If God Wants Me to Know Some Things, He Will Tell Me

Tip! Prayer is no little thing, no selfish and small matter. It does not concern the selfish insignificant interests of one person. The littlest prayer expands out by the will of God till it touches all words, preserves all interests, and develops man’s greatest wealth, and God’s greatest good.

We go home under the overshadowing of His wings, and when the pressures come, remember that the overshadowing is where He works His miracle. It is not in the open. How will these things be of bringing forth the Christ Child? How will these things be that a new creation is birthed in us to its fullness? It will be birthed under the shadow of the Almighty. Shadows are rather dark, but if Jesus puts us in the shadows, say, "Lord, work a miracle".

"In the beginning God" Now we don't know how many million years have gone by between that and the next verse in Genesis. We don't know. "In the beginning He created the heavens and the earth," but it "BECAME" a chaotic wreck through some cataclysm. "And the earth was (became) without form and void." (Genesis 1:2) We don't know what judgment ever came on the earth to bring it to the chaos that God started with.

God doesn't start, and make crazy things. They become crazy, ugly, and disturbed through sin. He never makes a thing imperfect. What He does is perfect. He made, in the beginning, a perfect world; marvelous; beautiful; and some cataclysm, which He is not pleased to tell us, took place. I never snoop to find out; I keep my nose out of business that He doesn't want to talk to me about. I don't tease God. If God wants me to know some things, He will tell me.

The earth BECAME that chaotic mass; that great chasm; that terrifying chasm and darkness, through some judgment of God. Millions of ages passed, and there was an upheaval between the two forces of right and wrong; good and bad.

Tip! “Intercession” is amplification in prayer; it is going out in broadness and fullness from ones self for others. Primarily, it does not center in praying for others, but refers to the freeness, boldness and childlike confidence in praying. It is the completeness of trusting influence in the soul’s approach to God, unlimited and unhesitating in its access and its demands. This influence and confident trust is to be used in prayer for others.

The sea is always the consuming, rasping, restless thing that would consume, but the earth becomes victorious. God blesses the EARTH. He brings the EARTH out of that chaotic mass. When He brings forth creation, the Word says the "Holy Spirit moved upon the deep". The Holy Spirit "BROODED" (in Hebrew) over the deep. It is the same word that carries the thought of incubation, and brings life. This brooding is like to a hen setting on her eggs. The Holy Spirit "BROODED" over the deep and God's creative Word brought forth the glorious creation that we have through the power of the Spirit. This Holy Spirit has been brooding over this universe long before we had the world. The eternal urge of the Spirit, the consuming urge of the Spirit, is the pulse of God.

Even though God saves us, how many of us know He doesn't throw away the old nature. That's left intact, because He said, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." The fact that I am to reckon myself out of that old creation is evidence that it is still there. We don't have to live under its power. We have one personality, but we have two fields for its demonstration: (1) an old creation in which we can move if we want to; and (2) a brand new creation, and a new nature in which we may move into. The old creation is still intact, but we have the victory of the Holy Spirit to keep identifying ourselves as a new creature in Christ Jesus, independent of the old creation, it's still there, however.

Tip! God is so concerned that people pray that He has promised to answer prayer. He has not promised to do something general if we pray, but He has promised to do the very thing for which we pray.

As to my new creation, He says, "Walk in newness of life; reckon; count yourself dead unto the old nature, even though it's still there." How many of us have ever heard of a Christian stepping back into the old creation? If it isn't there, what did they step into? We don't have to step there; we don't have to live there. We have a new creation. How many ever have some haunting memories of what lived in that old creation? Even in the new creation, however, we aren't born complete in all its perfection. We are born with all the glorious potential.

We are creatures of an entirely different world. Don't fuddle with this old person. This new creature is only built under the dynamic of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Detach yourself from the things you were, and attach yourself to the new creation.

The "mixed multitude" which tagged along with the Israelites out of Egypt, and murmured in the wilderness, represents all the entanglements that impede our progress in the Holy Spirit, and should be dropping off and left behind!

Oh, The Persistency of the Love of God in Seeking Us

Tip! Prayer is always and everywhere an immediate and confiding approach to, and a request of, God the Father.

The first vocation of personality is expression; it is basic. We are to love; to live; then to get out; we are made with potential powers. Out in the world, people have never found the proper avenue through which they can express themselves, to really live.—No Christ—no essential element of Life. He came to bring Life.

Oh, the persistency of the love of God in seeking us; this is the social instinct of God! We see it in the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There is an interchanging, reciprocating, oneness relationship among them. We see the social God in creation; He is always after us. He is interested in us; He persists after us. Note the first question in the Bible: "Adam, where art thou?" He is still asking our lost, broken down, alienated Adam, "Oh, heart, where are you? Oh, soul, where are you?" Oh, the persistency of the love of God!

In Genesis He is a seeking God, and in Revelation He is still pursuing, seeking: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock..." Oh, the persistency of the heart of God in seeking us! God is not defeated, even though people may fail.—He comes and visits Abraham—still comes to him. He comes to Moses; the longing, loving heart of God. As well He comes to us - His children today.

Then He comes to the Tabernacle. The purpose of the Tabernacle in the wilderness was, as God said, "Let them make Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8) God gets a little bit nearer to us; He tries to get just as near to broken humanity as He can. He desires to bring us back to our original purpose, and glorious destiny. We were made for the purpose of glorifying Him, and having communion and fellowship with Him. By and by, there is a temple—a place where God shows Himself.

Then comes Jesus; the Son from the Father's heart—God showing Himself in the flesh. "The Word became flesh and tabernacles among us." (John 1:14) He walks again with people on earth, and comes oh, so near! And again we see the persistency of the love of God.

God, in the power of the Spirit, will come even closer to our heart, and live in the very body of the individual who will let Him. The sweet Spirit of God; the breath of God; the Third Member of the Trinity, has only your body and mine. I had to apologize to Him for it.

Tip! Prayer is no little thing, no selfish and small matter. It does not concern the selfish insignificant interests of one person. The littlest prayer expands out by the will of God till it touches all words, preserves all interests, and develops man’s greatest wealth, and God’s greatest good.

Have you ever apologized to Him? Jesus had a body given Him: "A body Thou hast prepared for Me." But the Holy Spirit has none but ours to live in.

Now it is the Body, the Church that becomes the spiritual house of God, built of living stones. (Ephesians 2:22; 1 Peter 2:5)—It is the individual heart that is the present dwelling place of God on earth. "He dwells not in temples made with hands."

Oh, the persistency of the love of God to come, and touch a life; to get hold of a person! The love of God comes to this poor, distorted, human being, and says, "I can save; cleanse; fill you, bring you back to coordination, and live in you, if you will let Me." Think of Him living in our bodies today! Some day the Holy Spirit will have our glorified bodies to live in!

The Kingdom of God

Tip! THE word “Prayer” expresses the largest and most comprehensive way to approach God. It gives importance to the ingredient of devotion. It is a relationship and interaction with God. It is enjoyment of God. It is access to God.

In Luke 17:20-21, where He speaks of "the kingdom of God"—this kingdom realm that we live in—Jesus didn't call it "the kingdom." He called it "the realm" and I like it much better; Many of our translators are using the word "realm" now, and they should, because our word "kingdom" has these suggestions of bugles, banners, horses, chariots, and thrones. He isn't talking about that. He is talking about a vast realm of spiritual reality. All spiritual reality is in this one realm called the kingdom of the Spirit, which is the new realm into which we are born again. We have to live in this realm, just the same as in the world into which we are born. We have to learn to adjust ourselves to it.

When He introduces us to this kingdom, He introduces us to a vast realm. In that realm He has angels, paradise, and all that world; a domain; a kingdom over which God rules; over which there is jurisdiction and purpose. In creation, God said man should reign or rule over a great domain. In that kingdom are various kingdoms—mineral, animal, vegetable.

When He made a man, He made a vast new realm consisting of the human concept of life. He made us human beings with capacities and potentials that we don't know anything about. God was to be glorified in this vast field or realm. The realm remained after man became a sinner, but there was no King; no authority that the realm was designed for. That kingdom, without a King, waited for a King. This realm is in every heart, waiting for the King to come in to possess it. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God is resting within you." He seeks to possess that kingdom, and He longs to get power over it. It is waiting for Him to possess.

The Scofield Bible translates the kingdom as, "salvation" which is wrong. God brings a spiritual thing in. He is enthroned in our hearts. We enter this spiritual kingdom through a new birth. He is reclaiming that kingdom every time He comes into a heart. "He came to seek and save that which was lost."—His redemption not only includes man, but all creation. This Whole universe, because of sin, has to be redeemed. On the cross, the blood touched the earth first; "Cursed be the ground." That is the first thing that was brought under judgment.

"Unless you are born of the Spirit, you cannot see (understand) the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12) "Taking the kingdom of heaven by violence" means stress, and suffering on our part in order to possess this realm into which He has birthed us. We have great joy and all that, but that is sort of a sideline. To me, the life of the Spirit is, in a sense, the most tragic thing I can get into. It's the opposite of what I think it is. It takes all my struggle, power, and strength to possess it.

When God told the Children of Israel to go into Canaan, He said, "I have given it to you." In a little while He said also, "Go in to possess it." This was a potential term. They were not qualified yet to possess it. The land was full of giants, and walled cities, which required a struggle for its possession.

I never have known more about the power of the devil than when I got the baptism. It was then that I found I couldn't make possession in there (Canaan) without a terrific struggle. "Whatsoever your foot (faith) possesses," that is yours. Possessing your land is Truth, which becomes personalized. "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved." (Psa. 121:3) We have to get into the realm of God through many a trouble. The Children of Israel got into the land by a gift, but they didn't get possession of that land except by force. It is grasped by force.

Tip! “Intercession” is amplification in prayer; it is going out in broadness and fullness from ones self for others. Primarily, it does not center in praying for others, but refers to the freeness, boldness and childlike confidence in praying. It is the completeness of trusting influence in the soul’s approach to God, unlimited and unhesitating in its access and its demands. This influence and confident trust is to be used in prayer for others.

". . . We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22b) Through great distress, trouble, and suffering, we enter the kingdom, this realm of spiritual reality and living. That kingdom is entered through much tribulation, trouble and discipline. Why? Because that is necessary to release you and me from the bondages which would hinder and wreck the lovely design and objective that God has for your life and for mine. God's objective for people is to glorify Him and to give Him pleasure. How can one person glorify God? By bearing a cross that is almost impossible to share. How can another glorify God? Only by bearing that suffering with Him, which nobody knows but that person and our Lord Jesus. In the end we will see that we have glorified God.

Tip! Prayer is always and everywhere an immediate and confiding approach to, and a request of, God the Father.

"Though He slay me," yet God's grace is holding me; the Holy Spirit is holding me. "Though He slay me," yet will I hold on to Him, and move with Him. Life, if you want to know, is the most tragic thing; at least I found it to be. You can love the will of God, but you can't always enjoy everything that is in the will of God. No, it says, "Jesus ENDURED" things. He endured how? "For the joy that was set before Him." He endured this life, the cross, and all for what? "For the JOY that was set BEFORE Him;" not the joy which He experienced.

4 Steps of Privilege and Experience

Tip! Talking to God – This is the one on one type prayer – where we converse with God to develop our relationship with him. We may ask him to help us in areas that we need spiritual, physical or emotional support.

"And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." —Luke 15:31

The words of the text are familiar to us all. The elder son had complained and said that though his father had made a feast, and had killed the fatted calf for the prodigal son, he had never given him even a young goat that he might make merry with his friends. The answer of the father was: "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." We could not have a more wonderful revelation of the heart of our Father in heaven than this told to us. We often speak of the wonderful revelation of the father's heart in his welcome to the prodigal son, and in what he did for him. But here we have a revelation of the father's love far more wonderful, in what he says to the elder son.

If we are to experience the deepening of our spiritual life, we need to discover a clear vision of what is our spiritual life that God intended for us to live out. On the one hand; and, on the other, we must ask whether we are living that life; or, if not, then what hinders us living it out to the fullest.

This subject naturally divides itself into these four headings:—1. What is the high privilege of every child of God? 2. The low experience of too many of us believers. 3. The cause of the discrepancy; and 4, the way to the restoration of the privilege.

Step 1-What is the High Privilege of Every Child of God?

Tip! What really determines’ the effectiveness of our labor for Christ is the measure of our faith and the fervency of our prayers. If our faith is poor and our praying is indifferent; how can we expect to achieve much for Him?

"And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." —Luke 15:31

We have here two things described as the privilege: —First, "Son, thou art ever with me"—this is unbroken fellowship with our Father is our portion; Second, "All that I have is thine"—all that God can give us, His children is theirs.

"Thou are ever with me;" I am always near you; you can stay every hour of your life in My presence, and all I have is for you. I am a Father, with a loving Father's heart. I will withhold no good thing from you. In these promises, we have the rich privilege of God's heritage.

We have, in the first place, unbroken fellowship with Him. An earthly father never sends his child away with the thought that he does not care about his child knowing that he loves them. The father longs to have his child believe that he has the light of his father's countenance on him all the day—that, if he sends the child away to school, or anywhere that necessity compels, it is with a sense of sacrifice of parental feelings. If it be so with an earthly father, then what do you think of God? Does He not want every child of His to know that they are constantly living in the light of His countenance? This is the meaning of that word, "Son, thou art ever with me."

Tip! THE possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in God's ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works.

That was the privilege of God's people in Old Testament times. We are told that "Enoch walked with God." God's promise to Jacob was: "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." And God's promise to Israel through Moses was: "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." And in Moses' response to the promise, he says, "For wherein shall it be known that I and Thy people have found grace in Thy sight? Is it not that Thou go with us; so shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth."

The presence of God with Israel was the mark of their separation from other people. This is the truth taught in all the Old Testament; and if so, how much more may we look for it in the New Testament? So we find our Saviour promising to those who love Him and who keep His word, that the Father also will love them, and Father and Son will come and make Their home with them.

Tip! If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and want to know for sure that you are a child of God, then I would like to invite you to earnestly pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart.

Let that thought sink deep into your hearts Children of God. The child of God is called to this blessed privilege, to live every moment of our life in fellowship with God. We are called to enjoy the full light of His countenance.

There are many Christians—I suppose the majority of Christians—who seem to regard the complete work of the Holy Spirit as limited to conviction and conversion: —yes but this is not all! He came to dwell in our hearts, and there reveal God to us. He came not to dwell near us, but in us, that we might be filled with His indwelling. We are commanded to be "filled with the Spirit;" then the Holy Spirit would make God's presence obvious to us. That is the total teaching of the epistle to the Hebrews: —the veil is torn in two; we now have access into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus; we come into the very presence of God, so that we can live all the day with that presence resting on us. This presence is with us where ever we go; and in all kinds of trouble, we have undisturbed rest and peace. "Son, thou art ever with me."

Tip! “Intercession” is amplification in prayer; it is going out in broadness and fullness from ones self for others. Primarily, it does not center in praying for others, but refers to the freeness, boldness and childlike confidence in praying.

There are some people who seem to think that God, by some meaningless sovereignty, will withdraw His presence from us. I know that God loves His people too much to withhold His fellowship from them for any such reason. The true reason of the absence of God from us is rather to be found in our sin and unbelief, than in any supposed sovereignty of His. If the child of God is walking in faith and obedience, His Divine presence will be enjoyed in unbroken continuity.

Then there is the next blessed privilege: "All that I have is thine." Thank God, He has given us His own Son; and in giving Him, He has given us all things that are in Him, He has given us Christ's life, His love, His Spirit, His glory. "All things are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." All the riches of His Son, the everlasting King, God bestows upon every one of His children. "Son, thou art ever with me; and all that I have is thine." Is not that the meaning of all those wonderful promises given in connection with prayer: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, ye shall receive."? Yes of course, here it is. That is the life of the children of God, as He Himself has pictured it for us.

Step 2-The Low Experience of Too Many of Us Believers

Tip! Jesus promised to pass on the power from heaven to accomplish greater works for Him in this world. That promise is His Holy Spirit. Jesus intended for His chosen apostles to go and bring in a lot of fruit, the same goes for us.

"And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." —Luke 15:31

The elder son was living with his father and serving him "these many years," and he complains that his father never gave him even a young goat, while he gave his prodigal brother the fatted calf. Why was this? Simply because the elder son did not ask for it; he did not believe that he would get it, and therefore never asked it, and never enjoyed it. He continued to live in constant murmuring and dissatisfaction; and the keynote of all this wretched life is furnished in what he said. His father gave him everything, yet he never enjoyed it; and he throws the whole blame on his loving and kind father.

O beloved, is this not the life of many of us as believers? Do we not speak and act in this way? Every believer has the promise of unbroken fellowship with God, but we says, "I have not enjoyed it; I have tried hard and done my best, and I have prayed for the blessing, but I suppose God does not see fit to grant it." But why not?

Someone says it is the sovereignty of God withholding the blessing. The father did not withhold his gifts from the elder brother in sovereignty; neither does our Heavenly Father withhold any good thing from them that love Him. He does not make any such differences between His children. "He is able to make all grace abound towards you" this promise was made equally to all in the Corinthian church, so it is made equally for all of us as Children of our Father.

Tip! It opens the door for salvations. (Act 2:42) “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”.

Some think these rich blessings are not for them, but for those who have more time to devote to religion and prayer; or their circumstances are so difficult, so peculiar, that we can have no idea of their various hindrances. But do you not think that God, if He allows us in these circumstances, cannot make His grace abound accordingly? We do admit He could if He would, work a miracle for us, but we can hardly expect it.

In some ways, they, like the elder son, throw the blame on God. Consequently many are saying, when asked if they are enjoying unbroken fellowship with God: —"Unfortunately, no! I have not been able to reach such a height; it is too high for me. I know of some who have made it, and I read about it; but God has not given it to me, for some reason." But why not? Do you think, perhaps, that you do not have the same capacity for spiritual blessing that others have.

The Bible speaks of a joy that is "unspeakable and full of glory" as the fruit of believing; of a "love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit given unto us." Do we desire it, do we? Why not get it? Have we asked for it? We think we are not worthy of the blessing—we are not good enough; and therefore God has not given it. There are more among us than we know of, or are willing to admit, who throw the blame of our darkness, and of our wanderings on God! Take care! Take care! Take care!

Tip! Jesus said they were to do even greater works than He had achieved during His ministry in the world. Wow! Then our Master went on to show them that by praying in His Name, Jesus, this is the channel through which the authorized power is acquired to carry out the works that glorify our Father in the Son.

And again, what about that other promise? The Father says, "All I have is thine." Are you rejoicing in the treasures of Christ? Are you conscious of having an abundant supply for all your spiritual needs every day? God has all these for you in abundance. "Thou never gave me a young goat!" The answer is, "All that I have is thine. I gave it to you in Christ."

Dear reader, we have such wrong thoughts of God. What is God like? I know no image more beautiful and instructive than that of the sun. The sun is never weary of shining; —of pouring out his beneficent rays upon both the good and the evil. You might close up the windows with blinds or bricks, the sun would shine upon them all the same; though we might sit in darkness, in utter darkness, the shining would be just the same. God's sun shines on every leaf; on every flower; on every blade of grass; on everything that springs out of the ground.

Tip! In (Phil. 4:6) we have these words about prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

All receive this wealth of sunshine until they grow to perfection and bear fruit. Would He who made that sun be less willing to poor out His love and life into me? The sun—what beauty it creates! And my God, —would He not delight more in creating a beauty and a fruitfulness in me? —Such, too, as He has promised to give?

And yet some say, when asked why they do not live in unbroken communion with God, "God does not give it to me, I do not know why; but that is the only reason I can give you—He has not given it to me." You remember the parable of the one who said, "I know thou art an hard master, reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not strawed," asking and demanding what thou hast not given. Oh! Let us come and ask why it is that the believer lives such a low experience.

Step 3-The Cause of this Discrepancy Between God’s Gifts and Our Low Eexperience

Tip! An effective prayer life can have a huge impact on not only our own individual life, but on the lives of those around us. Through prayer we can have an impact on our local community, our country and the world.

"And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." —Luke 15:31

Read the whole chapter 15 of Luke and you will see that the believer is complaining that God has never given them even a young goat. Or, God has given them some blessing, but has never given the full blessing. God has never filled them with His Spirit. "I never," we says, "had my heart, as a fountain, giving forth the rivers of living water promised in John 7:38." What is the cause?

The elder son thought he was serving his father faithfully "these many years" in his father's house, but it was in the spirit of bondage and not in the spirit of a child, so that his unbelief blinded him to the idea of a father's love and kindness, and he was unable all the time to see that his father was ready, not only to give him a young goat, but a hundred, or a thousand young goats, if he would have asked for them. He was simply living in unbelief, in ignorance, in blindness, robbing himself of the privileges that the father had for him. So, if there be a discrepancy between our life and the fulfillment and enjoyment of all of God's promises, the fault is ours. If our experience is not what God wants it to be, it is because of our unbelief in the love of God, in the power of God, and in the reality of God's promises.

God's word teaches us, in the story of the Israelites, that it was unbelief on their part that was the cause of their troubles, and not any limitation or restriction on God's part. As Psalm 78th says:—"He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers." Yet they sinned by doubting His power to provide meat for them—"They spoke against God; they said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" (vs. 15-19). Later on, we read in v. 41, "They turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." They kept distrusting Him from time to time. When they got to Kadesh-Barnea , and God told them to enter the land flowing with milk and honey where there would be rest, abundance, and victory, only two men said, "Yes;" we can take possession, for God can make us conquer." But the ten spies and the six hundred thousand men answered, "No; we can never take the land; the enemies are too strong for us." It was simply unbelief that kept them out of the land of promise.

Tip! It opens the door for salvations. (Act 2:42) “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”.

Prayer:

Our Father, if there is to be any deepening of the spiritual life in us, we must come to the discovery, and the acknowledgment of the unbelief there is in our hearts. God grant that we may get this spiritual awaking, and that we may come to see that it is by our unbelief that we have prevented God from doing His work in us. In Jesus' name we pray; Amen.

Unbelief is the mother of disobedience, and of all my sins and short comings—my temper, my pride, my unlovingness, my worldliness, my sins of every kind. Though these may differ in nature and form, yet they all come from the one root; we do not believe in the freedom and fullness of the Divine gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and strengthen us, and fill us with the life and grace of God all the day long.

Tip! If we, God’s people expect to carry out the works of Christ that will glorify our Father, then we must believe in Him for the very work’s sake, and pray fervently in His Name.

Look, please, at that elder son, and ask this question; what was the cause of that terrible difference between the heart of the father and the experience of the son. There can be no answer but that it was this sinful unbelief that utterly blinded the son to a sense of his father's love.

Dear fellow believer, I want to say to you, that, if you are not living in the joy of God's salvation, the entire cause is your unbelief. You do not believe in the mighty power of God, and that He is willing by His Holy Spirit to work a painstaking change in your life, and enable you to live in fullness of consecration to Him.

God is willing that you should live this way; but you do not believe it. If people really believed in the infinite love of God, what a change it would bring about in this world! What is love? It is a desire to communicate oneself for the good of the object loved—the opposite to selfishness; as we read in 1 Corinthians 8. "Love seeks not her own." Therefore the mother is willing to sacrifice herself for the good of her child. So God in His love is ever willing to impart blessing; and He is omnipotent in His love.

Tip! If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and want to know for sure that you are a child of God, then I would like to invite you to earnestly pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart.

This is true, my friends; God is omnipotent in love, and He is doing His utmost to fill every heart in this house. "But if God is really anxious to do that, and if He is Almighty, why does He not do it now?" You must remember, that God has given you a will, and by the exercise of that will, you can hinder God, and remain content, like the elder son, with the low life of unbelief.

My Prayer Book - A Collection Of Christi. Now You Can Have Powerful And Inspiring Prayers Instantly At Your Fingertips. Free Download.

Come, now, and let us see the cause of the difference between God's high blessed provision for His children, and the low, sad experience of many of us in the unbelief that distrusts and grieves Him.

Step 4-The Way to the Restoration of This Privilege

Tip! Jesus said they were to do even greater works than He had achieved during His ministry in the world. Wow! Then our Master went on to show them that by praying in His Name, Jesus, this is the channel through which the authorized power is acquired to carry out the works that glorify our Father in the Son.

And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." —Luke 15:31

We all know this parable of the prodigal son and how many sermons have been preached about repentance, from this parable. We are told that "he came to himself and said, I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight." In preaching, we speak of this as the first step in a changed life—as conversion, as repentance, confession, returning to God. But, as this is the first step for the prodigal, we must remember that this is also the step to be taken by His erring children—by all the ninety-nine "who need no repentance," or think they do not.

Those Christians who do not understand how wrong their low spiritual life is must be taught that this is sin—unbelief; and that it is as necessary that they should be brought to repentance as the prodigal son. You have heard a great deal of preaching on repentance to the unconverted; but I want to try to teach it to God's children.

We have a picture of so many of God's children in this elder brother. What the father told him, to bring about a consideration of the love that He had for him, just as he loved the prodigal brother, so does God tell us in our contentedness with such a low life: —"You must repent and believe that I love you, and all that I have is yours." He says, "By your unbelief, you have dishonored me, living for ten, twenty, or thirty years, and never believing what it was to live in the blessedness of My love. You must confess the wrong you have done Me in this, and be broken down in regret of heart just as truly as the prodigal son."

There are many children of God who need to confess, that though they are His children, they have never believed that God's promises are true, that He is willing to fill their hearts all the day long with His blessed presence. Have you believed this? If you have not, all our teaching will be of no profit to you. Will you not say, "By the help of God, I will begin now a new life of faith, and will not rest until I know what such a life means. I will believe that I am every moment in our Father's presence, and all that He has is mine?"

Tip! Let us always be aware of the fact that the power that is achieved to do the greater works that are required for Christ, is only gained through fervent prayer and faith in Jesus Christ.

Lord God; please work this conviction in the hearts of all us cold believers. Have you ever heard the expression, "a conviction for sanctification?" You know, the unconverted person needs a conviction before conversion. So the dark-minded Christian needs conviction before, and in order for sanctification, before we can come to a real insight to spiritual blessedness. We must be convicted a second time because of our sinful life of doubt, and temper, and unlovingness. We must be broken down under that conviction; then there is hope for us. May our Father of mercy grant all of us such a deep remorse, so that we may be led into the blessedness of His presence, and enjoy the fullness of His power and love!

I. 10 Steps for Daily Fellowship with God

Tip! So it is the same elsewhere in the Holy Bible (James 1:5) we have “asking” put into view as a prayer: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and upbraiding [scolding somebody] not, and it shall be given him.

1. The first and most important need of our Christian life is, Fellowship with God. The Divine life within us comes from God, and is entirely dependent on Him. As I need every moment a fresh breath of air to breathe and as the sun every moment of the day sends down its light, so it is only in direct living communication with God that my soul can be strong. The manna of one day was corrupt when the next day came. The same is for us; we must every day have fresh grace from heaven, and we obtain it only in direct waiting on God Himself. Begin each day by remaining before God, and letting Him touch you. Take time to meet with God. He is waiting for you.

2. So in this same mindset, let your first act in your devotion be a setting yourself still before God. In prayer, or worship, everything depends on God taking the main place. We must bow quietly before Him in humble faith and love, speaking only in result of this, from within your heart: "God is. God is near. God is love, longing to communicate Himself to us. God is the Almighty One, who works in all things, is even now waiting to work in you, and make Himself known to you." Take time, till you know God is very near.

Tip! “Asking of God” and “receiving” from the Lord - direct request to God, immediate connection with God - that is true prayer.

3. When you have given God His place of honor, glory, and power, take your place of deepest lowliness, and seek to be filled with the Spirit of humility. As a creature it is your blessedness to be nothing that God may be all in you. As a sinner you are not worthy to look up to God; bow humbling of yourself in response to the feelings of guilt and shame. As a saint, let God's love overwhelm you, and bow you still lower down. Sink down before Him in humility, meekness, patience, and surrender to His goodness and mercy. He will exalt you. Oh! Take time, to get very low before God.

Tip! It opens the door for salvations. (Act 2:42) “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”.

4. Then accept and value your place in Christ Jesus. God delights in nothing but His beloved Son, and can be satisfied with nothing else in those who draw nigh to Him. Enter deep into God's holy presence in the boldness which the blood gives, and in the assurance that in Christ you are most well pleasing. In Christ you are within the veil. You have access into the very heart and love of the Father. This is the great object of fellowship with God that we may have more of God in my life, and that God may see Christ formed in us. Be silent before God and let Him bless you.

Tip! •Approach God in prayer and ask for a fit body. • Get clear and visualize your fit body and believe.

5. This Christ is a living Person. He loves you with a personal love, and He looks every day for the personal response of your love. Look into His face with trust, till His love really shines into your heart. Make His heart glad by telling Him that you do love Him. He offers Himself to you as a personal Saviour and Keeper from the power of sin. Do not ask, can I be kept from sinning, if I keep close to Him? But ask can I be kept from sinning, if He always keeps close to me? And you see at once how safe it is to trust Him.

II. 10 Steps for Daily Fellowship with God (Con't)

Tip! THE possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in God's ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works.

6. We have not only Christ's life in us as a power, and His presence with us as a person, but we have His likeness to be wrought into us. He is to be formed in us, so that His form or figure, His likeness, can be seen in us. Bow before God until you get some sense of the greatness and blessedness of the work to be carried on by God in you this day. Say to God, "Father, here am I for You to give as much in me of Christ's likeness as I can receive." And wait to hear Him say, "My child, I give you as much of Christ as your heart is open to receive." The God, who revealed Jesus in the flesh and perfected Him, will reveal Him in you and perfect you in Him. The Father loves the Son, and delights to work out His image and likeness in you. Count on it! This blessed work will be done in you as you wait on your God, and hold fellowship with Him.

7. The likeness to Christ consists mainly in two things—the likeness of His death and resurrection, (Rom. 6:5). The death of Christ was the consummation of His humility and obedience, the entire giving up of His life to God. In Him we are dead to sin. As we sink down in humility and dependence and entire surrender to God, the power of His death works in us, and we are made conformable to His death. And so we know Him in the power of His resurrection, in the victory over sin, and all the joy and power of the risen life. Therefore every morning, "present yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead." He will maintain the life He gave, and give the grace to live as risen ones.

Tip! In (Phil. 4:6) we have these words about prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

8. All this can only be in the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in you. Count on Him to glorify Christ in you. Count on Christ to increase in you the inflowing of His Spirit. As you wait before God to realize His presence, remember that the Spirit is in you to reveal the things of God. Seek in God's presence to have the anointing of the Spirit of Christ so truly that your whole life may every moment be spiritual.

9. As you meditate on this wondrous salvation and seek full fellowship with the great and holy God, and wait on Him to reveal Christ in you, you will feel how needful the giving up of all is to receive Him. Seek grace to know what it means to live as wholly for God as Christ did. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can teach you what an entire yielding of the whole life to God can mean. Wait on God to show you in this the things you do not know. Let every approach to God and every request for fellowship with Him be accompanied by a new, very definite, and entire surrender to Him to work in you.

Tip! A person’s character is always demonstrated in their behavior. The Savior again said,“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good ...” -- Luke 6:45

10. "By faith" here, as well as all through the Scripture, and all the spiritual life, must be the keynote. As you wait before God, let it be in a deep quiet faith in Him, the Invisible One, who is so near, so holy, so mighty, so loving. In a deep, restful faith too, that all the blessings and powers of the heavenly life are around you, and in you. Just yield yourself in the faith of a perfect trust to the Ever Blessed Holy Trinity to work out all God's purpose in you. Begin each day this way - in fellowship with God, and God will be your all in all.

We all are

standing here, and we are the sum total of all the choices and decisions we have made in our lives. They have all registered, and this, is the composition of our character. We live in our own wills.

Now don’t think that we can just live a Christian life as happy as bumble bees, and, when we go to heaven, everything is going to be so wonderful, l am sorry to disillusion some people. It isn’t going to be that way! Right here and now, we are making the derisions; the choices; the surrenders; the outpourings of life. We are doing that HERE, and THAT WILL DETERMINE what we will have over there. That is not built up all of a sudden over there; not at all. We determine all that right here and now. The decisions we make today will last forever! Thank you!

Click Here for more information about Your ebook "How to Live Life".

What is "The Big Bang" that Happens in You? part 1

Tip! God’s people do not have authorization to demand the Savior’s promise of, “...Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,” in order to gain something very special for themselves.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the divine explosion or "the big bang" that happens within the innermost part of a person that brings to the surface all things good and evil.

If you don't find an interior revolution or rebellion that has affected the external or the way you live, then I must question your experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

1. The Holy Spirit is always the dynamic, the power for any of the things God will do. It was the Holy Spirit working in the Old Testament in every sign and miracle. God is the initiative; Jesus executes the will; the Holy Spirit accomplishes the work.

2. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the activity by which the spiritual Body of Christ can be formed, and the emphasis of God today, at this time in the dispensation of grace. It is that of getting His Body, the children of God ready, shaped up, filled with life, vision, hope, so that He can take us home. That is His great program! Isn't it time that people got acquainted with the objective for which this marvelous, unheard of outpouring was sent!

God's first thought is not what we can do, but what we can become.

Works are subservient or secondary to what we are to become.

Jesus said He would call us out; He would train us; give us discipline; He would give us all that was needed in the way of separation, and light, and illumination, and, most of all, the terrible training which was necessary to conform us into the image and likeness of Himself—the Bridegroom, because we would be the Bride.

The Bride (we who are born again) must have some features that are similar to the Bridegroom. The Holy Spirit will begin to restore, reshape, re-pattern, and redesign in us—in this Body with the features that are becoming here, so that some day we may be taken out of this earth, and united with Him, and projected into the things of the eternal ages.

For in Ephesians it says that through the Church, He will show His glory and grace in ages to come. This is the instrument. So He says, "Ye shall be unto Me My witness in the world." The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and immerse you into what He is, and Who He is, and YOU will BECOME identified with Him.

What is "The Big Bang" that Happenes to You? part 2

Tip! THE possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in God's ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works.

"...Ye shall be witnesses unto Me..." (Acts 1:8b) Become this thing: a witness unto God—unto God first. Become unto Me: a process: All things Swing to the glory of God. That is the real operation here; that is the ultimate.

"Ye shall become,"—not DO! I believe in Works—absolutely. But I want it in its order and place in God, in the Holy Spirit. He doesn't say a thing we are going to do. He says something that we are becoming; something that we will become. Why? Under the dynamic of this Spirit; He will immerse us under its power.—He will not destroy our individuality or our personality concept and the natural being we are, He will never do that. He wants every kind, every one of us, but it will be an immersion—you will go out of sight! You go out of sight! You are not sprinkled.

If you ever get the real baptism of the Spirit, the ‘you' is lost, your identity, your manifestation—the ‘you' is submerged—out of sight. All of that potential of the ‘you' that wants to get into fame, it is out of sight; it is buried; buried! He says, "I will immerse you, I will baptize you in the Spirit and under the impact and power of this dynamic, you shall become unto Me in the world My witness."

Why is it that Jesus should say to them on this occasion; "Ye shall become..."? It is a verb of being, not of action. However, in order to build this Body, we will find He will give us so many things to occupy us, but all of that is reactionary.—the effect; the reaction from the doing reflects right back again to the Body. That is why we contribute to the building of the Body. Becoming is a process. The Holy Spirit was given in that baptism for the building and making of this Body.

Tip! Let us always be aware of the fact that the power that is achieved to do the greater works that are required for Christ, is only gained through fervent prayer and faith in Jesus Christ.

Why did Paul pray as he did? Did you ever look at the prayers of Paul? Get into the New Testament and follow all the prayers of Paul and see what the burden of them was. Every last prayer that is mentioned was concerning this Body; it was concerning the believers; it was concerning those who were incorporated in this supernatural thing. The burden of prayer on Paul's heart was the completion and the building and making of this Body.

What is the burden on the heart of Jesus? Is it not the redemption of the world? No —He had died for the world, He can't do any more than that! His prayer in John 17 is, "I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Yours." The Holy Spirit is praying "for the saints according to the will of God."

Tip! So when we ask Christ to carry out His works in our hearts we are fervently praying that our Father may be glorified in His Son.

The submerging (going under water or immersing) of the Spirit is the only activity by which this Body can be built and brought to completion.

Click on a Banner Below and Enjoy the Show

Is Your Motivation About Gifts Wrong?

Tip! Jesus said they were to do even greater works than He had achieved during His ministry in the world. Wow! Then our Master went on to show them that by praying in His Name, Jesus, this is the channel through which the authorized power is acquired to carry out the works that glorify our Father in the Son.

In Romans 11:29 we read that "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance." A gift can be operated purely in the flesh or mind; it depends purely on who is backing the motivation and direction.—In I Corinthians, chapters 12-14 we find Paul correcting their motives regarding the gifts. In chapter twelve he itemizes the gifts (the manifestation gifts as well as the personality gifts); in chapter thirteen he talks of motives back of the gifts; and in the fourteenth chapter he encourages them to seek after the best gifts.

To better understand Paul in his teaching here, we must go back into the original Greek writings where we find that the translators (who are not inspired) have unfortunately placed the first verse of chapter thirteen as the last verse of chapter twelve. Let us read it as it should have been:

"But covet earnestly the best gifts; and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."

Paul is now no longer speaking of the gifts but of a WAY. The Corinthians had all the gifts and all the power. Paul had to correct them, for their motivation was wrong. Rather than their motive coming from their natural heart and life and disposition, it must come from the love of God shed abroad in their hearts and lives; the ‘agape' love is to control the power of the manifestation in the gifts.

Tip! So when we ask Christ to carry out His works in our hearts we are fervently praying that our Father may be glorified in His Son.

When the gifts are not motivated by the love of God—that broken bleeding heart of Jesus—, if we don't have that to become the motive for their manifestation, it is nothing to God but sounding cymbals and rattles! He warns them that even though the gift may bless somebody, as far as its reaction in the one possessing the gift is concerned, it is not to the glory of God, and the heart is not refreshed, neither does he grow. "It profits me nothing."

Paul tells those concerning spiritual gifts, as we read in chapter twelve, that he wants to do a little corrective teaching. He then goes on in chapter thirteen to give the law by which these gifts are to be operated. "Now show I unto you a more excellent way,"—not a more excellent gift. Love is never a gift; love is a fruit. He then goes on to correct their motivation. We will never understand chapters twelve through fourteen of I Corinthians unless we read them all as one thing.