"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,

and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,

though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah."

-- Psalm 46:1-3

We've been going through the book of Revelation at church, and so we've been studying some about the end times.

Have you ever read the last chapter of a book to see how the book ends? We can do that with the "book" of the history of the world. We know how it will ultimately end -- Jesus Christ will be the Victor!

This is why we can be without fear "though the earth be removed." No matter what kind of tribulation comes, God is our Refuge and Strength. He says,

"Be still [cease striving], and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." -- Psalm 46:10

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." - 1 John 4:4
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? - 1 John 5:4, 5

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness...?" -- 2 Peter 3:10-11

If I kept in my mind what is going to happen to this earth, I think it would change my perspective. Really, who would put their affections on things that they knew would someday be dissolved?

What kind of people should we be in light of 2 Pet. 3:10?

Just a quick thought here...

Galatians 5:25 says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

I thought the definition for the Greek word translated "walk" was interesting.

From Strong's Concordance: "To march in (military) rank (keep step), i.e. (fig.) to conform to virtue and piety:--walk (orderly)."

I like the picture of "keeping in step" with the Holy Spirit. That is exactly what I should be doing, moment by moment.

"'...Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord, 'and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,' saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2 Cor. 7:1 

I discovered this poem while browsing through a book of Havergal's poems on Saturday.

Another Year

Another year is dawning!

Dear Master let it be,

In working or in waiting,

Another year with Thee.

Another year of leaning

Upon Thy loving breast,

Of ever-deepening trustfulness,

Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of mercies,

Of faithfulness and grace;

Another year of gladness

In the shining of Thy face.

Another year of progress,

Another year of praise;

Another year of proving

Thy presence 'all the days.'

Another year of service,

Of witness for Thy love;

Another year of training

For holier work above.

Another year is dawning,

Dear Master, let it be,

On earth, or else in heaven,

Another year for Thee!

~Frances Ridley Havergal

(emphasis mine)

"...If God be for us, who can be against us?" - Rom. 8:31

"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." - Rom. 8:33

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." - Rom. 8:34

We, as God's people, are so blessed. Just think about these verses from Romans.

If God Himself is for us, surely there is nothing that can prevail against us. If the Lord has justified me, and if Christ is interceding for me before the Father, can even Satan condemn me? I think not.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful grace to us!

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." -- Romans 6:11

I need to think of this throughout the day, and remind myself that I am dead to sin... I don't have to let sin get victory over me.

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Let me catch up just a bit here, and share a couple of thoughts from the last few weeks...

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John 2:46 says: "And Nathaniel said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Phillip saith unto him, Come and see."

Two chapters later, we find the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. The Bible says that many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony and then that many believed because of His own word. (see Jn. 4:39-41)

They said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (Jn. 4:42)

I am thankful that Christ can be personally experienced, and that we can invite others to "come and see" Him for themselves. Those who know Him personally can say with conviction that He is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

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Acts 4:13, 14 says: "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. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it."

Isn't this an amazing thing?! These people saw and heard Peter and John and they knew that "they had been with Jesus." More than this, they could say nothing against what they did because the evidence was right before their eyes.

Oh that others, seeing me, would know that I, too, have been spending time with Jesus, and that God's power would be so evident in my life that they could say nothing against it.

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Finally, let me share these verses from Hebrews 11. "And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:15, 16)

The Greek word used here for "desire" gives the idea of reaching for or longing for something. Let us reach out for and strive toward that heavenly country, never turning back to the world.

"And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD." - Zechariah 10:12

Let us do all things in the name of the Lord and for His glory. We are commanded to do this in the New Testament.

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him... And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" (Col. 3:17, 23)

"...Thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy flesh is, and whose are all they ways, hast thou not glorified:" -- Daniel 5:23

Let us never forget to praise the God who is the source of our very lives. It is from Him that "every good and perfect gift" comes.

"O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by Thy name: for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousness, but for Thy great mercies." -- Daniel 9:18

We cannot come to God on the basis of our righteousness, but only because of the great mercy of God.

"But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen." -- Hosea 1:7

I am glad that God is not bound to use normal human means to help His people. Many times He does use them, but He can also use means that are "out of this world."

"And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, 'What doest Thou?' " - Daniel 4:34, 35

I am so glad that God is in control. "He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inabitants of the earth."

God can accomplish His will. Even the king's heart (or the president's or the congress' or any other person's heart) is in His hand. "He turneth it withersoever He will." (See Prov. 21:1)

We can trust Him to do what is best. I praise Him for that.

"Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God." - Daniel 3:28

These three men brought glory to God by their actions. They were willing to disobey the king's command, trusting their lives to the Lord, because they were followers of God. They refused to disobey the Lord's command and worship anything besides God Himself.

The Lord saved them miraculously from the fiery furnace and caused Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge Him. This heathen king admitted, "There is no other God that can deliver after this sort."

I pray that I would be like these men and be willing to give, if necessary, even my life to bring glory to God.

"And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession." - Ezekiel 44:28

 

That was the verse that got me started on this subject. I thought it was interesting that God says that He is the inheritance and possesion of the priests. That is interesting to think about. This is not the only time this is said.

"And the Lord spoke unto Aaron... I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel." - Numbers 18:20

"Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance..." - Deuteronomy 10:9

"Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the Lord is their inheritance." - Deuteronomy 18:2

The tribe of Levi did not receive a portion of the land like their brother-tribes did. Their inheritance was to serve the Lord. He provided for their needs. They had a special position.

There are several verses in Psalms where David (or whoever is the writer) speaks of the Lord as a portion.

"...God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:26 "Thou art my portion, O Lord..." - Psalm 119:57

"...Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living." - Psalm 142:5

God is my portion, too! He is sufficient for me. There is nothing that I need that I cannot find in Him.

Concerning those things that only God can do we naturally betake ourselves to prayer. For, knowing that we, ourselves, can not do them, we find our hope only in that asking which brings God's doing. But let us remember, too, that our own personal service, in the things which we can do, needs also that asking which will bring God's doing into it. Do we realize that everything we do needs to be saturated with the spirit of prayer that God may be the real doer, the real worker in the things which we are busily doing? Yet this is a mighty truth: "If ye ask, I will do" applies to your own service as well as your intercession for others.

Have you ever toyed with the key of a telegraph instrument while the circuit was closed? If so you have noted this fact: On that key you may write a complete message, from address to signature. Upon it every telegraph character may be perfectly formed; every condition of expert operating may be fulfilled. but it matters not how skilful an operator you are, so long as the electric circuit is closed, all your effort are simply sounding brass and clattering platinum. Not a single spark of electric life do you transmit; not a single message of good or ill, of bane or blessing, is conveyed to the waiting listener at the other end of the line. Why? Because the battery is not working. And all your working is effort without result, activity or power.

But now you open the little brass lever which connects your key to the battery hidden beneath the table. Immediately every letter you form fills with life, every word you write flashes a living message into the mind and heart of the far-away receiver. Through your work, dead and mechanical in itself, the electric battery is now pouring forth its vital stream, flooding with life and power every deft motion of your flying fingers.

The lesson is plain. It is in spiritual telegraphy as in material. If the battery is not working the message is mere clatter. WE may do, but if GOD is not doing through us, then all our doing is naught. If we work in our own fleshly strength we will but effect fleshly results only, for "Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh." God alone is spiritual life. God is the only begetter of life...

From the chamber of prayer you come forth to men with the unction, the subtle power, the thrill of God's own life upon you, and as you touch them is speech, deed or prayer, "virtue goes forth from you," for then it is not you, but God that worketh in you. As you keep asking God keeps doing. When you grow prayerless, your deeds grow powerless. Lead no meeting without asking that God may be the real leader through you; speak no message without asking that He may speak through you; begin no work with out asking that God may work through you. For, "If ye ask, I will do."

"And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD." - Eze 25:11

"And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them." - Eze 25:17

"In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth... and they shall know that I am the LORD." - Eze 29:21

The little phrase "[Ye/They] shall know that I am the Lord" occurs about 60 times in Ezekiel! Many of the times, this phrase follows a prophecy of judgement as in the first two examples above. Also, though, it sometimes follows a promise like this one to Israel in Ezekiel 29:21.

I'm not sure exactly what significance these 8 little words have, but since it is in there so many times they must be there for a reason.

I think that it says one thing, at least: one reason we can know that God is God is that He keeps His word. Each time He fufills a promise, we can be re-assured that He is the Lord.

I'd love to hear any other thoughts about this.

"...The soul that sinneth, it shall die. But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right... he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

"Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." - Ezekiel 18:4-5, 9, 31-32

God has given to mankind the ability and freedom to make choices. People do make some pretty bad choices, though.

Throughout God's dealings with Israel, He made many promises to the obedient and also gave many warnings to the disobedient. Sin led to death, while following God's way led to a blessed life.

God does not take pleasure in seeing men fall to destruction. Here He urged the people to repent. It would be for their own good to repent.

"Why will ye die?" He asked. It was the people's choice to repent or not. It was their choice whether or not to stay in the way that leads to death or to turn to the paths of life.

God asks this question still. "God is not willing that any should perish." He "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He has provided a way of escape from death. Why do so many refuse to take it?