The Man with the Withered Hand.

Matthew 12:9-10 “And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
And behold, there was a man who had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? That they might accuse him.”

Jesus had been on a teaching tour through the cities of Israel. And now he was come to their synagogue.

The Pharisees had laid a trap for him, in the appearance of a man with a withered hand.

To have a deformity in Israel, was to be disgraced, for it meant that sin was somewhere in the family of the person. This man had sinned, or someone in his family had sinned, and he was being punished for it.

So the Pharisees asked a question, that they thought was pretty straight forward.
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?
The Sabbath was the day of rest. A day which should be spent in contemplating God, and His Word. A day of fellowship with others of His people.

They were to do no work on the Sabbath, or it would be defiled.
But what is work, and what is mercy?
Jesus points out the difference.

Matthew 12:11-12 “And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
How much then is a man better that a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.”

Would you save you one sheep? Your only sheep?
This is interesting. Jesus does not say one out of a hundred. Or a thousand.
But one.
That is exactly the way He feels about us. If He only came to save one, He would have.
We are that one. The man with the withered hand was that one; and He would save us, and He would save him.

So His question to the Pharisees was really: would you, save the one sheep you own; would you save your livelihood?
The answer He gave; of course you would.
Therefore, since you would save your one sheep on the sabbath, I will save this one man on the sabbath.

Also notice, the way He talked of the sheep: “if it fall into a pit”. Are we not also ready to fall into a pit, without His Salvation?

Christ’s answer was God’s Character. The Sabbath was made for man to have rest with His God. It is lawful, then to do well on the sabbath days.

Matthew 12:13 “Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.”

This man may have been a tool of the Pharisees to use against Jesus, but heard enough to know that the mercy of God was being extended to him.
But it would cost him something.
It would cost him embarrassment.(And how many of us would be stopped right here?)
He would have to show his deformity for all to see.

It would also cost him the company of these people. For to be obedient, would show that he believed Jesus. This was dangerous, as these people were influential.

So, here is the choice: Jesus, and God’s mercy; or his normal existence, but accepted by the religious rulers.
Which would he do?
“And he stretched it forth.”
His choice was Jesus, and obedience. For it, he was healed.

But Jesus was also offering mercy to all those in the synagogue: including those Pharisees.
Matthew 12:14 “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.”
Their choice was to keep the life and influence they had; not to yield to the mercy offered.
How much they lost by their choice!

Jesus talked of saving the “one sheep”, because each of us are that one sheep.
He came to save us: from the guilt of sin, the power of sin, and one day from the presence of sin.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

 

Spiritual Warfare: Our thought Life.

Our thought life is important. We often just think that what we do is important, and it is. But what we think, and what we allow ourselves to think on, is important to God.

2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ”

Our flesh is our natural self life. It is what we have become over the years as Adam’s children. It is our habits, our desires, our plans, and our way of thinking; all of which make us do, and say, and act, the way we do.
This is the flesh.

When we become born again, and Christ’s life is within us by the Holy Spirit, then our flesh fights against the new life; so that it will not have to obey Christ, but can continue to do what it pleases.

A warfare takes place within us:
Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

“The things that ye would”, are those things that Christ leads you in, for you are born again, and want to serve Him.
But, because there is warfare within, it hinders the joy of service, and often the service is marred.

What to do? Can we eradicate the flesh?
No, we can not get rid of the flesh, it will always be with us; but we can win the battles to bring it into subjection to our King, Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(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 every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

What are these “strongholds”? They are those thoughts that take hold in our minds and do not let go.
They could be presented by strong argument or reason; or by the emotions flowing and giving sympathy to a motive. In the Spirit, we may know it is not right, though we can not tell how; but how ever it comes; if it is not dealt with, it builds a fortress in our thoughts.

It could be about the value of a certain thing. Simple in itself; but given power over the thought life by the flesh, in reason or emotion; and then built upon again and again, because every time you go to get rid of it; and don’t, it’s value becomes stronger.
(I once knew a Christian who became convinced that there was no hell. He, of course, did not want to think about some of the people he knew who would go to hell, because they were not born again. It became a big snare in his life; and dulled his sense of urgency where dealing with the lost was concerned.)

If you refuse, once, to deal with it; then the Adversary inflates the object with all sorts of affections, or opinions to keep it.

“Casting down imaginations”. Our imagination is a faculty which brings to view in pictures, the things we are dealing with.
It can be a big snare; when it is not kept under control of the Holy Spirit.
We can let our thoughts “go”, and pretty soon, we are in a world of our own making; no reality; where the truth is what we want it to be. Dangerous, because the truth then can be twisted to be what the Adversary wants it to be.
Casting down imaginations is tearing them down, to reveal the Truth that is in Jesus for this situation.
It can be a tough fight, if we have let our imaginations begin to rule us.

But again the fight is not with carnal or natural weapons, but mighty through God, by His Holy Spirit, to cast them down in our view and affection; so that we can be free from the influence of the Adversary through them.
In a world where “virtual reality” is accepted everywhere, we need to be especially careful, if we want to please the Lord Jesus Christ; Who is the Truth.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Or we may end up like those Paul warned of:
2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

The power of God is mighty to pulling down strongholds with in our minds; and to cast down imaginations which have given a alternate view of Reality.
The power of God through the Holy Spirit.

“Every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”.
God will tell you something; through His Word, the preaching and teaching of ministers, or personal communication. Then you hear, “You don’t really believe that do you?”
That is a high thing which is exalting itself against the knowledge of God.

God has said something to you, He is dealing with you about this situation; and the Devil would sent a doubt, and a hesitation, or a “very good reason, not to do what God said”.

What is it that we must do? Try and reason with the Devil? No! Eve tried that and sin was the result.
We can not reason in the flesh, or try and work up affections for God in the flesh; but we can yield to the Holy Spirit within us, and let Him lead us, in bringing every thought and affection, into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
When we do, we will be captives of God’s reasons, And captives of His love.

If ye love me, keep my commandments; Jesus said. (John 14:15). And when we do love Him, we will. This is where God’s power comes in.

His Power is given to us as we bring ourselves into captivity by the Holy Spirit to have His Life.
To have His Light, to see reality.
To have His love shed abroad in our hearts. (Romans 5:5).
To have His peace, shelter us.
To have His joy, make us strong.(Nehemiah 8:10)

We can make ourselves our own lord; and every time we refuse to yield to the clear command of God, that is what we are doing.
But that is bondage of the worst kind. Strongholds, Virtual Reality for Reality, and a form of godliness.

Or we can yield to the Holy Spirit, and have the power of God, which is mighty, working within us, to bring us into the captivity of the Life of God.

Which will we have?

 

 

 

 

 

The Test of Devotion/Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

2 Kings 2:1 “And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.”

Elijah was God’s Prophet. He had been called, when Israel was at one of it’s worst times. He had proved that God was “THE GOD”, before all Israel in a “showdown” with the four hundred priests of Baal, who were supported by Jezebel, the queen. (1 Kings 18:36-39)

His success there, thwarted the efforts of Jezebel to destroy the worship of God.
There were still those who were idol worshippers, but she could no longer kill, and torture those who believed in God, as she had before. There had been a renewal of the worship of the Lord, because of Elijah.

But now it was time for Elijah to be taken to heaven. Years before, Elijah had been told to anoint Elisha as prophet, in his room. (1 Kings 19:16, 19-21)
And Elisha had been a servant to Elijah, as his helper, while his training had been going on.
2 Kings 2:2-3 “And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yea, I know it, hold thee your peace.”

Elijah and Elisha traveled from Gilgal to Beth-el together.
Elijah had asked Elisha to stay at Gilgal, but Elisha would not leave him. Where he went, his helper would go also.

Elisha knew that God was going to take Elijah, and he wanted to hear every instruction, every prayer, and every help he could, before that happened.
He also felt that being with him till the end was his duty; that God would show him what to do by it.

We have been called to follow on with Christ Jesus. He has shown us many things, and we have learned of Him. We know He is with us, but we are conscious of a lack of power. How are we to do all we have been called to, without the power of the Holy Spirit resting on us?
This was Elisha’s thoughts, too.

2 Kings 2:4, 6 “And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me unto Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
And they two went on.”
Stay here? Elijah asked, at both places. But again came the reply, “As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee”.

Did Elisha know exactly what would happen? I do not think so. But, I believe, he knew that the ministry of Elijah was ending; and his, as Prophet in Elijah’s room, was beginning. He knew that he would need to see the work Elijah started, done.

God would part them, and begin Elisha’s work; but Elisha would continue on as Elijah’s servant, and companion, till God did. He would not leave him, till then.

2 Kings 2:7c-9 “…and they two stood by Jordan.
And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, that a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.”

Here Elisha sees once more the power of God, Elijah could use. And here, Elijah asks him “what shall I do for thee?”
Without hesitation, Elisha asks for a double portion of the power of God.

He felt that he needed more of that power of the Holy Spirit, to help him do what was needed, in this time, in Israel.
If Israel was to be guided according to the Word of God, then Elisha would need double the power that Elijah had.

It is one thing to show God, as “the God”; as Elijah had.
It is another, to guide the believers of God into the life which they ought to have, stay with them, or visit them, to help them again and again. This was Elisha’s ministry.

He felt that such a work, would need great power. The enemies of God were still at work. Idolatry was always a problem.
Elisha felt, if he was to serve acceptably as God’s Prophet, he would need much of the Holy Spirit.

2 Kings 2:10 “And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.”

Now if Elijah had said this at the first, we could understand Elisha’s sticking close to him. But that was not the reason for him staying with Elijah.
His devotion to the man who lead him into a deeper knowledge of God, and His Word and Works, was great. He had taught him many things, shared his experiences, and manifested to Elisha the great faithfulness of God to His people.
Now it was time for Elisha to do the same with the sons of the prophets (groups of believers which met together in various cities), and with Israel.

Elijah’s ministry would now be passed on to Elisha, to be finished.

2 Kings 2:11-13 “And it came to pass, as they went on, and talked that, Behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went by a whirlwind into heaven.
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My Father, My Father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them into two pieces.
He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;”

Going on, walking and talking, as they had done so many times; God parted them, with a chariot of fire and horses of fire.
Elijah was taken up to heaven, and Elisha saw him no more.

Elisha then tore his outer clothes in two pieces, to show he was no longer just Elisha, and he picked up the mantle Elijah had dropped (which had been cast upon him when Elijah had called him. 1 Kings 19:19).
He was now Prophet in Elijah’s place.

2 Kings 2:13-14 “He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan;
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said,
Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: And Elisha went over.”

He had received a double portion of the Holy Spirit which had been on Elijah.

He was now to finish the work of leading the believers of God, in Israel, on to a more full and joyful life with God.

In his ministry, Elisha dealt with kings, captains, and those which would be kings.
But his ministry mainly centered around the circuit he walked with his servants, to preach and instruct those that believed in God and stayed true to Him.
From Gilgal, to Mt. Carmel, to Samaria, to Beth-el, and around, Elisha went delivering the message of God; saving such as came to seek God’s help, and leading others to a knowledge of God.

We, too, have a ministry for which we should seek the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
He is in us, if we are born again; but to have His power in our lives, we need to submit to Him.
The condition of Elisha receiving the double portion, was that he STAY WITH Elijah, and see him go.
So we, too, need to “stay with” the Holy Spirit, by obeying what we have been given to do, removing all that hinders His influence within us, and standing in the place Christ Jesus won for us in His Victory on the Cross.

Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He is the same, yesterday, and today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8-9b “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace;…”

He is ever ready to give power to the faint, and to them that have not might He increases strength. (Isaiah 40:29)
But it is as we “stay with”, and yield to the Holy Spirit within.

 

Entering into the Promised Land/ Or Crossing Jordon.

A little background is necessary:

Israel had been brought out of Egypt with power.
And they had been brought through the wilderness to Mt. Sinai, where God made a covenant with them; giving them the Ten Commandments, and ordinances or rules to live by when they came into the land.
The generation that came from Egypt were rebellious; so God kept them from entering into the land, but did not take His mercy from Israel, the nation; but brought the second generation to the brink of Jordon, to possess the land God promised Abraham to give to his descendants.

Joshua 3:1 “And Joshua rose early in the morning, and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordon, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.”

Notice Joshua, the leader of Israel, rose early. He was energetic in his duties.

They lodged three days before the Jordon. If it was time to go, why wait three days?

When they will enter Canaan before Jericho, they will find that the inhabitants have all run into the city, for protection. They will not take all the corn or grain they had harvested the last year, and it will feed Israel.

Three days of waiting, would reward them greatly, when they crossed over Jordan.

An announcement is made the second day:
Joshua 3:3-5 “And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then shall you remove from your place, and go after it.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

It would be the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God among them, which would lead them through the Jordan.
The Priests carry the Ark with poles on their shoulders; so the Priests would have the privilege, and the responsibility of going into Jordan first.

The people were to keep a distance between them and the Ark. For the Lord wanted them to see all the wonders that were going to happen. And how they happened.

The people were to sanctify themselves or to set themselves aside in their thinking and actions to the Lord, and His Way of working.
They would learn to stay in place, their place, and see all that He will do for them, in that place.
From the first tribe which would cross, after the Ark was in Jordan, to the last; all would see God’s wonders for them.

Joshua 3:6, 8, 13 “And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the Ark of the Covenant, and went before the people.
And thou shalt command the priests that bear the Ark of the Covenant, saying, When you are come to the brim of the river Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bare the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap.”

Picture it: All Israel is up, waiting for their turn to cross the river Jordan.
And they see the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant moving out toward the river.
Nothing changes, nothing happens, till the priests and the Ark, carried on their shoulders, get into the water.
The Priests were to walk into the overflowing Jordan, carrying the Ark on their shoulders.
They were to get their feet wet. They were to go into the midst of Jordan, but it was promised that they would stand there on dry ground.

Sanctify, again, means to set themselves aside to God’s use.
God was going to use the Priests obedience as “the signal” for the waters to stop coming down. To be halted and piled up. He would do this miracle, but at the time the priests went into the river, only.

And all Israel would see it, follow them into Jordan’s river bed; and walk around them on dry ground.

Joshua 3:14-16 “And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant before the people;
And as they that bare the Ark unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the Ark were dipped into the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
That the waters that came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.”

It happened just as the Lord told Joshua it would. They were now in the land God had promised them; “right against Jericho”. They were in the right place.

Joshua 3:17 “And the priests the bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”

This is an amazing wonder. There was no time between the feet of the priests going into the Jordan, and the waters being cut off.
But they did not know exactly how things would go. They believed God would do what He said, and they obeyed; but when, or how much water they would walk into, they did not know.
They determined to do their duty, looking to God to see to the rest.

Trust in the Lord is a wonderful thing. Trust holds on to God, and His Word:
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

They trusted the Lord, and their trust was rewarded.

Joshua 4:10-11 “For the priests that bare the Ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: And the people hasted and passed over.
And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the Ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.”

Joshua 4:18 “And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.”

Everything was now put back the way it was, and Israel was in the land. They were camped in Canaan.

God had opened the way for them, and He will do the same with us. No, we will not need to cross Jordan for this; but the way He opens doors is often (to us, anyway) as miraculous.

He can stop someone or something; and at the same time tell us to move forward. To “get our feet wet” by obedience to His Word.

Trust is know the Lord has told you to do this, and to do it; hanging hard on to Him and His Word.
That does not mean there will not be “battles” ahead. (There were many in front of Israel). But it does mean that He will be with us, guiding us, and strengthening us for the days ahead.

Believe and Trust Him. Trust and Obey. And see that God will honor His Word.

 

An Open Face.

An “open face” in Scripture is an honest one.

How many times God asks us to get honest with Him. To come to Him “as we are”, and not in hypocrisy, or pretending.
Honesty to God is of primary importance.
(It is only the “good and honest” heart in Luke 8:15, that bears fruit, and is blessed.)

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 Lord showed me this verse once: I was standing in front of a mirror (glass), and looking at my reflection, I saw the Lord’s face superimposed upon it. So that when I saw myself, I also saw Him.

This is what this verse means. As we get honest with the Lord about ourselves, our attitudes, and our thoughts; The Spirit of God changes the inclination of these things, and we “are changed, into the same image”.
This is to have the characteristics of Christ in you. Worked in you by the Holy Spirit, as you get honest with Him.

This is often not as easy as it seems. We think we are generally honest people, but the Scriptures tell us, and experience shows us that we are dishonest.

This began with Adam and Eve. Their sin separated them from God; so much so that they knew they were naked before Him.
So they sewed fig leaves together, and tried to cover their fault.
Then they tried to hide themselves, among the trees of the garden.
And lastly they blamed their sin, not on their own choice, but someone else.(Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed “the serpent”.). They refused to come to God in honesty, confessing their sin; but tried to cover and lie about it. (Genesis 3:7-13)

We are their descendants. We are all born with sinful natures, and we are generally dishonest with ourselves (the Bible calls it being “deceitful”), as well as with others.

Thankfully, God has made a way for us to have victory here. For without honestly coming to God, “you” are not coming. (The pretend you may be coming, the excusing you may be coming; but “you” are not)

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
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 you are going to get honest with God, by the help of the Holy Spirit; He rewards you accordingly. He will give you what the honest heart seeks: His Power and Presence in our lives.
Remember the “open face” being changed into His image, or character.

As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and He will:
John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

He will guide us into all truth. He will teach us the things of Christ, changing us, into His image, as His face was superimposed on mine. I will still be there, but He will be seen as well, in my everyday life.

Ephesians 4:13-15 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (complete) man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

This is something you acquire, as you yield to the Lord.
We begin to see that we have been covering up our attitude to this, and our anger for that; and turn to Him for the victory over these things only He can give.

We are us. The things that have happened to us, have happened. THEY can not be changed.
But we can. God gives us His life, instead of anger, resentment, lust, and lying.

Will we with “open face” be changed from glory to glory (one characteristic of Christ, to another)?

If you are born again, you have the Holy Spirit within you, ready to guide you into all truth; Will you have it?
For surely God will reward your yielding, many times over, in fellowship with Him.

To Experience the Call of Christ

Matthew 4: 18-20 “And Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”

When Christ Jesus calls someone to follow Him into a work, He says “Follow Me”.
Then He adds the job that He calls you to.

It is of first importance, that we know we are following Him, for He will ever be with us in the work, as He was with His disciples of old.

He empowers us by His Holy Spirit for the work we are given to do; as we follow Him.

His call, first, takes us away from something. They were fishers, and they left their nets and followed Him.
We are not necessarily, to leave the jobs we have; but we are all to leave the lives we have, in ourselves; and follow Him, into the lives He has for us.

This is said many ways in Scripture:
Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Paul said about the same experience:
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

So when these fishermen were called of Jesus; they answered, leaving all their lives: what they had, and did; to be disciples of Jesus.
The call of Christ is away from OUR way of doing things; to obedience and subjection to our Lord.

But it is not just away from our old lives. It is a call to lead you on to something else: your life in Christ, as His servant, and friend.
(Christ Jesus NEVER asks you to “give up” something; without giving you something to replace it.)

John 15:14-17 “Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call ye not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.
These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

You can see that a life of faith, is a life of obeying His commandments, in love to our Friend, and Lord, Jesus Christ.

This call from Christ to us, begins a way of discipleship and fellowship.

Matthew 13:17 “For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you have seen, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, or ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of the heart.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God.”

The Lord loves for us to be in constant contact with Him. To be listening to His Holy Spirit within, and talking to Him through our day.

We are to learn how to hear aright. We are to learn how to walk in the Spirit; and we are to learn how to love one another, as He loved us.

It is all by fellowship with Christ Jesus, AND maintaining that fellowship; by confession of sins, and being cleansed from the power of them. (1 John 1:9)

They go together: forgiveness, and cleansing.
(What good would forgiving a small child for getting his new clothes into the mud, if you did not cleanse him from it? So, Christ does not just forgive us from sin, but cleanses us from it. And from this cleansing, we learn to love purity, and the right way.)

And then our call leads us to being filled with the Holy Spirit:
We are filled with the Spirit to the degree we are emptied of ourselves.

Ephesians 5:17-20 “Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord:
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

This life is a joyful one, not without trials, or afflictions: but with Power and Strength which comes from the Lord Jesus being present with us in all our days and nights by the Holy Spirit within.

The call of Christ is a call away from the world, and onward to fellowship and joy by the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is a life of discipleship, and learning. We learn Christ, and that learning will/can go on for all Eternity; for His Life is Endless.

Have you heard His call? Saying, Arise, and follow Me? It may not come in those words, but He will speak to you, your name, for He knows it; He knows you.

John 10:2-3 “But he that entereth by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep heareth his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”

The call of Christ is never away from Him, but a drawing closer and closer to Him.
For that is the life He has for us.

The Temptation of Christ Jesus

Matthew 4:1 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”

Jesus was “led up of the Spirit”. This temptation, then, was God’s Plan and Purpose for His Son.
He was in all points tempted, like as we are, the writer to the Hebrews revealed. (Hebrews 4:15)

So this temptation shows us how to act when we, too, are tempted.

First, notice that our hardest temptations come after we have gotten more Spiritual power and grace.
Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist, and the Holy Spirit had come down upon Him without measure, as He came up from the water. A Voice had announced that Jesus was God’s Beloved Son! And that He was well pleasing in God’s sight!

 

Matthew 4:2-4 “And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live be bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Jesus was hungry. He had been fasting for forty days, and nights; so when He could, He wanted to break the fast by food.
But when tempted by the devil to change stones into bread, so He could satisfy His hunger, AND prove that He was the Son of God; Jesus refused.

But He did not just say “No”, but rebuked the suggestion by quoting “It is written”.
What the Scriptures say, help us to live aright.
The suggestion of the devil, was that because Jesus was the Son of God, He could do what ever He wanted, have whatever He wanted, whenever He wanted, by simply commanding it to be so.
Of course Jesus could, but that was not why He became man. It was ever to do the Father’s Will, that He came, and that was what He lived and died by.

So should we do the Father’s Will for us. It puts us in the wonderful position of being able to stand back from suggestions and plans, and seeking His Will in everything.

That puts temptations in a new light. It is not: “You want this, it is not too awful, why not do it?”
It is: “Is this what the Lord would have me to do, now?”

Notice this first temptation was for bodily wants.

Matthew 4:5-7 “And the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple.
And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

Jesus had quoted Scripture, so now the devil quotes it. Again he says, “If thou be the Son of God”.
Here the temptation is for public announcement. Cast yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple. What a better way to prove the fact that You are the Son of God! And it is said in the Scriptures, so God will have to do it.
Sneaky.
For God would certainly do it, and those that saw it, might have been awed into following Jesus for awhile, because of it. But that is not true believing. It would have been useless, for the heart will only follow what it loves.
And awe is not love.

But Jesus refused it, for it was not the Father’s Way of announcement. His Way was for Jesus to go about preaching, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. He was to do good to all. (Matthew 4:17)
Certainly it was not as exciting as angels catching Him. But it was what God wanted.

The devil’s suggestion was just tempting God; and Jesus refused it and quoted that Scripture: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
(To tempt God is to make God prove Himself or His Word, by demanding that He do something for us NOW: Do this, or we won’t trust You.)

This second temptation was for Fame, and prestige. He would be Famous, everyone would know He was the Son of God!

Matthew 4:8-10 “Again, the devil taketh him up unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them:
And saith unto him; All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Some say that the devil had no right to offer the kingdoms of the world, but he is the prince of this world:
Luke 4:5-7 “And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for it is delivered unto me; and whomsoever I will give it.
If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.”

The temptation here is: Forget the path to the cross. If You will fall down and worship me, You can have all the kingdoms and the power of them, NOW, without the suffering and shameful death of the cross.
This was the devil’s attempt to destroy Who Jesus was: “I will give you all I have, to make God finally submit to me, in the person of His Son.”
But after this final suggestion, Jesus commands the devil to depart; quoting the verse, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Jesus would do ALL the Father’s Will. And He was confident that those kingdoms would be His, God’s Way; and that was through the cross, to resurrection and glory.

The third temptation was for personal power, and glory; without suffering.

And does not the devil tempt us in the same ways:
1)See to your needs first. Yes, your a Christian, but God has not forbidden you to do this, so He probably doesn’t care.

2)If you are going to have a ministry for God, make it flashy. People will remember you. They will admire you. They will think you are great! (There is a whole lot of “you” in that “ministry”)

3)If you will just go along with the world, you could skip a whole lot of trouble. Sure, you can look like a Christian, but you don’t have to walk in that “narrow”way.
In other words, “Go ahead, lose your Christ’s Life, to have your self life”. (Matthew 16:25)
These, and others like them, are the things the devil tempts us with.

Looking to the Father’s Will, Jesus went through these temptations, standing on the Word of God. Jesus went on to the work the Father had for Him, and finished it.

So we need to Look to Jesus, and go through all He has purposed for us, with Him. He was empowered without measure with the Holy Spirit; and He will empower us, to our measure, in the Holy Spirit to know and to do His Will.

 

 

 

Paul’s Conversion, and a Certain Disciple

(Conversion, here, means to spiritually change the direction of your life, by placing yourself on the foundation of Christ Jesus.)

To begin this, we must understand that Paul/Saul was a “up and coming” Pharisee. He was going to be SOMEBODY in the Jewish Religion! He was zealous concerning the Law; “a Hebrew of the Hebrews”. (Philippians 3:5)

But things began to “change”, when he heard, and saw a follower of Jesus Christ, die a martyr’s death. For the man, Stephen, asked God to forgive them; and Saul knew that this is how a true follower of God would act. (Saul was there as a representative of the Council who judged him. Acts 7:54-58)

But this “change” was not toward the Light he had seen, but fighting against it. Vicious was his attack on all, of this Way.
Acts 26:9-11 “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
And I punished them in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”

And why was he “exceedingly mad against them”? Because, as we shall see, God was pricking his heart; and telling him that “this Way” was the right way. That Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of God.
But he refused to listen, or to bow to God’s Way. He would fight against it. By destroying Christ’s followers; he would destroy this Way. (So he thought)

Acts 9:1-2 “And Saul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest.
And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whither they be men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”

So he is going to take his hatred of this Way to other cities; to Damascus. He gathers men to come as escorts for the prisoners he will bring back.
Everything is proceeding according to his plan.
But he has a surprise in store; for this is not according to God’s plan.

Acts 9:3 “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.”

Almost to his journeys end, close to Damascus; God shines a light down upon him that he can not ignore!

Acts 9:4-6 “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

Here, Saul/Paul falls to the ground. The Light is blinding, and he can not stand against it. He falls (finally in the right position before Jesus Christ), and then he is spoken to: Why are you persecuting Me, Saul?
(Notice that Jesus always identifies Himself with His people: Their persecution is His, as well.)

Saul is quite shocked! He thought he was just fighting against people; Who was he fighting against?

The Lord Jesus Christ then tells him, “It is I, you are trying to destroy. And I am here to tell you, you can not. I have been pricking your heart with the Truth of Who I am for some time. You just keep kicking against it. Stop fighting My Way. Stop fighting the Light I have given you. Yield to the Light given, or be destroyed yourself.”

Saul, having heard Christ Jesus for himself, gives himself over to Him: “What would You have me to do?”

Yielding simple allegiance, and seeking to obey; Saul gives up his life into the hands of Jesus Christ.
“I am Yours, what do you want me to do? Go on, or go back, or what?”

The Lord then calls him on to Damascus, not as persecutor of His people, but as brother to those of this Way. The rest would be “told” him, when he got there.

Acts 9:8 “And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they lead him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.”

Refusing to see the Light God first gave him, Saul is now blinded for a time, by the Light he could not refuse to see. They lead him to Damascus.

Saul is now fasting, waiting to hear from the Lord the instruction he was promised.

And now to the Certain Disciple:

Acts 9:10-12 “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision; Ananias, and he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.”

Ananias spoke up; he did not say he would not go, for he had called Jesus, Lord. (He is not Lord to you if you will not do what He says.)

But he prays a prayer that we all would be well to imitate, when we are afraid about doing God’s Will:
Ananias told God what he had heard about Saul, the evil he had done in Jerusalem, and that he had come to do the same here in Damascus.
Now God knew this, but as Ananias prayed this information to the Lord, peace would have come upon his heart. A peace that passeth understanding.
Ananias was then ready to hear what Jesus said to him: “Go”

Acts 9:15-16 “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

And so Ananias, went; doing exactly what Jesus had commanded him to do for Saul. Praying for him to receive his sight, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (And because he went and prayed for Saul; every reward Saul/Paul will receive from the Lord, Ananias will receive a part, too.)

And what did Saul/Paul do?

Acts 9:19-20,22 “…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
And straightway preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

And Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which were at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.”

Acts 26:19-20 “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:
But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coast of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

Saul/Paul continued on, doing the Will of Christ Jesus, his Lord, through many afflictions, and persecutions of his own; till, at the last he could say:
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

Conversion meant for Saul/Paul, that he spiritually changed the direction of his life by placing himself on the foundation of Jesus Christ, his Lord.

Have you been converted to Christ?

Have you Settled Things with God?

In the garden of Getheseme, Christ Jesus “settled” with God that He would finish the work.
Matthew 26:38-40 “Then saith he (Jesus) unto them, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”

The life He lived was not a easy one. Holy and undefiled, He lived in a world which was corrupt, perverted, and in bondage.

But in the garden, Jesus was to face the hardest battle. Alone, He struggled with the upcoming pain, and humiliation (imagine having the power to destroy, or even change the mind of those who arrested and tried Him; yet having to be silent in defense.)

John 19:10-11 “Then sayest Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

He struggled with the fact that Judas betrayed Him, and His disciples couldn’t stay awake.
He struggled with the fact that the very people He came, in love, to; had rejected Him and His Word about the Kingdom of God.
He struggled, knowing the beatings, both by Romans, and Israelites, He would be subject to; the crown of thorns being pushed into His head in cruel mockery. He was a King, but refused to show it.
He struggled most: with the awful fact that on the cross He would be deserted by His Father, who had always been with Him:
For all our wicked sin, was placed upon Him; as our substitute. All God’s wrath, which should have been placed upon our heads for our sins, was placed on His.

Yet at Gethesemne, He settled the matter. He had come to do these very things, so He willed to do them; so it was settled there, that He would do them. For they were the Father’s Will. And that is what He wanted.
And He did all His Father’s Will, even unto death.

So we must “settle it”, that we will stand in the place God has for us, and do His Will.

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

He will help us, by His grace; which is the unmerited favor of power. He is the God of ALL grace, so He has enough for us.
He can help us in suffering: to endure, making us “perfect”, which means complete.
He can stablish, giving us the firm foundation of His love, and peace in all the circumstances of our lives.(And how much we need His peace in our days!)
He can strengthen us, for out of weakness we can be made strong, to will and to do His will.
He can “settle” us; which is to make the way for the rest of our lives into a path that is plainly seen, and give us power to walk in it.

Christ settled things in the Garden; the fear and amazement was there. All that came after, was just the doing.

We, too, can settle things with God; so that we can do His Will, without fear, by grace; in confidence, that He will be with us, and empower us by His grace for all that we face.
But, because of Jesus’s atonement; we will never be alone. He will always be with us; in, and through everything in our lives.

Have you settled things with God?

The Judgement Seat of Christ

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

When we stand before Christ Jesus, in that day, the most important aspect of our service will not be how much we have done, but “of what sort it is”.

The most telling thing, will be our motives behind the work we have done for Christ.

So how shall our motives be seen?

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
For other foundation can no man lay than that is lain, which is Christ Jesus.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

The things of God in our life will come through as gold.
The things of Salvation which we have shown will come through as silver.
The people we have helped win to the Lord Jesus Christ (by prayer, witnessing, or leading them to the Lord), will come through the fire as precious stones.

But the selfish, and proud, and willful actions that we have taken, even though they are religious, will be burnt up as wood, hay and stubble.

The motives of our work and service God always sees. He is interested in Who we love.
If we love Him, all our service in obedience to Him, will be elevated to worship. (Which is really worthyship)

1 Corinthians 13:1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Though I speak every language of this earth, and that of angels.
If I can express myself in all these languages to set forth the truth of God; if love to The Lord Jesus is not the compelling factor in my action:
I am so much noise.

1 Corinthians 13:2 “And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (love), I am nothing.”

If I have the highest gift of the Spirit: to know the mind of God and to speak it.

And understand all mysteries: those things hidden from the ages, to be revealed now.

And all knowledge: being able to set forth these great truths, in a way all might understand.

And have all faith: so that I could remove the mountains, or anything which might stand in the way of the Gospel.

AND HAVE NOT LOVE, I AM NOTHING.
My position before the Church counts as nothing before God, if I do not do what I am called, out of love for Him; but for some other reason.

1 Corinthians 13:3 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (love), it profiteth me nothing.”

Though I give all that I possess to feed the poor, and my body to be burned in a martyr’s death, without love to Christ as the reason for doing it; it profits me nothing where God is concerned.

We see then that, at the Judgement Seat of Christ, where the born again ones will be judged; it will be our love to Him which comes through the fire.
Love in the work and service that He gives us; but love to Him will stand the fire.

All the other reasons for following Christ, and doing good works, will be burnt up:

There is the reason of getting blessed for it: a bargain of types. I do this for you, God, and You do this for me.

There is the reason of position: either in the Church or in the World. To look good before men.

There is the reason to be SOMEONE, even to yourself.

And there is the reason: He told me to do it, so I have to, or else.

Where do we fit in here?

Do you love God? Is He the goal for all your works? To please Him, because you love Him? Are you fond of remembering His love? Do you want to experience more of it?

Then consider your heart: Who sits on the throne of your heart? Is it a divided heart?
You want to please Christ Jesus, but you also want that attention, or prominence that these works gain you.

Give up that thought of “gain”, for the heart will eventually be pulled apart and become bitter, or will begin to give reasons why you can do what you want.

Matthew 16:26 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Someone has said: God’s love is like an Ocean. It is vast and beautiful. Powerful, and wide.
You can stand on the shore and look at it.
You can step in and out of it, staying on the shore.
Or you can get out into it, by the vessel of faith, and enjoy it.