WE MUST WORK WITH GOD

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

Phil 2.12

Our Creator, our God, our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit loves us. 

 

He is completely committed to our good, to our welfare, in everything we do, say, think, feel, and desire.

He has begun a good work in us and will work good in us and for us until the day we meet Jesus.

He Who has begun a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phil 1.6.

God works in us to will and act

according to His good purpose.

Phil 2.13

We must work with Him for this to happen, though.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling...

Phil. 2.12

Our God has told us many things that He has in mind for us, many good things that He wants to develop in our lives, in our heart, mind, soul, and body.

In the prayer of 1.9-12 there are the following:

love, knowledge, insight,

discernment of what is best,

purity, blamelessness,

and the fruit of righteousness.

In the midst of suffering and struggle (like in 1.12-30), there are:

speaking the word if God fearlessly (1.14)

encouraging others in their progress and joy (1.25-26)

standing firm in one spirit for the faith of the Gospel (1.27)

And then in 2.1 there are:

encouragement from being united with Christ

comfort from His love

fellowship with the Spirit

tenderness and compassion

Then there are special notes in chapters 3.7-14 and 4.4-9.

All this just in Philippians. And all the writings of Scripture are similarly filled with characteristics and qualities God wants for us.

He works with us and in us to achieve all this in “more and more” ways, means, and occasions--always better, always improving, always toward “the best.”

Teaching, showing, explaining, correcting, directing, counseling, watching—our God works at perfecting us and our faith, day and night, every thought and word under His exacting scrutiny and gentle loving kindness.

But for any of this to happen, we must set aside time to focus on these attributes of godliness, one at a time, day in and day out.

These qualities are what we are to spend time working on with God.

These qualities are what we work on when we spend time with God.

To “abide with Christ” is “to spend time with Christ” time working with Him on His goals for us.

In this time with Christ, we are to ask for, seek, and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit for “the good things” God is wanting to develop in us.

WE MUST WORK

MORE AND MORE...

UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST.

PHIL 1.6, 11

GOD WORKS FOR OUR BEST

Philippians 2.13 says that God works in us to will (desire and choose) and to do (carry out) of His good pleasure.

Paul wrote that God “energizes” us to become “energetic” in carrying out His will.

God works.....................(puts forth the effort)
in us to will ....................................(carry out)

and to do ...............................(make the effort) 

His good pleasure.......(what He wants for us).

It is God's “good pleasure” to empower us

to do His will.

 

He is “well pleased” when we do so!

His plan and purpose, His intention and goal, was decided on before the creation of the world: to redeem people who would experience and carry out His “good, pleasing, and perfect” will for the coming ages of eternity.  (Ro. 12.2; Eph. 2.7)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world

to be holy and blameless in His sight...

adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ

in accordance with His pleasure and will.

Ephesians 1.3-5

Jesus begins by calling to all men, “Follow Me.” 

We who respond to this call soon learn, “Jesus loves me.”

Following, we soon begin to love Him and follow His leadership more and more.

 

We begin to experience His will in our lives here on earth as it is in Heaven--”good, pleasing, and perfect--fulfilling and satisfying.

God makes everything!--everything!--

work toward this end when we respond to His call.

HOW GOD WORKS IN US

 

PHILIPPIANS 

1-2

 

 

 

"Whatever happens" (1.27) in our lives in the way of

 

"Suffer" and "Struggle" (1.29-30),

 

we receive the blessings of

 

encouragement, comfort, and fellowship (2.1)

 

and become people of blessing (2.2-4)

 

"Whatever...Suffering/Struggle" we experience

 

is where and when

the "mind of Christ" (2.5)

 

is worked into us

 

to "will and to do"

God's "good purpose" for us. (12-13)

All of this is where and when

the promise of Romans 8.28 is fulfilled:

"...in all things God works for the good

of those who love Him..."

The "Good" (Ro. 8.28) is experienced as

encouragement...comfort...fellowship...

tenderness...compassion...

(Philippians 2.1)

 

in "our present sufferings"

(Romans 8.18-39).

“The great lack of our religion is that we do not know God.”

Andrew Murray

Preface to Waiting on God, p. 1145, Essential Works

I know just enough to know that I do not know God well enough.

I am committed to using my last days in knowing Him better.

I know this requires time in His Presence, learning from Him and about Him.

There must be much that needs correction and redirection within me.

There is so much about God that I must seek to know. I know He are infinite in His wonders and that I know so very little. But I do believe that I can learn more and share more of His love with others. I believe

 

“All the difficulties...have their cause in this one thing: the defective knowledge and practice of waiting on God.” Murray, p. 1147.

I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27.13-14

(Psalm 130)

“Fullness” with and from God, His love and grace, power, come from “waiting,” abiding time with God. In a time when were physically with us, as with Adam and Eve and the first disciples, we have the real contact with God.

In God's visible absence, we have His Spirit to accomplish the same thing, just as well. It requires the same response: Pay attention and do what we are told. We do this and learn this in the times we seek  God in His invisible presence.

So, then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,

continue to live in Him,

rooted and built up in Him,

strengthened in the faith as you were taught

and overflowing with thanksgiving.

Col 2.6-7

It's not like this is a mystery.  The concept of the tent of meeting with Moses and abiding in Christ is repeated over and over from Genesis through Revelation. The endless lament of the prophets is the lack of sincere, earnest effort to know God through time with God.

Peter pleads, “Make every effort...be all the more eager.” His urgency is that we may “possess these qualities in increasing measure.” ( Peter 1)

Paul frequently urges us to be diligent.

Jesus Himself often urges earnestness with God, “...first...,” frequently using parables to drive the point home.

It is in these moments that we “have the joy of receiving every moment out of the fullness of God.” Murray, p. 1147

Today, I spend time with God in a room dedicated to this purpose--to pray, read, meditate, realize truth about God. I must be here and focused is such a way that I can hear what God, the Holy Spirit, wants to say to me.

Every word God speaks into my heart is life-changing, life-forming, life-giving. It is out of this God-given life that I can have living words to give to others.  a

Just as the disciples had to keep their attention focused on what Jesus was saying if they were to get the point and understand how what Jesus was saying applied to their individual lives, so I must pay attention to what God is wanting to say to me.

My goal is to understand how to understand and know God. This understanding begins with understanding that it can only happen in a place like this.

If there is no time here in this Room of Meeting, there will be no advancement in grace and knowledge of Who God Is and What God Does. In a place like my Room, I “continue” my life with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Here I become more and more

rooted and built up in Him,

strengthened in the faith.

Col 2.7

Here I learn of His love for me,as He reveals Himrself to my heart and understanding. Here I am given strength, hope, insight, wisdom for my next moment and encounter. Here I receive what I know I need as well as what He knows I need.

The things which I discover with and about God change my life into an image of Who He is.

To realize that God, the Great God, the Creator of heaven and Earth and all there is in the vast Universe, God!  God meets me here.

Oh, then I must come early and often, staying late in humble gratitude, thankful such grace, goodness, mercy, love, patience, cleansing, strengthening...Oh, so much to be received in floods from the rivers and fountains of Life that flow from His heart into my heart.

“My soul silently awaits for God;

from Him comes my salvation.”

Psalm 62.1

GOD'S PLANS

 

 

 

 

The last two entries about God's Plan are meant for two things.
 

 

The first entry, "The Plan and Purpose," is designed to help you to understand the way God has written the Bible for understanding His way in our lives.  This entry is to help you know what to look for as you read the Bible for your own growth and development as a disciple of Christ, moving toward becoming a "fisher of men" for Him.




Here are five notes to better understand the entry "The Plan and Purpose." 

 

 

1.  Read Ephesians 1.3-14 numerous times  to get the "big picture" of what God is all about in His

        decision to create the world, universe. This "big picture" will enable you  

           have confidence that your life is important in God's plans.

 

 

  2.  Read the Sermon to know the brief outline of what this life is all about. 

          The Sermon is an explanation of Gpd's plan for disciples of Christ.

          Read the Sermon several times, until you get the idea of happens as we follow Jesus.

 

 

 

3.  Read the Gospels throughout your life to grow in understanding Who Jesus is.

 

 

 

4.  Let Acts inspire you. 

 

 

 

5.  Romans though Revelation will enable you to understand how God works out His leadership in your life on a day to day basis.
 

 

 

       The Second entry, "God Has a Plan," is intended to give you a simple explanation of  what God wants to do in lives of others.  This would be your starting point as you  teach others to be disciples of Christ.

 

 

       You need to have a good understanding and experience of the transforming power of this life that brings us into the "good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."  (Romans 12.2)  Our ability to go into the world and make disciples and teach them how this life with God works depends on our experiencing the reality and power of God in our own lives.



It is my conviction that we will have little to no impact for Christ if we cannot give a clear, Biblical based explanation of how salvation works in our daily lives.  We must live by His Biblically revealed commands in our own lives before we can teach them to others.  Teaching others how we obey the commands of Christ in our own lives is essential to teaching others to do so.  Obeying the commands of Christ is essential of knowing Jesus.   Knowing Jesus is how we make Him known to others. 


Our generation desperately needs a revival of knowing Jesus well enough to make him known to others.

God has a plan for our life.

God has a plan for our life.

This plan leads to lasting happiness.

This plan includes change and development.

The basic plan is presented in what has been called ”The Sermon on the Mount.”

This Sermon is the first teaching of Jesus.

The Bible books called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us about Jesus' life from four different viewpoints.

From these writings we can understand the kind of life wants us to live.

There are other writings, called “letters to churches,” that explain how God helps us follow the plan.

God directs our way day by day as we read these writings.

Have a good day.

Forever.

The  Plan of God

 

God has a plan that leads to lasting happiness. 

(Ephesians 1.3-14)

Jesus offers to help us.

(Matthew 4 17, 19)

How the plan works.
(Mathew 5-7)

 

The details of the plan

How Jesus helped His first followers.

Matthew 8-John 21

How Jesus helps us.

Romans-Revelation

 

 

OUR FINAL, ULTIMATE PURPOSE

Our final, ultimate purpose in life is

to be with God,

our Creator,

forever.

    1.  Have a place to seek God.

    2.  Spend much time in this place.

 

 

    3.  Learn of and from the Lord Jesus.

 

 

 

     4.  Be perfected with Jesus for Forever.

REFUGE FOR REALITY

How great is Your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear You,

which You bestow in the sight of men,

on those who take refuge in You. 

 

In the shelter of Your presence You hide them

from the intrigues of men;

in Your dwelling You keep them safe

from accusing tongues.

Praise be to the LORD

for He showed His wonderful love to me

when I was in a besieged city.

Psalm 31.19-21

Refuge is the time and place where we meet God, as did Moses:

Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance a way,

calling it the “tent of meeting.”  

Anyone inquiring of the Lord

would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.

Exodus 33.7-8

We must have a place to meet with God.

We must go to this place day by day all of our life.

Our goal is to experience the realities of God.

That they may know You,

the only true God, and Jesus Christ,

Whom You have sent.

John 17.3

Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

To Him be glory both now and forever!

Amen.

2 Peter 3.18

HOW CAN THE WORLD BECOME RIGHT?

By my becoming right.

 

If I become right, my part of the world will be right.

If all 7,000,000,000 become right, the world will be right.

Here are FOUR STEPS we all can take:

Believe that God will help us
as we seek Him about this matter. 

Believe that He is, and that

He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

(Jeremiah 17.10; Hebrews 11.6)

Pray. Ask God:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my (evil) thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139.23-24

Seek and follow the leadership of Jesus Christ
The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure;
then peace-loving...
Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
James 3.17-18

Enjoy the good life.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Again, I say to you,

Rejoice in the Lord.

Phil. 4.4

12-5-11

WHAT'S WRONG HERE!

The heart is deceitful above all things

and beyond cure!

Who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17.10

From within, out of the heart come evil thoughts...;

evils come from within

and make a man unclean.

Mark 7.20-23

Seventy-five years ago, our world was facing chaos and disaster.

An English paper invited readers to send their answer to this question:

“What's wrong with the world?”

The friend and mentor of C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, wrote back,

“I am.”

MacDonald took Jeremiah and Jesus seriously!

“I am?”

Seriously?

Me?

Were Jesus and Jeremiah talking about me?

Seriously, now? Are you really serious?

Me.

 

Deceitful...beyond cure...evil...unclean?

 

Me?

Yes, Me.

And you, too.

Me, you, and currently a few more than

7,000,000,000 of us.

All of us—

Seriously...!

Do you think we might find someone among these billions

who is perfect?

 

How does our imperfection come about?

We know what goodness is.  We recognize it when we see it.

But Jeremiah says our goodness is seriously mixed up with serious short-comings:

Deceitful...beyond cure...evil...unclean.

Mixed up in me.

And in you.

And the other more than 6, 999,999,998 of us.

All of us fall woefully short of God's good intentions.

THE FINAL PURPOSE

 

 

"The final purpose!"

 

What is this all about?

 

"God has blessed us in the heavenly realms

with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world

to be holy and blameless in His sight. 

In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons

through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will--

to the praise of His glorious grace,

which He has freely given us in the One He loves......

And He made known to us the mystery of His will

according to His good pleasure,

which He purposed in Christ,...

according to the plan of Him

who works out everything in conformity

with the purpose of His will....

Ephesians 1.3-14

 

You were taught...

to put off your old self,

which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

and to put on the new self,

created to be like God

in true righteousness and holiness.

Eph. 4.22-24

 

The purpose, the final end

for which we have been created,

redeemed, saved, and delivered

is

to live in the Eternal Kingdom of God

with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

in perfect Righteousness

from perfect Holiness...

forever and ever.

 

God uses everything in our lives

to further and complete this purpose.

 

"We know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love Him,

who have been called according to His purpose. 

For those God foreknew

He also predestined to be

conformed to the likeness of His Son,

that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. 

And those He predestined, He also called;

those He called, He also justifiied;

those He justified,

He also glorified.

Romans 8. 28-30

COME TO CHRIST

From Matthew 4 through Revelation 22,

Jesus, the apostles, the church, and the Holy Spirit

have one simple command: 

COME. 

Jesus promises that we will "bear much fruit"

if we come to Him day and day. 

In this way, we show ourselves to be disciples of Jesus,

which brings glory to the Father.

 

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit,

showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15.8 

 

When we "come" and "abide" with Jesus,

He reveals Himself to us,

opens our eyes, and turns us

from darkness to light

and from the power of Satan to God,

 so that we may receive forgiveness of sins

and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."

Acts 26.17-18

 

The Holy Spirit

 fills us with Peace, Joy, and Love,

         and with Grace and Truth by His Spirit.

All this, and much, much more from the King of Kings, Lord of Glory, Son of the Father, A[pha and Omega,....

from the One who loves us and gives Hismself to us.....

now and forever.

DOWNCAST, DISTURBED, and DISTRESSED

“Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise Him.”

…......

“Men say to me all day long,

'Where is your God?'”

Psalm 42. 5, 3

We are not commanded to stop being downcast and disturbed.

We are promised to be given freedom and power to overcome the circumstances that cause us to be such.

Downcast and disturbed is a regular, on-going, oft repeated experience of all who follow Jesus, like “all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

This Psalm is a brief reminder of what to do every time we suffer these conditions.

“Put your hope in God.”

And we get hope by coming to God in prayer for the promises He gives us about our sufferings.

The point here is that we come to God with honesty about our painful condition, whatever it may be.

Phil. 1.27--Whatever happens...

Romans 8.18, 28--...present sufferings...all things...

James 1.2--...whenever you face trials of many kinds...

1 Peter 1.6--...suffer grief in all kinds of trials...

1 Peter 4.12--the painful trial you are suffering...

There are many, many sufferings...

But there are many, many, many...

many, many, many!!!

promises of wisdom and power!!

The promise of hope draws us to prayer. We come with troubling experiences to discover the wisdom and strength that hope promises.

As we pray, we find promises that abound in grace from Christ and even greater grace for experience with Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Prayer is not begging God to do what we want. Prayer is the time of confessing our need and its effect in our hearts and then searching the Scriptures to find promises that apply to our present sufferings. God will give Scripture that provide wisdom and power for our situation .

Faith that believes, trusts, and follows the promises receives wisdom and power to face and defeat the downcast, disturbing effects of whatever circumstances we go through.

We do not have to be strong and overcome.

We have to come in our weaknesses to God in prayer and we will receive “grace to help in (any and every) time of need.” Hebrews 4.16.

In prayer with the promises of God before us, we are given power to overcome all things that happen to us.

Promises for Power are found in Prayer.

In Prayer, we find Promises for Power.

We find Power as we Pray for the Promises.