Throughout the ages, down through the corridors of time, can be heard the echo of the cry of God's heart for a people in whom He might dwell. Since before the foundations of the earth were laid, it has been the desire of His heart: that man might be the dwelling place of God.
The Lord purposed that through the building of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8; 29:45; Leviticus 26:11-12) and the construction of the temple (1 Kings 6:13, 14; 2 Chronicles 6:18) there might be an outward expression of His incessant desire to dwell with man. However, these were only temporary provisions. God does not dwell "in temples made with hands." (Isaiah 66:1-2; Acts 7:48-50; 17:24, 25 cp. Jeremiah 7:4; Matthew 24:1, 2) "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (1 Kings 8:27)
Primarily, it was in Jesus that the intent of God's heart found fulfillment. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt (or, tabernacled) among us..." (John 1:14) His name was called "Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God With Us." (Matthew 1:23) The tabernacle of Moses was only a type of "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man..." (Hebrews 8:2, 5; 9:25) "... Behold, the tabernacle (the abode) of God is with man, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people ..." (Revelation 21:3)
God's ultimate intention, however, has been to make His abode within the heart of every believer. (John 14:23) Jesus promised that the same Spirit that "dwelleth with you ... shall be in you." (John 14:17) His place of habitation is within His people: "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord." (Zechariah 2:10)
In Old Testament times the Spirit of God would "come and go" – His Presence would enter, bless, and depart. (Numbers 9:15-23; 11:25; 2Chronicles 5:13-14) Yet the Lord longed for a place in which He might continually dwell, or make His abode. "For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation ... here will I dwell; for I have desired it." (Psalms 132:13, 14)
We pray earnestly for "the visitation of God" in our lives. It is a phrase used freely in reference to the manifestation of His Presence. However, God wants to do more than "visit" the lives of His people: He wants to move in! "Abide in Me," Jesus said, "and I in you." (John 15:4) To abide means "to continue, to dwell." (John 8:31; 15:9)
The test of genuine revival is in whether or not there have been changed lives – and often this becomes evident only afterwards. If the Lord is "just visiting," then things will go back to usual when the glory leaves. But when an eternal work has taken place in those lives, the individual will no longer be content to return to his former state of affairs, as before. He has tasted of eternity and shall find satisfaction in nothing less. Revival does not come cheap; it will cost us our lives. But only as we lay our lives down can we know the fullness of His Life in us.
So we see that, although in Old Testament times God "inhabited the praises of Israel" (Psalms 22:3), under the New Covenant by His Spirit He seeks to inhabit us – His people. "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God . . . In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22) " . . . and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord Is There
Saturday, September 20, 2008
KING DOM
Scripture metaphorically refers to believers as a garden kept by the Lord. (Song of Songs 4:16; 6:2; etc.) "Ye are God's husbandry--field, or garden" (1 Corin 3:9, "the planting of the Lord." (Isa 61:3; cp. 60:21) However, a garden in itself is not of much use unless it bears fruit. The Lord desires fruit. Paul says it is the will of God that we be "fruitful in every good work." (Col 1:10)
"I come seeking fruit." (Luke 13:6, 7) There is a sense of expectation within the heart of the husbandman, "as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up ..." (Mk 4:26, 27) Jesus cited the example of the tiny mustard seed. Though in outward appearance it may seem to be very small and insignificant, yet it carries within it the potential of becoming a large and productive tree. (Mat 13:31, 32 "... but when it is grown ...") Though the potential is there within the seed, it must be allowed to develop and grow if it is to become fruitful and useful. This takes time and patience. (Gal 6:9)
"For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh ..." "... her leaf shall be green; and shall not cease from yielding fruit." (Jer 17:8; cp. Psa 1:3)
"Some (seed) fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and ... because they had no root, they withered away ... But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit ...' (Matthew 13:5-8)
All plants and trees require a certain amount of water and minerals from the soil. Without roots the necessary nutrients cannot be absorbed into a plant's system. This is true of spiritual matters also, as can be seen by the above two scriptures. We must send our roots deep to reach that River and Source of life; our spiritual survival depends on it. Then, even in the heat of the day and in "the year of drought," times of testing, our "leaf shall be green." In time, fruit will come; for when we have partaken of living waters ourselves, it will cause the necessary growth and fruitfulness to spring forth from within us and we in turn will be able to provide nourishment for others by the fruit that we have borne.
We need the rain of His Spirit, the water of God's Word. But without the warmth and sunshine of His Presence we would die. In the natural process of photosynthesis, light is an absolute necessity for the continuation of life and growth. Even with all the other elements present, if a plant lacks sufficient light the proper growth and development cannot take place. "Our God is a Sun ..." (Psa 84:11; Isa 60:19, 20)
Our first responsibility is always to the Lord; we must spend time with Him. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." (Jn 15:4) Ministry and fruit-bearing occur not as the product of self-effort but naturally, out of the life within us. Growth comes from God. (1 Corin 3:6, 7) Scripture refers to the "fruit of the Spirit"--but "works of the flesh." Fruit does not try to grow. It just "happens" as a natural consequence of the branches' relationship to the tree. Unless we have an abiding, personal relationship with the Lord, we will never bear fruit. (Jn 15:6) "Without Me," Jesus said, "ye can do nothing." (Jn 15:5
"I come seeking fruit." (Luke 13:6, 7) There is a sense of expectation within the heart of the husbandman, "as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up ..." (Mk 4:26, 27) Jesus cited the example of the tiny mustard seed. Though in outward appearance it may seem to be very small and insignificant, yet it carries within it the potential of becoming a large and productive tree. (Mat 13:31, 32 "... but when it is grown ...") Though the potential is there within the seed, it must be allowed to develop and grow if it is to become fruitful and useful. This takes time and patience. (Gal 6:9)
"For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh ..." "... her leaf shall be green; and shall not cease from yielding fruit." (Jer 17:8; cp. Psa 1:3)
"Some (seed) fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and ... because they had no root, they withered away ... But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit ...' (Matthew 13:5-8)
All plants and trees require a certain amount of water and minerals from the soil. Without roots the necessary nutrients cannot be absorbed into a plant's system. This is true of spiritual matters also, as can be seen by the above two scriptures. We must send our roots deep to reach that River and Source of life; our spiritual survival depends on it. Then, even in the heat of the day and in "the year of drought," times of testing, our "leaf shall be green." In time, fruit will come; for when we have partaken of living waters ourselves, it will cause the necessary growth and fruitfulness to spring forth from within us and we in turn will be able to provide nourishment for others by the fruit that we have borne.
We need the rain of His Spirit, the water of God's Word. But without the warmth and sunshine of His Presence we would die. In the natural process of photosynthesis, light is an absolute necessity for the continuation of life and growth. Even with all the other elements present, if a plant lacks sufficient light the proper growth and development cannot take place. "Our God is a Sun ..." (Psa 84:11; Isa 60:19, 20)
Our first responsibility is always to the Lord; we must spend time with Him. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." (Jn 15:4) Ministry and fruit-bearing occur not as the product of self-effort but naturally, out of the life within us. Growth comes from God. (1 Corin 3:6, 7) Scripture refers to the "fruit of the Spirit"--but "works of the flesh." Fruit does not try to grow. It just "happens" as a natural consequence of the branches' relationship to the tree. Unless we have an abiding, personal relationship with the Lord, we will never bear fruit. (Jn 15:6) "Without Me," Jesus said, "ye can do nothing." (Jn 15:5
THE HEART OF HEARING
It takes a keen ear and a determined heart to hear the whisper of God's voice. "Be still," He says, "and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10).
The Lord does not require us to do anything or go anywhere to meet with Him. Rather, His simple command is for us to "be still" – to cease from our own efforts and from all that would distract – and to allow Him to reveal Himself to us............
There is a sense of hearing beyond the natural capacity. When Jesus said to His disciples, "Let these sayings sink down into your ears" (Luke 9:44)He was referring to the ear of the spirit, in the inner man.
Isaiah "heard the voice of the Lord ... And (God) said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of these people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." (Isaiah 6:8-10)
Though at the time these words were originally spoken they fell on deaf ears, it is significant to note that the same passage of scripture in which they were recorded was quoted in every gospel account.1 It was only because Isaiah heard the voice of God himself that the prophet could deliver such a word. God speaks through those who have learned to listen. It is a process.
We learn to discern the voice of God by listening to Him. The more we hear, the more we spend time in His presence, the more surely will we be able to recognize when He is speaking. Hebrews 5:14 says that our spiritual senses are sharpened "by reason of use" – that is, with experience. In the same way, repeatedly refusing to respond to the call of the Spirit results in a spiritual condition that leaves our hearts hardened before Him – calloused, so to speak – and insensitive to His voice. This grieves the heart of God. (Hebrew 3:7, 8, 10)
To maintain an adequate level of spiritual sensitivity we must learn to respond without delay to the gentle beckoning of the Spirit. God requires an immediate response within the hearts of His people: "Today, when you hear His voice, harden not your hearts . . ." This verse is three times repeated, for emphasis, in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh . . ." (Hebrews 12:25)
Similarly, Isaiah 55:6 exhorts us: "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near." "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." (Hebrews 2:1)
Jesus was continually having to repeat Himself, because His words fell on deaf ears. At least eight times in the gospels we read of Him exhorting the people, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (or, Listen!)." This same verse is also quoted eight times in the book of Revelation. Though each of the seven churches of Revelation was at a different stage in the development of their spiritual experience, his invitation to them all was the same: "He that hath an ear, let him hear ..." (Revelation 2, 3)
To each of the seven churches He was, in effect, saying, "There is more." All but one had either settled down or fallen away at one point or another along the path, and He wanted them to move on. Many in our own day have become satisfied with the knowledge that they will "someday" inherit the promise of eternal life. However, that is barely enough to get them through the "here and now." Jesus said, "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath (that is, now possesses) everlasting life, and ... is (already) passed from death unto life."
We must learn to come to know Him with whom we will spend eternity, if this life is to have any meaning or purpose at all. Unless we learn to know His voice and fellowship with Him now, we shall never come to experience the abundant life of which Jesus spoke.2
God's greatest complaint in this matter is not with the unregenerate world, for He does not expect from them the same sort of respect for His word: they are "uncircumcised in heart and ears." (Acts 7:51) The Lord's deepest concern is for His own people – those who have the ability to hear, but refuse to listen. They "have ears to hear and hear not."3 Many have "stopped their ears" and have by choice turned "away their ears"4 from hearing the word of the Lord. Others have become "dull of hearing"5; their "heart is waxed gross."6
So we see that the famine in Amos 8:11 is "not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." Churches are plentiful; the Word has gone forth – but the famine or lack is for those who would hear His voice. God has not stopped speaking; the problem is that His people have failed to listen. When the message becomes too demanding ("Forsake all?" "Deny myself?") many try to avoid the issue by seeking an escape: any excuse that will allow them to continue in their own ways. However, the claim upon our lives remains the same and we cannot find true, lasting peace apart from His best.
"The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Samuel heard His voice and responded: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." It was Abraham whom God called His friend, because He knew he was trusting and could be trusted. They two communed together often. Hence, when God was contemplating the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, He first discussed it with His friend Abraham. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing except He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." Now "I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends: for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you." Jesus said, "God is no respecter of persons." He speaks to those who will listen.7
The Lord does not require us to do anything or go anywhere to meet with Him. Rather, His simple command is for us to "be still" – to cease from our own efforts and from all that would distract – and to allow Him to reveal Himself to us............
There is a sense of hearing beyond the natural capacity. When Jesus said to His disciples, "Let these sayings sink down into your ears" (Luke 9:44)He was referring to the ear of the spirit, in the inner man.
Isaiah "heard the voice of the Lord ... And (God) said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of these people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." (Isaiah 6:8-10)
Though at the time these words were originally spoken they fell on deaf ears, it is significant to note that the same passage of scripture in which they were recorded was quoted in every gospel account.1 It was only because Isaiah heard the voice of God himself that the prophet could deliver such a word. God speaks through those who have learned to listen. It is a process.
We learn to discern the voice of God by listening to Him. The more we hear, the more we spend time in His presence, the more surely will we be able to recognize when He is speaking. Hebrews 5:14 says that our spiritual senses are sharpened "by reason of use" – that is, with experience. In the same way, repeatedly refusing to respond to the call of the Spirit results in a spiritual condition that leaves our hearts hardened before Him – calloused, so to speak – and insensitive to His voice. This grieves the heart of God. (Hebrew 3:7, 8, 10)
To maintain an adequate level of spiritual sensitivity we must learn to respond without delay to the gentle beckoning of the Spirit. God requires an immediate response within the hearts of His people: "Today, when you hear His voice, harden not your hearts . . ." This verse is three times repeated, for emphasis, in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh . . ." (Hebrews 12:25)
Similarly, Isaiah 55:6 exhorts us: "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near." "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." (Hebrews 2:1)
Jesus was continually having to repeat Himself, because His words fell on deaf ears. At least eight times in the gospels we read of Him exhorting the people, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (or, Listen!)." This same verse is also quoted eight times in the book of Revelation. Though each of the seven churches of Revelation was at a different stage in the development of their spiritual experience, his invitation to them all was the same: "He that hath an ear, let him hear ..." (Revelation 2, 3)
To each of the seven churches He was, in effect, saying, "There is more." All but one had either settled down or fallen away at one point or another along the path, and He wanted them to move on. Many in our own day have become satisfied with the knowledge that they will "someday" inherit the promise of eternal life. However, that is barely enough to get them through the "here and now." Jesus said, "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath (that is, now possesses) everlasting life, and ... is (already) passed from death unto life."
We must learn to come to know Him with whom we will spend eternity, if this life is to have any meaning or purpose at all. Unless we learn to know His voice and fellowship with Him now, we shall never come to experience the abundant life of which Jesus spoke.2
God's greatest complaint in this matter is not with the unregenerate world, for He does not expect from them the same sort of respect for His word: they are "uncircumcised in heart and ears." (Acts 7:51) The Lord's deepest concern is for His own people – those who have the ability to hear, but refuse to listen. They "have ears to hear and hear not."3 Many have "stopped their ears" and have by choice turned "away their ears"4 from hearing the word of the Lord. Others have become "dull of hearing"5; their "heart is waxed gross."6
So we see that the famine in Amos 8:11 is "not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." Churches are plentiful; the Word has gone forth – but the famine or lack is for those who would hear His voice. God has not stopped speaking; the problem is that His people have failed to listen. When the message becomes too demanding ("Forsake all?" "Deny myself?") many try to avoid the issue by seeking an escape: any excuse that will allow them to continue in their own ways. However, the claim upon our lives remains the same and we cannot find true, lasting peace apart from His best.
"The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Samuel heard His voice and responded: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." It was Abraham whom God called His friend, because He knew he was trusting and could be trusted. They two communed together often. Hence, when God was contemplating the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, He first discussed it with His friend Abraham. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing except He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." Now "I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends: for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you." Jesus said, "God is no respecter of persons." He speaks to those who will listen.7
THE VESSEL
As a child, my son had a huge model ship, intricate in detail and design. Its majestic sails put it at over three feet tall. There was only one problem. It wouldn't float. What a disappointment for Jonathan when, having eagerly drawn the water for his bath, he set it in the water--only to watch it sink. The boat's tall mast, supporting the sails, caused the ship to be top-heavy. As far as Jonathan was concerned, the boat was totally useless. What good is a ship that cannot sail? As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. We can have all the externals of religion and, from all that is obvious, appear to bear the characteristics of a Christian. We can sing spiritual songs, read the right books, take in all the teaching, and attend every service. But unless we apply what we have learned; unless we can pass the tests of life--if the ship won't sail, so to speak--it doesn't matter how good we look or how great we sound: our testimony is useless. If the wind never catches our sails; if, in our secure place of mooring, we have become content to sit idly by, we will never come to experience the freedom and fulfillment that is in Christ. Ironically, some of the very things intended to support our walk (as the mast supports the sails), when disproportionately emphasized above our primary responsibilities--even these can throw us off balance in our relationship with God. If the devil can't get us to do something outright evil, he'll attempt to distract us with an inordinate concern for valid, even honorable activities. He knows that if he can fill our schedules with substitutes, with anything less than the best, we will fall short in our walk and perhaps be weakened enough to sin the next time. One does not have to empty a vessel, to remove its contents. It can simply be filled with something else, and the original contents, spilling over, will be displaced. Even good things--fellowship, music, education--when they consume too much of our time or replace matters of greater importance, such as prayer or worship, can leave us drained. A tiny leak can sink a large ship. Yet, because it happens so gradually, much damage can be incurred before a change is noticed at all.Perhaps the rabbi who passed by the injured Samaritan on the wayside was on his way to the Temple. He had passed this way many times before. He may even have been praying, as he walked, "Lord, here I am. Use me." Yet because of his spiritual insensitivity, he didn't recognize an opportunity to practice what he was going to the temple to teach--even when it stared him in the face. In our efforts to be trained of God, it is easy to get our eyes on the process and lose sight of the goal. Neglecting one's family to attend services, for example, might seem noble at first, even spiritual. But in time it will leave its mark. God is as concerned about ministering to our loved ones as He is about preparing us for ministry. Think about it: Is it not the unsaved to whom you hope to minister? Many in the body of Christ, secure in their place of mooring, will polish the deck and clean the rig; but they are not willing to venture out into the deep. Yet is is there, in the test of the waters, that their true sufficiency is made known. It is there that the miracle of God's grace and provision is made manifest. (Mk 4:35-37)there is a valid time of preparation, a time of building and stabilizing. But the day comes when, if any ship is to fulfill its purpose, it must set sail, leave shore, and skim the horizons. God wants seaworthy vessels: prepared to leave port, stem the tides, maintain a charted course, and return in full strength. He equips us to serve with a purpose. In a sense, we are to be models of Christ's character--even as that toy ship was a model, or replica, of a larger vessel. We are to be a testimony to the world of the love and grace of God. But it is not enough that they hear what we say. A ship that is seaworthy can carry others across the waters. We need to be able to help others to combat the fierce waves as they batter the storms of life, and then become "a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat" for them. (Isaiah 25:4) "They that go down to the sea in ships ... These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep." (Psa 107:23, 24) If you want to see the works of the Lord in your life, "launch out into the deep." (Lu 5:40) "They that go ... these see... His wonders" Where? "... in the deep." Those who cling to the shoreline, to their place of security, cannot see the fullness of His power in their lives. Yes, there will be tests; the storms will come. But it is in the storm that "His wonders" are made manifest. It is there that we will see the power of God, as He speaks, "Peace, be still." (Mk 4:39)haul in the anchor. Prepare the sails. Allow the wind of the Spirit to carry you where He wills: away from the place of your mooring. Set your eyes on the horizon. Ships are built in harbor, but they are made to sail the seas
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)