“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Ephpesians 3:19
I have meditated much on this phrase, ‘being filled with all the fulness of God.’ It is what Paul prays for believers. It is entirely overwhelming to me. When one considers the idea that God’s fulness can fill us, we must first consider what God’s fulness entails.
Consider what God says about Himself in the Old Testament. “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:24. While this certainly refers to God’s presence being everywhere, it reminds us of the greatness of God in being able to fill everything, heaven and earth.
Paul tells us something about Jesus in Colossians 2:9, “For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” God has always intended that everything be brought together in Jesus, and Paul reminds us that it includes the fullness of the Godhead, that is the entire essence of the Godhead.
Jesus made it possible for us, who had fallen short of the glory of God, to be partakers of that divine life. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
So we find that we who have trusted in Jesus have the Life of Jesus in us, Colossians 1:27. Now, consider that God places in us the Life of Christ who is the fullness of the Godhead, and we are just moving through life like we don’t know if we can be what God wants us to be. It has never been about our ability. It has always been about the Life of Christ, and what He will do in us.
Too many of God’s children are trying to get the performance right, and trying to make themselves presentable to God, when He has already made us presentable (Ephesians 1:6) and wants to fill us with Himself. Paul is praying for the saints (and that includes us) that we would be filled with the fullness of God. Not just a little bit, but all the fullness of God.
Let’s consider the relationship between Jesus and His church. Paul uses the concept of a body to express the relationship. “Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 1:23. The church (all believers) make up the body (the fulness) of Christ who fills everything. This is hard to understand with our little minds, but it is a spiritual work that God has accomplished; that God could use us to become the fullness of the One that fills all. Boggles the mind.
I am reminded of a fruit tree. It can only put forth fruit when there is sap flowing up the tree. The tree must be “full” so that it can produce the fruit. In John 15, Jesus reminds us that we must abide in Him, and He abides in us, and that is the only way we are able to bear fruit. The question might then be; how do we abide in Jesus?
Abiding in Jesus is having constant communion with Him. Constantly communicating with Him. We do this through prayer and study of the Scripture. Do you know what Jesus said? You should, because it is written for us in the gospels. Read, study, meditate. Be careful about getting your understanding of Jesus and His words from people on the internet. We can certainly hear what others have to say, but we must also read to see if those line up correctly with what Scripture says.
We need to have a true desire to be filled with the fullness of God. “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9. The Psalmist understood that God is desiring to fill those that want Him. Our nature is to be filled with ourselves. Just let me be what I want to be, and do what I want to do. But God has something far better for those that desire. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6.
Being filled with God means that every aspect of our lives is under His control. We are certainly willing to give God control of certain parts of our lives, but often want to keep control over others. We are convinced that we know how to fix ourselves to be what God wants us to be. However, this will always lead to failure.
Why are we so intent on keeping God from doing something in our lives that will be glorious for eternity, and bring glory to Him for eternity? It is because we have an enemy that is intent on keeping us from God’s best. Satan does not want you to be filled with the fullness of God.
In Scripture, we are encouraged to be content with such as we have. However, I don’t want us to confuse contentment with complacency. They are not the same. Complacency is what keeps us from desiring more of God. I don’t care how far you have come with the Lord, there is still more. He always has more for us. All He needs from us is a willing vessel. He will fill us to overflowing.
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
In this verse, Paul lists eight things which believers are to think upon. Eight is the number of the new creation. Jesus was raised on the eighth day. These things are all attributes of Christ and the new creation life of Christ in us. They are all also characteristic of the Word of God.
Too often we set our minds upon the things of the world which we see and hear in the news, things that tend to bring fear and anxiety and cause us to fret and worry. Paul is hereby admonishing us to shun those things and to refuse to allow them to overwhelm us. Instead, we are to meditate upon Christ and the written Word.
The first thing which he lists is “whatsoever things are true.” The Greek word for “true” is “alethes,” meaning “a true one who cannot lie” or “a true thing that is not a lie.” This of course speaks of Jesus, who proclaimed in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” We also read regarding Jesus, in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
And in v. 17 John states, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Then Jesus declares Himself to be the “true bread from heaven” in John 6:32 and the “true vine” in John 15:1. Not only is Jesus Himself true, but so is the Word of God, as David proclaims in Ps. 119:160: “Thy word is true from the beginning…”
In John 18:38, when Jesus was brought before Pilate to be judged, Pilate asked Him, “What is truth”? Many people today are still pondering the same question. So how can we really know what is true and what is not? Jesus answered the question for us in John 16:13 when He told His disciples, “Howbeit when He the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth…”
The Spirit of Truth is the Holy Spirit who was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, and He is available to all who will receive Him. Today we live in a world that is filled with the lies of Satan. These lies are emanating from our newscasts, social media, political leaders, and, sadly, even being preached from some pulpits by false teachers. We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to guide us and to give us discernment regarding what is truth so that we will not be led astray. We must also study the Word of God. If something is contrary to God’s Word, then it is not the truth. Therefore, let us follow the instruction of the apostle Paul and fix our minds upon the truth of the Word and upon Christ Himself.
I have been thinking about my life and how I got where I am, and it occurs to me that I should acknowledge all of the privilege I have enjoyed. I know a lot of people think we “earn” what we have. However, when I consider the truth of how I got here, I can only conclude that I was truly privileged.
First privilege. I was privileged to be born into a Christian family that considered it important to ensure I learned about Jesus. I don’t want to make it seem like being born into a non-believing family is terrible or will keep a person from knowing Jesus, but being taught as a child about Jesus is a privilege.
Second privilege. Living for ten years in Paraguay as a son of missionaries. Seeing people in deep poverty that loved the Lord and people who were extremely hospitable. A real lesson in understanding contentment, gratitude and trusting God for His provision.
Third privilege. Going to college. God allowed me to get a college education in engineering. It is certainly possible to do well without a college education, but for me, it was critical to where God would take me later.
Fourth privilege. God provided a great job in Wichita, Kansas which allowed me to sit under the ministry of Jack and Earlene Davis. Throughout 37 years at this job, God kept me from several layoffs. I was moved to different projects seemingly just in time to be protected from a layoff that should have left me jobless. I was never responsible for choosing those movements in my career. I consider that a great privilege that God would see fit to allow me to stay in that job for that long.
Fifth privilege. As mentioned above, I was privileged to sit under the ministry of Jack and Earlene Davis for all of these years. That was preparation for what God would call me to do now; pastor the church in Wichita.
Sixth privilege. A wonderful and beautiful wife. I was pretty well resigned to probably being single for the rest of my life after college. Without getting into all the details, God brought me a wonderful woman to be my wife. We met at a fellowship meeting in Kansas City, and it quickly became clear to me that Cathy was exactly what I needed.
All of these are the result of God’s grace in my life. I can think of quite a few others, but I want to just list the most important privilege that everyone can enjoy if they simply put their trust in Jesus Christ.
This is the greatest privilege. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1John 3:1-2. “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 10:19-22.
The morning of October 15th, I woke up with a headache. It was no different than any other headache. It was however, making me feel very nauseous. I asked Dad (Gordon Crook), to come watch Evie while I tried to nap to get rid of the headache. Before I laid down, I popped my neck. It didn’t feel any different from any other time I had done it. I laid down and went to sleep. An hour later, something woke me up, telling me to turn. My left arm wouldn’t move. I thought it was asleep. When I didn’t feel the tingling, I knew something was wrong. I went to tell Dad and as I explained what I was feeling, I could feel my face start to droop. This was a stroke. I knew immediately. It was as if The Lord had put the feeling in my gut that I needed to go to the emergency room. After being seen, the doctors told me I had torn my carotid artery which caused a blood clot on the right side of my brain. Thankfully they were able to get the medication in me to break up the clot. I was able to regain feeling and movement in my face and my leg. My arm however, wasn’t so fortunate. They put me in rehab to help regain movement.
I was at Wesley rehab center for exactly 2 weeks. There were times I was so discouraged, but even through the hard moments, I felt the Lord there. By the Grace of God, I was able to walk out of there almost completely back to normal. They wanted me to do continuing care, but I knew that God had me, and I had full movement about a week later! I left that recovery center with a new outlook on life and how precious it is and with more new friends than I can count. I still go back to visit the occupational therapists and physical therapists that helped me. One even wrote a school paper about me! I’ve also felt called to go back to visit other patients there to encourage and pray for them. I try to visit at least once or twice a month. Please keep those that are there in your prayers.
In the December 2025 Glorious Gospel is a testimony from Gordon Crook with his view of this incident.
A leper came unto the Lord -
his need for all to see.
His body wracked with pain,
longing to be free.
A leper came unto the Lord -
crying out with grief.
Begging for deliverance,
and longing for relief.
A leper came unto the Lord -
and fell upon his face.
His heart with faith believing,
in God’s abundant grace.
A leper came unto the Lord -
and worshiped at His feet.
His heart cried out for mercy,
his attitude ... so sweet.
Jesus saw the leper’s need -
felt his pain and grief.
His heart moved with compassion,
to give him sweet relief.
Jesus saw the leper’s need -
and spoke the Word to heal.
His Hand reached out and touched,
to prove that it was real.
A sinner came unto the Lord -
a leper in God’s eyes.
And like that leper long ago,
his heart for mercy cries.
A sinner came unto the Lord -
and knelt before God’s Son.
Seeing only his great need,
and all that Christ had done.
A sinner came unto the Lord -
and fell upon his face.
His heart with faith believing,
in God’s abundant grace.
Jesus saw the sinner’s need -
heard his cry of grief.
Lifted off that heavy load,
and gave him sweet relief.
Jesus touched that sinner’s life -
for all the world to see.
For once he came to Him,
forever he was free.
Debbie Isenbletter
Springfield, Missouri
Chapter 2
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Ephesians 2:1-4
“Quickened” – “make alive.” Notice again, that this is God’s work. He is the one that has made us spiritually alive in Christ Jesus. Also notice that we were dead. We had no power to make ourselves alive. Remember God’s power from chapter 1. He brought Jesus from the dead so that we could be made spiritually alive.
It seems to me that many today do not understand just how terrible sin is. We often gage people by how “good” we think they are, and human philosophy suggests that there is “good” in every person. Scripture has a different view. We were “dead” in sin and trespasses. Not physically dead, but spiritually dead. And only He can change that to life because of Jesus and His resurrection.
Paul instructs us as to the fact that we were (outside of Christ) yielding to spiritual powers that kept us in sins and trespasses. We were following the time frame of this world that is under the dominance of spiritual powers that are contrary to God. This is the period that we live in, and it will only end when Jesus returns to put down all opposition to Himself. “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” Hebrews 2:8. Clearly not everything is currently in subjection to Jesus, but it will be at the end of this period (age).
He refers to us “having” (past tense) our “conversa-tion” (way of living) according to this world. That past tense means that, as God’s redeemed children, we should no longer be yielding to those powers, but to the life of Christ that is now in us. God didn’t just make us “good” people, He made us ALIVE in Christ Jesus. We should be living in that power.
He refers to the “children of disobedience” which is all of those that have not put their trust in Jesus. As God’s precious children, we no longer fit that description. Are we sometimes disobedient? Certainly, but not “children of disobedience,” which refers to belonging to the prince of the power of the air, but rather “children of God.” “Children of wrath” refers to our condition outside of Jesus Christ. All of those who reject Him will be under His wrath. Again, this no longer applies to those who have put their trust in Jesus for redemption.
Notice that those that are rejecting Jesus and choosing to live their lives outside of Him, they live fulfilling the desires of their flesh. It is clear that we are not to live this way. We have a new life; the life of Christ in us, to which we should be yielding. If we are indeed yielding to Him, then we will be fulfilling the desires of the Spirit. Remember that the fruit (visible output) of our life is the result of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23. The works of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21, are the result of fulfilling the desires of our flesh.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 2:5-6
Thank God that He made us alive even while we were in this “dead” condition. He did not wait until we were able to do something to get out of that condition. He did not wait until we could show some change in behavior. We were “dead;” unable to do anything to make ourselves alive, but God showed mercy and love towards us. Romans 5:6-8. We must not ever reduce this to some simple concept that we just talk about lightly. This is more amazing than all of the knowledge we have about the entire universe.
What I really love about God is that He never does just the minimum. He always goes far beyond what would be considered sufficient. He did not just make us alive (that would be more than we could expect), He raised us up and sat us in heavenly places in Christ.
We might consider our situation today, looking around us, and think that we have missed out on that placement. This is exactly how the enemy will attack our minds. However, we must realize that when God says something is so, He sees the end from before He stated it. I recognize that there is still coming a day when we will literally be sitting with our Lord in the heavenlies, but even now, we are already provisionally there. Many of God’s children fail to lay hold of this truth and miss out on the amazing power that is ours because of Jesus.
“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7
And finally, we get to God’s overall purpose. He is not making us “good” people, He is working something far greater that He will be able to show for all eternity. He will not be showing how great we were able to make ourselves, but how great His grace is. He will be showing the power of His grace to take a wretch like me and make something that is glorious. His work, not mine.
This is why it is important to quit trying to add our attempts to the finished work of Jesus. Paul refers to it as frustrating the grace of God. Galatians 2:21. There is so much push in Christendom today to bring people back under the law. You must keep the Torah, they say. Jesus has done all that is required and we are now God’s work by grace.
Continued
“Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” John 11:32
Her DESTINATION: “Then when Mary was come where Jesus was,” Mary came as she had been instructed. She came because Jesus had asked her to. She came in obedience in His word, without question, without hesitation. She came knowing where to come. She came publicly, though she had been told privately. She came with liberty. She came with boldness. She came with her sorrow. She came with her need. She came with her faith. Jesus waited for her to come. He did not go on until she has this personal time with Him. I believe He was watching and waiting until she came. Mary carried a burden of sorrow and was weighted down with the loss of her brother. She knew the relief she would find when she came to Jesus.
This is a wonderful picture of how we come to the Lord. We come because He has invited us to, because our hearts have heard His call. Because His love and compassion draws us. We come personally and privately but when we do, we do not care if others know about it. This is our privilege, and it is a precious one. We come to Him knowing where He is, He is not hard to find. We come knowing He is waiting for us. All we need do is lift up our hearts and eyes and come to Him by faith. We come to the throne of grace. We come to Him with all our needs, all our burdens, all our fears, all our sorrows. We come to Him and lay everything at His feet. Jesus is watching and waiting for us to come. The fact that we are willing to come is a testimony of faith.
Jesus issued this invitation to “come” to Him, and Mary heard it, accepted it, and fully embraced it. He still offers this invitation today. It has not changed because he has not changed. The offer is made to those who feel their need and see that only He can meet their need. Jesus is waiting for those to do as Mary, for those who hear Him and came to Him. It is seen in the invitation to discipleship: “come and follow me.” (Mat.19:21) It is an invitation to lay down our burdens and rest in Him: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mat.11:28). It waits upon the Lord’s leading and enabling. For Peter when seeing Jesus walking on the water, said: “Lord, if thou wilt, bid me to come unto thee.” (Mat.14:28). It is an invitation for the smallest, age does not matter: “Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me.” (Mat.19:24)
Her COMPREHENSION: “and saw him,” John says Mary “saw him.” The word “saw” means she “knew” Him, she recognized Him. This means that she “beheld” Him. I believe that means that Jesus filled her vision, she could see no one else. She saw Him with her eyes, but she also saw Him with her heart. She saw Him through the eyes of faith. She saw Him through her tears. Is this not wonderful! There is a progression in her journey from her house to His feet. First Mary came and then she saw. First, we must be willing to come, then we will truly see Him. We see Him in a greater way because we have come closer to Him. Mary, saw only Him. I do not think she saw the disciples or the people that followed her. Her eyes were fixed upon Him. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full, in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of his glory and grace.” Mary was about to see His glory and His grace revealed! This is what we do by faith with our needs, our sorrows, our burdens. We come knowing He wants us to come and when we come by faith, we will see Him. He will fill our vision and I believe nothing else will matter but being in His Presence.
Her SUBMISSION: “she fell down at his feet.” “fell down” means to “prostrate oneself” and is used of those “making supplication.” It is also used to show “worship.” Mary is not ashamed to do this. This is her default position, the one she has taken in her home as she sat at His feet as a disciple. Mary did this privately, now she will do this publicly. Mary is overcome and overwhelmed by both sorrow and joy. There is sorrow that her brother has died and joy that her Master has arrived. She fell at His feet physically, lay prostrate before Him and in so doing showed an absolute surrender of her will and an absolute acceptance to His will. This is the position of an overcomer, of one who not knowing why things happen, rather than rebel, come and not only kneel but fall on their faces before the Lord.
Jesus did this when prayed to His Father in the Garden. “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Mat.26:39). Jesus surrendered to the Will of God in order to fulfill the Word of God. Jesus gave us a visible example of self-surrender when He accepted that cup of suffering. He would drink every last drop because it was the Will of God. That surrender of His will is the foundation for His victory. He was not the Victim at the Cross; He was the Victor.
“At his feet” is the place and position that is seen in the testimony of overcomers. It is a place of submission, but it is also a place of victory. The 24 elders and 4 living ones, who had been standing around the throne, in a place of authority later “fall down before him that sat on the throne.” (Rev.4:10) They have overcome, and they are overcome as they stand in His presence. They are overcome with joy. This is absolute adoration and absolute submission. They are in closer proximity to Jesus and have a deeper revelation of Him. The great multitude, who stand before the throne, give a testimony of faith, but I noticed their testimony is given standing. There is a reaction from all who hear their testimony. When it is heard, those who are standing closer to the throne (the angels, the elders the living ones), all fall down before the throne on their faces and worship God. (Rev.7:9-12) Both these groups have a testimony of faith, but one does so standing, and the other does so kneeling.
What Mary does is a picture of those who have made it a habit and are comfortable at the feet of Jesus. Whose revelation of Jesus bring them in their need to a position of utter submission. And this submission is a place of victory and overcoming.
Her DECLARATION: “saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” The words of Mary sound the same as the words of Martha. But she says them from a place of submission. She is at the feet of Jesus, bowing down before Him, submitting to His Will. They are words that come from her deep sorrow but also from her deep faith. Martha had a measure of faith when she said these words, but it was not the same as Mary’s.
What she says here is not an accusation, but a declaration and confession of faith. She knew if Jesus had come her brother would not have died, just as Martha did. She declared this. She calls Him, “Lord” just as Martha did but unlike Martha, she does not say anything more. Martha had told Jesus she knew He could “ask” or “beg” God, and God would hear Him. But Mary does not ask Him to ask God for anything. She sees His power and authority and simply submits to Him. She did not say, ‘Why did you not come sooner? Why did you delay?’ ‘Why did my brother have to suffer and die?’ She did not blame Jesus for not being there. Her words combined with her sorrow and her submission, will move Jesus in a way that Martha’s words did not. Martha had a little faith, but Mary had greater faith. Each of us have different degrees of faith and we all grow in our faith”
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God…” Rev. 3:11-12a.
The Apostle Paul spoke in Philippians three, of winning Christ. Here we read of crown winners. Those that win Jesus Christ as their bridegroom will be crown winners. These are they who are overcoming here and now, and are thus being make pillars to stand and uphold. This is an important part of being ready for our Lord’s return. We overcome by holding to, and standing fast for that which we’ve been given. Thankful hearts appreciate that which has been committed to our trust.
A WINNING TRAIT
“But thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” I Cor. 15:57-58.
It is scripturally evident that “steadfastness” is one of the essential characteristics of an overcomer. If it is required, it will be rewarded. In thankfulness for the victory that God has given us through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are urged to “STEADFASTNESS.” In resurrection hope of Christ’s return we are given a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls Heb. 6:18-19, I am impressed how strongly Paul encouraged it, and was encouraged by the steadfastness of the brethren. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong” I Cor. 16:13. “Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: for now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render unto God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before God: I Thess. 3:7-9. “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ” Col. 2:5. He was thus blessed by hearing of faithful soldiers who could keep rank.
I think brother Paul sounds somewhat disappointed and very lonely in II Tim. 4:10-16. He had seen some departures, some removed to other fields, responsibilites, others finish their course, and others like Demas depart for selfish reasons. I am glad to hear him sound a word of cheer in verses 17-18. I am reminded of Psalm 142:3-5, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”
We understand that fuller partakership in Christ is to be realized in continued steadfast confidence– Heb. 3:14. Beloved the race is almost over. The battle is on, and steadfastness in the faith is a necessity. “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” Phil. 1:27. Steadfast resistance of our adversary is done in the faith– I Pet. 5:9. It seems that most of God’s people are painfully slow at learning where the strength for stability is found. We are enabled to stand only as we are strong in the Lord and the power of His might. We stand as our loins are girted about with truth –Eph. 6:10,14.
STEADY HANDS
Moses, sent Joshua out to fight against Amalck. Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill overlooking the battleground. Moses took the rod of God in his hand and when he held it up Israel prevailed in battle, but when he let it down Amalek prevailed. So Aaron and Hur took a stone and put it under him, and stayed up Moses’ hands on either side. Moses’ hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Therefore Joshua defeated Amalek Ex. 17:9-13. They who stand for the whole counsel of God today also need their hands upheld. Let us encourage each other for victory.
STAND IN YOUR PLACE
Judges 6-8 as a form of correction the Midianites were allowed to prevail against Israel. Therefore the Israelites were hiding in dens, and caves, and strongholds. Their enemies destroyed their crops and left them no sustenance. Israel being so greatly impoverished cried unto the Lord. Then the Lord raised up Gideon, who was not a self confident or self sufficient man. We see God working in him to make him ready to stand. This unlikely man was divinely prepared to lead to glorious victory an unlikely band, with some very unorthodox implements of warfare in their hands. Gideon needed assurance for himself from the Lord, and he faced though opposition at home. But then a multitude of Midianites, and Amalekites and children of the east gathered to lay siege against them in the valley of Jezreel. When they did, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. He blew the trumpet and gathered a goodly army after him. This was an amazing feat in itself, yet Godeon needed further confirmation. God so graciously gave it, with the fleece, and hearing of the dream and it’s interpretation in the Midian camp.
Before they went to war God twice greatly reduced Gideon’s army. First God had Gideon send home all those that were “fearful and afraid.” God was going to use those that would stand in the face of overwhelming odds. (Paul urged “stand fast in one spirit…in nothing terrified by your adversaries” Phil. 1:27). Gideon saw his army go from twenty two thousand to ten thousand men. God had the remaining men go down to the water to be proven yet further. We must remember that this was a most dangerous moment, there was a multitude ready to attack. Those men that gave themselves to satisfying their legitimate thirst and bowed themselves on their knees to drink, were sent home. Satisfying their desire seemed more important then the security of their people. Those that lifted the water to their mouth were the three hundred that remined. Those alert and erect would be more quickly ready for battle. God chose those that would stand. He used this test to close up the ranks. Now spiritually speaking we stand best on our knees. We do well to be alert to the times wherein we live.
Gideon and is men surrounded the camp of their enemy by night armed with trumpets, pitchers, lamps and faith in their God. “By faith they turned to fight the armies of aliens” (Heb. 11:34). They were part of those who through faith subdued kingdoms. When they blew the trumpets brake the pitchers, and held forth the lamps, and shouted the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. “They stood every man in his place all the host ran and cried and fled. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel.” Our Father records such victories to encourage us to spiritual stability. We each may be used to strengthen the other and will be rewarded for standing in our God-given place. Ezekiel was called on the warn his people. “Ye have not gone up into the gaps neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord Eze. 13:5. “I sought for a man among them…but found none.” Eze. 22:30.
WHO WILL STAND
There are those that make gaps, some are used to fill them, and others that stand in them. If all went off in different directions and left all responsibility behind who would stay by the stuff? Neglect is easy, we can make all kinds of excuses for being unfaithful, but our Lord wants to make us pillars that stand and support. When we are unfaithful, we make it more difficult for others to fill the gap, covering more territory and taking greater responsibility. This works good for those upon whom it falls, but is not so beneficial for the slackers. Thank God that in the times of falling away He widen His pillars and raise up new ones. There are times we feel weak, faint, unstable, anything but steadfast and unmoveable. In those times we are learning to lean hard upon Him who is our rock. He would be our stay, make us steady, enable us to stand Rom. 14:4. David’s song of praise when the Lord delivered him (Psa. 18:17-19) “The Lord was my stay.” God delights to make any who depend upon him, dependable. He is our firm support, our upholder.
The love of Solomon’s life requested, “Stay me with flagons.” In other words she expected him to invigorate and sustain her as he poured on his intoxicating love. That’s how we feel as we lean on the bosom of our beloved. Apostle Paul said, “None of these things moved me neither counted I my life dear unto myself that I might finish my course with joy.” Soon we may join him. Glory to God, think of that.
I want to start this topic with a few concepts to level set our understanding.
1. God is eternal. He is not bound by time or space as we are. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” Isaiah 46:10
2. Unlike us, God does not think of something and then wonder if He can pull it off. He accomplishes everything He thinks of. “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:” Isa 14:24.
3. God always acts in a righteous and perfect way. “And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” Psalm 9:8. “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” Isaiah 11:4-5
As I considered the topic of God’s purpose, I came to realize that God’s purpose is eternal, just as He is eternal. When we look at all that we have given to us in God’s Word, we must come to the conclusion that God’s purpose has always revolved around His Son Jesus. Not just after the creation and fall of humanity, but since before the creation of humanity. Jesus is and always will be at the center of God’s purpose.
We should start by understanding that God’s purpose is unchangeable and cannot be stopped. “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:” Isaiah 14:24. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” Isaiah 46:10.
God is not like us in needing to figure out if His plan is executable or not. He is not moved by things that happen that seem to undermine His plan. He knew them before they happened. He was not taken by surprise at the fall of Adam and Eve. It was already accounted for in His plan before He even created them. “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” 1Peter 1:20. Nothing done by man is affecting God’s plan. To the contrary, it is working right in line with God’s purpose.
I started writing this before the war against Iran began, and I know some are very concerned about what will come of that. However, nothing that is happening today is outside of God’s purpose. He is putting everything into place where He needs it to finish His work with humanity.
I would not have enough room here to lay out every bit from the Old Testament, but I will point out that God chose Abraham to become His nation. He chose others throughout the OT to bring about the necessary people and conditions for Jesus to come. He chose and used imperfect people like Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, and many others to bring about His purpose in Christ Jesus. Paul tells us that Jesus came at just the right time. Galatians 4:4.
I cannot tell you exactly why that was the “right time”, but God has an exact plan that is being worked out. What I can tell you is that God’s purpose is wrapped up in Jesus, and that it includes you and me and anyone who will trust in Jesus. I can tell you God is choosing to work through people and nations to bring about His final purpose.
While we may not have every minute detail of God’s plan, He has revealed to us what He intends to do. “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” Ephesians 1:9-10.
God will gather all things together in Jesus. Jesus came and gave His life to make it possible for us to be a part of this plan. It was always God’s intent to bring humanity into His presence through the sacrifice of His Son. This is God’s work, and not one person can take any credit for it. “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” 2Timothy 1:9.
I find this revelation to be incredibly exciting. It is also very humbling to realize that God always intended for me to be able to spend eternity in His presence. I think sometimes we fail to comprehend the fulness of this plan. Maybe we have heard it before, and are keen to regurgitate the words, but do we really understand? Are we aware of the depth of God’s grace? Paul prayed for the saints to have a deep understanding.
To put a “cherry on top”, there is even more. God is taking from out of those who have believed and trusted in Jesus (the church), a group that will be the bride of Jesus. These will have a very close intimacy their Lord. It is still God’s work, so we still cannot take any credit for it, but we can be a part of that company. All God is expecting from us is a desire and a willingness to yield to His working.
When we study God’s Word with a true desire for a deeper revelation, God will honor that and reveal Himself more and more. As He does that, He is working in our life to change us from glory to glory. He is preparing us for a close intimate relation with Himself for eternity. Don’t let the world rob you of this great opportunity.
In II Samuel chapter 9, we find the story of Mephibosheth, which is a spiritual picture of salvation by grace. Mephibosheth was King Saul’s grandson through his son Jonathan. According to I Sam. 31 King Saul and Jonathan had both been killed in battle against the Philistines. After Saul’s death, David became king of Israel. David had loved Jonathan as he would a brother and had made a love covenant with him when they were younger.
II Sam. 9:1: “And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” In v.3 David asks Ziba, one of Saul’s servants, “…Is there not yet of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.”
In these verses, we see that David is seeking for someone to show kindness to in order to honor his covenant of love to Jonathan. He sought and found Jonathan’s son who was lame on both his feet, and therefore unable to stand or walk. We learn from II Sam. 4:4 that Mephibosheth had become crippled when he was injured in a fall at age 5.
II Sam. 9:4-5: “And the king [David] said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir…in Lo-debar. Then king David sent and fetched him out of the house of Machir…from Lo-debar.”
In this story, David is a spiritual type of Christ who came to seek and to save that which was lost because of a love covenant that He had made with His Father. It was love that brought Jesus to this world to die on the cross to save sinners. Mephibosheth represents the sinner who is lame on both his feet and has no standing before a holy God. When Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, he lost his standing with God. Mephibosheth also lost his ability to stand when he fell.
Where was Mephibosheth found dwelling? He was found in the house of Machir, which means “to perish,” in Lo-debar, which means “barren wasteland.” This is where we are found as sinners before Christ rescues us. We are perishing in a barren wasteland of sin and unforgiveness. But Christ loved us enough to seek for us and to “fetch” us out of our hopeless condition and bring us unto himself.
Mephibosheth’s name means “shame out of his mouth.” We read in Rom. 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” All of us are in a shameful and helpless condition apart from the grace of God.
II Sam. 9:6-8: “Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence…And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake…and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?” Mephibosheth humbled himself before king David and acknowledged that there was nothing good in himself to merit the king’s favor. This is exactly what we must do in order to receive salvation. Salvation is by grace alone. None of us are worthy to receive it. We must accept it by faith.
In v.10 David tells Ziba, “…Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table.” And in v.11 he states, “…As for Mephibosheth…he shall eat at my table, as one of the King’s sons.” Mephibosheth was raised up from being a “dead dog” to the same status as one of the king’s sons. When we are born again we also become one of the king’s sons, not just servants. Oh, what grace, oh, what love that He has shown to us, as declared in I John 3:1: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…”
II Sam. 9:13: “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.” Jerusalem means “foundations of peace.” He was brought out of the house of Machir (“to perish”) in Lo-debar (“barren wasteland”) to a place of peace and rest. This is the place where we are brought spiritually by God’s grace, and we are made to dwell in the king’s house and eat continually at His table as His sons, as David said in Ps. 23:6: “…I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Mephibosheth never regained strength in his legs. He remained weak and dependent on the king’s grace. Spiritually, this means that we have no strength in ourselves or any of our own ability to earn salvation or to keep ourselves saved by our works. But God’s grace is sufficient for us, as Paul was told by God Himself in II Cor. 12:9: “And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
A woman sick for twelve long years,
heard that Jesus came.
If she could only touch His robe,
she’d never be the same.
“I shall be whole” she cried with faith,
as Jesus closer came,
“I am unclean but just one touch,
I’ll never be the same.”
The crowd pressed close around the man,
they’d heard about His fame.
With desperate courage she moved in close,
yet hung her head in shame.
I cannot speak, I am unclean,
but just one touch I’ll steal,
The hem of His dear garment,
is all that I will feel.
I shall be whole, I know I will,
her heart cried out with faith.
And as she touched that dusty robe
a miracle took place.
Jesus turned and looked around,
for virtue He felt leave,
A hand of faith had touched His tobe,
a heart that did believe.
“Who touched me?” He asked aloud
but knowing it was she.
He looked at her who touched His robe,
and knew she was set free.
The woman fell down at His feet,
pouring out her soul.
And Jesus spoke with tenderness,
“Thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Debbie Isenbletter
Springfield, Missouri
First, an apology for last month’s article that had Ephesians 1:7-10 which should have been Ephesians 1:7-12.
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
So, verse 12 tells us that God’s purpose in our life is that we might be to the praise of His Glory. All of this is His purpose for those that put their trust in Jesus. It is the Gospel that brings us directly to Jesus. When we hear and understand the Gospel, we realize that the only way to salvation is to put our trust in Jesus, and that brings us directly into God’s eternal purpose.
He has given us the Holy Spirit as the earnest of our inheritance. An earnest is something valuable given as a pledge to some future value that will be given. While we are in this world, awaiting our final inheritance, we have God’s Holy Spirit. More than just something to show God’s promise, the Holy Spirit also works in us to make us into those that will certainly bring praise and glory to Him.
Verses 15 and 16 lead us into one of Paul’s prayers for the saints. I have always loved studying these prayers. It helps us understand what Paul thought was important for the saints, and since the Holy Spirit inspired him to write these down, they have important instruction for us.
First, note in verse 16 that Paul starts by giving thanks for all the saints. “ALL” the saints. And he is praying for all saints.
“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: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:15-18.
Praying for wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I want to point out that none of this prayer is for worldly anything. Not even for healing (which Paul could use). It reminds us that what matters most is the spiritual. We often get too focused on the things in this life that bother us or that we think we need
Paul’s desire for the saints was that they would have a deeper knowledge of God. Nothing is more important or more valuable than knowing God. So many Christians have a very shallow knowledge of their Lord. The enemy can get us so focused on the world and our place in it and the things we think we need, that we fail to take the time to truly spend in fellowship with our Lord.
Many do not have any understanding of the hope that is in our calling. That is that God, in His amazing grace, has given us something that should make the things of this world pale by comparison. Our hope is that we will spend eternity in His presence, reigning with Jesus, which is also His inheritance. He considers us (His children) to be of extreme value to Himself. We have in us the life of His Son.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:19-23
The next part of Paul’s prayer is for the saints to have a deep knowledge of God’s power. As a reminder of how great this power is, he tells us that it is the power that raised Christ from the dead. We probably have a good idea about power. We might know that there are powerful machines that can do serious work and it might impress us. However, we do not know of anyone that has power to raise the dead, except our God.
I realize that this kind of power is difficult for us to comprehend. This is why we live by faith. I believe that God raised Christ from the dead. However, do I really have a deep understanding of that power and it’s impact on me? Do I want to truly know God in that way? Paul prays for us that we would.
Something the Holy Spirit reveals here through Paul, is that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and has been given dominion over all things. This is part of God’s eternal purpose that will gather all things in Christ Jesus. The fulness of this purpose will come when God brings an end to the time of the Gentiles and Jesus returns to take His place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In the meantime, we, the church, all believers are already under His headship and He is Lord over His church. Not all “churches” acknowledge this as they attempt to put a man as head of the “church,” but that does not change God’s purpose in any way. It is our privilege today to acknowledge and yield to the headship of Christ in our lives and in our churches. We are privileged to realize that we, as His church, are the fulness of Him that fills all in all. I think we should be amazed and excited by all of this.
We have come to understand that God has a purpose for us, and that it is in His Son Jesus Christ. We now know that it is all of Him; all His work, and all for His Glory. Paul’s prayer reminds us of how we should pray for each other, and even for ourselves. Asking God to reveal more of Himself to us, and to increase our knowledge of Him and of His power to work in our lives. This is a great request for us today.
Continued
Dearest Earlene, Thank You for reaching out to me. Just so You know my son Shaun passed 2/18/2026. Losing both my children 9 months apart, it is the hardest thing I have ever gone through. My only peace is knowing that they are with our Lord and Savior. I have always Loved the Lord, when I was saved and then Baptisted by Jack Davis. My life was changed, a true blessing. As life goes on somewhere along the way, life got in my way. Still believing in Jesus Christ, other things were always there, some good, some not so good. Trying to do things on my own without asking God what I should, I just did. Drifting further and further way from what I believed and knew the one and only person who could save me, I did not reach out to. God’s not supposed to let bad things happen to good people right?? Little did I realize that He used the adversities in my life to remember that He was there all along, but I just didn’t reach out to Him. Struggling in life with life, and the loss of loved ones, I knew I was broken and not walking in God’s good grace, but still tried on my own, living life on my own just wasn’t working. When I was taking care of my Dad before he passed, we were talking about God and the Bible. So I picked the Bible up and started looking through it and began reading and studying it more and more. Asking myself when and why did I stop relying on God?? I was lost without Him and just didn’t realize how complicated I made my own life. One of the hardest lessons that He taught me “I will never leave nor forsake You” Again I surrendered everything to Him, leaving me with a life filled with His word and goodness. I have ALL that I need, my life is full, again trust and believe ALL things through our Lord and Savior. My Daughter was always a child of God and loved him and trusted Him and put her life in His hands. My son was a different story, not until He moved back home with me due to his illness did he give his life to the Lord. He always questioned me why I read and studied the Bible daily. He thought God would never forgive him for the things that he had done in life, but I never gave up reading him scripture and having him read scripture. One day I saw him praying!!!! What a wonderful sight to me. I know He gave His life to the Lord, and that is a true blessing! Always know no matter what. GOD is always there to guide, protect and love Us, for our lives are in His hands and I thank Him for that, and loving and forgiving a Sinner like Me.
Genesis 22 tells of the time God told Abraham to “take his son, His only son Isaac that he loved, and to offer him up as a burnt offering.” As Isaac and Abraham headed toward the place that Abraham was told to go, Isaac asked his father “ where is a Lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham replied “God will provide Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering.” We will look at 5 places where the Lamb provided is seen.
#1. In the New Testament, at the right time, we see that Lamb in a manger. The shepherds, being directed by the angels, found that Lamb in Bethlehem. Shepherds were the first to see the Lamb that God had provided Himself. Why shepherds? Why a Manger? Why Bethlehem? The shepherds were probably temple shepherds. They took care of sheep and lambs that would be used in the daily sacrifices. The lambs born were examined, they had to be perfect, and put somewhere safe, so they could not be hurt, like a feeding trough which is what a manger is. When they saw Jesus wrapped and lying in a manger they saw God’s perfect Lamb, that God provided for Himself. Why Bethlehem? In Isaiah 9:6 A promise was given, “For into us a child is born” In Micah 5:2 the place of His birth was given “But though Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come that shall come forth unto Me…” The Lambs birth was prophesy fulfilled.
# 2. 30 years later Jesus is presented to Israel and the world. John the Baptist says of Jesus that there was one coming who was greater than John himself. These are his words “He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me…” The word “preferred” not only means greater than John, it also means He was before John. One time Jesus said “Before Abraham was, I Am.” This shows that Jesus is not only Man He is God. John cries out to the world then and now “Behold, (look, see) the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” ( John 1:29). Jesus is introduced to the world as The Lamb that God Provided for Himself to take away the sin of the world.
# 3. Let’s look at the Lamb at the cross. Not only do we see Him as the Lamb at the cross in the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we see Him at the cross in Isaiah 53, in the Old Testament. It says “He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter.” In verses 4-6 are the reasons why. “All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned everyone to his own way: and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” This Lamb identified himself with us sheep. God became man and took upon Himself the penalty of sin, the death due all of us. This death goes beyond this natural body. This is the second death we see in Rev. 20:14. It is a death of separation from God, death of darkness, of sorrow, of being alone, a death of regrets. But now, because of Jesus we have access, even now the very presence of God. We have life and light and peace and joy, and fellowship, we are free to call God Abba, Father. We have a home and an inheritance. We are blessed because of the Lamb. We will enjoy all the above in it’s completeness when we see Jesus. Also, do you know God is for “party’s”? We have an example – when the son came home to his father in Luke 15. His father was so happy he threw a party for His lost son. We are told there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents? Yes, God likes party’s. There will be no partying in hell with friends. That is a lie of Satan.
# 4. Now, lets look at the “Lamb risen.” In Philippians 2 we see the downward steps the Son of God took. He who had been equal with God because He was God, left that place. “But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men: and being in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (verses 6-8). Then we come to V. 9, “Wherefore (because of the preceding verses) God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Between the words “the Death of the cross” and the words “God hath highly exalted Him” we see the resurrection of the Lamb. For there can be no exaltation, if there is no resurrection. On that first day of the week, on resurrection morning, Jesus rose and appeared to those He loved. Their sorrow was turned to joy. Like the song says “Death could not hold in prisons greed the Fathers only Son – He Arose.”
# 5. The last place I want us to see the Lamb that God provided Himself” is yet future, the Lamb on His throne. In Revelation 4, we see Jesus taking His throne in heaven. We see 24 elders and 4 Living ones with Him. This group represents a full overcoming group of people who will be with Jesus when He takes His throne. In chapter 5, we see a book sealed with 7 seals in the right hand of the One seated on His throne. This is a book of judgment. No one was found worthy to open this book. The writer of Revelation, the disciple, John, began to cry. He knew this was an important book, But there was no one to open it. So he wept. Then one of the 24 elders told John not to weep; that the “Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David had prevailed to open the book and loose the seals thereof.” Oh, this must have made John so happy. He knew that this Lion was Jesus Himself. So John looks at the throne but he does not see a Lion. He sees “A Lamb as it had been slain…” This is no ordinary meek Lamb. This LAMB has 7 horns. “Horns in scripture speak of power and authority. This LAMB has the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit, represented by 7 eyes. This LAMB is empowered like a Lion to pour out judgment on a Christ rejecting world. This is the LAMB God has for Himself prepared.
We have seen the LAMB in Genesis 22 promised.
We have seen the LAMB in the manger.
We have see the LAMB in His ministry.
We have seen the LAMB at the cross.
We have seen the Resurrected LAMB
And soon to come, we will see the LAMB on His throne, ready to return as KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS.
Even so come, Lord Jesus. AMEN.
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” – Psalm 29:2. Faith in the Lord and all His name represents makes us partakers of His holiness; saints, holy ones, being born again of the Holy Spirit. We are made fit to glorify His name. Let us give Him all the glory due unto Him. We have been bought and brought into the realm of true worshipers, wherein we are to worship Him in spirit and truth. As we adore Him, He adorns us.
“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 inquire in His temple” – Psalm 27:4. There seems to be several things involved in the “one thing.” I think here of one being singularly, centrally, focused with desire upon the lover of our soul. Considering Him in intimate acquaintance, knowing Him in the depths of our being as He is revealed to our hearts is most transforming – II Cor. 3:18. Paul urged that we not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, and he prayed to have Christ formed in us – Gal. 4:19. He encouraged that as we receive the truth spoken in love, grow up into Christ in all things – Eph. 4:15. He also spoke of God’s purpose that we be conformed to the image of His dear Son – Rom. 8:29. Now that’s beautification!
A very real aspect of the beauty of Holiness is that effectual working of the Word in those that believe – I Thess. 2:13. Thus He makes our lives productive for His glory. These traits are wonderfully expressed in the fruit of the Spirit. I appreciate the way the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives to graciously reproduce the beautiful characteristics of the life of Jesus Christ within the believing. Yielding child of God. Hallelujah!!
“Thou art beautiful oh my love…How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter…” – S.O.S. 6:4, 7:1. The King’s description of His great love is as one that is bright, shining, pleasant, well pleasing, and well shod, (with the preparation of the Gospel of peace). There is a saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The fact is that our dear Lord is able to see where no other can. The thought and intents of our heart’s are clearly defined unto Him. Preparation for being made most desirable in the sight of Him who shall reign as King of kings, is to be realized as we come to know him experimentally, intimately as our Lord. We are just absolutely ugly without His holiness. This unique beauty is not on old, dried up, harsh, demanding, unrelenting trait that many consider holiness, at all.
“The King’s daughters were among thy honorable women; upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir…the king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework…” – Psalm 45:9,13,14a.
Shall we expect to stand,
One day at the right hand,
Of Him who provided redemption’s plan?
Shall we be brought,
In the golden glory he wrought,
All glorious within, and in raiment of needlework,
Adorned just for Him? WHY NOT ??
MORE BEAUTY TIPS. “Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear: forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him” – Psalm 45:10-11.
+ Hearken: He would have us give the more earnest heed to His wonderful Word, which calls for an open ear, a receptive mind, and a responsive heart. The Hebrew seems to indicate to me, a listening attentively, hearing intelligently, and understanding with consent to obey.
+ Consider: The gist here, I cause to perceive with the eyes of the heart, gaze, and experience. Meditate, it greatly transforms our thinking As we think on the things given for our consideration in His word, our spiritual food for thought. The Old Testament symbol, ‘Chew the cud,” ruminate, turn it over and over in your mind. It is one of the ways we come into the awareness of the near presence of the God of peace – Phil. 4:8-9.
+ Incline thine ear: The Hebrew expresses a trait most becoming to Him; stretch out, bend forth, cause to yield, expend. He would produce from our life faithful feet. Thus we submit to, and honor the Word’s authority in our everyday living.
+ Forget also thine own people: We do well to forget in a sense, where we came from in the old creation, being fully aware that we are in Christ a new creation. But this doesn’t teach us to neglect to pray for our loved ones. Forgetting them with a spiritual concern is not a Christ like attitude. We do well to encourage them on toward God’s highest and best. Yet He would have us hold Him as our first love, that is love preeminently for Him. Let us forget in the sense of not being distracted or detoured from going on into deeper relations with Him. Rebecca was asked “Will you go?” We either go on or draw back. We choose whether we will allow natural relations, family ties, and loyalties to hinder us from a closer walk with our dear Lord, and leading of the Holy Spirit on into God’s best. When the bridal message catches us, capturing our hearts, we cry out to Him to draw us. When we go on whole-heatedly with Him, our families can also be drawn. When we are half-heated, insincere this is not as apt to happen.
Our soon coming Bridegroom would present us holy, unblameable, unreprovable in His sight. He sanctifies wholly in order to preserve us blameless (spirit, soul and body) in view of His coming. Faithful is He that has called us who will do it. In the beauty of His holiness He sanctifies and cleanses us with the washing of the Word, in order to present us glorious, without spot, wrinkle or blemish. ARE YOU AVAILABLE ?
Has He ever begun a good work in us? Is our confidence in Him? Do we expect Him to complete it in time? Are we telling Him things even while it hurts? Are we appropriating it by faith? Is He able to accomplish that work He has begun on time? He is doing a work that is exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that is at work in us.
Let Him work, don’t get in the way, then it will be done in both the will and do of His good pleasure. When it is finished he will give us a glorified body that will radiate the beautification work that he has been doing in us during our earthly so-journ.
My Father is omnipotent,
And that you can’t deny;
A God of might and miracles,
‘Tis written in the sky.
Though here His glory has been shown,
We still can’t fully see
The wonders of His might– His throne,
Twill take eternity
The Bible tells us of His power
And wisdom all way through;
And every little bird and flower
Are testimonies, too.
It took a miracle to put the stars in place,
It took a miracle to hang the world in space
But when He saved my soul,
Cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of love and grace!
–John W. Peterson
Used by permission
“And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Isaiah 58:11
“For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” Isaiah 25:4
“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:13
“There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” I Samuel 2:2
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14
“The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” Psalms 103:19
Martha Wainright
It is not hard to see there is a lot of anger building up today. It manifests itself in the rage and violent behavior we see everyday in the news. It is apparent in the way kids at school treat each other. It is apparent in the way adults speak to and about each other. Anger is used as a political tool to get people to do things they might not otherwise consider doing. The results are always hurt and more anger. Nothing good comes from man’s anger.
The Bible goes so far as to call those that are often angry, fools. “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9 The word fool, actually means silly or stupid. It generally refers to those that are unbelievers, but can also refer to an attitude. Notice the counsel to not be hasty. We used to say, “count to ten before you reply in anger.” For believers, this is important exhortation. How we respond to others should always be a reflection of Jesus.
Every one of us has been angry at some time. Anger is one of the deeds of the old nature. “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” Colossians 3:8-9 We all have an old nature. However, as God’s people (believers, Christians) have something else. We have the New Nature (the Life of Christ) in us and because of that, we can “put off” the old nature.
The apostle Paul reminds of this in Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” He starts in verse 22 about putting off the old man. Then we are told, Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” We are not to let anger control us and cause us to do something against our brother/sister, or something that will bring shame to the name of Jesus.
It is very wise to leave anger with God. “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.” Proverbs 14:29 James reminds us to not be hasty in anger. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19 When we become angry, if we first go to the Lord and tell Him what has made us angry, we will find peace, and He will help us to let go of the anger. We need to remember that God is the one who takes care of the circumstance that would cause us to be angry. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:19
I have come to understand that anger is a result of pride. We become angry when someone does something to us or says something about us, or maybe even when we feel slighted by others. This is a result of pride that makes us think that we deserve better; that we do not deserve to be treated this way. We come to understand that we have no control over what others do or say, only over our response to them. That control over our response is yielding to the life of Christ that lives in us.
It is certain that when we act in anger, we will eventually regret it. Anger causes us to do and say things that we would not otherwise do or say. Then, once the words leave our mouth, they can never be taken back. On the other hand, when we are on the receiving end we can heed God’s Word; “[He that is] slow to anger [is] better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Proverbs 16:32.
The world would have us believe that getting angry is just natural and necessary. Well, it is natural, but we do not need to be controlled by our anger. When we overcome anger through Jesus, we show to the world that Jesus is truly Lord. We show them how Jesus can bring peace to our lives.
There is a very instructive story in 1Samuel 25. David is about to react in anger against Nabal, but his wife Abigail comes to speak with David and diffuses his anger. David’s response in verses 32-34 are a reminder that sometimes we can react to a situation in anger that we might regret. Abigail shows us that when someone is reacting in anger towards us, we can help diffuse that anger. Alternatively, we just react in anger and they react in anger, and it just gets out of hand. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1.
Jesus Himself is our example. Peter tells us that Jesus did not respond in anger even though He had a right to be angry. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:” 1Peter 2:21-23.
If you are thinking that it is too hard sometimes to control your anger, then I remind you that you have the life of Christ in you. Not only is He our example, but He is our power to follow His example. When we yield our emotions to Him, we will find ourselves reacting as He would. We should not be gritting our teeth to overcome anger.
I have heard some claim that their anger is a “righteous indignation.” This is just a fancy way to justify our desire to be angry. James reminds us that human anger does not bring righteousness. “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20. It is true that God does exhibit righteous anger at times, but we cannot claim that same outcome since we are not omniscient.
If we have said something in anger, then we should ask forgiveness. We need to ask forgiveness from God, and then from the person with whom we were angry. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Take care of it quickly. You will feel better, and you will be glad you did. Remember that only Jesus can control your anger.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!
No greater place could e’re be found
Then safely kept in Jesus’ arms,
Protected from the temptor’s harms.
The vic’try for our souls was won
By heaven’s own Beloved Son.
Upon the cross, on Calv’rys brow,
Our sin He bore for us, and now
We stand complete in Christ alone.
He bought us, now we are His own.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
The Word of God is like a cookbook. In it we find many recipes for the nutrition of our spiritual man. What is a recipe? The 1942 Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “a list of materials and directions for preparing, mixing or cooking food to produce a particular dish.” However, the primary definition of “recipe” in this edition of Webster’s was “a physician’s formula for a medicine, also called a prescription.” In those days the physician would write out the formula and the pharmacist would mix up the medicine. Today most medications are premanufactured.
Spiritually, this means that the Word of God is also a prescription for the healing of our soul. Rom. 8:28 is a recipe for victory in our lives which is personally prescribed for us, but we must be willing to believe it and to receive it and partake of it. We must do more than simply read this verse or memorize it.
Now I would like to use the natural example of cooking something from a recipe to help explain how that we can appropriate God’s Word for ourselves. Let us assume that you are going to try to cook something from a recipe that someone gave to you.
First of all, you must trust the person who wrote the recipe and have faith that the finished product will turn out good. The next thing that you do is to read the recipe and consider the ingredients. But just possessing the recipe and reading it does not result in a finished product. You must decide to personally act upon it and make it a reality for yourself. The same is true spiritually. We must lay hold of the truth of the Word and act upon it by faith.
It takes all of the ingredients in a recipe to make it come out right. Some of the ingredients by themselves don’t necessarily look good or taste good or smell good. Vanilla smells good, but it tastes bitter. Raw eggs and uncooked flour taste bad, but they are necessary. God has a plan, or recipe, for our lives, and we must trust that all things will work together, both the bitter and the sweet. At the time that we are “tasting” or experiencing the bitter things, we may not understand the reason for them. His thoughts are higher than ours. He knows the end from the beginning and how much bitter and sweet that we need.
Suppose in making your recipe that you tasted each ingredient separately and decided to just leave out the things that didn’t taste good. Suppose you felt that all ingredients should be equally represented, so you just used ¼ cup of everything. Or perhaps you got impatient and decided to speed up the process by doubling the heat and cooking it for half the time. Maybe you can’t stand the heat from the oven, so you decide to put the cake in the freezer instead!
Too often we try to rewrite the recipe of God’s Word to make it fit our lifestyle instead of patiently waiting for Him to work His will in our lives. God knows exactly what we need: how hot to make the oven of our trials and how long we need to stay in them to produce the desired outcome.
Paul stated in Rom. 8:28 that he knew that all things work together for good. How did he know that? He learned that by his own experience. He had tried the recipe and discovered that it worked good for him. He was able to count all of the “all things,” including the suffering and the imprisonment, as joy. And so, he passed the recipe on to us. It is our recipe for victory. Are you willing to try it?
To each of us there comes a time,
when valleys we must face.
The walls seem steep, no end in sight,
yet always there is grace.
Each valley is a different trial,
and some are battles fierce.
We seem to face awesome giants,
whose armor we can’t pierce.
Yet when we fight instead of run,
and use what God deems best,
Then giants fall in sound defeat,
and we just stand there blessed.
Sometimes the battle waxes strong,
Our foes just laugh with glee.
Yet when our voices lift in praise,
they turn in fear and flee.
The valleys seem to sap our strength,
and weary with the fight,
We cry out for relief and rest,
and God gives us His Might.
Debbie Isenbletter
Springfield, Missouri