What fruits do you bear?

Matthew 7:20 “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

When the scriptures speak of “fruit”….it is talking about what is produced in the life….and from a life.

We bring forth after our kind.    If we are lukewarm Christians…we can not influence others to be zealous….until we become zealous. (Rev. 3:19-20)

If we love the Lord,  it will produce “fruit” that pleases the Lord. (John 14:15)

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that saith unto me,  Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;  but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.

       Many will say to Me in that day,  Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name?  and in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works?

       And then will I profess unto them,   I never knew you:  depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”

Plainly,  Jesus Christ is saying,  it is not calling Him   “Lord”  that means anything….but it is making Him our Lord in our lives that makes a difference.

Jesus said,  “…but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.”

         Here, Jesus stresses the necessity for Obedience in those that follow Him.

But we might say….isn’t prophesying in His name….and casting out devils…

…….and what about those wonderful works I did?     All  in Your Name, Jesus.   Isn’t that obedience?

It is sad but true,  that many will use the name of Jesus to do many things….will talk about Jesus for many reasons….

God will honor His Word….and God will honor the name of Jesus.

         But  He will not honor those workers of iniquity….which simply use Jesus for their own gain. (Jude 11-13)

To them the most terrible words will come:   I never knew you…. Depart from Me.   

        This “knew” here…is absolutely know….to have His eye upon for good.

The Lord knows His own….His eye is upon them for good always.   

        But the wicked He does not know in this way….but only as Judge.

I want to talk of the example Jesus Christ uses here of two homeowners.

        (Speaking of our  heart-homes ….”For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21)

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

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

Matthew 7:26-27 “And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not,  shall be likened unto a foolish man,  which built his house upon the sand:

       And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;  and it fell:  and great was the fall of it.”

Notice that the same rain and storm comes to both. 

      Notice that both hear His sayings.   

      What then is the difference between these men?

The wise man (cautious and thoughtful)…..does the sayings of Christ…and builds his heart-house on the Rock of Christ Jesus, Himself.

      The foolish man (heedless)…does not do what he has heard….and builds his heart-house on the sinking sand of this world.

Both heard,  but how they heard was the determining factor.

     One heard,…. to learn and do what Jesus said.

     The other heard…..but refused the Rock of Salvation,  Jesus Christ.

Could the fact of personal obedience to what Christ says be more clearly stated?  

     To each person He speaks….using the Holy Spirit to convict….for personal belief in HImself for Salvation and…..for a personal call to sanctification.

      But it is doing the will of the Father that shows that we are founded upon the Rock of Christ.

We all know the children’s song about this illustration….(how important for children to know Jesus Christ!)

….but are we aware,  that the whole stress of this last of His message here….is “fruits”….by their fruits ye shall know them.

The Lord goes on to show that many will seem to know and do things for Christ….calling:  Lord,  Lord!

      But words are not fruit.   

      They are like the leaves on a tree….they look good….they fill out the tree, or vine.   But they are not fruit.    

And that is what counts in the court of heaven….fruit unto God. (John 15:8 “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.”)

Fruit is the “expected end” of a tree or vine.   It is the joy of the Husbandman.   

     If we wish to bring joy to the Lord,  let us do His sayings….let us be wise, thoughtful and cautious about our hearts….and lay our lives on Jesus Christ, our Rock….our Savior and Lord.

A Scribe which can be Instructed

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 a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

We mostly consider scribes as wicked men; they certainly were to Jesus. Some of them only sought to discredit, or mock Him.

But there were others who sought to know the truth:

Matthew 8:19 “A certain scribe, came and said unto Him, Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.”

Mark 12:28, 34 “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all?

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, Thou are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask Him any question.”

Scribes, (they were usually Levites, the family of the priests), were assigned at the beginning of their history, for good: They were to write out the law and teach it to the people who might not come to the Tabernacle or the Temple.

All were to know God’s law, and they were assigned the job, to write and pass it out, by teaching it.

Jeremiah was assigned this job by Josiah, the last Godly king of Judah, who led a revival there. (2 Kings 23:25)

Also Ezra was a “scribe in the law of Moses” (Ezra 7:6), and led many of his countrymen back to the land after the Babylonian captivity.

He led a revival there (Ezra 9-10), and also helped Nehemiah with the first reading of the law to those returned (some of them had never heard it before. Nehemiah 8:5-6, 8).

Scribes were given to make people understand what God wanted them to do, using His Word to show them.

Though some corrupted this; yet Jesus said, “…every scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like”:

He said that if you know the scriptures, My words, then you can bring out of them, things new: that which you have discovered by the experience of them, and share them.

And things old: what others have written or testify from them.

Both are food for us, as Christians.

We need to know what Jesus has said:

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

By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye love one another:”

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

We need to know what the Word says:

1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

1 Timothy 6:6-7 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

We need to remember the examples taught us in the Old Testament, for they are lessons to us. (1 Corinthians 10:6)

And we need to awake to the warnings of His Word, against the enemies within us…and around us in this world:

John 7:24 “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement.”

Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”

Galatians 5:24-26 “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

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

These are some of the verses the Lord has dealt with me about through the years (there are lots more), and I share them with you, letting the Holy Spirit speak to you about them, as He will.

God has given us His Word. Let us hear what the Word says to us, and be instructed unto the kingdom of heaven…..

And pass it on.

Hezekiah’s prayer

Though we have the story of Jerusalem’s salvation from the largest and the most feared army at that time….in  Isaiah, 2 Kings and in 2 Chronicles….yet only in 2 Kings and Isaiah, is Hezekiah’s prayer recorded.

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against the defenced cities of Judah, at the border…and took them.

This king was a fierce and terrible king.  He was bloody and viscous….killing was his stock and trade….for he loved power and conquest….and he was successful!

        He had conquered and pillaged many nations…

…..and now he sent one of his trusted servants to Jerusalem to mock Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord….and to see if he could get them to surrender to Sennacherib.

Isaiah 36:13-20 (condensed) “Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice….Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

       …Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

       Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord,….

       Hearken not unto Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria,   Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me….Until I come and take you away…

                  Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying,  The Lord will deliver us.   Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

       Where are the gods of the Hamath and Arphad?  Where are the gods of Sepharvaim?  and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

       Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand,    that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”

Wow!   This was said in front of all who had come to the wall surrounding Jerusalem to listen.  Everyman heard in his own language what was said….every man knew that the king of Assyria was horrible….violent,  often destroying and torturing for sport by his soldiers…men, women and children.

Yet, they waited….on the Lord.

When the report of what was said was given to Hezekiah….

Isaiah 37:1 “And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.”

He sent to Isaiah and Isaiah assured him that the king would not come into Jerusalem….and in fact Sennacherib, king of Assyria, went to fight another king for a while.

But then a message was brought from the king of Assyria…a personal message to king Hezekiah….saying the same thing:

         Don’t think that the Lord will deliver you…..for no gods have delivered any of the nations that I have conquered…..we have destroyed them “utterly”.

So Hezekiah read the letter….and…

….”and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.”  (Isaiah 37:14)

Let us look at what this godly king prayed….for he and his people were in serious trouble.

Isaiah 37:16 “O Lord of host,  God of Israel,  that dwellest between the cherubims,  Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth:  Thou hast made heaven and earth.”

I love this!   Here Hezekiah takes stock of his God.   

    “O Lord of host”….Lord over every army.  Over the armies of men,  of hornets, of beasts,  of hailstones and storm!

    “God of Israel”…Hezekiah is calling upon his God….the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.   The God who brought this people here, and gave them this land….the God of Israel.

   “That dwellest between the cherubims.”    Over the Ark of the Covenant,  two cherubims stood facing inward where the mercy seat and the blood of the Atonement was!   There was the Presence of God.

   “Thou art God,  Thou alone,  Thou hast made heaven and earth”    There may be many gods of men….but the Lord was the only true God.

Hezekiah acknowledges God….and then asks that He look on the words that this Assyrian king wrote against Him and His people…..

….which was a reproach to “the living God”.     

        (“reproach” here means to strip off…to expose.   The king of Assyria thought that he would expose God as nothing…unable to deliver Jerusalem…

…..of course, he was wrong!   For God is a living God…mighty and able!)

Then Hezekiah tells the Lord the way things were.  

     The king of Assyria was indeed a mighty foe….Assyria was the greatest nation at that time.    He  had destroyed many nations…

(And this is the way we should pray.   We should lay out before the Lord exactly our predicament.  We should not shy away from telling the Lord what we are afraid of.)

….but then Hezekiah tells the Lord that he knows…

….the gods of these nations were no gods.   They were no help for these people…they were but idols which could not speak or deliver.

But:

Isaiah 37:20 “Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand,….”

(Perhaps we would stop here….but Hezekiah was a godly king….and he prayed for more than mere deliverance.)

……”that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the Lord,  even Thou only.”

And here is to pray for the glory of God.    

      Save us….not because we are something….

…but save us that Your Name might be glorified….and that all the nations round about may know that You alone are God.

And should not we pray for the glory of God in all our prayers…especially when we need help and deliverance?      “Save us….for Thy Name’s sake.”

Well,….God did save Jerusalem at this time.   The king of Assyria never came into Jerusalem.

The Lord spoke to Hezekiah by Isaiah,   concerning Sennacherib, king of Assyria:

Isaiah 37:22-23, 28-29 “This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him (the king of Assyria):   The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn;  the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. 

        Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? And against Whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high?   Even against the Holy One of Israel.

        But I know  thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against Me.

        Because thy rage against Me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put My hook in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.”

The Lord’s “hook” and “His bridle” was sent.

       Isaiah 37:36 “The angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand:  and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.”

      The king of Assyria never came into Jerusalem….he went home…and was killed there, by his own two sons.

Now I mentioned that Hezekiah was a godly king….he had:

      2 Chronicles 31:20-21 “And thus did Hezekiah….. and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God.

      And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God,   and in the law,   and in the commandments,  to seek his God,   he did it with all his heart, and prospered.”

Sennacherib’s words attacked both God….as being just like any other god.   And Hezekiah, because he trusted in the Lord….and showed it.

We, as Christians, have many troubles.   Some which come because we are in the world, as everyone else….for problems come to all.  

      But some enemies come,  because we are the Lord’s….because we trust in Him…because we believe that He is God, Who ruleth over all.

Let us spread our troubles out before Him….tell Him all that is on our hearts,  and listen for His Word to us.   

      He will deliver us from fear,…if not from all trouble.    He will deliver us from our enemies…in His time….His Way.   

And when He does,  let us praise Him….and magnify His Name before others.

A Certain King made a marriage for His Son

Matthew 22:2-6 “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.”

The Lord told this parable about the preparation for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9).

The first servants sent forth were the prophets in the Old Testament….and Israel “would not come”.

God had wanted a Theocracy….where He was their king, but Israel refused to have Him as their king.

The second servants were the disciples which were sent out to preach the kingdom of God is at hand, when Jesus was on earth. (Matthew 10:5-7)

Everything was ready for the kingdom to be set up then….but “they made light of it, and went their ways”….

….”one to his farm”….(farms were quite complete in themselves)….to his own little world, without God.

….”another to his merchandise”….looking for profit from God, not to obey Him.

….”the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them”….John the Baptist was refused, and then beheaded…and he was the forerunner of Christ.

The message having been refused by Israel….God sends Rome against Israel and destroys Jerusalem (70 A.D.) (Matthew 22:7)

But…..God sends other servants to bring in guests to His Son’s marriage supper….during the church age, after the Holy Spirit is given.

Matthew 22:9-10 “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

This is the church sent out into the world with the gospel….

2 Peter 3:9, 13-14 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for the new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

(There indeed will be the Jewish believers, sealed and sent out in the Tribulation period….preaching Christ as the true Lord and Son of God, to Israel again.

Revelation 7:3, 9, 14 “Saying, Hurt not the earth,….till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes,…

….And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”)

But for the church….

…as the parable says….His servants went out and the “wedding was furnished with guests”.

Now you would think that would be the end of it….but…

…..(and I believe this to be the true message of this parable Jesus is telling, for us today……we are to be ready to meet the King…and there is only one way to be ready.)

There are two calls given by the gospel:

The general call, which is heard by many….who hear it and only respond to the promise of the call….and not to receive Christ.

Then there is the effectual call, which is heard by those who open up their hearts and lives to Christ.

It is termed effectual, because it effects a real change in the Ruler, and direction of our life.

Matthew 22:11-14 “And when the king came into see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Then said the king to the servants, bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Are you wearing the wedding garment which is the righteousness of Christ imputed to all who receive Him by faith?

For when you had an audience with a king….a proper garment was provided to you….you did not go in, with your own garments on.

This man, however, appeared before the king without it….representing all who firmly believe they are ready for His kingdom to come….but are not.

There are many good people….yet their goodness does not lead them to faith.

There are many people who have a knowledge of God,….but knowledge does not give us faith.

All our righteousness is as filthy rags….

Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

If we trust in our own goodness, kindness, or right living….we certainly will be “taken away” in our iniquities (iniquities is anything unequal to our high calling in Christ Jesus)…

……we can only be “ready” to come before the King if we come to Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior…..and put on Christ.

Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

For anyone to be saved, they must turn from their “own ways”, and come to Christ.

Have you heard the call to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and have you come to Him?

Or are you still making excuses and going your “own way”?

The Path to Reality

My husband once received that “the greatest need for our day is a return to first principles”. 

      And the very first principle for all who would follow Jesus Christ is the message of the cross…our personal cross.

For the cross is the path to reality.  Jesus plainly said this to His disciples….

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto His disciples,   If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

         For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.”

We will never have spiritual reality in these days in which we live, unless we will deny ourselves,  take up our cross and follow Him.   

        Bearing our cross to the place where we no longer resist His Will in anything.    For that is what our cross deals with….our will in opposition to God’s Will.  

Jesus said….if any man will.   He did not say, want to,….wish to….or think about.  

        No,  Jesus Chirst spoke absolutely…to our wills.   For our wills are our whole man active.  

We say, for explanation,  that when we stop resisting His Will….we are crucified with Christ.   We no longer live to ourselves…but to Christ, doing His Will.   It may not be instant obedience…but I will do His Will.

Galatians 2:20-21 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;  yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh  I live by the faith of the Son of God,  Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” 

This was Paul’s testimony….and can be ours.   We are no longer resisting the Lord’s Will….so we are yielding in faith to it….and living by that faith.

Then,  we begin the process of losing our self-life to find our Christ-life.  For faith and obedience leads us to realize how much of ourselves is left….. our attitude both to people and the situations that come up.

       We begin to lose our conformity to the world, in our minds and reasons. (Romans 12:1-2)

       Do we let what others do, or have, trouble us?    

       Think of Peter (John 21:15-19)….the Lord has just restored him….given him a ministry both with the young and old…”feed my lambs,  feed my sheep”….and what does Peter think of first?

       John 21:20-21  “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following;….Peter seeing him  saith to Jesus,   Lord, and what shall this man do?”

        Isn’t this like us?    What about so and so?   Or what will happen with such and such?

This is our “self”-life.   We are surrendered to the Will of God for us….yet,  we often “see” someone else, and get our eyes off of what is important…

…..which is pleasing the Lord Jesus…alone.

We believe our souls are the seat of our personalities.  That which makes us,  us.  No one is exactly like you….nor are you exactly like anyone else.

       We have a lot of our parents traits….some good, some not so good.   We choose habits, and select friends which influence our thinking….and in turn our hearts and attitudes.

But when we become born again….we are given the Holy Spirit to abide with us, and to change us into a new “family” image….for we are now in the family of God.  

      We begin to be transformed in our minds…by the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit’s instruction and grace.

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

      And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed   by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The Person of the Godhead that we present our bodies to….is the Holy Spirit…to indwell and to reign in every part of our bodies.    

Our minds….for it is a reasonable service.

Our hearts….for we do not serve HIm,  if we do not love Him.

Our wills….for we are called to will with God, as He works His Will in us. 

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

The thoroughness and the power of our transformation rest with us.

Philippians 2:12 “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.”

Salvation here, means rescue or safety….physically or morally.    Our safety comes as we work out….what the Holy Spirit is working within us.

Over the years my husband has taught me many things,  but the most practical thing is:

    To put first things, first.    To seek the due order of God in everything.   How we serve, is as important as serving.    

    I admit I am a slow learner, and many times I begin to run around trying to see to the many “fires” of life,  here and there.      

    But I have learned, and usually the Lord reminds me, I can not do but one thing at a time.

     We are to yield to the “working of God in us”…..for…

He will work in our minds, as we yield to HIm, to see and understand.

He will work in our hearts,  as we yield to Him,  to love Him,  in whatever we have to do.   In hard things as well as easy things.

He will work in our wills,  as we yield to Him,  to will with Him….and one person with God is a majority….a mighty influence, wherever we are at.

The Path to Reality is one that we enter at new birth,  and we continue on….taking up our cross (anything which cuts across our will, concerning God’s Will)….and following Him….till we take on the Family Resemblance of Christ…and begin to be an influence for God wherever we are.

If we remember that our Walk is a walk with the Lord,  helped by the Holy Spirit,  and blessed by the Father….we will gladly take the next step in our walk.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.”

Two things are considered……

The nation….

And the people….

…..both in their relationship to the Lord.

Moses, in his conversation with Israel right before he died…..and right before they would go in, under Joshua, to inherit the land given them by God,…

……spoke of the faithfulness and mercy of God to His people….and what their relationship to God should be:

Deuteronomy 4:32-33 “For ask now of the days that are past,……since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or that been heard like it?

Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out to the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

Or hath God assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation,…….by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?”

Frankly, Moses is saying:

“Think of it! You have heard God. You have seen His mighty works. He has done this because He loves you….remember His faithfulness.”

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you….”

Deuteronomy 7:12-13 “Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers:

And He will love thee, and bless thee,…..”

An older preacher once wrote: “All religion is in effect, love.”

That is…..when we truly believe….when we obey His Word…..when we truly worship….when we truly pray….we are loving the Lord. (John 14:15)

Faith sees God,….setting the affections of our hearts,…and our eyes of understanding upon Him, and His Word.

True repentance is mourning love.

Hungering and thirsting after righteousness is searching love.

We prove our love to God, by obedience to Him.

When we deny ourselves…..we are actually denying our self-love.

Everyday that passes, the Christian should be more and more out of love with sin, and self, and the world…..and more in love with God.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people He hath chosen for HIs inheritance.”

This is truth.

Moses goes on to enumerate the blessings and the curses that the Lord would bring upon them.

Blessings for following Him…..and being His people.

Cursing for following the other nations of the world around them….and forsaking His Way.

Deuteronomy 7:9-10 “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations;

And repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them: He will not be slack to him that hateth Him, He will repay him to his face.”

The reason for any falling away from the Lord is also given by Moses:

Deuteronomy 28:47 “Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;”

When we are born again…..we come under the Banner of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are given liberty of spirit, and freedom from sin.

Are our hearts serving Him with joyfulness…..with gladness?

I started this with: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people He hath chosen for His inheritance.”

I pray for our nation…..May God bless America….

…..but as the early Christians were subjects of the Roman Caesar;…

…yet had another King, Christ Jesus. So we too, are subjects of our nation’s laws….for that is the Lord’s Will (Romans 13:1-5)….yet…

We are subjects of the King of kings…..and He rules, not just in outward laws and ordinances….

….but in inward joy and peace.

Romans 114:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Let us hold up our nation in prayer for it’s salvation…..from sin and tyranny.

Let us hold up our states,….our communities….and our homes, that the blessing of a Faithful God may come upon it.

Let us know and tell, that:

……the blessing of God comes in knowing and loving Him.

Who hath called you

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people;  that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:”

The Bible is God’s revelation to all mankind, and if the creature would have fellowship with the Creator,  we must come according to that Word.

The Lord Jesus Christ is that Word….and bears witness through His Word. (John 1:1-4)

The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits (Proverbs 20:27)

And the Father bears witness in the corporate ministry of the church. (John 17:11, 21)

He calls out a people for His Name sake….and makes them joint-heirs with Him, giving them the Holy Spirit that we may know that we are the children of God…with all the blessings and responsibilities that entails.

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

       And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;…”

We are to worship Him in Spirit and Truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. (John 4:23-24)

He is Truth and Life, and as we are obedient to the light we have, we get more light from Him.

     Psalms 36:9 “For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.”

He is that fountain flowing out to us,  and through us.   He is the Light and when He shines His light on us,  we see light,….

…….darkness, doubt, and fear,….flee.

Then we can “walk in the light” (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.”)

      What provision He has for His own,  who will walk with Him!   What a calling He has for us!

      This is a very precious part of the corporate ministry.   

Meeting in fellowship with Him and others about Him, is  a strengthening, cleansing thing.   It is of the Holy Spirit, not something we work up…but something He does as we are gathered in His Name.

     “And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” 

To be cleansed from this sin,  is to know deliverance from it.

The Lord has called us “to be saints”….or blameless, consecrated, clean.

Romans 1:7 “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:…”

I want to speak of our “calling”.  There are two: 

First,   we are called to “be”.    Basically,  this is the call of Jesus to us….to  “follow Me”

      When Jesus saves a person,  He makes and molds that one into a vessel unto honor, meet for the Master’s use.   He changes my outlook, my attitude, my goals, and my purpose…so that everything now is seen in the light of His Word and  I am His.

Second,  we are all called to do “a work”.   We are all called as witnesses of Christ,  but there are gifts and ministries….whether small or great,  we are called to do, as His servants.

So when Peter says that we are “called out of darkness into His marvelous light”….he is speaking of our calling…”to be” lights in this world, that all “may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) 

      But then he mentions,  that we are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should shew forth the praises of Him who called you….”,  Peter is talking of both our being, and  our working.

      A chosen generation:   As there was the generation that possessed the Promised  land….(even though the first generation that came out of Egypt failed, the next generation went in and possessed their possessions.)…so we are chosen of the Lord, to possess our possessions in Christ….and manifest that we are His….and that we are one family in Christ.

     Ephesians 1:3, 11 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

     In Whom also we have an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of HIs own will:”

     A royal priesthood:  All believers are this royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5)….offering up the sacrifice of praise to God  

Hebrews 13:15-16 “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,  that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.

     But to do good and to communicate  forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

     An holy nation:  We are God’s.   And as such, we are pilgrims here in this world.  Our King is in heaven,  and  we are  His citizens.  We are citizens of heaven though we pass through this time of trial.    

    (This was the reason Paul, a prisoner, could stand before kings, and rulers, and judges…because he was an ambassador of Christ, his King.  2 Corinthians 5:20

     And so can we!)

And we are to be holy….sanctified which means…set aside to the Lord in our attitudes, our conversations and lives. (1 Peter 1:15, 18-19)

    A peculiar people (how many jokes have I heard about “peculiar” over the years.  But it simply means that we are not as others.):

      We are God’s acquisition or treasure.  He redeemed us with HIs own precious blood….that we might manifest to others  what it means  to belong to God….both in our life and in our works.

    Titus 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

     Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;

     That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

(How many times does the Lord, through His Word, speak and show us our inheritance….that we are heirs….joint-heirs with Christ!    

     All that He is, except His deity, is given unto us in His life….imparting unto us, His character.  And we, as His peculiar people….His treasure….are to acquire what He has transferred to us.

     Of course, it is His life through us….by the Holy Spirit.   But think of what that entails!   Life, Light, Grace, Liberty to become all He has for us….and to do all He has told us to do.   

    Amazing that I, a sinner, saved by grace….could become a treasure to Him who gave His life a ransom for me!   2 Corinthians 4:6-7)

That we should shew forth the praises of Him….

     “Praises” here means His excellencies , His virtues,  His mercies, His goodness!   And we are called to show them to all we meet.

This is the reality of “walking in the Light”.  (It is not sinless perfection, but a keeping ourselves in His light….letting Him show us Himself…and ourselves.)

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.”

What a freeing, and cleansing walk with Jesus.   True liberty is when we are free to be all that He has Purposed, and chosen us for.    Free from our sin,  free from ourselves,  free from the world’s entanglements!

     Our calling is to be His treasure….sharing Christ with others.

     Our calling is to do His Will….and showing His life and Word, in doing so.

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;  that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

“Marvelous” here means “wondered at”!       And are we not awed by His grace in saving us….and giving us His Word and Holy Spirit to abide with us!    

     What privileges we have….let us “be” what He has made us…..let us do what He commands…and let us walk in His marvelous light day by day.

Today!

Hebrew 3:15 “While it is said, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation.”

All our lives comes down to ‘Today’. Tomorrow is not yet. Yesterday, with its success and failures, is done.

But today we have. Today we have the opportunity to turn to God and do His Will.

We never know what a day will bring. We should, therefore, determine which direction our lives will go, while we have today.

So today, if you will hear His Voice.

We can hear God’s voice in nature; many have seen the changing seasons and heard God speak to them:

Psalms 74:17 “…Thou hast made summer and winter.”

If the seasons change, all over the world, surely that means that the sadness of today is not permanent; but will give way to rejoicing.

We can hear God through His Word. It is His revelation of Himself and His Ways to us. The Holy Spirit will help us understand it, when we ask Him.

And we can hear His Voice to us, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit within. He is Light, and will make known to us, HIs Will.

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

Jesus said, If we really want to know His Will, we can know.

God considers our “heart” the throne of our mind, emotions and will.

So when we hear Him, we are to “soften” our hearts by yielding to His Will.

To “harden” our hearts is when, we will not to do it; for whatever reason.

Zechariah 7:9-11 “Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, Execute true judgement, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor, and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.”

A hardened heart is not caused by circumstances, or birth;…….but a choice of will.

When Israel hardened their heart: they first refused to listen, for they did not want to be responsible.

They thought that if they had not heard, God could not require His Word to be obeyed.

They pulled away from the work of “shouldering” the burdens of prayer, faithfulness, and love.

Finally they stopped their ears,…..or filled their ears with other voices,…..so they would not have to know God’s Voice in the circumstances.

Again, God considers our heart, the throne of our mind, emotions, and will.

But He can give us “hearts of flesh”; or tender hearts, which will return the love He gives us,….back to Him.

Ezekiel 11:19-20 “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stoney heart out of the flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:

That they may walk in My statues, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.”

The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, is given to us in our hearts to make alive again, and guide. He rules, and over rules, in circumstances which affect His People.

Without Him we can do nothing.

But with His Almighty energy, the most extraordinary results can be produced.

Everything depends upon His manifesting or concealing His Power.

Are we anxious to obtain His help?

Are we watching so we will not provoke Him to be silent?

Oh how much we need Him to speak to our inner man and give us courage!

The Holy Spirit is not a temporary gift; He abides with us.

He does not weary of us (Amazing Love!).

But He waits to be gracious at times, till we really see our need, and seek Him.

It is love which makes a hard heart into a softened heart, yielding to God’s Spirit.

It is God’s love given to our hearts,……and then returned to Him, by us.

In love, He speaks of “Today”, if…..you will hear His Voice.

Turn to Christ Jesus, and yield to HIs Spirit within.

Receive His love,….and return it to Him.

He wants to bless each heart given to Him,……”Today”.

Elijah, and the rain

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

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

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

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

She intimidated and slew any who opposed her.

Yet God always has His remnant.

Enter Elijah.

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

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

(Hasn’t the Lord called us, as Christians, to pray for our country? For an Awakening here…to return to God?)

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

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

He was told to go to the king, and….

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

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

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

And Elijah’s word was God’s word.

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

Would God answer them?

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

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

But the Lord always leads us through measured trials.

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

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

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

There Elijah wanted to talk to Israel, remind them of God’s Power, and show the falseness of their idol.

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

A test was chosen: the priests of Baal, the idol, would choose a sacrifice, and make an altar;

But put no fire under the sacrifice.

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

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

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

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

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

But nothing happened.

Then Elijah built an altar:

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

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

Elijah was making it extra hard: putting water on everything. Because He knew God’s power.

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

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

Then fire fell.

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

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

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

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

Prayer is the means here. The sacrifice was offered to the Lord, for there had been no sacrifice to God for three years; and prayed that God would bless it. The rain was prayed for.

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

Although, not all the people came back to God….in fact Ahab and Jezebel continued to worship idols,….but the worship of God was re-introduced to Israel….and they were awakened to God’s claim on their lives….through Elijah.

James said, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

(James 5:16)

Elijah was shown a way by prayer to help his people, and he did.

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

For their good.

Jeremiah was a prophet sent to Jerusalem to preach.

He told them, that if they wanted to stay in the land…..they could, if they would repent, and turn from their idolatry and meanness to others.

Jerusalem was more than the capital of Judah…..it was the spiritual magnet as well. What was done here, was copied and done everywhere in Judah…..and God wanted them to hear and turn.

Jeremiah had preached to them for twenty-three years! (Jeremiah 25:3)

He had shown them the commandments….and preached unto them God’s Word….but they had not “hearkened.”

Jeremiah 24:1-2, 5 “The Lord shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord,….

One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe:

and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like theses good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.”

“I have sent them out…..for their good”,….the Lord said.

Just the opposite of what we would think.

We would think, if they stayed in the Promised land….those would be the ones God would bless….but no,…

….He…the Lord God….

has sent them out.

Yes. Even the ferocious Nebuchadnezzar was subject to God’s sovereignty…..for God used him to save His people, even though it was in slavery….for a while.

They would return…..He would bring their children back…seventy years later….with joy….(Jeremiah 25:12)

Jeremiah 24:6-7 “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land:….

And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.”

And how many times has circumstances been this way with His church?

We see disaster…..yet He sees to His Way to save some. To give His people the “heart” to know Him again.

The years of captivity gave His people a hunger for that which they thought little of before….His Word….His House….His land.

What of us? Are we submitting to the correction He is sending?

Are we looking to His Way of salvation? Are we beginning to value His Word and work again?

“For I will set My eyes upon them for good”.

When God’s eyes are toward someone or something….it means that He is working His Will and Purpose out for them.

God is still working His Will out for His Church…..the Lord has not forgotten us…..waiting till the time of the Rapture.

He is still sending people to us. He is still giving HIs message to us. He is waiting to be gracious….

Isaiah 30:18 “And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all that that wait for Him.”

He promises grace and mercy…..let us be obedient and receive these at His hand…..

….for He does all things….even corrections……”for our good”.