Wednesday, February 2, 2022

 MAKE ROOM


Jack Davis


While Jesus walked and ministered here on earth He sought receptive hearts and ears for His message of love and deliverance. He said, “Let these sayings sink down into your ears.” He seemed to turn away many that offered to follow Him, but had other priorities. They really had very little room for Him.


In Luke 10, we read of the fallen, stripped and wounded man left for dead by the thieves. We read of a good neighbor that came and had compassion on him, took care of him, brought him to an inn, paid for a place of comfort that he might rest and recover. We cannot help but think of the condition in which our Lord found us and so wonderfully provided for our eternal destiny.


The Rich Fool

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth,” Luke 12:15. Jesus follows this statement with a parable of the fool that is not rich toward God. The man seemed so consumed with the increase of his material wealth. He was most concerned with where he would store his “goods.” He then made such a sad statement as to his attitude concerning material wealth, “I have no room where to bestow my fruits.” Our apostle warns in I Timothy 6:17, “Be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” Jesus taught the way to appropriate lasting treasures in heaven and said: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” Luke 12:34.


In Luke 14:7-11 we read of the shame of demotion and the joy of promotion. The host of the wedding is the one to direct us to the choice room that each should occupy. It is our place to humble ourselves under his mighty hand. He promotes righteously and in due season. It is his place to tell us, “Friend go up higher.” It is the same in every Age, there are always those that think themselves more deserving than others. Some think it is automatic, that they are a shoo-in for a prominent place, that they are qualified to reign. It is not the strong willed self determined ruler that the Lord will delight to honor. He makes room for the unlikely. It is not those that think they are worthy to reign with Christ, but rather those that only find worthiness in Him.


We read of “rooms” in relation to rulers both in a political and religious sense in both the Old and New Testaments. Which generally speaks of those filling the offices of their predecessors, succeeding or following others to thrones.


“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men,” Prov. 18:16. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men,” Eph. 4:7-8. Praise God! Our Lord alone gives us room and the unction to function in His will in our lives, for His glory. He even opens great and effectual doors for those that are unable to open their own doors.


“Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” He that has made the great supper has said, “Come for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:15-24, “and yet there is Room.” Multitudes have been gathered unto Him in this Age of Grace and yet there is room. He still has room for the unlikely. I am impressed that those that will fill the uppermost rooms in that eternal state will come from such as these mentioned here, the poor, the maimed, the halt and the blind. Shall I say, the Lord’s cripples? It is truly the needy ones that have room for Him, His will and work. Those that seek the fulfillment of His purposes, require His rich provision.


In Luke’s record he gives examples of those that don’t have room for Him and some of their foolish excuses, 14:18-20. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they are aware of the depth of their spiritual need. “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James 2:5. Especially written to the Church we read what God has chosen, how He will use His choice, and why these are His choice. I Cor. 1:26-31. “He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord.”


“The lame take the prey (spoil)” Isa. 33:23. In II Kings 7:8 we find that those poor lepers did just that, and shared it with others. What a sweet illustration. Also Mephibosheth a descendant of Saul, who was lame from a fall, was granted the right to eat at the king’s table continually. We think of Jacob with his hip out of joint, going on: Gedion’s men, “faint yet pursuing” of Paul with his thorn, yet gladly “pressing toward the mark for the prize.”


“O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the same, be ye also enlarged.” II Cor. 6:11-13. MAKE ROOM! In other words, We are not restricting or restraining you, but you are restricted in your own compassions and affections. These saints were limiting divine work in their lives for spiritual increase. There is recorded the same attitude in the Psalms. “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel’” 78:41. “Yea, they spake against God: they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” Psa. 78:19. Paul said, II Cor. 7:2, “Receive us.” He requested of Philemon; “prepare me…lodging.” We will one day be exceedingly glad that we opened up to Paul’s word of grace.


A Double Welcome

“Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room…These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled…” – Acts. 1;12-14, and 2:1-4.


In this room the  Church  was constituted – the body of Christ. I Cor. 12:13. Here they were being guests of God, as He was about to pour out unto them of His greatness, provision and power. He was also being their guest, for they were obeying God’s word and our Lord’s command by meeting there. The time they spent there, was inviting into their individual temples the Spirit of the living God.


In Acts 9:36 we read of Dorcas of Joppa being laid out in an upper room, or chamber for death and burial, and there she was lifted to life. In Acts 10:9-16, Peter having gone up on the house top to pray, received that important revelation that the gospel was to be extended unto the Gentiles. Hallelujah! The Lord has made room for us. Is there a relation between the room we give Him here and the place we will occupy eternally? Oh, Yes! If we suffer with Him we will reign with Him. If we deny Him the rulership of our lives, He will deny us a seat on the thrones around Him.