Post by Zac Loh on Jan 25, 2006 1:58:27 GMT -5
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [Ephesians 1:17-18]
In the original bible Greek, the word `enlightened’ means `to light up, illumine; to render evident; to cause something to exist and thus come to light and become clear to all.’
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, [Colossians 3:10]
You know the idiom `dressed for the occasion’. You wouldn’t want to dress too shabbily or out-of-place. You wouldn’t want to attend a formal party in your nightgown. You wouldn’t want to attend a corporate conference in your swimsuit. You wouldn’t want to wear you sports gear for a-once-in-a-lifetime dinner appointment with the Royal Family at the Grand Palace. Having the right apparel is important because you want to be dressed fitting to the occasion.
Furthermore, your dressing personifies you. It’s a reflection of who you are, or who you want to become.
In addition, dressing is a form of identification, an affinity to the people who are present.
You also dress correspondingly to the people who you meet.
So then, what is the context here? What do you wear?
You are called to wear the spiritual light of Christ. It means you will be wearing Christ’s character and personality. You will be relating, and behaving, in His spiritual wisdom, understanding and knowledge.
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [1 Corinthians 1:24]
As you wear the spiritual apparel of Christ, you are virtually being `in Christ’ just as you are inside your physical clothing, you will be inside Christ… hidden, lost in Him, so that only Christ is visible.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [Colossians 3:3]
There are three types of apparel of Christ that we are called to wear:
1. The Apparel Of Our Relationship With God [1 Thessalonians 5:4-8].
2. The Apparel Of Our Relationship With Another Person [Colossians 3:12-14].
3. The Apparel Of Our Relationship With A Person Being Influenced By The Spirit Of The World [Ephesians 6:10; 14-17].
Very much emphasis had been given to success. For some, they want to go beyond success, to significance. Greater than success, is significance, because we are contributing something to people around us. We do want to be remembered for something admirable. Yet, higher that success and significance, is relationship.
Instead of moving from success to significance, and then, to relationship; it should be the other way around: relationship, to significance, and then, to success.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” [Luke 15:11-32]
The elder brother was insecure of his father’s love for him. He didn’t know that all that his father has, then, would be given to him. He didn’t have that information. Why? Because he didn’t have that close relationship to know the father, to understand the father, and to trust the father. If he had a close relationship with his father, not only would he have known that all the father’s possession would be given to him; he would have shared his father’s heart and concern. He would be looking-out for his younger brother just like his father.
How many times have we sidestepped the opportunity to relate to God for the sake of something significant that we are currently doing?
One night while I was praying, I received a parable from the Lord.
Many centuries ago, there was a tailor who was very good at what he does, and everyone like his workmanship. He was popular in town, and he was in great demand.
One day his popularity reached the king’s ears. The king asked his private tailor to deliver measurements to the popular tailor. Hence, a few apparels were made for the king.
After looking at, and trying-out, his new apparels; the king became very impressed.
Therefore, he asked his private tailor to invite the popular tailor to the palace, so that he could meet the popular tailor, and talk with him personally.
So, the popular tailor went to the palace and had a long chat with the king. Upon finishing the conversation, the king said, “I was impressed by your apparels, now, since I have met you, I am even more impressed with you as a person.” And the king continued, “I would like to ask you… to be my personal waiter.”
The king enjoyed the popular tailor’s presence, their conversation together, so much so, that the king wanted to be with him frequently. “Please think about it, and let me know, in a week’s time,” the king said.
The popular tailor thought about it, and he said within himself, “I am a tailor. I have been tailoring since I was young. This is what I am good at. People have a demand on me. And now, the king wants me to be a waiter.”
The popular tailor had a hard time accepting the thought of being a waiter.
So the popular tailor went home, and brood over it. He was full of thoughts.
Three days later, a noble stranger came visiting his house. Because the popular tailor’s house was situated out-of-town, very near a traveling route; the noble stranger had asked to stay overnight in transit to his destination. The popular tailor’s family, after seeing such a noble demeanor on the visiting stranger – took him in.
That evening, they were having dinner, and the popular tailor was again caught-up thinking about the issue of the king’s offer. Since the noble stranger was there at the dinner table with the family, the popular tailor poured out his heart to the noble stranger. The next morning, the noble stranger took leave.
Two days later, the noble stranger returned, and asked to see the popular tailor. It was one day left before the popular tailor had to reply the king. The noble stranger told the popular tailor that he had the answer for him. He said the answer was in the form of a question.
The noble stranger asked: “would you prefer to be a tailor… or to be in the presence of the king?
The tailor began to think of it differently!
Well, the popular tailor took the king’s offer, and became the king’s personal waiter.
From personal waiter, he eventually became the king’s cupbearer.
As a note, let me tell you that during bible history, cupbearers were important and trusted servants of kings, not just as close advisors, but also because their responsibilities included preventing the king from being poisoned, whether accidentally, or as part of an assassination. The cupbearer was an officer of high rank with Egyptian, Persian, Assyrian, as well as Jewish monarchs [1 Kings 10:5].
The chief cupbearer, or butler to the king of Egypt, was the means of raising Joseph to his high position [Genesis 40:1, 21; 41:9].
Nehemiah found himself as the royal cupbearer in the palace of the Persian king Artaxerxes. That trusted and responsible position made possible Nehemiah's role in Bible History - being made the civil governor of Jerusalem, along with Ezra the priest, at the time of the return.
Do you want to do something for God? Can the King trust you? Are you willing to spend time to be His waiter? Are you spending time in His Spirit and His Word?
It’s not so much about you enjoying His presence, but can the king have the opportunity to enjoy you? The revelation helped me understand Jesus’ relationship with Mary and Martha [Luke 10:38-42]. It wasn’t so much about Mary enjoying Jesus’ company, but more about Mary giving herself to Jesus… so that Jesus could enjoy her!
Sadly, Jesus didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy Martha, because she went around `busy doing things for Jesus’.
But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them. [Joshua 13:33]
As believers in Christ, we are now the spiritual Levites, we are a royal priesthood, and we are His own special people.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; [1 Peter 2:9; underline mine]
Our main, true inheritance is the Lord Himself. Everything else is added bonuses and fringe benefits.
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. [Hebrews 11:5]
God took-up Enoch, because Enoch walked with God. You may ask: what great thing that Enoch did for society? If there was anything, the Bible didn’t mention it. It seems that emphasis was that Enoch walked with God.
In the last days, as we too will be taken-up in the rapture upon the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we too will be a spiritual generation of people who pleased God, who walked with Him.
CHRIST, THE PERFECT EXAMPLE
God the Father, appeared twice to Christ, before human eye witnesses, and declared: “This is My beloved son, in Whom I am well pleased.” [Matthew 3:17; 17:5]
Jesus never lost His intimacy with the Father, not even when He was in the midst of the crowd, and ministering to them. Not even when He was fellowshipping with His disciples, neither when He had come down from the mountain. He never lost the intimacy. He was embraced by God’s presence continuously. He was regularly enraptured in the Father’s presence.
PUTTING-ON THE APPAREL OF FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. [1 Thessalonians 5:4-8]
FAITH
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. [Colossians 2:6-8]
Everyone believes in something. The atheist believes that there is no God. The agnostic believes in something other than God.
The darkness of false belief is a belief on anything or anyone independent of our belief in God. It is the trust on self alone. It is based on humanism, and any religion that propounds any way that differ from the only way – a relationship of faith with God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. [John 14:6]
Jesus said that He is the way. He is the Door. There is no other way. There is no other savior.
…the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God [Hebrews 6:1]
The devil wants to attack our faith in God. He will try to draw us away from our faith in God, and attach our faith to something, or someone, else. In the church, our faith must not be attached to any special day, or to any technique. Neither do we fix our faith on certain person or leader, for all that matter.
The darkness is when our faith in God is not alive. It is when our faith is filled with programs, and personalities, that meant too much to us. It is when our faith is not vital, nor strong, in our everyday lives. It is when our relationship with God is not real, nor relevant, anymore.
CHRIST - IN HIS FAITH RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” [Luke 4:1-4]
Why didn’t Christ take the easy way out? He wanted to do the Father’s will. Remember, it was the Holy Spirit Who led Him there.
The devil would prefer that we take the easy way out. More than that, the devil wishes that we move away from God’s will. At these times, we have to be strong, in the strength of knowing God’s will for us. It’s easy to get religious to satisfy our human needs. Trusting God means to submit to God, and to His will; even when things get difficult, and the sufferings persist. Someone may ask: why don’t you ask God to help, why don’t you ask God to take away the trouble, isn’t it natural to do so? Sometimes the best intention is contrary to God’s divine, specific will for an individual at that particular season.
The devil’s deception, often times, is to have us think naturally.
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” [Matthew 16:23]
We have to make a choice. It isn’t that God cannot help us. Yet, we must be willing to accept and follow whatever He has planned for us. That is faith.
Because we believe that God’s intention and wisdom is always best for us, we trust Him. We trust Him enough to find-out His specific will for us. We trust Him enough to rest on Him that He will truly reveal His will for us. We trust Him enough to surrender to Him - that He can, He knows how to, reveal His will in a way that is clear to us personally.
At certain points in our journey of our faith relationship with God, we will be required to consider whether to remain in His will; making a deliberate, strong and internal - decision towards that.
Most talk on faith, today, is connected to getting our needs met. Nevertheless, the highest faith in God is for the staying in God’s will.
Are you willing to forsake everything and live on the promises of God?
We are legitimate Children of the Most High God Who Is Creator, Possessor Of The Whole Universe. We are Princes and Princesses of the King Of All Kings Who Rules Eternally - The Spiritual And Natural Realm, The Heavenly And Earthly Realm. His promises are true. They are more guaranteed than the Bank Guarantee. His promises are not crumbs of bread falling off into the street that we have to beg for them.
God is good… no matter what.
Jesus was living on the promises of God. Jesus knew He wasn’t going to die of starvation. He knew that the purposes of God were going to be accomplished. Later on, in His ministry; He was seen eating and drinking [Matthew 11:19]. Paul, in emulating Jesus, also knew how to be abased and to be abound [Philippians 4:11-13]. He was contented. This, in itself, is victory!
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” [Luke 4:5-8]
Can the devil bribe you? Can he buy you out? Would you take his deal? Can the offer of high worldly positions win your allegiance? Can the devil make you worship lucrative monetary benefits? When you chase after worldly positions and materials; you will inadvertently, indirectly, worship the devil. Faith makes you resist the devil!
The true test of our faith, which we will all undergo, is at the moment of temptation. When you are stung by temptation; following an exhaustive period of relentless whacking – the frontal attacks of the brunt of tough circumstances - what are you going to do? This is when a faith relationship with God comes in. It is something invisible, intangible. It is not naturally comprehensible. It is a relationship. It is real.
Your soul is shaken, you feel damaged, and you are hampered within. So you decide on this relationship with God, rather than inclining, succumbing, to the natural tendencies of the soul. It is the divine alternative!
You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You can have a viable, on-going and spiritual relationship with God. You can sense, and discern, the spiritual prayers rising-up from you. You know it’s going-up to heaven.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. [1 Timothy 6:12]
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [2 Timothy 4:7]
Yes, faith is a fight. You are hit. You are pressed. The fight is to keep your faith alive, strong and well – in spite, and despite, of whatever is happening to you!
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. [Luke 4:9-13]
False faith is egoistic. Counterfeits exist because there are the genuine articles. The devil aims to counterfeit everything that is divine. The devil is an expert in the Bible. False doctrine and erroneous teaching are part of his repertoire, his bag of tricks.
Truth and faith goes hand-in-hand. Some take God as their credit card company: using their faith as a credit card to get anything they want, whenever they want.
That is false faith.
Faith is not a secret formula, nor is there any secret formula in faith. Faith is a relationship with God. Faith that is not originated from a relationship with God or linked to a relationship with God – is of the darkness. Faith, without having an integral relationship with God, is deception.
LOVE
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. [1 John 1:5-6]
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. [1 John 2:15-16]
How do we love God? It is by the giving of ourselves to Him. The greatest joy of God is to live His life through us. When we only pray for His intervention in our circumstance and situation; He is involved only in the outside. He wants us to let Him in, to fill us; so that He can look out, from within us, inside-out. He doesn’t want to be pushed, and isolated, to our circumstance and situation.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. [Revelation 3:20]
A brother, who I met, shared with me about how a person’s heart can be hardened: a person who refuses to change, who is satisfied with his commitment to God as everything is going-on alright in life. I didn’t appreciate the implication of that meeting until I met another brother at the later part of that very same day.
The second brother had experienced the reality of God in so many dramatic ways (more than most people I know). He knew so much that pastors who came-by had a hard time answering his pointed questions. But you know what… this man still hasn’t given his heart totally to God. He talked about so many Christian issues, which appeared consequential to his walk with God.
Refusing to co-operate with him, I said point blank: “you have not given your heart to God, I don't want to talk about the side issues, the next time I meet you, I only want to ask you one question, `have you given your heart totally to God?’” I pray that one day he will say to me, ”yes, I have given my heart totally to God!”
The spiritual system of the world is darkness. It is run by the cravings of the body, greed and self-image. Everything that is of the world - is motivated by these three principles and operated by them.
The spiritual forces of the world are extremely potent and damaging. But the love of the Father is far more powerful than them all.
But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. [Exodus 7:11]
What happens when light meets darkness? Light, of course, will win. No darkness can prevail against the light. We are to be motivated by the love of the Father. If we are living by the love of the Father in us, we are living in the light.
In the original bible Greek, the word `enlightened’ means `to light up, illumine; to render evident; to cause something to exist and thus come to light and become clear to all.’
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, [Colossians 3:10]
You know the idiom `dressed for the occasion’. You wouldn’t want to dress too shabbily or out-of-place. You wouldn’t want to attend a formal party in your nightgown. You wouldn’t want to attend a corporate conference in your swimsuit. You wouldn’t want to wear you sports gear for a-once-in-a-lifetime dinner appointment with the Royal Family at the Grand Palace. Having the right apparel is important because you want to be dressed fitting to the occasion.
Furthermore, your dressing personifies you. It’s a reflection of who you are, or who you want to become.
In addition, dressing is a form of identification, an affinity to the people who are present.
You also dress correspondingly to the people who you meet.
So then, what is the context here? What do you wear?
You are called to wear the spiritual light of Christ. It means you will be wearing Christ’s character and personality. You will be relating, and behaving, in His spiritual wisdom, understanding and knowledge.
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [1 Corinthians 1:24]
As you wear the spiritual apparel of Christ, you are virtually being `in Christ’ just as you are inside your physical clothing, you will be inside Christ… hidden, lost in Him, so that only Christ is visible.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [Colossians 3:3]
There are three types of apparel of Christ that we are called to wear:
1. The Apparel Of Our Relationship With God [1 Thessalonians 5:4-8].
2. The Apparel Of Our Relationship With Another Person [Colossians 3:12-14].
3. The Apparel Of Our Relationship With A Person Being Influenced By The Spirit Of The World [Ephesians 6:10; 14-17].
Very much emphasis had been given to success. For some, they want to go beyond success, to significance. Greater than success, is significance, because we are contributing something to people around us. We do want to be remembered for something admirable. Yet, higher that success and significance, is relationship.
Instead of moving from success to significance, and then, to relationship; it should be the other way around: relationship, to significance, and then, to success.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
“So what do we do? It may sound too simple but we must earnestly seek the Lord. I do not mean that we should seek Him for instructions as to what we should do. We must seek Him because He is what we should do.”
[The Harvest, by Rick Joyner]
[The Harvest, by Rick Joyner]
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” [Luke 15:11-32]
The elder brother was insecure of his father’s love for him. He didn’t know that all that his father has, then, would be given to him. He didn’t have that information. Why? Because he didn’t have that close relationship to know the father, to understand the father, and to trust the father. If he had a close relationship with his father, not only would he have known that all the father’s possession would be given to him; he would have shared his father’s heart and concern. He would be looking-out for his younger brother just like his father.
How many times have we sidestepped the opportunity to relate to God for the sake of something significant that we are currently doing?
One night while I was praying, I received a parable from the Lord.
Many centuries ago, there was a tailor who was very good at what he does, and everyone like his workmanship. He was popular in town, and he was in great demand.
One day his popularity reached the king’s ears. The king asked his private tailor to deliver measurements to the popular tailor. Hence, a few apparels were made for the king.
After looking at, and trying-out, his new apparels; the king became very impressed.
Therefore, he asked his private tailor to invite the popular tailor to the palace, so that he could meet the popular tailor, and talk with him personally.
So, the popular tailor went to the palace and had a long chat with the king. Upon finishing the conversation, the king said, “I was impressed by your apparels, now, since I have met you, I am even more impressed with you as a person.” And the king continued, “I would like to ask you… to be my personal waiter.”
The king enjoyed the popular tailor’s presence, their conversation together, so much so, that the king wanted to be with him frequently. “Please think about it, and let me know, in a week’s time,” the king said.
The popular tailor thought about it, and he said within himself, “I am a tailor. I have been tailoring since I was young. This is what I am good at. People have a demand on me. And now, the king wants me to be a waiter.”
The popular tailor had a hard time accepting the thought of being a waiter.
So the popular tailor went home, and brood over it. He was full of thoughts.
Three days later, a noble stranger came visiting his house. Because the popular tailor’s house was situated out-of-town, very near a traveling route; the noble stranger had asked to stay overnight in transit to his destination. The popular tailor’s family, after seeing such a noble demeanor on the visiting stranger – took him in.
That evening, they were having dinner, and the popular tailor was again caught-up thinking about the issue of the king’s offer. Since the noble stranger was there at the dinner table with the family, the popular tailor poured out his heart to the noble stranger. The next morning, the noble stranger took leave.
Two days later, the noble stranger returned, and asked to see the popular tailor. It was one day left before the popular tailor had to reply the king. The noble stranger told the popular tailor that he had the answer for him. He said the answer was in the form of a question.
The noble stranger asked: “would you prefer to be a tailor… or to be in the presence of the king?
The tailor began to think of it differently!
Well, the popular tailor took the king’s offer, and became the king’s personal waiter.
From personal waiter, he eventually became the king’s cupbearer.
As a note, let me tell you that during bible history, cupbearers were important and trusted servants of kings, not just as close advisors, but also because their responsibilities included preventing the king from being poisoned, whether accidentally, or as part of an assassination. The cupbearer was an officer of high rank with Egyptian, Persian, Assyrian, as well as Jewish monarchs [1 Kings 10:5].
The chief cupbearer, or butler to the king of Egypt, was the means of raising Joseph to his high position [Genesis 40:1, 21; 41:9].
Nehemiah found himself as the royal cupbearer in the palace of the Persian king Artaxerxes. That trusted and responsible position made possible Nehemiah's role in Bible History - being made the civil governor of Jerusalem, along with Ezra the priest, at the time of the return.
Do you want to do something for God? Can the King trust you? Are you willing to spend time to be His waiter? Are you spending time in His Spirit and His Word?
It’s not so much about you enjoying His presence, but can the king have the opportunity to enjoy you? The revelation helped me understand Jesus’ relationship with Mary and Martha [Luke 10:38-42]. It wasn’t so much about Mary enjoying Jesus’ company, but more about Mary giving herself to Jesus… so that Jesus could enjoy her!
Sadly, Jesus didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy Martha, because she went around `busy doing things for Jesus’.
But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them. [Joshua 13:33]
As believers in Christ, we are now the spiritual Levites, we are a royal priesthood, and we are His own special people.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; [1 Peter 2:9; underline mine]
Our main, true inheritance is the Lord Himself. Everything else is added bonuses and fringe benefits.
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. [Hebrews 11:5]
God took-up Enoch, because Enoch walked with God. You may ask: what great thing that Enoch did for society? If there was anything, the Bible didn’t mention it. It seems that emphasis was that Enoch walked with God.
In the last days, as we too will be taken-up in the rapture upon the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we too will be a spiritual generation of people who pleased God, who walked with Him.
CHRIST, THE PERFECT EXAMPLE
God the Father, appeared twice to Christ, before human eye witnesses, and declared: “This is My beloved son, in Whom I am well pleased.” [Matthew 3:17; 17:5]
Jesus never lost His intimacy with the Father, not even when He was in the midst of the crowd, and ministering to them. Not even when He was fellowshipping with His disciples, neither when He had come down from the mountain. He never lost the intimacy. He was embraced by God’s presence continuously. He was regularly enraptured in the Father’s presence.
PUTTING-ON THE APPAREL OF FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. [1 Thessalonians 5:4-8]
FAITH
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. [Colossians 2:6-8]
Everyone believes in something. The atheist believes that there is no God. The agnostic believes in something other than God.
The darkness of false belief is a belief on anything or anyone independent of our belief in God. It is the trust on self alone. It is based on humanism, and any religion that propounds any way that differ from the only way – a relationship of faith with God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. [John 14:6]
Jesus said that He is the way. He is the Door. There is no other way. There is no other savior.
…the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God [Hebrews 6:1]
The devil wants to attack our faith in God. He will try to draw us away from our faith in God, and attach our faith to something, or someone, else. In the church, our faith must not be attached to any special day, or to any technique. Neither do we fix our faith on certain person or leader, for all that matter.
The darkness is when our faith in God is not alive. It is when our faith is filled with programs, and personalities, that meant too much to us. It is when our faith is not vital, nor strong, in our everyday lives. It is when our relationship with God is not real, nor relevant, anymore.
CHRIST - IN HIS FAITH RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” [Luke 4:1-4]
Why didn’t Christ take the easy way out? He wanted to do the Father’s will. Remember, it was the Holy Spirit Who led Him there.
The devil would prefer that we take the easy way out. More than that, the devil wishes that we move away from God’s will. At these times, we have to be strong, in the strength of knowing God’s will for us. It’s easy to get religious to satisfy our human needs. Trusting God means to submit to God, and to His will; even when things get difficult, and the sufferings persist. Someone may ask: why don’t you ask God to help, why don’t you ask God to take away the trouble, isn’t it natural to do so? Sometimes the best intention is contrary to God’s divine, specific will for an individual at that particular season.
The devil’s deception, often times, is to have us think naturally.
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” [Matthew 16:23]
We have to make a choice. It isn’t that God cannot help us. Yet, we must be willing to accept and follow whatever He has planned for us. That is faith.
Because we believe that God’s intention and wisdom is always best for us, we trust Him. We trust Him enough to find-out His specific will for us. We trust Him enough to rest on Him that He will truly reveal His will for us. We trust Him enough to surrender to Him - that He can, He knows how to, reveal His will in a way that is clear to us personally.
At certain points in our journey of our faith relationship with God, we will be required to consider whether to remain in His will; making a deliberate, strong and internal - decision towards that.
Most talk on faith, today, is connected to getting our needs met. Nevertheless, the highest faith in God is for the staying in God’s will.
Are you willing to forsake everything and live on the promises of God?
We are legitimate Children of the Most High God Who Is Creator, Possessor Of The Whole Universe. We are Princes and Princesses of the King Of All Kings Who Rules Eternally - The Spiritual And Natural Realm, The Heavenly And Earthly Realm. His promises are true. They are more guaranteed than the Bank Guarantee. His promises are not crumbs of bread falling off into the street that we have to beg for them.
God is good… no matter what.
Jesus was living on the promises of God. Jesus knew He wasn’t going to die of starvation. He knew that the purposes of God were going to be accomplished. Later on, in His ministry; He was seen eating and drinking [Matthew 11:19]. Paul, in emulating Jesus, also knew how to be abased and to be abound [Philippians 4:11-13]. He was contented. This, in itself, is victory!
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” [Luke 4:5-8]
Can the devil bribe you? Can he buy you out? Would you take his deal? Can the offer of high worldly positions win your allegiance? Can the devil make you worship lucrative monetary benefits? When you chase after worldly positions and materials; you will inadvertently, indirectly, worship the devil. Faith makes you resist the devil!
The true test of our faith, which we will all undergo, is at the moment of temptation. When you are stung by temptation; following an exhaustive period of relentless whacking – the frontal attacks of the brunt of tough circumstances - what are you going to do? This is when a faith relationship with God comes in. It is something invisible, intangible. It is not naturally comprehensible. It is a relationship. It is real.
Your soul is shaken, you feel damaged, and you are hampered within. So you decide on this relationship with God, rather than inclining, succumbing, to the natural tendencies of the soul. It is the divine alternative!
You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You can have a viable, on-going and spiritual relationship with God. You can sense, and discern, the spiritual prayers rising-up from you. You know it’s going-up to heaven.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. [1 Timothy 6:12]
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [2 Timothy 4:7]
Yes, faith is a fight. You are hit. You are pressed. The fight is to keep your faith alive, strong and well – in spite, and despite, of whatever is happening to you!
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. [Luke 4:9-13]
False faith is egoistic. Counterfeits exist because there are the genuine articles. The devil aims to counterfeit everything that is divine. The devil is an expert in the Bible. False doctrine and erroneous teaching are part of his repertoire, his bag of tricks.
Truth and faith goes hand-in-hand. Some take God as their credit card company: using their faith as a credit card to get anything they want, whenever they want.
That is false faith.
Faith is not a secret formula, nor is there any secret formula in faith. Faith is a relationship with God. Faith that is not originated from a relationship with God or linked to a relationship with God – is of the darkness. Faith, without having an integral relationship with God, is deception.
LOVE
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. [1 John 1:5-6]
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. [1 John 2:15-16]
How do we love God? It is by the giving of ourselves to Him. The greatest joy of God is to live His life through us. When we only pray for His intervention in our circumstance and situation; He is involved only in the outside. He wants us to let Him in, to fill us; so that He can look out, from within us, inside-out. He doesn’t want to be pushed, and isolated, to our circumstance and situation.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. [Revelation 3:20]
A brother, who I met, shared with me about how a person’s heart can be hardened: a person who refuses to change, who is satisfied with his commitment to God as everything is going-on alright in life. I didn’t appreciate the implication of that meeting until I met another brother at the later part of that very same day.
The second brother had experienced the reality of God in so many dramatic ways (more than most people I know). He knew so much that pastors who came-by had a hard time answering his pointed questions. But you know what… this man still hasn’t given his heart totally to God. He talked about so many Christian issues, which appeared consequential to his walk with God.
Refusing to co-operate with him, I said point blank: “you have not given your heart to God, I don't want to talk about the side issues, the next time I meet you, I only want to ask you one question, `have you given your heart totally to God?’” I pray that one day he will say to me, ”yes, I have given my heart totally to God!”
The spiritual system of the world is darkness. It is run by the cravings of the body, greed and self-image. Everything that is of the world - is motivated by these three principles and operated by them.
The spiritual forces of the world are extremely potent and damaging. But the love of the Father is far more powerful than them all.
But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. [Exodus 7:11]
What happens when light meets darkness? Light, of course, will win. No darkness can prevail against the light. We are to be motivated by the love of the Father. If we are living by the love of the Father in us, we are living in the light.