Category: Weekly Devotional

STAYING IN THE PEA PATCH

Part 3

1. It Was a Time of Great Conflict
2. It Was a Time of Great Courage

III. V. 12b IT WAS A TIME OF GREAT CONQUEST

1. The Lord Defeated The Enemy – This last part of verse 12 tells us that the:

One who really won the victory was God!

He gave Shammah the ability to stand.

He gave Shammah the power to fight.

He gave Shammah the skill to win.

He gave Shammah the victory over his enemies.

Shammah may have held the sword, but it was

God Who fought and WON the battle!

It was the same when David walked into the valley against Goliath, or when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood their ground, or when Daniel continued to pray in spite of what the kind commanded. Men take their stand because they are empowered by God! He gives the victory!

When we face the spiritual battles of life, we need to remember that those battles are the Lord’s, 2 Chron. 20:15; Psa. 35:1; 1 Sam. 17:47.

2 Chron 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. NKJV

Ps 35:1 Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. NKJV

1 Sam 17:47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”  NKJV

 

Therefore, when you fight the battles, whether you win or lose, you have done what the Lord requires, you have been faithful! That is what he demands!)

1. The Lord Defended The Ground – Because God had one man who was willing to stand, the fields were protected and the people were saved from starvation and from slavery!

Think about this with me for a moment.

If we do not stand, Satan will certainly take everything from the church he can get his hands on.

If he takes away the Bible, what will the following generations eat?

If he takes away our desire to witness, who will tell the Good News?

If he takes away our will to pray, who will call on the Father and stand in the gap for this world.

If we do not fight, then we will certainly lose those things that give us power and make us great for the glory of God.

If we do not fight today, then people starve tomorrow.

If the field is not protected now, those who follow will have no harvest to enjoy.)

Conc: The enemy is still attacking the people of God just as he did through the Philistines. And, just like it was then, so people are still fleeing from the scene of the battle.

People are abandoning the harvest and are choosing to flee rather than fight.

Where do stand?

Are you willing to stand idly by while the enemy ransacks the church?

Or, like Shammah, are you willing to take your stand for God, regardless of the consequences and fight until the victory is won.

Will you stay in the pea patch while other are running away?

Why not come before the Lord today and tell Him that you know some things are worth dying for.

Tell Him that you will take your stand for Him and that you will be found in the battle, regardless of what others do.

Will you stay in the pea patch will you defend it.?

C.T. Studd ” Only one life twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

STAYING IN THE PEA PATCH

Part 2

 

1. It Was a Time of Great Conflict
2. V. 12a IT WAS A TIME OF GREAT COURAGE
3. Shammah’s Resolve – The Bible tells us that Shammah “stood”.

Eph 6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, NKJV

He resolved in his heart that he would fight for that pea patch.

He made up his mind that he would not run away from the battle.

Maybe he had run before, but not this time!

Today, he would stand and he would fight, even if it cost him his life!

You see, Shammah knew that there are some things worth fighting for!

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.  NKJV

So it is in the church!

We could just stand back and watch the church go the way of the world.

We could just run away and hide while the enemy tramples everything we love under his feet.

Or we could decide today that we will take a stand!

We could make up our minds that we are tired of seeing the devil hinder the work of God.

We could resolve in our hearts today that there are some things that are worth fighting for!)

1. B. Shammah’s Reason – Why did Shammah fight? He knew that without food, the people would perish.

He knew the people had to eat and that if they were going to eat, the fields had to be defended!

I’ll say it again, Shammah knew that some things were worth fighting for!

Listen I said before about working at the Children’s Home, if it doesn’t matter it don’t matter.    Pick your battles.  Cause some things Do matter. 

Let me just suggest a few things today that are worth fighting for in this day and time.

The church,

the lost,

the Word of God,

old-fashioned praying,

preaching,

praising the Lord,

clean living,

the reputation of the church,

our families,

our young people, etc.

These things are so important that they are literally worth dying for! Where are the Shammah’s that will stand up and fight for things of God!

1. Shammah’s Reward – The Bible tells us that Shammah slew the enemies of the people of God! Because he fought, he enjoyed a great victory! If he had run away like all the others, he would have been a coward and he would have been defeated. The enemy would have prevailed!

Listen, we must take a stand for the things of the Lord!

We must take our stand for that which is right and for that which is important.

If we don’t, then who will?    

Haman going after the Jews. Not knowing the Queen was one. Cousin’s

Est 4:13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”   NKJV

 

If we, who claim to love the things of God, do not take our stand and fight for what we believe in, then when these things are lost, we must not complain.

When the enemy has secured the victory and the cause of Christ has been hindered, then we who refused to fight the “good fight of faith” have no one to blame but ourselves! If we want the reward of victory, then we must arm ourselves, stand our ground and fight for the glory of God.)

Take a Stand!

STAYING IN THE PEA PATCH

Part 1

2 Samuel 23:11-12

Today, I want to focus in on one of these three special men. This man’s name is Shammah. He is described for us a man who took a stand against overwhelming odds and won a great victory by the help of the Lord. He is a man from whom we could learn much this today.

The Bible tells us that the Philistines attacked the people of God. When they came, all the people ran away. All, that is, except one man named Shammah! He took his stand in a field of lentils, or peas and he won a great victory. I would like for us to take just a few minutes this to look at this man Shammah and what he did just a little closer. He teaches us a lesson that we need to learn. It is that lesson that I want to focus in on as we look at Staying in The Pea Patch.

There are three aspects of this story that help us see that there is a time to take a stand. There is a time to fight, even when others are running away.

1. V. 11 IT WAS A TIME OF GREAT CONFLICT

(Ill. The Bible is clear when it tells us that the Philistines were attacking the people of God. It was a time of great conflict for the children of Israel. Notice what the Bible reveals about this time.)

1. When The Enemy Came – These verses tell us that when the Philistines came, the people in the fields fled away. This lets us know that the enemy most likely came during the time of the harvest. It was the time when most of the people were occupied in the business of getting the crops in. They would be busy working and they would not be prepared for war.)

(Ill. This is still when the enemy comes! You see, harvest time is a time of great joy. People are working hard to get the crops in the barns so they can rest from their labors and enjoy the fruits of the harvest. Their attention is so focused on what they are doing that they are not prepared to go to battle. When the enemy comes, he catches them unprepared and easily defeated.)

When does the enemy come against us? Often, he will come in the midst of great blessing and great victory. Often, he will come when we are involved in doing wonderful things for the Lord. He will come when our minds are occupied with other things.) In a service it seems that’s at the invitation time.

What a lesson for the church! How many times do we find ourselves engaged in the busy work of our lives and in the busy work of the church when we come under attack from the enemy? I think that too often, we are like the church of Ephesus, Rev. 2:1-7,

Rev 2:1-7 Revelation 2

The Loveless Church

2:1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;  3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

I came into Calvary one morning and prayed and I realized that the honeymoon was over. I had lost that first Love.

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent.  6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”‘  NKJV

they were busy for the Lord, but they did not even realize that the enemy had inflicted a mortal wound in their heart. They were so busy doing good things that they did not see the enemy when he attacked and wounded them.)

(Ill. God would have His people be prepared! He has not left us without warning – 1 Pet. 5:8.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. NKJV

Neither has He left us without an example – Neh. 4:16-18.

Nehemiah 4:16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.  NKJV

Let us learn to watch while we work lest the enemy find an inroad against us, even while we do that which is good.)

1. B. Why The Enemy Came – The enemy came against Israel for only two reasons:

1.) To inflict casualties and

2.) To destroy the crops. The Philistines knew that if they could wound their enemies and bring them to a place of hunger, they would be easily defeated and enslaved. So, those soldiers would march through the fields trampling down the crops and slaughtering all that stood in their way.

The same is true concerning our enemy the devil. He comes for those same two reasons: to inflict casualties and to destroy the crop. He attacks us so that he might weaken us so that we will be easier to enslave to his will.)

I want to let you in on a secret. The devil and the world don’t mind us having a church down here at all. They don’t mind us singing. They don’t mind us preaching. They don’t mind anything we do!

However, when we decide that we are going to get serious about serving God, then trouble will come.

The devil will attack us when we pray in a fervent spirit.

He will attack us when we reach out and begin to witness for the glory of God.

He will attack us when we start to praise the name of the Lord in this place.

He will attack us when we decide that we are not satisfied to be like all the other churches around us.

When we decide that we are going to take a stand for the Lord, look out! Trouble is on the way! As long as we are doing nothing, we are no threat to the devil at all! But, just let a few people down at the house of God get excited about Jesus and look out, the enemy will invade our pea patch and try to stomp down our crop!)

1. What The Enemy Found – This verse tells us that when the enemy came, all the people fled from before them. What the enemy found was no opposition! They would march into the fields and the people would flee in terror!

Sounds just like the church, doesn’t it? Things will be going along just fine and the devil will stir up trouble. He’ll use someone in the church to start a ruckus. When this happens, 99% of the people in the church flee from the scene of the battle. No one wants to take a stand. After all, we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings! I want you to know that this is the reason many churches are falling apart today!

No one has had the courage to stand up against the attack of the enemy, look them in the eye and say, “By the grace of God, you will not destroy this pea patch!”

Listen, we are engaged in the greatest struggle that the world has ever known! God is working to reach world for His Name’s sake and the devil is fighting Him every step of the way. All the while, God has placed His church in the world to be a light for God’s glory. And, many times, we won’t even take a stand to protect that which the Lord has given us. God give us some who will take a stand!)

Ill. This is exactly what the Philistines found when they came to Israel this time. Because it was not only a time of a great conflict, but also……

part 2 next week

Take a Stand!

Introduction

If you don’t take a stand for something, then you will fall for anything. Take a Stand!

2 Samuel 23: 1-12

23:1 Now these are the last words of David.

Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel:

 

[The last words of David] i.e., his last Psalm, his last “words of song” (2 Sam 22:1). The insertion of this Psalm, which is not in the Book of Psalms, was probably suggested by the insertion of the long Psalm in 2 Sam 22.

 

2 Samuel 22

Praise for God’s Deliverance (Ps 18)

22:1 Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 And he said:  (Ps 18)   22:1-51 then   23:1-7   NKJV

 

[David the son of Jesse said …] The original word for “said” is used between 200 and 300 times in the phrase, “saith the Lord,” designating the word of God in the mouth of the prophet. It is only applied to the words of a man here, and in the strikingly similar passage Num 24:3-4,15-16, and in Prov 30:1; and in all these places the words spoken are inspired words. The description of David is divided into four clauses, which correspond to and balance each other.

 

2 Sam 23:2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. 4 And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.’   NKJV

2 Sam 23:5 “Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase?  NKJV

 [Although my house …] The sense of this clause (according to the King James Version) will be that David comparing the actual state of his family and kingdom during the later years of trouble and disaster with the prophetic description of the prosperity of the righteous king, and seeing how far it falls short, comforts himself by the terms of God’s covenant (2 Sam 7:12-16) and looks forward to Messiah’s kingdom. The latter clause, “although he makes it not to grow,” must then mean that, although at the present time the glory of his house was not made to grow, yet all his salvation and all his desire was made sure in the covenant which would be fulfilled in due time. But most modern commentators understand both clauses as follows: “Is not my house so with God that He has made with me an everlasting covenant,” etc.? “For all my salvation and all my desire, will He not cause it to spring up?” namely, in the kingdom of Solomon, and still more fully in the kingdom of Christ.

 

2 Samuel 23:6-7

6 But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands. 7 But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.” NKJV

 

But then we get into vs: 8

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.

 OT:5722 Adino =`adiynow (ad-ee-no’); probably from OT:5719 in the original sense of slender (i.e. a spear); his spear: KJV – Adino.

 OT:6112 Eznite,=`Etsen (ay’-tsen); from an unused root meaning to be sharp or strong; a spear: KJV – Eznite [from the margin].

2 Sam. 23 tells us about David’s mighty men. These were a group of highly trained soldiers who fought with David and aided him in his victories. Among these men were three others who served as David’s personal bodyguards. These men and their exploits are described in these verses.

8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

 

The duplicate of this passage is in 1 Chron 11, where it is in immediate connection with David’s accession to the throne of Israel, and where the mighty men are named as those by whose aid David was made king. The document belongs to the early part of David’s reign. The text of 2 Sam 23:8-9 is perhaps to be corrected by comparison with 1 Chron 11:11-12.

[Chief among the captains] There is great doubt about the exact meaning of this phrase.

(1) The title is given to two other persons, namely, to Abishai in 2 Sam 23:18; 1 Chron 11:20, and to Amasa in 1 Chron 12:18.

(2) The word translated “captain,” is of uncertain meaning, and the orthography repeatedly fluctuates throughout this and the duplicate passage in 1 Chron 11, between “Shalish” a captain, and “Sheloshah” three.

(3) If, however, the text of Chronicles be taken as the guide, then the sense of “captain” will not come into play, but the word will be a numeral throughout, either “three” or “thirty,” and will describe David’s band of thirty mighty men, with a certain triad or triads of heroes who were yet more illustrious than the thirty.

In the verse before us, therefore, for “chief among the captains,” we should render, “chief of the thirty.”

2 Samuel 23:9

9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated.

 [Gone away] Rather, went up to battle (2 Sam 5:19; 2 Kings 3:21, etc.) against them. These words and what follows as far as “troop” (2 Sam 23:11) have fallen out of the text in Chronicles. The effect of this is to omit EIeazar’s feat, as here described, to attribute to him Shammah’s victory, to misplace the flight of the Israelites, and to omit Shammah altogether from the list of David’s mighty men.

 2 Samuel 23:10

10 He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.

2 Samuel 23:11

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines.

 [Hararite] Interpreted to mean “mountaineer,” one from the hill country of Judah or Ephraim.

 PLANTS Lentil. A small annual plant with white, violet striped flowers. The seeds of lentils grew in pods similar to the pea. During Bible times lentil was threshed like wheat and boiled into a reddish-brown pottage. This was the dish which Esau purchased with his birthright (Gen 25:34). Lentils could also be used as an ingredient for bread (Ezek 4:9).

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers) 

 2 Samuel 23:12

12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

  The lentil is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40 cm tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the majority of world production comes from Canada and India, producing 58% combined of the world total. So, it’s a pea.

We will be looking the next few weeks at how Shammah “Stood His Ground” and God blessed him for it.

All for “Staying in The Pea Patch”

Isaiah 6

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

Part 3

 

Isaiah 6:

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”   NKJV

 

III. V. 8 WE NEED TO SAY WHAT ISAIAH SAID

 

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

 

2. He Said “I Am Available” – As soon as Isaiah gets His heart clean, he hears the call of the Lord to service. When Isaiah said “Here am I”, he was saying, “My downtime is over and I am ready for service!” He was signifying that he was over the death of Uzziah and that his life was on the altar of sacrifice for the glory of God! (Ill. That’s what we need to say when life turns down! We need to get our all on the altar for God and come to the place where nothing means anything to us but what He wants from us! We need to submit, surrender and sacrifice, Rom. 12:1-2.)

 

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  NKJV

 

 

1. He Said “I Am Agreeable” – Isaiah not only told the Lord of His availability, but he also mentioned his agreeability!

He was saying, “Lord, I am here to do what you want and I am willing to do what you want! Send me and let me go do what you want me to do!”

 

 That is a sure way to turn your downtimes upside down! Make yourself available to the Lord and get agreeable with whatever He asks you to do and you can be sure that He will bless your life and that He will use you for His glory!

 

15 year old girl in Wales – “I love Jesus” was all she said and the Great Welsh revivals broke out!

 

 Moody’s response to Henry Varley’s statement, ““The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.“

 

Its not going to be easy, and not every one gets it.

 

Yes, God can take YOU and use you for His glory – if only you’ll live for Him a cleansed, purified life.

 

 

Isaiah 6:9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

 

Isaiah 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

 

[And he said …] The expressions which follow are those which denote hardness of heart and blindness of mind. They would hear the words of the prophet, but they would not understand him. They were so obstinately bent on iniquity that they would neither believe nor regard him. This shows the spirit with which ministers must deliver the message of God. It is their business to deliver the message, though they should know that it will neither be understood nor believed.

 

[Hear ye indeed] Hebrew ‘In hearing, hear.’ This is a mode of expressing emphasis. This passage is quoted in Matt 13:14

 

Matt 13:14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.’

 

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;  17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.   NKJV

 

Isaiah 6:10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

 

Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this 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.

 

[Make the heart] The word “heart” here is used in the sense of the “mind” – to denote all their mental powers. It is commonly used in this sense in the Scriptures.

 

[Fat] Gross, heavy, dull, stupid. That is, go and proclaim such “truth” to them as shall have this effect-as shall irritate, provoke, enrage them; truth, whose delivery shall be attended, in their gross and corrupt hearts, with this blinding and infatuating influence the effect would be produced by the corrupt state of their hearts, not by any native tendency of the truth, and still less by any direct divine influence. ‘Go, and proclaim truth to a corrupt and sensual people, and the result will be that they will not hear; they are so wicked that they will not attend to it; they will become even more hardened; yet go, and though certain of producing this effect, still proclaim it;’ see this passage explained in the notes at John 12:40.

 

John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,

Lest they should see with their eyes,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.”  

41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

NKJV

 

[Their ears heavy] Dull, stupid, insensible.

 

[And shut their eyes] The word used here means “to spread over,” and then to close. It denotes here the state of mind which is more and more indisposed to attend to the truth.

 

[And be healed] Be restored from the condition of sin; be recovered and pardoned. Sin is often represented as a painful, loathsome condition, and forgiveness as restoration from such a condition;

Isa 30:26; Ps 103:1; 41:3-4; 2 Chron 7:14; Jer 3:22; 17:14. We may learn here,

 

(1) That the effect of truth is often to irritate people and make them more wicked.

 

(2) The truth must, nevertheless, be proclaimed.

This effect is not the fault of the truth; and it is often well that the heart should be known, and the true effect should be seen.

(from Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

 

 

And how long does He want you to do this??
How long????

 

 

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”  NKJV

CONCLUSION:

Note: Isaiah did NOT say, “Where do you want me to go?” “What’s in it for me?” “What is the salary?” “What are the retirement benefits?” Isaiah signed a blank cheque on his whole life. He didn’t try to strike a bargain with God; he didn’t attempt to negotiate a compromise. God called – Isaiah answered. God commanded – Isaiah obeyed. Such an unconditional response comes only from the heart of one who has SEEN THE VISION: the one who’s MET WITH GOD.

The same thing can happen to you here. THE KING IS ALIVE! He WAS dead – He died for our sins on the cross. But He arose from the grave and He lives today – He lives forever! He calls us to see Him as He truly is – the holy God. He calls us to see ourselves as we truly are – sinful and needing Him desperately. He calls us to discover that He can cleanse from all sin, and give life anew to those who will receive Him. And then He commissions us to look on the fields of this world that are white unto harvest, and to GO and be His witnesses.

Where are you along this process? Have you seen Him? In the pages of His Word – in the voice of the preacher – do you hear His call? Do you recognize that your sin and guilt keep you from Him? Have you accepted His salvation – purchased with His own blood? Are you hearing His call to go, to be His witness to others?

Open your heart to Him. Don’t be the one who is hardened and goes away empty. Respond to Him with the faith He gives.

 

The downtimes are going to come in life! You can count on them just as surely as you can count on the sun rising and sitting day by day. However, when they do come, you can shorten their duration and severity by simply seeing what Isaiah saw, sensing what Isaiah sensed and saying what Isaiah said! A focused heart, a clean heart and a surrendered heart will quickly find itself on the upward path. I know that’s what I want in my life, how about you?

 Isaiah 6

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

Part 2

 

Isaiah 6:

5 So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”   NKJV

1. V. 5-7 WE NEED TO SENSE WHAT ISAIAH SENSED

 

Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

 

1. V. 5 He Sensed His Own Condition – When Isaiah saw the Lord, he instantly realized that there were problems within his own heart. That is what happens when you get close to Him! Moving closer to God and seeing Him as He is, reveals the wickedness and sin in our own lives.

 

(Note: Isaiah probably thought all was well in his life until he saw the Lord in His glory and holiness. When he did, he was made aware of his own shortcomings! Until we see God and are confronted with out own condition before Him, we will remain haughty and proud, but when we come face to face with Who He is and what we are, it will produce humility and confession!)

 

(Ill. Isaiah did not cry out “Woe is my neighbor!”. He cried out “Woe is me!”

 

Until we are able to see our own failures and our need for repentance before the Lord, we will never come clean. And, the sooner we come clean with the Lord about our own condition, the sooner we will see our downtime start to turn up!)

 

The third thing that Isaiah saw was:

3. ISAIAH SAW GOD’S CLEANSING POWER.

And I praise God for this! Oh, if all we ever see is the weakness of our sin – the depravity of our hearts – without discovering the cleansing power of God, WHAT MISERABLE PEOPLE WE WILL BE. But He DOES have power to cleanse!

When Isaiah confessed his sin, God was faithful and just to forgive his sin and cleanse him from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips;Your iniquity is taken away,And your sin purged.”

A live coal – a burning coal – a coal that speaks of purification and cleansing – was brought by that seraphim from off the altar of sacrifice and touched to his lips. That altar that the live coal was taken from was the Altar of Burnt Offerings – it was the altar where the blood was shed. It was the place where the priests would kill those animals to pay for the sins of the people, because without the shedding of blood there is no remission (no cleansing) from sin –

 

Heb 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. NKJV

 

– God has declared it.

So you have a coal that has been touched by two things: BLOOD and FIRE. The blood speaks of cleansing from sin (only blood can wash away our sin), and the fire speaks of refining, purifying power. The blood washes away sin, the fire brings the refining of positive holiness.

When God saves you, what does He do? He applies to your life the cleansing power of the eternal blood of His Son, Jesus – that washes away the sins of your old life – and then He sets you in the way of a whole new life which is being refined by the workings of the Spirit of Holiness; we begin to live a life of positive righteousness. HE CALLS US RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF HIS SON, AND THEN HE MAKES US RIGHTEOUS THROUGH THE WORKING OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT – the FIRE of the Holy Ghost.

This is the power that ONLY GOD has in a life. Government agencies, social workers, psychiatrists, modern education; they can all try what they will, they cannot change the heart of man with all their programs of reform – THEY’RE POWERLESS! But God can come in a moment of time, and revolutionize a person, and make them a new creation!

[ILLUSTRATION:] I understand that the success rate for rehabilitating hard-line drug addicts is pitifully low. An independent government study was undertaken in the U.S. and found that the success rate of de-tox centres in getting people off drugs permanently (tested after 7 years) was just 2 – 9%. The more intensive rehabilitation centres were not much better – just 9 – 11%. But this independent government study found that “TEEN CHALLENGE” (an organization that is thoroughly Christian – founded by David Wilkerson in New York – you may remember the story “The Cross and the Switchblade”) had a success rate documented as being 86%. When the government researchers were asked what was the difference, they replied (in their words) that the ONLY thing they could put Teen Challenge’s success down to was “THE JESUS FACTOR” (the government’s own words!). Teen Challenge are making a difference because this is not a program based upon the wisdom of men, but on the power of God to transform a life. they’re not preaching rehabilitation; they’re preaching RADICAL REGENERATION. And they’re not prescribing substitute drugs; they’re prescribing a relationship with the Saviour Jesus Christ!

Isaiah saw God’s cleansing power. The seraphim applied the blood-soaked, fire-purifying coal from off the altar and Isaiah experienced the sweet, clean feeling of forgiveness and peace. Hallelujah! Oh, there’s nothing like it in all the world!

 

 

Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips;Your iniquity is taken away,And your sin purged.”

1. V. 6-7 He Sensed His Own Cleansing – Thank God, the Lord does not just point out our sins, He also provides a means for our cleansing! With Isaiah, it was an angel with a live coal from the altar. With us, it is the precious blood of Jesus, 1 John 1:7-10!

 

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

If we ever see Him as He is and we see ourselves as we are, then we will come before Him in humility and confess our sins.

 

(Note: The closer you get to Him, the worse you look! But, when that realization comes, and we deal with it in repentance before the Lord, we will experience His cleansing and we will be able to stand in His presence and receive all He has for us! Talk about a downtime turning up!)

Isaiah saw the Lord, Isaiah saw himself, Isaiah saw God’s cleansing power; then, the fourth and final thing he saw was:

4. ISAIAH SAW THE WORLD.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

A knowledge of God will make us good in all our relationships. Isaiah got in with God and he heard God’s heartbeat for a lost and dying people. He heard God’s summons for a messenger to reach out to them. God said: Whom shall I send, who will go for us? And immediately Isaiah says, HERE I AM, SEND ME!

Would God call a sinful man to preach His message? A man of unclean lips?!

YES !!!!

There are no other kind of people available to God! Yes, God calls sinners to go for Him. He has not committed His glorious gospel to sinless angels, but to fallen men.

But God sends them ONLY after they’ve been cleansed of their sins by His grace. The message of God must be spoken through purged lips. The work of God must be poured from clean vessels. YOUR PAST WILL NOT EXCLUDE YOU FROM BEING USED BY GOD: BUT HOW YOU’RE LIVING TODAY MIGHT!

 

Isaiah 6

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

Part 1

Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet

 

6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”   NKJV

In 1952 the sad word went forth from London . . . “THE KING IS DEAD”. King George VI had died in his sleep at the age of 56. He was somewhat of a private man, in comparison with others who’ve held the throne, but he was greatly respected and admired. His reign had carried him through the rigors of World War 2, the election of a socialist government, and the dissolution of much of the British Empire. His tired heart gave way. All across Britain, people flocked to churches to worship, to pray, and to seek comfort and hope.

In 1963, another shocking word was sent out across the world: “The President is dead”. It was unbelievable. JOHN F. KENNEDY, young, vibrant and dynamic, was cut down by an assassin’s bullet – a nation was plunged into grief. People flocked into churches in the greatest numbers since the announcement of the end of World War 2. Ministers changed their sermon texts and preached messages of healing and hope to the people of America.

December 7 1941… September 11 2001

About 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, the sad announcement was made, “THE KING IS DEAD”. King Uzziah, the eleventh King of Judah, had died. Crowned at the age of 16, he had reigned 52 years. Despite his failings, he was the greatest king since David.

The heart of Isaiah, the prophet, was broken. Uzziah was not only his king, he was also his friend. In his heartbreak, Isaiah made his way to the Temple to worship and to seek comfort and renewed faith.

When sorrow comes, when life presses you in, the best place to be found is in the House of the Lord. (We ought to ALWAYS be found in the House of the Lord! But especially when we’re facing the difficult seasons of life – there is an answer in God, there is hope in Him, if we will quickly turn to Him.)

When Isaiah went up to the House of the Lord, he learned that the king was dead . . . BUT THAT GOD WAS NOT DEAD! He was still upon His throne. Isaiah had lost his earthly king, whom he loved, but he caught a fresh glimpse of the King of Kings. He met with God in an encounter that radically changed his life.

Would you note with me, that Isaiah saw four things that I want to draw to your attention:

1. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD. Look for the Lord in bad times, and the good.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

 

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

 

Intro: Verse 1 mentions the death of King Uzziah. He was the tenth king of Judah and he was a very godly man. He was highly influenced by the prophet Zechariah and, unlike many of the other kings, he never totally departed from the worship of the true God. Under his influence, the southern kingdom attained power, wealth and success unlike any it had enjoyed since the days of Solomon. Made heady by his success as king and by his blessings from the Lord, Uzziah made the mistake of offering incense in the Temple, 2 Chron. 26. He was stricken with leprosy by the Lord for his disobedience to the Lord. He died in that leprous condition! Disobedience to the Lord is a serious thing!

 

     Well, evidently, Isaiah is disturbed by the death of the great king. After all, he had reigned for 52 years. His death signaled the end of a time of great prosperity and consistency. For Isaiah and the entire nation, it ushered in a time of uncertainty, change and doubt. Yet, for Isaiah, this is to be a time of rediscovery.

 

Apparently, Isaiah had his attention focused on Uzziah, but now that Uzziah is dead, his attention is redirected back to the Lord. What must have been a down time in the prophet’s life became an uptime. That which had help his attention was removed and Isaiah had a fresh encounter with God. What happened to Isaiah in this event spotlights for us what we need during the down times in our own lives.

     We all have down times in life! Those down times can grow us, or they can ruin us, which depends upon what has our attention. Let’s look into these familiar verses and think for a while on the thought What We Need In The Down Times Of Life. Learning what to do when life turns down will help us to get back up in short order.

 

 1-4 WE NEED TO SEE WHAT ISAIAH SAW

1. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD.
   
   Here is the greatest vision that anyone can ever have. To see the Lord! Let’s read about it together.

 

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

 

17. V. 1 He Saw God’s Position – Isaiah saw God in His sovereignty. An earthly king may have died, but the Lord still reigned. He saw the Lord in all His glory. And, it had a profound impact on the life of Isaiah. (Ill. When life seems to fall apart at the seams, we need to remember the God Who is in control of it all! What appears to be a tragedy to us may be the greatest thing that could happen in our lives. Ill. Job! Ill. Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17.)

 

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

2 Cor 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

 

We need to remember just Who is in control!

 

Isaiah 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

 

31. V. 2-3 He Saw God’s Personality – The angelic beings in the temple proclaimed the thrice holy nature of the God of Heaven. Even those sinless creatures were careful to honor the holiness and purity of the Lord. Notice that they covered their faces with their wings. They also proclaimed the glory of the Lord! Isaiah finally understood that Uzziah might have been a good king, but the Lord was a holy God and He and He alone deserved the glory for all of life! (Ill. We need to remember that God’s prime characteristic is His holiness! Our duty before the Lord is to honor His holy nature by living holy lives before Him. We are to recognize His right to glory by giving Him all the glory for everything in our lives, 1 Cor. 10:31.)

 

 1 Cor 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. NKJV

 

Isaiah learned that this thing was not about Uzziah or Isaiah, but it is all about God! He, and He alone deserves to be in the place of honor and glory!

Be careful not to assume the place that belongs to Him alone!

During the downtimes of life, we need to remember Who is working all things out of His holiness and for the glory of His Name, James 1:17!

 

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.   NKJV

 

 

Isaiah 6:4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

 

1. V. 4 He Saw God’s Presence – We are told that the “house was filled with smoke”. This was a symbol of the presence of God. You will notice that God’s “train” filled the temple! That speaks of His robe. God was the central figure in the Temple! Isaiah was reminded, rather forcefully, that Uzziah might be gone, but the Lord was still there! He had not been forsaken even during this downtime, but the Lord was still with Him in great glory!

 

We need to remember this truth as well! If we are saved, we are never alone, but even during the downtimes of life, we still have the presence of the lord with us at all times, Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5.

 

Last verse in Matthew.

Matt 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

NKJV

 

Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

 

Isaiah saw something of God’s nature and character – he caught a glimpse “through the curtain”, as it were. He saw something of the Lord as Moses described Him in

 

Ex 15:11 “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?  NKJV

 

 

The vision was of God high and lifted up upon His throne. He saw God as the central object of all praise, surrounded by heavenly courtiers- angelic beings – the seraphim.

What a vision! Oh, that we would all have such times of encounter with God. BUT, would you look with me, it seems that it was ONLY ISAIAH who saw the glorious vision. If others were seated around him there in the Temple, THEY had no such revelation. He doesn’t write “WE saw the Lord”, he says, “I saw the Lord”.

There is a sense in which our corporate worship is still very much made up of INDIVIDUALS who are worshipping. (Hopefully we are not “individualistic” in our worship, in the sense that we ignore or disregard others around us. We must be mindful of one another, and offer Him corporate adoration – BUT WE ARE STILL INDIVIDUALS as we do so!)

It IS possible for one person to be moved to tears, while the person beside them – on the same row of chairs – is UNMOVED. One repents, while another trusts in his own self-righteousness. One responds willingly – with a soft heart – to the claims of Christ, whilst another is desperately resisting the persuasion of the Holy Spirit.

Which one are you?

Are you going to set here, going through the motions of a cold, formal religion, satisfying your conscience that you’ve come?

 

Or are you meeting with God here? Are you opening up to the Lord as He knocks at the door of your heart?

Isaiah met with God, he had a revelation of the greatness of the Lord, and it changed his life forever. The same living Lord is here tonight to meet with WHOEVER will call upon His name. EARTHLY kings may come and go – but the King of Kings is alive forever more, and just as powerful as ever He has been, and just as willing to reveal Himself to men.

And listen, Isaiah didn’t get this revelation just because he was a prophet. He saw God because he had a soft, pliable heart, and a listening ear. Titles and offices don’t cut any ice with God!

2 Chron 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

 

The Old King James put it: “Them whose heart is PERFECT toward Him.”

That word “loyal” or “perfect” is the Hebrew word “SHALEM”, which means “completely devoted to”; and it’s related to the word “SHALOM”, which means “PEACE” or “stillness”.

So, the verse says that God’s eyes roam the whole earth looking for a heart that is disposed toward Him, devoted to Him, and still before Him. God looks for people to reveal Himself to who are listening and available.

Isaiah was listening, and ISAIAH SAW THE LORD. The second thing that Isaiah saw this day in the Temple was:
 

 

2. ISAIAH SAW HIMSELF.
   
   Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

Isaiah SAW HIMSELF as he had never quite seen himself before. He did not see himself in the way that one sees themself as they admire their own image in a mirror. No, no! He did not see himself as a good person, worthy of God’s commendation, and the praise of people. He didn’t think to himself, “WOW! I must be the best person here, because God has honored ONLY ME with a vision of Himself.” That was NOT his attitude at all.

Instead, he cried out: Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips!

AND THIS IS ALWAYS TRUE. The closer we get to God, the more clearly, we see our sins. The contrast between His holiness and our unholiness gives us a vivid awareness of just how very far short of God’s glory we truly fall.

The times when we DO feel we have made it – we’ve arrived – we’re knocking on the door of perfection – they’re the times that we’ve been neglecting to pray and worship and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

When Peter was CLOSEST to Jesus he said: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man. When John received the Revelation of Christ on the Island of Patmos, he wrote, I fell at His feet as though dead!

A lost sense of God brings a lost sense of sin. But a renewed sense of God brings a renewed awareness of our own sinfulness.

Isaiah saw himself in a whole new light.

Making the Most of Your Walk With God

Part 2

by

Making the Most of the Time We Have.

 

 

Psalm 1:4-6 (NKJV)
⁴ The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
⁶ For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Again,

2. LOOK INSIDE. What are you becoming? Vv.3,4

 

v.4 The ungodly are not so….

LOOK INSIDE…. WHAT ARE YOU BECOMING? Are you like a tree planted? Are you like the chaff that the wind blows away? You might fool people, but what’s inside will be revealed in given time.

 

3. LOOK AHEAD. How will you be judged? Vv. 5,6

There is a destiny we will all be a part of. Up ahead…. judgment day is coming!

(a) Will you be judged among the ungodly? The ungodly will not be able to stand on judgment day. V.5 the ungodly shall not stand They will not have a leg to stand on. They will not have an excuse to stand on. They’ve made all kinds of excuses why they can’t come to church; why they can’t be saved today; Excuses…Excuses…but on that day they will not be able to stand on any excuse. They won’t be able to stand on their own self-righteousness. They won’t be able to stand and look God in the eye.

In Heaven there will only be one congregation. V.5 “the congregation of the righteous” There will be no sinners in that congregation. Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. There will be one pure, holy, godly congregation. The congregation of the redeemed; the congregation of the those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb! A Holy Congregation! If I wasn’t in that congregation…I would do business today with the Lord!

 

Look Ahead——-How will you be judged?

v.6 The Lord knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Jesus knows the way of the righteous. He knows His own. He knows their ways. It is the way of the cross. It is the way of repentance and faith in Christ. It is the ONLY way!

 

The ungodly has their own way. The way of their own. The way of do as you please. The way of the world. The way of self-righteousness. The way of works. The way of man-made religion.

Look ahead…. how will you be judged?

To make the most of your walk with God….it begins by godly influences. Godly influence will result in what you become on the inside…godly character. Godly character is what God is looking for…He’s looking for His own. Ungodly ways will not stand on judgment day.

A certain courthouse in Ohio stands in a unique location. Raindrops that fall on the northside of the building go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while those falling on the south side go into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. At precisely the point of the peak of the roof, just a gentle puff of wind can determine the destiny of many raindrops. It will make a difference of more than 2,000 miles as to their final destination. The spiritual application is clear. By the smallest deed or choice of words we might set in motion influences that could change the course of others’ lives here and now and could also affect their eternal destiny.

 

Our Daily Bread, June 12, 1994.

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

– Charles Reade

In a British cemetery:

Pause my friend, as you walk by

As you are now, so once was I

As I am now so you will be

Prepare my friend, to follow me.

A visitor added,

To follow you is not my intent

Until I know which way you went!

Destiny is determined not by chances but by choices.

 

 

Making the Most of Your Walk With God

Part 1

by

Making the Most of the Time We Have.

Time is precious. We really are not here on this earth for very long. We are like when you go to turn the light switch on, and the bulb is shot. One day it will eventually happen. So, how can we make the most of the time we have? We can make the most of the time we have left on earth by making the most of our walk with God. Many people live carelessly not giving much thought about their relationship with God. One day we will all have to stand before the Creator of this universe. The question that demands an answer is this: Will this God be your Heavenly Father who will receive you as a forgiven child? Or will this God be your Judge who will expel you to an eternal punishment?

 

To make the most of your walk with God, it is essential that you know Christ as your Lord and Savior. Apart from Christ there is no walk with God. Apart from Christ there is no saving relationship with God. To the person who is outside of God’s saving grace, I urge you to go to Jesus. He is ready to receive you. I pray you will find Jesus to be your Savior this very day.

 

To the child of God, I urge you to make the most of your walk with the Lord! Don’t be a careless Christian who lives day by day with no thought of a deeper walk with Christ. Don’t settle for a “I know-nothing; I feel-nothing; I want-nothing; I desire-nothing”.

I would seriously question whether I was a believer if I did not want to know more of Christ. I would seriously question my salvation if I did not feel and sense God’s presence from time to time. It’s not that our faith is based on feelings, but I should have some sense of God at work in my life. I would seriously question my salvation if I did not want anything at all from the Lord. I would seriously question where I stand with God if I did not desire anything of the Lord.

 

In Psalm 1we have a plea for a deeper, more solid, more productive walk with God.

The person who has a close walk with God is called Blessed!

So, how can we make the most of our walk with God? How can it become a blessed Walk?

 

To make the most of our walk with God, we will need to look carefully in three directions and answer three important questions.

 

1. LOOK AROUND. How are you being influenced? (vv.1,2)

 

Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV)
¹ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

There are only two possible ways we can be influenced. Either we are influenced with godly influence, or with ungodly influence. We need to look around and ask ourselves the question: How are we being influenced? We are surrounded by all kinds of influence. What are we allowing to influence us? To shape us? To mold us?

 

(a) The Ungodly Influence v.1 You don’t have to teach kids to be bad. They learn that quite well. We were by nature the children of wrath. We must be delivered from wrath. Thank God, in Christ, He has rescued us, and made us a child of God. Yet, we must beware of ungodly influences. It gets worse and worse. Note the stages of ungodliness:

 

(1) Walking in the counsel of the ungodly. Walk speaks of the direction we are going. Turn from ungodly counsel. Don’t go that direction. Some folks start each day by reading their horoscope. That’s the counsel they get each day. It’s ungodly counsel. Some people will consult some psychic they heard on TV. Some folks will listen to a “talk show” and get counsel on how to deal with everyday life. Some folks will buy a magazine just to read some ungodly counsel that’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.

When we go in the direction of worldly wisdom, and forsaking godly wisdom, we are under ungodly influences. The next step is…

 

(2) Standing in the way of sinners. After we go in the direction of seeking advice from the ungodly, we move from consulting the ungodly to identifying with the ungodly. Standing speaks of how we are now identifying with the way of sinners. We are not opposing their viewpoint; we are embracing what they say. At first, we walk to the ungodly to listen to what they say, now we don’t walk back to where we should be, we stand where they stand. We identify with their position. There’s only one position that’s worth having—-that’s God’s position. There’s only one viewpoint that’s worth having—that’s God’s viewpoint. Everything else must go to the TRASH CAN!!!

 

(3) Sitting in the seat of the scornful. Sitting speaks of a resting place. We have landed on a position that we feel very comfortable with. We first just walked around some ungodly counsel, then we began to stand around in ungodly counsel, finally we adopt it for our very own. We now sit down and take our seats. We sit in the seat of the scornful. SCOFFERS! MOCKERS! We now embrace ungodliness and scoff and mock at everything that is holy and godly.

 

We need to look around us and ask this question, how are we being influenced? Television has helped to make a nation of scoffers! Oh, but preacher, TV doesn’t influence me. Maybe it does, or maybe it doesn’t…. I do know this…. there are millions and millions of dollars spent on advertisement. Why? Advertising has influence on what kind of cereal you eat, what kind of toothpaste you buy, and what kind of truck you’ll drive. We are influenced by what we see on television.

Look around…How are you being influenced?

 

(b) Godly Influence v.2

The Blessed Man…the Person who makes much of His Walk with God will surround himself with godly influence. He does that by…

 

1- Delighting in the Word of God. How do you come to delight in God’s Word? It is because there was a time when you found delight in Jesus. SEE 1Peter 2:2,3 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” Your appetite for the Lord and His Word will become dull when you have tasted too much of this world. Get back in God’s Word and keep on allowing the Word of God to speak to you. Pray and ask the Lord to give you a hunger for His Word.

If we are to be exposed to godly influence, it will be found in the Bible.

 

2- Meditating on God’s Word.

 

It’s not enough to just read words from the Bible, but there must be some passages that we allow to get into our thinking and to shape our thoughts into the mind of Christ. I think of a verse in Romans….

Romans 12:2 “be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect, will of God.” This is more than just reading casually through the Bible. There are truths that must be internalized. There are some verses that must be memorized, or at least become so familiar that we know where they are in the Bible, and we can say the verse almost word by word.

How can we stay clean while in a world that influences us in the wrong way? Meditate on this verse….

Psalm 119:9 “wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Meditate on this verse John 15:3

 

“Now are you clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth”

 

WE CAN MAKE THE MOST OF OUR WALK WITH GOD BY MAKING MUCH OF HIS WORD!

2. LOOK INSIDE. What are you becoming? Vv.3,4

 

How we are influenced will reflect in what we become in character.

 

Look Inside your heart. Look inside where you really live. Ask yourself, “what kind of person am I becoming?”

 

The person who delights in God’s Word, and He, or She meditates on God’s Word will become like a tree planted by the rivers of water. You have found the source of true happiness. You are refreshed and nourished. It shows. It shows in three ways:

 

1- Fruitful. Bringeth forth his fruit in his season. You will be a fruitful person. What is a fruitful person? John Piper describes them this way, “They are refreshing and nourishing to be around. You go away from them fed. You go away strengthened. You go away with your taste for spiritual things awakened. Their words are healing and convicting and encouraging and deepening and enlightening. Being around them is like a meal.”

 

2- Durable. His leaf also shall not wither. The hot winds may blow, and the rain does not fall, this person is planted by the rivers of water. He is planted in God’s Word and while other people are withering away, he remains nourished, strong and vibrant in faith. Regardless of which way the winds blow, he is planted in the Word. He delights and meditates in the Word day and night. He is durable.

 

3—Prosperous. Whatsoever he does shall prosper.

Does that mean if you delight in God’s Word and meditate in God’s Word you will be like a tree….and you will prosper? Yes. What about Psalm 34:19

 

many are the afflictions of the righteous… You’ve got to see this one…Psalm 73

 

Psalm 73:3  “for I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked”

Psalm 73:12  “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.”

 

It looks like the wicked are the ones who are filthy rich. The good person is the one suffering. But don’t forget Psalm 73:17

 

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

God gave the writer some insight. You haven’t seen their end. Psalm 1:4 the ungodly are not so…the wind drives them away…. last 4 words of Psalm says the ungodly shall perish

 

In this world…. For the Believer…this is the only Hell you will see and experience.

For the unbeliever. This is the only Heaven they will ever know…

How to Prepare for Battle.

Part 4

 

Ephesians 6:18-20 (NKJV)

¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints– ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

 

Finally, Paul comes to the greatest weapon of all–and that is prayer. We note three things that he says about prayer.

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

(a) It must be constant. Our tendency is so often to pray only in the great crises of life; but it is from daily prayer that the Christian will find daily strength.

(b) It must be intense. Limp prayer never got a man anywhere. Prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God.

(c) It must be unselfish. The Jews had a saying, “Let a man unite himself with the community in his prayers.” I think that often our prayers are too much for ourselves and too little for others.

We must learn to pray as much for others and with others as for ourselves.

Finally, Paul asks for the prayers of his friends for himself.

And he asks not for comfort or for peace but that he may yet be allowed to proclaim God’s secret, that his love is for all men.

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

We do well to remember that ever Christian leader and every Christian preacher needs his people to uphold his hands in prayer.

 

Don’t have Empty Armor

Ephesians 6:18

now…

Realize the victory – this happens in our text!

 

1. 18 Once we are all suited up in our armor, we must realize it’s not about us and our skills or tools, but it’s all about the Lord…the battle is the Lord’s! This is not an excuse to not do our part and utilize the armor…we must work hard at it, like it’s up to us, but with the underlying knowledge that it’s all up to God!

 

A sword, a shield, a helmet and such are totally useless if we have no strength to fight with…and the Lord is our strength. We must rely on Him! The arm of flesh will fail us. I CANNOT do all things! Only thru Christ which strengthened me!

 

How old will I be when I finally master this? How many years must I be saved before I stop trying to live the life in my own strength? How many reminders do we need?

 

Dressing for success in the armor of the Lord is a daily occurrence, and so must be our reminders about where our strength comes from…so must be our battling in prayer a daily habit!

 

We need spiritual energy, strength, and power with which to fight.

 

Little David faced the giant without the armor…but with the Lord!

 

What good is the Sword in our hand if we don’t have the spiritual strength to wield it?

 

Our feet can look good in the shoes of the gospel, but if we have no spiritual strength to walk the walk then it doesn’t matter if we talk the talk. We are to run the race in those shoes, and that takes spiritual strength!

 

It’s one thing to know you have Christ’s righteousness found in the breastplate, but the real question is, does anyone else know you have it? They won’t if you don’t live it…and it takes spiritual strength to live it out loud!

 

Same thing with the girdle of truth. Knowing and doing are two different things. We know a lot of truth, but do we walk in truth, do we share truth? Not without God’s hand helping us!

 

What good is the helmet of salvation if the noggin inside it isn’t actively thinking, or is asleep? Having the mind of Christ takes real discipline that I don’t have…I must pray for that kind of power.

 

Prayer is where we get the strength to fight! The armor is shiny, but it’s an empty coat of mail that can only be filled with spiritual strength from the Lord!

 

Oh, that we would put even 5% of the effort that we put into trying to make things happen into praying for things to happen!

 

In Exodus 17 Joshua and the army is at war with Amalek. Joshua is in the valley with a sword, and Moses is up on the mountain above, interceding in prayer. Both were important, but which was most important? Both are necessary…but which is most necessary?

 

Prayerlessness is the ‘umbrella sin’ under which all my other sins stay dry and cozy.

 

It’s really difficult to continue in a sinful habit that I regularly talk to God about! It’s not too often that I will fall into a deception of Satan when I’m walking and talking with the Lord! And as for the temptation to do things in my own strength — why would I do that if I’m daily proving that there’s a better way…to pray first, and then work. Pray first, and then serve. Pray first, and then preach. Pray first, and then make a decision.

 

“Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.”

 

Prayer not only gives us the energy with which to fight, but it is also the means of communication with our Commander in Heaven. And communications with Central Command is vital in winning a battle.

 

The Christian life is much like a football game, because we need armor in this life, and we face a formidable foe, and we are at war. Football is just controlled violence!

 

The coach isn’t in the game but is vital to it. If he is cut out of the loop, the result will be chaos…but he also needs a leader on the field. He needs someone he can trust. He needs to relay messages back and forth, he needs signals.

 

Today we get to the line and call a lot of ‘audibles,’ which is cutting out the coach. How much success will we have in life if we bench our coach?

 

Communication is vital in the game of life!

 

In war, if we can undermine communications or knock them out, we can win the victory.

 

We’re so big on privacy now we even keep things private from God [as if we could!]

 

“Oh, what peace we often forfeit…”

 

The devil does all he can to keep us from having a time of prayer. And when we don’t pray, our energy wanes, and we have no strength to fight with. Our spiritual batteries need recharged, and we put a lot of emphasis on that happening in preaching services like this, where God talks to us, but that’s only half the battle, because God wants us to talk back!

 

Have communications been cut off between you and God? He isn’t the one who hung up!

 

“Stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone…the arm of flesh will fail you, you dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer…”

 

We need strength to fight with, so we’re not just empty armor decorating the castle wall…

 

Verse 18 has 4 ‘all’s: in it.

 

1. Praying always – pray regularly.

 

2. with all supplication in the Spirit – pray correctly.

 

3. with all perseverance – pray persistently.

 

4. for all saints – pray inclusively.

 

1. Pray regularly.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

 

This doesn’t mean 24 hrs. a day…that’s impossible, and we have other duties and need sleep, etc.

 

What this does mean is that our heavenly telephone should always be in service, and used often as a first plan of action, not our last resort.

 

We should never have to start a prayer with “Lord, we come into your presence…” because you never left His presence in the first place!

 

We should wake up to prayer, and before our feet hit the floor, recognize the One who has given us another day, and as we get up and begin, we should begin it with Him, and not just rush past Him into our day.

 

We have so much to accomplish that we MUST take time to pray. It’s time well spent, and since you can’t out-give God, do yourself a favor and take time to pray!

 

Traveling time is a great time to pray and worship.

 

You can pray for God to fill your armor to fight the battle of this day!

Thru the day, decisions will need to be made, challenges will arise, temptations will present themselves.

 

Walking with God means sharing life with Him, not just Sundays with Him.

 

We should seek Him even in small decisions, habitually.

 

When Joshua defeated Jericho, he and the people were filled with self-confidence, and didn’t seek the Lord against the little village of Ai…they would be a piece of cake, right? Only a small delegation was sent, and 36 men lost their lives!

 

Joshua got back on his knees, and God revealed the problem to him, and how to win that battle. And God would have revealed that before, just as he did after, and they wouldn’t have died!

 

God said not to make a peace treaty with the Gibeonites. They pretended to be someone else and deceived Joshua, and the Bible says…

 

Joshua 9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

 

When we fail to seek the Lord, we are headed for trouble!

 

Maybe you’ve driven that way as well. Not nodding off,  but zoning out mentally unless something happens to awake your attention.

 

When I think of praying without ceasing, I think it means on at least a subconscious level, you are always in a spirit of prayer, even if you don’t actually pray a prayer until something comes to your attention, which should be more often than not!

 

We do a variety of things all day, but are we cognizant of the fact that God is in the same room, and thinking of us, even when we haven’t been thinking of Him?

 

We need to experience God in life, not just in church!

 

1. Pray regularly…

 

2. Pray correctly.

 

The disciples never asked Jesus to teach them to preach, but to teach them to pray!

 

Most of us are still in pre-school in this matter, with a lot to learn.

 

We pray to the Father, thru the Spirit, in Jesus’ name.

 

“Our Father, which art in Heaven…” [not dear Jesus!]

 

But we pray in Jesus’ name because that’s the only basis by which we can be heard. He is our high priest, and allows us access to the Most Holy Place, the throne of grace!

 

And we pray in the Spirit, or thru the Spirit.

 

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

 

The Spirit helps to give us the words, and when there’s no words, prays the words without words from our heart with groanings which cannot be uttered!

 

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also help our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

 

The Spirit helps when we don’t know the right words to say to God. It also helps when we don’t know the will of God. We pray so much for our will…we should listen to the next verse…

 

Romans 8:27 And he that search the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

 

regularly, correctly…

 

3. Pray persistently.

 

We are below with the rope, and God is above, making the real sounds that go out over the earth.

 

Some Christians just give the bell an occasion jerk, but to really make things happen, you don’t let go until the job is done!

 

Jesus gave a couple of parables [Friend at Midnight / Unjust Judge] about not giving up praying until you get results, when it comes to things that you know are God’s will, such as a person being saved, or you getting victory over a sin. Now, when it’s our will, like Paul wanting a healing, you can let it rest if the Lord reveals you need to accept it.

 

George Mueller prayed 52 years for a man to be saved, and it happened after he died!

 

Our timing is not the same as God’s. Now, why would God delay an answer to prayer?

 

• patience – we live in an instant everything world. God wants us to wait on Him.

 

• purity – when God doesn’t grant an answer I know to be in His will, I must stop and examine my life. Are my prayers being heard, or is sin in the way?

 

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

 

Is God pleased to bless me?

 

• promotion – sometimes God intends on granting our request, but only once we are spiritually mature enough to handle it and receive that answer. [Sometimes God says no, sometimes slow, sometimes go, and sometimes GROW!]

 

When a 4 year old asks for a shotgun, you may think ahead to the day when you will indeed give him one…but that day is not today!

 

regularly, correctly, persistently…

 

4. Pray inclusively.

 

We pray a lot about ourselves, but prayer is supposed to be about each other as well. You’re not the only one in this war. You may have it tough, but some have it tougher!

 

Samuel said to Israel, “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.” [1 Sam. 12:23]

 

I pray for you. Do you pray for me?

 

Did you know that the Church of Satan boasts that they actively pray and fast to Satan for the demise of Bible preachers? I think their prayers are being heard and answered!

Any success I have had here is because of prayer. The way to have more blessings is thru prayer. Sermon success is a direct result of prayer, not skill. The way I can stay in the ministry is not to feel confident that since I’ve done it many years so far that I always will…I need your prayers!

 

And there’s as many needs as hairs on heads in this room. Pray for each other, and your prayers for yourself may be affected as well!

 

The gnu is an African antelope. When its prey approaches, it drops to its knees. When close enough, it springs to attack from its knees.

 

We are Christian soldiers, and we can sharpen our skills and have the right tools and armor, but it all begins on our knees! Otherwise, it’s just empty armor.

 

 

THE FINAL BLESSING

Ephesians 6:21-24 (NKJV)

²¹ But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; ²² whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts. ²³ Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

 

 

Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will provide you with all information, that you too may know how things are going with me, how I do. That is the very reason that I sent him to you, that you may know my affairs and that he may encourage your hearts.

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love the Lord Jesus with a love which defies death.

 

As we have seen, the letter to the Ephesians was an encyclical letter and the bearer from church to church was Tychicus. Unlike most of his letters, Ephesians gives us no personal information about Paul, except that he was in prison; but Tychicus, as he went from church to church., would tell how Paul was faring and would convey a message of personal encouragement.

 

 

Paul finishes with a blessing and in it all the great words come again. The peace, which was a man’s highest good, the faith, which was complete resting in Christ, the grace which was the lovely free gift of God these things Paul calls down from God upon his friends. Above all he prays for love that they may know the love of God, that they may love men as God loves them, and that they may love Jesus Christ with an undying love.