The Battle of the Ages

1 Corinthians 15:24-25, 28 “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

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

And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”

The is the last act of the the Great War that rages about us…..”that God may be all in all”.

Of course, He is now…..but this is speaking of a manifestive sense.

Everyone will know……that God is in control, God is Almighty, God is all in all….all things are created for His pleasure…..and for His purpose.

The Battle of the Ages rages, and we all,…aware or unaware….are part of it.

For all of us, it rests with these verses:

Luke 17:20-21 “And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or Lo there! For, behold the kingdom of God is within you.”

Here is reality for each of us…..”the kingdom of God is within you.”

The kingdom of God does not come with observation…..you are not going to see it by looking to events as they happen….or read about it in the papers.

“For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you”.

If it is not there, it is not at all, where you are concerned.

We can not think of the kingdom as being only in heaven or the Millennial Reign…..but it must be now….in us,….for Christ came to save His people from their sin!

Mark 12:36 “For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, the Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on My right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

This is clearly speaking of the Godhead defeating those enemies of the Son of Man.

And here, we must place ourselves as such.

We were enemies when:

Ephesians 2:2-3 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,….

….we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,….and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

We were enemies when we refused to hear HIs words, because we did not like what they said…

John 6:60, 66 “Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

From that time many of HIs disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.”

We were enemies when we refused to love Him…

Luke 19:12, 14 “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom, and to return.

But HIs citizens hated Him, and sent a message after Him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.”

Until we have thrown down the weapons of our warfare against Him, we must consider ourselves as such…..at war with the Lord….HIs enemy that must be defeated…

….and that defeat comes by the Holy Spirit and His Word. We must be subjects of them.

Ephesians 2:4-5,7 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for HIs great love wherewith He loved us,

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,….

That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of HIs grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Plainly, God wants to “show us off”….

…..to a Universe that is filled with wonders…..God wants to show the greatest wonder….

….that a rebel has become a devoted servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must see that we serve Him and love Him most…..

…….in our everyday obediences. Doing the things that please Him, there.

For it is then that we show we are subjects of our King Jesus Christ.

Now where is it that He should reign? “Within you”

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

His Will done in each of us…..until we become expressions of that Will; where ever we are, and whatever we are doing.

This is how His kingdom is seen to those around us……by seeing how much His servants….me and you…..love being His servants!

And as the Scriptures say……”He must reign” (1 Corinthians 15:25)

The Altars of God

An altar is erected, to place a sacrifice on…..whether it is stone, or wood overlaid with brass; it’s sole purpose is for sacrifice to God…for sin or sweet-savor.

(Although I believe there was an altar for Cain and Abel to sacrifice at the gate of Eden, for Abel’s lamb was “accepted”….which meant that fire came down and consumed it. Cain’s was rejected—no fire.

Still, it does not say “altar” there….so…..)

The first mention of “altar” was after the flood….the waters having cleansed the earth from “the wickedness of man was great….every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis6:5)

Noah “found grace” (the first mention of grace)…..and by faith he obeyed God and saved himself and his house by building an Ark.

After the waters dried up….Noah and his family came out of the Ark,…….. the first act was to build an altar.

Genesis 8:18-20 “And Noah went forth….out of the Ark….And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”

This sacrifice was accepted and God made a covenant with Noah for the earth, because of this sacrifice.

The second time an “altar” is spoken of is Abraham’s.

Genesis 12:7 “And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, Who appeared unto him.”

He had been called of God to come out of idolatry, and follow His call to a land which God was going to give him and his seed.

When he got there, the Lord appeared to him again,…..

….and Abraham built an altar to sacrifice to the Lord.

The last known altar of Abraham was on Mt. Moriah (Calvary)…..where he was sent to sacrifice Isaac. (He believed that God could,….and would raise him.

Genesis 22:5 “and I and the lad will go and worship….and come again…”)

When he went to sacrifice Isaac…..

……..God told him to stop, and gave him a ram to sacrifice, saying, “…I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.”

Moses built the first altar for the children of Israel………only after they had come out of the bondage of Egypt:

Exodus 17:15 “And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi.”

After that he built an altar and sacrificed, making a covenant with the children of Israel concerning the Ten Commandments….sprinkling the blood on the people. (Exodus 24:6-8)

After Moses was given the pattern of the Tabernacle, the altar of God for sacrifice, was the Brazen altar in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple….

Exodus 38:1 “And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was four square; and three cubits the height thereof.”

The people were to come “before the Lord” at this altar and sacrifice there, through the priests…..

But though they had an altar of God in the Temple at Jerusalem……you found the children of Israel often sacrificing in groves and mountain tops…..to idols.

Forsaking the Altar of God,…….for the worship of the heathen gods, on altars of their own making.

Even to the point that the Temple was defiled….

The last time time, before the Israel and Judah were taken away captive, the altar was used, was with Josiah. (He was the king Jeremiah lamented…for he was a godly king….the last). He made a Passover feast:

2 Chronicles 35:16 “So all the service of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josiah.”

After the Captivity, the first thing they did for the Temple was to build the altar:

Ezra 3:1-3 “And when the seventh month was come,…..the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

Then stood up Jeshua….and his brethren the priests……and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

And they set the altar upon his bases;…..and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening.”

But not many generations passed till……the Lord again had to speak to them concerning their sacrifices on the altar….for they were defiling it, again….

God sent Malachi, the prophet…..who spoke to the priests, who were allowing the people to give sacrifices which were lame, or broken…..in direct contradiction to the law….

…….for the sacrifices were to be “without blemish”….because they were to picture Christ.

Malachi 1:8 “And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? Saith the Lord of Hosts.”

God told Israel, through Malachi, that there would be One coming which would make the offering “pleasant unto the Lord” (Malachi 3:1-4)

Coming to the times of the New Testament; the physical “altar” was done away…..but the spiritual altar was given:

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the times was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

John 10:15, 18 “As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.

No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father.”

The Lord Jesus Christ was the great Priest and Sacrifice. It was to Him that all the other sacrifices pointed.

He “laid down His life”…..for He was Priest….sacrificing Himself: His life, His blood…..to God for our sins,…

…..on the altar of the cross……brought about by the rejection of His own people.

He gave Himself over to them……”He came unto His own and His own received Him not”. John 1:11

…….They were the ones that cried “crucify Him”….till Pilate agree…..and they watched as a Roman cross was laid upon Him….and then Him on the cross….

….which lifted Him up between heaven and earth.

He was “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world”.

(John 1:29)

His was the only Sacrifice that was acceptable to God….therefore He gave it…..to please the Father, and fulfill all His Will.

And then there is our altar:

Although the word “altar” is not used….yet…our “altar” is our everyday lives where we “present” to God our sacrifice.

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.”

We are a living sacrifice….for only Christ Jesus could die for our sin.

But we are to deny ourselves, lose our lives in ourselves (that is being identified in His death)…..and live unto God (that is being identified in His resurrection).

We, too are priests….for we are “to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5)

The sacrifice we are to offer is ourselves to God…..as Jesus Christ offered Himself up to God, for our sins…..we are to offer ourselves up to God, through the merits of Christ….to live unto Him in believing obedience, in this world of sin.

He offered Himself, for us……we offer ourselves, to Him.

The altars of God have been varied….but they all do the same thing:

They receive the sacrifice given to God, by His appointing.

Have we placed ourselves on our “altar of everyday things”, to God, today?

Let us go on to Perfection

Hebrews 6:1-2 “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgement.”

These verses follow a correction to the Christian Jews, who had failed to “go on”.

They were still viewing Christ as their Messiah, coming back to re-establish the traditions of the Law.

They were to “leave the word of the beginning of Christ”; or the ceremonial law, which had in it a repentance which had to be repeated….sacrifices which were given every day.

Or even for the baptism of John to repentance….for he said “believe on Him that comes after”.

They had not let go of the fundamental doctrines, which linked their ceremonial law to the fulfillment in Christian teaching.

The one leads to the other, but you must let go of one, when the other comes….and they had not.

Instead they clung to the old, as well as trying to hold on to the new.

But Paul tells them to “go on to perfection”.

And this is what we will deal with: Going on to perfection.

Someone has said, that this verse pictures us as a sailing ship in the current of the sea, and the wind of the air…..being pushed along under their power.

For a sailing ship, there are two things which stabilize and move the ship along…..the ballast, and the sails.

The ballast is the weight in the bottom of the ship which keeps it from being knocked about by the waves.

Which holds it in the sea, which for us, is the Will of God.

We need that weight.

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

1 Timothy 6:18-19 “That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate,

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

This ballast, then, is when we are established in the faith: we have surrendered to the Jesus as Lord of our life. It is a life open to and receptive to Him….all the time.

That gives us real weight in the storms of life…..in our troubles and in our joys. We neither ride too high, or sink too low. We are “settled” in our will….we will with God.

Then, the sails, which move the ship along,…..when they are filled with the wind.

Of course the “wind” is the Holy Spirit. He comes and blows on our sails, and we move forward….again and again.

The sails are our willingness to yield to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

The sails will get a breath of wind,….and at first they “flap about”,…not really doing anything to move forward…..but feeling the wind.

Then, as the sails open up to the wind….suddenly we are moving toward God’s goal.

And isn’t it true, that as we yield to the Holy Spirit’s guidance,….our lives open up in light!

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.”

1 John 2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”

(Unction means anointing for consecration)

So with the “ballast” of our surrender to Christ;….and the willingness to open up and yield to the Holy Spirit, in our “sails”……we move across the waters, to our Rest.

The Captain of our vessel is Christ Jesus:

Hebrews 2:10 “For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings.”

Our Captain has laid a course for us….through many waters.

But they are measured waters (Ezekiel 47:3-5).

Waters which He has passed through before, and given grace for us to pass through, now.

The Helmsman (the Holy Spirit) is navigating, looking to the Captain; and relaying all that He says, to us, about our course:

John 16:13 “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.”

Let us go on unto perfection!

Let us,…..as a ship under sail yields to the wind,….and is driven before it……..Yield to the Holy Spirit,……that He might bear us along to the accomplishing of Our Father’s Will….today.

Praising God for the privilege of being surrendered and settled; so that the storms of our life will not wreak us.

(Yes, they will get us wet….soaked at times; but not sink us.)

Psalm 17:5 “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.”

Psalm 119:117 “Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto Thy statues continually.”

The writer to the Hebrews called all who had first begun to follow Christ….to go on….on to perfection, or the completing of the Will of God for them.

The call is for us, as well…..Go on with Christ….to complete all the Will of God for us.

Psalms 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor standeth in the way of sinners,

nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

This is an amazing verse…..right at the beginning of the Psalms, God shows us about our walk….

….about our stand in the world….

….and about our friendships.

“Blessed” means twice our happiest moment…..”how happy!”

[I want to talk just for a moment about God blessing us. When I was a child, I used to think God blessed us when we had extra money so we kids could manage to have a treat….after the bills were paid.

Sometimes I think Christians think like this, too. We think of reward…..when God thinks of provision….in Christ.

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

When God speaks of blessings, He speaks of “all blessings”…..spiritual (the perfections of His character worked within us, for our help and glory)…..

…..and temporal (those things which we need, and want.)

When God blesses us…..He does so that we might know His presence and His care for us…..HIs smile upon us….

……and be satisfied [I would like to emphasis this].

Satisfaction means that our hearts are full…..we do not need or want anything more. God’s blessing,….if we receive them right….. gives us this satisfaction]

The Psalms are an oasis…where we can rest and drink the water of life….learning from the experience and songs of others.

They set forth the experience of every believer.

There are highs….full of praise and deliverance. Promises which we can grab a hold on…..for now and in the future.

There are agonizing cries for deliverance from sin and enemies.

The Psalms show us…that there are ways open, for fellowship with God…in all life’s circumstances….and they encourage the heart.

But at the beginning of all of this…..God sets forth the Way of life, for all who will believe Him….and have His blessing….His true satisfaction.

Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly….”

The first thing is our walk. This is our everyday going out into the world.

We are not to act like the world acts….

….The “counsel of the ungodly”.

Ungodly here means “unsettled”.

They have no purpose….but follow their temptations….wherever they lead.

They walk by no certain rule….but their own wants.

Proverbs 1:10-11, 14-15 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

If they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:”

We belong to God, and have a great purpose…to love and honor God….to do His Will…

…so the righteous will not,….really can not walk “in their counsel”.

Believers will follow the Word of God,…and walk in the light. (1John 1:7)

This then, is the everyday walk of the blessed.

Proverbs 4:11-12 “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have lead thee in the right paths.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble.”

We should not stand “in the way of sinners….”

Our “stand” is where we fight our battles……what we think is worth fighting for.

And we should not stand in the way of sinners…..the way of open rebellion against God.

It is true we are all sinners….saved sinners and lost sinners.

But the term here is “criminal”…..meaning a deliberate, open choice to not do God’s Will.

Psalm 14:1 “The fool hath said in his heart, (There is) no God….”

But we should stand against evil, the Lord’s Way….whether by words of testimony or contending for the faith (Jude 3)….using the Word of God as our foundation.

“..nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

The scornful make a joke of God, and of sin….defying God in it. (Galatians 6:7)

This is a seat we never want to have…..no matter what influence or promotion comes with it.

This “sitteth” means that they have made a settled decision of life, to say,…no God.

But as the righteous, we have a “seat”…..in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

We “sit” in Christ in the heavenlies, where is power and authority before the throne of God…..and He is in us, here…manifesting that power and authority in us and through us.

All of these are temptations we come into contact with as Christians…..

But….the righteous man….turns from these.

We are not to take the measure of ourselves , by the world’s scales….

……but measuring ourselves by the Word of God.

Psalm 1:2-3 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Blessed is the man that makes the Word of God his meditation….

(Meditation means that the Bible is read, prayed over….thought on….till the power of that Word takes hold in our lives.)

Here is counsel that should be followed…..(the Word of God)…

…..a stand in faith (like a tree with roots, holding on to God)….

……a place to stand on (the banks of the river of grace)….

…..and a seat of peace and blessing….in Christ, here and now.

Are we seeking God’s true blessing and satisfaction?

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

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

In Scripture, there are three gardens of note:

The first, is the garden of Eden…..

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

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

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

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

…..but in everything else they had abundance.

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

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

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

The last garden is the garden of Gethsemane…..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And He did it for us.

The second garden is the garden of our souls….

…it may be the place of thistles and thorns (Hebrews 6:7-8)….for we all grow something in our soul’s garden….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Through prayer, and our devotions.

Through asking, seeking, and knocking.

Through Obedience to His commands.

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

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

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

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

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

Sometimes we cry out:

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

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

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

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

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

The Daughters of Zelophehad

Numbers 27:1-2 “Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of the daughters, Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation, saying,”

Here is a story about inheritance.

The daughters of the tribes of Israel were not given inheritance themselves….for they usually married and were given an inheritance with their husbands.

But these girls came…because they wanted their father’s inheritance….for he had no sons to carry on his name, for future generations…..and they were about to enter the land of Promise.

(I have included all these names….altho for me, hard to pronounce and seemingly unimportant…..but to God, He keeps a record of those who think of Him and His honor….Malachi 3:16. It is amazing to me, the importance of every one of us, to God. He knows our name….He sees us….and He takes notice of every move toward Him, and every obedience for His glory)

These girls came forward, then and told their father’s cause:

Numbers 27:3-4 “Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin; and had no sons.

Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no sons? Give us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.”

Their father had not joined in the wicked rebellion against God, but had died outside the land. He had no sons to inherit in his name….so….

They came before all the people. Before Moses, the high priest, and the princes of the tribes, and the congregation.

This was a matter for the whole nation to see.

Would a man, who only had daughters, lose his inheritance before the Lord?

Or would the Lord consider daughters for an inheritance?

Numbers 27:5-7 “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord.

And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession and inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.”

“Thou shalt surely give them a possession…among their father’s brethren…”

And they won this for every daughter, when the father did not have sons.

Numbers 27:8 “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. “

(They were told to marry men….whoever they wanted…among their own tribe; so that the land would stay in the inheritance of their father’s tribe)

They received the promise of an inheritance with the men, because they honored God’s Word that each man (their father) would receive an inheritance in the land God gave them…..and because they honored God’s due order….they came before Moses and the leaders, and asked.

(They did not murmur or complain behind closed doors,…..or give into resentments….but brought their request before the Lord, in front of all.)

And in the day of dividing the inheritance among the tribes (this was, at least, five years later):

Joshua 17:3-4 “But Zelophehad……had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

And they came near unto Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren.

Therefore, according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.”

They received their inheritance.

It was their diligence and perseverance, which got them what was promised.

We, too, know many of the promises of God, in His Word….and maybe, we have seen God’s promises being fulfilled in others….and wonder, “Why not me, too?”

But have we come to Him and sought them, for ourselves?

Luke 11:9-10 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and ye shall find; And Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For everyone that asketh recieveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Again I will stress: Diligence and perseverance was the attributes of the daughters of Zelophehad……and they got what they asked for.

They wanted what God said….and they sought it in the right way, and kept it, till they got it.

Will we?

The Valley of Dry Bones.

Ezekiel 37:1 “The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,”

Ezekiel is a captive of Babylon, and called to prophesy to the captives of Israel there. He has done so faithfully; rebuking the pride of Israel, and warning them to repent of their sin.

But he also tells the people of hope, if they do repent. This is one of these “hopes”.

(Remember hope is the confident expectation that God will do what He said. And God had said that their captivity would be seventy years. Jeremiah 29:10)

The valley of dry bones was Israel:

Ezekiel 37:11 “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, are bones are dry, and our hope is lost: we are cut off from our parts.”

That was their state under the chastening hand of their God, but God also promises:

Ezekiel 37:12-14. “Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you out of your graves.

And shall put my Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.”

Ezekiel was sent to see a valley of dry bones. Dry, so dry that there was no life in them.

But God was not going to leave them in this state.

He was going to revive them, and commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to these dry bones; for that was the means God was going to use for Israel, to bring them back to life.

How often we think the ministry of the Word of God; or the preaching of His Word, is useless.

We see no immediate results.

But God has said:

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.”

Ezekiel 37:4 “Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”

So Ezekiel, who had been faithful to his call to the people of Israel in captivity, speaks to a valley of dry bones.

Ezekiel 37:7-8 “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together; bone to his bone.

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.”

Ezekiel was to preach to them…..

And the Lord’s preachers have been told to do the same. Preach God’s Word to those dead in trespasses and sins;……

…or those who seem dry….as these dry bones, because they are caught up in sin, or depression.

When we preach His Word, in believing obedience to His command to us, He will honor it.

But God’s Word to His prophet was not finished; for the Holy Spirit must be present and working in the lives of His people.

Ezekiel 37:9 “Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, Son of man, and say unto the wind, Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”

God does not do things in halves. His Purpose for His people in every age, is life. A life with Him.

Israel refused such a life, therefore they were driven out of the land God gave them, and were in a state of spiritual death.

But now, God was going to revive them; through His Words, and by His Spirit.

Are you like these dry bones; very dry?

Then hear God’s Word to you, and receive His Holy Spirit and be born again….

Or if you are born again……awaken to Christ’s Life,….again.

Christ Jesus said when He was here:

John 3:7-8 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

(You can see the results of the wind: leaves blowing, things blowing in the wind; but you can not see the wind.

To be born again is the same: you can see the results of the new birth within the life of a true Christian, but you can not see the Holy Spirit)

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

There is also the re-awaking of life within you: It is so easy for us to fall asleep in our Christian life.

Ephesians 5:14 “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Again, Ezekiel obeyed God’s command:

Ezekiel 37:10 “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.”

Real life comes through God’s Spirit coming within us, and empowering us, as He tells Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 37:13-14 “And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you out of your graves.

And shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live,…”

The Lord indeed did bring them out of the “graves” of captivity.

God spoke to a foreign king and he opened the door to return!

2 Chronicles 36:22-23 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus…

Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem…..Who is there among you of all His people? The Lord his God be with him and let him go up.”

God’s Purpose for His people in every age is life; His life within us; and a life with Him.

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

To have Spiritual Life, is to have the Spirit of God within you.

If you are as dry as this valley of dry bones, come to Jesus Christ. Hear His Word again, and stifle not the Spirit of God.

Hear His Word to you, and your soul shall live.

The Joy of Repentance

Luke 15:7 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

Repentance is a change in my mind, heart’s love, and direction of my life. It effects my whole being.

And as God’s children, we are to repent, often.

This verse has to do with the sheep that was lost…..being found.

Luke 15:4-5 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing.”

Sheep are stubborn animals. They can follow you like a pet….or determine to go somewhere they should not…

They are weak animals….unable to run very fast….or to save themselves from their fierce enemies.

They need a Shepherd….leading, and protecting them; yet often, go away from the Shepherd….and get hurt.

But in this parable, this sheep is “gone away”….is lost……and knows it.

Some sheep, try and find their own way home….but this, too, is “our own way”….and it does not work.

And some cry out….till the Shepherd who is looking for them….hears and comes to deliver.

Now we could speculate as to how that sheep got lost…..whether it wandered off, when the others were resting in pasture….wanting to see what is over there.

Or whether he was lost by staying back away from the rest of the flock…and especially from the Shepherd;….

How the sheep was lost is a matter of individual sins…….and for everyone of us, it is different…..and yet, the same……it is “our own way”…….for we are that sheep:

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

1 Peter 2:25 “For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

Psalm 119:176 “I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments.”

But we did not stay lost…..the Shepherd found us…..for He went after us….and found us.

Ezekiel 34:11 “For thus saith the Lord God; behold, I, even I, will both search My sheep, and seek them out.”

The Lord is ever the One to seek for us.

We are lost….we may know it and may cry out for it…..but it is the Lord, our Shepherd, that seeks and finds us.

Repentance is the change of mind, heart, and will.

You change your mind about sin…..and God.

Once God was your enemy (Romans 8:7)….

Someone Who seemed to make demands with out any pity (Ephesians 2:2-3)…

….but now you see that it is sin that is making the demands….and demanding more and more…..

……it is taking over your personality. What was…”I will try it…just once”…..becomes a need….then a ruler.

Whereas, God is standing ready to deliver….if we will see the truth and repent….or change our mind

You change your heart’s love of sin.

And this comes as the sin gets less “something to get by with”………and becomes a burden…a weight which can not be shrugged off.

You change your will.

(Our will is our active part of us. In our minds we imagine….our hearts yearn or lust….but our wills activate us.)

When we will not to sin….we are turning from it…..

John 7:17 “If any man will do His Will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.”

Acts 2:37-39 “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Acts 20:21 “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Repentance leads to joy….God’s joy over your salvation….and our joy in Christ.

Romans 5:10-11 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement.”

We are like sheep, who have gone astray….to “my own way”…..yet Christ came to “seek and to save them that are lost” (Luke 19:10).

And when He found us….He picked us up out of our sin….placed us upon His shoulders (the place of strength)….and brought us into His fold…..where He leads us day by day.

John 10:11, 27-28 “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:

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

As sheep, we are often wandering…..but thankfully we have our Shepherd….Who comes after us…..leading us again in repentance….

….and into joy.

A Profitable Servant

Luke 17:10 “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

As Christ’s servants, there will be an accounting for each of us…of those good works that He has required from us…(Hebrews 9:27)

But the real value of any work as His servant is….

…..do I do it out of love for Him?

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

This starts when His disciples ask….”Lord, Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5)

Luke 17:6 “And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

Here, the Lord says what faith will do…even a little faith…..but He does not say how is it increased….

….until He gives this:

Luke 17:7-9 “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.”

Jesus is saying: true faith works. True faith is never stagnant….it moves forward; or it goes backward (2 Peter 1:9).

In the field we may labor for Christ, His Word, and His gospel call…..

…..but in the house (in our own personal devotions and church services)…..we serve, by ministering to Him….personally.

(I want to point out here, that the Lord is in charge in everything in this parable.

The servant, outside;……and the servant, inside….is just that,…a servant….commanded and guided by the Master.

Some of us Christians bristle at this….because they think a servant of the Lord does things….he does something for God.

No, and yes. No….we can never do anything to add to God, or His goodness.

Yes, we can serve the Lord by being obedient…..and becoming, under HIs guiding hand, devoted to Him.

The Lord pointed this out to Israel when they were burning lots of offerings to Him…..without the heart’s devotion behind them.

Jeremiah 7:21-24 “Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel; Put your offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.

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

But this thing I commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. (Exodus 15:25-26)

But they harkened not, nor inclined their ear,….”)

Our “services” to God, are a exercising of our faith….both in the world and in our personal devotions.

The question becomes….how can I become a profitable servant? And what does this have to do with increasing our faith?

We are only profitable servants as we become, under His hand, able to minister to the Lord’s satisfaction….by letting Him have His way and will with us.

Again, I want to point out that faith “sees” God…..it is the instrument by which we know God in our lives.

It is a gift from God, implanted by the Holy Spirit, when we are born again…..but it is to grow….mature in the knowledge of God,…..and in love to God.

Both are “services” to God.

The more we know of God in our lives, the more we are able to go through the trials and tribulations in this world, by faith….it has increased.

The more we place ourselves at God’s disposal, the more we learn how precious He regards us….our faith has increased, as our love has increased.

So how to increase our faith?

….Jesus says: use it, by doing the obediences I place in front of you….

…and use it, by submitting to My personal discipline, and fall in love with Me.

Our personal intimacy with God is to grow.

We start out as babes in faith….being helped to do everything.

Then we become servants of God, by faith…..learning to submit to Him in everything….but by each obedience we have the ability to gain in fellowship.

Then we become mature workers of God…..by realizing that it is Him we are serving,…..in any situation, in any place, with anyone….He becomes the main reason for our existence.

We become “profitable servants”, by becoming what He has purposed for us to be…..not by what we do (The Lord has provided all we need to do every good work He calls us to)……

….but by becoming devoted to Christ Himself.

The Lord Jesus will not knock down your heart’s door….

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

What is “sup” here?

It is fellowship……..the Creator with His creature, the Lord with His disciple, the Master with His servant.

But there is no real fellowship, if there is not an open door to our lives.

Fellowship means shared conversation….as with a partner, or companion who is traveling with you.

To sit before Jesus and hear His parables would be amazing….

To sit at Jesus feet, and listen to Him is wonderful…..

But to sit with Jesus in conversation, and life…..is “sup”…..for we are opening up ourselves and our life to Him, in everything.

A life open to and receptive to Him.

The Lord will not knock down the door to our hearts, and come in….

….nor will He force us into a fellowship that we do not desire;

All this rest with our “want to”…..do we want to have shared conversations with Christ Jesus, our Lord,…….about everything?

You will never have the love relationship that He wants for us, until the Holy Spirit has created within you this “want to”.

Example:

Luke 19:1 “And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho,”

Notice that Jesus was just passing through…..He was not staying, or even preaching….He was passing through.

He had just healed the blind man, at the outskirts of Jericho (Luke 18:41-43)…..

….and He was headed to Jerusalem (Luke 18:31).

Jesus was in His last weeks, before He was to be crucified…..He was going to Jerusalem…..

…but all along the way….He saves…..all who “want to”

Luke 19:2-4 “And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for he was to pass that way.”

Here was “want to”……for Zacchaeus does everything he can to see Jesus.

Notice the verse says, “….he sought to see Jesus who He was…”

Jesus’ fame had spread all over the land….and Zacchaeus wanted to know what real godly goodness and power looked like.

Zacchaeus was a publican…..a tax collector….who made himself rich from the taxes he collected for Rome, from his own people.

Tax collectors were hated,…..I probably would have felt the same way about someone who was acting for the those that oppressed the people….and Zacchaeus was “chief” among them.

But Zacchaeus had a longing…..which turned into opportunity, when Jesus came through his city.

So with as much diligence and effort as this little man had,…

…….he climbed up into a tree so that he might see this man that was suppose to be the Messiah, the Son of God….

….and then something unexpected happened…

Luke 19:5. “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”

What!?

Here is an invitation to “sup”……to fellowship with Jesus….in Zacchaeus own house…

Why?

Jesus was passing through….yet stayed because Zacchaeus wanted to see……and know Him.

(He will do the same with anyone who wants to fellowship with Him…..He will stay and “abide”….another term of fellowship and partnership.)

Jesus’ invitation given…..there are two distinct reactions:

Joy for Zacchaeus……”he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully”

Murmuring for the people who saw…..”He is gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner.”

They were following their leaders attitude….even after all the miracles and Words from the Lord Jesus….they still murmured when mercy was shown someone they considered unworthy…

Jesus had explained, at the beginning of His ministry to the Pharisees…..

“They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:11-13)

That is why Jesus Christ came to earth…..to save sinners…..for He will save all who will come to Him.

Zacchaeus had….”put himself in the way of righteousness”

Luke 19:8-10 “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord;

Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;

and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Under the law, if a man defrauded another Israelite, they would have to restore the value of what was taken,….plus a fifth part of the value…..

……but Zacchaeus restored…..not according to law….

….but according to his love for his Savior….”fourfold”.

Jesus continued on to Jerusalem….

Luke 19:28 “And when He had thus spoken, He went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.”

There He would come in to praises and shouts of…..”Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord…” (Matthew 21:9)

And a week later….He would be given a cross…..to shouts of…..”Crucify Him, crucify Him.” (Luke 23:21)…..

He came to “knock and speak” to His people……and now He “knocks and speaks” to His Church….

…but…He will not knock our heart’s door down.

He offers fellowship….have we heard Him….do we have this longing…this “want to”…..to know Him in this way?

We must always keep in mind, Who it is, that is speaking to us…..and what He is able to do….

Will we answer His call to “abide” with Him in our house….joyfully?……to “sup” with Him continually in our lives?

How much we need this of Christ Jesus….will we open the door to our lives….as we opened the door to our hearts…..and have that fellowship?

‘A life open to and receptive to Him.”