The bushel over our lights 

Matthew 5:14-15 “Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

          Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel,  but on a candlestick;  and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”

You remember the children’s song….This little light of mine,

I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel….no!   I’m going to let it shine;  hide it under a bushel…no!  I’m going to let it shine; let it shine; let it shine; let it shine.

Won’t let Satan blow it out….I’m going to let it shine;  Won’t let Satan blow it out…I’m going to let it shine; let it shine; let it shine; let it shine.

Shine till Jesus comes again;  I’m going to let it shine;  Shine till Jesus comes again; I’m going to let it shine; let it shine; let it shine; let it shine.

But since the last time we sang that, has our light been dimmed,….or hidden under a bushel?

Just what is that bushel….that our light is under?

Well, one thing I have found over the years….is weariness.

Sometimes we feel as if we can not do just this one more thing….

….no one has appreciated us…..no one cares,…..so much indifference….

….we all have a reason that we let the wile of weariness creep in….

….but once it is there, it is like a bushel over our light.

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not be weary in well doing:  for for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

We are going along fine, then something takes a turn we did not expect….whether in loss, or hurt, or illness….

….then we’re not sure what to do!    We sure do not feel like shining our light!   

We feel like curling up and hiding.

We are often like the disciples,  at Gethsemane, who were saddened by Jesus saying He was going away.

Jesus asked them to watch with Him for a while….but they fell asleep…..never dreaming failure was just around the corner.  

Another thing that hides our light, is the past.

The Holy Spirit is guiding now,  correcting now,  giving us grace for now….

….but when we let the past enter the door of our thoughts (good past,  or bad past)….it throws the “now” aside…

…and we are neither yielding to the moments guidance,  or listening for the warnings….

…we are “back there”….and our light is hidden.

Philippians3:13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,  forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, “

Fear is often the bushel that covers our light….and gives us confusion of feeling, in it’s place….until the love of Jesus conquerors the fear.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night for fear of retaliation from the rulers, and Joseph of Arimathaea, who gave Jesus his tomb,  was also a “silent disciple”.

John 19:38-39 “And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus:  and Pilate gave him leave.  he came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

        And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.”

They were “silent disciples”….till the love of Jesus conquered that fear.

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:  because fear hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Bushels are made of guilt….

…when we sin, as Christians,  there is a darkening of our light…..that “bushel” comes between us….and fellowship with the Lord, breaks down.

Guilt is there,….and it needs to be confessed and cleansed.

1 John 1:5-7 “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you,  that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

         If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

         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.”

Strife or quarrels are bushels….

….they cover our good works,  and….we “walk as men”….just like everyone else of the world……not as Christ’s representatives.

1 Corinthians 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal (not growing up into Christ):  for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions,  are ye not carnal, and walk as men.”

Doubts are bushels.  When we lose some confidence in Christ and His Word….we come into shadows.

It is not unbelief yet,  but it is as though we are groping for the handrail…..we are just not going forward….for we are trying to find something to hang on to….

….when we should be trusting Christ.

Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,  whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him:  for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Sympathy with ourselves is a bushel….

….it is not self-pity…..but just a feeling that we “deserve something else”…..whatever that “else” is.

For this puts us into a mind that God is not giving us “the best” He should….

….when a little honest conversation with the Lord, would straighten our thoughts out.

Psalm 77:8, 10, 12 “Is His mercy clean gone for ever?  Doth His promise fail for evermore?

          And I said,  This is my infirmity:     but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

          I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.”

Every time our light is hidden,  opportunities are lost.  

2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 7 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

         In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,  lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,  Who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

         But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

And how do we keep,  from hiding our lights?

Colossians 3:16-17 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;  teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

          And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,  do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,  giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

First,  know God’s Word……let it dwell in you richly…..or copiously.

Second,  praise God for the grace He has given you…..testify of it to help others.

Third,  whatever you do….do as if you were saying a prayer over it in Jesus Name…..that will elevate every act into a blessing….for it is for “His sake” it is done.

We need not have a bushel over our lights…..we can be a bright out-shining of His life,  who was the Light of the world.

        

Hope 

Hope, in the Bible, is of the Holy Spirit,….

….it is the confident expectation that God will do what He says.

If He gives us a word, or promise…..the Holy Spirit places hope within us….giving us assurance that God will fulfill all He has said.

It is not the “hope so”, which is more like a wish….but the Holy Spirit within us…implanting the roots of what will be the tree of promise,….and in the end….the fruit of the fulfillment and answer.

There is stability in this hope….for again,  it is of the Holy Spirit within.

Hebrews 6:18-19 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie,  we might have a strong consolation,  who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope sent before us:

          Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul,  both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”

Our example:

Jeremiah and the land he buys:

Jeremiah was in prison….the king had ordered his arrest for speaking the truth about the coming victory of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon….and the destruction of Jerusalem.   

He tried to save the people……but most did not want to hear the truth.

(Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah, king of Judah….to simply go out to Nebuchadnezzar….and submit to him.   Then the king and the people would be able to stay in the land.   

God was trying to teach His people about submission…..giving up their proud ways of doing what they wanted….and yield.

But Zedekiah the king of Judah….was too proud and scared to do what he should….for himself or his people.)

But in prison,  Jeremiah hears the word of the Lord….a very strange word, in these times:

Jeremiah 32:7 “Behold, Hanameel…..thy uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth:  the right of redemption is thine to buy it.”

Anathoth was Jeremiah’s hometown…..and with the siege of the country…..there was much poverty…..and little crops were being produced.  

His uncle, no doubt needed the money….perhaps to save some of his family from becoming servants.

“The right of redemption” was Jeremiah’s right to buy the land of a poor relative….at a reasonable price….for himself……in order to keep it in the family.

Jeremiah 32:9-11 “And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

            And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

            So I took the evidence of the purchase,….”

This is very remarkable…..an act of hope about the word of the Lord:

….Jeremiah knew that Nebuchadnezzar would take the city….that the inhabitants of the whole land would be divided into slave…and dragged away to a foreign land…

….and servant….taking care of the land so that the crops would go to Nebuchadnezzar.

There was no reason of thinking that Jeremiah would ever use that land….

…why then did he buy it?

Remember hope is the confident expectation that God will do what He says.

And Jeremiah’s hope was in the Lord’s Word…..not in lands, or deeds.

Jeremiah 32:12-15 “And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch….in the sight of Hanameel….and in the presence of the witnesses….

…..and I charged Baruch before them…

…..Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel;  Take these evidences,….and put them in an earthen vessel,  that they may continue many days.

      For thus saith the Lord of hosts,  the God of Israel;   Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”

Here was where Jeremiah’s hope lay…..in….”Thus saith the Lord of hosts”.

What a joyful word this was!  This land will be possessed by Israel again!

Hope for a time coming….hope in the Word of the Lord.

After the purchase…..he prays….

Jeremiah 32:17, 24-25 “Ah Lord God!  Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth, by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee:

        Behold the mounts (places they put the machines which catapult into the city),  they are come unto the city to take it;……and the city is given….because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence:  and what Thou hast spoken is come to pass;…

         And Thou hast said unto me,  O Lord God,  buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses;  for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”

Though God saw all that Israel had done…..and was chastening them for it….yet God also saw what would be…..and gave a word of hope to His servant.

During this siege,  there was sword, famine, and pestilence…..

…..yet Jeremiah heard of a time….through God’s Word….that things would return to “normal”….

“…and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:  and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” (Jeremiah 32:37-38)

This purchase was to be an earnest….a down payment….on the promise to come.   

The Lord showed Jeremiah that the land and the people would be desolate….for a time (seventy years)….but then:

Jeremiah 32:27, 42-44 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?

        For thus saith the Lord;  Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people,   so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

        And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say,  It is desolate….

        ….for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord.”

Jeremiah knew that he, himself would not redeem this land,  in this life (though certainly in the Millennial reign, that land will be his.)….

….but he was looking to the promise of God in hope.

(And in fact,  among the very first of Israel to return from captivity,  were men of Anathoth,  Jeremiah’s hometown.   Ezra 2:23)

What of us?

Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime  were written for our learning,   that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Hope is the confident expectation that God will do what He says.

He has done all that He has said….

….and all that is written in the scriptures will certainly come to pass.

Romans 15:13 “ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,  that ye may abound in hope,  through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

I do not know how Jeremiah felt about his uncle…or about the land….or about the process of redeeming the land (the deeds and witness)….

….what I do know about Jeremiah,   was that he desired above all else God’s glory and honor…

….and that a deed in an earthen vessel…..symbolized hope….and that it honored God.

Are we yielding to the hope of the Holy Spirit?

Abide in Me 

John 15:1 “I am the true Vine,  and My Father is the husbandman.”

I want to explain, that this illustration of the Vine and the branches….was not a parable….it was an illustration of what would be.

(Parables were like shadows…..the image was there, but unclear…..Christ gave them to the general people who came to see Him….to test whether they wanted to know more about what He was saying….or just wanted to listen to stories and see the miracles He did… Luke 8:10)

But this message was to His disciples….on the way to Gethsemane….and Calvary.

This was to explain the life they would have now,….a life…”in Him”…..not just with Him.

“Abide”.  (From verses four to ten, Jesus speaks of “abide”,  eight times!)

This “abiding” is to remain in constant fellowship with the Lord.

How could they do that,  if He was going away?  

The answer is The Vine and the branches.  

Jesus is the Vine….the source of all our life, strength, joy, and fruit bearing.

We (the disciples then,….us, now) are the branches….the extension of His life, strength, joy, and fruit bearing,….here,…since He is in heaven.

This illustration, is for the individual….our abiding is personal.

It is always “first in me”…….this is where everything for our spiritual life,  is tuned into the harmony of vine and branches….into the song of union with our risen Lord.

(Yes, it leads fruit from us….the fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-23]…..and the fruit of a Christian, which is another Christian.)

But the main stress of this illustration….is abiding.

This is an amazing term…especially when we think that Christ Jesus…the Son of God…is saying this….to me….to us.

John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit the Father taketh away:  and every branch that beareth fruit,  He purgeth it,  that it may bring forth more fruit.”

Since the Holy Spirit is within us, as our Holy Guest….we would think abiding would be easy…..but….

There are many things in our lives which keep us separated from Christ….

…..many things which we often keep hidden….except from Him….

….but which have never fully been “cut off”….pruned by the Father.

(Perhaps it is because in some way,  we are hanging on to them….maybe….because we wish they had just never happened…..instead of letting God deal with them.

…..we would like God to just make the whole thing go away….but unfortunately, once things happen…..and we react to them…they are part of our history….

There is only freedom from them….when we allow the Father to “purge” these.

“Purge” is to cleanse….to prune….to expiate….

Cleansing in this fashion is to be brought to the point where the pain and resentment is gone…..but the lesson remains.   It is a time between you and your Lord….bringing the whole thing to Him….

and Him “cutting off”:

..from the influence of the devil in it….for a lot of the pain we feel, often,  is his twisting the knife that someone stabbed us with.

…from the unforgiving part of us…that says…

….”no, I will not be treated this way!  I will not forgive….I will take my revenge in my emotions and thoughts, if not in action.”

This is life-killing, by the way….I’ve been there…and it is a terrible time to get out of the imaginary pit I dug for myself and that person.

…then…His taking the pain…..how beautiful this fruit is!!!!!!!  And giving us freedom.

That is why He says…John 15:3 “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

For you feel clean….like the smell after a gentle rain,….it is the cleansing of the soul….you stand purified before the Lord….from guilt, anger, hurt, etc.)

Joshua said to Israel, when they refused to go in to have what God promised because of fear….”they are bread for us”.   So, going through these things with our God….will make us stronger.  “Let us go up at once.”   (Numbers 14:8-9)

And the Lord is saying the same to the disciples….they were afraid because He was leaving them.

So He says, “…..the things that you will pass through,  will make you stronger…..remember My Words….and trust….and I will send My Spirit to you, and we will be in constant communion still.”

John 15:4-6 “Abide in Me,  and I in you.  As the branch can not bear fruit of itself,  except it abide in the Vine;  no more can ye,  except ye abide in Me.

              I am the Vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing.

              If a man abide not in Me,  he is cast forth as a branch,  and is withered:  and men gather them,  and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

Abiding is the answer.   To remain in constant fellowship with the Lord by the Holy Spirit…..by yielding to the Vine’s life giving flow,…

Maybe someone is saying,  “I know I am born again….but hearing the Lord in the hustle and bustle of my life is….hard.”

That is where abiding is so important.   

There is hiding behind Jesus….and that is good….He will allow it….

….but He invites us to “abide in Me, and I in you”……union with HIm in everything, and…

That is best…

When you have a child,  and you are out in public,  you are constantly aware of where they are….your eye is on them.

So is God’s eye on us….watching for the danger ahead:

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go:  I will guide thee with Mine eye.”

When you, as a parent, think there is “something”….all you have to do is reach out and touch your child….or call to them.

The Holy Spirit does the same….He touches our spirit, impresses our mind with His Word,  and gives us a feeling of unease,….or peace. (John 16:13)

Abide means, that during your day,  you keep your eye on the Lord….knowing He is keeping His eye on you.

Praying in the Spirit….if you feel uneasy….letting Him know.

Psalm 32:6 “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found:  surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.”

“Quench not the Spirit” (1Thessalonians 5:19)

We abide in Him when we no longer resist His Will in anything…being obedient to the gentle impressions of the Holy Spirit…yielding to Christ’s life through Him.

A branch of itself can do nothing,….but abiding in the Vine, it will bring forth much fruit.

John 15:7 “If ye abide in Me,  and My words abide in you,  ye shall ask what ye will,  and it shall be done unto you.”

(Notice….”shall be done unto you”…..this is all about our personal relationship with Christ Jesus….by the Holy Spirit.)

This is an amazing verse.   If we are born again,  and we are being obedient to His Word to us….we can ask what we will….and He will work it…in us!

He will work, by His Holy Spirit, that God honoring fruit,  in our life….and it comes by yielding to His life giving flow….just yielding.

John 15:8-10 “Herein is My Father glorified,  that ye bear much fruit,  so shall ye be My disciples.  

             As the Father hath loved Me,  so have I loved you:  continue ye in My love.

             If ye keep My commandments,  ye shall abide in My love,  even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.”

And herein is the choice fruit…..His love.   

We will have an abiding knowledge of His Will…..for the Father Husbandman will cut off those things which hinder our knowing, and doing.

We will, by HIs Spirit, bear fruit to the Lord,  in our life.

We will, know His love, personally….He in me, and I in Him….a union….abide in Me.

This is the illustration Jesus gave His disciples….and us.

It is a life….of yielding, and receiving….and of knowing His eye is upon us, and His love surrounds us.

He asks all of us,  to:   Abide in Me.

Behold!    I Stand! 

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

(We sometimes picture this as Christ standing at the heart’s door of a sinner…..knocking and calling….so they will open their lives to Him in salvation.

But Jesus is standing at the church’s door…..knocking.    

For He is outside His own church, in Laodicea……and they are not aware of it…..nor of the cause, in themselves.)

I will come into him and sup with him and he with Me.

      This “sup” in the original, means fellowship.

I will fellowship with him, and he  with Me.

“Can two walk together except they be agreed?…”. (Amos 3:3)

       This also sets forth fellowship.   

Creature before the Creator.   When the creature acknowledges his creatureliness….his utter dependence upon God for every thing….then he is ready for fellowship with his Creator.

(That was one of the temptations for Eve…..”you will be as gods”….

……”you won’t be a mere creature,  no!  you will be like God….and do what you want!” 

And  that temptation brought about their sin.)

Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of Me  gold tried in the fire,  that thou mayest be rich; and white rainment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;  and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve,  that thou mayest see.”

(Many years ago, I used to read this and think that the Lord was just giving us good advice…..”I counsel thee”.

      But no,  Christ Jesus, is as our counselor, lawyer before the Court of Heaven.   He knows the Judge and what the Judge expects….and therefore tells us what we should do,  to stand in good stead with the Judge.)

       Gold in scripture speaks of God….we need to get God back into our whole lives….by obedience to Him.

It is the creature (us) taking on His character….that He might be seen in us…..instead of our own good opinion.

       2 Peter 1:6 “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”

Or… God-likeness.    Not in HIs divinity and power….but in His character.

       “White rainment”.   All the garments of self-will…will be consumed at the Judgement Seat of Christ.

        Nakedness was what Adam and Eve realized when they had sinned.   God clothes us with the righteousness of Christ…..but are we showing His righteousness every day by our obedience to Him?

       God has plainly told me to act like the person He has made me…..not like the old me,  but like the new creature in Christ.

       Sometimes, as Christians,  I think we put on the old man again…..yet,….”but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:13)

…..and Christ counsels us to put on Christ….and keep ourselves in His Will.

And anoint thy eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see”.

          We are to buy gold from Him,   We are to buy the white rainment from Him…..but it does not say that we are to buy the eye-salve.

No,  we are to use it….we are to anoint our own eyes with honesty….the eye-salve of God.   

          Whenever we face the Truth about ourselves….as the creature, before the Creator……the Truth given us by the scriptures or by His Holy Spirit….then His grace (the unmerited favor of power) will be applied.  

John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

This is an act of our will….to get honest with God….and see.

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.”

            Cleanseth is in the present tense…..which takes in past, present, and future sins.

             But walking in the light implies obedience….not sinless perfection….but believing obedience.

Psalms 138:8 “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me:  Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever:  forsake not the works of Thy own hands.”

The Lord will perfect….complete…His work in me….praise God for His mercy!

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

He is not going to stop working in us…..that we might walk in His character through this world….doing the works He has given us to do.

He is going to keep knocking…..keep speaking…..

Do we want that fellowship with Him, which requires us  to put off our old man….and put on Christ?

The longest Day 

Joshua 10:12-13 “Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel,  and he said in the sight of Israel,   Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon;  and thou,  moon,  in the valley of Avalon.

                               The sun stood still,  and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.    Is not this written in the book of Jasher?   So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven,  and hasten not to go down about a whole day.”

A little background is necessary:  

Israel was in the five year process of fighting the different sections of Canaan,  to inherit the land God had given them.

Five kings got together to come against Gibeon,  which Israel had made a league with.   Gibeon was a great city, and the men were mighty. (Joshua 10:2)

So these kings thought if they all came together to destroy Gibeon,  then the Israelites would be no match for them, at all.

But in this process,  they did not take into account,  Israel’s God.

Israel had made a league with Gibeon,  and God honored the league. 

(Actually, it was wrong to make this league.   They failed here.   

Joshua and the rulers of the tribes “looked” to what the Gibeonites wanted them to see, when they lied to Joshua;…..instead of asking counsel of God. Joshua 9:9-11, 14-15

But their mistake did not annul the league.   And God said they had to honor it.

The Gibeonites had been made servants of God’s house,  and they believed in the Lord God of Israel.)

So when Gibeon, who was now an ally to Israel,  was attacked by the five kings,…….word was sent to Joshua and the Israelites, to come and help.

Joshua 10:6 “And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua  to the camp of Gilgal,  saying,   Slack not thy hand from thy servants;  come up to us quickly,  and save us,  and help us for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.”

This was a mighty force…..not only a huge army….but warriors of superior status!   

(“Gathered together against”…..how many times have we, as His Church, had a mighty force come against us?)

When they got the word,  Joshua and his army took a forced march of 20 some miles…..at night,…..to get there;…….so they could honor God and the league,….and then started to fight the five kings and their large armies!  

Thankfully they heard from God about the march and the battle.

Joshua 10:8-9 “And the Lord said unto Joshua,   Fear them not:  for I have delivered them into thy hand;  there shall not a man of them stand before thee. 

                            Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly,  and went up from Gilgal all night.”

Now I want to add a word of our Great Shepherd here:

John 10:4 “And when He putteth forth His own sheep,  He goeth before them,  and the sheep follow Him:  for they know His voice.”

He goes before….   

God has a plan and a way;  even when we fail.   He is ever ready to lead us into the right way.

Joshua 10:10-11 “And the Lord discomforted them before Israel,  and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon,  and chased them along the way…

                               And it came to pass,  as they fled before Israel,  and were in the going down to Beth-horon,  that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died:  there were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with a sword.”

The Lord “discomforted”them.  

If you look at other scriptures that this word is in, for battle,  it means:  the Lord sent thunder and lightening,  scaring the horses.   

And then,  He sent hailstones!  (These, God had reserved for the day of battle. Job 38:22-23)

God had said, “Fear not,…I have delivered them into your hands”.   But the day was waning.   It would soon be sunset.

So Joshua asked for help.   He would need more time,  so he asked for it.  

To me, this is amazing faith…..(faith always sees God)….for Joshua asked God, for what God wanted….and promised…..the defeat of these five kings.

But what did Joshua ask for?    Light and time….to see the job done.

(And we too, can ask for the light we need, to fight our battles,….to see them done.   For the Lord wants to fight for us.)

He did it publicly,  in front of his men, to encourage them in their faith.   

God was with them.

He did not guide from a distance;  but was in charge in the battle.

So he asked for the sun to stand still, for twenty-four hours.

Joshua 10:12-14 “Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel,  and he said in the sight of Israel,   Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, moon,  in the valley of Ajalon.

                                And the sun stood still,  and the moon stayed,  until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies….So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven,  and hastened not to go down about a whole day.

                                And there was no day like that before it or after it,  that the Lord harkened to the voice of a man:  for the Lord fought for Israel.”

                     

The sun stayed up for an extra day,  so that the enemy could not escape.  It was to stand still over Gibeon,  where they were fighting.    

(Some believe that God’s might was shown here, so strongly, because these city-kings were sun worshippers.

God was showing them that He was greater than the sun above them.  That the sun was at His command.  And could do nothing but what He said.)

The battle continued the extra day.   “For the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.”

The territory they took in this battle was large!……More than they had taken so far.    “For the Lord fought for Israel”

We often fail.  Israel had failed in making a league with the Gibeonites.

Can God get “good” from our failures?   Yes.  All things work together for good…..it is God’s good…and God’s glory….and isn’t that what we want?

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,  to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

This showed the Israelites a new power of God in them, and for them….and taught them the faithfulness of God to His people.

It showed them that they are to honor the word they speak to others.

And it showed the Gibeonites that the God they began to believe in,  was worthy of their trust and subjection.

Yes.   We can learn the lesson our failure teaches us;  that to  rely on God alone, is true victory…..and then be obedient, honoring Him in it,…..and He will honor us.

Notice that in this battle:  Israel fought,  but God really won the victory.  The “discomfort” of the thunder and lightening.   The hailstones.  And the sun standing still.

Yet Israel had to hear the call for help,  march all night,  fight, and keep fighting till the victory was won…..throughout the longest day.

The longest day, was a day of power….God’s power above all,….and the power of obedience to His Word….in them, and by them.

We can learn a lot from this story.   

How many times we fail or fall;  yet God forgives and restores us to victory,…..by His power, light, and faithfulness.

And He calls us to “Fear not,”…..but trust Him, and be obedient.

A more excellent Way.

1 Corinthians 12:31 “But covet earnestly the best gifts:  and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.”

Love to God is that more excellent way.   We should love Him, for He first loved us. 

1 John  4:19 “We love Him,  because He first loved us.”

Where serving the Lord Jesus Christ is concerned,….He looks to our hearts….do we love Him?

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

Though I could speak in every language of this earth;  proclaiming the gospel far and wide.

And if I could testify of the gospel story in angels language:

If love for Jesus is not the motivation for all that talk…

          It would be just so much noise.    

Loud noise; “sounding brass” like trumpets.  “How great!” man will say; but to God it would be just noise.

Soft noise; “tinkling cymbal” like the end of a orchestra piece.  Empty and just noise….without love to Jesus.

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

This is the one that used to shake me up.   I am a preacher; and I study a lot.  I would say I know a lot…but all of that would be useless if I don’t use this knowledge,….even in preaching His Word,  out of love for Him.

And faith to remove mountains;  that’s something that everyone wants….but without love to Jesus as our motive; we will be nothing.  (Remember Paul was writing this; and he had great knowledge, and understood many mysteries.)

But Paul also understood,  that to do for God, without love to God;……is to really doing for a reward from God.   

Which is another way of saying, you are doing it for you.

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

If I give all my possessions to God’s work of feeding the poor;  and if I die a martyr’s death.

Though it cost me everything, as well as my life;  if love for Jesus is not the reason I do it;   then it profits me nothing.

I am none the better, for eternity, for it.

1 Corinthians 12:31 “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.”

The “more excellent way” is to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.   The first and greatest commandment.

1 Corinthians 13:13 ” And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

To truly love God is the greatest work,   greatest gift,   greatest sound we can do.

This is what He looks for in all our obediences…..our love to Him.

He did His work of Salvation for us, out of love for us…..and He wants us to do our work for Him….out of love to Him.

The Called according to His Purpose 

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

If I am one of the called according to His purpose…..when did He call me?  And for what purpose?

The “when” is most interesting:

2 Timothy 1:9 “ Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;”

Before anything that is,  was….He saw you in Christ Jesus.

Now it is….Who saved us and called us with a Holy Calling….not according to our works.

It is a Holy Calling….not something that we earn,….

…..but to be holy means to be separated unto the Lord….so it is a calling that separates us to Christ and His honor.

We did not come into being,  to live for ourselves….to do our own thing.

We are bought with a price,  and we are not our own.

But let us consider the “purpose”.   

The purpose or reason for my personal existence?

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He hath made every thing beautiful in His time:  also He hath set the world in their heart,  so that  no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

“Also He hath set the world in their heart”….the proper rendering would be “eternity”

“He hath set eternity in their hearts.”

We all have within us a longing for that which is Eternal…..without change….to have fellowship and knowledge of something or Someone…..Who is beyond our understanding….for, if we are honest,…..our hearts feel Him….even when we do not acknowledge Him

This desire is there….and must be satisfied….for without this we know that we are incomplete.

The human heart can know no true rest until it rests in God…..Who created it for Himself.

Run as far as you can and as fast as you can…..you will still find God is there and that there is no escaping Him….He is waiting for you there.

And this is our Purpose…..to know Him,  Whom to know aright is to have Eternal life.

Then,  our Purpose has to do with faithfully fulfilling the work God has called us to:

Acts 26:16, 18 “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this Purpose,  to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and those things which I will appear unto thee.

          To open their eyes,  and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God,  that they may receive forgiveness of sins,  and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith which is in Me.”

Our Purpose has to do with witnessing to others of Christ…..of “opening the eyes” (“open” here means reversing how they see, now)……pulling away the veil of disbelief and scoffing….

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “For if our gospel be hid,  it is hid to them that are lost:

          In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,  lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,  Who is the image of God,  should shine unto them.”

In Ecclesiastes….”purpose”  is mentioned several times….

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season,  and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

Ecclesiastes 3:17 “I said in mine heart,  God shall judge the righteous and the wicked:  for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 “Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerned both time and judgment.

          Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,  therefore the misery of man is great upon him.”

(How many of us know when we are out of place?   Of course, because the Holy Spirit within us….leading us in our purpose for this time,  shows us….gives us discernment.)

Our purpose has to do with time….our time here….and what we are doing with it.

Ephesians 1:11-12 “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance,  being predestinated according to the Purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own Will:”

          That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

Our purpose is to be born again….and come into a personal relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our purpose is to grow in grace….and the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:2-4)

Our purpose is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind.

Our purpose is to manifest Christ to others.

Isaiah 14:24 “The Lord of hosts hath sworn,  saying,  Surely as I have thought,  so it shall come to pass;  and as I have purposed,  so it shall it stand:”

The Lord has a Purpose for each life….

….the grand thing is,  that as born again ones….we can enter into and enjoy our Purpose!

Many fight against the very thing which will bring them Peace and satisfaction….the life Christ has for them.

King Solomon  (who was one of the wealthiest monarchs) was happy during the time of building the Temple, which was the Purpose God gave him to do…..but after it was built….

….instead of finding his next Purpose from God….

…..he gave himself to “things…under the sun”….and found them “vanity”, or nothing.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 “And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them,  I withheld not my heart from any joy;  for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my portion of all my labor.

        Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought,  and on the labor that I had labored to do:  and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”

In conclusion….Solomon wrote…

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep His commandments:  for this is the whole duty of man.”

Our Purpose before God is like the “light at the end of the tunnel”…..no matter what we must pass through….God has made a way,  and given us His Spirit and grace…for it.

And Paul, whose Purpose had been outlined to him by the Lord,  even on the road to Damascus,  said….”I follow after”

Philippians 3:12 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect:  but I follow after,  if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”

Are there any sweeter words to life for a Christian than….”I follow after”?

Paul had been active in church building,  in missionary work,  in taking the gift offerings to other Christians….

….and in prison,  cold and alone….he still sought to “follow after” Christ by the letters he wrote the churches,  and the encouraging he gave to those who were permitted to visit him.

His Purpose from Christ was his joy,  his peace even in troubles,  and his life.

Are we “following after”….apprehending what Christ has for us in the Purpose He set us aside for us?

“Truly God is good…”(Psalm 73:1)

Do we believe it?

In this psalm there is an inward battle against the Lord’s ways……the inward cry for knowledge…..and the answer given from the Lord, to His servant.

Some sins are quite prominent…..some, slide into our minds and hearts….and give us quite a battle.

The psalmist sees the wicked….those that should be judged for not keeping the Law…wealthy and successful.   

While the righteous are poor and often being persecuted,….or worried because of  their situation.

Psalm 73:2-3 “But as for me, my feet were almost gone;  my steps had well-nigh slipped.

              For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

This is a psalm of Asaph (1 Chronicles 16:4-7).  He was a leader in the Tabernacle for the songs and praises.

This was a high office,…..yet he was troubled…..he was having a heart-battle about  the Lord’s way of dealing with His people…….that is, the way he saw things….

“I was envious at the “foolish” or wicked.”    

(We think of envy as a green-eyed monster…..well, it is a monster…..disturbing our thoughts, and emotions:

It says:  I wish I had what you had…I wish I was like you…..I wish I was you.

It is truly a monster.)

He sees that they are confident and prosperous…..even though they are wicked,…..and that troubles him….he can not hush the questions that come to his mind.

“My steps had well nigh slipped.”   He was in trouble….spiritually…he was beginning to doubt God’s righteous ways.

Psalm 73:5-9 “They are not in trouble as other men;  neither are they plagued like other men.

             Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

             Their eyes stand out with fatness:  they have more than heart could wish.

             They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression:….

             They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.”

Pride is the chief hardener….

For pride separates….making the proud better than others…..even if it is just a little better.    

It puts everyone else beneath them.

Others rights or feelings,  do not matter to them….they intend to have their way.

They slander God,….does He let them get by with it?….

Psalm 73:11 “And they say,  How doth God know?  And is there knowledge in the most High?”

It seems as if God is letting the wicked slide…….they think God does not see.

……while the righteous are coming to the Lord,….troubled and sorrowful.

Here is a stumbling block to faith….so…

Isaiah 57:14-15 “And shall say,  Cast ye up, cast ye up,  prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of My people.

             For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,  Whose name is Holy,  I dwell in the high and holy place,  with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,  to revive the spirit of the humble,  and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Considering this,  Asaph is so troubled….he wants to speak about these things…but….(Psalm 73:15) “If I say, I will speak thus;….I should offend against the generation of Thy children.”

Asaph wanted to talk about his thoughts…..after all he was accusing God of being unjust!

But he was concerned of speaking injury to the younger generation…..of letting his battle with envy spread to others.

(He was the leader of the singers….appointed under David the king.)

Psalm 73:13-14 “Verily (truth) I have cleansed my heart in vain,  and washed my hands in innocency.

            For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.”

It would seem that all his right living,  watching that he might not sin,…..had not given him any advantage….at least, the reward of this life.   

(When faith is covered up by envy…..we can not see correctly.)

Everything seemed to be upside down……”Until”….

“Until” is a word expressing time,…..and experience….

Psalm 73:17 “Until I went into the sanctuary of God;  then understood I their end.”

Looking toward the mercy-seat: 

The heart which had dragged with sadness, and doubts…..he lifts to God.

Chaos began to depart, and God’s light…..and order…..began to be seen.

Until….

He “saw their end”…..that changed everything.   

There he saw their final destruction…..and their guilt now, clinging to them like a bad smell…

….it was if they were puffed up,  weight added to them…..so if they continue to the end this way….they will sink lower in hell.

He does not envy them now….for God has showed him, by His mercy:

Instead of being placed upon the Rock…..they were sinking in the sand of time already….they just did not recognize the ruin that was coming (Matthew 7:26)

Everyman owes their existence and prosperity to the goodness of God…..in a moment all can change (Psalm 73:19)….so we should use it wisely.

Psalm 73:22-22 “Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

        So foolish was I, and ignorant:  I was as a beast before Thee.”

And here is the lesson learned….his confession to God…

…..”I was as a beast before Thee”. 

My thoughts were only of myself….and satisfying my desires…..I am ashamed….

And then…..his praise is back in his heart….

Psalm 73:23-26 “….Thou hast holden me by my right hand.

          Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

          Whom have I in heaven but Thee?  And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.

          My flesh and my heart faileth:   but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”

Faith, again,  is not hidden behind the curtain of envy….but has been released from doubt.

Faith is true sight…..getting wisdom from God.    Trust and you will know.

God had upheld him…..and he praises Him for it.   

With the Lord is counsel….and when we come to Him we are sure to be given light…..and to be led aright.

…”and afterward”….what a blessed word.    After this life, which is so short.

After the troubles, and sorrows.     

Asaph see that God is the portion of the righteous,…..

…..we are blessed in Christ, here….and with Him there.

He had been foolish….envious and doubting….but God had kept him….taken out of his way, his stumbling block…..and led him back into His light….into faith again.

Asaph had learned that natural sight is not faith.

All other things pass away;  let our hearts abide in Him…..Who abides forever.

             

              

Jesus Forgave us;  we should Forgive 

Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you:

                                 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

I can never acquire that which I am to be, finally,…..if I fail to pass through those experiences that must lead to it;  acquiring now,  to a degree;  that which I will be fully, then.

For the Christian, that means going into all situations,……with Him.

Luke 22:40-41, 45-46 “And when He was at the place (Gethsemane),  He said unto them,   Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

                             And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down,  and prayed,

                             And when He rose up from prayer,  and was come to His 

disciples,  He found them sleeping for sorrow,  

                             And said unto them,  Why sleep ye?  Rise and pray,  lest ye enter into temptation.”

They were sleeping for sorrow….you know how when you are really sad, you become so tired…it wears you out.   

So with them:  they had heard how He was going away,  and became so sad, that they became sleepy. 

They had been told to “watch”,  but they fell asleep.   They could not even watch with the Lord, one hour.

If they had watched,  they would have been prepared for His arrest…and trial…and crucifixion.     

But they slept because of fear, and sadness;  and ran away when faced with the next trial.

We think of power (and the Lord has it for us in the Holy Spirit), mighty acts of valor…..

…..but the Lord looks on devotion to Him, and obedience to the way He has chosen for us,   as the manifesting of His real power in us…..persevering through all,  with Him.

In this, all the disciples failed.   But Jesus forgave them, even before they did it.

(Matthew 25:31-32)

Then Peter went on to deny the Lord,  but the Lord forgave him,  and restored him. (John 21:15-19)

Jesus has seen and does see our every failure as well.  And He has made full provision for us.  He has and does forgive us.

But what about us?  Do we forgive,  as He forgave us?  For as His disciples, He commands us to.

The trouble is…..

Self digs in, and hangs on to control with much force. (Whether it is fear, anger, jealousy, or self-conceit, pride….and there are a thousand emotions and thoughts which come to us.)

So it must always be a deliberate act of our will to deny ourselves, and yield to God, and do what He says.

A victorious Christian should not feel resentment.

Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;  lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

So when the Holy Spirit shows us that we are harboring resentment,   we should bring those resentments—the people, places, actions (both theirs and ours) to Christ.

How?

By the “artea” or force that is the Holy Spirit in your spirit, to get honest about it.   

Yield to Him, and what He shows you….spread it out all before the Lord.

You see, when the Lord hears the honest telling about this resentment,  He begins to speak peace about it.   The hurt,  or pain,  or loss,  or thoughts of violence, retribution, or “turning your back” on that person;  is seen as He sees it.   

No, this is not the preachy “everything is going to be alright” stuff.  This is real forgiveness.  Real setting it right.

You say,  “It can’t be set right.  What happened to me affected me, and still does.”

Yes, some hurts are like shadows that follow you around.  Only sometimes breaking through into the emotions.

But, remember,  God is light…He is peace….and He is joy!

Shall we have it?

But God’s powerful “force” of forgiveness, heals.     Heals the wound, our emotions,……and our thoughts about it all, if we let Him.

The Lord has shown me that, except for the time we are injured….and we are often….we do not need to suffer.   We can come to Him and receive His life.

My husband’s testimony:

I had a co-worker once that worked very hard at making me miserable.  Comments, taunts, and worse; were the things I put up with day by day….and for quite some time.

I was newly restored to the Lord, and tried to act right, even if he did not.  

But no matter my actions…his were the same.

Sometimes I thought I could not put up with it any more.  I wanted to deck him,  and show him that he had picked the wrong person to terrorize.

I started to imagine all sorts of bad things happening to him.  

And yes, as terrible as this is,  I really wanted him to hurt, as bad as I was.

I had prayed that the Lord would stop this man;  but He did not.

Why?   Because the Lord had something better for me.

Praying about it, the Lord showed me this man in front of me.  

All the terrible things he had done came rolling through my mind, and I wanted to…..to….

To what?   That is what the Lord asked me:   If you could do anything to this man,  with no consequences;   what would you do?

I started to say a few of the things I had imagined….but suddenly, I started to laugh.

That’s right,   I laughed.

I knew I would do nothing to him.     Right then I was joyful, and powerful…the Holy Spirit filling me up with laughter!

I knew freedom from this man,  from the situation….because of the power the Lord gave me,  then.

I laughed!  The man could say whatever he wanted, do whatever he wanted….he could not hurt me again.

I knew also that I could forgive him for anything he did and would do.  The Lord helped me, the Holy Spirit empowered me, and I had peace.

When we forgive,  the Holy Spirit rejoices our hearts.   His power uplifts us into a realm where we are victors,  we are overcomers,  we are healed.

We know joy and peace;  and most important,  His presence is like a light shining in a dark place!

This is what Jesus did to those men who crucified Him.  “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

This was not pretend…..it was in the midst of agony….He looked down upon those men who taunted Him….and forgave them.

(And Stephen, the first martyr, did the same Acts 8:60)

This is power.  Real power in our lives;  for us to live in this world where offenses abound….and they do….God does not minimize it….they are real.

Real power for us to look our enemies in their faces, and see how Jesus’ forgave…

Real power to forgive and put it behind you forever.

Living in Christ,  by Christ, and for Christ is never without real pain,  real hurt,  or real injury;   He never belittles our suffering (Psalm 56:8),  but remembers every slight done to us.  

One day He will wipe away all tears—there will be no hurts, then (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 21:4),……no more offenses…

……but here in this life, He will also wipe them away,  if we let Him; and have His peace.

My Voice speaks clear

Many times lately the Lord has spoken of hearing Him.

Mark 9:7 “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.”

Peter, James, and John had the privilege of being in the mount with Christ and seeing Him transformed in glory, before them….with Moses and Elijah. Yet they were directed to only One….”This is My beloved Son: hear Him.”

And it is the same today, for us, as His children.

Are we hearing what He is saying to us?

We can hear His Voice:
In creation.
Psalm 19:1-3 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”

Everyone is without excuse. All can be aware of the beauty and workings of this earth…the day and the night…the sun and the moon,….all show God. From the smallest of His creation, to the largest….all manifest God, the Creator…the Almighty. They shout out His glory.

We can hear His Voice:
Through His Word.
Isaiah 55:11 “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.”
John 12:48-50 “He that rejecteth Me, and receive not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak.”

We can hear His Voice:
Through preachers and teachers.
Romans 10:14-15 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

1 Corinthians 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

We can hear HIs Voice through the Holy Spirit within:
John 16:13 “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.

1 John 2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”
1 John 2:27 “But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.”

We can hear His Voice within us, especially in this Laodicean age….for that is what He has promised:
Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My Voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”

Jesus Christ stands at the door and knocks, but it is His Voice which is heard by the individual within….and we either hear and answer….
….or refuse and disobey…for His call is to “open to Me”.

And as the sheep of His pasture, we hear His Voice….and follow Him.
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

To hear aright, we need to get obedient to the light and word that we have….and then continue in it.

Jesus had just declared that He was the Light of the World: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

He was in the treasury of the Temple, having dealt with the woman taken in adultery.
John 12:30 “As He spake these words, many believed on Him.”

But then He spoke about continuing to hear and believe….and be free of sin and self:
John 12:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My Word, then are ye my disciples indeed:
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This caused strife and argument…..why? Because He pointed out their sin….
John 12:34,36 “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

It is one thing to believe, in general, what Jesus teaches….and another to see our sin, and know that….it is I that need to be saved from it!

John 12:42,43 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceed and came from God;….
Why do ye not understand My speech?
Even because ye cannot hear My Word.”

In the Hebrew, to truly hear God is to determine to obey Him.

Are we hearing and continuing in His Word to us? If we are, we will certainly have the liberty of Spirit that the truth of God gives.

His Voice speaks clear…..He has made the call very clear….”Come unto Me, and learn of Me”
Open up the door of your life, and give Him the best place….the throne of our hearts.

And then let us continue to hear HIm, however His Voice comes to us….and have the liberty and freedom from sin, self, and the world, that He gives.