Welcome

July 2024 is now posted.

We will be posting the Glorious Gospel articles individually below. A PDF file (large print) can be downloaded under the Archives tab and printed if desired, as well as past editions.

 INDEPENDENCE DECLARED

Jack Davis

“For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” I Cor. 7:22-23

God, in the proclamation of the Gospel of His Grace has made manifold declaration of the believers independence. The value of our independence is dependent upon how dependent we are upon the most dependable one. Independence is indeed most blessed, beneficial, profitable as we “use it,” exercise it in dependence on Him.

“Year Of Jubilee”

Consider some thoughts from the Old Testament. “When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof, But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, not prune thy vineyard…And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughput all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants  thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his famiy” – Lev. 25:2-4, 8-10.

God for a multiple purpose, gave Israel this Sabbatic system. They in numbering seven sabbatic years, or seven weeks of years, which totaled forty-nine years, then the forty-nineth year came with that great day of atonement. At the close of that day, the year of Jubilee was introduced with the sounding of the trumpet. Therefore with the forty-ninth sabbatic year pass, the year of jubilee sounded the glad note of rest, restoration, remission, and release. Hallelujah! Freedom from every form of poverty, and bondage. The “proclaiming of liberty throughout all the Land,” was indeed an acclamation of Joy.

This year of jubilee was the crowning aspect of their sabbatic system. All properties, and persons could be priced, measured, or valued in view of that year. The Hebrew word for “jubilee” carries the thought of a rich stream of sound. From the prim root “jubil”” we get the meaning to flow, bring, lead, or carry forth with pomp.

We get that same root from Psalm 89:15, “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound.” Read Lev. 25:47-50 with Ruth 3 and 4; and Psalm 49:6-9 for precious and profitable instructions on the kinsman redeemer. The “day of atonement” and “year of jubilee” merge in pointing prophetically to our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn” – Isa. 61:1-2.

In Luke 4:16-22, Jesus quotes this portion in part, applying it to Himself, for He was there to fulfill those words. He stopped short of reading the part on the day  of vengeance, because it is believed by most, that the Church was hidden in between.

Shortly after Pentecost Peter preached, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” – Acts 3:19-21.

Grace was still being offered to the nation of Israel until the stoning of Steven, but they refused God’s offer. Their kinsman Redeemer was there, standing ready to return, but they rejected Him. Therefore those “times of refreshing” and “times of restoration,” were being missed. Thank God soon these “times” will be realized when believing Israel receives Him.

In the mean time, we are to experience and enjoy the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. We realize this personally as we grow in grace and knowledge of Him. This is far more beneficial than learning a system, studying formulas, or following self-help steps. Knowing Him who is truth personified, in everyday reality, wonderfully liberates. Sin should not exercise dominion over us for we are in the realm, under the principle of God’s grace. There we are willingly held under love’s sweet restraints in the perfect law of liberty – II Cor. 5:14; James 1:25. We are there because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death – Rom. 8:2.

We now have the freedom to make the choice whether we let sin reign in our mortal bodies or refuse. It is our redemptive right to overcome sin, self and Satan by the power of the Spirit’s might, unto the glory of God. This will be well for us until all creation enters that glorious liberty of God’s dear children. For soon our jubilee trumpet will sound.

 Happiness

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:1-3

Blessed means “happy.” How many are searching today for the secret to happiness? It is found right here in God’s Word. This true happiness, that lasts. Happiness is usually tied to circumstances. Something that happens makes us happy. This is why happiness is so elusive for many. Well, here we find a reason for happiness that goes on and on. There are many things that can make us happy. I found a few in Scripture. 

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Psalms 32:1. Knowing your sins are forgiven is reason enough for happiness every day. “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 16:17. “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” Luke 11:28. It seems pretty clear from Scripture that studying, believing and obeying God’s Word will make us happy. If you are wondering if there is any evidence of this, I can tell you there is substantial evidence in millions who have chosen to do just this and found great happiness.

Let’s break this down a little. The first verse gives us some things that happy (blessed) people avoid. Walking always speaks about the conduct of our lives. “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:2. “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” Ephesians 5:8. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,” Ephesians 5:15 Do we live our lives in the counsel or after the advice of the world? We should be allowing the Bible to direct our lives. The world will lead us in a direction that is contrary to Word of God. I love the idea of thinking Biblically about everything. Even though the Bible does not directly address every single thing that we have in our lives, there are principles that guide us if we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us.

Standing in the way of sinners speaks about the idea of continuing in sin because we are forgiven. Paul addresses this in Romans 5 and 6. Since grace abounds more where sin abounds, should we continue in sin? Paul answers this in Romans 6. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2. Grace should actually draw us away from sin and towards God’s Holiness.

Sitting is even more permanent. Now we are talking about just getting comfortable in the seat of the scornful. Scornful is boastful. This is an attitude of thinking we are capable in ourselves. This permeates much of Christianity today as they create programs to help you take control of your life. Blessed are those that know they can’t control their own lives and give control to the Holy Spirit.

The second verse is the key to all of this. It starts with outlining the thing that delights these happy (blessed) people. Think for a minute about what delights you. Are the things of this world a delight to you? How about God’s Word? When you study the Bible, does that delight you? We choose the things that delight us. Do you choose the Word of God? “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” Psalms 112:1. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16. If you are looking for happiness, then choose to delight in the Word of God.

The idea of meditating night and day in God’s Word is a difficult concept for most. First, meditating on God’s Word seems to be somewhat a lost concept. Most of our lives these days are in a hurry. Everything is set up to get little quick bites of news or whatever you are interested in. Youtube has demanded that people who want to create on their platform create “shorts.” These are little short videos that are less than a minute. This is because they know the attention limit for most people is only a minute or two.

Meditating is all about taking time to read carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to really speak to you. It will involve some prayerful time and some quiet time just listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say. What I have found is that I often miss something important if I hurry through the passage, and if I take time, the Holy Spirit will minister to my exact need at that moment. When God ministers to your need, you will find yourself being happy. “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.” Psalms 119:97-99

Meditating night and day speaks to me again about the importance of God’s Word in every aspect of our lives at every moment of every day. There is not a single moment in your life that you do not need God’s Word to guide your life. “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.” Psalms 104:34. Quit looking for happiness in the world, it will not be found there. Seek God’s presence and His Word and you will find happiness.

 REGENERATION

Anita Clark – Pastor

Grace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas

“Then answered Peter and said unto Him, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed Thee: what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:27-28.) The word “regeneration” occurs two times in the Bible.

This word, “regeneration,” means in the Greek, “spiritual renovation,” or change. When Jesus speaks of the “regeneration,” He is speaking of His Kingdom during the millennial (1000 years) reign coming in our time very soon. Note the phrase, “...when the Son shall sit upon the throne of His glory.”

Apostle Paul uses this word “regeneration” in Titus 3:-4-5, when speaking of our salvation provided by the death of Jesus, “For we ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedience, deceived...but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Which was shed abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Note  we are “washed.” I Cor. 6:11, says, “And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God.” “Sanctified” means to make holy and to purify. “Justified” means “to make righteous.” All the human race needs “regeneration.” Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away.” Read John 1:11-13. We are born again by the “will of God.”

Process of Regeneration- Ezekiel 36:26-29 gives us wonderful promises about how God changes us. Vs. 26 - “A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh ...” Read again Titus 3:4-5. These verses show the process of regeneration in our lives. 

Instrument of our Regeneration- I Peter 1:22-23. In Vs. 22 we see that “ye purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.” In verse 23 we read - “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” Ephesians 5: 25-27 shows forth and explains the work of Christ to bring the believers to the place He desires - His Bride. “... Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it. That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Vs. 30 “For we are members of his body, of His flesh, and of His bones.”

This portion of Jeremiah 31:33 was written for the nation of Israel, but applies to us today and God’s work in our lives. “After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Because of Israel’s rejection of the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, God has turned to the Gentiles.” Apostle Paul is the Apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ. He wrote fourteen books of the New Testament. We are thankful for his teaching. This verse in Jeremiah 31:33 shows us the Work of God our Father in us and our regeneration. 

1. The Process is the same for us. God puts His Law (His will, His precepts, and statutes) in our hearts. We receive the new life of Jesus in us, and the process begins.

2. God “writes it in our heart. “ We have a new spirit, and want to know God, and He wants us to study the Word of God. It becomes a part of us in our new life.

3. He will be our God - We accept Him working in us, and taking care of us. We yield to Him and His power over us.

4. We shall be His people. He takes all responsibility for His sheep.

“They shall all know me.” Jesus said, “The sheep follow Him for they know His voice.” John 10:3

Jeremiah 33:8-13 says, “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity; whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth ...” Vs. 11 “The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for His mercy endureth forever and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD.”

Regeneration is not by our works of our flesh, but by the grace of our dear Lord Jesus, and Beloved Father God.

 Fruit Bearing

Part 3

Pastor Vicky Moots

Kingman, Kansas

As we have seen, in Gal. 5:22-23, the apostle Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit, starting with “love”, followed by 8 more items: joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness and temperance.  If you examine these more closely you will see that these last 8 items would not even be possible without the first one, and that they are all a part of the divine nature of Christ Himself.

So how is it possible that we, as mere humans, can ever hope to bear such fruit as this? It is absolutely impossible for us to do that!  That is why Paul is careful to clarify that it is the fruit of the Spirit, and not the flesh.  In vss. 19-21 he lists some sordid examples of the works of the flesh which all have their root in the old creation life.  These all display the exact opposite of love. 

Only as a new creation can the Holy Spirit flow through our spiritual veins to produce spiritual fruit, just like the sap of the vine flows through its branches.  First of all, we must experience and accept the love of God into our own hearts when we are convicted and convinced by the Holy Spirit that we are sinners and in need of a Savior, as we read in Rom. 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

So, the first step in fruit bearing is to accept and lay hold of God’s love personally.  The Scripture doesn’t just say that God shows love, it says, “God is love” (I John 4:8).  Apart from God, there is no true, unselfish love.  Only as we experience God’s love can we share it with others as our spiritual fruit.  John makes that very clear in I John 4:7 when he says, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God [born again], and knoweth God.”

God’s divine love, agape, reaches out to the unlovely.  He sent His Son to die for us when we were yet sinners, when we were still His enemies.  Jesus died for the ones who mocked Him and spit in His face, the ones who laid the stripes upon His back and drove the nails into His hands.  He did that because of love.  Jesus was our earthly example of God’s love in action and in words when He prayed on the cross.  “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

We are to follow His example in our fruit bearing by letting His love flow through us to love those who have hurt us.  Jesus told the Pharisees that love was the greatest commandment, and Paul reiterated that in Rom. 13:10 when he said, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.”  This is, of course, only true of God’s love, agape, and can only be displayed in our lives as a fruit of the Spirit, not by our own works.  Natural man does not possess this kind of love. 

Jesus said in John 15:9, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”  Can you truly grasp the immensity of that statement? Jesus told His disciples that He loved them with the same kind and depth of love that God, His Father, loved Him!  It is hard to imagine how much God loved His Son.  That is love in its purest form; that is the fruit of the Spirit kind of love.  He goes on further to tell them to continue loving others in that same manner, to continue in His love.  In v. 12 He again tells them to “love one another as I have loved you.”  At the beginning of that verse He said, “This is my commandment.” Jesus gave them only one commandment, not ten.  They were commanded to love with God’s kind of love.  This was the fruit that they were told to bear as a result of abiding in the vine.  He is, of course, also speaking those words to us today as His disciples.  

One of the most important Scriptures regarding God’s love, besides John 3:16, which tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” is found in Rom. 8:38-39.  In these verses Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord.” That eliminates everything in God’s creation, including ourselves.  Paul’s words assure us that God will not cut us off from the Vine no matter what happens.  The only cutting that He will do is to prune us, through His Word and through circumstances which He allows, in order to bring us closer to Him, so that we may bear the fruit of His love, the fruit of the Spirit.

 Are You An Eagle Saint?

Earlene Davis

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” 

Waiting upon the Lord promises Spiritual strength to be eagle saints. I find it interesting to read scripture where the eagle is mentioned.

Ex. 19:4, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” Here the eagle symbolizes Jehovah God delivering Israel out of Egypt, calling attention to the grace of God as the aggressor in Israel’s redemption – carrying them through the Red Sea (a type of Calvary. Life and liberty was a type of resurrection. If God had not taken up their cause they would have remained in Egyptian bondage. They were defenceless and helpless. But Jehovah as the great Eagle, the mighty One, came to their help swooping down and bore them upon His wings just as the eagles do their offspring. He is our deliverer and Redeemer, the Lord Himself redeemed us by His death, carrying us down into death and judgment, and then up into life and resurrection in Himself.

Deut. 32:11-12, “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” The thought here is of the mother eagle training her young. She teaches them to fly by throwing them out of their comfortable nest which forces them to use their wings or else they would fall to the ground. That danger causes them to make the effort. The lesson is not learned in a day, it is repeated again and again until they master the art of flying and soar upon the wind. This is how the Lord trains His children. He stirs up the nest, forcing us out of the baby stage. He allows trouble to come our way disciplining in the school of affliction. All the while teaching us to use our wings of faith so we can rise and soar above all danger, thus made spiritually strong. We grow in courage, zeal and knowledge, proving our kinship to the Lord Himself, the great Eagle.

II Sam. 1:23, “Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.” They  were mighty men and David loved them, giving this beautiful eulogy comparing them to the eagle, the king of birds. Their natural skill and beauty are traits manifested spiritually in the overcomers (strong, courageous, daring and swift like the eagle).

Job 39:27, “Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?” It is God that puts the instinct in the eagle to fly high and make her nest far above the haunts of men. Likewise the overcoming saint soars and nest in the Rock, Christ Jesus. The overcoming life of Christ is the heritage of all saints.  We are of heavenly birth and our real home is above. We are just sojourners here. The eagle comes down from her lofty place sometimes, but the air is her element, as the heavenlies are our sphere – Eph. 2:6, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” 

Prov. 23:5, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Yes, the eagle flies swift and far, just as do natural riches. This warning for us is to not set our hearts on transitory things. They can disappear and we will be disappointed. God is jealous of His people’s devotion and desires our hope and confidence be set upon Him. nothing in this world can be depended on. The Lord alone is the Rock. He cannot fail those who put their trust in Him.

Jer. 49:16, “Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.” Man’s pride sets himself up high in his own estimation, feeling secure as if no evil could befall him. Such pride is characteristic of Satan which is an abomination to the Lord. He is able to bring down the proud regardless of their exalted position. Our safe place is hiding under the wings of the great Eagle Himself.

Jer. 49:22, “Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.” This speaks of Christ as the Judge of all men.  As Judge, He shall fly down upon His enemies. The eagle illustrates this, being way up in the air spys a snake and he swoops down clutching him in his beak and rises with him in the air where the battle is fought. The reptile puts up a fight, but he looses. A beautiful picture of Christ, as the Seed of the woman, bruising the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). He gets the victory over all Satan’s seed who dares to dispute Him. Every enemy will be put under His feet (I Cor. 15:25-28).

Ezek. 1:10, “As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.” These symbolic figures represent the overcomers on earth. Those walking in all the light and doing the will of God. They are joined to the throne above and they go straight forward (V. 12), rolling along in perfect obedience to the throne.

Rev. 4:7, “And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.” Here the overcomers are seen in heaven, closely association with the throne and they have a prominent part in its judgment. 

Back to our text (Isa. 40:31) where the eagle speaks of the believer who waits upon the Lord. His strength is renewed, mounting up, soaring in the heavenlies. Our wings of faith lifting us up into the very presence of God. Where obstacles cannot hinder, every difficulty must give way before the Spirit of the Lord. Phil. 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strentheneth me.” May we remember that Christ is the true Eagle – both as Jehovah and as Man. He is the mighty overcomer. We can lay hold of His life and His strength and be renewed by His resurrection life of which we are partakers and go on from strength to strength.

 The Drink offering

Jack Davis

“And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men” - II Sam. 23:13-17.

In this chapter, we read of David’s mighty men; great heroes they were. David, at this time, was in a cave in hiding. These three mighty men along with others, were with him there. David’s enemies, the Philistines, were occupying Bethlehem; and it was well guarded. David had such a great thirst, a deep longing for his home. He yearned for the time when the city of Bethlehem would once more be in the hands of its God-given owners. So he said, “Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” So these three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, drew out the water, and took it and brought it to David. Ah, now, David can have a drink! But, no. This heroic act touched his heart so much that he was crushed. He was overwhelmed. These men had greatly endangered their lives. They, like the Apostle Paul, did not count their lives dear unto themselves. They were themselves a “drink offering,” in honoring their leader and captain. Their feat of love reminds us of the overcoming of the saints mentioned in Revelation twelve. We read that they overcame “the accuser of our brethren…by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” – Rev. 12:10-11. David said, “Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this.” David felt that this sacrifice was too sacred for him, so he “poured it out unto the Lord.” Let us learn that a drink offering which we pour unto the Lord is of great value.

In Genesis 35:1-3,14 we see where Jacob had cried unto God, and God delivered him, and was with him in the way which he went. God talked with Jacob, and told him to build an altar. Jacob did as he was told, and yet he went farther in expressing his appreciation. When he had set the pillar in the place where God had talked with him, he poured a drink offering thereon. Blessed communion with God calls forth a drink offering.

In Exodus 29:40 we learn that the drink offering was to be a part of the daily bunt offering. We know that wine is the product of a crushing process. The Lord so forcibly impressed a though upon me, when I returned to Wichita after attending the funeral of Sister Alice Mooneyhan. I could not sleep that night. I went into the living room and began worshiping the Lord. I cried unto Him, “Oh, let that same life which flowed out through her, flow through me. His answer came powerfully to my mind, “IT TAKES A CRUSHING!” It seems my flesh recoiled. We know that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Wine, in Scripture, is a symbol  of Christ’s blood and of the blessing of the Gospel. It speaks of refreshing, of the exhilarating effects of the Holy Spirit’s fullness. In Ephesians five, wine speaks of the control that He will take in our lives, if we will let Him. We must yield, drink of the Holy Spirit and give Him drink.

We see in Lev. 23:13 that the libation was offered with the sweet savor offering, which speaks of the life of Christ. Its fragrance ascended up to the throne of God. It was to be prepared with the burnt offering – Num. 15:5. The strong wine was to be poured out in the Holy Place unto the Lord – Num. 28:7.

God still accepts a drink offering today. In Gen. 24:17-18 Eleazar said, pertaining to his meeting with Rebekah at the well, “Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.” If we are going to give the Lord drink We, too, must let down our pitcher. Rebekah is typical of those special uncommon unusual saints who, today, are submitting to the Spirit’s control and giving the Lord drink; thus, satisfying His heart.

Jn. 4:5-7,10,14, Jesus was wearied with His journey. He, no doubt, felt somewhat like David – “Oh that one would give me drink!” This journey caused Him far more than physical weariness. This was not a happy scene, that He left heaven’s beauties to come to. His journey was among the unholy, harmful, defiled, sinful, and sick. Oh yes, He would enjoy being refreshed. Several different times in different words He said, “Give Me drink!” Now it is certainly refreshing to meet a hungry and thirsty heart. It is greatly refreshing to meet others who can share with us, entering into the things we feel and enjoy. What an exchange is offered here! We ask a drink, and He offers   a well. He gives us an eternally effervescent well. Now, as we pour out to Him our deep love and wholehearted adoration, He floods our being, which causes us to bubble over and over and over. As we drink and give Him drink, He cause an outflow which becomes a river which cannot be passed over – a river of life-giving waters. But, how can we be refreshing until we are refreshed? Oh, how precious is the outflow of a living sacrifice.

Our lives may give daily evidence that our God  is a living loving God. We may have a continual upspring and outflow; but, we must  be full, if we are going to run over. Certainly, there are dry spells in the Christian’s experience; but it is our fault, not the Lord’s doing. He allows these at times so that we will appreciate the living waters. As we pour out to Him, He pours more into us. Now a vessel full of the wrong material is in poor condition to be filled. In John 7:39 we read a very significant statement, “The Holy Ghost was not get given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” We are at first full of our own ideas, ambitions, and personal desires.  We are prove to self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, self-centeredness, and are seeking self-glory. We are naturally so full of self that there is little room for Him. Sometimes He has to let our little apple cart get upset; tips us over and dumps out some of that old greedy stingy self-life to make room for Himself. Yet an empty vessel is ready to be filled; and one filled with Him will overflow unto the glory of God. Oh! Do you think we can bless and refresh God? The false humble self-life says, “Oh, no, not me: I am not worthy.” But David said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy Name” – Psa. 103:1.

Psalm 23 – While walking with Him through the valleys, experiencing the comfort of His rod and staff, sitting with Him at the table He has prepared for us, allowing Him to pour in the soothing refreshing billows, our cup just cannot help but over flow!

The libation drink offering, in Paul’s terms, speaks of a life being spent or poured out in absolute devotion to the Lord. He presented His body a living sacrifice. Christ was being magnified in His body during His life and in His death. The pouring out of His life unto the Lord resulted in the outflow of the life of Christ unto others. In II Cor. 12:14-15 Paul speaks of gladly spending and being spent – spent on the saint’s behalf. But, notice, how he uses such a different tone with different saints. Some saints refreshed him. It seems that these Corinthians were pulling away from Paul. Listen to the tone he uses with the Philippians.

“Yea, and if I be offered (Greek – pour out as a drink offering) upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.” Phil. 2:17-18. Their fellowship and rejoicing together a result of the offering. II Tim. 4:16, “I am now ready to be offered!” At the very moment he was writing to Timothy, his life was being poured out., a drink offering! We may be also. Oh, let  us give Him drink!

 A Hymn of Trust

Isaiah 30:15

In quietness and confidence

My strength shall ever be!

No weariness shall overcome

The soul that’s stayed on Thee.

Though trials sore and hardships come

My strength He shall renew:

His presence shall envelop me – 

No ill shall e’er pass through.

My case into His hands I’ve given,

He knoweth all my need;

And He who notes the sparrow’s fall

Shall still; provide and lead.

Though sudden sorrow pierce my heart,

Though storm-clouds rise and thunders roll,

In quietness and confidence

Shall be my strength of soul.

Though friends may fail, the world be dark,

I know for me He cares,

And as a Father pitieth

In all my grief He shares.

And so, whatever may betide,

Or whether weal or woe,

In quietness and confidence

Shall be the strength I know.

– N. M. S.

 Voices On The Mountain

Jack Davis

“And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” II Peter 1:18

Peter is testifying to a most exciting experience of being an eyewitness to Jesus Christ coming majesty. He speaks of making known the power and coming of our beloved Lord. He is telling the truth and he wants them to remember it. It was indeed a sure word of prophecy. In the Gospel records we read of different forms of conversation heard on the mount that day. 

The Voice Of Communion

The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus “took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray. And as He prayed the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistering.” Luke 9:28-29 

We aren’t told what He said to the Father in this high level communion. It is evident that they heard Him speaking, and at least they knew He was praying. Jesus often spent time alone at night with His Father, it seems in preparation for the following day’s events. Whatever He said to the Father at this time doesn’t seem to be as important or necessary for our ears as what happened while He was communing. What a marvelous scene, what a glorious change took place! This is not a bad action for us. We also are being changed as we spend time alone with our father, inwardly and someday soon outwardly. Glory to God! Most true believers rejoice and are comforted by knowing that Jesus has ascended up on high and now appears in the presence of God for us. It is so very encouraging to be aware that our faithful High Priest also keeps the way open into the presence of the Father for us.

Voices Of Consultation

“And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:30

The writer now calls our attention to two special people, voices from the past, that are supernaturally present. These voices out of history, showed that they were familiar with His-story. As they discussed Jesus’ death we realize that their faith had long range vision. For some time their faith had looked forward to the cross of Christ, and the glorious blessings to be enjoyed as result.

They are heard and seen on this mountain in the promise land. The one (Moses) God had personally buried in the valley in the land of Moab (Deut. 34:4-7). The Devil had disputed with Michael over his body (Jude 9) and God evidently raised Him from the dead. The other (Elijah) God carried up to heaven in a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11). They are somewhat typically representative of those who will go by the way of the grave and be raised triumphantly, and also those who are now alive and remain unto the coming of our dear Lord, awaiting translation.

The adversary may have thought he was rid of both of them forever, but praise God their voices are heard on the mount. Thank God, it is still exciting to hear their voices today in the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even in the Law and the  prophets the coming of the Just one was foretold.

The Voice Of Confusion

“But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.” Luke 9:32-33

In Mark’s Gospel we are told that Peter didn’t know what to say. Peter was somewhat impulsive as well as afraid. It seems that he felt he just had to say or do something whether it is right or wrong. He had (excuse the expression) gone to Babylon. It seems most of us are like that sometime or other. We know that he had a high esteem for Jesus. He should have known better than to try to enshrine Moses and Elijah equally with Jesus.

Because of Calvary, God the  Father has given Him a name above every name. It is our sweet privilege to ever lift His name higher and higher to the glory of God the Father. I believe Peter was and is very glad for this divine interruption. There are many things that religeous leaders are saying today that will soon be interrupted. Thank God.

The Voice Of Commendation

“While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.” Luke 9:34-35

This is My Son – “beloved” (Son of my love) Mt. 17:5. The One to whom God commended His love toward us. The ideal – what a true Son should be, Heb. 1:5. Servant – doing always the things pleasing to the Father. Sacrifice – He is the sacrificial Lamb without spot, God had commended Him at the beginning of His public ministry, Mt. 3:16-17, and now as He was coming near the end.

After Jesus’ death on the cross God the Father made universal declaration of His Son, by raising Him from the dead, Rom. 1:4. The great Physician. Prophet – “speaker,” hear ye Him, Heb. 1:1-4, Acts 3:18-26 And 7:26. Potentate – I Tim. 6:15-16. Sovereign, Heb. 1:8,13, “Thy throne is for ever and ever,” He must reign. Savior – no other name given among men whereby we must be saved, Acts 4:12. Jesus – He shall save His people from their sin, Matthew 1:21. Faithful Witness – Rev. 1:5. Judge – “worthy.” Rev. 5:5,12: Jn. 5:22-23, II Tim. 4:6-8.

 You Need to See a Throne

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:1-5

I was impressed, while reading this, to notice the reaction of Isaiah when he saw the Lord sitting on a throne. The scene was certainly overwhelming and would definitely bring some kind of reaction from anyone. However, Isaiah was confronted with how inadequate and sinful he was in the presence of the Holy God.

As I contemplated this, I realized that we all need to see a throne. We need a vision of God’s Holiness. It will enable us to see ourselves in the proper light. However, it also became an opportunity to observe and understand God’s grace and mercy. A correct understanding of God’s grace and mercy require a true vision of God’s Holiness and power.

We find other similar encounters in the Old Testament with Moses; “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.” Exodus 34:5-8. Notice Moses’ reaction. A true vision of God will elicit worship.

And Gideon “And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face” Judges 6:20-22. Gideon was accutely aware of his sinfulness in the presence of God. A vision of God’s Holiness will keep us from trying to present our own self righteousness.

One of these encounters that expresses the importance of God revealing Himself is found in Job, who had to go through a serious trial in his life before he encountered God in His majesty and power. His response is exactly what ours should be when we encounter God in His true Holiness and Power. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6.

We should have the same desire as David when he writes, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” Psalms 63:1-2. A desire to “see” (have a vision or revelation) of God’s power and glory which will be found in His presence. He expresses it again here: “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” Psalms 27:4. Not just “see,” but “behold” indicating a desire to look at and consider for some time. Have you ever just meditated on God’s Holiness?

The purpose is always to change us. God will change you as you look into His Holiness. We do this as we spend time in His presence and as we spend time in His Word which will lead us to His presence. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. 

Our enemy will always try to get our focus on ourselves, our abilities, our failures, our self righteousness, and try to keep us concentrated on that. We, like Isaiah, Moses, Gideon, Job, Paul and many others, need to see a throne. We need to have a vision, a revelation of God in His power and Holiness. It will remove our focus from ourselves and from this world and will change us into something that can bring glory to the very God who has called us to come into His presence. “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9. “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” 1 Peter 2:9.

 KNOWING THE LORD

Anita Clark – Pastor

Grace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas

Do you know the Lord?  This question is often asked by a believer in Christ to someone we are not sure may know Jesus as their Savior. Every believer starts their  Christian life by accepting Jesus.   This is the first step of growing in our understanding of Who He really is. As we progress in the Lord, we need to learn Christ in a deeper, fuller way.

The word “know” in the Greek New Testament means. “To see, to understand.”  We see Jesus with Spiritual eyes of understanding - a revelation by the Holy Spirit. We first must see Him as our Deliverer, and  our Savior.  In Hebrews 2:9-18,  “But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He  by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”  Sometimes in the New Testament the word “know” means - “to recognize, be fully acquainted with, or to acknowledge.”  Coming to know Him as our personal Savior is the first step of knowing Christ.  

 

God knows you personally.  Jesus knows you personally.  That’s the relationship He wants to have with you - deep and personal.  He knows our name.  We are His “offspring”  Acts 17:29. Psalm 94:11 says God even knows all our thoughts.  Even when we pray, He knows our thoughts before we ask. Think about this.  He is away up there in the heavens, and yet He knows the thoughts of every person living on the earth.

 Isaiah 6:1 says, “He is high and lifted up and His train fills the temple.”  He is the Majesty on high.  Romans 11:33 says, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”  How do we come to understand this?  It is by divine revelation, a revelation of Who God is?  This is all through Jesus, the Son of God.  Jesus is God personified or in a human form.

I Corinthians 2:9-14 states, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  Even so the things of the God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now, we have  received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”  How are we going to be able to know the things of God? As the Scripture says, “By the Spirit of God.”  This is in agreement with Jesus’ words in John 14:26, “... the Holy Ghost , whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  

So it is plain that Jesus said we need the Holy Spirit in our lives to enlighten us to know God and His Son better or more fully.  Yielding our minds to the Holy Spirit of  God will cause us to have a revelation of the Word of God.  We will come to know Jesus in a deeper way as we grow in Him.  II Timothy 2:15, admonishes us to “Study to show thyself approved unto God.

Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:16-21 prays for the Ephesians believers to know the Lord in a greater way.  “I ... cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,  the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (V. 17).   A study of the word will give us this advanced knowledge.  Many Christians never delve into the depths of the Word. I challenge you to study and dig deeper where you will find the meat of the Word.  Verse 18 says, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling and what the riches of  glory of His inheritance in the saints.”  Do you know from this verse that Jesus will gain an inheritance, when His yielded people come up to glory to be with Him?  He will have a bride, made up of fully yielded Christians, who have prepared themselves to rule and reign with Him.  In Thessalonians 2:13, Paul speaks of God’s divine work,  “... in truth, the Word of God which effectually works also in you that believe.”

In Ephesians 3:17-19, Paul prays, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye ... May be able to comprehend ... what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth  knowledge, that ye might be filled with the fullness of God.”  This is what God desires to work for each of us.  There is depth of knowledge for us to know.  So many of God’s people stop and wade in the shallow places, rather than launching out into the depth of His Word. There is greater understanding for those who seek it. Ezekiel had a vision of the waters coming out from under the house of the Lord. (Ezk. 47).  The waters got deeper and deeper. Finally the waters were deep enough to swim in.”  This is the way that a revelation of the Word of God in truth happens.  His Holy Spirit will open our minds and view to deeper teachings that were never revealed to us before.  Apostle Paul states in Romans 11:33. “O the depth of the riches of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.” Of course with the revelation that the Holy Spirit gives when we study the Word and ask Him to show us the meaning of the text, we will receive a revelation of all the truth. However, there are some secrets of God that we may not know until we are in His presence.

II Timothy 1:12 says, “...I am not ashamed; for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”  We will grow into a place where our knowing Jesus becomes a deeper experience, i.e. Know Him not just as Saviour, but Keeper, Deliverer, Healer, Victor and coming Bridegroom. Knowledge of Him should grow deeper and deeper and greater and greater.  Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

 Fruit Bearing

Part 2

Pastor Vicky Moots

Kingman, Kansas

In John 15:1 Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman,” and in v. 5 He said that we are the branches.  But what is the fruit? Gal. 5:22 tells us that it is the fruit of the Spirit.  As you can see, we now have the whole Trinity represented here at work in our lives regarding our fruit bearing.  God the Father is the Husbandman (or the farmer, the vine dresser), who is responsible for the crop; Jesus is the Vine and the Holy Spirit is the fruit.  That means that all of the work of fruit bearing is done by the Trinity, the God-head, and not by us.  The branches do not do any of the work of pruning.  It is not of our works lest we should boast, and therefore we cannot glory in our fruit bearing.  Our part is to yield to the cutting of the Word of God, which is the pruning tool, and allow the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit in our lives.

In Gal. 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul describes the 9-fold fruit of the Spirit, which is 3 times 3, or a trinity of trinities.  The number three not only speaks of the Trinity, but also of resurrection, for Jesus was raised on the third day.  It is the power of the resurrected life of Christ in us, manifested through the Holy Spirit, that produces the fruit.  Fruit bearing requires the very essence of the life of the Vine, the life of Christ, which Paul, calls “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).  He is abiding in us, and we are abiding in Him.

Gal. 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no Law.”  Notice that Paul did not say “fruits” but “fruit,” singular not plural.  There is only one fruit of the Spirit.  A fruit tree or vine can only bear one kind of fruit, but that fruit will have various characteristics which can be described in several different ways in order to clearly differentiate it from other fruits.

Take, for example, an apple.  How would you describe it? Round, red and shiny? Well, so is a tomato or a cherry!  Therefore, it needs further clarification.  Is it soft or firm in consistency? Is it juicy? Does it smell good? Some characteristics of a fruit can be described by examining it from the outside, by feeling it, by looking at it or by smelling it. But other characteristics can only be discovered by looking inside it by cutting it or crushing it.  So, you must bite into the apple and tear it with your teeth before you can tell if it is juicy or crisp or tastes good and sweet.  And if you continue biting it, or if you cut into the heart of it with a knife, you will find something different in the middle:  there are seeds, and if you plant them, you will get more fruit.  That is the resurrection life of the fruit.

Of course, all of this has a spiritual meaning.  The fruit of the Spirit is love itself, God’s love, Agape, a selfless love, a divine love that expects nothing in return but freely gives everything.  The rest of Gal. 5:22-23 describes in more depth how that love is manifested in us as the fruit of the Spirit.

The love of God, Agape, is “…shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost…” (Rom. 5:5), and demonstrated outwardly in our lives when we go through times of crushing, trial and testing.  The intensity of God’s love was shown to the world when He sent His Son to die for us, for greater love has no man than to die for another.  If we are not manifesting God’s love in our lives, then we need more pruning, more cutting, more crushing. 

The amount of fruit we bear depends on the degree to which we are abiding in the Vine.   Since “abiding” means “to stay, to remain, to submit to,” the closer we stay in fellowship with the Lord, the more fruit of the Spirit that will be produced.  We do this by submitting to the pruning of God’s Word which cuts away our own desires, our showy production of long branches full of leaves and self-works.  

In this study we are going to go into detail regarding each portion of the fruit of the Spirit listed by Paul in Gal. 5:22-23 in order to better understand it, and the means by which His love is displayed in our lives to others around us, with whom we come in contact.  Our goal in fruit bearing is to not only bear fruit which pleases the Father, the Vineyard Keeper, as a sweet aroma to Him, but to also bear fruit which draws others to Christ when they are enticed by it, to partake of it and to taste for themselves and see that the Lord is good.

 Love’s Purpose

Jack Davis

“Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright (that) love thee” - Song of Solomon 1:4 

We will RUN because we are drawn 

We will REJOICE being delivered.

We will REMEMBER as we drink of His Love.

The purpose of full overcomers may be seen in these. They express Christian hope that is deep, real and that makes us unashamed, because “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” Rom. 5:5. The hope is for love’s consummation, a happy expectancy of love’s fulfillment, coming into that which satisfies His and my heart. The “better hope” (Heb. 7:19) which is magnetic rather than depressive, uplifting rather than putting down. Because this hope is not based on what we can do or keep from doing. It is based upon the finished work of the Cross. 

Oh, how much better to be in the realm of Divine love – the law of magnetism rather than the law of gravity. Divine magnetism greatly supersedes “the law of a carnal commandment” – Heb. 7:16. “The ministration of condemnation” could not make way for perfection; “but the bringing in of a better hope did; by which we draw nigh unto God” – II Cor. 3:9 & Heb. 7:19.

A lesson we will learn is that, if we run after Him, it is because we are drawn. He initiates this grace love affair. “We love Him, because He first love us” I Jn. 4:19. I am reminded by three requests in the first seven verses of Song of Solomon, that Bridal truth is revealed to God’s needy people: (V.2) “Kiss me” - (V.4) “Draw me” – (V.7) “Tell me.” It is good for us to invite His invitation. We become choice with Him by our deeper longing for Him, He will put into our hearts a deeper craving for Him, if we are receptive.

Her request answered, He “brought me into His chambers.” In our relationship with Him we also get ours answered. Under this magnetic law of love, we are drawn onward and upward to Jesus Christ. We are drawn into the inner chamber, into the Holiest of Holies, into a deeper life. David said, “It is good for me to draw near to God” - Psa. 73:28. “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” – James 4:8. Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father draw him” – Jn. 6:44. In John 12:32 He said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all man unto me.” He spoke of His going to the Cross, where He would suffer and shed His precious life blood for the sins of all mankind, thus manifesting the greatest love ever known.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we were “without Christ – aliens – strangers – foreigners – having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off and made nigh by the blood of Christ” Eph. 2:11-19. His blood is the basis for our nearness to God, Praise God! We now have free access into the Holiest of Holies. God said in Hosea 11:4 He drew His people “with bands of love.” Jeremiah 31:3, He loved them “with everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness,” He drew them.

WE WILL RUN

At first she speaks for others, later she learns not to do this. We also do this. She finds that not everyone is as excited about Him as she is. We also learn that not everyone has the same depth of longing for Jesus as we do. Yet our lives do affect others. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm! As we are drawn, that burning desire, that fervor of love, that vehement flame that manifests itself in self-forgetfulness stirs others to ask, “What is He really like?” They wonder why we give so much attention to Him. Often a girl will ignore a boy until they see another girl pay attention to him, then they also want to get acquainted with Him.

Running expresses speedy progress. For us it is a quest for God’s best. This running is not just a short sprint. We are to “run with patience.” We will pass “through the valley of Baca (weeping).” We go “from strength to strength,” through fiery trials, and almost overwhelming floods, and the shadow of death – Psa. 84:6-7. Paul said, “So run, that ye may obtain” – I Cor. 9:24. Run according to the rules that God has laid down in His Word, going from glory to glory. Running also expresses to me a growing continuous desire for more and more of Jesus, a clearer view, a brighter vision, a deeper understanding, and thus closer fellowship. 

Heb. 6:12-20 tells that God gave promises to Abraham of rich lasting inheritance, and confirmed them with an oath. This was that we also who have fled to Him for refuge might be encouraged to run after Him, in order that we may “Lay hold upon the hope set before us” and have it as “an anchor” to our souls. Also, that we enter by faith into the Holiest of Holies, where Jesus our Forerunner is entered for us. Where do we get the power to pursue? This power is generated in us by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is done as He reveals Jesus to us and in us. We, by faith, can see Him “crowned with glory and honor” – Heb. 2:9. His majestic Personage is not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. “Henceforth know we Him no more” after the flesh – II Cor. 5:16. From Isa. 53:1-2 we realize that He offered no personal charisma nor human magnetism in the natural. The Holy Spirit shows us His magnificence, splendor, and beauty: and, as He does, we are marvelously drawn to Him. This inspires  and enables us to run.

WE WILL REJOICE

What makes us to rejoice? It is certainly Divine deliverance, Our hope is a happy expectancy of being like Jesus, seeing Him as He is. Oh, what a glorious deliverance. This deliverance is “to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved” - Eph. 1:6. We have the hope of being to His praise and honour and glory at His appearing, when we shall appear with Him in glory. He “whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” – I Peter 1:8.

“Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved (delivered) by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places” – Deut. 33:29.

“Thy love is better than wine.” “Your love is more prosperous or enriching than any of the world’s intoxication influences” (paraphrased). We come to crave Him more than ever, even when faced with the very best that the world can offer.

Now we know that Jesus sadly announced that there were people that drew nigh to Him with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him – Mt. 15:8. Oh, Lord, help us to get it together – in mind, heart, and mouth – REJOICE. Oh, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)” – Heb. 10:22-23.

WE WILL REMEMBER

“We will remember Thy love more than wine.” This is because of our drinking of His satisfying love. Oh, what love! What matchless love! Yes, we can recall the wine. Just think of the wonderful effects, of the thrilling exhilarating Holy Spirit fullness. Think of all the good times, the best times, when there is a flowing out of such marvelous blessings. It seems that there is not room to contain them. Think of the exciting times when it seems that the Holy Spirit[ is being poured as wine without measure. Then stop and consider His love. If you have experienced that love, that marvelous love, you know that nothing, absolutely nothing can top, outlast, nor even compare to this constant, continuing, constraining love – this containing all-consuming love affair to REMEMBER. Therefore – WE  WILL Run, WE WILL REJOICE, WE WILL REMEMBER.

 Troubles And Trials Our Servants

Earlene Davis

God uses trouble, even tragedy to test and prove our faith. Trouble and trials come to us unexpectantly without our being personally or directly the cause of it. Many times it is beyond our control otherwise we would avoid such testing. I Peter 4:12 tells us, “Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”

We should remember that trouble as well as blessings are part of the divine arrangement in our lives. Also we need to remember that sever testings are not necessarily cause by some sin or failure on our part. They actually are a sign of growth spiritually. We are His workmanship – Eph. 2:10. Some think that Christians should be void of suffering trouble or that it should immediately be removed. That is an unscriptural concept. 

What does the scripture say? Psa. 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivered him out of them all.” II Cor. 4:17-18, “For our light affliction which is but for a moment (compared with eternity), worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Tim. 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Jesus words in Jn. 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Rom. 5:3, “we glory in tribulation: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” May we recognize the peculiar ministry of troubles as a servant to assist us. I am reminded of Rebekah’s willingness to serve the camels in watering them. She accepted them and later her decision to go on the long journey to be united with her bridegroom. She must ride the camels, they can be most unreasonable and snort at times. They speak of the manifold trials and testings along the way. 

They served a very important function for Rebekah. So it is with us on our long journey here, suffering and discipline are for our good and not to defeat us. We learn to ride the camels that are carrying us to our Isaac. We read, Rebekah lifted up her eyes and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.” Isn’t that beautiful? With lifted eyes she saw Him and not the camel or the rough road. 

We also read that at eventide, Isaac lifted up His eyes and behold the camels coming. How suggestive, saints, the day is already far spent, the shadows of the evening are upon us. The nations of the world are preparing for war and are in confusion. Our Beloved Lord is waiting also. Long He has watched the movements on earth’s stage waiting the sign from the Father to go get His bride. Shall we not then water our camels, recognize them for what they are and ride them, knowing they are only the means in God’s hands of taking us to our beloved Bridegroom.

So we lay hold of the truth of Rom. 8:28, that God is working all things together for our good. By faith we discern trouble as a servant building spiritual strength and beauty. With anointed eyes we see the privilege of overcoming and using our spiritual wings to fly above the trials. Like Rebekah on top of them riding them. Then we find His grace is sufficient and we love Him all the more for His working in us. I know He is still working on me.

Apostle Paul said in Phil. 3:12, that he was not already perfect but following after to apprehend that which he was apprehended of Christ Jesus. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

When the time came for Paul to depart this life, the Lord graciously revealed to him that he had attained a crown of righteousness that was not only for him but unto all them also that love his appearing – II Tim. 4:6-8. May we be looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ – Titus 2:13. And say with John (Rev. 22:20). “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

 The Encouraging Word

“A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.” Proverbs 16:9

“My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad.” Psalm 34:2

“Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and confessed the good confession (of faith) before many witnesses.” I Timothy 6:12 Amp

“Can any hide himself in secret places so that I will not see him? Says the Lord. Do not I fill Heaven and earth? Says the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:2

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch upon the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3

“And hope does not disappoint because the Love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5

“For it is you who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12

Martha Wainright

 GLORIFYING GOD

Jack Davis

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me…Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:14-15,23.

Oh, what a wonderful privilege and lofty occupation God’s people have! Our Father is indeed the God of glory, and our dear Lord Jesus Christ is also the Lord of glory. These are such in their own right and on their own merit, and any and all glory that God’s people will definitely come into is on the merit and right given or derived from another. The Father and the  Son will bring it about by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The scriptures teach us about glorifying God and our Lord and redeemer by acknowledging His acts, and attributes. We are clearly taught to ascribe the highest honor to Him. Synonyms given; magnify, extol, praise express rendering unto God that which belongs to God. The glory of God is a revelation and manifestation of all that He is and has. As the  Father, He is the source of divine splendor, and Jesus Christ as the “Lord of Glory” will rule supremely in divine splendor. Read James 2:1; I Cor. 2:8; Phil. 2:11; and Psa. 24:7-10. To “glorify” in the Old Testament speaks of an enlightened opinion, to make heavy, glorious. In the New Testament it expresses to render or to esteem glorious.

Offered Praise And An Ordered Path

These two go hand in hand in glorifying God and the realization of the fullness of His great Salvation. A burning desire for His glory motivates us to walk in all the light we have. Mt. 5:16. As we thus Praise Him, He is always showing us more and more of His uttermost salvation.

Those that walk with the Lord are sometimes made to wonder why “days of trouble” are allowed of Him to come to us. Consider our text (V. 15). Troublesome days should produce an earnest “call” for divine intervention. “Lord help!” Oh, yes, rough times do have their purposes and benefits. Those passing through troublesome situations have realized a variety of blessings. Many aspects of this glorious salvation have been shown. Yet the highest reason is to Glorify God.

It seems amazing that our God would put Himself in such a position for such a purpose as this. What a God we trust! His availability to our call, at the disposal of our faith causes us to want to Give Him the Glory. He could demand our worship, why bother with such creatures as We? Whatever He wants for us, He would have it come willingly, earnestly, honestly, spontaneously, never forced. God is love, and He would have it be our pleasure to glorify Him. If we are willing He will put into our hearts, ever increasing capacity as well as giving us multiplied cause.

When Jesus came He glorified the  Father in everything. God was glorified at His birth Luke 2:7-20, during His life by His ministry, 5:25-26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43, and in His death and resurrection, 23:47; 24:26,46-53. John often tells how the Father was glorified in Jesus – Jn. 17:4; 14:13; 13:31. The Holy Spirit reveals the beauties, splendor, the excellence of Jesus, glorifying Him to our heats and in our lives. It is written that Jesus glorified not Himself – Heb. 5:5. False Christendom is spoken of as “glorifying herself” – Rev. 18:7. She will be judged for it.

The scripture tell us of several being severely judged for this wrong attitude of not glorifying God. “O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified…Thou art weighted in the balances and thou art found wanting” Dan. 5:22-23 & 27. “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is a voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory…” – Acts 12:21-23. Rom. 1:21-23, gives part of the course of the fallen human race; “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

“Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace” – Lev. 10:3. I am impressed that Aaron held his peace, God had just devoured his two sons with fire. They had not sanctified nor glorified God in their disobedience and Aaron knew that God was right, but it still must have been a hard thing for Aaron to experience. Later Moses and Aaron missed out on leading their people into the promise land because they failed to sanctify God before the people – Read Num. 20:10-12; Deut. 32:49-52; and Psa. 106:32-33. How about God’s people today? I Pet. 3:15; Col. 4:5-6.

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to  Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of  God” – Rom. 15:5-7. When we allow the God of patience to comfort us in spiritual unity, we are blessedly united in a oneness that glorifies Him. We are purchased to this purpose – I Cor. 6:19-20. Oh what a glorious privilege, that we may from our heart and mouth, in body and spirit, walk and talk, glorify Him. Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit” – Jn. 15:8.

Peter was given the privilege to express this ultimate purpose in speaking and serving. “…that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ…” – I Pet. 4:11. If we be reproached for the name of Christ, on our part He is to be glorified (V. 14). If we suffer as a Christian instead of being a murder, thief, evildoer, or a busybody, let us glorify God on this behalf (V. 15-16). 

If suffering determines the glory, if we are to measure the degree of glory to be obtained by the suffering, Who, in the universe could ever begin to endure any measure of suffering compared to what our dear Lord endured? The full overcomers that will make up that bridal company will forever bow the knee unto Him that is preeminate in all things, casting their crowns before His feet, singing thou art worthy, lifting His praise ever higher to the glory of God the Father. I want to be there, don’t you?

A-men’

 Draw Near

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” James 4:8

God’s desire has always been to have a personal relationship with mankind. He walked in the garden with Adam, and that fellowship was broken by Adam’s sin. Ever since then, God has continued to desire that fellowship with man, and to that end He made a way for us to draw near. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-25. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13.

Throughout man’s history, God has continually called for those that would draw near to Him. Even though Jesus had not yet come, those who would come in faith, God would commune with them. There are many examples in the Old Testament, such as Abraham of whom we read that he was “the friend of God.” God spoke to Abraham as a friend would speak to another. 

We also find Moses, of whom God says: “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” Deuteronomy 34:10. “My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” Numbers 12:7-8.

Then, we find Elijah, hiding in a cave and very discouraged about his current situation 1 Kings 19. When God speaks to him, it is in a still, small voice. In order to hear that, Elijah would need to draw near. Sometimes, God wants to talk to us in that still small voice, and He bids us to draw near so that we can hear Him.

What God is not looking for are those that will draw near in word only. It can be easy to say we are drawing near or try to make others think we are drawing near to God, but God knows our heart. He always seeks those that will draw near with a true heart. Jesus quotes the prohet Isaiah in Matthew 15:8: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” The earlier quote from Hebrews 10 encourages us to draw near with a true heart. 

This is not just some “appeasement” of God, but it is a valuable relationship with the Creator of all things, the One who is above all and by Whom all things consist. This is good for us. I am constantly amazed that God has gone to all of this length to have fellowship with me. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15. The Psalmist knew this as well when he says: “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.” Psalms 73:28.

So, my encouragement to you is to not hesitate another moment. Take God up on His invitation to draw near. Near Him is the only place we will find true peace and comfort, and He wants to speak to you, specifically you. Don’t let the cares or discouragement of this world or your current circumstances keep you from being near Him where you can hear Him clearly. You will find that you get close to Him when you spend time in His Word, and time in prayer.

 THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

Anita Clark – Pastor

Grace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas

The ultimate purpose of this Church Age is to prepare a group of redeemed human beings to be a Bride for Jesus Christ.  The work of the Holy Spirit is going on today in the lives of believers  who are yielding to the working of God.  Apostle Paul speaks of this in Phiiippians 3:7-14. A careful study shows that Paul was not speaking of gaining salvation, when he writes, “I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ.”  He is speaking of a work that will change him into a completely yielded child of God with a close place with the Lord Jesus.  This brings the believer to a place of complete surrender to the Lord, where all is “counted loss” for Christ.

Let us consider the phrase , “...that I may win Christ.”  No where in the Bible does it teach that we win salvation by any good works. In fact the opposite is taught i.e. Titus 3:5 -”Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He has saved us.” Ephesians 2:8-9 says,”For by grace are ye saved by faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast.” No where does the Scripture say we must strive to gain salvation to become a child of God.  Paul sums up his desire in verse 14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” 

In other portions of Paul’s writings He speaks of the race course likening to our spiritual day by day journey to achieve this place as the winner (I Corinthians 9:24-27).  The wonderful place we desire is to be yielded to Christ completely so that He can work in us by the Holy Spirit to prepare us to be the Bride of Christ.  Paul speaks specifically about this in II Corinthians 11:1-3, “Would to God you would bear with me in my folly, and indeed bear with me.  For I am jealous over you with a Godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin  to Christ.  But I fear, lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

God has made provision that every believer in Christ could be in that company.  The sad thing is that not all will avail themselves of this glorious place.  Satan deceives believers and lulls many to sleep.  (I Thess. 4:13-5:8). The Lord warned that we are to watch and be ready for His soon appearing.  In Revelation 19:1-10 we see a beautiful scene in heaven, when all the Church is gathered unto the Lord.  Not all who are there are the Bride.  Read the passage.  In verses 7—8 we see the “great multitude” introducing the Bride, who had “made herself ready.”  The Lord Jesus came to earth to seek a virtuous Bride.

The purpose of this introduction about the Bride company is to talk further about a parable Jesus spoke of in Matthew 13:45-46 - “The Goodly Pearl.”  In verse 45 “the Merchant man “ speaks of Christ who came to the world “seeking goodly pearls.”  God has made provision for each believer to be His “pearl of great price.”  The word “goodly” in Gk.  Means “beautiful, good literally or morally virtuous.” The Lord Jesus came to earth to seek a Virtuous Bride.” Proverbs 31:10 says, “Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies.”  The word “virtuous’ in the Hebrew language means “strength, valor, and moral character.”  Jesus came down to call a people who would yield to Him completely and love Him supremely.  He gave up all He had with the Father to find this pearl.  

Verse 46 shows what Jesus Christ did.  “He went.”  “He sold all He had.” and “He bought it.”  The text says He was “seeking goodly pearls.”  This speaks to us that provision  is made for every believer to be that beautiful pearl that Jesus is looking for right now in this Age of Grace.  Here we find, “Who, when He found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that He had, and bought it.” II Corintians 5:21 tells us, “For He  hath made Him sin who knew no sin, for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” He condescended and gave up all that He had with the Father and became a human being in order to die and save us.  That ‘s how greatly He esteemed the “Pearl of great price.”  This pearl represents the Bride of Jesus Christ.  Matthew 13:46 says, “Who, when He had found one pearl of great price.”  Jeus is looking and finding the “virtuous one.” “the only one of her mother” —(Song of Solomon 6:9). mentioned in Proverbs 31:10, this one who captured His attention is “far above rubies.”  Choose now to let the Lord work in you to be ready for this exalted place.

What causes the pearl to grow in the ugly old oyster?  The Lord works from the inside out.  As we yield He does His work in us. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.  The Clam in the natural depth realizes an irritant bothering her.  It is usually a parasite as an intruder, and not a grain of sand.  This intruder into God’s plan is “sin.”  If the parasite stays in the oyster, it will destroy the oyster. God gave the Oyster a defence mechanism, a fluid to coat the irritant.  Layer upon layer of the coating, called “nacre” is applied until a lustress pearl is formed.  This speaks to us that God is working a little at a time to change us into His image, and make us ready to be the Pearl of Great Price.  We might liken the fluid (nacre) to the Holy Spirit who  is constantly at work to make us into that beautiful pearl.  This is an inward work, often unseen by others. God does the work as we yield to Him.  Our will must be surrendered to Him or His work cannot be finished.  Others may not see the work, (as hidden away in the oyster) but the Lord, the master Workman does, and has promised to finish the work He has begun.  The only thing that hinders this is our will.

He did not look at the ugly shell, or the depths in which we dwell or the worm or parasite of the old nature. He saw the beauty of what we would be when He molded us and His Spirit coated us with the beautiful righteousness of Christ.  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be rich.”  II Corinthians  8:9.  Revelation 19:7 says., “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.”  Our job is to yield to His working in us.  Matthew 13:46 says, “Who,when He had found one pearl of great price.”  Jesus is looking and finding the “virtuous one.” This one has captured His attention. Choose now to let the Lord work in you to be ready for this exalted place.

 Fruit Bearing

Part 1

Pastor Vicky Moots

Kingman, Kansas

Fruit bearing is an important topic in Scripture.  In fact, the first commandment given in the Bible was to be fruitful, in Gen. 1:27-28.  Prior to that, we read that God created the fruit tree to bear fruit.  The physical creation gives us a picture of the spiritual, so as Christians, we are also to bear fruit.

John 15:1-8 is Jesus’ discourse on the vine and the branches.  Verse 8 says, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”  These words were spoken on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus was speaking specifically to His true disciples. They had just finished eating the Passover meal, and Judas had left during supper to proceed with his plans to betray Jesus (John 13:27-30), so he was not with them.

The most important thing to know about Jesus’ discussion of the vine and the branches is that it is referring only to fruit bearing, not to salvation.  He desired that after His death and resurrection all of His true disciples would bear fruit.  If you are born again, then you can consider yourself one of His disciples, so He is also speaking to you.

Jesus often taught spiritual truths by using common earthly examples.  In this case, He is using the example of a fruit bearing vine, most likely a grape vine, which would be familiar to them.

In v. 1 He says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”  What is a husbandman? It is a farmer or the one who takes care of the crop.  In this example it would be the vine dresser, the one who prunes and cares for the vine and its branches in order to enable them to reach their maximum potential for fruit bearing.

That means that if God is the husbandman, then He is the one who will do the pruning.  The vine’s branches cannot prune themselves.  Nor should they be carelessly pruned by someone who is not trained to do it properly, who might do more harm than good.

Verse 2: “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he [God] taketh away…”.  This is referring to a dead branch, because it is not capable of bearing fruit.  It is physically attached to the vine but is not tapped in to its life source, and therefore has no life in it.  A living branch will always produce some fruit, even if it is only a small amount.

Verse 6 goes along with verse 2 and is referring to the branch that was removed because it was dead.  That branch was not actually a part of the vine.  Verse 6 says, “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered…”.  Judas was that dead branch.  He was attached to the vine symbolically but had no life.  He was a disciple in name only.  Jesus called him and he followed Jesus around, but he did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.  He followed Jesus only for the money.  He was used as a tool of Satan to betray Jesus, and was never a believer or a true disciple.  In the pruning process, all dead branches must be cut off.

The dead branches are also all those who profess to be Christians but have never been born again.  They may be members of a church but are not members of the body of Christ.  The life of a vine must flow through its branches in order to provide life and the ability to bear fruit.  We are not even a part of the vine until we accept Christ as Savior.  “He that hath the Son hath life;  and he that hath not the Son hath not life” (I John 5:12).

A grapevine that is not properly pruned will not produce much fruit, or the fruit will be of smaller size and lesser quality.  If left to grow on their own without being pruned, the branches will over grow and cover up the grape clusters, preventing them from receiving adequate sunlight and air flow which are needed for the grapes to mature.  If the branches are cut back too harshly, then the fruit will become sunburned.  The grapes need the proper amount of sunlight and air to mature to their fullest and sweetest.  In addition, in order to prune properly, the pruning tool or knife must be very sharp so that it will make a nice clean cut and not damage the branches.

Jesus explains in v. 5 that He is the vine and we are the branches.  And in v. 4 He says, “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”  Verse 5 then continues this thought: “…He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”  What does it mean to abide in the Vine, to abide in the Lord? The word “abide” means to stand fast; to remain; to stay; to submit to.”  When we submit ourselves fully to the Lord, we stand fast on His Word.  We submit to His will in our lives, which means submitting to the pruning even if we don’t like the cutting.  But the final result is that we will be able to bear much fruit.  The amount of fruit we will bear depends on the amount to which we are willing to submit ourselves into the hands of the Husbandman.  We are to keep our minds stayed on the Lord, not on the things of the world.

Since the branches of a vine are a living out-growth of the main vine stem, and they receive their life from the vine itself, they have no life within themselves, and therefore would not be able to bear fruit without the vine.  In order for a grapevine to bear good quality fruit it must be pruned on a regular basis which is also true for us spiritually.

In the spiritual sense, the sharp pruning tool that is used to do this is the Word of God.  We read in Heb. 4:12 that “The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword…”.  God does the cutting in our lives through His Word when we read it or hear it.  It is able to penetrate to the depths of our hearts and purge out our dead works and the overgrowth of self in order that we can become fruitful.

The farther a branch grows outward away from the main vine stem, the less fruit it will produce, which is why pruning is necessary on a regular basis.  This is true spiritually also.  The closer we abide in the vine, the sweeter and better the fruit that we will bear.

Part 2 in June issue.