Jesus, in Matthew 6:10, has told us to pray for the Father’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in earth just as it is done in heaven.

I believe that we should do this.  I also think that we must know that, in praying for these two things to be brought to pass, that there is a price that we will pay in participating in these two things.

For Father’s kingdom to come in this earth is not just about the physical earth. I believe that the “earth” that is first meant is us. We individually and corporately are earth. Adam was made of the dust of the earth and so are we.

The kingdom or the “rule of God” must first be established in our lives. We must choose to be under the rule of God and partake of all that this means.

When we were born-again we were,

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: ¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:12-13)

We are in the kingdom by the “new birth” but we must begin to live by kingdom principles. Jesus was speaking of this when HE said,

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)

Another word or term for LORD is king.

So it seems to me that if we call Him our Lord we are also calling Him our king. Since He is King then His word is law. My question is:  Do we live like this? Are we doing the things He says to do? We may be in the kingdom but we must live by kingdom principles and precepts or, in other words, do what He says.

There is a cost or a price to pay to live according to His Word in our daily lives. We have to determine that whatever that price is we are willing to pay it. Listen to what Apostle Paul has to say in regard to this:

and when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, ²² Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21-22)

He knew of which he spoke for in verse 19 of this same chapter we read that Paul was stoned and left for dead for what he had said and done. Is this something that we might expect? This, at this time, may seem to be extreme. However it is possible for this to happen today if you, on purpose, are placing His word above everything else in this life.

The price that we are more apt to have to pay at this time would be the loss of friendship with some or perhaps the separation of families.

The word that Apostle Paul uses in Acts 14:22 that is translated “tribulation” means stress, strain, trouble and testing.

So we must realize that to pray for the will of our Father to be done in our lives and to pray that His rule in our lives would be made manifest, we must know that there will be strain, stress and opposition.

Then as we go further into Matthew 6 we see this:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

We see that Our King says to “seek first” His rule, realm, domain and dominion. The first priority of our life is to seek to be under His rule, in His realm and under His authority.

Our problem is we want the things that this will produce in our lives but we in most cases do not know or understand that there is a price to pay in seeking first His kingdom.

There is a picture of all of this in the following verses:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, each one a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1-2)

In the same way we have a similar statement in New Testament by Jesus:

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give (offer-show) you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

There was and is a kingdom given but there is a price to pay; battles to be won.

We find that when the spies went into the land they found that it was a good land; the fruit of it was good but there were giants in the land and there were walled cities. They became fearful and intimidated and, in turn, discouraged the hearts of all the people.

The people of Israel wanted the Promised Land but their thinking was that it would be given to them without any effort on their part. When they saw that there was a price they had to pay by driving out the residents of the land they were fearful and discouraged.

The church has first of all thought that the Promised Land was getting to go to heaven. This is a mistake because there are no giants in heaven; neither are there walled cities there that must be defeated.

The Promised Land is a picture of the Kingdom of God that Jesus told us to seek first.

We must understand that the Kingdom of God is here in the earth and that it is occupied by and controlled by an “alien being” that must be driven out. Apostle Paul said it this way:

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

The “god of this world” is the same being that lied to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He deceived them into giving to him the dominion that the LORD GOD had given them.

The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is not about us going to heaven. In reality the “good news” is that the Kingdom has been restored to us in Jesus Christ. The dominion that Almighty God gave to Adam in Genesis 1:26 has been restored.

Where the problem comes in is what Paul told us:

And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, ²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21-22)

Jesus made the way for us to become “sons of God” through the new birth. In the new birth we can see the kingdom and we are made able to enter it.

We, as “born again” sons of God, must be willing to learn His word, His will and His way and begin to occupy the land by driving out the former inhabitants. We do this by listening to Jesus’ voice; allowing Him to renew our minds through His word and by doing His Word in our daily lives; not just at church.

Then, what is Father’s desire will be fully accomplished:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

Father desires a Kingdom of sons who are conformed to the very image of Jesus, our Lord.

If we believe the Kingdom has been given to us, we must know the reality of what it takes to possess the land, not allowing discouragement to get on us or in us lest we negatively affect the lives of those following after us!

We must give a good report of the land and not our opinions. It is a good land. There are giants in the land, but the Lord is with us and we are well able to posses the land.

(FOR AN AUDIO OF THIS ARTICLE, REFER TO THE SERMON.NET AUDIO PLAYER IN THE SIDEBAR)

Genesis 26:18—-Isaiah12:3—John 7:37-38

Genesis 26:18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

Isaiah12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. ³Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ³⁸He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

When we look into the scripture and see the types and shadows of Jesus and His ministry we find that Isaac is one of these shadows.

When Isaac re-dug the wells of his father Abraham if we think about it a little we can see that the water from these wells are pictured in some of the things that Jesus restored or re-dug for us in His finished work at the cross.

When the scripture says to draw water from the “wells of salvation” I believe that we could say it this way; “draw water from the wells of Jesus”.  The reason I say this is because His name, Jesus, means “salvation; savior.”

Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. ²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

When we look at the Hebrew word used in Isaiah12:3 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation, the word “salvation” is the same root word for Jesus’ name in Hebrew.

So let’s look at the “wells of Jesus” not necessarily in order of importance.

1.         RESTORATION OF THE WELL OF SONSHIP-RELATIONSHIP

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. ²Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

To all who receive Him He gives to them the power to become sons (children) of God.

We also receive the Spirit of adoption through which we cry out Abba, Father. God Almighty is truly our Father.

We must drink of this well or in other words believe He is who He says He is and that we are who He says we are in order for us to fulfill His purpose for us in the life we live here. If I do not have a clear understanding that I am who He says I am then I live a life that short changes Him, the world and me as well.

Today we are children of God. This must be heard, believed and received into the very core of our being.

2.         RESTORATION OF THE WELL OF THE BROKEN IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

We see in these verses the intention of our Father God, even in the Garden of Eden. Our Father foreknew Adam even before He made him in the Garden.

When the Lord God placed man in the Garden of Eden it is clearly stated that man was made in the image and likeness of God Himself.

The image and likeness of God was broken when they disobeyed the Word that was given to them.

John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; ²¹That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. ²²And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: ²³I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Could it be that even the above verses are about the image and likeness of God being restored so that we would be “one inThem?”

It seems to me that we need to drink fully of the water of this “well of Jesus” that has been re-dug for us.

3.         RESTORATION OF THE WELL OF DOMINION-KINGDOM RELATIONSHIP

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Psalms 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?  ⁵For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. ⁶Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The dominion mandate that the LORD GOD gave to Adam was what the serpent was after. It was what he wanted above everything else. He thought that this was what separated him from being God.

What satan did in Adam in breaking the image of God in man and taking the dominion or kingdom by deceit, God our Father more than overcame by what HE did in Christ Jesus

We see in Psalm 8:5 that Father

“made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”

The word angel is defined as follows:

0430 ‘elohiym,  el-o-heem’  gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:–angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.

It seems to me that Father God made man a little lower than Himself. This tells me that the serpent wanted that position and this is what he was after in the garden. Satan wanted this because, in reality, angels are a lower order of being or creation than man is as a son of God.

This is why the scripture says the following in 1 Peter 1:12:

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Angels desired to look into the glory that the LORD created when He made Adam as His son (see Luke 3.38).

Jesus, at the cross, re-dug for us the “dominion or kingdom relationship” well so that we could drink deeply from it.

In this He has done the following:

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.”

We, by drinking from this well, have the power to be “witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Wherever we are we have this ability to demonstrate the kingdom life, purpose and plan in our lives that men might see God in us.

4.         RESTORATION OF THE WELL OF KINGDOM AUTHORITY-THE DESTRUCTION OF THE  WORKS OF THE DEVIL

Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

The word destroy in 1John 3:8 does not mean to obliterate or to completely put out of existence. It means to dissolve, melt, breakup or put off.

3089. loo’-o a primary verb; to “loosen” (literally or figuratively):–break (up), destroy, dissolve, (un-loose, melt, put off.

This throws light on what Jesus did when the scripture says “destroy the works of the devil.”

Since we know that the devil is still at work it helps us to understand that Jesus did not fail. If ice melts it did not cease to exist. It was just loosed from its form or simply dissolved.

So the works of the devil have been dissolved in our lives by Jesus. We have been given authority to keep it that way, ourselves, if we know and believe what Jesus did for us and what He provided for us at the cross and in pouring out His Spirit on us.

2 Timothy 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹who has 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 to us in Christ Jesus before time began,¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

2673. katargeo,- to be (render) entirely idle (useless), literally or figuratively:–abolish, become (make) of no (none, without) effect, bring (come) to nought, make void.

We also know that death has not been done away with because people are still dying physically.

What Apostle Paul is saying is that “spiritual death” is rendered useless or made of no effect, or brought to naught because we have been given the very “life of God” by being born again.

What Adam lost in the Garden has more than been restored to us in Christ Jesus. Adam died but not physically; he lost the image of God; he lost the sonship-relationship; he lost kingdom dominion and authority in dying spiritually or being separated from the Life of God.

I say again:  What satan did in Adam God our Father more than overcame and restored for us in Christ Jesus.

Just as Jesus demonstrated the authority of the Kingdom of God by His words, deeds, attitudes and by what motivated Him, so we can also drink from this well that He has restored to us.

John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Now let’s do what the “woman at the well” did.

John 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. ⁷A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”  ⁸For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. ¹⁰Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” ¹¹The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? ¹²“Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” ¹³Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

The “Wells of Jesus” are flowing!  The ‘Wells of Jesus” are life giving! The “Wells of Jesus” are ours to drink from!!

Drink deeply and fully.

James 4:2-3

(FOR AN AUDIO OF THIS ARTICLE, REFER TO THE SERMON.NET AUDIO PLAYER IN THE SIDEBAR)
 

 

Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. ⁹ And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

 

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: ¹⁷But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? ²And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: ³But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. ⁴And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ⁵For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil

 

=======================================================================

DID FATHER GOD KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING? WHY DIDN’T HE SAY SOMETHING TO ADAM?

=======================================================================

Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

 

Genesis 12:9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. ¹⁰And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

 

========================================================================

DID GOD KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING? WHY DIDN’T HE SAY SOMETHING TO ABRAHAM?

========================================================================

 

Isaiah 38:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. ²Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, ³And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. ⁴Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, ⁵Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

 

2Chronciles 33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: ²But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. ³For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. ⁴Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be forever. ⁵And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. ⁶And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. ⁷And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

 

2Kings 21:10 And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying, ¹¹Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: ¹²Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. ¹³And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

========================================================================

DID FATHER KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING? WHY DIDN’T HE SAY SOMETHING TO HEZEKIAH?

=======================================================================

 

The question for each one of these incidents or happenings in the lives of God’s men was:

 

Why did the LORD not say something to them in their circumstances?

 

It has been said to me that a good father would say something to his children, or at least give them a warning about the action that they are about to take.

 

Let us look at this and see if there is something that we might gain from these thoughts that would help us in our walk with the LORD.

 

1. The LORD GOD had already given Adam directions about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he had led Abram to the land that he had spoken of and HE had told Hezekiah to “set his house in order”.

 

1. In none of the three cases did the men of God ask the LORD about the situation they just acted upon.

 

1. Swiftness to act can be a good thing sometimes but not always is this true.

 

1. The men of God were not told that they had no access to God. They only acted on what they knew or felt, due to the words spoken or the circumstances that they were in.

 

Adam, I believe did not really know who he was or his identity as far as God was concerned. So he believed the lie the serpent spoke:  “You shall not surely die.” He believed the LORD GOD was holding out on him, so he ate.

 

Abram got to “the land that I will show you” and when he arrived there was a famine in the land. So, acting swiftly, and not asking the LORD GOD anything, he “went south” to Egypt.

 

Hezekiah, in his circumstance did not want to die, just as none of us would want to die. He told the LORD GOD all the good things that he had done and other reasons why he should live.

 

In each of the cases none of the men of God asked the LORD GOD what HE was doing, what HE wanted or what would be the results of their actions.

 

This is not just a case for asking but also a case for drawing near to the LORD GOD for fellowship and communion with HIM so as to really know HIS heart and purpose.

 

I have said that the LORD does not answer questions that we do not ask! I still believe this to be true but there are exceptions to everything.

 

Gideon did not ask the LORD if he was a “mighty man of valor.” The LORD just spoke up and told him that he was.

 

When there came another famine in the land in the days of Isaac the LORD told him not to go down to Egypt.

 

The LORD told Elijah to “anoint Elisha to be prophet in your place” but HE did not, it seems, tell Elisha to anoint a man to be prophet in his place.

 

What is this all about and why all the words? Only this: We must take it on ourselves to purposefully “draw near to God!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what I think:

If we get caught up in fighting for what is right and for our rights will it be a God thing or a good thing?

We have been told that “right is might” but is it really? Is this speaking of what is the “rights of man” or what we as men perceive to be the right way to live.

 

Or do we, when we say “right is might,” refer to the “rights of our LORD.”  Are we referring to what HE says is the right way to live?

 

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

 

This is speaking of being and doing what the LORD says is right. Even if it means losing my rights as I see them.

 

Am I willing to deny myself what I call my rights so as to have HIS righteousness working in my life; to allow HIM to have HIS rights and HIS way in me and with me?

 

Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him

 

If in fighting for what is right will I expend more energy in that fight than I do in living and preaching the Kingdom?

 

Having what I perceive to be my rights may be a great thing but is it not greater for the LORD to have HIS rights worked out in my life? Where do I draw the line at fighting for my rights and living in the Kingdom of God, allowing HIM to have HIS rights worked out in my life? The question is, am I abandoned to the LORD?

 

Where did Jesus fight against evil other than by doing what He saw His Father doing or saying what HE heard His Father say?

 

1Peter 2:19-23 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God  ²¹ For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps  ²² Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³ Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

 

1Peter 3:10-15 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: ¹¹ Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. ¹² For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. ¹³ And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? ¹⁴ But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; ¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 

1Peter 4:1-2  Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

 

Jesus had rights that were denied to HIM. The trial and the crucifixion were illegal, even by the Jew’s own law. But HE did not fight against them.

 

Will we follow the LORD and do what HE says even when we know that it will lead to our being denied what we call our rights?  Will we spend time and effort fighting to make things right or will we spend the time and effort to preach, teach and live the Kingdom and let the chips fall where they may?

 

Will we be willing and able as Peter and John to stand even when our freedom to live as we see fit is questioned and even possibly taken because of our obedience to the Word of the LORD? Will we fight for our rights or just obey the leading of the Holy Spirit? See the following verses.

 

Acts 4:1-20  And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, ² Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. ⁴ Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. ⁵ And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, ⁶ And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. ₇ And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?  ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, ⁹ If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; ¹⁰ Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. ¹² Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. ¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶ Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. ¹⁸ And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. ²⁰ For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

 

I am not afraid of a fight but I am fearful of missing my objective of the Kingdom by climbing the mountain from the wrong side.

This article is to give some insight as to what I have come to see and understand concerning the “fear of The LORD”  and how we, as God’s people, must begin to live in it and by it.

There are many scriptures that use the phrase “fear of the LORD.” I will use only a few of them. At this time I am not trying to do a complete study of the subject.

• Job 28:28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.”
• Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 If someone asked if you want to be wise and have knowledge in your life most, if not all, would say certainly. We see here in at least two verses that to have wisdom you must operate in the fear of the LORD.

• Deuteronomy 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law
• Psalms 34:11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

 In the above two scriptures we see that the “fear of the LORD” is learned. If the “fear of the LORD” is learned behavior how do I learn it?

We see in these two verses that you have to hear and listen. Now I think that the hearing and listening is done on purpose. It is not just letting sound go in our head, but on purpose hearing and listening to what our Father God is saying.

If I am wise I will choose on purpose to hear and listen. Look at these verses:

• Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
• Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, ³⁰They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. ³¹Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
• Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate

If I don’t like what I am experiencing as far as how my life is going I may not have heard and listened to the counsel of the LORD.

Once again I will say hearing and listening is not just letting sound go in our head but on purpose hearing and listening to what our Father God is saying and then prove I heard and listened by doing what HE said. 

Next I want to give you a definition of the “fear of the LORD.” I believe that the “fear of the LORD” is manifested in our lives in the following ways:

• I love God greatly.
• I respect God greatly.
• I hate what HE hates.
• I love what HE loves.

 If I love God and if I respect God I will begin to imitate HIM in

1. my thoughts
2. my words
3. my deeds
4. my attitudes and
5. what I allow to motivate me.

I could say it this way:  I will begin to, on purpose, take on HIS nature and character. Now I realize that the preliminary step to all of this is the new birth. However, being born again is not necessarily proof that you are walking or living in the fear of the LORD. I will deal with this a little later

First I must find what God Himself says about His nature and character if I want to imitate HIM. If we go to the Old Testament we will find a clear description given by the LORD Himself of:

1. who He is
2. what HE is like
3.  what HE does and
4. why HE does it or
5. what His character and nature is.

 Moses was talking to the LORD and said:

Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. To say that in our terms he asked the LORD what HE was like, what HE did and why HE did it.

The LORD said back to Moses:

Exodus 33:19 And he said, “I will make all the light of my being come before you, and will make clear to you what I am;”—Bible in Basic English

Then the LORD enlarged on this in:

Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷“keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,

From these verses the LORD Himself tells us that HE is “merciful (Hebrew, compassionate), gracious (full of grace), longsuffering (slow to anger), full of goodness and truth, keeping mercy (Hebrew, lovingkindness, covenant keeping) and one who forgives.

Our statement that we are to imitate Him if we love and respect HIM is valid because we see Jesus Himself doing this.

• John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
  
• John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
• John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of (from) him.
  
• John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

In these four verses we see Jesus, in effect, saying:

I only do what I see my Father do and say what I hear my Father say.

He loves and respects His Father so much that He imitates Him in all that He does.  We have instructions from the Apostle Paul as follows:

• 1Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
• Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ²And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

 So, clearly, if we will set our hearts to learn the Word, Will and Way of our Father imitating Him in our everyday life, we will be living in the “fear of the LORD.”

Apostle Paul gives us further instructions:

Ephesians 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

No longer allow the old Adamic nature to rule your life “PUT OFF” the old man. He says “PUT ON” 

1. The new man
2. The new creation
3. The hidden man of the heart

 On purpose begin to imitate Jesus and act on the Word of God. Let His love and His very nature and character be made manifest in your life by presenting to HIM your body for HIM to live HIS life through. 

Now to go back and deal with the statement I made earlier:  ”being born again is not necessarily proof that you are walking or living in the fear of the LORD.”

We see evidence of this in the scripture when Paul told the Romans: 

Romans 12:1 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. ²And 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.

If the Romans were really loving God, respecting God and imitating Him then Paul would not have told them to “be not conformed to this world.” Obviously they were being conformed to this world or not imitating God because they were not living in the “fear of the LORD.”

We see a similar situation in:

Ephesians 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, ¹⁸ Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

The Ephesians were walking as other Gentiles (unbelievers), so Paul is instructed them to live as those who are born again and imitate God. He even says in:

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

He is telling them to “imitate Christ” who 

• loved HIS Father
• respected HIS Father and
• presented HIS body

 to HIS Father as a sacrifice that was “a sweet-smelling aroma” to HIS Father.

 

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.  ²And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. ³And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

 

Here we read that the LORD told Joshua to “See” that He (God) had already given the city to Joshua.

 

The LORD was telling him to see it as a done deal, that the battle was already won.

 

The fact is that this is the way it was as far as God was concerned. But it was Joshua and Israel that had to get their seeing in line with what the LORD had already said and done. They had only to act on the word of God or obey.

 

They had been in this type of circumstance before in Numbers 13. Let’s read and learn.

 

Numbers 13:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

²Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, everyone a ruler among them.

 

Here the LORD is saying that HE had already given the land to them. Their responsibility was to walk through the land to see the goodness of the land and to see that it was already theirs.

 

The problem here, though, was that they did walk through the land and did see the goodness of the land but they did not see it as given to them and being theirs. What they did see, observe and speak of were the problems and not the promises of the LORD.

 

They allowed their imagination to work against them instead of for them.

 

When we see what the LORD is saying or use our imagination to see the process through, and then act on the word in whatever way is needed, then we get the fruit of the promise in our lives.

 

The ten spies allowed their imaginations of the walled cities and the giants to overrule and to override the power of the promises of the LORD.

 

Where we set our imaginations and what imaginations we act on is what we are going to receive.

 

This is why the Psalmist prayed the following:

 

Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

 

The ten spies came back with an evil report: The walled cities are more than we can conquer and an even worse meditation; they saw themselves as grasshoppers.

 

It is important that we make our words the words of the LORD or be quiet. Then see to it that our meditations are on the promise and not the problem.

 

Your words, meditations and actions affect not only you but those around you; even the generations to come.

 

The result of the words and the meditations of the ten spies was another thirty eight years in the wilderness for the rest of the nation; most of whom never saw the Promised Land but died in the wilderness.

 

Let’s go back to Joshua and Israel at Jericho.

 

The LORD gave instructions on what to do so as to take what HE said was already theirs.

 

Joshua 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. ⁴And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the seven priests shall blow with the trumpets.

 

If you read Joshua 6:1-11 we find that there were armed men going before the priests with the ark and blowing trumpets. Then there were armed men following behind the priests. The armed men and the people were to remain silent; they were not to speak at all until Joshua told them to.

 

For six days they marched around the city once each day in the prescribed procession totally silent except for the seven priests blowing the trumpet.

 

Then on the seventh day this was the scene:

 

Joshua 6:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. ¹⁶ And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout: for the LORD hath given you the city.

 

For six days they walked around the city looking at the walls, but being quiet. By not talking they had opportunity to meditate on what it was that they saw: a walled city too big for them. Or they could meditate on what the LORD had said.

 

The sound of the trumpets, the ram’s horn, was for them the voice of the LORD, saying “I have given you the city.” For six days this is all that was heard. For six days they meditated on this sound of the LORD going before them.

 

When the seventh day came they marched to the sound of the trumpets, the voice of the LORD, for seven times around the city. This time Israel did obey the word of the LORD and received the promise. Jericho was taken.

 

Their words and their meditations were pleasing in the sight of the LORD. Ours can be as well.

 

When we meditate on what the LORD has said and obey HIS voice, we, like Israel at Jericho, will win the battle and occupy the Land of Promise

 

 

 

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me

Vs 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Vs 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

 

Romans 12:1 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.

Vs 2 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.

 

Many want to be saved; to have Jesus as Savior, but have yet to receive Him as LORD or King.

 

They are saved, born again, but have not yet come under His Lordship. Another way to say this would be that they have not yet “denied themselves, taken up the cross and followed HIM.”

 

They are still king over their kingdom; they have not yet abandoned the throne of their lives to Him.

They have yet to “present their bodies a living sacrifice” to the LORD so that their minds can be renewed and they become transformed by this change of mindset or renewing of the mind.

 

Let’s listen to a great Brother in the LORD and see what he has to say about this!

                       

December 9 – Oswald Chambers

(My Utmost for His Highest)

 

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh

with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24

 

The natural life is not sinful; we must be apostatized from sin, have nothing to do with sin in any shape or form. Sin belongs to hell and the devil; I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence and self-assertiveness, and this is where the battle has to be fought.

 

It is the things that are right and noble and good from the natural stand point that keep us back from God’s best. To discern that natural virtues antagonize surrender to God, is to bring our soul into the centre of its greatest battle. Very few of us debate with the sordid and evil and wrong, but we do debate with the good. It is the good that hates the best, and the higher up you get in the scale of the natural virtues, the more intense is the opposition to Jesus Christ. “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh” – it is going to cost the natural in you everything, not something.

 

Jesus said – “If any man will be My disciple, let him deny himself,” i.e., his right to himself, and a man has to realize Who Jesus Christ is before he will do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.

The natural life is not spiritual, and it can only be made spiritual by sacrifice. If we do not resolutely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural in us. There is no royal road there; each of us has it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of performing.”

December 10 – Oswald Chambers

(My Utmost for His Highest)

 

For it is written that Abraham had two sons,one by the slave woman and one by the free woman; Galatians 4:22

 

Paul is not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural must be turned into the spiritual by sacrifice, otherwise a tremendous divorce will be produced in the actual life.

 

Why should God ordain the natural to be sacrificed?

 

God did not. It is not God’s order, but His permissive will. God’s order was that the natural should be transformed into the spiritual by obedience; it is sin that made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed. 

 

Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac. Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way in which we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is by presenting our bodies a living sacrifice.

 

Sanctification means more than deliverance from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself whom God has saved to God, and that I do not care what it costs.  If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will mock at the life of the Son of God in us and produce a continual swither.

 

This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves, physically, morally or mentally. “I wasn’t disciplined when I was a child.”

 

You must discipline yourself now. If you do not, you will ruin the whole of your personal life for God.  God is not with our natural life while we pamper it; but when we put it out in the desert and resolutely keep it under, then God will be with it; and He will open up wells and oases, and fulfill all His promises for the natural. “     

 

This thing of

 

•  
  • taking up your cross
  • denying yourself
  • presenting your body to the Lord as a living sacrifice

 is not to be saved but to manifest the Kingdom of God in our lives in this earth today as it is in heaven.

 

2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

In the following three verses if we look at the words in bold type we see what Moses asked the LORD to show him.

• Exodus 34:5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
• Vs 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
• Vs 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

 Moses asked the LORD to show him HIS Glory. The LORD passed before Moses and declared HIS name, HIS nature and character,

•  who HE is,
•  what HE is like,
•  what HE does and
•  why HE does it.

 Now we come to those of us who have received Jesus as LORD and we hear the Apostle Peter say:

•  2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
•  Vs 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
•  Vs 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We have received Jesus as LORD but have also received all things that pertain to life and godliness.

We have received all that it takes to live in this earth in a way that demonstrates the abundant life and the godliness of our Father. We have HIS DNA in us but we have not fully seen how it is to be brought to the forefront of our lives.

We truly are partakers of HIS divine nature; our problems come in demonstrating that in our daily lives.

2Corinthian 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2Corinthian 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the “glory of God” in the face of Jesus Christ.

 Just as God Almighty created the heavens and the earth and said, “let there be Light” or caused “Light to shine out of darkness” so has HE done this in our lives when we received Jesus as LORD and were born again.

When we look into the written word which is the “mirror” we should see that the LORD has shone in our hearts to allow us to see the glory of God in ourselves.

If we don’t believe it and see it why should anyone else?

What is this Glory? It is what we read in Ex.34:6-7; HIS DNA, his nature and character.

It is in us in seed form and has to grow and become all that Father intends to be in our lives.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

We have believed and received but now we must become. The seed of the Word is us but we must allow what is in us to be worked out in our daily lives.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

We have the hope of glory in us. Not just the hope of going to heaven but the hope of our Fathers DNA being worked out in our daily lives; demonstrated in our words, deeds, attitudes and what we allow to motivate us.

What we need to understand now is:

What is it that will bring about a release of this “glory” or the DNA, the nature of our Father in us?

Could it be holding fast during the trials, the enduring of tribulations with the sure knowledge that HE is conforming us to the Image of Christ?

• 2Corinthian 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
• Vs 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 If what Apostle Paul says in the above verses means anything then I believe that in the pressures of life, the problems and circumstances that we find ourselves in, are what the LORD works in to bring about the conforming of our lives to the image of Jesus.

He is also saying to us to not focus on what we see or feel is the pressure or the problem. The pressures are a temporary thing; it is seen or felt. What we should focus on is that which is eternal and unseen; the DNA; the nature and character of our Father and HIS glory that is in us but not seen yet.

Through the tests, trials and troubles HIS glory comes forth in our lives as Light.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

FATHER is intent on having many sons and they are all to be conformed to the image of the First-Born.

Hebrews 2:10  For it was fitting for 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.

• Hebrews 5:7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,
• Vs 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
• Vs 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

If we will, with an open heart, read the above verses in the epistle to the Hebrews we see that our LORD, HIMSELF was made perfect (complete or mature) by the things that he suffered.

Let’s look at the word suffer to see the full meaning of it according to Strong’s Concordance:

Strong’s #3804, path’-ay-mah ; something undergone, i.e. hardship or pain; subjectively, an emotion or influence:– affection, affliction, motion, suffering.

The suffering is not sickness or having a broken leg. It is the circumstances of life in a fallen world; the pressures, disappointments, problems, misuse or hurts that we face and endure.

If Jesus was made complete and learned obedience through the things that HE suffered then why would we think that the divine nature of our Father could be worked out in us in any other way?

Is the scripture telling us that Jesus was not obedient or that HE was not the mature Son of God?

I think that the answer is this:

The Eternal Son who came from heaven into the womb of Mary was perfect; mature in HIS Divine nature. When HE came into a body which HE had never had before HIS body had to learn obedience; HIS body had to be made mature or complete by being exposed to the tests, trials and troubles of this present evil world.

These were some things that HE had never faced before.

Hebrews 10:5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.

Psalms 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

If Jesus was matured or brought to completion through suffering how much more would it be that way with us.

• Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
• Vs 17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
• Vs 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

The suffering is not about going to heaven.  It is about becoming in this present evil world; in this time a son conformed to the image of our LORD.

The glory revealed in us is the nature and character of our Father. It is being like HIM in the circumstance and situations that we find ourselves in.

Jesus, along with Apostles Paul and Peter, did tell them (and us) that we would suffer tribulation:

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

• 2Corinthian 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 
• Vs 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
• Vs 7 ¶ And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

o 1Thessalonian 3:3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.

o Vs 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.

Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God

• Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
• Vs 17 ¶ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

 2Corinthians 6:4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,

• 2Thessalonian 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,
• Vs 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
• Vs 5 ¶ which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

 2Timothy 2:12 If we endure (suffer), We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

 2Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

 1Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps

 1Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

• 1Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
• Vs 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1Peter 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.

The bottom line is that the LORD will make us perfect (mature complete), establish us, strengthen us and settle us in HIS image that we might cause men to see God in our lives.

The verse and explanation that follows will help us to understand what the suffering is all about and why.

Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

We have been told that verse means if we are not holy we will not see the LORD or go to heaven.

The above statement is a religious interpretation of the verse.

Let’s look at it this way and see if maybe it would fit. If we are conformed to the image of our Father so that HIS holiness or godliness is manifested in our life, then men can see God.

The natural man cannot see God.  He can see what HE does in me and in you.

• Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
• Vs 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

o James 1:2 ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

o Vs 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

o Vs 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Now we understand why Apostle Paul, James and Peter could rejoice and glory in tribulations counting it all joy in temptations.

It was because the glory of our Father, HIS DNA, HIS nature and character was being worked into and shining out of their lives.

So it is with us that the suffering of the heat, the enduring of the pressure, the tests and trials of this life are what our FATHER works in to reveal HIS glory in us and through us.

This is what James is speaking of in the following verses. It seems to me that when James speaks of the crown of life that he could be speaking of the Life of God being made manifest in us here and now.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Definition of temptation according to Strong’s Concordance:

3986 peirasmos; a putting to proof (by experiment (of good), experience (of evil), discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity:–temptation, X try.

The LORD’s purpose is for us to be conformed to the image of Jesus so that HE might be the first born among many brethren. Why, then, would HE want that to be done in heaven and not here on this earth?

It seems to me that the crown of life is the glory of God being made manifest in the earth today through HIS many sons.

 

 

 

 

 

  

^{John 1:10} He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

Reading the above verses gives us some insight into what the LORD has provided for us when we “believe on” or believe into HIS name. We are according to; ^{1Co 12:13} For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

 

We are baptized by the Spirit of God into the “Body” of Christ when we believe on HIM.

 

In this we are born-again and are “babes in Christ” Read the following:

 

^{1Peter 2:2} As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

 

^{Galatians 3:26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

 

Let’s think a little more on John 1:12:

 

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

The Greek word that is translated “become” is a very interesting word. While we know that we are becoming “sons of God” getting to that point is not an instantaneous thing, I believe it is a process and it is necessary for us all.

 

However there is another aspect of the word that could be translated “behave”. We not only are to “become” sons but we are to become full grown sons of God that behave as mature or complete sons.

 

^{Matthew 5:48} Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

We must understand what the word “perfect” really means “complete” or we will be led off in a wrong direction.

 

5046. tel’-i-os  complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character,; completeness:–of full age, man, perfect.

 

The word means to be mature or complete. We can get a better understanding of the word from the following:

 

^{Ephesians 4:11} And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

 

In verse 13 above the word “perfect” is the same word “telios” that we have been dealing with. The LORD is saying that we are to become full grown mature sons and to behave as Jesus did.

 

Now read the following verses and let’s move a little further into understanding what it means to behave as sons of our Father:

 

^{2Peter 1:2} Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, ³ According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

 

 

 ⁴ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 

There are two main things in these verses that I want us to see:

 

(1) “his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.”

We have been given all that we need to live the life that we are called to live in Christ and we have been given all that we need to live a life of “godliness” or to live in this earth being like God or being like our Father. We have HIS DNA in us.

 

(2) We have been made partakers of HIS “divine nature.”

We can live in HIS kingdom in this earth today with HIS nature and character working in us.

 

The verses below are a revelation given to Moses of the very nature, character or glory of God.

 

^{Exodus 34:6} And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ⁷ Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

 

We see that the LORD our Father is:

• merciful (compassionate)
• gracious
• longsuffering (or slow to anger)
• full of goodness and truth
• merciful (loving kindness) and
• He is forgiving.

 

These are attributes of God that I believe that have been given to us according to what we read in 2Peter 1:2-4 where we are told that we have been given “all things” that pertain to life and godliness and that we have been made a partaker of HIS divine nature.

 

As we continue this study if we look at what Jesus said in the following verses we will see that HE is telling in these that we are to do these things so that we “behave” as children of our Father in heaven.

 

^{Matthew 5:38} Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. ⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. ⁴² Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. ⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ⁴⁵ “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven”: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

The instructions that Jesus is giving us here is not for the millennium but is for us here and now in HIS kingdom, which is at hand or in our midst. This is for us now.

 

^{Romans 5:1}  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

 

Because we have received Jesus as LORD we do have peace with God, we do have access to our Father and HIS grace or enabling power. We can expect the Glory of God or HIS DNA, the character and nature of our Father

 

to be made manifest in our lives.

 

We as well can rejoice and boast in our LORD in tribulations because we know that in the tribulations the fruit of perseverance is being produced as well as the character of our Father coming forth in our lives.

 

Now let’s look a few verses in Romans chapter 8;

 

^{Romans 8:14} For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. ¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

 

Walking in this earth as sons of God will be accompanied with sufferings that are part and parcel of being a son of God.

 

^{Hebrews 5:8} Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

 

The whole creation is waiting for the sons of God to begin to behave as sons of God. This is not just in doing miracles and demonstrating the power of God, but also in manifesting HIS Agape Love in word, deed, attitudes and what we allow to motivate us.

 

^{Matthew 7:21}  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

 

Prophesying, casting out demons and working miracles according to these above verses are not as important as “knowing” HIM. We must be in an intimate relationship and fellowship with the LORD; in other words learning HIS ways and allowing HIM to order our lives, partaking of HIS sufferings so as to be conformed to HIS image. See Romans 8:29

 

It is not to say that prophesying, casting out demons and working miracles is not part of what the LORD is doing in HIS people today. It seems to me it takes both and there may be priorities that the LORD is dealing with.

 

Mt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

We are told that there are two ways or two paths that we can travel.

 

One leads to life and the other leads to destruction. What the church world has told us that this is the path to heaven or hell.

 

In the teachings and messages of Jesus we find that HE came preaching, teaching and demonstrating the “Kingdom of God”.

 

Mt 9:35 ¶ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

 

He spoke of heaven and hell but heaven and hell was not His message.

 

Heaven and hell are real places but this is not the message Jesus brought; the message is “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you”.

 

Let’s look at this and discover what He was really speaking of.

 

When Jesus called His disciples He did not talk to them about heaven or hell.

 

Mt 4:18 ¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

 

He told them that if they would follow Him He would make them to become something. He would make them to be more than they were.

 

What were they? They were fishermen and they were sons of the covenant or we could say sons of Abraham.

 

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

They could become sons of God and also fishers of men.

 

Becoming a son of God is predicated on receiving Him and believing on Him or better said “into Him”.

 

Becoming a “fisher of men” was predicated on the invitation to “follow me”

 

I believe the invitation to “follow Him” was the invitation to discipleship not to heaven.

 

Mt 16:24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 

Here in the above verse the LORD is not talking about denying yourself so as to get to go to heaven but to become a disciple and how to become a “fisher of men”.

 

If He was speaking of heaven then the following verses are not for us today.

 

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

The reason being that “denying yourself” is works and it is not by works that we are saved.

 

If for a moment we look back at the first two verses we can find the understanding of the “Two Ways to Live”.

 

Mt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

I believe that the “strait gate” or “narrow gate” is the “way of discipleship”; this leads to the “life of God” being made manifest in our daily lives. This puts us on the pathway for the purpose of God to be demonstrated in us and through us here in this time.

 

The “broad way that leads to destruction” is simply not submitting to being discipled. This does not mean that you are not saved but that the purpose, desire and plan of God for our lives here is first hindered and finally destroyed if there are not steps made to be discipled.

 

The religious system or church culture that we live in does not really promote discipleship.

 

The following verse shows this; Mt 9:37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

 

There is a harvest that is even now plentiful but it is still as Jesus said “the laborers are few”

 

The Greek word that is translated few does not just mean few in number but also few in degree or extent or “puny”, of little value or of little duration.

 

I believe that the reason the laborers are puny is because we lead a man to the LORD and then try to make a laborer out of him. I believe that the church has skipped the step of making disciples.

 

It does not mean that this person is not saved but that he has never been discipled. Being discipled is what qualifies and equips this person.

 

The church has not heard and obeyed what Jesus said; Mt 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

To be discipled is a process and is not a quick thing; we have been in a hurry to “win the world for Jesus”. We have put mass evangelism before discipleship and have led people down the “broad way that leads to destruction”.

 

Unless and until we will follow Jesus clear command to preach, teach and demonstrate the kingdom of God and make disciples we will continue in the same insanity that the church has been in for the last fifteen hundred years.