If you want to find trouble and be considered a trouble maker, all you have to do is pray. This is what Daniel found in his time when it was made clear that if you prayed you would become prey:
All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. — Daniel 6:7-9
“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” Daniel discounted the law of the Medes which a “altereth not” for the higher law of God that eternally changeth not. A trillion years before God ever created the Medes and Persians he was himself the Law of Truth that can not be altered. However,the law of the Medes was eventually altered: They have been in hell thousands’ of years—their law has no jurisdiction there.
Daniel prayed. The word for prayer here means “to bow” which comes from another word that means “a one sided limp. God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. As Daniel prayed to God he was humbling himself in the art of waiting on God: “They that wait on the Lord shall renew (exchange) their strength. To wait means to “be gathered together, to twist together like a thread around a logging chain.
Daniel “linked” up his weakness in prayer to God’s Omnipotent strength. Daniel walked with a limp with a Holy God who could walk on water or choose to dry up the sea so as to walk on dry ground. This God walked to Golgotha with the weight of the world on his shoulders and redeemed all of mankind. He consequently walked into hell and took the keys of hell and death, making an open mockery out of the devil. This mighty Savior then walked out of the grave, once and for all raising up a fallen race, who through repentance and faith in his name, was subsequently seated with him in heavenly places. This was all made possible because Jesus walked into the Holy of Holies in heaven and obtained for us eternal redemption with his own Blood. He is now seated while he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
But, he is arising even now as he walks toward a white horse upon which he is coming back to earth as a conquering King to lay down all rule and authority! Here is the amazing thing: He is going to defeat the modern arsenal of super tanks and nuclear weapons and all their devastating potential with a sword and a horse!! And it is not like he is going to work up a sweat at that. Look closely and you will see some common threads wrapped around this uncommon King: “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:14). Wrap your head around this and you will be alright!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
It Is Time To Be Discontented
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. —1 Samuel 22:1-2
Without sound of hammer,unperceived by the world or the church of Saul, and
without any self promoting press release, the greatest move of God known to man is taking place. This move is one of construction: “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1Kings 6:7). These “stones made ready” are one and the same with all who came to David at the cave of Adullam as they were gathered unto him.
This is a supernatural move of the Holy Ghost that is originating in heaven: There may not be a sound heard here, but in heaven there is great rejoicing heard over each “stone” that repents! These stones that Jesus, the Son of David, is using to build his house with are living stones: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). These living stones are those that have been entirely overlooked and labeled useless by the world: “Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned” (Nehemiah 4:2)?
The one great characteristic that marks these discontents is this: The Word of God is the only authority that they trust—they have been burned too many times by the “sleight of men.” These men have one burning and one all consuming desire: They must crown Jesus Christ the Living Word, King of the church! This is happening now in the hearts of those marked by the Spirit of God in order to fulfill that which is written in the book of 1 Chronicles 12:38, “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.” These men are those that could no longer abide the foolishness of Saul's agenda.
The major “un-ecumenical” disposition that the true church has with the “Church of Saul” is this: He was not the King the scriptures had foretold! From the beginning when God drew up the blueprint for this house with Abraham, it was promised in Genesis 17:6: “I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.” It is made clear in Genesis 49:10 that the King would come from the tribe of Judah: “ The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
David and Jesus clearly came from the tribe of Judah; Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. The discontentment of all those who are leaving the church of the flesh and coming to the church grounded in the truth of the scriptures is well placed. In fact, this growing dissatisfaction with man made doctrines and “manufactured moves of the spirit” is placed there by the Holy Ghost. It is time to be discontented.
Without sound of hammer,unperceived by the world or the church of Saul, and
without any self promoting press release, the greatest move of God known to man is taking place. This move is one of construction: “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1Kings 6:7). These “stones made ready” are one and the same with all who came to David at the cave of Adullam as they were gathered unto him.
This is a supernatural move of the Holy Ghost that is originating in heaven: There may not be a sound heard here, but in heaven there is great rejoicing heard over each “stone” that repents! These stones that Jesus, the Son of David, is using to build his house with are living stones: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). These living stones are those that have been entirely overlooked and labeled useless by the world: “Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned” (Nehemiah 4:2)?
The one great characteristic that marks these discontents is this: The Word of God is the only authority that they trust—they have been burned too many times by the “sleight of men.” These men have one burning and one all consuming desire: They must crown Jesus Christ the Living Word, King of the church! This is happening now in the hearts of those marked by the Spirit of God in order to fulfill that which is written in the book of 1 Chronicles 12:38, “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.” These men are those that could no longer abide the foolishness of Saul's agenda.
The major “un-ecumenical” disposition that the true church has with the “Church of Saul” is this: He was not the King the scriptures had foretold! From the beginning when God drew up the blueprint for this house with Abraham, it was promised in Genesis 17:6: “I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.” It is made clear in Genesis 49:10 that the King would come from the tribe of Judah: “ The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
David and Jesus clearly came from the tribe of Judah; Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. The discontentment of all those who are leaving the church of the flesh and coming to the church grounded in the truth of the scriptures is well placed. In fact, this growing dissatisfaction with man made doctrines and “manufactured moves of the spirit” is placed there by the Holy Ghost. It is time to be discontented.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Song Of The Lord
When King David fled from Saul he ended up in a cave: “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him” (1 Samuel 22:1). It was here that the Lord started building the Church of David: “ And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.”
The first thing they heard was the song of the Lord. The title of Psalm 34 is: “A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.” At this point in his life, David did not look like a king—he had just played the part of a madman: “And David…was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard” (1 Samuel 21:12-13). But he had a song:
Psalm 34
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
This Psalm goes on to say that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all. What these men heard changed them. They didn't just hear about God's deliverance, they became the delivered because the Lord’s manifest presence was revealed in this true praise and worship out of the mouth of David. There is no way you can duplicate this life changing presence of Jesus that flows through the song of the Lord: He must truly become alive in you.
Back in my day, one of the most popular bands was the “The Eagles.” Now there were a lot of local bands that copied their songs; some good, some not so good. But no matter how good you might “cover” their songs, you couldn’t compete with the real thing. Were there to be a concert with the “Eagles” playing one venue, and a cover band playing another, who do you think would have the drawing power?
We must have the “real” thing. We can never duplicate his presence and “cover” his songs. We never should settle for less because he has promised to “show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are totally dependent upon him.” Does the song you and I sing today have the drawing power of the Spirit of God?
Believe his word today. Become the delivered!
The first thing they heard was the song of the Lord. The title of Psalm 34 is: “A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.” At this point in his life, David did not look like a king—he had just played the part of a madman: “And David…was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard” (1 Samuel 21:12-13). But he had a song:
Psalm 34
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
This Psalm goes on to say that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all. What these men heard changed them. They didn't just hear about God's deliverance, they became the delivered because the Lord’s manifest presence was revealed in this true praise and worship out of the mouth of David. There is no way you can duplicate this life changing presence of Jesus that flows through the song of the Lord: He must truly become alive in you.
Back in my day, one of the most popular bands was the “The Eagles.” Now there were a lot of local bands that copied their songs; some good, some not so good. But no matter how good you might “cover” their songs, you couldn’t compete with the real thing. Were there to be a concert with the “Eagles” playing one venue, and a cover band playing another, who do you think would have the drawing power?
We must have the “real” thing. We can never duplicate his presence and “cover” his songs. We never should settle for less because he has promised to “show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are totally dependent upon him.” Does the song you and I sing today have the drawing power of the Spirit of God?
Believe his word today. Become the delivered!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Nail Holes And Scars
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. — Samuel 22:1-2
If you can find out what God has said according to the scriptures, you have seen the future, stood in the future and therefore you can prophesy the future: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). If you want to see how God is going to close out the church age—the times of the Gentiles, look and see how he started it and you will clearly see the end. When Jesus Christ the Son of David, baptized his church on the day of Pentecost, he was fulfilling Amos 9:11: “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” This great house has been under construction some two thousand years and is hastening completion! Jesus the lowly carpenter from Nazareth, the author and finisher of this Holy temple, is gathering in the final harvest that his house might be filled!
In this final hour multitudes are being gathered unto the Son of David—those that are in debt, distress and discontentment. This motley group of soon to be mighty men of God,does not look like much to the trained eye of “American Idol” talent scouts. In fact the men that came to David are one and the same with the ones rejected by Saul: “He will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work” (1 Samuel 8:16). These men were not the finest: They did not make "the cut" with Saul's army. Saul did not give them a second thought as they left him to join David; in his eye they were just a bunch of "discontents." He discounted them because he failed to see what God saw. He saw outcasts; God saw representatives of the last day harvest: “Bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind” (Luke 14:21). In this you must see that whereas we come to Jesus lost and undone, we never stay that way. The house of the Lord is full of the presence of Jesus: The poor and maimed become mighty men of God!
The Lord once showed me this church in my minds eye. I saw a pile of salvaged building materials like you would see at a construction site for a new house. In this pile was used up bricks, blocks, and boards with scars and nail holes. The Lord said, “This is what I build my church with.” You may be reading this and anyone that passes by your situation can clearly see that you are used up, scarred up, and full of nail holes. The world sees this “pile” of wasted humanity and marks it for the garbage heap—so much more for the landfill. Jesus passes by and marks you for his kingdom saying, “Come and follow me: I will turn your world right side up.” The truth is, the very cornerstone of the church has nail holes and scars.
If you can find out what God has said according to the scriptures, you have seen the future, stood in the future and therefore you can prophesy the future: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). If you want to see how God is going to close out the church age—the times of the Gentiles, look and see how he started it and you will clearly see the end. When Jesus Christ the Son of David, baptized his church on the day of Pentecost, he was fulfilling Amos 9:11: “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” This great house has been under construction some two thousand years and is hastening completion! Jesus the lowly carpenter from Nazareth, the author and finisher of this Holy temple, is gathering in the final harvest that his house might be filled!
In this final hour multitudes are being gathered unto the Son of David—those that are in debt, distress and discontentment. This motley group of soon to be mighty men of God,does not look like much to the trained eye of “American Idol” talent scouts. In fact the men that came to David are one and the same with the ones rejected by Saul: “He will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work” (1 Samuel 8:16). These men were not the finest: They did not make "the cut" with Saul's army. Saul did not give them a second thought as they left him to join David; in his eye they were just a bunch of "discontents." He discounted them because he failed to see what God saw. He saw outcasts; God saw representatives of the last day harvest: “Bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind” (Luke 14:21). In this you must see that whereas we come to Jesus lost and undone, we never stay that way. The house of the Lord is full of the presence of Jesus: The poor and maimed become mighty men of God!
The Lord once showed me this church in my minds eye. I saw a pile of salvaged building materials like you would see at a construction site for a new house. In this pile was used up bricks, blocks, and boards with scars and nail holes. The Lord said, “This is what I build my church with.” You may be reading this and anyone that passes by your situation can clearly see that you are used up, scarred up, and full of nail holes. The world sees this “pile” of wasted humanity and marks it for the garbage heap—so much more for the landfill. Jesus passes by and marks you for his kingdom saying, “Come and follow me: I will turn your world right side up.” The truth is, the very cornerstone of the church has nail holes and scars.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Expressway of God
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. —Psalms 119:18
One of the essential truths that we must learn is this: Jesus Christ is the living breathing Word of God. Therefore the Word is a person: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). This Word is eternal; it never originates in the mind of man but it has always been. In this all powerful living Word of God is the beginning and the end: The end is just as sure as the beginning. Isaiah 46:9-10 states, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” As B.H. Clendennen says, “God never starts a thing until he finishes it!”
The church of Jesus Christ, in this eternal sense, was finished before the foundation of the world: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Certainly this glorious church has been seen standing victorious outside of time in Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” This being true, beware of anyone who claims the Lord made the following statement: “The Lord simply said, I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in one generation.” If you have never heard the devil quote his agenda, now you have. This is the ongoing ministry of the "lying spirits" found in 1 Kings 22:22: "And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so."
How can you change that which is unchangeable? To change the expression of Christianity would be to change the very person of Jesus Christ who is and ever will be the God that changeth not. To change the understanding of the church would be to change the written Word of God from Genesis to Revelation because the church is clearly seen in both. In the final analysis you could sooner change the ending to the movie “True Grit” starring John Wayne, before you could ever change one jot or tittle of the law. God has the ability to raise John Wayne from the dead and remake all of his movies, but there is one thing that even the Almighty can not do: God can not lie!!
May God open our eyes to the wonderful eternal truths of his Word. Within its pages is the living voice of the Lord bearing faithful witness to those things that are and those things which surly must be! We do not need a new expression of Christianity; we need to express the Christianity as revealed in the book of Acts. The "Expressway" of the written Word of God is the only way to avoid the latter day deception of false prophets.
One of the essential truths that we must learn is this: Jesus Christ is the living breathing Word of God. Therefore the Word is a person: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). This Word is eternal; it never originates in the mind of man but it has always been. In this all powerful living Word of God is the beginning and the end: The end is just as sure as the beginning. Isaiah 46:9-10 states, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” As B.H. Clendennen says, “God never starts a thing until he finishes it!”
The church of Jesus Christ, in this eternal sense, was finished before the foundation of the world: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Certainly this glorious church has been seen standing victorious outside of time in Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” This being true, beware of anyone who claims the Lord made the following statement: “The Lord simply said, I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in one generation.” If you have never heard the devil quote his agenda, now you have. This is the ongoing ministry of the "lying spirits" found in 1 Kings 22:22: "And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so."
How can you change that which is unchangeable? To change the expression of Christianity would be to change the very person of Jesus Christ who is and ever will be the God that changeth not. To change the understanding of the church would be to change the written Word of God from Genesis to Revelation because the church is clearly seen in both. In the final analysis you could sooner change the ending to the movie “True Grit” starring John Wayne, before you could ever change one jot or tittle of the law. God has the ability to raise John Wayne from the dead and remake all of his movies, but there is one thing that even the Almighty can not do: God can not lie!!
May God open our eyes to the wonderful eternal truths of his Word. Within its pages is the living voice of the Lord bearing faithful witness to those things that are and those things which surly must be! We do not need a new expression of Christianity; we need to express the Christianity as revealed in the book of Acts. The "Expressway" of the written Word of God is the only way to avoid the latter day deception of false prophets.
Beware of Snake Berries: They Will Surly Bite In The End
Beware of impostors that plot to grow in your garden. They look like the real thing, but are revealed as counterfeits when examined in the light of truth. A snake berry looks like a strawberry but it is poison.
There are many such charlatans that grow in gardens. One of them, Johnson grass, looks like corn. I know of someone who hoed around this weed for weeks before realizing its deception. Snake berries are a fraud that looks like strawberry plants. Their fruit is almost identical to a strawberry with one difference: They are poison.
Jesus warned of tares, a plant that resembled wheat: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way” (Matthew 13:24-25). Since pulling up the tares would damage the good seed, the tares were allowed to grow until the harvest—at which time they would be burned.
Tares in our life often take the shape of wanting to help God out in the form of a good idea. When God sows a promise into our life, patience is required. Too many times, this patience wears thin and we take things into our own hands. The resulting “tare” tears up our life.
The life of Abraham teaches us this principle. God had promised him a seed that would be as numerous as the stars: “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be” (Genesis 15:5). For years Abraham and Sarah tried to birth this seed to no avail, so Sarah gives birth to a plan: “The Lord hath restrained me from bearing: Go in unto my maid; it may be that I obtain children by her” (Genesis 16:2). Abraham hearkened and Hagar conceived.
When Ishmael was born to Hagar, no less than an Angel spoke to her: “And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude” (16:10). Ishmael looked like the promise: a multitude had been promised; he was going to be a multitude. The only problem was—he was not the promise: He would grow to become an enemy because he was born an enemy.
Ishmael came about because Abraham got impatient. He had waited ten years for God to bring about the promise and nothing had happened. Isn’t ten years long enough? Surly there was something that could be done about this! After all, as Watchmen Nee said, “We are so capable of doing it ourselves!”
Beware of anything that “drives” you to do something. The driving force of such actions is pride and unbelief; they will drive you into despair and confusion. Love is patient; flesh has to have it right now.
With Abraham, Hagar was something he could do. When Sarah suggested he have a baby by her, it didn’t drive him to the floor in dependence on God: It drove him to action! Fourteen years later, when he was “as good as dead in his body,” God promised him a son by Sarah, who was also “as good as dead.” This drove him to the floor in utter dependence upon God’s ability:
“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear” (17:17)?
Do not settle for snake berries. They will surly bite in the end!!
There are many such charlatans that grow in gardens. One of them, Johnson grass, looks like corn. I know of someone who hoed around this weed for weeks before realizing its deception. Snake berries are a fraud that looks like strawberry plants. Their fruit is almost identical to a strawberry with one difference: They are poison.
Jesus warned of tares, a plant that resembled wheat: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way” (Matthew 13:24-25). Since pulling up the tares would damage the good seed, the tares were allowed to grow until the harvest—at which time they would be burned.
Tares in our life often take the shape of wanting to help God out in the form of a good idea. When God sows a promise into our life, patience is required. Too many times, this patience wears thin and we take things into our own hands. The resulting “tare” tears up our life.
The life of Abraham teaches us this principle. God had promised him a seed that would be as numerous as the stars: “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be” (Genesis 15:5). For years Abraham and Sarah tried to birth this seed to no avail, so Sarah gives birth to a plan: “The Lord hath restrained me from bearing: Go in unto my maid; it may be that I obtain children by her” (Genesis 16:2). Abraham hearkened and Hagar conceived.
When Ishmael was born to Hagar, no less than an Angel spoke to her: “And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude” (16:10). Ishmael looked like the promise: a multitude had been promised; he was going to be a multitude. The only problem was—he was not the promise: He would grow to become an enemy because he was born an enemy.
Ishmael came about because Abraham got impatient. He had waited ten years for God to bring about the promise and nothing had happened. Isn’t ten years long enough? Surly there was something that could be done about this! After all, as Watchmen Nee said, “We are so capable of doing it ourselves!”
Beware of anything that “drives” you to do something. The driving force of such actions is pride and unbelief; they will drive you into despair and confusion. Love is patient; flesh has to have it right now.
With Abraham, Hagar was something he could do. When Sarah suggested he have a baby by her, it didn’t drive him to the floor in dependence on God: It drove him to action! Fourteen years later, when he was “as good as dead in his body,” God promised him a son by Sarah, who was also “as good as dead.” This drove him to the floor in utter dependence upon God’s ability:
“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear” (17:17)?
Do not settle for snake berries. They will surly bite in the end!!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
STAY FULL BY BEING POURED OUT
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. —Matthew 25:1-9
There are principles in scripture that we must consider to understand what kept the oil flowing in the wise virgin’s lamp. All these truths are wrapped around this one great truth: We are called to be bond slaves of the Most High God. As such, we are vessels through which Jesus truly lives as he continues the one great work for which he came: To seek and save that which was lost. The oil that kept their vessels full was the oil that was steadily being emptied out! These virgins knew the Lord, they had eternal light. Their concern was for those in darkness; they burned so that others could see.
The first principle is: We have “little oil.” (See 2 Kings 4:1-6)The vessel God uses is one who has little strength: “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). The Lord is not looking to use “super beings” in this hour. There simply are none!
The second law to learn is this: The way to stay full of oil is to stay poured out—stay empty. God will not fill a vessel that is full of self. The oil that kept the wise virgins lamps burning was the oil that the Good Samaritan poured into his neighbor:
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead …But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. — Luke 10:30-34
A third principle that we must see is the five wise virgins are the church that ends in one heart and one accord with Heaven. This is the church that is walking in the first love demonstrated in the book of Act’s: A manifestation of obedience in shining as lights in a perverse and crooked world, holding forth the word of life! The true last day’s church will be a fearless harvester. May God grant us boldness as we go forth to meet the bridegroom, compelling all who will listen: Come to the marriage supper of the Lamb, ALL THINGS ARE NOW READY!! Stay full by being poured out!
There are principles in scripture that we must consider to understand what kept the oil flowing in the wise virgin’s lamp. All these truths are wrapped around this one great truth: We are called to be bond slaves of the Most High God. As such, we are vessels through which Jesus truly lives as he continues the one great work for which he came: To seek and save that which was lost. The oil that kept their vessels full was the oil that was steadily being emptied out! These virgins knew the Lord, they had eternal light. Their concern was for those in darkness; they burned so that others could see.
The first principle is: We have “little oil.” (See 2 Kings 4:1-6)The vessel God uses is one who has little strength: “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). The Lord is not looking to use “super beings” in this hour. There simply are none!
The second law to learn is this: The way to stay full of oil is to stay poured out—stay empty. God will not fill a vessel that is full of self. The oil that kept the wise virgins lamps burning was the oil that the Good Samaritan poured into his neighbor:
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead …But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. — Luke 10:30-34
A third principle that we must see is the five wise virgins are the church that ends in one heart and one accord with Heaven. This is the church that is walking in the first love demonstrated in the book of Act’s: A manifestation of obedience in shining as lights in a perverse and crooked world, holding forth the word of life! The true last day’s church will be a fearless harvester. May God grant us boldness as we go forth to meet the bridegroom, compelling all who will listen: Come to the marriage supper of the Lamb, ALL THINGS ARE NOW READY!! Stay full by being poured out!
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