All The Counsel of God

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

A great passage on giving. Cheerful giving is the New Testament rule. A companion verse – “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38

^“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

This is a good passage on spiritual warfare. Our battles are supposed to be spiritual, not carnal, though the only battles that some Christians know how to fight are carnal battles. The focused believer acknowledges that his mind is prone to wander from the will of God and that his fleshy members are prone to do likewise. Being saved just isn’t enough. A conscious effort must be made continually to bring the mind in check and to cast down all that is contrary to Christ. This is a war that is never won while we live in this world. We win and lose battles, but the war continues until the Lord calls us home.

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” 2 Corinthians 10:12

Compare yourself to the Lord, and you will always see room for improvement. Compare yourself to man, and you will become proud and fruitless as a believer.

Your prayers may be for revival, souls to be saved, or any important matter, but God who is unlimited can become limited in your life. He will become as One who is deaf-

When you manifest indifference to the Word of God

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).

When you have wrong relationships with your loved one.

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (l Peter 3 :7).

When you have unconfessed sin in your life.

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness” (Isaiah 59: 1-3).

When you are not willing to be reconciled to another.

“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother” (Matthew 18: 15).

When you are jealous and critical.

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).

When you give in to temptation.

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:12-15).

When you know to do good and do it not.

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him itis sin” (James 4:17).

When you do not forgive another.

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

When you are not willing to right wrong.

“Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God … ” (Jeremiah 3: 13).

^“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” 2 Corinthians 5:10-11

The passage deals with the special judgment for Christians called the “judgment seat of Christ,” also mentioned by name in Romans 14:10, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” and described in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

No one goes to hell at this judgment. Christians are simply judged for their conduct as believers while living out their lives on earth.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

A great memory verse for all Christians. The new birth produces a new creature, not just someone who makes a profession and continues to live after the world.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

It’s not enough to say that Jesus died and rose again for us; He was made sin for us. What exactly is meant by that, I am not sure. It at least means the He entered a foreign realm, one that was unworthy of His presence, and it at least means the He, the holy Son of God, came in touch with something dirty and defiling so that we could come in touch with God’s holiness. But what it means exactly to be made sin is beyond my comprehension.

^“ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

This is one of the reasons for Christian suffering: that we might be better prepared to comfort others in their sufferings.

“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17

The verse is altered in the new Bible perversions with the word “corrupt” being changed to “peddle” or something similar. Naturally, those guilty of corrupting the word of God do not wish to be exposed.

^“ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 – 5:1.

A great passage that calls us to focus on the unseen world rather than on this present world, and it reminds us that our bodies are nothing more than earthly tabernacles that will be dissolved so we can move on up to our heavenly tabernacle.

Christmas spells the only message of peace and love:

C-Comfort. The Christ of Christmas promises,” … I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

H – Hope. ” … Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

R – Redemption. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

I – Inspiration. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God … ” (2 Timothy 3:16).

S- Salvation. The Bible says,” … now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

T -Truth. Jesus said, ” … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

M – Mercy. “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 103:8).

A-Assurance. ” … the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17).

S- Satisfaction. “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9).

All these longed-for blessings can by yours today. They are all wrapped up in one ” … unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15)-Jesus Christ. What better time is there than this sacred season to receive Him into your heart and life? “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come fort unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have I been from of old, from everlasting.” – (Micah 5:2

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2: 14).

What a glorious scene it must have been to the poor shepherds of Bethlehem ” … keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8), when, after the angel had given his wonderful message and told them of their Saviour’s birth, there suddenly burst upon their astonished sight ” … a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:13-14).

Very glorious and very awful must it have been; and yet, how must their hearts have thrilled and leaped with joy and gladness at such blessed words. They were the best tidings the world had ever heard. Surely no heart that heard them could be cold and thankless.

But the same ” … good tidings of great joy … ” (Luke 2:10) are spoken to us now. Every Christmas does the joyous song of the angels ring anew in our ears, and the tidings are quite as ” … good tidings … ” for us as they were for the shepherds of Bethlehem. For us, as much as for them, was ” … born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” How then do the tidings fall upon our hearts now? Are they ” … good tidings of great joy … ” to us? Or do they enter our dull ears and cold hearts like an old tale that has lost its charm by being often told?

Oh! Can any true Christian help rejoicing at this blessed season? Is there any faithful child of God whose heart can help bounding again at the joyous Christmas tidings, as they fall, in all their old familiar gladness, upon the ear? They call back childhood’s happy days, when the blessed words of this day’s triumphant joy rang so freshly in our hearts, when the old chiming of the bells, and the old words of the well-remembered hymn, and the bright unfading holly, and the cheerful fireside, and all the many joys of this holy and happy time gave a charm to blessed Christmastime.

This charm it can never lose till our latest hour on earth, and which, perchance, shall help to make the remembrance of it beautiful throughout all eternity. Yea, though years may creep over us, and life with its sins and its sorrows, its disappointments and its weariness, may somewhat deaden the fresher feelings of our younger days, yet cold and deadened indeed must that heart be that, even in saddest sorrow, has no welcome left for Christmas.

Yet, though joy is so natural at this joyous season, there is need of much care and watching that our Christmas rejoicing be of the right sort. It is very easy to rejoice after a wrong fashion – to join in all the merriment and pleasure of the season without having any true Christian joy, without thinking at all of the wondrous event which makes this so really blessed a day to man.

Paul’s command is to “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). This is true Christian rejoicing, to “Rejoice in the Lord … ” When can we more fitly and more fully obey this command than on that day when we remember that the Lord was born into the world to live and die for us, when ” … unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given … ” (Isaiah 9:6). The heavenly hosts themselves rejoiced in the Lord, chanting in heavenly strains their song of triumphant praise, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2: 14).

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Judgment is coming and every secret thing will be weighed. Good cross references are:

Luke 8:17 – “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.”

Revelation 20:11-15 – “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Romans 2:16 – “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

The idea is that of a speedy trial and a speedy punishment. If every killer in America knew beforehand that, if caught he would be convicted and hung before the end of the month, the murder rate would be cut in half before the end of the week.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Anything worth doing is worth doing with passion. There is no place for half-heartedness in the life of the Christian.

“Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” (Ecclesiastes 10:20)

This where the expression “a little bird told me” comes from.

^“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6).

The ”bread” is the word of God Matthew 4:4 “But he answered and said,It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”, and the “waters” are the lost people of the world, Isaiah 57:20 “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.” Revelation 17:15, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” That’s the ministry of the word of God: sowing the seed by faith and not being deterred by circumstances. It might take years (“after many days”), but you will reap if you will sow.

“It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.” (Ecclesiastes 7:18)

It is not hard to predict the winners and losers in life. The winners and achievers are those who fear God, and the losers are those who lean to their own understanding. Just watch things over the “long haul,” and it becomes very obvious. At forty years of age, the winner will usually have the same wife that he started with, disciplined children, a good church family, a decent job, and a joyful spirit of contentment. The loser will be a chronic complainer on his second marriage or third marriage with bratty step kids while trying to butter up the boss for a raise so he can finance the new boat or the new truck that he thinks will give him happiness,

“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

This a good companion verse for Romans 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”and Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”.

“Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?” (Ecclesiastes 8:4)

The “word of a king” is obviously found between the covers of a KING James Bible, which has more “power” than all the other perversions combined.

As we open our Bibles, the word little should encourage us. It should become to us a word associated with victory rather than defeat.

A LITTLE MAID (2 KINGS 5)

A little maid, far away in captive circumstances, knew more about “a man of God” and the power of God than was known by the king of Israel. Her simple testimony brought her leprous master to be healed and become a worshipper of God!

When we find ourselves a captive to circumstances and seemingly far from any place of usefulness, may we direct some “leprous Naaman” to a place of cleansing and salvation.

We may wonder to what place of honor and blessing this captive maiden may have been exalted as her happy and healed master returned.

A LITTLE OIL (1 KINGS 17)

As a refugee from Jezebel, Elijah had left the failing waters of Cherith and the raven’s daily supply. At God’s direction, he found himself a boarder with a widow and her son. Her earthly known resources were but a little oil in a cruse and a scattered handful of meal dusting the bottom of a barrel. She was about to prepare their last meal. Elijah’s asking for a morsel of bread seems cruel in this desperate situation -truly desperate except for God! We are not able to estimate the amount of oil and meal in terms of gallons and barrels, but they ” … did eat many days” (verse 15), and there was enough. It lasted until Elijah left Mount Carmel, until the rains came, and until the famine was lifted.

When things seem “like a famine” and the “oil” and the “meal” are low, are we tempted to withhold from God lest there be not enough? Remembering the widow, we must give to God first. God has ways. How there was enough “for many days” we don’t know – except that God did it- and herein is our assurance and grounds for faith!

A LITTLE CLOUD (I KINGS 18)

A prayer of Elijah had driven the rain from Israel’s skies, and another had brought :fire to earth to consume a drenched altar in contest with Baal’s prophets. Then this righteous man bowed low on Carmel’s heights and fervently prayed for rain and the breaking of the drought. Six times the servant scanned the hot, brassy skies and reported that he

saw nothing-but Elijah kept praying!

After the seventh trip, and a look toward the sea, a little cloud the size of a man’s hand was reported! After three and one-half years, one man, a prayer, and a little cloud-only a little cloud, but it was God’s cloud – the burning, thirsty earth was drinking in the cool, refreshing, and reviving downpour!

Elijah’s God waits for His “Elijahs” today, as James 5:16 tells us, ” … The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”

A LITTLE FISH (MATTHEW 14)

To face a stadium: filled with five to ten thousand hungry people, and hope to feed them with only a single lunch might well be called impossible! So it might have been that day beside Galilee had not those few fish been placed in the hands of Jesus, and blessed by Him who ages before had created all things.

For the apostles alone it was beyond the realm of possibility. ” … send the multitudes away … ” (verse 15), they said. We say today, “The job is too great and the resources too small!” But wait! Listen! ” … Bring them hither to me” (verse 18), said Jesus, and the fainting multitude had more than enough and were strengthened!

So today -first into His hands, back into ours, and then to the multitude who wait. It is not ours to bewail the “littleness” of what we have, but to dedicate it to Christ for His blessing in order that they need not go away – but have enough.

A LITTLE CHILD (MATTHEW 18)

How small he must have seemed in the midst of that crowd of apostles as Christ lifted him to His lap! He was just a ” … little child … ” (verse 2), but who can measure the space and place that he occupied in the ministry of the apostles, the plan of God, and the salvation of multitudes!

The reason is quite simple. Where there is no humility, God gives no grace He fights against the proud. Therefore, if this little child, in his simple faith, obedience, and submissiveness brings the lesson of humility to these upon whom the launching of God’s program depends-how great is his place!

God may use some of His “little” children to teach some simple lessons needed by those “bigger” ones who may, because of our lessons taught, go forth to great things-of which we have become really a part! Nothing is actually “little” that touches God, souls, and eternity!

A LITTLE FLOCK (LUKE 12)

Placed alongside the non-professing world and the merely professing church, God’s own are a “little flock” both numerically and in natural strength. There is no merit in being “little” as a congregation(it might be a shame if our best has not been done to grow), but His presence in our midst is the important thing.

When we see what great things He has done with “the little” and “the few,” we must conclude that when God ceases to use the things that are “small” and “weak,” He will have ceased to be God.

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).