Amos 3:8 “The lion hath roared,  who will not fear?   The Lord God hath spoken,  who can but prophesy?”

Amos begins his prophesy with the Lord’s Voice….as a roar from Zion…to the peoples round about His Jerusalem (Amos 1:2)…and it is the roar of the Victor.

           Amos 1:2 “And he said,  The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter HIs Voice from Jerusalem;  and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.”

           Jeremiah 25:30-31 “….The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter HIs Voice from His holy habitation;  He shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes,  against all the inhabitants of the earth.

           A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth;  for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations,  He will plead with all flesh;  He will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord.”

God’s Voice is a special manifestation of Himself.   His Voice first spoke in the re-creation of the earth…”Let there be light: and there was light”.  (Genesis 1:3)

God’s Voice spoke through Christ Jesus about the re-creation of us,….”Marvel not that I said unto thee,   Ye must be born again.”  (John 3:7)  

         “…he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life,  and shall not come into condemnation;  but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24)

“The lion hath roared, who will not fear?”

There are two kinds of fear in the Bible.    

           The fear of the Lord:

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom:  and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.”

           (In Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is a prominent part of the message there:

      Prov.1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:…

      Prov.3:7 “…fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

      Prov.8:13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy…”

      Prov. 10:27 “The fear of the Lord prolongeth days:…”

      Prov. 14:26 “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.”

      Prov.14:27 “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.”

      Prov. 15:16 “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.”

      Prov.15:33 “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom:….”

      Prov. 16:6 “…by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.”

      Prov.19:23 “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied;….”

      Prov.22:4 “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor and life.”

      Prov.23:17 “Let not thine heart envy sinners:  but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.”)

           This fear is reverential awe….it places us  on our faces before our God  in love, trust, and surrender to His Will.   

           The fear of the Lord will keep us grounded in the Truth,  to see things in their right order.   “Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”  (Ecc.12:13)

(We must remember that the judgment against all mankind is:  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:18)

           The second is the fear of man:

Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”

           This fear will cause people to do what they wouldn’t normally do, looking around to see the reaction of men…. or it will cause people to seek revenge,  or lead them to  tremble and give up. (“….fear hath torment” 1 John 4:18)…and how much this fear is used by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The fear of the Lord will come to all who seek to know Him….aright.

           If we can shake our fist in the face of God, and say,  even by our actions:  “I will not”…

…then it is certain that we have not the beginning of wisdom,…

…nor do we have the reality, which is the fear of the Lord.

He is Sovereign!   And all things work….and will work,   to His Sovereign determination (Rev. 

4:11…”pleasure” is determination, there

And all things means all things!

This is fact….but it is what we do with this fact,  that makes the difference in our lives.

          We would change this….or we would change that.    He would change us into His likeness….and this begins with the fear of the Lord.    

          Us, coming to the place where we cry out,…”Oh, woe is me!  I am undone!   And then raise our heads, and look up to Christ…and praise His name for letting us be near Him in any way!”

Reverence for Who He is …and surrender to what He has and will do!

Amos 3:6 “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid?   Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?”

      “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid?”    

The trumpets were to awaken the people….to gather them,  especially in times of war or trouble…or for repentance.

We are to make sure our “trumpet sounds” are clear.    That we speak plainly and clearly to people about Christ Jesus our Lord.

        1 Corinthians 14:8 “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”

We need to be clear in our words and actions that we stand with the Lord.

      “Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?”

Nothing just happens.   

       All is under the Sovereign eye of God.    What He wills,  will certainly be….both in blessing and in judgment…

….what He allows, He will control…even the evil of the times, He is making to work for His glory,  for He calls us to separate ourselves from it,  and show that we are His…

       Romans 6:17-18 “But God be thanked,  that ye were the servants of sin,  but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 

       Being then made free from sin,  ye became the servants of righteousness.”

Amos 3:3,8 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

        The lion hath roared,  who will not fear?   The Lord God hath spoken,  who can but prophesy?”

In the Bible, to prophesy is to tell God’s people what is on HIs mind for now.    Did the prophets also tell of future events?  Yes,  but the main theme of every prophet…

…..was to be God’s mouthpiece to remind and tell His people,   what they were refusing to hear….through HIs Word.

Let us hear HIs Voice to us…in these last days of the church age:

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

Does He say this in other scriptures?   Yes,  many.   But here, in these last days of the church….His called out ones….

….He speaks to us as the Amen….the only One who can say…”Let it be!”   And it will be!

He speaks to us as the Faithful and True Witness….who tells us how we are,  so that we can repent….and have a blessing at HIs coming…instead of suffer loss. 

      2 John 8 “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought,  but that we receive a full reward.”

      We have come so far….will we turn back….or stop?   Let us seek to Him and get His Witness against us…and repent…and be fully blessed.

He speaks to us as the beginning of the creation of God….for God’s thoughts of salvation for us were before He created anything else.

      And so He created a body for Christ, before anything else was (Hebrews 10:5)

      His body was prepared for His coming as the Man Christ Jesus…. that He might come and save us at the fulness of the time.

His Voice is not yet the trumpet call of “Come up hither” in the Rapture….but the Voice of the lion who is roaring….that HIs church might be awakened,….to come to Him….and fear Him.

All Authority…All Power

Matthew 28:18-20 ASV “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying,  All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth.

               Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

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

Matthew 28:18 KJV “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,   All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.”

Authority has the meaning of competency, mastery, freedom to do….and so does power here.

When was Jesus given all authority, all power?

               Well, He had it in Eternity past….for He is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity.   (John 1:1-2, Philippians 2:6)

               He had all authority as the Son of Man,  to do and be the perfect man….to become the perfect sacrifice. (Luke 5:24, John 10:17-18)

              He had all authority as the Lamb of God, to call for angels to save Him (Matt. 26:52-54),  or to come down from the cross….if He willed.    But He subjected His authority to His Father’s Will.

              He has all authority as our Savior and Mediator,…for this is the authority and power spoken of in these last verses of Matthew…which He had won by His Victory on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-19)

              It is the authority and power He has for us, as His servants which He is speaking about.  

Colossians 1:10-11 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

             Strengthened with all might,   according to His glorious power,   unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness;

He is saying, “ I am risen….and ascending to heaven;  where I will be at the right hand of God, interceding for you and the work I am calling you to do.

              Do not be afraid,  I have all authority over all and anything you come up against. 

              I have all power to make your words heard in the heart of those you preach and teach to.   So lead them to Me to be born again….then baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

              Make disciples… by teaching them  to observe what I have said to you.”

(Observe here has a wide meaning….it means to keep, guard from loss…to fulfill.

             The disciples (and us) are to teach those that are born again, to read and guard the Word of God to them….and then put it in practice in their lives.)

Then Jesus, with all authority and power…. gives a Word so wonderful.   A Word which has been fulfilled in each believer’s life:

            “…and, lo,  I AM with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.”

When Moses was before the burning bush….which burned, yet was not consumed….God said His name was I AM that I AM.    Moses was to tell Israel, that the great I AM was come to deliver them.    And He did.

            Here in Matthew, Jesus says I AM with you alway.    Jesus is the great I AM.   Burning within our hearts….yet not consuming us….but using us to manifest His light, and grace.   

           He came down to deliver us….and He did, giving all who come to Him full salvation and eternal life.      

But He also dwells with us….alway, even unto the end of the world….for us when we die and go to heaven.   And when He makes a new earth and a new heaven, wherein dwelleth righteousness.(2 Peter 3:13)

All authority and all power is in HIs hands…

          One day all will hear and know this authority for themselves…

1 Corinthians 15:24-25 “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;  when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

          For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet.”

Today, we are given the privilege to speak to all….of  His Kingdom, which can come within  their hearts….

         It is a Kingdom of love and light….with Jesus Christ reigning in the life of all who come to Him.

They made me the keeper of the Vineyards, but mine own Vineyard have I not kept

Song of Solomon 1:6 “….they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”

In Scripture, there are three gardens of note: 

The first, is the garden of Eden…..

…a paradise that God had made for man to live in,  and have fellowship with Him.

There man (Adam and Eve) were rulers under God…..over the garden itself, and the animals, and their circumstances.  

They were cared for, and caring for the garden for Him….and in the evening, were having fellowship with God.

They only had one…..just one….law that they were to obey,….

…..but in everything else they had abundance.

But here, in this garden, the upright man threw off the law of God, and rebelled…..he sinned,…and through Adam’s sin, we all became sinners, separated from God…

….”dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1)….from which we would never have the Purpose God created us for.

They were thrown out of this paradise garden,  into a world of “the sweat of thy brow”…..never to return.

The last garden is the garden of Gethsemane…..

….a garden which Jesus Christ often went to, when He was by Jerusalem….to pray.

He went the night He was betrayed,….falling down on the ground to seek HIs Father’s company…..and final Will….before the great work of expiation (taking away the sin of His people)…….and propitiation (the appeasing of God’s Holy wrath and anger )…….by His sacrifice,  would be done.

Jesus came as man,  bowing before His Heavenly Father,…..seeking HIs Will.

This was the opposite of Adam…..who rejected God’s Will.

Here in this last garden, Jesus Christ, replaced……in man (Himself…and from Him to everyone who comes to Him, and becomes “in Christ”)the Way to Paradise….by fellowship and submission to God.

He opened up the way to God the Father in HIs prayer of….”not my will, but thine be done”.

He made the garden bring forth the choicest fruits of purity, holiness, and sacrificial love…..by His prayer there.

And He did it for us.

The second garden is the garden of our souls….for we all grow something in our soul’s garden.

         It may be the  place of thistles and thorns (Hebrews 6:7-8)….

…and for the lost, that is all they can bring forth.

          Or it is a place of flowers, fruit trees, and the place God will walk with us again.

Song of Solomon 4:12, 16, 5:1 “A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse;….

Let my Beloved come into HIs garden, and eat HIs pleasant fruits.

         I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:….”

This garden of our soul is tilled and planted and seen to by the Great Husbandman,  God our Heavenly Father…..for His Son’s sake.

But we are called to tend to it, as well.    It is a garden “inclosed”…..for the Lord Himself to enjoy….not to be trampled on by another.

We are not to be so busy with the affairs of this life,  or the work of others, that we will forget to tend our own garden for Him…

…for it is there that we are to learn of Him, have fellowship and the company of God, and rule there.

         (You say,  “no one can rule their own circumstances”…..and it is true.   But we can rule our response and actions to circumstances.   We can rule for Him in all that comes to us.)

How do we look to Him in the garden of our soul?

        Through prayer, and our devotions.

        Through asking, seeking, and knocking.

        Through Obedience to His commands.

Song of Solomon 4:13-14 “Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

        Spikenard and saffron;  calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:”

Here is abundance….pomegranates with the juice and sweet seeds.

….camphire, a henna plant used for dyeing….spikenard, made into the ointment Mary poured on Jesus,….saffron….calamus and cinnamon, both rod spices….

(showing that God sees to every need,  every hunger and thirst,  every grace and help, in every way.)

Sometimes we cry out:

       “They made me the keeper of the vineyards”……”but mine own vineyard, I have not kept.”         

“I am so busy seeing to everything in my life….how can I have this personal relationship with God?”

       Set aside time…..five minutes, even.  “Let my Beloved come into His garden” should be our prayer.

       Bow our heads, as Christ did,….and seek Him and surrender to His Will.

Have you given Him time today? If you do, you will certainly…

…and bring forth fruit to God…for His pleasure.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

True sight requires two things.   Eyes that see,  and light to be able to see.

As our eyes see things in front of us,  and transpose them into our minds in pictures….so faith, which looks to God,  sees HIm….and transposes Him and His character into our hearts, minds and wills….as we yield to the Light shone.

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.”

Honesty is essential to spiritual growth.   We must come to the Light,  and stay in the Light,  and obey the Light.

         Remember the woman taken in adultery….she was the only one to stay before the Lord, and hear His judgment….the others left.  (John 8:1-12)  She also was the only one to be forgiven.

We need to get honest with God, and with ourselves.

        And the Word of God,  His scriptures, are our mirror to look into,  and the Holy Spirit is the Light to shine on us,  to show us how we are, and what we are doing.

James 1:22-25 “But be ye doers of the Word,  and not hearers only,  deceiving your own selves.

         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 continueth therein,  he being not a forgetful hearer,  but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

What is it that this man looks into….and continues therein?    The perfect law of liberty….or the Word of God.

Notice it calls the Word,  the perfect law of liberty.    

         Many people who have not much experience with the greatness and goodness in the scriptures,  might disagree.         They might say that there are too many rules,  too many requirements to be a source of liberty.

But true spiritual freedom comes with our moving further and further away from sin, and its power…..and closer and closer to Christ Jesus our Lord.

        And the greatest means of doing this,  is the Word of God.   Reading it and praying over it,  to get the sweetness from it.

Psalm 119:18 “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.

        I am a stranger in the earth:  hide not Thy commandments from me.”

How many times we feel a “stranger in the earth”…..not sure of where we are heading,  or what we are to be doing about it.

We need the doctrine that drops like rain.

Deuteronomy 32:2 “My doctrine shall drop as the rain,  My speech shall distil as the dew,  as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:”

Rain in scripture is from the Lord.   The Lord promised the early rain and the latter rain for crops and refreshing in Israel. (Hosea 6:3)

And so He promises His Word for accomplishing what He pleases.

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,  but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,  that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

        So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth:  it shall not return unto Me void,  but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

When we see by faith the Lord….then His likeness is impressed upon our consciousness….and we are “changed into the same image”.   

        His character is implanted within us by the Holy Spirit at new birth….but this “changing”  is by seeing the light of His character, and yielding to it…at the moment we see it,  so that we are made (molded) into HIs example, then.

Faith is our spiritual eyes to see what God’s Will is. 

       Faith reflects what it sees in the Lord, back into our minds and hearts…

……and the  Word of God enlightens our Way, giving a cleansing and refreshing effect by “the washing of the water by the Word.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

For we walk by faith, not by sight…means that we keep ourselves in the Light of His Word,

…..and keep ourselves  ever looking to Christ Jesus,   yielding  to the change the Lord will make by His cleansing from sin, and self…

….and by the refreshing rain of doctrine,  by the understanding given by His Holy Spirit.

Rain 

Hosea 6:3 “Then shall we know,  if we follow on to know the Lord:  His going forth is prepared as the morning;  and He shall come unto us as the rain,  as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”

Christ Jesus, when He comes to us by the influence of the Holy Spirit, is like a shower of rain, to a dry and thirsty ground.

When we are without Jesus in our lives, our hearts are hard, and nothing seems to soften them or make an impression on them.

(We may feel many emotions….which come and go….bring thoughts to lift or depress…..but our hearts are not softened by them….only used like a sponge….fluid in and out….never becoming the fruitful garden full of beauty and usefulness to the Lord.)

When we are born again….the Holy Spirit comes within us…..like a gentle rain, He softens us…..to feel the impressions of the Word of God for our lives.

But when we fall into sin after becoming Christians,(and sadly this can happen)…..we can again become “hardened”.     

So we need to turn to Him again, and pray for showers of His mercy and grace to come to us, and soften our hearts in repentance,  and cleansing in His blood.

Wherever Christ comes,  the rain of the Holy Spirit and of grace, comes to our souls;…..and we are turned into a well watered land.  

Fruitful and beautiful, for we drink Him in;…..and by His Spirit’s influence, we are changed little by little,  into His character.

As rain is a free gift of God to the earth……to poor and rich alike, the rain falls.

So Christ is offered to all who will receive Him.

The rain is most necessary to all the parts of the plants:  roots, trunk, branches,  leaves, and blossom.

So Christ is necessary to every part of us:  our understanding,  our will, our emotions, and our memories.

        He strengthens us in good things, and enlivens us as we grow.  

        He increases our peace, and love for Him and others.  

        He preserves us within, by His Spirit; and without, by HIs Word.

As rain sometimes comes amid thunderstorms, as well as the gentle warm rain;  so  Christ comes to us to warn us, as well as to encourage us.

As rain satisfies the dry earth,  so Christ comes and satisfies us.

He gives us the fruit of His Spirit within us.

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

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

Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt show me the path of life:  in Thy presence is fullness of joy;  at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

If we follow on to know the Lord,…..He will come unto us as the rain,  the former and latter rain,  upon the dryness of our souls.

To obey is better than sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said,  Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

              Any and all sacrifices….which are not followed with obedience,  are worthless.    Obedience is the measuring rod that shows how fervent we are and how much we love our Lord.

John 14:15 “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”

            (I was once going to have a message about the “fat of the sacrifices”.    God always required it to be burnt up to Him….as a sweet savor.   

            Leviticus 3:15-16 “And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them….shall he take away.   And the priests shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savor:  all the fat is the Lord’s”

            Fat is one of the  means of showing how well the animal was cared for….and the inward fat was prized….for it was the purest and sweetest)

            Samuel said that whole burnt offerings and sacrifices are not as loved by the Lord as simply obeying the Lord’s Word.

            Samuel said that the sweet savor of fat,  burnt up to the Lord,  is not as pleasing to Him,  as hearkening….or inclining our ears to hear HIs Word, and do it.

Obedience, then,  is required of the servants of God.

God has revealed no purpose to save any….except those,  when they hear the gospel,  obey it.

Acts 5:30-32 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

            Him hath God exalted with HIs right hand to be a Prince and a Savior,  for to give repentance to Israel, a forgiveness of sins.

           And we (Peter and John before the counsel) are His witnesses of these things;  and so is also the Holy Ghost,    Whom God hath given  to  them  that  obey  HIm.”

If we want to please the Lord….we need to obey Him and His Word to us.

          We often think a “general” obedience is good enough…but it is not.    To be well-pleasing to Christ Jesus and HIs Purpose for us,  we need to do what we are told,…personally, daily.

If we would get obedient….really diligently seek HIs Will and obey Him….we would begin to feel some of that religious fervor we are in need of.

Back to Samuel….and what he said to Saul, the king of Israel, when he refused to do completely what God had said.

           What had God said?    

1 Samuel 15:3 “Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”

        (  The Amalek’s were the people that had “laid in wait for Israel” when they had come from Egypt….and had come up behind them and sneekily killed the slowest and weakest among Israel.   

          Now God would judge them,  and destroy them, using Saul and Israel’s army.)

But what did Saul do?

1 Samuel 15:19 “Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord,  but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?”

Spoil…something taken to enrich the victors. 

         There was to be no spoil….only a judgment of God…which said…..”I remember what you did to My people.   Vengeance is mine,  I will repay.”

Saul had taken the king of the Amaleks for a trophy…..as other kings did.    Saul and the people had taken the best of the flocks and herds to enrich themselves.   And a few for sacrifice to God.

God had wanted a clear judgment….nothing was to be saved or left.   

          They were to clearly show that this was a judgment from God….not a taking of land or goods in battle.

God does not need the flocks or herds of enemies…..the sacrifices to God were to be from the Israelites flocks and herds….their own herds,  not what was taken in battle.    

Psalm 50:13-14 “Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

          Offer unto God thanksgiving;  and pay thy vows unto the most High:”

Proverbs 21:3 “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

The sacrifices were to point to Jesus Christ….sacrifices which were to be from the heart, counting the cost….but gladly paying it,  for His sake.,…from their own flocks and herds.

Isaiah was another prophet which spoke of sacrifices…and obedience:

Isaiah 1:11, 16-17, 19 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord:…

         Wash you, make you clean;  put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;  cease to do evil;

         Learn to do well;  seek judgment, relieve the oppressed,  judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

         If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found,  call ye upon HIm while He is near:

         Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:  and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Jeremiah said:

Jeremiah 7:22-23 “For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

          But this thing commanded I them, saying,  Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

When John the Baptist came to Israel, to prepare the way for the Messiah….his message was simple:

Luke 3:3 “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;”

Repent….change the way you are doing things…and be baptized as a sign that you have repented.

Luke 3:10 “And the people asked him saying,   What shall we do then?”    

This is exactly what we should be asking the Lord….what shall we do then?   

        Maybe we have done what we thought was right….

…..and maybe we know we have not been “completely” obedient….

…..then seek ye the Lord,  and find out what needs to be repented of….and prepare ourselves for the Lord’s blessing.

You will notice…the things John the Baptist said were very practical.

He did not speak of more sacrifices,  or better ones….

…….but of giving to the poor,    don’t cheat,     do no violence,  do not speak lies about others (Luke 3:11, 13-14).

He spoke….of doing the what the commandments really spoke of….Obeying and loving God….and thy neighbor.

To obey is better than sacrifice….because obeying is the bowing of our hearts, reasons, and actions to our God.

Christ Jesus deserves our best.  

           Will there be sacrifices we must make?   Yes,  for we are called to place ourselves on the altar to Him.

           But He looks to the heart in all we do….

…for obedience in the Greek means:  believingly doing what we are told.

In other words,  to obey HIs Voice to us, through the Holy Spirit and HIs Word.  Let us repent of anything that needs to be seen to,  and get up and follow HIm,  wholly.

The Name of the Lord 

Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the Lord is a strong tower:  the righteous runneth into it,  and is safe.”

We tried to think of all the names of God, the other night;  and there are just too many….

Jesus, Jehovah, Christ,  Adoni,  Almighty , Shield,  Banner,  the God of all grace, the God of peace,  the Branch,  the Rock,  my Shepherd, Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord will provide), the Lord of Hosts, the Way, the Light, the Truth, Counselor, Mediator, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, etc.

But the Name of God, given in scripture at a particular time,  or for a particular situation…….is a promise, of what He will do in this situation.

Jehovah means the Eternal,  Ever existing, Becoming One….the Eternal God becomes our need.

(In the Old Testament:

Jehovah is linked to many adjectives:  Jehovah-Nissi (the Lord our banner), Jehovah-Rapha (the Lord that heals),  Jehovah-Shammah (the Lord is there), etc.

And in the New Testament:

Jesus Christ says:  I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,   I am the Light of the world,  I am the bread of life, I am the door,  I am the good Shepherd, etc.

Jehovah is Christ.)

An example of God, sharing His Name…..and Abraham running into it for safety:

Genesis 15:1 “After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying,  Fear not, Abram:  I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

This was said to Abram (Abraham) after a great battle with four kings, to rescue Lot, his nephew. (Genesis 14:9-15)

Lot had been taken captive from Sodom, when four powerful kings attacked a confederacy of kings,  which included Sodom’s king.

The confederacy which included Sodom’s king, was beaten back,….the city had been sacked,…..and Lot had been taken.

When news came to Abraham,  he gathered three hundred and eighteen of his trained men,……and went after them.

Abraham’s troop came upon them at night, where he divided his men into two groups….each coming on the opposite side.    

They rescued Lot and the other captives, and the goods stolen….quite a large amount of it,  and brought them back to a valley outside of Sodom.

There the king of Sodom went out to meet them, and told Abraham to take the goods (gold, silver, etc);  and he, the king of Sodom, would take the people back.

But Abraham spoke out boldly here:

Genesis 14:22-24 “And Abram said unto the king of Sodom,  I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord,  the Most High God,  the possessor of heaven and earth,

                     That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet,  and that I will not take anything that is thine,  lest thou shouldest say,  I have made Abram rich:

                      Save only that which the young men have eaten,  and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre;  let them take their portion.”

“I will not take a thread or even a shoelace from you.   The young men that went with me….they may take a portion….I will not speak for them;  but as for me, I have sworn to the Lord, my God….the Most High God,  that I will not take anything from you.”

The king of Sodom was a powerful man in those parts…..but God was Abraham’s portion…..His Word was Abraham’s guide.

Psalm 16:5 “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:  Thou maintainest  my lot.”

Then….”after these things”:

God speaks to Abraham, telling him of a new way in which he could think about His Might, for himself….

God said, “I am thy Shield” 

Abraham might be concerned about reprisals from the kings he had fought….but God would shield him.

(fourteen times the name Shield is used in Psalms)

Psalm 3:3 “But Thou,  O Lord,  art a shield for me;  my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield;  my heart trusteth in Him, and I am helped:  therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;  and with my song will I praise Him.”

God said, “I am thy exceeding great reward”

Abraham did not need gold or silver from the wicked king of Sodom….for God was His portion.  

Paul writes about the riches of God for us:

Romans 11:33 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgements,  and His Ways past finding out!

Ephesians 1:7 “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, and forgiveness of sins,  according to the riches of His grace,”

Ephesians 3:8 “Unto me whom am less than the least of all saints,  is this grace given,  that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;”

Ephesians 3:16 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,  to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;”

He is all we need, and He promises to be what we need:

Proverbs 18:10 “The Name of the Lord is a strong tower:  the righteous runneth into it,  and is safe.”

His Name not only protects….but lifts us up from the situation we are in,  by faith,…..to see, what He sees…..He is a “strong tower”…..for His name show us what He is to us.

And the best thing we can do is….run into Him….and be safe.

After godliness

Titus 1:1-4  “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; 

         In hope of eternal life,  which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

         But hath in due times manifested HIs Word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior.

         To Titus, mine own son after the common faith:  Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Timothy and Titus are the pastoral epistles.   They were sent to churches which were already established….to exhort and edify them in the practical doctrine of godliness.

Godliness in both epistles means piety….the practical living as if you belonged to Christ Jesus the Lord.

Titus is an interesting person….he is first seen in the letter to the Galatians, where he is mentioned as an helper to Paul.  (Galatians 2:1, 3)

        Titus is a Gentile,  a Greek,  led to the Lord through Paul.   After his conversion, he was called to preach and followed Paul to Jerusalem when the discussion about Gentiles….and what they needed to do to be part of the church was addressed.

        There at Jerusalem, was the prayer and discussion about the Gentile converts….Titus being one of them.

         Should they follow the Mosaic Law?   What exactly should these Gentile Christians do?

         It was decided that nothing needed to be added to them….but that they should be set aside from pollution.

        In other words….they should be godly.

And this is the stress of Paul’s letters to both Titus and Timothy…both pastoral epistles.

        Timothy was sent to Ephesus to set up the order of the church…and follow up with the exhortations Paul had given them.

        He was a shy and retired person, and Paul exhorts Timothy to be diligent and bold in dealing with this church….and setting things in the order so they can carry on the work, themselves. 

       2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;  but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

       1 Timothy 4:1-3 “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,…

Preach the Word;  be instant in season, out of season;  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

       For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;…”

Titus….who was sent to Crete, for a short while,  to see to the Christians there…for they had become lazy in following the doctrine of sanctification….and had let in some who believed that the spirit was the only thing that needed to be godly….the body could sin.

Titus 1:10-12 “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,…

        ….whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not,…

         One of themselves,…said,  The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts (following their own desires), slow bellies (slow to understand and assimilate truth).”

Paul had visited Crete after his release from prison the first time….taking Titus with him.   Paul left him there to finish what he could not,  being called on to other places.

Both deal with godliness….”acknowledging the truth after godliness”.    

         Which means that when we receive the truth….we are to put it into practice.

Both deal with the older men and women:

“That the aged men be sober…sound in faith, in charity…

“That the aged women…be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers,.. 

and younger men and women….to be discreet, love their husbands and wives,  to love their children…

…in all things showing a pattern of good works….

….in doctrine showing sincerity.    (Titus 2:2-8)

And the importance in seeking after godliness is:

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

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

            (peculiar here means superlative…or beyond normal.    Our good works should be beyond the normal kindnesses of people….for they should have the love of God in them.   We are a superlative people…those whose privilege it is to do good…for Christ’s sake.)

            In a world that still says,  “…that gain is godliness”…let us show that:

1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Let us acknowledge the truth which is after godliness….living, practically,  that truth….and looking for Christ’s soon return.

Isaiah’s Call 

Isaiah 6:1-2 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne,  high and lifted up,  and His train filled the temple.

                       Above it stood the seraphims:  each one had six wings,  with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet,  and with twain he did fly.”

This was some sight!  But it was not Isaiah’s call.

Isaiah was, most believe, a nephew of king Uzziah.   He was often at court, and prophesied during the reign of four kings.  

The royal family was allowed to go  into the Holy Place, although they could not officiate at the golden altar.

(Isaiah writes of Christ Jesus as a suffering Savior, as well as the exalted Lord;  and is quoted more often than any other prophet, in the New Testament.

He preached about a hundred years before Judah was taken into captivity for their sins;…….although he preached that it would happen, if they would not change their ways, and do as the Lord commanded them.)

Before this vision of God, Isaiah had preached against the sins of Judah. 

Though they had the Temple and they were still performing the outward duties…some with great show (Isaiah 1:11-13);  

…..yet it was just that…an elaborate show. (“The multitude of your sacrifices”)

The Lord had spoken to him about all of this.    God wanted the people to do what the law set forth:

“Wash you,  make you clean; put away the evil of your doings….Learn to do well;  relieve the oppressed,…

(And the most important…) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:…” (Isaiah 1:16-18)

Isaiah saw the people ruined by twisting the Word of God.

“Woe unto them that call evil good,  and good evil;  that put darkness for light, and light for darkness….that are wise in their own eyes,…that are mighty to drink wine,…which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!….

….because the have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts,  and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 5:20-24)

Yet, Isaiah had not much success in his preaching.   Some believe he was dejected by the indifference to God’s message.

(And perhaps there are some who are saddened by the lack of seeming success in their ministry….go to God,  talk to Him about it, honestly….and let Him speak to you.)

Going into the temple, he sees the Lord,  high and lifted up on a throne.  

(This is actually a vision of Christ Jesus on the throne,  as John 12:41 tells us)

He saw the seraphims, in their proper place of reverence….and he heard their cry:

Isaiah 6:3-4 “And one cried unto another, and said,   Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory.

                       And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”

You might think that he would have been rejoicing to see such a vision.

But…

When this happens,  Isaiah,….a spiritual man….one which wanted to honor the Lord….

…gets a good look at his own heart.

Perhaps, Isaiah saw that he too,  was not without selfishness or pride….

And he cries, “Woe is me!  For I am undone;”.    

“I have been brought to silence….before our Holy God.

All my words,  which I spoke…which were right and good…nevertheless they have brought me into judgement.   I am guilty, for I am not worthy to speak for the Lord.”

And the reason he knows this?  Because Isaiah was spiritual.     “For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”  

All he has done……is nothing in front of such a King!

He saw the Lord upon a throne—a throne of glory:    think of the light that was shown Isaiah….

……before which Isaiah bowed his heart.

A throne of government: kings come and go,…….but The Lord is always in charge.

A throne of grace:   And Isaiah is about to find that out   (remember this is the Lord Jesus, Isaiah is seeing).

Isaiah 6:6-7 “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me,  having a live coal in his hand,  which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

                         And he laid it upon my mouth, and said,  Lo, this hath touch thy lips;  and thine iniquity is taken away,  and thy sin purged.”

( It was said of Jesus,   Matthew 3:11 “…He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”)

Depressed and discouraged, Isaiah came to the Temple, and met The Lord….and repented of his own sins.

(This is what the Lord Jesus requires of all of us…..repentance and faith…for ourselves.   Getting right with God ourselves….then giving His Word…faithfully.)

He had heard God’s message to Israel,……and spoke it faithfully.

But now…under convictions from his own sins….

…..he is given the opportunity to know the Lord of Glory’s mercy and grace….for himself.

And then is empowered by that grace….to show this for his people.

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying,   Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?    Then said I,   Here am I;  send me.”

Here is the call of Isaiah.   “Who will go for us?”

And he answers.  “Here, I give You myself; do as You will;…..send me.”

Then, and only then,  the Lord gives Isaiah the general message of his preaching.   There might be specifics which would be added,  but the general message was:

Isaiah 6:9-10 “And He said, Go, and tell this people,  Hear ye indeed, but understand not;  and see indeed, but perceive not.

                         And make the heart of this people fat,  and make their ears heavy,  and shut their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,  and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts,  and convert,  and be healed.”

                          

The Lord warned Isaiah what would happen when he spoke to them…..

As Isaiah would tell the people what God said,…….their eyes would glaze over,…….their ears would feel like they were going drop off,

…..their minds would quote the promises God has given…..

…..but refuse His threatenings….

The people would refuse the message, and be hardened in heart.  

And if they chose this,  God would let them be blind. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

(It was a picture of what happened when the Lord of Glory came to earth as man.   Matt 13:14-15, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, John 12:38-41)

How sad that we forget that God is as faithful to His threatenings, as He is His promises.

Isaiah 6:11 “Then said I,    Lord, how long?…”.    

“How long will Your message be rejected before You act?”

In fact Isaiah was to die before it happened.  

          For over fifty years he was to preach and prophesy tirelessly to Judah.  

Most believe that Hezekiah’s son,  Manasseh, had him killed because of his preaching against the wickedness and idolatry that Manasseh set up.

He had seen the King, the Lord of Glory, high and lifted up,….

…..yet spoke of Him in His most humble state (Isaiah 53), in poetic beauty.   

He was the one to tell of the Lord being born of a virgin.

He followed the Lord’s calling to the end; and manifested Christ’s coming again and again….both in humility, and in power.

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given,  and the government shall be upon His shoulder,  and His name shall be called….

                       Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end,  upon the throne of David,  and upon his kingdom,  to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.”

Isaiah 40:10, 25, 28 “Behold, the Lord will come with strong hand,  and His arm shall rule for Him:  behold, His reward is with Him,  and His Work before Him.

                                     To whom then will ye liken Me,  or I shall I be equal?  Saith the Holy One.

                                       Hast thou not known?  Hast thou not heard,  that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,  fainteth not,  neither is weary?  There is no searching of His understanding.”

Yet he also spoke a word to the remnant of true believers;  encouraging them in to hang on and obey their God.

Isaiah 41:9-10 “Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,  and called thee from the chief men thereof,  and said unto thee,  Thou art My servant;  I have chosen thee,  and not cast thee away.

                             Fear thou not;  I am with thee:  be not dismayed;  for I am thy God:  I will strengthen thee,  yea,  I will help thee;  yea,  I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”

This has been a long message, and how many of us would say,  “If only we could hear the Lord, as he did….then I could do anything for the Lord…”

But He is the King, the Lord of Glory…High and lifted up.  

He is speaking today, not in the same way as He did to Isaiah….

…but He is still calling,  “Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?”

If you have heard His call?   What is your answer?

He has a message for me,  He has one for you….but are we hearing it?

To be Saved,  Spirit,  Soul, and Body 

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

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

He is faithful….this is a wonderful name of our Lord Jesus.

Faithful here means to be trustworthy….like a parent who builds us up…we can trust ourselves to Him….and His guidance….for He wants the best for us.

All He does, is with the view in mind, to make us….and give us…all He has for us.

While we are body, soul, and spirit (this is the way we see ourselves,….

……although you will note: that He says spirit, soul and body)……we can not really separate one from the other….

What we feel in our emotions….we often show on our faces.    What we think, we often express in words.

But there is a complete salvation:  spirit, soul, and body.

We are body, soul and spirit….even when we are lost.  Our spirit is darkened, and we are alone.

But when we are born again….the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit,…comes into our spirit….and implants a new nature….God’s nature;  and gives us faith, and grace.

Then, everything changes.

Before we lived from the outward in….

…..things influencing us from our bodies:  

what we see,  what we hear,  what we smell, what we feel….all influence our souls…..and our soul’s reaction to them.

(Our souls are our minds….thoughts and reasons;   Our hearts….emotions and affections;   Our wills….which is the action part of us….for what we will, we do.)

But when we are born again,  we live from the inside out:

The Holy Spirit, in our spirit….which is now enlightened and empowered by faith and grace….

….presses against our souls….our minds,  our hearts affection and emotion, and our wills…

….to work out His Will and Word to us.

This “working out” changes our character into the character of Christ.

For God has placed within us a new nature…..a new disposition.

And we express our character through our bodies.

We are drawn to the things of God….we are interested in His Word….we are desirous of fellowship with others who love the Lord.

Philippians 2:12-13 “Wherefore, my beloved,  as ye have always obeyed,  not as in my presence only,  but now much more in my absence,  work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:

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

This working out is from the spirit to the body….because of the Atonement of Christ….

Because of what Christ did….and Who He is to us (our Lord and Savior)….we can claim the full salvation of us.

He saves us spiritually,  when we are born again.

        He is faithful….He will never let us go….nor let any pluck us from His hand.

        John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life;  and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”

        Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me,  saying,  Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:  therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

He saves our souls,….our minds from the world’s thoughts and opinions;  our hearts from inordinate affections,  and our wills from stubbornness and going our own way…

……as we yield to the Holy Spirit’s authority over our lives.

        First, in denying our self life, our habits, our opinions, our plans, our associates….(all of this is taking away the old….putting off)

Colossians 3:9 “Lie not one to another,  seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds,”

        

       Second, by taking on the character of Christ…by using the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)….that the Holy Spirit works within us (remember, now that we are born again,  we grow from inward to outward….yet all of us is saved)

Love,….when we would prefer not to 

(and love is in the active noun….not some nice, sweet, thought that never transfers to work)

Joy, which is the Presence of God in my life….even amid trials and tribulations.

Patience, when we would normally get frustrated…or run ahead.

Peace, when we would normally be in turmoil.

Yes, these and all the rest….can….will….be worked in our spirits, then our characters……through our bodies….by the Holy Spirit of God!

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God,  and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

Do I pay any attention that my body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost?….the place where He is working?

Or do I think of Him as “a Roomer”;  one which has a room in my house, but that is all?

When Jesus Christ came to earth,….very God and very man….He was filled with the Holy Spirit,……

….because that is what we need….and He was an example in all things.

After that, every day was a day to work, to teach, to witness, to rebuke, to heal…

….yet everyday was filled with the ordinary things of walking, talking, eating, and praying.

His life was the template of the life God has for us….

…are we ready to be saved….spirit,….soul,…and body….and manifest Christ’s character through us?