Our Armor of Proof
Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”
Ephesians 6:13 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

We are to put on the whole armor of God; to stand, that we might withstand, in order to stand.
Stand in this military context, means “to hold the ground given”. In other words, we are to hold the ground Christ bought and paid for; and has given us (individually) to stand on.
To withstand means to resist or oppose. We are to resist or oppose evil, that we might continue to stand on the ground Christ has given us.

If we do not resist evil, we are part of it. For as Christ said:
Matthew 12:30 “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.”

Our armor of proof is not so many imaginary pieces, but real, spiritual, helps; that we might stand in the evil day.

Ephesians 6:14 “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,..”
We first need truth. It is pictured as surrounding us, as protection. And Jesus again said:
John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
As we let the word of God surround us in our everyday life; it will be like armor to our soul. Nothing will be able to get in that is not according to His will, for we know His Word. (This is not the offensive weapon of our sword, but defensive knowledge)

Ephesians 6:14 “…and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”
There is the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to us; which makes us righteous before God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”)
We can come before God in boldness (Hebrews 4:16) because of His righteousness.

But there is also the righteousness we are to do: Romans 6:16, 19 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or obedience unto righteousness?”
“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

To put on the breastplate of righteousness, we need to be sure we are born again; and then yield our members to obedience.

The term here “having” for both of these suggests the thought: “Will you have it?”
For these are the beginning of our protection. And we can not stand without truth and righteousness.

Ephesians 6:15 “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
We need peace to stand on. The peace that passeth all understanding.(Philippians 4:7) keeps us in all sorts of circumstances. The storm may blow, but we are at peace.

And when we have experienced this for ourselves, our feet are shod, and we are able to stand firm , no matter the storm.

Ephesians 6:16 “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Faith is that amazing gift of the Holy Spirit, that delivers us in times of doubt (Hebrews 4:1-2), in times of temptation from the world (1 John 5:4), and here it states that it keeps us from the accusations and suggestions of the devil.
It will “shield” us by covering the mind with Light to see these “darts” as they really are.
It will “shield” us by covering our heart with Love, God’s love for us.
It will “shield” us by covering our walk with the knowledge of God’s forgiveness, and power.
Remember, this piece is movable…for faith covers all of us.

Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation,…”
“Take” implies use.
Take the knowledge of your salvation to keep you from sin:
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Our salvation can protect our mind:
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 every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Ephesians 6:17 “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
This and all-prayer are our offensive weapons. All the rest are defensive. For we don’t go out to conqueror; but we are standing, holding ground that Christ has already won.
But when attacked, we need to defend ourselves. And the best offense is: God’s Word given to you at the time of attack by the Holy Spirit. (It suits what the devil is suggesting, or accusing; taking the influence of that attack away.)
Then God’s power is there, for you, too.
James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.”

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

We are to pray always (1 Thess. 5:17)
Jude 20 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”
Prayer is our life line to direction, comfort, correction, everything we need.
This kind of prayer is “in the Spirit”.
Both of the offensive weapons are by direction of the Holy Spirit.
The sword of the Spirit, and prayer…in the Spirit.
He guides us into what to say to the attacks of the devil; And what to pray for, to get the help we need against these attacks….both for ourselves and for others.

I titled this Our Armor of Proof, because the Lord has provided these spiritual helps, He has given us His Word, His Spirit, and knowledge of our enemy’s wiles….and in our “Stand”, we need to prove them, for ourselves.
They are all we need to stand against the wiles of the devil….will we use them?

“The greatest need for our day is a return to first principles”
(The Papers)

In as much as our ministry is to the Church, and we believe this is the Laodicean Age of the Church; we have been called to speak and make known the first Principles for which the Church was established.

In a short journey, it is easy to keep focused on the destination, while enjoying the view along the way. But when the journey becomes long and the way begins to become tedious; we are often confounded by the directions, and become uninterested in the way.

To return again to first principles, is to become awakened to the joy of the journey; to become aware of how far we have come; and to remember the goal for which we work.

Jude 25 “To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
This is the goal for our walk, our callings, and service: To be to His praise and glory.

To do this, subjection to the Holy Spirit is always of first importance.
Ephesians 1:3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Many a servant of God has been called and been given gifts of the Spirit to the edifying of the Church, and has thought that he has everything.
But the gifts and callings of God are the means of bringing us, and others to a more fuller knowledge and appreciation of God. (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit)
Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

God the Father is our Eternal Provider:
In eternity past, He provided the way of Salvation (Christ), the means of Salvation (Christ’s life, death, and resurrection), and the work of Salvation in our individual lives. (The drawing power, which brings us to Christ [John 6:65]).He has given us our inheritance. He rules our ways, and means.

God the Son is our Eternal Lord and Savior. As the Creator of the Earth, and us; He has shaped each of us, body, soul, and spirit in our given circumstances. He has redeemed us by His own sacrifice, and given us His example as the Man Christ Jesus. Commanding us, that “if” we will follow Him, then we must deny ourselves.
It is always Christ or self in our hearts and lives.

God the Holy Spirit is our Eternal Molder. He is given as a holy guest within our spirits. He is the gift giver: for with Him we receive faith at the new birth and the knowledge of His presence (we are never alone). We receive the Holy Spirits fruits as we let Him mold our lives around Himself. As we yield to Him in thought, word, and deed; we become molded into vessels unto honor, able to be used by God.(2Timothy 2:21). The Holy Spirit frees us from the constraints of sin–our sin; and from the rule of self. He is the ruler of our walk or practical holiness.

We need a guide; and the Holy Spirit has come to us to guide us into all truth.(John 16:13) And that always begins with the truth about ourselves.
James 1:23-25 “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty , and continued therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

This is what you, as a Christian, must decide about the Holy Spirit:
Will you have a life which says to Him: Help me do what I must, help me through trouble, but otherwise leave me alone.
Or,
Will you have a life which yields to His direction and discipline, and gains true liberty.
This is spoken of in:
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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.”
As we behold Christ, by the Holy Spirit’s showing us Him in the circumstances of our lives; we are changed into the same image, or become like Christ in attitude, and character; as we yield to Him in these circumstances.
Which will we have?
Liberty? Or a closed life?

The Scribe Which Is Instructed Unto the Kingdom of Heaven.

We have given this before,   But it is worth repeating;

Matthew 13:52 ” Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

We are starting this blog for Christians. To strengthen and encourage God’s people to seek, and trust the Lord.
All given with the prayer that they meet the need of those who read them.

We believe that one of the greatest needs of this Church Age is to understand and Have Christ’s kingdom come within the heart of each of His own.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.”(KJV)

Notice it is “in earth”, not on it.
This is His Personal Kingdom coming with in your life. When you make Him King, and He reigns there.
When we are born again (John 3:3, 7) and “ye must be born again”….we enter His kingdom as His citizens. But it is only when we are obedient to His laws and ordinances that we make Him King in our lives.

If we are still “running the show” ; He is not King, Personally.
“Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done.”
When this becomes a fact in our everyday lives, we are subjects of that Kingdom, and expressions of it:
Our Wills are His, and are then empowered to do His Will.
For it is then, He sits on the Throne of our Hearts.

Not that we make others do His Will….but that WE DO HIS WILL.

Then HIS KINGDOM HAS COME ….WITH IN US.

It is a great feeling to come to the place where the arguments WITH GOD, end; and the Holy Spirit–instead of correcting , empowers to go forward in peace, joy and faith.

AND HOW SHALL HIS KINGDOM COME?
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?”

This is “on the earth”.
There are some who believe that His Kingdom will be brought in, when enough of His Own are praying for it.
I do not know if that is true.
But I do know that readiness for His return will be conditioned by prayer:

Luke 18:1 “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
Jesus speaks here, of the closing days of the Church Age. Just before He returns. Just how the times will be, and just what we should be doing about it .

Luke 21:28 “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.”

Everyday we hear and see more of what Jesus said would happen….happen.
And what are we to do about it? Hide our heads….Act out…..wring our hands in fear?
No! That is not it!!
Look up! Lift up your heads!
1st turn your eyes away from the world-system.
2nd be actively seeking the joy and peace of God for each situation you need to go thru, till He comes.

We should rejoice in seeing these come to pass , even as Jesus said they would.
We should be praying. “Amen! Even so Come LORD JESUS”
And we should be “loving His Appearing”. For there is a Crown of Righteousness laid up for all who Love His Appearing! (2 Timothy 4:8)

Luke 18:2-7 “Saying, there was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Tho I fear not God, nor regard man;
Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.
And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, tho He bear long with them?”

If this were a Roman Judge (the Jews were always in 3’s). He would not care much for the needs of a Jew. Especially one of no importance, like a widow. For she could do him no damage!
But she kept coming back! She was often in his court!

Now he feared not God nor regarded man.
So anything he did , would be on a personal level….without thought of anything or anyone else.
Not because of pressure from someone or something.

But she kept coming! Avenge me of mine Adversary!
This is not a request for punishment of her Adversary.
But for a Decree, issued by this Judge, that would give her PROTECTION from his injustices.
To keep him from harming her.
LIKE A RESTRAINING ORDER ISSUED TODAY

Luke 18:5 “Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”

“She weary me”; Literally means. “She give me a black eye”
Her always appearing there , in his court, might ruin his reputation!
People might get the wrong idea about him.

This Judge acted from only self-involved motives.
From this consideration–alone–he thought it best to avenge her.

And our Lord said “Hear what the unjust judge says”
Because the Lord Jesus wanted to show that all the judge’s motives were personal…yet what she sought ; she got.

Then our Lord Jesus contrasts the unjust judge and God. Shall not GOD surely do right?
Shall He not avenge His own elect? From their Adversary?
And how are we to ask?

Luke18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
Faint means to weaken in purpose, or spirit; to languish; TO JUST GIVE UP.

When we pray, we ought to believe that God is going to hear and keep at it until we know He does.

Luke 18:7 “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, tho he bear long with them?”

We are not what we ought to be in this Age; yet He bears long with us.
Wanting us to be other than we are ….to enjoy the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit’s enablement. To get us out from the Adversary’s injustices. To know the power of life (abundant life) as obedient subjects of His kingdom now.
Loving us, rebuking us, and chastening us that we might become full sons.

Luke 18:8 “I tell you (and this is the Lord Jesus speaking) that he WILL avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Yes, He will avenge us…speedily.
“Heavenly Father, Avenge me of my Adversary!”
This is like a restraining order, remember; against our Adversary , the Devil.
To keep him from hurting us.
And we should always ask for such decrees against our Adversary.
He will not only issue such Decrees, He will do so speedily.

Yet , Jesus asked; “shall he find faith on the earth?” Not that He doesn’t know….but to AWAKEN US to the VERY DANGEROUS TIME IN WHICH WE LIVE.

There are temptations, cares, enemies of God, worldly pleasures, evil companions, …..
All of them can be used by our Adversary to “hurt us”.
To keep us from entering into God’s Best for us.

The Devil seeks to defeat every child of God….not in Salvation.
But in Progress.
To keep them children , when they should go on to maturity in the faith.

To keep them self-centered, instead of Christ-centered; That will devour up a whole lifetime of works and attitudes.

Shall He find “faith” on the earth?
This faith here is (in the Greek “pistis”). Conviction of truth or the truthfulness of God. Reliance upon Christ for salvation and CONSTANCY IN SUCH PROFESSION.

Do you TRUST Christ for Salvation, but not for today?
Shall we not all apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ Jesus?

Has the Church ever had so much riches as it has today?
With so little results?

Why is it we see so little Reality in a Christian’s Profession?
I don’t know…but I am sure it is a matter of the Heart.

I believe that today many claim the Promise; without having the corresponding experience of that Promise.
They honor the Word, while rejecting the living LORD of that Word.
As Israel of old, they draw near with their lips, to God; but their hearts are far from HIM.
For I believe it is a matter of the heart. Who or What do you love?
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”
What “life” will you have?
1 Peter 1:3 ” According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, thru the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue”
He “hath given”. Then why don’t we have it in practice?
Because the PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST COSTS US . He wants to “COME” and reign in our lives, with that joy and power that comes with HIMSELF.

What takes 1st place in your life?
To what do you give final obedience….for surely this is your God.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven”
He is King. But is He my King? Is He your King?
Who sits on the throne of your heart?

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

He stands ready to do. To do for you. And Jesus has said God will issue such Decrees against our Adversary when we cry unto Him.
So where does that place us?
And just what kind of Christians ought we to be; with so much offered?
He is King….Will you make Him your King?

All: He has reconciled all things

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Christ Jesus, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Colossians 1:20-22 “And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whither they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight:”

“ALL”, a small word in itself, yet inclusive to the greatest degree.
“ALL”, describes in three letters the enormity, the numbers, and the greatness of power to accomplish without limits.

We, in ourselves, are helpless to right the broken relationship with God which once existed:
Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Dust we are and unto dust we will return; but God breathed into us the Holy Spirit, and we became a living soul. No other created being was formed by God in this way, no other created being has a soul.
We were whole, then; full of Life and Light. We were body, soul , and spirit; a whole creation made in the image of the Triune God:
God the Father, God the Son, And God the Holy Spirit.

In Adam’s choosing to disobey God, all humans fell to the lower consciousness of right and wrong.
To the consciousness of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; and so lost the Life of God within us.
The Holy Spirit, which indwelt our spirits, left; and we became darkened, alienated from the Life of God….and so we are removed from His Presence.
(We had the knowledge of Good in God; Adam by his sin, gave us the knowledge of Evil.)
Genesis 3:24 “So He drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life.”
Ephesians 4:18 “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:”

Even the best life is out of harmony with the God of holiness, and His Heavenly Government.
So much so, that we can all cry out in the same amazement as did the Apostles, “Who then can be saved?”
Matthew 19:25 “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?”

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

The plan of reconciliation was made before times eternal, yet here it is stated as only it can be…”With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
We can not reconcile ourselves to God, but we can come at His invitation and “be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17, 21 ” Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
“For he hath made him to be sin for us , who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (Christ Jesus).”

All things are become new by being born again (John 3:7)
And at the reconciliation of new birth, God begins the process of the complete reconciliation which is spoken of in:
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Reconciliation is the process of removing all things that hinder fellowship.

Romans 5:10 “For, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

At new birth, God begins the process of saving us by His life:
First He sends the Holy Spirit into our spirits (which were darkened by the fall of Adam); And gives us Light.
Then there is a gift of faith given to our souls to encourage, strengthen, and help guide us.
Then there is a way of seeing made available by Honesty.
There is His Presence in our adoption to His Heavenly Family, and His love to hang on to.
His lovely Life has begun to fill our life with Christ.
This is reconciliation…
A process not without rebukes or corrections, yet always in His love.

This reconciliation (and yes, Paul is writing to Christians, too; as his letters show); is beyond the impassible barrier we have made of our own lives, and begins with coming to Him;
All of you; just as you are; To have “all” that you can hold of Him.
It is impossible with man, but all things are possible with God.

Ezra:
Ezra 7:27-28 “Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem:
And that extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the kings mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go with me.”

Ezra was a scribe, a gentle man steeped in the Word of God: Moses books, Joshua, Judges, Chronicles, and books of the Kings. The Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and a few others. These were his love.
And as such, he was commissioned by the king of Persia to go and teach the Word and law of God to the remnant in Israel.(It seemed as if this was Ezra’s request to go)

Ezra 7:6 “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.”
Ezra 7:10 “And Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statues and judgements.”
(Notice here it says Ezra sought the law of the Lord, so he could do it…this was not a head knowledge only; but a heart loving the Lord and His Word, so he could obey Him.)

In the kings mind, to honor the God of Israel would bring help for his kingdom. He was right.
Ezra 7:23 “Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?”
So he commissioned Ezra to go and take Levites to go through all the land of Israel and teach the laws of their God.
(You will notice Ezra often speaks about the “good hand of God”. His joy at God’s help and deliverance is gently spoken of again and again: [7:6, 7:9, 7:28, 8:18, 8:22, 8:31] under that phrase.)
So Ezra gathers together those offerings for the house of God,and the Levites needed to teach all that had returned from captivity to Israel.

Great job! For one so devoted to God and His law. This should be wonderful; to be back in the land and setting up the worship of God in Israel.

So he begins the job with the gentle energy. And right away he shows great courage when he refuses to ask for a convoy.

Ezra 8:22-23 “For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all of them for good that seek Him; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake him.
So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us.”

The gentle grace of prayer, worked. (As it always does for those who truly seek God’s honor.)
Making sure of the task, he sets people to weigh and oversee everything.
It is a four month trip;
When they get to Israel Ezra finds out about the sin of the people…and does not act in the energy of the flesh and lash out, but in repentance for all his people (and, yes, he includes himself though he has not sinned in this respect) he places himself at the door of the temple–not inside, and weeps, and prays.
Ezra. 9:6 “And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.”
Ezra 10:1 “Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.”
How the Holy Spirit uses his crying and prayers!
Reformation is suggested and done, because of him.
Ezra 10:3 “Now therefore let us make covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.”
His devotion to God and His word, brings the repentance needed; then the blessing.

Later we find him in the days of the festivals teaching the people about the Law, and in the praises of the day.
Nehemiah 8:1, 5-6, 9-10, 13,18 ” And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.
Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.”

Ezra was a man of God looking for the good of the people of God.
Never in anger; but in the gentle personality that God had chosen to use, to tell of God’s word, show true repentance, and bring blessing (by both) to Israel.

“According to the good hand of his God upon him”
Ezra was a man who lived under the influence of his God. And wanted to share that influence. For remember he sought the law of God, so he could do it.
So can we.
Psalm 17:7 “Show thy marvelous loving kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee for those that rise up against them.”

Fruitless Christians

Luke 13:6-9 “He spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon; and found none.
Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I dig about it, and dung it:
And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

This matter of bearing fruit is a matter of our responsibility.
We are responsible to bear fruit: both the fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-23 ” But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

And the fruit of a Christian, which is another Christian.

Luke 13:6-9. (Above)
The Dresser or gardener, wants to give this tree one more season to produce fruit.
Giving it some special attention: to dig about it and dung it.
“To dig about it”: Loosing the hard places around the roots. How many times have we let the light of the Word of God dry us out; instead of enrich us?
Instead of promises, we see things that we will probably never have.
Instead of warnings, we become distressed to have to remain alert.
Instead of encouragements, we feel overwhelmed with things.

“And dung it”: This is nourishment. Once the digging has opened things up, then the extra help is given. And how much we need this. The Lord often sends us more of the Holy Spirit’s influences, along with Pastors, and messages, to awaken us to turn to Him anew.
We can get stuck in the normal life, we are here, we are Christians, we bear leaves.
We look good, but we are bearing no fruit.
John 15:2 “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

Now the dresser or gardener could do what he could…give it that special attention, for a time.
But after that, then what?
If the digging and dunging did not work, then this tree would pass out of the hands of the dresser; into the hands of the One that the tree belonged to.
It’s fate then would rest with Him.
What the Lord wants for each of us, is that we bear the fruit of His Spirit in our lives by the intimate fellowship with Him….and then that we as His witnesses, bear the fruit of another Christian. To bear fruit to Christ’s honor and glory.

Duet. 4:20 “But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.”

Nowhere in either Old or New Testament is dedication separated from redemption.
The two are intimately linked, and we never find one without the other. The Apostle Paul did not wait until he was a prisoner, or about to be martyred, before presenting himself to God.

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

It was never God’s plan that His people should wait several years, perhaps for a time of special blessing, or special trouble; before giving themselves wholly to Him.

It is His intention, that when He saves a people, He also gains a people. He gives me redemption; He asks for my self dedication in return.
He knows (even if we don’t, at times) that our joy is only in Him, and His Will.
He never leaves us in the pig pen of the world, but calls us with His Spirit, to come
And be completely His, by our deliberate, willful choice. (We are already His by His redemption.)
Psalm 65:4 “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

Luke 13:9 “And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, after that thou shalt cut it down.”
We are always in God’s hands….for help, strength, and grace. Or for correction, and the rod of chastening.
To the people Christ died for that they may have life eternal; He will not let us go on and be as good as dead.
Life is our inheritance…and the Life of God within us will bring forth fruit by His Spirit; if we yield to His Word to us (don’t be hardened against it) and receive His awakening to our souls.

Stifle Not the Spirit
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (Williams Version) “Stifle not the Spirit”
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (KJV) “Quench not the Spirit”

To “Quench not or Stifle not the Spirit” of God, is set in the closing exhortations that
Paul sends at the end of the letter.
He begins this ending exhortation with:
1Thessalonians 5:1 “But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.”
And he goes on to say:
1 Thessalonians 5:6 “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
And so he writes a series of short, to the point, exhortations about what they should be doing, as they are looking for the coming of the Lord.

Quench not the Spirit, is one of these. It means: don’t put out the fire of the Holy
Spirit’s influence in your life.
Stifle not the Spirit, to me, is more exact. To stifle is to choke off.

We stifle the Holy Spirit by our attitude at the way He is working; Or with a hesitation to do what He has told us to do; Or by refusing His joy, peace, or any of His helps.
(I remember one time when someone I had helped, treated me unjustly; saying unkind things . Yet I can honestly say that none of those things bothered me….at least, at first.
Instead I felt real peace about the whole situation, until I started thinking about how that person should have been. Then, when self rose up to be recognized; the Holy Spirit was stifled; and my peace was gone, and I had a real hard battle with myself. Which would never have happened if I had not stifled the Spirit’s peace.)

I remember when I was first given this verse; I said, “Yes, Lord, I do this; but what should I do about it?”
And the Lord told me, “It’s right up there!” The answer was in the verse right above this one.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 ” In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you.”
If I would give thanks to God for everything…then a great deal of self pity, self righteousness (how we like to take credit for things), self in so many forms; would be denied and the Holy Spirit would not be so easily stifled.
But that requires a little effort…
But it should be pleasant effort. Going back over the day’s events; or the situation you just came through; to thank the Lord for His help, His deliverance, His words to say, His…, His…, His…everything. And there begins to be so many things to thank Him for.
As the verse says, “In everything give thanks:”

For myself, I began to be thankful for so many things I never even saw before.
It began to be a joy to find them.
The joy of the Lord is our strength ( Nehemiah 8:10)

Here is a principle point of our warfare as Christians soldiers:
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 exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ;”
When it comes to our warfare as Christians soldiers, we need to remember that the battle is the Lord’s, and we must use His weapons.

These are not the carnal weapons of: trying to put temptation out of our minds; of pretending everything is alright, when we know something needs to be dealt with; of going along with other Christians, ( because they are Christians, it should be O.K.)
All these things are carnal weapons, not Spiritual.
Spiritual Weapons pull down the strongholds of reason within our minds to show us how God feels about what we are doing; Spiritual Weapons pull down the strongholds of feeling “happy”, to show us God’s joy.

“Casting down imaginations,”. This is a weapon the Adversary of our souls uses almost everyday. What if? And then we think about: what if.
Our imaginations, if not checked and kept under the Holy Spirit’s control and lead us so far from what God has for us…we can be lost in our own thoughts; and never accomplish God’s will for our lives.

“And every high thing that exalts itself against the genuine knowledge of God.”
Now notice, it does not say, “destroys the knowledge of God”. No, we would immediately reject anything like that.
But “exalts itself against”, is another matter.
Our own experience from the past, someone else giving advice, or what we would like to happen, or (and there are a lot of these) suggestions of our Adversary, the devil.
These are things that can “exalt itself against” what God is saying to us.

Our message is “Stifle not the Spirit”.
The holy guest within us, comes into our spirits with light, love, peace, help, grace…
All the things we need to get us to the end of our path.
When we stifle Him, we close our lives to His help, right then.

Picture you letting Him into your darkened heart’s house. He comes in with light , warmth, and peace. You and He set at a table and eat and talk….everyday. The joy that comes is wonderful. One day, you invite to the table an angry word, an evil suggestion, a lustful thought; to eat with you and He.
When they come, He gets up and goes to His room…shutting the door; leaving you, with them, in the dark.
What next?
What will you do?
Who do you want to be with?
The answer to that is what we deal with in “Stifle not the Spirit”
To go and knock at His door and ask forgiveness; to throw out those others; and to “walk in the light, as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7), is what we are called to do everyday.
But it is a wonderful calling. What will you choose?

The Path that I Must Take…Now be for Me.
Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

We talk a great deal about “the way” or “the path”, we as Christians, should walk in. It was placed there by God, for us, personally.
Yes, there are things every Christian must go through, and these we speak of as our way.
But, it is personal, because each of us deal with circumstances differently. We are all unique. And God wants us that way. Not in our sin…Christ came to save us from our sin. (Matthew 1:21). But as far as personality is concerned, God wants us to be us.

We believe our personalities are our souls (mind, heart, and will). They are what Christ died for…to save our souls; for He loved us in Eternity past and came to save us from what would have separated us from Him and His love–sin, our sin.

God, also, speaks a great deal of the path or way that we should walk in.  And He says here in Proverbs that it should be like the “shining light”.
The sun rises in the east every morning…at first you don’t even see the sun, but light, though it is dim, is there.
Then the sun is there…a bright ball of light, sending color everywhere. Cheering, and vitalizing everything.
At first, the sun is still making shadows. The brightness of the sun you CAN walk in;
But you can also stand in the shade, which is darkened places.

In other words, “the path of the just” is progressive. At first there is the light without warmth. Then there is the sun and shadows…and this continues on till the high noon of our experience, which is where we are not letting anything hinder our communion with God.
We are dealing with any darkness in our life right away, so that nothing comes between us and the Lord.

Proverbs 23:26 “My son give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”
“Give me”. This is an act of our will.
“And let thine eyes observe my ways”. It says “let”; in other words, don’t do anything to stop this from happening. Once we decide to “be His”; then our eyes move to seek His way for us.
This path is the walk we take from here to Heaven.
And the way we go is the things we pass through to stay in His path for us.

As things come up, passing through(and that is the goal–to pass through, not stay in them) the testings , and the trials; two things will happen:
We will learn about ourselves, and we learn the sufficiency of our God, for us.

Doing this, we should come to our expected end:
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

This “expected end” is to be what He has made us; by walking in the path, through those trials, and testings He will guide us in.

If we would have all that God wants us to have, at the end; then we must walk in all the experiences of our day to day walk.
In the Hebrew, “the expected end”, is full of hope.
The hope of the Godhead. A thing They desire to see brought to pass. This They long for; our expected end.

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Plainly God says here:
When our hearts are really in this search, we will find that which we seek.
Remember, give Me thine heart.
Our path is a progressive walk with God. In all our days, and nights; of sickness, joy, trials, and ordinary times; we should walk with Him.
When we do; we are “being” His. (And, in every way, He is being ours)

Almost Persuaded

Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
We have heard it said…”Almost don’t count” and it doesn’t.
To almost do is not to.
To almost say is not to.
To almost anything is, in the end, to not have anything.

Luke 8:18 “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemth to have.”
To seem to have is like “almost”….it is nothing for eternity.

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Ordained means to make full provision for. God has done that for us. Anything He ask us to do, or say; He has provided the grace, power, and even the joy if we will have it; to do it.
We have been saved from sin, and made the workmanship of God, in order that we might walk in good works which God prepared for us.
Yet we often shrink back, hesitating to begin. Afraid of that first step, which is simple obedience to His commands.

Acts 26:26-27 “For the King knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. ”

King Agrippa knew the facts. They were not called into question. He even believed the prophets. (And how many of them spoke about Christ’s coming, both in suffering and exaltation?)
Yet where was the hesitation?
Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. ”
To hesitate is to simply and knowingly wait for some other force to help you decide.
It is to wait for something to happen, to force your hand.

Isn’t time we stopped “hesitating”, and start standing with the Lord?
For in those three words lies the direction we must go: “with the Lord”.

Stop the “almost persuaded” in your life.
Stop waiting for Him to push.
Stop waiting for a better argument or a better reason to do His Will.
Just do it.

It is now that you receive His Word, or reject it.
Pray about it, think about it; However you say the excuse: it can come down to doing ANYTHING but His Will.
The wiles of the Devil….his temptations, tricks, and suggestions, figure in our thoughts about this; for he wants to defeat God’s people in any way he can.

Acts 26:29 “And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, we’re both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.”

Paul wanted Agrippa and all who heard him to know and follow Christ as he did.
Christ calls all His people to come and follow Him….now, into the good works He has laid out for them to walk in.
Come.
Not almost, but altogether, come.

“Our Wall” and how to remove it:

Song of Solomon 2:8 “The voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.”

Here we deal with the voice of “my beloved”, or the Lord. He comes leaping upon the mountains of our troubles; and skipping on the hills, or little difficulties we all have.
Mountains in Scripture mean impossible problems that we can not possibly handle.
And hills are those everyday difficulties we come across as we go along, as Christians.

But he leaps and skips these. There is nothing to prevent His coming to us.
Yet there is a hinderance. A real hinderance to further growth with Him.

Song of Solomon 2:9 “My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice.”

What hinders? A wall. Our wall.
Not His wall; nor is it your wall…but our wall.

This wall is “our” Spiritual Experience. What the Lord and I have gone through, or should have gone through.
The wall is build of things that are out of date….that need to be laid aside.

There are things the Lord has called you to, or told you to do, that you have never done…never got around to doing.

Some of the stones in this wall, are ways the Lord has had to deal with you to wake you up to His call…and they are “hard” places in your experience which should be acknowledged and sought forgiveness for.

Some of these stones are people that the Lord has had you deal with…You did it but it was an unpleasant experience…one you have never left behind.

Some of these stones speak of the faith that wavered, and that lead to mistrust and for some a complete stop in the walk of faith.

But there is a “lattice”. A window which is open to see that the One that calls is indeed the Lord. He is behind our wall, but He comes and says:

Song of Solomon 2:10-13 “My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs; the vines with a tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

“Rise up”; Which means we were not standing in our place, ready to go with Him into what is next for us….but we had stopped, and waited; But for what?

Well His voice calls us on with Him; to “come away”.
Come away from the past experience we seem to be stuck on.
Come away from failings; and thinking about them all the time.
Come away from faith that wavers, and step out with Him; He will enable us to believe that He will do what He has said.

And He calls us: “my love, my fair one”. His voice is not angry…but He is seen as a roe or a young hart. So He is ready to bound away at any minute.
How many times has He come and called, “Come with Me and leap these impossible
Problems you have and skip with Me over these difficulties. Leave behind what is behind, and come on in your experience to what is the real joy of life (which is what these flowers, birds, and fruits speak of): Being with Me, I am truly your Beloved.
Let us go on”
Will you rise up and go along with Him?