Is GOD'S Presence There?

Act 7:48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands as saith the prophet

Christianity has become a tremendous buildup of things which were not at the beginning. 

The Christianity which we know today is a very complicated thing. 

The hands of men have come upon the things of God, and men have tried to build this great thing according to their own judgment.

And so we have all the confusion, all the divisions, and all the complications.

It is really hard going in Christianity.

Christianity has become its own great hindrance.

You will go about this country, you will go about this city, and you will see these great religious buildings with a cross at the top. 

And when people enter those buildings, they bow themselves; they look very reverent. 

And they think that this is a sacred building. 

If you interfere with anything there, it is called sacrilege. 

To God that is all nonsense. 

It does not mean anything at all. 

The only thing that matters to God is not the wonderful building and all the wonderful things inside the building, and not even the cross on the top. 

The one thing that matters to God is whether He is there.

Is God Himself present in this place?
 

But what about ourselves, we hear Christians who come into a meeting like this speaking about coming into the house of God. 

Perhaps they say when they are going to this meeting place, "I am going to the house of God."

And when they pray, they say, "We are very glad to be in the house of God this morning; it is a good thing to be in the Lord's house."

What makes any place the house of God?

What makes this place sacred?

If it is sacred at all, what makes it sacred?

It is not the building, this is not a sacred building.

It is not a congregation gathered here.

The only thing that makes it sacred is that the Lord is present.

The Lord is not interested in our places or in our congregations;

He is only concerned that He may find a place for Himself where He may be present in pleasure.

I wonder where the tabernacle in the wilderness is now?

I expect it is buried somewhere deep under the earth.

I wonder where the great temple of Solomon is now?

I think you would be wasting your time to try and find it.

You see, God had buried those things.

Everything that is not of Christ is going to be dissolved.

Make no mistake.

This whole structure of Christianity is going to be tested according to Christ.

Christianity is just going to be tested as to how far it was the work of the Holy Spirit of God according to Christ.

~T. Austin Sparks~

REMEMBER What GOD Has Done

We have a tendency to forget every good thing God has done for us. When we face new challenges we often do not remember our deliverance from old ones.

When David stood before Goliath, he rehearsed his past victories in order to  build up his faith. He recounted, "And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:34-36).
                                                                               
Moses reminded Israel of all their past deliverances and then he warned them: "Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons" (Deuteronomy 4:9).

The Bible says of Israel: "They kept not the covenant of God . . . and forgot  his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them" (Psalm 78:10-11). Like the Israelites, we have the same tendency whenever we face a new trial or affliction. We say, "Oh, God, this time it's too much for me to face." But God answers, "Simply look back and remember Me!"

If need be, keep a journal to remind yourself of God's great deliverances in  your life. Jot down a few notes at night before going to bed. Do whatever it takes to remind yourself of all the things He has done for you, all the heartaches you have been through and the deliverance He brought. Then, when your next affliction arises, open your notebook and say to the devil, "You're not going to deceive me this time. My God brought me out before, and He will do it again."

~David Wilkerson~

The Need For Persistent Determination

                                                                                                         Now~what the Lord says here to Peter is very indicative and I think very helpful. Thou art a stumbling-block (an offence) unto Me. The Lord had fought out this battle, had taken His ground put both His feet down upon this way of the will of God for Him, namely, by the Cross to the Kingdom; and it was for Him no easy way.

It was not just the being crucified and being killed, but being made sin and all that is involved of ultimately suffering the forsaking of God. It was no easy way, and He had to keep Himself rigidly in that direction, and anything that came along to influence Him otherwise only brought up the new demand for resolution and persistence. Thus it offended Him in the sense that it made it difficult for Him, it made it hard for Him, it was not helping Him.

It may have been intended to help, so far as Peter was concerned, not knowing what he was saying, but behind it the Lord saw that it only raised the old issue again, the old battle, and therefore it offended His sense of the will of His Father and stood across His path to make the way more difficult.

I think that does say to us that a position has to be taken inclusively and over many things where the will of God is concerned. We have to come very definitely and positively to such a position, and then realize that from time to time there will be, by one means or another, an effort of the enemy to change our minds, to weaken us in that course, to make other suggestions, to get us to reconsider it in the light of various issues and interests.

We shall meet this offending, this stumbling, this hindering thing and have to be very ruthless with it. The way the Lord dealt with Peter was, in a sense, ruthless. Really there was no weakness in His attitude over that. Discerning its true nature, He saw clearly that, if He yielded to this suggestion, then He would go neither to Jerusalem nor to the Cross. 

It is a question of whether we have settled that such and such is the way of the will of God, and then, will this or that arising mean in the long run that we never get there, never do that will? If so, it has to be handled very ruthlessly and put out of the way and put behind us. The Cross comes to us in many connections and different terms.

Then, if we are really going to come through to the place of spiritual power as did Peter, that ground of the enemy must continually be forsaken and refused. The enemy has to be robbed of that which will destroy us and give him power to destroy us, and we have to be very ruthless with anything that arises to give him that position and defeat God's intention where we are concerned.

This battle of heaven and hell, God and Satan, goes on in our souls, but there is for us this consolation, that we have a High Priest ever living to make intercession. We have a great asset in the continual intercession of the Lord Jesus for us. Let us close on that note of encouragement and assurance.

~T. Austin Sparks~

DOES GOD AFFLICT HIS CHILDREN?

                                                                                                           
Does God afflict His own children? Listen to the psalmist's answer: "For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place" (Psalm 66:10-12). 

The psalmist is saying, "Lord, You put me in waters so high over my head that I  thought I would drown. You put me into the fire, to try me as silver is tried. You brought me into a net, laid affliction on me, caused men to trounce on me!"

Why did God allow such afflictions? It was because He was bringing His beloved  child into a "wealthy place." In the original Hebrew this phrase means "a place of abundant fruitfulness." God is saying, "I'm taking you through all these hard places to make you fruitful for My kingdom."

Yet not all afflictions are from the hand of God. Many troubles come from the  devil himself, straight from the pits of hell. "For he [God] doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men" (Lamentations 3:33). God says, "I get no joy out of afflicting My children. That is not My purpose in allowing troubles." No, the Lord allows our afflictions only for His eternal purposes, to bring us into a "wealthy place."

I cringe with amazement as I remember all the sorrows, trials, deep waters,  flaming fires and powerful afflictions I have seen over the years. And usually when afflictions came, they came not just one at a time, but in bundles. Many times I thought, "There is no way I can make it through this." 

Even the memories of afflictions are painful — memories of slander, chastenings of the Lord, ministry trials, personal buffetings, family problems, bodily pains and aches. Yet, as I recall those years of suffering, I can say with assurance, "God's Word is true. He brought me out of every affliction that came upon me and I praise Him!"

~David Wilkerson~

I John 3:17-18.

                           Taking a look at I John 3:17-18 and what it means

1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

But whoso hath this world's good~The possessions of this world, worldly substance, the temporal good things of it; for there are some things in it, which are honestly, pleasantly, and profitably good, when used lawfully, and not abused, otherwise they are to the owner's hurt: or "the living of this world"; that which the men of the world give up themselves to, are bent upon, and pursue after; or on which men live, and by which life is maintained, and preserved, and made comfortable in the present state of things; such as meat, drink, apparel, money, houses, lands, & The Ethiopic version renders it, "he that hath the government of this world"; as if it pointed at a person that is in some high office of worldly honour and profit, and is both great and rich; but the words are not to be restrained to such an one only, but refer to any man that has any share of the outward enjoyments of life; that has not only a competency for himself and family, but something to spare, and especially that has an affluence of worldly substance; but of him that has not, it is not required; for what a man distributes ought to be his own, and not another's, and in proportion to what he has, or according to his ability:

And seeth his brother have need~meaning, not merely a brother in that strict and natural relation, or bond of consanguinity; though such an one in distress ought to be, in the first place, regarded, for no man should hide himself from, overlook and neglect his own flesh and blood; but any, and every man, "his neighbour", as the Ethiopic version reads, whom he ought to love as himself; and especially a brother in a spiritual relation, or one that is of the household of faith: if he has need; that is, is naked and destitute of daily food, has not the common supplies of life, and what nature requires; and also, whose circumstances are low and mean, though not reduced to the utmost extremity; and if he sees him in this distress with his own eyes, or if he knows it, hears of it, and is made acquainted with it, otherwise he cannot be blameworthy for not relieving him.

And shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him; hardens his heart, turns away his eyes, and shuts his hand; has no tenderness in him for, nor sympathy with his distressed brother, nor gives him any succour: and this shows, that when relief is given, it should be not in a morose and churlish manner, with reflection and reproach, but with affection and pity; and where there is neither one nor the other,

How dwelleth the love of God in him? neither the love with which God loves men; for if this was shed abroad in him, and had a place, and dwelt in him, and he was properly affected with it, it would warm his heart, and loosen his affections, and cause his bowels to move to his poor brother: nor the love with which God is loved; for if he does not love his brother whom he sees in distress, how should he love the invisible God? 1Jo_4:20; nor that love which God requires of him, which is to love his neighbour as himself.

1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue,.... Which though it holds good of love to God, and to Jesus Christ, yet here is to be understood of love to the brethren, as the context shows; and so the Syriac version reads, "let us not love one another in word", &c. that is, without the heart, or with a double heart; speaking one thing with the lip, and designing another thing in the heart; speaking peaceably with the mouth, and with the heart laying wait; or we should not love in this manner "only"; and so the Arabic version of De Dieu adds. It is very lawful, and right to express our love to one another, and to all men in words, to give good words, and use courteous language, and speak in a kind, tender, and affectionate manner, and especially to persons in distress; but this should not be all, it will be of no avail to say to such, be warmed and filled, and give them nothing but these good words, nothing to warm and fill them with; see Jam_2:15;

But in deed and in truth; for true love is a laborious and operative grace, hence we read of the work and labour of love; it shows itself by the saints serving one another, in spirituals; as by bearing one another's burdens, forbearing with, and forgiving one another, praying for each other, and building up one another on their most holy faith; exhorting each other to the duties of religion, and not suffering sins upon one another, but admonish in love, and restore with meekness; and in temporals, distributing to the necessities of the saints, ministering: to them of their worldly substance, and supplying their daily wants: and this is loving "in deed", or "in work"; this is actual love, love in fact, and what is apparent and evident: and it is "in truth", when it is in reality, and not in show only; and when it is cordially and heartily done, with cheerfulness, and without grudging.

Psalm 91

HE WHO DWELLS IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL REMAIN STABLE AND FIXED UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY WHOSE POWER NO FOE CAN WITHSTAND. PSALM 91 AMP

The LORD Is My ROCK And FORTRESS

Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
 
Psa 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Losing Your Crown

                                       
Egypt for some is the ground of bondage and defeat. Even though we may be the Lord's children, may be Blood-bought, may have come out on redemption ground, yet we may be defeated because of an inadequate apprehension of the meaning of that precious Blood.

I believe that there will be many who will lose that thing that God has in view as a special vocation in His heavenly kingdom, because they are not wholly devoted to God now. I do not believe that we will be brought into that willy-nilly. 

If you want the world, even as a believer, want a little of it - well, you may have it at this cost, the loss of that for which God has preeminently called you, the heavenly kingdom in a marvelous vocation, you will lose that.

Paul was after that. Paul strained every nerve, spiritually, for that; left the things which were behind for that, to be preserved unto His heavenly kingdom. 

There are many Christians who will lose that because they do not go all the way with the Lord; not lose their salvation, but that specific vocation in glory and honor; they will lose it because they did not recognize and honor the full virtue of the Blood in the totality of their consecration and abandonment to the Lord.

But those who go through, who overcome in trial, are they that overcome because of the Blood of the Lamb in this second meaning, the absolute abandonment of the Lord Jesus to the will of His Father even unto death; who are standing in the virtue of His consecration, and making their consecration, by His grace, as utter as was His.

We shall never have to let go what He let go in His obedience to the will of God. We have not got it to let go, but what the Lord is looking for, beloved, is a people who are with Him completely, with undivided heart, and that is the ground of our victory and of Satan's defeat.

Oh, let it be seen that the Blood of the Lamb in its absolute perfection of holiness and sinlessness as representing His being, His substance, His essence, His nature and His complete surrender, His capitulation to the will of His Father, is the ground to stand on; something to be appropriated by faith and held on to. More, it is something to be taken up as a weapon against the enemy.

~T. Austin Sparks~

Beauty And Costliness

                                     
Beauty! It’s a mighty thing, an almost over-awing thing in its strength, its power to resist and endure and stand, and yet it is one of those wonderful things about the Lord, the Lord Jesus, and it's one of those wonderful things about anything or anyone in whom He fulfills His purpose is the combination of strength and beauty. 

The balance of strength – it’s not all strength and it’s not all softness – marvelous balance in the Lord Jesus, look at Him! These two things brought together... and that is what the Lord would have.

And finally, costliness. How costly was Solomon’s building, the gold of Ophir! There was a great, great cost bound up with those houses that he built, with the city, the foundation of the walls; all manner of costly stones… something very precious, something very valuable to the Lord.

Here there is nothing cheap, there is nothing cheap in what is of God. Remember that! Everything that is of God is costly. It has a great price attached to it. There is nothing here contemptible, mean; it is the embodiment of suffering – costly stones.

Notice that on these twelve foundations were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb and the first was jasper, clear as crystal. Who was the first of the apostles? Simon Peter. Jasper, clear as crystal; all the mixture has gone out – transparent, clear – but what suffering! Look at him: “he went out and wept bitterly”.

Peter in his letters has quite a lot to say about fiery trials to test us, to try us. Peter knew suffering. Yes, but you see it produced something very precious, valuable and costly to the Lord. Was it not Peter who used that word, “unto you that believe is the preciousness…”?

If you again think of the Lord’s ways with us, you cannot fail to see that the Lord is prepared to use a lot of time and a lot of energy and a lot of money in order to get essential spiritual value.

~T. Austin Sparks~

A Friend That Sticks Closer Than A Brother

 

Pro 18:24  A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Stay~Lonely Pilgrim...you who are searching for fellowship. 

Stop here and find "A FRIEND.

THERE IS A FRIEND  though all the world deny it. One who is always TRUE and FAITHFUL. ONE who NEVER LEAVES and NEVER FORSAKES. No brother or sister will or can abide as HE.

Will you be friend to JESUS as HE IS FRIEND to you?

We WORSHIP YOU LORD We TRUST ALL TO YOU And Recieve from YOU LORD all PEACE all GRACE all needed POWER to do and be what pleases YOU LORD.
You are our NEVER ABSENT FRIEND. Amen and Amen.

                                                                                

JEHOVAH MIGHTY IN BATTLE

Psa 24:8  Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

No life can be lived for GOD in these difficult days without terrific conflict. Foes within and foes without assail each saint continuously.

Principalities and powers are arrayed against the child of GOD who seeks to serve his Master.

We have no might with which to meet "this great host that cometh out against us," BUT JEHOVAH, Mighty In BATTLE, is our Saviour, our Intercessor, our Elder Brother, our ever-present Friend. He fights for us in this battle!!!

Jehovah Our Almighty GOD increase our courage, LORD. Amen



                                                                         

POWER OVER THE WORLD

                                                      
This is the Victory that hath Overcome the world, even our FAITH (1 John 5:4). The world in this sense is that whole system and order and atmosphere and attitude of things which MUST have the SEEN, and the PRESENT. 

What is the Mark of the world? It must See, it Must Have Now. Anything that is unseen and not present is utterly outside of the mentality of the world, and we know how much of the world there is in our nature and the battle is there. 

Faith overcomes that world that is in our own natures and around us. "The things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18). Faith has to do with those things. We could talk for many hours on the matter of faith. Please do not think I am laying down the law to you. God knows the battle in all of our hearts on this matter and how true we know this to be in our own experience. We simply talk to one another solemnly.

We shall always have to fall down before Him and say, Lord, increase our faith! There will be many times when we shall say, Lord, I have not faith for that, I have not faith to face this, to accept this. 

It is a matter of a new dealing with the Lord on this question of faith. There is the fact, it has to be faced, to be settled, to be resolved again and again. Everything depends upon it - the Victory in every realm, going on with the Lord, getting through to what God has purposed. It is all this matter of faith in God, and thereby being well-pleasing unto Him.

He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Heb. 11:6). Lord~increase our faith!

~T. Austin Sparks~

The LORD'S NAME And WORK

For the sake of His Name He has worked and does work. He makes Himself a Name by His works, and we can count on Him to work for His Name's sake.

His works are many: He saves for His Name's sake; He keeps; He gives grace; He sanctifies; He corrects; He delivers; He chastens; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake'.

What a Rock of confidence, assurance, comfort, is the Name of the Lord when we view it in this light! What a ground of appeal we have when we really hold an issue to His Name! "What will you do for your great name?" was the appeal in a very difficult and threatening situation long ago (Joshua 7:9).
 
Eze 20:9  But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

All the mighty work of Christ by His Cross is now gathered into His Name. All the power and ability to work by His servants is in virtue of His Name. See the book of Acts.

All the ultimate overthrow of the adversary's kingdom, and the bowing of every knee will be in His Name. His Name is called... because He SAVES! Effectual work is when the workers correspond to, and stand upon the Name.

T. Austin Sparks

 

Be Still And Know

                                                                              

                                                                                
Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psa 46:11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.