reality in them, don’t they?

Reality (and we are talking about Spiritual Reality, here) is truth. 

(We have come to believe that truth for me,  is what I believe.   No,  truth is what really is…..whether I believe it or not.)

Spiritual Reality is to have in your experience, what you think you have.

We are born again.  We are growing in grace, and in the love of Jesus; both to Him and His people.  We are denying ourselves, and picking up our cross.   We are being obedient to His Will.

Imaginations plague everyone.

We dream about doing great things;  but never do them. (Or perhaps we begin, with great enthusiasm, but never finish)

We speak about doing great  things;  but we put them off, for “a while”. 

Paul is encouraging these Corinthians to finish what they started:

2 Corinthians 8:9-11 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,  that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor,  that ye through His poverty might be rich.

                                      And herein I give my advice:  for this is expedient for you,  who have begun before,…

                                      Now therefore perform the doing of it,  that as there was a readiness to will,  so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.”

(Here, Paul is speaking about a gift for the poor brethren;  but I have had the Lord use these verses on me about a job I needed to see done.  Like I spoke of:  I had started,  then just put the rest off.   I needed to finish it.)

 

Virtual Reality is everywhere.  People say, “Believe in yourself!”       We want to, so we pretend that we do,  but we don’t; so our life becomes a life of standing taller, smiling bigger, etc.    But it is not real,  and we know it;   because we never bring ourselves to Jesus Christ, as we are.

Virtual Reality is to believe you have something,  you do not.  

This is to believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ,  but never submit to His power to bring me into obedience to His teaching.

2 Timothy 3:5, 7 “Having the form of godliness,  but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away.

                               Ever learning,  and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

How do they “deny the power thereof”?

Certainly, it can be unbelief at work.

Many people believe in God, but not a personal God which has fellowship with His people.  A God that probably is up there somewhere,  but would not take any notice of things here,  especially specific people, especially them.

But it can also be  an deliberate choice to keep God away from “interfering” in their lives.

They sit and hear the Word of God, and let it flow over them;  thinking that if they ignore Him long enough; He will leave them alone to do what they want.

(This would be a terrible end)

They hear the doctrine;  but never let it take root in their hearts.

They let one lesson, push out the other.  “Ever learning”,  and yet never coming to the place that they have in their experience what the Lord Christ has for them.

Usually this type of decision is made because the heart is “taken up” with something else.   There is no room for Christ Jesus,  and they choose to continue in this life of Virtual Reality. (No this is not the video games;  but it is the “games” people play in their minds.)

2 Timothy 3:14-17 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,  knowing of Whom thou hast learned them;

                                   and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

                                   All scripture is given by inspiration of God,  and is profitable for doctrine,  for reproof,  for correction,  for instruction in righteousness:

                                    That the man of God may be perfect (complete) throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Paul wrote Timothy, encouraging him to continue in the Word of God, because God will make it profitable to those who truly choose to follow it.

Reality is having what God has for you:  He paid the price to save you to “the uttermost”.

Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him,  seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

Won’t you have it of Him?

Settle You

1 Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,  after ye have suffered a while,  make you perfect,  stablish, strengthen,  settle you.”

Life is full of ups and downs, people who are friends and people who are enemies.

Yet the way of the Lord for you is life.  Life is not a dream,  or an illusion of some feeling. 

Though all of us have, one time or the other,  followed illusions, mostly to our hurt.  

The Lord gives us truth and reality.  

We think of that as hard;  but to yield to the truth is freedom.  Freedom from darkness or shadows into light.  Freedom to know and move on.

Life in Christ is a action-packed adventure in reaching forth in faith;  and then obtaining what you reach for. (Hebrew 11)

To “settle you” is to put in order and establish on a permanent foundation.

Our foundation is Christ Jesus.  He is the Rock on which we can build our life.

Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine,  and doeth them,   I will liken him unto a wise man,  who build his house upon a rock:

                                  And the rain descended,  and the floods came,  and the winds blew,  and beat upon that house,  and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.”

To “settle” things, we need to bring them out into the light of God.  We need to tell Him exactly what we think,  and let Him tell us what He knows.

Then we can become grounded upon His Truth, upon Him for us.

David said that he poured out his complaint before the Lord:

Psalm 142:2-3a “I poured out my complaint before Him,  I showed before Him my trouble.

                              When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,  then Thou knewest my path…”

Why did he need to do this?  He felt completely deserted by true friends.  Only God could help.

Psalm 142:4-5 “I looked on my right hand and beheld,  there was no man who would know me:   refuge failed me;  no man cared for my soul.

                            I cried unto Thee,  O Lord;  I said,  Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”

Peter wrote “settle you”;  but he started the verse with:  “The God of all grace”.

Grace is the unmerited favor of power, which God gives us.

Power to help us get honest with God.

Power to hear the truth.

Power to build on His Word to us.    

And Freedom to enjoy the adventure ahead,  with Him.

A More Convenient Season

Acts 24:25 “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come,  Felix trembled,  and answered,    Go thy way for this time;  when I have a convenient season,  I will call for thee.”

Felix was the Roman governor of Israel.  He lived in Caesarea, near the sea.

Paul had caused a riot in Jerusalem, when he preached that the gospel of Christ was given to the Gentiles also. (Acts 22:21-22).     He had then been taken by Roman soldiers, and though there was no charge, he was kept in the jail house; because they did not know what to do with him.    They were afraid to let him go, to cause another riot.

Normally they would never send a prisoner to the governor, except under extreme conditions:  but this seemed to be one.

Paul’s nephew had come and told the Roman chief captain, of a plot to kill Paul, even under Roman guard. (Acts 23:16-22).       This would have caused the captain a lot of trouble,  maybe even death, so he sent Paul to Felix the governor,  for review.

Felix had heard both sides of the accusation by the chief priests against Paul.

He understood that it was about this new way of religion;  about Jesus Christ.

Realizing that there was really nothing to judge,  Felix held off judgement.

He knew that Paul had done no harm,  that it was really a matter of who believed what.

But he also wanted to pacify the chief priests;  so he kept Paul in prison,  but let him have visitors. (Acts 24:22-23)

On one occasion, he called for Paul to come and talk to him and his wife concerning the faith in Christ.

Acts 24:24-25 “And after certain days,  when Felix came with his wife Drusilla,  which was a Jewess,  he sent for Paul,  and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

                            And as he reasoned of righteousness,  temperance,  and judgement to come,  Felix trembled,  and answered,   Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season,  I will call for thee.”

But when is a “convenient season” to be born again?    When could be a better time, than now?  

Was Felix afraid of believing in Christ because his wife was there?  Or in front of his soldiers?

Or was it because he was “someone” of importance, and was afraid to submit to God?

Though Felix often heard Paul,  the more convenient season never came.

Acts 24:26-27 “He (Felix) hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him:   wherefore he sent for him the oftener,  and communed with him.

                            But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room: and Felix,  willing to show the Jews a pleasure,  left Paul bound.”

How many times we have heard the gospel message:  Christ Jesus came to earth to save sinners. 

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death;  but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Born of a virgin,  born under the law to redeem us; that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

We are to believe and receive Him into our hearts and lives. 

John 1:12 “But as many as receive Him,  to them gave He power to become the sons of God,  even to them that believe on His name:”

We have heard, let us also confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Romans 10:8-9,13 “For what saith it?  The word is nigh thee,  even in thy mouth and in thy heart:  that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

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

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

For Felix,  the convenient season never came.  He left:  afraid to confess Christ, afraid to let Paul go,  afraid to anger the chief priests.

Have we received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  Have we come to that convenient season to believe?

(God be merciful, to me a sinner, and save me for Jesus sake. Amen)

Direction for our Christian Lives:

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;  and lean not unto thine own understanding.  

In all thy ways acknowledge him,  and he shall direct thy paths.”

This is of the heart, not the head.

If we will acknowledge Him in all our ways…He will direct our paths.  

And acknowledge here, means that we are to seek Him  in everything concerning our lives.

Good things, bad things,  we are to “see” that Christ knows about it and about us being in this situation.

Then,  we are to tell Him about everything in it:  our side, and wants concerning it;  and the other side as well.

You can tell this is of the heart:  for those who love the Lord, and really want the Lord’s direction. 

To have this direction aright, we must do this in everything, not just the big important things,  but the little everyday things, as well.

Because this is the fellowship that is offered us, as we go along with Jesus.

It is constant fellowship:  we always know His presence with us.

We need to lean on Him:

We can “lean on our own understanding” pretty easily.  We have intelligence, and we are here in the situation;  who better to figure this out?  

We all know how this turns out!

Real direction comes to us by the Holy Spirit within us.  That is a matter of the heart, again,  not the head.

You ask for direction,  then you hear His Voice.   Light comes.    You see what to do.    In your heart,  you quickly remove anything that would hinder your fellowship with Him, for fellowship is mutual sharing.

That Light brings the knowledge of what pleases Him in this situation;  and you do it.  And you also know what displeases Him,  and turn away from it.  The gift of wisdom is a great gift from the Lord.

He directs and helps us in our “path”.

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

There is no place or time He does not know, and does not make preparation for.

Isaiah 42:16 “And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not;  I will lead them in paths that they have not known:  I will make darkness  light before them,  and crooked things straight.  These things will I do unto them,  and not forsake them.”

God sees to us, and to our path, as we let Him into all the “ways” we go,  and seek His direction for our lives.

And He will not forsake us,  ever.

Borrow Vessels, not a Few.

Elisha was a prophet in Israel.    There were many who, though contrary to the “popular religion”, followed God.

They would gather together to hear Elisha, as he traveled the country.      He ministered to the people with the Word of God, and instruction.

Many followed the teachings of God, and they were called the “sons of the prophets”.     Some set themselves aside for ministering, and prayer.        Others had families, and lived for God in there jobs.

A widow of one of these men came to him in dire straights.  After her husband had died,  things had gotten very tough financially,  and they had come into debt.

2 Kings 4:1 “Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha,  saying,  Thy servant my husband is dead;  and thou knowest that thy servant  did fear the Lord:  and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.”

This was very serious.  Both sons being taken, must have meant a large debt.

But she came to Elisha;  he would be able to pray for her,  or tell her what she could do by the Word of the Lord.

2 Kings 4:2 “And Elisha said unto her,   What shall I do for thee?    Tell me,  what hast thou in the house?   

And she said,  Thy handmaid hath not anything in the house,  save a pot of oil.”

At first, it is as if  Elisha is not asking the woman at all….but rather praying for direction.

Then,  he asks her, according as the Holy Spirit showed him,  “What do you have in the house?”

She had nothing to sell,  nothing to trade.  She only had a pot of oil. 

How often we think we need something more, before we can serve God.    More knowledge,  more courage,  more understanding.

But really,  we need to just use what we have,   then God will enable us, and He will supply more of what we need.

2 Kings 4:3-4 “Then he said,   Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors,  even empty vessels;  borrow not a few.

                          When thou art come in,  thou shalt shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels,  and thou shalt set aside that which is full.”

               Here was the answer:

She would have to be obedient, and God would supply.

She would have to borrow empty vessels; for the Lord was going to work a miracle for her.   

But it was to be for her and her sons.  No one else was to be present,  or even see through the door.    Elisha was not present.  He did not do this.   

The Lord did this for her, and her sons; using their obedience.

Did God supply the need?

2 Kings 4:5-6 “So she went from him,  and shut the door upon her and upon her sons,  who brought the vessels to her;  and she poured out.

                        And it came to pass,  when the vessels were full,  that she said unto her son,   Bring me yet a vessel.

And he said unto her,  there is not a vessel more.   And the oil stayed.”

Yes,  abundantly the need was met!   All the vessels they had borrowed, were filled,  till there was no more.

God would have us bring our “empty vessels” to Him to be filled with His Spirit, for our everyday needs.

Shutting the door,  so we may be alone with God in prayer and devotions is often the means He uses to supply our need for the day.

The oil of joy,  and strength, and peace; and increased faith is often given as we close the door on the world, and seek Him, only.

2 Kings 4:7 “Then she came and told the man of God.   And he said,   Go, sell the oil,  and pay thy debt,  and live thou and thy children of the rest.”

After the miracle, she did not get “swelled head” and say, I know what I will do.      No, she came and asked for guidance as what to do next.

Amazingly,  the answer was an answer for the rest of her life.

God saw to the need,  and more.    The Lord gave to her, so that she would be able to live beyond this debt.

That  is what God always gives us:  life.      It is what He supplies,  even if He is seeing to a specific need, for now.

Our life as His children, here and now; and every time we need it.

It does not say whether the oil came drop by drop,  or poured out fast from the vessel she had.

Only that the oil came,  the need was met. He supplied it for her and her son’s life.

Let us look to God to supply the need of our life,  bringing our “empty vessels” for His Spirit to fill….that we may have His life for us.

Elijah, and the rain  

Elijah came in like a whirlwind, and went out with a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).

Because he honored God and His word,  Israel was given new hope. 

It begins with Elijah praying for the rain to stop.  (James 5:17)   But why?

When Ahab the king of Israel married a idol worshipper,  Jezebel, she began to run the government.  She outlawed all other worship beside her idol of Baal.

         She intimidated and slew any who opposed her.

Yet God always has His remnant.

          Enter Elijah.   

He was torn apart by his country following this horrid idol, and not following the Lord God.

So, claiming a verse God had promised (Deuteronomy 11:14-17),  he began to pray that God would withhold the rain, to wake up the people that they should return to the Lord.

Rain was essential for any crops.  The former and latter rains were needed.

Six months passed.  God had honored his prayer, and there had been no rain.

He was told to go to the king, and….

1 Kings 17:1 “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was the inhabitants of Gilead,  said unto Ahab,  as the Lord God of Israel liveth,  before Whom I stand,  there shall not be dew or rain these years,  but according to my word.”

“but according to my word”.    Elijah was standing before God in prayer, therefore he was empowered to stand before the king.

                   He does not say “according to God’s Word”,  for that would mean nothing to Ahab,  or Jezebel.         And Elijah’s word was God’s word.

All their attention would be focused on Elijah, and his prayers to God.

Would God answer them?  

God did.   For three more years there would be drought and famine,  because Israel had forsaken God.

It was a very bad time.    But God had said what He was going to do.

But the Lord always leads us through measured trials, so…..

And in the third year,  the Lord said, it was enough:  He would send rain.

1 Kings 18:1 “And it came to pass after many days,  that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year saying,   Go, show thyself unto Ahab,  and I will send rain upon the earth.”

But before the rain is sent;  Elijah calls for all Israel to be gathered together to Mount Carmel. 

There Elijah wanted to talk to Israel,  remind that they were to be God’s people.  Show them God’s Power, and show the falseness of their idol.

1 Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said,  How long halt ye between two opinions?  If the Lord be God,  follow Him:  but if Baal, then follow him.   And the people answered him not a word.”

A test was chosen:  the priests of Baal, the idol, would choose a sacrifice, and make an altar;   But put no fire under the sacrifice.

Their idol would have to send down fire and burn it up.

Elijah would do the same,  and God would send down fire and burn up his sacrifice.

1 Kings 18:23-24 “Let them therefore give us two bullocks,  and let them choose one bullock for themselves,  and cut it in pieces,  and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:  and I will dress the other bullock,  and lay it on wood, and put no fire under.

                              And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord,  and the God that answers by fire,  let him be God.   And all the people answered and said,  It is well spoken.”

Well, all morning and all afternoon,  the priests of Baal jumped and hollered, and cried, and moaned for fire to come down.   They cut themselves and begged.

But nothing happened.

Then Elijah built an altar:

1 Kings 18:32-33 “And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord:  and he made a trench about the altar,…

                                And he put the wood in order,  and cut the bullock in pieces and laid him on the wood,  and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.”

Elijah was making it extra hard: putting water on everything.  Because he knew God’s power, and faithfulness.

And then Elijah prayed:    “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel,  let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word.

                                            Here me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again.”

Then fire fell.

1 Kings 18:38-39 “Then the fire of the Lord fell,  and consumed the burnt sacrifice,  and the wood and the stones,  and the dust,  and licked up the water that was in the trench.

                                 When all the people saw it,  they fell on their faces:  and they said,   The Lord, He is the God;   The Lord, He is the God.”

And when Elijah prayed again, the Lord sent the rain.  

1 Kings 18:45 “And it came to pass in the meanwhile,  that the heaven was black with clouds and wind,  and there was a great rain….”

Prayer is the means here.  The sacrifice was offered to the Lord, for there had been no sacrifice to God for three years (the sacrifices in the Old Testament always looked forward to Christ),  and prayed that God would bless it.

The rain was prayed for.

God was awakening His people that He is a God that answers prayer.   And that He was calling them to return to Him.

James said, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  (James 5:16)

Elijah was shown a way by prayer to help his people,  and he did.  By prayer he showed Israel a way back to God.

We, too, should help God’s people by our prayers.

Jacob:  “All these things are against me.”  

Genesis 42:36 “And Jacob their father said unto them,   Me have ye bereaved of my children:  Joseph is not,  and Simeon is not, and ye take Benjamin away:  all these things are against me.”

But were they, really, “against“ him; or was God just working His purpose through this difficult time?

Jacob had twelve sons: but there was jealousy among them.    Joseph was his favorite.  Joseph loved the Lord, and Jacob made him a coat of many colors, which signified his love for him.

Joseph was sent by his father to find the older brothers who were herding cattle.

Because of this jealousy,  he was taken by them, and sold to a passing caravan going down to Egypt. 

That coat of many colors was dipped in the blood of goats.  Then they told Jacob that they just found it.   (They had wanted to kill him;  but God would not allow that.)

Horrible story!    Jacob was heartbroken.

Years past:  Joseph, the boy, became Joseph the man, in Egypt. (His story of when he was a slave in Egypt is an amazing story of God’s goodness, even in a terrible situation.  Genesis 39-41)

Joseph had a gift of interpreting dreams.  And after years in prison, he is brought out to give the interpretation of a dream Pharaoh had:  there would be seven “fat” years, or years of plenty.   And then there would be seven “lean” years,  or years of famine for the whole world.

Pharaoh was so grateful  for the interpretation, he made Joseph second in command under him.    

Seven plentiful years came, and Joseph saved up the excess for the famine to come.

Now, the famine was here, even into Canaan, where Jacob and his family was.

Hearing that there is corn(grain) in Egypt,  Jacob says to the older sons, “Take money and go buy some,  that the children may live.”

But, after losing Joseph,  he would not send his youngest son,  Benjamin.

So they came to Egypt, to the very one they had so badly treated years before:

But they knew him not.

Genesis 42:7-8 “And Joseph saw his brethren,  and he knew them,  but he made himself strange unto them,  and spake roughly unto them;  and he said unto them,   Whence come ye?    And they said,   From the land of Canaan to buy food.

                             And Joseph knew his brethren,  but they knew not him.”

Joseph speaks through an interpreter, so they would not know he knew what they were saying.   He speaks roughly to see what they would do.  

They protest their innocence;  telling him where they come from,  who is their father, and that they have a brother at home.

But Joseph throws them into prison,  claiming they “are spies” for three days. (Not the years he was)

After three days,  he says that they can go home with corn,  but one of them, Simeon,  will stay in prison.    

And one more thing:  they would need to bring the youngest brother,  before Simeon could be free.

What?!  Oh, no.  They can’t believe it!  What would this do to their father?

The oldest son then speaks to the rest:  This is a judgement upon us for Joseph.  We heard his pleadings,  yet would not be moved.  Now his blood is required at our hand.

But they do not know Joseph is hearing all of this confession.  

So, they go home, with the corn that they went for;  but sadly, for they knew this would tear Jacob up to hear what happened.

Then Jacob cries,  “…all these things are against me.”

“You will kill me,  if anything happens to Benjamin.   No,  he will not go.”

But the famine worsens.  There would be several years of depravation to come.  They could not hold out.

(The thing is:   God had allowed all of this.   He had purposed the saving of Jacob’s family by Joseph,  and had allowed their hatred of Joseph to go so far….and no further.  

Joseph would go before them into Egypt, and God would protect him, and in God’s time,  raise him to the powerful position he was in.)

But Jacob did not know this.   He looked at the circumstances around.

Famine, and death for all his family.

Or send Benjamin, and maybe lose him,  too.

What to do?   

Genesis 43:2, 13-14 “And it came to pass,  when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt,  their father said unto them,   Go again, and buy us a little food.

                                    Take also your brother,  and arise,  go again unto the man:  

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man,  that he may send away your brother,  and Benjamin.  If I be bereaved of my children,  I am bereaved.”

So they went to Egypt.

But there would be one more test of the loyalty to their father, that Joseph would give:

He had them in for the noon meal with him,  seeing Benjamin for the first time,  in years.

Joseph filled their sacks with corn,  but also slipped a gold cup of his into Benjamin’s sack.

He let them go just out of the city,  and sent his men after them,  saying that one had his cup!  

When they found it in Benjamin’s sack,  Jacob’s sons were terrified.  What would happen now?  Death?  Slavery?   What would become of their family in Canaan?

Joseph said that only Benjamin would become a servant:  this is quite a test!  Would these brothers that sold him into slavery, care about Benjamin, and the heart of their father?

They did.   They had learned their lesson.  

So Judah stepped forward and begged Joseph (though they did not know it was him) to take him as a servant,  and let Benjamin go.

Then Joseph tells them who he really is,  and sends for Jacob and the rest of his family to come and live near Joseph;  and be provided for.  

All that they could need,  was provided by God beforehand,  only they just did not know it yet.

Genesis 45:28. “And Israel (Jacob) said,  It is enough;  Joseph my son is yet alive:  I will go and see him before I die.”

Genesis 46:2-4 “And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night,  and said,  Jacob,  Jacob.   And he said,  Here am I.   

                             And He said,  I am God, the God of thy father:  fear not to go down into Egypt;  for I will make of thee a great nation.

                             I will go down with thee into Egypt;  I will also surely bring thee up again:  and Joseph shall put his hands upon thine eyes.”

Jacob had said,  “All these things are against me”,   when God had purposed his good, after the trial of his sons.

Everything seemed wrong;  but God’s Ways led him right.

Psalm 107:6-7 “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.

                            And led them forth by the right way,  that they might go to a city of habitation.”

The Lord will always lead us the right way:  through trials,  troubles (and yes, it is through them),  and joys.   He is God Almighty still.

Hast thou Hast thou Faith? 

Romans 14:22 “Hast thou faith?  Have it to thyself before God.   Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which He alloweth.”

When we begin to walk by faith and not by sight;  we begin to deal with those things that we  “condemn”  ourselves with.

Faith is the active ingredient of our Spiritual lives.  It comes to us by the Holy Spirit, when we are born again;  but it (usually) takes us a while to use it.

Faith tells us to trust and stand;  and our eyes tell us that what were about to do is impossible.

Faith tells us to “Get out of here, now.”   And our eyes do not “see” anything wrong.

Faith nudges us to speak to someone about Jesus; we wait…but then the subject is changed,  the opportunity is gone.

We learn (it is called “growing” in scripture: 2 Peter 3:18)  to use the faith given in the situations of our lives;  and when we do,  we come into Christian Liberty.

Our Christian Liberty should make us free to be what we ought: to be what God’s wants us to be.

1 Corinthians  6:12 “All things are lawful unto me,  but all things are not expedient:  all things are lawful for me,  but I will not be brought into the power of any.”

1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me,  but all things are not expedient:  all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”

Twice in the same book,  Paul warns these Christians to be careful not to let what “other people” do, or social norms, to be their rule of life. 

Rather, they should be fully committed to God’s Will and Way;  no matter what anyone else does.

Paul gives his testimony:  “I will not be brought into the power of anything;  even though it might be lawful (or nothing that would seem to be wrong).”

It is “I will”,  for we must will with God’s Will.

For the Christian there are certain things we know are wrong:  stealing, lying, adultery, to name a few.

But for each Christians there are “convictions” of the Holy Spirit (for them) that say, “This is not for you.”

(My wife, years ago, gave up make up.   It was before we were even married.  Not because she felt the make up was sinful;  but rather for her, it was wrong to wear it.This is a conviction of the Holy Spirit to her.)

True Spiritual Life is following the Lord Jesus wherever He leads in my life.

True liberty is freedom from the power of sin in my life.

Faith is the “sight” that makes both of these possible.

“Hast thou faith?   Have it to thyself before God.”

Simply, use the faith the Holy Spirit has given you,  and follow the Lord Jesus into the happiness He has for you.

Don’t “allow” anything that He does not want;  and happiness will be your heart’s companion.

Romans 14:22 “Hast thou faith?  Have it to thyself before God.   Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which He alloweth.”

When we begin to walk by faith and not by sight;  we begin to deal with those things that we  “condemn”  ourselves with.

Faith is the active ingredient of our Spiritual lives.  It comes to us by the Holy Spirit, when we are born again;  but it (usually) takes us a while to use it.

Faith tells us to trust and stand;  and our eyes tell us that what were about to do is impossible.

Faith tells us to “Get out of here, now.”   And our eyes do not “see” anything wrong.

Faith nudges us to speak to someone about Jesus; we wait…but then the subject is changed,  the opportunity is gone.

We learn (it is called “growing” in scripture: 2 Peter 3:18)  to use the faith given in the situations of our lives;  and when we do,  we come into Christian Liberty.

Our Christian Liberty should make us free to be what we ought: to be what God’s wants us to be.

1 Corinthians  6:12 “All things are lawful unto me,  but all things are not expedient:  all things are lawful for me,  but I will not be brought into the power of any.”

1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me,  but all things are not expedient:  all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”

Twice in the same book,  Paul warns these Christians to be careful not to let what “other people” do, or social norms, to be their rule of life. 

Rather, they should be fully committed to God’s Will and Way;  no matter what anyone else does.

Paul gives his testimony:  “I will not be brought into the power of anything;  even though it might be lawful (or nothing that would seem to be wrong).”

It is “I will”,  for we must will with God’s Will.

For the Christian there are certain things we know are wrong:  stealing, lying, adultery, to name a few.

But for each Christians there are “convictions” of the Holy Spirit (for them) that say, “This is not for you.”

(My wife, years ago, gave up make up.   It was before we were even married.  Not because she felt the make up was sinful;  but rather for her, it was wrong to wear it.

This is a conviction of the Holy Spirit to her.)

True Spiritual Life is following the Lord Jesus wherever He leads in my life.

True liberty is freedom from the power of sin in my life.

Faith is the “sight” that makes both of these possible.

“Hast thou faith?   Have it to thyself before God.”

Simply, use the faith the Holy Spirit has given you,  and follow the Lord Jesus into the happiness He has for you.

Don’t “allow” anything that He does not want;  and happiness will be your heart’s companion.

Justification and Sanctification.

Justification deals with our guilt as sinners by chance and choice.

And Sanctification deals with the problem of the power of sin in our lives,  as Christians.   

Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith,  we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Romans 6:12-13 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,  that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

                               Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:  but yield yourselves unto God,  as those that are alive from the dead,  and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

We are justified when we are born again.    Justified is a legal term, and means to be made:  not guilty before God.

As lost sinners, we are only justified when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.   We have come to believe in Him,  Whom to know aright is to have Eternal Life (Romans 6:23).

As saved sinners,  we are  sanctified, or set aside for God’s use;  as He has more and more of us.

It is not:  “How much of God do I have in my life?”

It is:  “How much does He have of me,  or how much have I lost of my self-life?

You see the Holy Spirit indwells believers at new birth.  (Hallelujah)

But,  after that,  He empowers us, only as much as we let Him, in all the areas of our life.

To do this,  we need to deny ourselves,  pick up our cross,  and follow Him. (Matthew 16:24-25)

Our “cross” is anything which goes against “our” will;  that we have a choice in:  it is not illness, or our relatives, or our looks;  it is what we can say “no” to.

It is different for each of us:  what God requires at my hand,  He might not do to you. (And visa versa)

But the method is the same:  we need to say “no” to ourselves (that is denying yourself);  and do the thing required of us,  giving the Holy Spirit access to teach us,  implant within us,  or remove from us,  what He will.

As we do this,  the “power” of our will,  is made more and more joyfully willing to do His Will;  and we are little by little sanctified (made a force for God to use in our circumstances).

Justification is just the first part of our life in Christ,  for He wants us to go on from strength to strength in Him, in our lives.

And that requires us to be sanctified.  Setting ourselves aside to Him.