KEEPING HIS PREVIEWED PROMISES BEFORE YOU

Nobody, including the Christian, is exempt from problems, issues or challenges in life. However, sometimes those difficult situations can become not just moments, days, weeks or months of hardship, but a lengthy season of struggle. 

Many believers refer to this period of life as being in the wilderness. The wilderness may be a season of our own making. The wilderness may have come about by outside influences or circumstances. The wilderness might be a direct attack from the enemy or the wilderness could be the direct result of our non-alignment with God's Word for our life. The wilderness is not only limited to individuals, but can also be applied to a family or a local church. In any one of these cases, if we are in the wilderness, the Lord has allowed for us to be there. But He has not meant for us to stay.

Abraham was instructed by God to take up camp and move across the wilderness into a foreign land that was promised to be his and his descendants. Abraham obeyed but found the wilderness not only dry, barren and hot - it also contained enemies, The Cannanites, and there was a famine in the land.

Moses was instructed and empowered to lead God's people out of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the promised land. Moses obeyed but found Egyptian armies pursuing him, a massive sea barricading him in, doubters on this side of the bank and on the other side when God miraculously provided for them. Where the enemy was in the land for Abraham, the enemy was within the camp already for Moses as a grumbling, lover of the status quo - spirit.

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into The Wilderness. "In the narrative where Satan tempted Christ, we read, 'Then the tempter came to Him and said to Him...' (Luke 4:3). The tempter is 'the devil' or Satan (Luke 4:8, 10). The question is: Was this temptation in the form of mental thoughts that Satan shot in the form of fiery darts (Eph. 6:16), or did Satan himself appear visibly to Christ and speak audibly to Him? The narrative implies that the test was personally conducted by Satan face-to-face, and Christ heard the voice of His archenemy, as when the test concluded we read, 'the devil departed from Him and the angels came and ministered to Him' (Luke 4:11)." [p.111, This Season of Angels, Perry Stone]

The question for these three men and eventually us is - How do we get out of the wilderness? In the first two accounts - Abraham and Moses had a preview of land promised to them by God. Our hope of exiting the wilderness is first of all keeping our eyes fixed on the promise that was declared or goal that was set in the beginning. Life is a God-tethered journey of a movie that The Lord knows the end from the beginning. But sometimes we unhook that tether and that is when we find ourselves in a season of hardship and possible temptations.

However, with the third example above, The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to experience temptations and possibly other trials on our behalf during His forty day fast. 

Temptation has at its core doubt in something or someone. The challenge to turn the stones into bread doubted God's Provision. The dare to jump from the top of the Temple doubted God's Protection. The invitation to worship Satan for all the earthly kingdoms doubted God's Promises in Christ. In addition, all of the tempting was targeted at two vulnerable points - (1) when Christ was alone and (2) at Christ's supposed weaknesses.

Now, Jesus physically responded to each temptation,  declaring the truth of the matter by speaking the answer. The answer always began the same - "It is written....". However, I also personally believe Jesus kept Father God's preview of the End Result in His mind's eye as He went through the wilderness experience. In Hebrews 12:2, Scripture says, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." 

Notice the preview Jesus had - "For the joy set before Him". Notice He was able to use the Preview of the End Result as fuel to push Him through the entire Salvation Experience - "He endured the cross, scorning its shame". Notice He has made it to His Promised Land - "and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" - and because He has, His believers also are ensured this Promised Land - Heaven.

In the midst of our wilderness or season of challenges - "It is written..." must be the Christian's war-cry also. Our foundation, our source, our sustaining force must be The Belt of Truth or Word of God that holds everything together and upon which all the weapons of warfare hang (Ephesians 6:14). Christ Jesus is the way, The Truth and the life (John 14:6). All power to destroy the enemy's attacks, temptations or otherwise, is found in God's Word and thwarted by verbalizing "It is written...".

It is a good thing, with God's help, to fortify the areas in our life we know are weak and prone to temptation. However, should we find ourselves in a wilderness season remember - God does not desire you to stay. Whatever the challenge is, if it is an attack of the enemy, the start of resisting the devil and seeing him flee is declaring "It Is Written...". The other half of the equation is Keeping His Previewed Promises Before You.

STOP FLAPPING OUR WINGS

You probably have figured this out by now, but did you know that you cannot hear very well, if at all, what someone is saying if you are speaking at the same time? First of all it is rude. Allow the person talking to you to have "the floor", then wait for your turn to interject or just make your comment. Some people simply have no Social Graces. Secondly, if you need to hear instruction from the one speaking and you beginning talking in response to their comments, you could miss some important information. 

Well-balanced conversation is a listening and speaking skill that needs to be developed more fully for some. Hearing is one of the five senses that means meaningful sound is being received by our ear. Listening is the reception and comprehension of those sounds into meaningful ideas that may lead to a verbal or non-verbal response. 

Some individuals start listening then they stop and just engage their hearing while their mouth begins to answer to the already formulated response. I would like to encourage those types of people to try another tactic.

Read this account in Ezekiel of the mysterious creatures around God's Throne.

"Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings." (Ezekiel 1:22-24)

Notice that their wings, just like our mouths, are vocal. Their wings and our mouths also communicate. But are we communicating at the proper time. Here, the beings are at first moving their wings in such a way that it sounds "like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army". Then when appropriate, "they stood still, they lowered their wings". After standing still, the mechanism by which they had been communicating God's swiftness and power - their wings - were lowered. We also need to be still and allow our mechanism, our mouth - to shut.

This practice comes with a beautiful promise in the very next verse of this passage. Ezekiel 1:25 says, "Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings." Again, take notice - the word "then" is there for a reason. It is a follow-up word. Once the Holy Creatures were still "Then" The Lord spoke. Does this not agree with other Scripture? Psalm 46:10 states, "He [God] says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.'”

Whether it is God showing Himself to be exalted among the nations or personally in our own lives by knowing Him more intimately - we need to take a lesson from the creatures in Ezekiel and Stop Flapping Our Wings.

HEDGED IN

Psalm 91:11-12

“For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

This verse is quoted by Satan when he was tempting Jesus to leap off a high place in the wilderness (Matthew 4:5-7). However, this verse is not just for the benefit of The Son of God. The original context is meant for all sons and daughters of God, through Christ Jesus.

The first key word we come to in this passage is “give”. Because of faith in Christ, the many different services angels provide for God become multiplied when the children of God are considered. Angelic care is part of the Benefit Package of Salvation through Christ Jesus. God “gives His angels”.

The second key word to observe is “charge”. In the original Hebrew the word is tsâvâh (tsaw-vaw'). This word denotes a command, an appointment, a purposeful sending out. According to Perry Stone’s study of this verse and particular word – the New Testament use of the Hebrew equivalent has a military authority to it and can be found in 1 Timothy 1:18. Christ is seen as the Captain of the Host that He is – giving out the commands, the appointments, and sending out His angels with this purpose – “to keep thee in all thy ways.”

This brings us to our next key word - "keep". The original Hebrew word is shâmar (shaw-mar'). This word means save, guard, protect, and the most descriptive - provide a hedge for. Ever been in a hedge? You are completely surrounded. Usually it is a reference to being in the middle of a bush or garden but can be a military term of no escape. But here it is a term of comfort and encouragement in God's protection. Remember the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24 that reads - "The Lord bless you and keep you..."? Now, read it as - "The Lord bless you and Hedge You In...".

Next, it is interesting that the acronym for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA -  is the original Hebrew word for the phrase "bear you up" in this verse. The word means to lift, to hold up and to move out of the way. In this case, the angel is bearing the believer up and out of harms way, not removing the obstacle. Mr. Stone says, "Some Christians prefer not to use the term 'guardian angel', as the phrase is missing from Scripture. However, the phrase is an accurate term to identify the assignment of any angel, 'given charge to bear up' a child of God." (p.68, This Season of Angels, Perry Stone)

The time is long pass that believers in Christ should be declaring the promises of God out loud - to ourselves, to our blood family, our spiritual family and back to God as well. Within our declarations we should include the praise for God's omni-present Spirit in our lives (Hebrews 13:5) and that His angels encamp around us as part of His Faith Benefit Package (Psalm 34:7). "If the blood of earthly lambs could prevent the death angel from entering the Hebrew homes during the Exodus, then the word of our testimony and faith in the blood of Christ can form protective hedges." (pages 69-70, This Season of Angels, Stone) 

But remember this brothers and sisters in Christ - "...there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus," (1 Timothy 2:5) There is to be no prayer directed to angels. We know there is no worship that is to be directed to angels (Revelation 19:10). In addition, any additional action that would usurp God's Authority in our lives and replace it with anything, including that of angels, is prohibited. We pray to and through the Creator and Provider not the created and/or servant of God. The will of God is what we should seek out in any situation than our own or the possible knee-jerk command of an angel. Pray to Father God through Christ Jesus for your need or desire and trust God in the use of His angelic ministries.

MISSION COMPLETE

My dear Mother always told me, "If you are going to do something, do it right the first time so you do not have to do it again." Christ Jesus does not have to Save the Universe every time it gets in a jam. He has Saved us. We have the Answer. We just have to accept Him and His ways to be Saved and Successful.  Hebrews 9:11-14 spells it out by saying,

"But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"

I have heard an idea that needs snuffing out. The idea is that we need to do something more to ensure or keep our Salvation once we are saved. This is deceptive, incorrect and a lie from the pit of Hell. If this did have any merit it would place value on our works aiding Christ's sacrifice and that flies in the face of Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

We must rest in His Completed Work or Project. His execution of our Redemption, His Completed Work is so mighty that it covers every situation, at any moment in time, of any life in the universe. His Grace keeps on giving and His Salvation keeps on Saving at The Cross and beyond - Rest Assured.

The Church, has been made holy, cleaned by the washing with water through The Word, radiant, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but I'll say it again holy and blameless - due to the husband-like sacrifice of Christ's life for His wife (Pritchard Paraphrase of Ephesians 5:25-27). 

The actual passage reads -

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

When Christ declared, "It is finished." (John 19:30) on The Cross, Jesus left no room for doubt. I encourage you to rebuke the spirit of doubt because He did not include a "but", "however", "perhaps" or any other conditional phrasing about humanity's Salvation. Before The Cross, He unequivocally said - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Then after His wounds were made for our healing, "he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,...and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - then He cried, "It is finished." Christ is not going to die for you or me again. His life-price was more than sufficient for all of humanity throughout all of history from beginning until The Judgement Day.

You see Christ has done it. He "loved" and "gave" (two active past verbs that keep on keeping on) Himself up for His whosoevers, His believers, His church, His Bride. Through His sacrifice Christ has made His Bride all those wonderful things listed that we could not be on our own. The sacrifice was once and for all AND His Love endures forever.

You and I were worth this extravagant love offering. We certainly do not deserve the Grace of God for the natural tendency of humanity is to disobey God at every thought. But God saw our potential through the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus - His Son. Father God thought everything through - creation, salvation, eternity, everything. Jesus confesses to this by His teaching of the idea. 

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:28:33 

This passage says Father God "sat down", considered the cost, and decided the plan to give up everything to display the extent of His love - the life of His only begotten Son, Jesus - was worth it all. The last statement is where the rubber meets the road. Jesus says if you are not willing to "give up everything" as I have then that person"cannot be my disciple". With that kind of God - why not surrender everything to Him by believing in Christ and His free gift of salvation? The benefits are eternal and there are No Disadvantages to His Design - The Plan!

I want to encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ today. If you are hearing whispers or ideas like your Salvation has fallen or you must aide Christ in the effort that has already been secured - then rebuke that voice. The believer's works, service or deeds in response to our Salvation can always be improved, but according to Romans 10:9 a follower of Christ Jesus can rest in His Complete Work - Our Salvation.