OUR FAITHFULNESS

Of all of the names in the Scriptures Jesus (such as Lamb of God, Son of Man, Son of God, the Messiah, the Good Shepherd, etc.) has I guess my favorite is Jesus as “The Faithful Witness.” John in Revelation shares, "John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," (Revelation 1:4-5) As we are to be like the Master in all things, He was faithful to His calling and He expects us to be faithful in ours. This is why the rewards that He has for us relates to our being faithful to our calling not for all of the good works and all of the spiritual things we do for Him. Today sadly the Body of Christ often focuses on the good works (clothing and feeding the poor, etc.) and all of the spiritual experiences in God (and yes these are important), but these miss the mark in what is truly important to God which is being faithful in the little things, those things we think God is not concerned with. In Matthew Jesus told us, “His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:23) The "joy" of the LORD" depends not on our ability in God, but on our ability to be faithful to God and man. It is not what we do that determines the reward we receive, but rather it is our faithfulness in what we do (well done, not much done), that determines our future position and reward. Many of us have experienced the let down of an unfulfilled promise, and have felt the hurt and the disappointment that goes along with it. We were created in the image of God and feel, in a limited measure, as He feels. Just as we can feel disappointment so also our LORD can be disappointed when we are not faithful to the outworking of all that He has made available to us. We as Christians should be the most faithful people on earth. Our words that we speak should be true and honest with no pretence. How many times have we said, "I coming to night" or "you can count on me brother" (all meaning well), but not following through on our words. Not doing what we say is still a lie in God's eyes. God is listening and watching to see if our words are yea (yes) or nay (no). You know you are much further along in God saying nay and meaning it than you are saying yea and maybe meaning it depending on the situation. We see this truth also in the Revelation when the faithful Angel was talking to the Laodiceans, "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:14-17) Because of their lack of faithfulness they did not know they were deceived in their daily living. This speaks volumes of the world in which we find ourselves in (even Christian) today. See God is listening to our words and watching our actions to see not if they are good or bad, but to see if they are righteous and faithful to His expectations for us. It would have been much better for the Laodiceans if they were just cold, but because they were "lukewarm" (not honest or a liar) God's judgment was to spue them out of His mouth. God is really concerned about our faithfulness and even goes beyond our daily living. Our eternal abode is at stake. We really see this faithfulness principle in the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins all ten received lamps (were saved and going to heaven) and went forth to meet the Bridegroom, but the foolish did not take a supply of oil with them. "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. (Mathew 25:1-8) I find it amazing "all slumbered and slept" even the wise virgins, but when the LORD delayed His coming their lamps went out, even the wise virgins (same lamps, amount, and time will empty at the same rate) because it says they (the wise virgins) "trimmed their lamps" or filled their lamps and adjusted the wick. The LORD is faithful to us as He gives us a daily readymade supply of oil for our lamps, but the foolish did not develop or carry a means to resupply their oil. Again the “lamp” represents our salvation. All ten were saved. The oil speaks of the LORD's enabling grace and anointing which quickens and maintains our spiritual life and strength. When we are not faithful to maintain a personal relationship with the LORD we use up the supply of oil that we had allowed God to fill our life with and soon if not careful our light too will go out. And all along the decreasing flame we wonder why. To be faithful on our part means that we take seriously our need to spend time in the presence of the LORD to receive from Him. The oil is available, He who is ever faithful is waiting to pour spiritual life and substance into us. The foolish took their spirituality for granted and did nothing to make room to receive more oil. The result was that their lamps went out (as the wise virgins did) and they could not enter into a deeper level of communion with Jesus. In Psalm we read of David desiring to fill his lamp with oil, “As the hart pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2) Here David is crying out for an enlargement of his spiritual capacity. He had his faults, but he maintained a hunger for God that was so intense that the LORD moved him from tending sheep (the most esteemed profession in Israel) to the throne room. But we may ask, “How can I become so spiritually hungry that I will be found among the five wise rather than with the foolish, in that day?” There is no simple answer, but the first step is in our will. We must make the decision to make room for God and spending time in His presence. The LORD often comes in the night to knock on the door of our heart. Although our bed may feel warm and comfortable we must make a firm decision that we will get up and spend time in His presence. The second step is to guard what we allow to enter into our being. Carnal relationships, television, social media, etc. will rob us of our spiritual perception and hunger. Our life patterns must be broken and a schedule set so as to make room for God and His things. We must determine to remove those things that could become a substitute or distraction for our spending time in the Word of God and in prayer. We will never become the overcomer who finds himself among the five wise unless we develop a disciplined pattern of life. The foolish said, “give us of your oil.” But the wise responded, “Go and buy for yourselves.” No one can give to another their commitment to spiritual obedience. But they can share the testimony of what they have received, which will make others so hungry that they also will begin to seek for themselves. The third step is to spend quality time in the presence of the LORD. There is no substitute for the time we spend with the LORD. When we do our part the LORD will do that which we cannot do. He will create within us the hunger to propel us into great depths in Him and develop in us a hunger for faithfulness something we MUST have moving in us if we are planning to see Him some day.  Remember our walk with God will be only as good as our word to God and man. 

WTFMT 44 FOR HGM ON 20 JUN 17

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-44
TEXT: "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." (Psalm 34:7)

I. HEAVEN ON EARTH

 

A. There is more heaven here on earth than most people suspect. "Encampeth" would indicate a lifestyle of place and condition. "Around those who fear Him, and rescues them" would indicate the place to be on earth. "For He will give His angles charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:11)

B. The Word indicates that there is a lot of heaven with us in the here and now. When you are taken into the wilderness, heaven goes with you. For heavenly beings to stay with us, they must live here. For the sake of the prophet. Elisha says, "And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (II Kings 6:17)

C. Of what are you afraid? Angels? "Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." (Hebrews 1:14) There is nothing to fear. The provisions of God for you are more than you can possibly imagine. Even food was brought from heaven to the wilderness to feed the needy people.

D. Most believers have the dream of going to heaven. But before that happens, God brings heaven, with all its appropriate provisions, to us. "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)" (Romans 10:6)

E. Rather believe that God has brought heaven to you. There is no need to live there now. For the present you are stuck on earth. Live in God's presence and enjoy heaven in the wilderness.

F. If we deny ourselves the nearness of heaven, then where is God? Where are the angels of God? Where is the work of Christ? Where are the provisions of God? If heaven were not near us, all these would be out of reach.

G. As in the Wilderness of Sinai, God has brought heaven down among us. If salvation is in heaven, how are you going to receive it? If you need physical healing and it's in heaven, what good is it going to do you? If you need deliverance and it's in heaven, how are you going to get it?

H. But it all comes down and touches our lives right here on earth. A song by John W. Peterson, expresses it this way, "Heaven came down and glory filled my soul." God Himself expresses it this way, "That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth." (Deuteronomy 11:21) This is God's intention for us. He is doing His utmost to get heaven down to man on earth.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

 

A. The purpose of the wilderness is to get heaven into your soul. Heaven came down in the Wilderness of Sinai. If that truth is worked into our living, then our hardships, our trials, testings, and temptations, as well as our sufferings, fade into nothingness.

B. The glory of heaven overwhelms the situations, circumstances, and difficulties. It brings down to us the victory we need. In it we can see God and learn of Him and His ways. In it we partake of His provisions. Come let us follow the beckoning of God toward the wilderness that we may experience HEAVEN ON EARTH.

C. Rise up move! Look to the northeast. The Wilderness of Paran is waiting. Lessons learned training completed for now. God met with man, but did man met with God? God's laws and patterns of worship was given a place of personal benefit, prosperity, success, and victory. Eleven months have passed around the mountain. His vision, strength, and faith has been developed in us. The glory of God is next or is it?

THE COST OF GODLY CHARACTER

To “live in the Spirit” is a state of being in which we have died to our self life and have yielded the totality of all that we are and have to Jesus so He can live His life through us as a witness. Paul tells us, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) Wow do you get that? Does this verse means we can live in the Spirit, but not walk in the Spirit? The truth of this verse is conditional on the word "if." Earlier in Galatians Paul told us, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me….” (Galatians 2:20) The “I live; yet not I” comes with the same condition to "live in the Spirit." This condition requires us to live on a high plain of integrity, commitment, and Godly character in order to maintain the necessary spiritual sensitivity that will make this possible. To “walk in the Spirit” is to live one step at a time, with every aspect of our life experience being lived in total yieldedness and willing obedience to the will and purpose of our LORD. As we walk with the poise of our spirit upward toward the LORD His abiding presence and peace will confirm that we are walking in the center (in the Spirit) of His will. We are both living and walking in the Spirit. Now this is God's intention for us to live and walk in the Spirit. Sadly in my life sometimes I see myself in the now of walking and living in the Spirit and at other times I see myself miserably failing God. Oh how I hate myself. Oh how I hate the variance in me and I know myself will destroy me if I allow it to. It is not the devil or some demonic minion I should fear, but myself and what it wants. If we could ever get over our self and the lust therein as James says, wow could we ever serve God in the way He has planned and purposed for our lives. You know one of the greatest gifts God can help us develop is not our ability to minister the Gospel, lay hands on people for a miracle, speak in tongues, or even greater service to the Brethren, but the greatest gift God can help us with is a Godly character. I am convinced not too many Christians value character oh no we would rather have all of the ministry bells and whistles in God. The ones the apostate church of today says we need to have moving in our lives and ministry so we can get all of those blessings. Oddly enough I never hear the folks on Christian (I use that term loosely) TV networks like: TBN, Daystar, Son Life, and the rest mention the importance of Godly character. I wonder why? After all what comes out our mouth is what is in our heart and whatsoever is in our heart is important to us. This ability to “live” in the Spirit in which His will is being accomplished in us requires that we have a basic understanding of the laws that govern a Spirit led life. How can we walk and live in the Spirit if we do not know the Spirit or how He operates. I am sadly convinced the Holy Spirit, in the typical church of today in the western world, is of little to no affect in the lives of most the people. And that is because the focus of most Christians today have an external focus on the outcomes in God. They serve looking for their reward from God instead of just serving God for His need and sake. Bless me, bless me, bless me! What would we do if God stops blessing us? Do we do service for blessings or to be a blessing? The answer to that question in found in our heart condition, in our motives, in our character, and in our understanding of God's spiritual laws. Why most Christians miss them is because these spiritual laws do not deal with the externals, but primarily with our heart – that which underlies all that we say or do and believe it or not these spiritual laws hinge on not our spiritual ability, but on our Godly character. It is our Godly character that is developed in us not our spiritual ability and my friend to walk with the LORD (as He wants us to walk) there is a cost we will pay for a Godly character like His. It is not exacted in dollars and cents or even service, but in moments of God's dealings and judgments in our lives. In moments when God can get our attention and show us our heart condition in given situations and circumstances. Now we cannot add to our spiritual ability oh no. God gives us His ability as salvation is a gift so too is our spiritual ability. I wonder why we think we can get stronger in the things of God? Do we exercise our spiritual gifts in service and grow them like muscles? Do we pray and speak in tongues and our spiritual gifts will increase? No this is wrong teaching. They are gifts given to us by God as we qualify and are approved for them. He controls the gifts we are just partakers of His goodness as the instrument He desires to flow through, but the difference between two people is the commitment and desire, the approving or qualifying of an individual by the dealings and judgments of God. It is not we can grow our spiritual abilities, but through our dedication and commitment to God and the work He has done in our lives He can now trust us with more of His goods to be used in touching lives. This involves dedication and the sacrificial giving of ourselves. These are the marks of our having the measure of spiritual maturity that will enable us to function in the realms of the Spirit. Our own thoughts and ways must be set aside in order to follow Him. The natural man cannot come this way for he cannot discern God's presence to bring us into this higher realm. This is a function of the Spirit and not of the mind. The natural man receives not the things of God because they are Spiritually discerned. The natural man (even carnal Christians) makes his approach to God with their goodness, their emotions, and their intellect, but not so with the Spiritual man. He makes His approach on the goodness of God out from a humble and contrite spirit. One who has a servant's heart and does not mind the back seat of a car. One who does not stand by when work is to be done or wants to be exalted in the midst of a group of people. I have known some folks who consider themselves above other people based on their (preconceived) walk with the LORD. In their own eyes they see themselves (and others less) with having a deep revelation of God and all around their circle of friends there is an unspoken homage one must submit to or you will be shunned from the circle. If you ever speak up and challenge this arrangement then you are set aside and Scripture is twisted as to set an example telling others to turn their backs on people. The basis of this judgment and action is not from God's word, but from the self appointed authority of the "deep one" and the self appointed control and manipulation they wield. And it is all based on the unqualified perception of one's revelation (and to be honest usually a forceful personality) of God. Well here is a news flash, revelation never trumps Godly character. Relationship in God must not be based on revelation. Sadly we size each other up according to our abilities in God and even the revelation we possess and somehow value these as to being something we want to be connected with in a relationship. Oh this person is deep in God and if I know him and if I can work with him, maybe just maybe some of his depth in God will rub off on me. Even worse the whole servant master thinking can come into view and distort the relationship. To have a real relationship there must be pretenses. Each must be valued based not on their understanding of God, but on a common and honest friendship that goes both ways. When one person thinks they are greater than another the relationship is doomed. Oh it may continue for years, but there will come a time (God will see to it) when the perceived lesser sees though the camel cookies (had enough crap) and says wait a minute you put your pants on one leg at a time just like me. Jesus never valued one disciple over another. It was the perceived bias of the disciples that exalted one disciple over the other. Paul was not greater than Peter and both of them were no greater than Thomas, Matthew, or John. Revelation is not dependant on the favor of God, but on our willingness to be dealt with by God. The more we submit to God the more of a commitment we will make to God. What cost for Godly character you would ask? The cost of Godly character is the death of our self life and all of those thing we hold near and dear to our heart. Anything less only yields a life of great promise, but still a life that has come short of God's glory.