56:070322

In Due Season we Shall Reap

    Sometimes we are inclined to be discouraged in our Christian life and work, we find ourselves asking these questions . . .

• Is it worth while to be Holy, to keep Gods commandments

• What profit is there in Godliness?

• Is it worth while to deny ourselves to do good to others, or to serve them?

• What comes of it all?

. . . many of us are apt to have mood in which these questions press upon us with painful stress. It is well we look into the matter that we may be assured that it is worth while to ‘do-well’, that there is profit in it.

   There is an inspired word that says “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9 – NIV) What is meant by by ‘doing good’? It is doing right, obeying God’s commands, fashioning our lives after the patten revealed by Him in His living Word.
   Let us be kidders here in that it’s not easy to right all the time. It throws up many a big struggle. A of ‘doing-well’, it implies a continual crucifying yourself. These inclinations surely must be restrained? .. Desires must be curbed .. Our will must be yielded to Gods will .. The whole life must be brought into subjection to a law which is spiritual and Heavenly.

“Does it Pay"? … is the deep question? There are many people who don’t put their lives under the Law of God. Who go on their own ways of self indulgences. They will put NO divine command interface with the exercise of their own desires. They will not put NO curb on their inclinations, as we look to these people, it seems to us perhaps that they are happier than us?? . . .
Galatians 6:7-9 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”
. . . They also seem to more out of life than we do. It’ll seem to us that we are denying ourselves, sacrificing our comfort, and cutting off our right hands for nothing. Sin always seem to have the advantage? Worldliness appears to pay the best? ‘Vertue’ seems dreary ~ costly & lonesome. It does not have the good time that self-indulgence has. It will happen that you will grow weary of ‘well~doing’ because there appears to be NO profit in it.

Well~Doing ..means also doing good to others. We are taught that if we are Christians, we must NOT be living for ourselves. Love is the essence of new life, and love is doing ~ giving ~ sacrificing, for the sake of others. Instead of trying to get out of the World al we can for ourselves, we are to give the World all we can possibly give of blessings & good. Until our glorious Lord comes back to look after it. We need to be doing our best to claim His people by showing His glory, and helping all the lost and disheartened back sliders, before time runs out. Then the Lord will say . . 2 Kings 10:30 “Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight”

   It is easy to see each life is not natural, is not in harmony with Human feelings. Naturally we care for ourselves, and for our own benefit & comfort. We do not intend to put ourselves out, to sacrifice our own convenience in serving others. We might do it the ones we love deeply, but the gospel requires us to love & serve, with all our capacity serving, those that are not amongst our congenial friends. Here’s a contentious thought here .. An enemy who needs us we must serve, even the most ‘debased’ among them. . .
debased:~ reduced in quality or value ..
I.E Immoral ~ Debouched ~ Dissolute ~ Degenerate
and more of the like…
. . . Human life that we find, we must touch with our healing love and help with the hands that have been given by Christ. We are required to hold our life and all that we have at the call of love and of human need. We are to bear one anthers burdens. We’re called to have sympathy with all sorrow and need., to be touched ever with a sense of the worlds conditions. This love of Christian puts us down among men just as was Christ Jesus himself was among men. He never kept anything back, He poured out the blessing of His sweet life on everyone who came near Him, giving His life’s blood for the saving of man.
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”

   That is what ‘well doing’ means. It is no wonder that some people stop and ask, ‘is worth while’? It is very natural for us to raise the question whether the giving of all the best way to gain all, living together for others is the way to make the most of our own life, as we are requested to do. Look at Christ, for example, and think of his rich and noble and blessed life. Never in any other mind were there such intellectual powers, and never in any other heart were there such depths and heights and breadths and lengths of love such as His.

• What did He do with His rich life .. ?
• He turned away from paths in which the Worlds great men had walked and devoted himself to the one work of ‘doing Good’ to others ..
• He gave all He had to His work ..
• He emptied Himself and made Himself poor that others might be made rich ..
• He exhausted His own strength that the weak may be made strong ..
• He poured out His own life – blood that dead might live ..

   Is that the best that Christ could be done with His wondrous life. His own friends thought not. They thought that he thrown His life away.

   Take those who are following in Christ’s footsteps. A young American, having finished her course in collage, came out with high honours. She had fine powers, good social position, influential friends, a beautiful and happy home. Just then there came a call from some missionary teachers to go to the South to work, among the freed slaves. The Girl heard the call and gave herself to this service. For two or three years she lived among the poor folk, teaching them, telling them of Christ. Then one summer night fever came up from the swamps, from which she succumbed, and soon she died among her despised people of colour, with no mothers hand to smooth her hair, or to have cooled her brow, or to have taken away the pain. They brought her body back, and buried her body among her friends, where they laid her body to rest, many had said of her life .. “She has wasted her beautiful life” .. “it was too rich a life to be poured out in such a costly ministry” ..All this was said whilst standing over the coffin, they ask the questions .. “Could she not have done anything better with her life”?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven … 2 A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted .. 4 A time to mourn, And a time to dance”

   It is not in vain that we continue our ‘well-doing’ that we obey gods commandments, that we devote our lives in self-sacrificing to men for Christ sake. What ever seem to loss is gain. The good man may seem to have more trouble than his unchristian neighbour. His business does seem to proper so well. His virtues may miscarry, his faithfulness may bring him human enmity and even persecution, but life accounts are not always settled at once . . .

Harvest does not follow sowing Immediately

. . .in the end righteousness succeeds, just look here ..
NKJV Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life”
NIV :~ “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life”
. . .this leaves us with no confusion as to what we need to do for the best of ourselves but for others to. Destruction or everlasting life .. Your Choice
1 Corinthians 9:11 “If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things”

   There are days & months when the seed seems to have perished. Afterward, however it yields fruit. It is the same in spiritual life. For a time there may seem to be NO blessing in ‘well-doing’. But, in the end righteousness succeeds. V8: “ he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” .. Every kindness we do in the name of Christ Jesus, is sowing a good seed unto the Spirit. Every deed of Love ~ every act of unselfishness ~ every self denial ~ All the things we do to help ~ to comfort ~or to just simply bless others, are seeds which we sow into the spirit .. “at the proper time we will reap a harvest” .. [Galatians6:9] a time it may not appear any good, Or, blessing comes form the act of love or word of kindness spoken. But the seed will not perish, it has in it an immortal germ.
   We dare not shut our hearts, that would mean surely, a moral and spiritual death! So we must always be giving and doing. We can keep nothing long for ourselves. No soon as it in our hands, than we are asked to give out again, because the Lord has need of it in some other life, so as to meet another need, or to some work of love for Him. One thing to bear in mind is, never fear anything, the smallest thing we can do for another, with love for Christ in our hearts.

Example to bear in mind ..

“When you do anything for God, the very least,

thing, you’ll never know where it will lead,

or what amount of good it will do to them. Love’s

secret therefore, it is always doing things for God .

We know how a thing done by us, it may blessed a

life and stay in ti as a benediction forever.”

   It would be amiss of me if I did not recommend having a close and true walk with Christ. There is a story that a teacher wrote about once .. “As I came out of the schools front doors after the usual trying day in my first school, you were passing waiting for me. As you walked with me a short distance you spoke sympathetically about my work. Your manner and voice cheered and comforted me, I never forgotten it”. She then goes on to say that in the years since the memory of His kind words stayed in her heart. The incident is full of comfort for her. We must always to remember to keep sowing, so that you can reap many harvests, God wants not to just bless us once, but for ‘ALL’ of our days. For we know not how small a word may bless a life.

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” . . . such a well known verse amongst Christians, but did you see that .. “pressed down, shaken together, and running over” .. God is good all the time. Sometimes you only have a little, but God’s waiting to see how we use this ‘little-bit’ before He increases it.

   We should always ready our hearts & minds for what ever ‘little’ ministry we may have an opportunity render. The smallest word of good cheer may start a song in a heart, which shall sing forever. The good may drop conscientiously from lip and hand, you may never think of it again, and yet it shall not be lost. The sentiment carries in it the life of God and is immortal.

   There is a difference in the different-ways in which we give, though the gift ~ or favour, or act be precisely the same. One gives only help, the other gives part of themselves in the help. There are some beautiful flowers that have NO fragrence, but how much more a flower means, that it has in perfume as well as loveliness. We should be giving part of us with the gifts that we give. We need to impart part of ourselves with the gifts we bestow, part of our own life flows out with every deed of kindness we do. Love is the fragrance of the flowers of the heart and what ever we do in love, love for Christ and love for man shall never be lost.

   Who knows what the person is going through? Just think how much the World will be richer and better for even the smallest deeds of Christ like charity. We may not reap the harvest in this World, but beyond the sky's, we shall reap the sheaves in our bosom. So then throughout our lives be in perfect in ‘well-doing’, as we shall know that our Master in Heaven will accept the humblest things we do for Him, even though it only be a fragment in the building up of His Kingdom.

So always remember this ...

Ecclesiastes3:1 “To everything there is a season, 

A time for every purpose under heaven .. 2 A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted”

56:220322

Praying In Disguise

1 Kings 14:1-17 [Judgment on the House of Jeroboam]

“At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. 2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people. 3 Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child.” 4 And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were glazed by reason of his age. 5 Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.” 6 And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, 8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes; 9 but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back, 10 therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone. 11 The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!” 12 Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. 14“Moreover the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; this is the day. What? Even now!”

(Normally I would not show much text, but this time I felt a need to do it this time around)

“Prayer against his absolute decree,

no more avails then breath against

the wind, blown stifling back on him

that breaths it forth. Therefore to his

great bidding I submit” - Milton

I’ll be looking at 4 elements from 1 King 14 They’ll be . . .

1. Knowledge of God ..
2. Feeling a need ..
3. Disguising of Character ..
4. Complete failure ..

   The more deeply imbued with spirit of prayer the more simple and child like shall we become. ‘Sublimity always is simple’, is how *Longfellow once wrote. Eloquent prayers may be the haughtiness of the Human heart in disguise. The wife of Jeroboam is not the only one who has put on the mask whilst making their requests known unto God. Purity of Worship was at a very low ebb while King Jeroboam made the lowest of people priests and consecrated ‘who ever would be one’ .. [1 Kings 13:33] ..is by no means the only qualification for the service of God. It’s not like he had not sent warning cry against this Holy alter ..
1 Kings 13:2 “Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you”
… now the jealous God of Israel visits the iniquity with judgement. The attempt to out wit and elude the prophet of the Lord has it’s lessons for us.

*Henry Longfellow lived in America 1807–1882 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of the most widely known and best-loved American poets of the 19th century. He achieved a level of national and international prominence previously unequalled in the literary history of the United States and is one of the few American writers honoured in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.

    1:~ Knowledge of God

   Jeroboam could not be a stranger to the great things Jehovah had wrought for His people Israel, and had not the prophet of the Lord not foretold him that should be King .. “King of this people” .. But the revealed will of God had been set aside. His acts of worship were new according to his own thoughts and convenience, so he made Israel to sin by the substitution of his own ways for the ways of the Lord ..
1 Kings 12:33 “So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense”
. . . there may be a knowledge of the ways and will of God, while the daily life is a presumptuous denial of the divine revelation.

    2:~ Feeling a Need

V1 “At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick”
   They were very anxious to know .. “what shall come of the child” [V3] Our dearest, and our best are never beyond the withering touch of God’s finger. Every sorrow disappointment may be to us as goals to drive us nearer to God, if our hearts right with Him. There is a bitterness of heart that cannot be spoken into the ears of ordinary mortals, that needs the touch of the Eternal. The yearning of the soul at such times is to know what the will og God is concerning us.

   The main thing is not to miss, is Jesus will be our comforter, our shield against all of the devils trials for us. Young or old, fit or disabled, God will be waiting, to take up against your foes, He only asks 3 things from us are .. Praise .. Worship .. Faith.

    3 :~ Disguising of Character

The wife of Jeroboam changed her appearance and went to inquire of the man of God.

1 Kings 14:2&3 “And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people. 3 Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child”

   Perhaps the King knew that the prophet Ahijah was blind by a reason of age, but both he and his wife seemed to forget that God was not blind. It was utterly needless for anyone to come to God feigning themselves to be different from what they are, and yet this disguising of the true character, while making requests known unto God, is a common pious friend. On our knees we may pretend to believe all that the Lord has spoken, then among our fellow man we put on our self-magnifying glasses, and forget what the Lord that bought us.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”

    4:~ Complete Failure

   As soon as she came to the door of the prophet she heard these scathing words .. “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person?” [V6] .. The veil of disguise was rent [ripped] from the top to the bottom, and the light of Gods presence shone in upon her. Saul had his ripped off on the road to Damascus. The Pharisee that went up to the temple to pray *feigned himself a righteous man, but he went away as he came, with his mask untouched and his soul unblessed ..
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”

*feign:- feigned, Simulated or Pretended
1)False impression 2) ‘He feigned that he was not feeling to well so that he could leave the party early.

   Jeroboam and his wife desirous of knowing the mind of the Lord about their child, but they were afraid to face the will of God concerning themselves and their ungodly lives. The disguise was evidently an attempt to avoid the dreaded prediction of the man of God, in the preceding chapter. Is there anything in the background of our own lives that we are afraid of God should deal with, thing that make us put on a mask whilst we venture to seek divine light or guidance?

   For 20 plus years I was a night-club DJ. Every time whilst I out on my mask, called the fun time guy, I was smiling ~ mixing ~ making ones have fun dancing. Yet at home I was the complete opposite, a very quite man. Every day we pull on some resemblance of a mask, for some reason or another. In the presence of God, it will NOT improve matters it we try to hide them, as God will deal with us accordingly to our deal life before Him. Therefore come to the light that the evil deeds may be reproved, confessed, and cleansed for be sure youe sins will find you out.

John 3:19-21 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practising evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God”

Prayer

Heavenly Father thank you for your living Word, to guide yes, to help show us the right ways to live our lives in your presence, We live our lives a s a sacrifice to you. You know all our ways. Thank you Father God, amen,

Sermons in April 2022

 

April 2022

Coming this friday is my next sermon called .. 

[8th] In Due Season we Shall Reap ..then ..

[18] Why be a Servant

56:250222

The Cost of being a
Friend

    Such a strong word, which sadly, we have used, and weakened, the word Friend, very lightly to the point of loosing it’s importance. We talk of our ‘host of friends’ meaning, all with whom we have relations, or even of being a pleasant acquaintance. We may a certain person is a friend when we only know them only from work, or socially, when their hearts and ours have never touched in any real communion. There may be nothing amiss in this wide application of the word, but we ought to understand that in the use of it, it’s full sacred meaning is not even touched.

Before carrying on . . .
Friend:~ [re’a or rah-ah] Companion, neighbour, fellowman, familiar person. In Hebrew [ra~ah] means ‘associate with’ or ‘be a friend of’. . . A friend should always love at all times. They should with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one whom is exclusive of sexual or familiar relations.. A member of the religious society of friends.. To add (someone) to a list of friends, or contacts on a social-networking website..
Acquaintance :~ A person one knows socially but who is NOT a close friend .. 2. A wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
   To become another’s friend. in the true sense, is to take the other into such close, living fellowship, that their life and ours becomes knit together as one. It is now more than an association of mutual interests, profit, or enjoyment. It is for more than pleasant companionship in the bright sunny hours. A true friendship should be entirely unselfish, in both parties. It should always seek NO benefit and good of it’s own. It looks for not what it may receive, but for what they can give. Your aim is not to be ministered unto, but rather minister too.
Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times”
Proverbs 18:24 “A man who has friends, must himself be friendly. But there is a friend who sticks closer than another”

Be warned :

It Costs To be a Friend

   “For better for worse, For richer for poorer, In sickness and in Health.” These are words from the Wedding Vows, a true friend should be a strong form of friendship. As my wife and I did our dating via letters & phone calls daily. (as she lived in Northern Ireland, and I was living in South Devon), so we built up a strong bond. She has been my best friend since. When we take someone into our lives, as a friend, at this point we don’t know what it may cost us, to be faithful to our friend. Misfortune may befall our friend, and they may need our help in ways that will lay a heavy burden upon us. It may be in their business, or in their private life. Timely help may enable them to over come their problem, and thus turn around their misfortune.

   It is in our power to render them help, without which they would surely not have what it takes to turn things around. It will cost us though, personally, it will inconvenience us, and may bring trouble. But they are a close friend? BFF, if you will. (Best Friend Forever). It could be they been a close friend for a long time, thus becoming a partner in their affairs. So can we truly with hold the help they need. Which we are able to give, without breaking the Holy covenant of friendship and failing our obligations to them. My wife and I were watching a program called ‘Impractical Jokers’, whilst in the middle of a challenge one saw an old associate he once worked with, and so asked him to lend $100.oo, this guy said sure but instead of just $100, he handed over $200 without blinking, what an act friendship this guy showed. This is what I mean by a close friend.

Proverbs 17:17 “a brother is born for adversity”
   Sadly it may be the misfortune of sickness, or may be even broken health, (could be broken bones, mental health, or a disability), that befalls a friend. So at this point they are no longer to be of any help, able to contribute to the friendship, that does not mean we are to turn our backs. Just because we are the ones who are to minister to them, don’t turn your backs on them!

   Think not bad of your friend, that could not contribute their part in the friendship, and mutual ministering, giving as well as receiving. They could have been the one who had stood beside you in your time of trial. Our modern culture has cultivated the attitude of . . ‘Why should I care, it has nothing to do with me’, or, ‘What do I get out of it. . .
NKJV 2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away”

. . . Now lets look at this in the Amplified version . . 
AMPC 2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centred, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. 3 [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. 4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. 5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them]”
. . . It is safe say to that we all know of people that have one or more of the above. These poor souls do need our prayers.
   The meaning of true friendship wherever it exists, is not based purely on helpfulness or service which it must receive as it’s condition, It’s source is in the heart itself. It’s essential desire is to help serve. It makes no nice calculation for so much to be given and so much received. It stops at no cost which faithfulness may entail. It hesitates at no self denial which may be necessary to the fulfilment of it’s duties. It does not complain when everything has given up. It only grows stronger & truer & more constant as the demands for giving and serving becomes larger.
   We need to be mindful of the cost of friendship, which should not be ignored, that which comes with revealing of faults and flaws and sins. At first glance, when we meet people we can only see the surface of the character that is projected. Thus we become attracted to the elements that win us over. At length our attraction goes out to them and eventually calling them friends. We walk with them in pleasant companionship that makes no demands on our unselfishness, this discloses little of their true nature. Even at this point we see/know beyond the surface. Sadly nothing has occurred in the progress of our friendship to bring out the things in their disposition which are altogether not lovely.

Be warned :

It Costs To be a Friend

   Over time, a closer intimacy, that reveals their faults. Then we can learn what lies beneath attractive exterior which so pleased us we find they to like us, have blemishes ~ spots ~ flaws, which sadly disfigure the beauty of life. We learn in them are elements or meanness, which in turn will cause us pain. Then learn that they have secret habits that we find repulsive. These highlighted things in their demeanour, that we never suspected, which are more evident the closer the friendship becomes. . .
Psalms 52: 2-4 “Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. 4 You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue”
. . . the longest and freest acquaintance previous to marriage only the better side of the life, for both of them. The same is true in the greater, or lesser, degree in all friendships.
   This then is a servier test of love. It is the rise into something of the Spirit of Christ that we are able to meet this test of friendship. He [Jesus] takes us as we are and never grows weary of us, what ever faults and sins discover themselves in us. There is infinite comfort in this for us. We are conscience of our unworthiness and the unlovelyness, this in our souls.
   Many of us have pages from our lives which we would not dare spread out before anyone else’s eyes. They are our inner feelings, even desires, jealousies & motives, which we don’t feel happy about laying bear to our dearest trusted friends. Yet Christ knows all of our sins & faults, which we keep only for Him to know. . Nothing is hidden. . nothing can be hidden God’s eye’s. To Him there is a perfect revealing of our innermost feelings such as ~ desires ~ longings ~ cravings, which we would not feel secure in laying bear to our dearest, in we trust the most with our dearest friends. . .

>> YET CHRIST KNOWS THEM ALL <<

. . . yet we need not feel afraid that His friendship for us will NOT change or grow less, or with draw itself, when He discovers in us all the repulsive things. This is the ideal of ‘Human-friendships’. They are not repelled by them being found out..
NKJ ~ Revelation 3:8 “I know your works”
NIV ~ Revelation 3:8 “I know your deeds”
AMP ~Revelation 3:8 “I know your [record of] works and what you are doing”
.. our Lord will not offer up our blemishes, even though nothing is hidden from His eye’s. True friendship is unconditional, though there are those relations that are toxic and do nothing but bring you down if your promoted. To the extent that they will smear your name to bring you down, hold you back. The tradergy is that you will have to cut these loose, like a cancer, because they'll stop you from being able grow.

Romans 16:20 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you”
Grace :~ Charis [Khar~ece]From the same root as Chara ‘Joy’, Chario causes ‘rejoicing’. It’s Gods grace as extended in sinful man. It signifies unmerited facour, undeserved blessing, or a free gift.

   In spite He continues to love us all, even because He found unbeautiful and unworthiness within us. He teaches us a form of friendship that is loyal. As He loves us, He would have us love others. We say many are unworthy of such friendships. True or not, niegh?? are worthy of Christ’s wondrous love of us. But, Christ loves us not according to the riches of our own heart. So it would be the giving of friendship, not as the person deserves, but after the measure of our own character.

   I hope that all these illustrations are enough to show just what it costs to being a ‘True Friend’. When we receive someone into being a ‘Faithful’, relation, all be it that we don’t know what responsibility, and what burdens we may be taking upon ourselves, and the sorrows it may cost our love. We accept a solemn responsibility when we do so. At this moment we have no idea the burdens we may be engaging to carry, also the cost of the unconscience pledging ourselves to.

   Let me say this in closing. When choosing our friends, we must be therefore, thoughtfully, wisely, prayerfully, before we open the doors to our inner self and pledging our friendship & love, we need to be faithfull what ever the cost may be.

Getting Christ’s Touch

 

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Getting Christ’s Touch

   There was wondrous power in the touch of Christ when He was on the Earth. Wherever He laid His hand there was a blessing. Vertue went out of Him, in every touch of the sick .. and sad .. and wearisome .. giving full health .. and giving comfort & peace. That hand, glorified, now held in it’s grasp the seven stars. Yet there are senses in which the blessed touch of Christ is felt on the Earth. He is still as real today in our World … Matthew 8:16 “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick” … as He was when He walked throughout Judea & Galilee, in human form. He was with each of His people, His parting promise was …
Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” AMP1

   The hand of Christ is yet laid on the weary .. the suffering .. the sorrowful, and though it’s pressure, is unfelt, it’s power to bless in the same, as in ancient days. It is laid on the sick, when precious Heavenly words of cheer and encouragement from the scriptures are read at their bedsides, giving the sweet patience and quieting their fears ...
For the Weary:- Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint"
For the Diseased & Lepers:- Luke 17:19 “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
For the Fears & Love:- 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love”
… it is His laid hand, on the sorrowful, when the consolations of divine have come to their hearts with blessed comfort, giving them strength to submit to Gods will and rejoice in the midst of trials. It is laid on the Faint .. and weary, when the grace of Christ comes to them with it’s Holy peace, hushing the tumultuous feelings, and giving into the true rest of their soul.

   There is another way which the hand of God is laid on human hands. He sends His disciples out into the World to represent Him . . “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” [John 20:21] . . of cause the Holiest Christians lives can only be the dimmest , faintest reproductions of the rich, full, blessed life of Christ Jesus. Yet it is in this way, through earthen vessels, He has ordained us to save the World, and to heal, help comfort, lift up and build up man.

   Perhaps in thinking of what God does for the World, we are to be inclined to over look the human, and think of Him touching lives directly and immediately. Lets say: A friend is struggling, with one or more of these .. addiction .. depression .. money or some other restraint. So going to our knees, we pray to God for Him to send them comfort. But it’s not to be that He would send them comfort through our own heart & lips? May be there is someone we love, whom is not doing so well, and is slowly drifting away from life, thus beyond recovery and now is about to pass away. In anguish we cry to God, pleading with Him to lay His hands on them. Surely, God wants us to be at this moment, to step out in faith. Just as the Centurion did when he approached Jesus, wanting Him to heal his servant ..
Matthew 8:5-10 “Acenturion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel” . . . certain it is, at least, that each one of us who knows the love of Christ is ordained to be Christ to others, that is, to show them the spirit of Christ, in patience .. gentleness .. thoughtfulness .. love and yearning for Christ. We are taught to say:- “Christ liveth in me” If this be true, Christ loves others through us, and our touch must be to others as the very touch of Christ Himself. Every Christian ought to be, in his human measure, a new incarnation of the Christ, so much so that people will say:- ‘He interprets Christ to me. He comforts me in my sorrow as Christ Himself would do if He were to come and sit down beside me, and is helpful .. patient as Christ would be if He were return and take me as a disciple’.
2 Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ compels us”

   We may help people in a certain way without loving them directly. We may render them services of a certain kind, benefiting them externally or temporally. We may put gifts into their hands .. building them houses .. purchasing the clothing .. carrying shopping .. improve their circumstances or conditions.
   We may do many things for them. The highest and most real help, we can give them, only through loving them. We are to give ourselves unconditionally, looking for NO profit for self, on the surface, but our will, will soar high. I know of a woman who bought shopping for a family in need, had it delivered, with no name telling them whom had done this wondrously kind act. As, she, did not need to have the gratitude, only God knew who did this, that in it’s self was enough.

   There’s a touching story I read about recently, a very suggestive story of a good woman, in Sweden, who opened a home for all crippled & diseased Children, Children for whom on one else was ready to care for. In due time she received about 20 of these unfortunate little ones. Among them was a boy of 3yrs old, who was the most frightful & disagreeable young boy, as he resembled a skeleton. His skin was covered in hideous blotches & soars. He was always whining and crying. The poor little boy gave the good lady more care and trouble, than all the others put together. She did her best for him and was as kind as possible, she washed him .. fed him .. and nursed him. But the poor child was so repulsive in his looks and in his ways, that try as she did, she could not bring herself to like him, sadly her disgust would show itself on her face, but in spite of her effort to hide it, she could not love the child.
   One day she was sitting on the verandah steps ,of her home, with him in her arms. The sun was shinning brightly and the perfume of the Autumn honeysuckles, the chirping of the birds, and the buzzing of the insects, lulled her into a light sleep. Then in a half waking ~ half dreaming state, she though of herself as having changed places with the child, and was laying there only far more repulsive than he was. Stood over her was a shadow, and it was the Lord Jesus bending, looking lovingly into her face, yet with an expression of gentle rebuke in His eyes, almost as if to say:- ‘If I can bear with you, who are so full of sin, surely you ought for my sake, to love that innocent child who suffers for the sins of his parents’ . . .
Romans 12:9-11 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” . . . so she woke with a fervent start, and looking into the boys face, because he to had woken with a start, he looked into her face very earnestly. Sorry for her past disgust, and feeling compassion for him, and a new love springing up in her bosom for him. She bent her face to his and kissed him tenderly, more than she had ever kissed a babe of her own. With a startled look in his eyes and a flush on cheeks, the boy gave her a smile so sweet that she had ever seen, before. From that moment a wonderful change came over the child. The woman had seen a vision of hers elfin that blotched-repulsive-child, and of Christ’s wonderful love for her, in spite of her sinfulness. Under the inspiration of this vision, she had become indeed Christ to the child. The love of Christ had come into her heart.

   This goes to show how important an earnest & truthful love is. Don’t lean on your own sight, as we need to see what God sees, thus being able to see what is before us. Christ loves the unlovely .. the loathsome .. the deformed .. the diseased. We have only to think of ourselves as we are in His sight, and remember that in spite of all the moral and spiritual loathsomeness in us. He yet loves us, does not shrink away from us, and lays His hands on us, healing us. This woman had got a touch from Christ, but also getting the love of Christ in her heart. We can get it no other way. We must see ourselves as Christ’s servants, and to be to others what He is to us. Then shall we be fit to bless every life our lives touch. Our words shall throb with love of Christ, and find their way to the hearts of the weary & sorrowful.

   There will be a sympathetic thrill in our lives which will give a strange power of helpfulness to what ever we do, says this mystery writer .. “let man press nearer to God and open His nature more widely to admit the energy of Christ, and whether He knows it, he will certainly be growing in the power God with man, and man with God”… Matthew 8:3-4 “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”... Everywhere about us, there are lives which, by the touch of ‘our hand’, in loving warmth, in Christ’s name, would be wondrously blessed.

   I want to share one more story with you, if you will indulge me .. A tail of a fell going to a jewellers to look at some gemstones. Among other stones, there was an Opal. As it lay there, however it appeared dull and altogether lustreless. Then the jeweller took into his hand, and held it for some moments, and the showed to his customer. Now the Opal gleamed and flashed with all the glories of the rainbow. As all it needed was the human hand to bring out the iridescence .. There are human lives everywhere about us that are rich in their possibilities of beauty and glory. .

NO gems and jewels are so precious!

. . but we do see some people as they are at the moment, as dull and lustreless and without brightness. It could be that they are covered in life stains, and defiled by sin. Even so, all they need is the touch of Christ, to bring out their radiance .. the loveliness, the beauty of the divine image in them.

   You and I must be the hand of Christ to those that are lustreless and those stained lives by sin. Next time when out and about, try to see past someone’s ’shopfront’, more often than not their beauty is waiting for you to open the door and let God’s radiance to shine in, and illuminate them with His touch through us.


******************

1:- AMP = Ampilfied version of the Bible

 

Thank you for reading Gods 

living Word. I have not published 

another till next friday the 4th March, 

as I have wanted to leave this time 

for to read over again Gods last study 

of His wonderous Word. The next 

study is all about getting Gods 

touch. 

Till then brothers and sisters in the 

Ukraine be safe press into Him who made

 this World.

What does it Mean ~ Don't Forget

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What does it Mean

    iii .. Dont Forgeet 

It is simple that a fool could follow. We are shown in such simple terms that in V6&7, you are told in no fewer than 10 times .. Deuteronomy 6:6&9 ... 1] These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 2] Impress them on your children. 3]Talk about them when you sit at home and 4] when you walk along the road, 5]when you lie down and 6] when you get up. 7]Tie them as sy mbols on your hands and 8] bind them on your foreheads. 9] Write them on the door frames of your houses and 10] on your gates. … as you can see no matter your personal persuasion for remembering, you could add the list with many more ways of not forgetting to pray.

   

   God must have thought it important that in both Chapters 6 & 11, in Deuteronomy, they are verbatim (in other words ‘word for word’). So if you want to remember how do You do it? .. [Repeat over and over] .. have the verse pinned up somewhere? If not, don’t just poohoo the idea, after all it is the living word God, emphasis on ‘Living’. Just because the Bible is thousands of years old, it is as relevant today as it was when it was written. All God want is for us to remember Him in you hours of need, as He will help you navigate your way out of trouble, but also in the good times. . .
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”
. . . if you do you’ll always end up on the rocks, because with God everything is possible. Below I have expanded on list from above. .
1 ~“be upon your hearts” .. This is like planting a seed in your garden. You prepare the ground, you nurture it, thus the seed flourishes. This why you preparing your heart, you start by praying that God will show wisdom and understanding. God will hear and show you the way, once you hand everything over to Him, ALL will bloom through Faith.
2 ~ “Impress on your Children” .. How you teach your children, in turn give give them all the tools they will need to over come ‘anything’ this World has to throws them, in any circumstances.
3 ~ “Talk about them” .. This is call you ‘testimony’. It’s what brought us to God. May be cause you were Lonely ~ Wanting to Break a Habit ~ such as .. Drink ~ Drugs ~ Gambling ~ anything that has you snared. Then show others how God has broken your chains of bondage.
4 ~ “When walking along” .. OK, I’m going to shatter any illusions on how when & where you can pray. There are no limitations on when or where you can. Here’s a tip when your out and need to talk aloud to God, lift out your phone and make out your talking to a friend.
5 ~ “When you lay down” .. It’s that special time in the quietness, when a couple pray settling down to sleep, will create a special tight bond. If single the quietness will have no distractions. As for both use this time to also thank Him for His help & guidance during the last day.
6 ~ “When you wake up” .. Thank God for keeping you safe during the night. Thank Him for the day to come that you can see ~ touch ~hear ~ smell, in the coming day. Pray for all your ‘unsaved’ family & friends. Thank Him for the air you breath, for being able to see the rising and setting of the Sun. . .Leviticus 25:18 “So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety”
7 ~ “Tie them as symbols on your hand” .. This is more ‘metaphorical’, but you will see Jewish men wearing the 10 Commandments in a small box tied to their foreheads. You don’t have to do this, instead what you can do is to have on a piece of paper, on a card in your wallet or purse, some will have a cross around their neck, or around their wrist even, some will have ware a T-shirt or baseball cap.
8 ~ “Ware them around their head” .. As I have just said in 7 there, you’ll see Jewish men wearing [Statutes] on their heads. Instead what we can do is to saturate our selves in His living Word, that people will see you and know that you follow Gods direction, as His light shine from within you.
9 ~ “Write them on the door frames of your houses” .. There was one time that God told the Jewish people to paint their door frames with the ‘blood of a lamb’, so that whilst in the dead of night to keep them safe. This time no what is known as ‘The Passover’. Exodus 12:1/14.
10 ~ “On you Gates” .. Everyone is different, some will have a plaque over their gates/front doors, you’ll even find bumper stickers as well. It is up to you how you show your faith. One plaque has to leave people in no doubt as to in you belief is .. Joshua 24:15 “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”

   If, in any doubt, ‘how to remember’ in a busy and what can be an exhausting & frantic life. Also with the amount of ‘wokeness’ in the World, as Christians we need now more than ever Gods .. Loving Kindnesses .. Strengths .. Wisdom .. shinning through us. Remember we have all the tools to deal with what ever the World throws at us.

# Don’t Forget #

Deuteronomy 6:10/12 “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, 11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full, 12 then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage"

# Don’t Forget #

   When going through life battles. No matter. Whether it’s good times or bad, remember it’s god who “Planted vineyards and olive trees .. houses full of all good things .. large and beautiful cities .. we must remember that it’s God who steers our ship, brings all our blessings. Lest we forget that everything is Blessed through God. As everything comes to us in Gods timing, when we are ready in Gods eyes, and knows we can handle them.

# Don’t Forget #

Prayer

   'Lest we Forget', Heavenly Father we seek your majesty to come among us with your spirit, the same that went Abraham ~ Isaac & Jacob, that you would plant into the hearts and mind of your coming, and they should not delay but invite you into thier hearts, and you the Lord & Saviour over thier lives and the lives of thier family and friends. Let you light shine brightly.

Amen