Listen

David, a great warrior, fled from the conspiracy of his own son, not that he knew not how to combat against it, but as a part of God's chastening for his sin, he had to flee. Yes, he fled indeed, but he also had to fight back. As a great warrior, he formed armies skillfully into three bands and he himself decided to join one of them. At that juncture the people prohibited him from going to battle and suggested otherwise, "You shall not go forth..." 2 Samuel 18:3. Then  David replied, "What seems best in your sight I will do" v.4. He did so and things turned out well, except that his beloved son Absalom was killed, this still under God's sovereignty.

The speaking of God comes in manifold ways, only if we have ears to listen and hear what He has to say. God speaks in the way we understand that He speaks. He will use anyone He wishes to, at any time, for His own purpose. As in kind David's life, I believe, the speaking of the people was God's speaking. Prior to this, he always had to ask God if he should go to battle or not. But this time, the people spoke to him and he listened; to me that's God's speaking.

God spoke through prophets, priests and kings; and today He still speaks, the medium and channel may be varied, we only have to discern the Lord's speaking through whatever or whichever way, and we must listen and obey.

Even in our Christian lives today, the Lord keeps speaking..... Through the Word, through the indwelling Spirit, through circumstances, through the saints, the members of the Body of Christ, and sometimes even through gentiles! Only if we have ear to listen, we will hear the Lord's speaking. Having said this, better be reminded, Satan also speaks. But we only have to discern who is behind the channel of speaking. If we exercise our spirit, live and walk in the Spirit, we will easily discern the source--God or someone else. And accordingly listen and obey all that of God, and blessed shall we be.

Lord, open my ears that I may hear,

Open my mind that I may understand,

Sharpen my spirit that I may discern,

Subdue my will that I may obey,

Strengthen my body that I may execute;

All of Thy will, yea, all of Thy will,

According to Thy way and in Thy time.

Give No Ground

Nevertheless, because you have given the enemies of Jehovah much occasion to blaspheme Him because of this thing, the son who is born to you shall also surely die.

2 Samuel 12:14

After David enjoyed a great victory over his enemy, he indulged in sins, then repented and God also forgave him. But, because he had given the enemies of Jehovah much occasion to blaspheme God, God gave him a fitting judging punishment; the child born of the woman he committed adultery with, must die.

Yes, God is merciful, full of grace and forgiving, yet He is also a God of righteousness, the base and foundation of His throne, therefore, He cannot bypass righteousness by grace.Otherwise, it will be a "giving of ground to the His enemy to attack Him." This being the case, for the very cause of giving ground to the enemy, God does give judging punishment to His beloved children; out of righteousness and also for disciplining.

This portion of the word, was so enlightening as I read this a week ago. In my own personal lives and the lives of many other saints, seeing the unseen, I understand why so many "situations" are or were allowed by God when He sure can save them from it. Somewhere, sometime, somehow,  a ground to the enemy was given, willingly or unconsciously.Cases of accidents, sicknesses and even death were allowed by God, sometimes, for our own good; because He loves us, and wants to gain us for His purpose. This is what Paul echoed in Romans 8:28.

And much more, since the fall of His archangel, there has been a spiritual warfare waging. Who wins the victory based on whom is determined by the whom giving ground or no ground to the battling duo--God and Satan. Therefore, this matter of giving the enemies of Jehovah much occasion for blasphemy is a serious matter to God, and He does not tolerate.

In Jesus Christ, the enemy Satan has no ground. So be it in our Christian lives too. 

Lord, may I be found in You ever, not to give ground to the enemy.

Iniquity

Since I heard the message on the "Iniquity of Sanctuary" I was extremely careful and went before the Lord again and again to consider and reconsider the many things that I am carrying out in the Lord, for the Lord, are truly of the Lord, with the Lord and for the Lord. In this regard I even carefully separate the work of the Lord with my personal or family life.

As far as the work of the Lord is concerned, trusting in the Lord's grace, I will not take a step ahead until and unless it is initiated by the Lord and confirmed in the Word and by the Body; and I would not follow suit without the Lord's supply of grace and the Spirit's power and the Lord's anointing is upon me for the very same work, and be in fear and trembling that after the accomplishment of such work, the Lord and only the Lord may be glorified lest I be robber of God's glory. Yet, paying heed to this so much, I seem to neglect the part on my personal matter which I presume is apart from God's work.

But this morning in my time with the Lord, the Lord touched me deeply; reminding me that it is indeed good and safe to be careful of the iniquity of sanctuary to make sure we build God's work with gold, silver and precious stone and not with wood, hay and stubble. But much more, our work and our person cannot be and should not separated. Our work is our person and our person is the work of God! Technically, one may be careful with "the work of God" and yet careless in his personal life and matters. But in God's view, the person and the work are one. As much as one is careful concerning the service of the sanctuary, so much the more, one must be careful in his living. For our work is our living and our living is the work of God.

And this is a necessity and we have no reason to reason with God concerning our privacy; for we don't belong to ourselves, we are purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, bought with a very costly price. As such, we are slaves as far as service or status is concerned. The reality of this kind of living will be a real salvation. For it would not give room to the enemy through loopholes in personal matters. As much as we are careful with the work of God, so much the more we will be careful in our daily Christian life. And not the commit the iniquity of the sanctuary nor the iniquity of a Christian living.

Joined to God's Word

Reading and pray-reading the Word of God is very good. But is it good enough just for feeding on the Word apart from mere knowledge of the Word? Much more there must be a realisation in practicality of God's Word.

Daniel is a good pattern in regard to this. When he read the book of Jeremiah, he knew God's desire concerning 70 years of captivity of God's children after which they would go back to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, immediately he joined himself to God's desire through His Word and fasted and prayed concerning the same. Likewise, when he read the book of Leviticus, he knew God's desire that His people should not eat unclean food, he immediately joined himself to God's desire through His Word and stopped himself from eating  unclean food, even if it was the King's choicest food.

As God-loving children of God, we must read the Bible everyday, even feed on the Word of God everyday and know God's desire by the knowledge of His Word, but much more, once we know God's heart's desire, we must join ourselves to God's desire through His Word and take action.

This matter of "joined to God's Word" touched me deeply. Perhaps, I have had many of the knowledge of the Word, even the feeding on the Word, but the "joining" and taking action according to God's Word is my lack. I definitely need the grace and strength to join myself to God's Word and take action accordingly. 

Lord, grace me to join myself to Your desire through Your Word.

Daniel and His Companions

Daniel and his companions were used by God as His dispensational instrument to turn the age from being under captivity to the return to God's land for God's building of God's house and God's city for God's expression and God's authority. As such they were overcomers of that age.

The real overcomer is Christ Himself, who is now in our spirit. When we live by this Christ we are overcomers, living in the Body in the principle of the Body. These overcomers are members of the Body as of Daniel and his companions. God in His sovereignty matches members of His Body together, to be blended and builded together, standing together through thick and thin, through trials and temptations, as one.   No individualistic person can be an overcomer in himself; there must be the breaking, building and blending by and through the other members of the Body for the building of God.

In our Christian life in the church life, we must be blended with our vital partners. This is not a matter of choice, but of necessity. If we cannot be blended or builded with any other member of the Body, there must be something wrong seriously. Today is the age of the Body. Independent spiritual giants can accomplish nothing of the building work. So the one vital factor for overcomer is to be in the Body living by the principle of the Body.

Daniel and his companion allowed God to express through them and to represent God. They could resist the King's choicest food and disobey the King's decree to bow down to an idol, together as companions.

This truth impressed me deeply; O how I thank the Lord for my companions whom God has bestowed me with, in my family life, church life and service life. Lord, blend me and build me up with my companions as Your overcomers.

Heaven Rules

The Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills--Dan.4:17b

One must know and realise that God is still on the throne. He is the Most High One who rules over the whole universe. Irrespective of the situation or environment, it is God who rules. Not realising this who be a great disaster in one's Christian life.

As young as one is, even as old as one may be, one must realise this universal fact, that God rules. Politically or socially or economically or religiously or spiritually, whoever rules is under God's rule. Initiating anything otherwise would be a direct rebellion against God's ordination, even if it is done with the good intention of reformation or rectification as long as it is not directly or indirectly against God Himself of His will and ways. The only exception I could think of is, only if, the one in power under God's rule is anti-God.

David learnt this lesson well when he would not cast his hand on Saul his "enemy" who had been hunting for his life even when he had the upper hand to kill his "enemy". Because David knew Saul was the anointed one of God, though later, he went far away from being God's anointed and even when God literally left him. Still David would not lay his hand. Instead he would do whatever, to escape from confronting Saul even at the shameful case of faking insanity and of joining the Philistine, Israel's enemy.

Likewise, in our Christian life, we must be rule under the Heaven's ruling by the God of the heavens. In our personal life, family life, church life, service life or social life, let God rule and let Him have the free hand to do whatever He wants. In this way, we give access to God to work Himself into us that Christ may have the preeminence in our lives and our living, for Him to carry out God's eternal purpose, which is the very meaning of our existence and the purpose of our lives on this earth.

Lord cause me to know that the heavens do rules.

Ambassador of Christ

A  week ago the Lord granted us the experience of the Body in coordination and prayer of the propagation and raising up of the church in Chandigarh. Later, a fellowship was that I should go again to strengthen the shepherding the newly raised up church. But that was not out of my desire nor initiation, not even a thought conceived out of me. But the Lord as the Head of the Body initiated a visit through the members of the Body, and I "amen" the fellowship in the Body. The issue? O the anointing and the flow of grace and the supply of  life from the Head was marvelous! Every meeting was so rich and so full of life, the Lord just spoke the timely word according to the need of the saints, and I enjoyed the Lord's presence very much. O what a blessing in the Body!

My train journey was even full of the Lord's presence; on my upward journey, the Lord anointed me to write a hymn on "Ambassador of Christ" based on the ministry of the Word, the recent HWMR. On my downward journey,  another two hymns on "God's Building" and " God's Word." These all were the issue of being one with the Lord and with His Body, the church.

Literally, when we are one with the Lord and are coordinated in the Body; to represent Christ, the highest authority on earth, by living Christ, expressing Christ, determining to gain the honor of being well pleasing to Christ- living just to please Christ, constrained by the love of Christ, knowing people according to the spirit and carrying out the ministry of reconciliation, we are indeed in reality, not in mere title or name or  status, "Ambassador of Christ." This is our Christian clarion call.

As Paul was, and the apostles were, so are we, when we live in the Body, serve in coordination in the Body and in fellowship with the Body. Praise the Lord for the Body life that qualifies us to experience the reality of being Ambassador of Christ!