3/3/2021
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In our previous message, Linda and I shared with you some of our experiences when we were kept by the power of God, before we came to know the Lord. In this message I had planned to continue that theme, and indeed I hope to do that soon. However, when I woke up this past Friday morning, the Holy Spirit seemed to quicken both to Linda and to me that I should share a different, although somewhat related word today, titled "The Will of God." Obviously, no man, certainly not me, knows everything about the will of God. In this message I want to share with you three specific areas of the will of God as it pertains to how we, as Christians should live. Perhaps you, like I, have never heard anyone speak about any of these three areas before.
The phrase "The will of God" occurs 22 times in the New Testament but not once in the Old Testament. Two of those 22 occurrences contain the phrase, "for this is the will of God."
A third, very important verse about the will of God is written in 1 John 2:17.
Abba, Father, is the Head of the household of God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the faithful witness and the first begotten or first born of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. The Lord Jesus is also our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1). Here we see the will of God, the eternal pattern, the eternal principle, that the first-born son was to be the priest of the family. Jesus is the High Priest after the order of Melchisedec (Hebrews 5:6).
It is because Jesus is our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec that all those sons who are "in Christ" are likewise priests after the order of Melchisedec. As it says in Revelation 1:6, "He has made us [past tense] priests after the order of Melchisedec."
However, man still has free will. As born-again believers, we still have a free will. We still must make decisions every day. Not all of the first-born sons recorded in scripture were faithful witnesses like Jesus. Esau, the first-born son of Isaac, lost his birthright. All who came out of Egypt were types of born-again believers, but only two adults, Joshua and Caleb, out of the million Israelites, entered the promised land.
Both of the two sons of Eli, the priest, namely Hophni and Phineas, were sons of Belial. According to Josephus, a highly respected early church historian, Phinehas officiated as high priest because Eli had resigned as high priest at Shiloh because of his advanced age. In the biblical narrative, Hophni and Phinehas are criticized for engaging in illicit behavior, such as appropriating the best portion of sacrifices for themselves and having sexual relations with the sanctuary's serving women.
It is very easy to be a "fair-weather" Christian, but how do we respond to difficulties or setbacks in our life?
In our previous message, Linda had mentioned a verse in Luke 2:23. I want to read three verses, starting at Luke 2:22.
From Leviticus 12, following the birth of a son, the mother had to wait 40 days before going to the temple to offer sacrifice for her purification. From Exodus 13:12-13, the firstborn of both man and animal were to be dedicated to the Lord. Of course, we all know that Jesus is and always was holy. That is the nature of the Godhead. I vaguely recall that about a year or more ago I shared a message from Genesis 15 which is worth repeating.
This was in preparation of
The turtle dove is also called a "mourning dove" or a "rain dove." Mourning doves do not call attention to themselves. Its plaintive woo-00-00-00-00 call gives the bird its name. Turtledoves are noted for their love and faithfulness. They are also a symbol of peace.
Now let us try to understand, in Genesis 15:9-10, the significance of the turtledove and the young pigeon; and why the birds were not divided. The word used for a young pigeon means a nestling, as being comparatively nude of feathers. Feathers are a feature unique to birds. Feathers facilitate flight, provide insulation from heat and cold, and are used in camouflage and signaling. A new believer, or an old believer who has never heard the true gospel of the kingdom of God, needs much spiritual attention. From my experience and observation, many charismatic pastors do not know the difference between being saved and going to heaven one day on the one hand, and the kingdom of God on the other hand. Therefore, it should be no surprise that there are many believers, born from above, who are still young pigeons, with no defense mechanisms ... no feathers.
Every true believer is called to be a priest. But not all priests are ministers of the Lord (Ezekiel 44). The turtledove, or mourning dove, represents those priests who minister to the Lord as distinct from the priests who minister to the house or the body of believers, where "ministering to the Lord" means much more than just singing praises in the Spirit. Many are called but few are chosen because few choose. The exhortation in Joel 2:17 is for the priests, the ministers of the Lord, to weep between the porch and the altar. That is to be done by the turtledoves, the mourning doves, the priests, the ministers of the Lord.
Now perhaps it is more clear why the birds were not divided. The turtledoves will always be in one accord. The birds were not divided because,
There will never be a physical gathering or conference of the turtledoves. The Lord will not allow it. That way, no man can take the glory. They are hidden away, but they will do that which is ordained for them. They will intercede for the young pigeons that the body of Christ may come into fullness ... that the Lord may be glorified. We are fast approaching the time when the turtledoves ... the sons of God ... will be caught up in the realm of the Spirit and will bring forth the young pigeons. That will be the real rapture.
The turtledove and young pigeon speak prophetically of those Christians who are or will become overcomers. Now, are you one of the turtledoves? Am I? Wrong question. What is important is that the Lord is glorified and that His chosen vessels come forth. May the Lord quickly bring forth His turtledoves in our time! And may the Lord add meat to these bones!
Note the three conditions or prerequisites to becoming an overcomer. First, it is by accepting or receiving, by His grace, the fact that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. In other words, we must be born again.
The second condition to become an overcomer is by the word of our testimony. The word "testimony" comes from the same root word as "witness." The Greek word is marturia, from which we get our English word martyr.
Now let is consider the question, How can I know the will of God for me in any situation? The short answer is simply to ask the Lord. The reason that David never lost a battle was because he always asked the Lord whether or not he should go to war. Of course, that implies that we must have a hearing ear. We know, from Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." That seems to imply that if we cannot hear from God then we cannot have faith. I believe that the most important function of any minister is to teach young pigeons how to hear the voice of the Lord for themselves. That is what Eli did for Samuel, as recorded in 1 Samuel, Chapter 3. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Christian leaders just assume that all Christians automatically hear from the Lord. Many long years ago, an elder in a New Testament house church told me, after hearing what I have just shared, that he never knew we could hear from the Lord directly or sovereignly.
When God created man, He did not give him a Bible or any other kind of written instructions.
Another means of communication is the spoken word. We know, from Hebrews 1:1, that
There was a time when He spoke through a donkey. He can even cause the rocks to cry out. Jesus said, in Matthew 4:4, that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that is proceeding from the mouth of God. God wants to speak a word to us, but we should never limit the method that He uses to get our attention. Our responsibility is to hear that word.
The third means of communication is the letter, which is a more remote way to communicate. From my experience, one of the most difficult ways for charismatic Christians to communicate with each other is through written words. I have had a number of very dramatic experiences in that area. Almost every professing Christian would say they believe all of the Bible is true. What they are really saying is they believe their interpretation of the Bible is true. Jesus said, "It is written." The Lord said unto John, Write unto the angel in such and such a city. In the messages to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, John wrote about the condition of the early church. Those messages are being repeated today all over again.
Because man rarely accepted hearing the voice of the Lord or the Word of the Lord, He came to the stage of saying, just write them a letter. Collectively, 66 such letters became known as the Bible. However, the letter was not the way of communicating that God wanted from the beginning. The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life. This simply shows how far we have strayed from God's primary objective in His plan to deal with us both individually and as a nation. We are repeating the same errors that the children of Israel walked in as recorded in the Old Testament. What happened to the children of Israel about 3500 years ago is the same thing that is happening to us as a church. We are hearing man's voice and man's word.
We see the same thing in the New Testament. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:12, said to the church at Corinth (and to us) that some say I am of Paul, some say I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas (Peter), or I am of Christ. It was the exact same situation. They said that they chose man to speak to them. They identified with and heard Paul or Cephas or Apollos. Does any Christian today like to hear Pastor XYZ preach or teach? How about prophet ABC? Who wants to hear the voice of the Lord? Let me repeat something I have said several times before. If any minister teaches perfectly all the counsel of God, that is no guarantee that believers will become mature. The life and teachings of Paul prove that. Also, even after the early disciples were taught by Jesus on earth for three and one-half years, they had little or no understanding until the day of Pentecost.
The phrase "The will of God" occurs 22 times in the New Testament but not once in the Old Testament. Two of those 22 occurrences contain the phrase, "for this is the will of God."
1 Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:"
1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
A third, very important verse about the will of God is written in 1 John 2:17.
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
Now there are a few very important questions that all of us need to settle once and for all in our heart and mind. Do we really want to do the will of God? Do we know what the will of God is for our life? And, how can we know, in each situation, God's will is for us?
First, I want to add some truths related to what my wife, Linda, shared in our previous message concerning the time when she almost died after giving birth to our first child, a son. You might recall, if you heard our previous message, that shortly before our son was born, she had excruciating abdominal pain. Even after giving birth, her condition and pain rapidly deteriorated. After a few days, the doctors decided to perform exploratory surgery. They found that her appendix had ruptured and severe peritonitis had set in. They began to pump her with huge doses of penicillin, inserted infection drainage tubes, and put her in a ward where patients were not expected to live. However, God sovereignly saved her and our first born son, Kept by the power of God.
When our previous message was over, Greg asked us a question about what scripture says about first-born sons who open the womb being called "holy" to the Lord. In Old Testament days, almost all wives wanted a son to carry on their family name. That desire has not changed under the New Covenant. I believe that is part of our DNA built into us by our Creator. I believe that is true in both the natural and the spiritual realm. Scripture tells us that the firstborn of Adam and Eve was a son, named Abel. The firstborn of Abraham and Sarah was a son, named Isaac. The firstborn of Hannah was the great prophet, Samuel. My maternal grandmother always wanted a son, but instead, she had three daughters. I was the first grandson.
The importance of the first-born son is illustrated by what happened on the evening just before the Israelites came out of Egypt.
First, I want to add some truths related to what my wife, Linda, shared in our previous message concerning the time when she almost died after giving birth to our first child, a son. You might recall, if you heard our previous message, that shortly before our son was born, she had excruciating abdominal pain. Even after giving birth, her condition and pain rapidly deteriorated. After a few days, the doctors decided to perform exploratory surgery. They found that her appendix had ruptured and severe peritonitis had set in. They began to pump her with huge doses of penicillin, inserted infection drainage tubes, and put her in a ward where patients were not expected to live. However, God sovereignly saved her and our first born son, Kept by the power of God.
When our previous message was over, Greg asked us a question about what scripture says about first-born sons who open the womb being called "holy" to the Lord. In Old Testament days, almost all wives wanted a son to carry on their family name. That desire has not changed under the New Covenant. I believe that is part of our DNA built into us by our Creator. I believe that is true in both the natural and the spiritual realm. Scripture tells us that the firstborn of Adam and Eve was a son, named Abel. The firstborn of Abraham and Sarah was a son, named Isaac. The firstborn of Hannah was the great prophet, Samuel. My maternal grandmother always wanted a son, but instead, she had three daughters. I was the first grandson.
The importance of the first-born son is illustrated by what happened on the evening just before the Israelites came out of Egypt.
Exodus 12:29-30, "And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead."
Every Egyptian family lost their first-born son, their most prized possession that could never be replaced.
We might recall, from Exodus 19:31-38, that Lot had no sons but he had two daughters. His two daughters were concerned that they might never get married and have children, so each daughter, on consecutive evenings, got their father drunk, slept with Lot, their father, and bore a son. Moab was the incestuous son of Lot through his eldest daughter.
In addition, the first-born son was to become the priest of the family. Judges, Chapter 17, speaks of a man named Micah, who lived in Ephraim. From Judges 17:5,
We might recall, from Exodus 19:31-38, that Lot had no sons but he had two daughters. His two daughters were concerned that they might never get married and have children, so each daughter, on consecutive evenings, got their father drunk, slept with Lot, their father, and bore a son. Moab was the incestuous son of Lot through his eldest daughter.
In addition, the first-born son was to become the priest of the family. Judges, Chapter 17, speaks of a man named Micah, who lived in Ephraim. From Judges 17:5,
"And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest."
Then when a young Levite came by, looking for a job, Micah hired the young man to be his priest. God's original intention was for the first-born son to be the priest of the family. When man did not choose that path, the Levites served in the place of all the firstborn males in Israel (Numbers 3:11-13 and Numbers 8:17-18).
Now, what is the significance of the first-born son, and how does that "fit in" with the will of God?
Now, what is the significance of the first-born son, and how does that "fit in" with the will of God?
Revelation 1:5-6, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Abba, Father, is the Head of the household of God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the faithful witness and the first begotten or first born of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. The Lord Jesus is also our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1). Here we see the will of God, the eternal pattern, the eternal principle, that the first-born son was to be the priest of the family. Jesus is the High Priest after the order of Melchisedec (Hebrews 5:6).
From Genesis 14:18, "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and He was the priest of the most high God."Hebrews 7:2-3, "To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."
It is because Jesus is our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec that all those sons who are "in Christ" are likewise priests after the order of Melchisedec. As it says in Revelation 1:6, "He has made us [past tense] priests after the order of Melchisedec."
However, man still has free will. As born-again believers, we still have a free will. We still must make decisions every day. Not all of the first-born sons recorded in scripture were faithful witnesses like Jesus. Esau, the first-born son of Isaac, lost his birthright. All who came out of Egypt were types of born-again believers, but only two adults, Joshua and Caleb, out of the million Israelites, entered the promised land.
Both of the two sons of Eli, the priest, namely Hophni and Phineas, were sons of Belial. According to Josephus, a highly respected early church historian, Phinehas officiated as high priest because Eli had resigned as high priest at Shiloh because of his advanced age. In the biblical narrative, Hophni and Phinehas are criticized for engaging in illicit behavior, such as appropriating the best portion of sacrifices for themselves and having sexual relations with the sanctuary's serving women.
It is very easy to be a "fair-weather" Christian, but how do we respond to difficulties or setbacks in our life?
Hebrews 6:4-6, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame."
2 Thessalonians 2:3, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"Revelation 2:10, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
In our previous message, Linda had mentioned a verse in Luke 2:23. I want to read three verses, starting at Luke 2:22.
"And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
From Leviticus 12, following the birth of a son, the mother had to wait 40 days before going to the temple to offer sacrifice for her purification. From Exodus 13:12-13, the firstborn of both man and animal were to be dedicated to the Lord. Of course, we all know that Jesus is and always was holy. That is the nature of the Godhead. I vaguely recall that about a year or more ago I shared a message from Genesis 15 which is worth repeating.
Genesis 15:9-10, "And He said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not."
This was in preparation of
Genesis 15:17, "And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces."
That speaks of the covenant between God the Father and God the Son, a covenant which can never be broken. That is the covenant into which all Christians are called to partake of. We assume that a piece of the heifer was on one side and a piece on the other side; a piece of the she goat was on one side and a piece on the other side; a piece of the ram was on one side and a piece on the other side. Since the birds were not divided, we assume the turtledove was on one side and the young pigeon on the other side. It appears that somehow all believers are related to the 3 animals and the two birds. Let us see how.
Note that the heifer, the she goat, and the ram were killed, but nothing is explicitly said about the birds being killed. A heifer is a female calf, nearly grown. The word "heifer" comes from a root word meaning "circular, or to revolve." This speaks of those Christians who continue to go around the same mountain. Forty-one years ago, in December 1979, I received a letter trom one of the very few true prophets I have ever met. That prophet stayed in our home in the 1970's about seven times. In his letter to us he included the following parable, titled "The Procession Caterpillar." (quote)
"Many years ago a certain man was walking through a beautiful, well-kept garden. He was not only admiring the gorgeous floral array but carefully observing the various forms of life therein. He found himself preoccupied with a company of caterpillars whose characteristic were very unique and quite different from all others. They were called, "The Procession Caterpillar." They travel in great companies, in single file and in straight lines. The feelers of each one rests on the hindquarters of the one immediately in front. In this, they have no sense of individuality and are completely lost when they fall out of line.
The man picked up a dead stick and slowly maneuvered the lead caterpillar until its feelers made contact with the end caterpillar. Hour after hour he periodically returned to watch them. He saw them march in a circle until they perished for lack of nourishment. A beautiful creation, with a unique function, foiled by a dead stick in the hands of a man experimenting with a life that could never be fulfilled through manipulation. They who have an ear, let them understand this Word." (end quote)
The word "she goat" comes from a Hebrew word which means "harden, impudent, or strengthen self." This speaks of those Christians who have hardened their hearts from focusing on self. The phrase, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness" occurs four times in scripture, in Psalm 95, Hebrews 3 and Hebrews 4.
The word "ram" is a Hebrew word which means "strength or powerful." This speaks of those Christians who are mighty in their own strength.
I believe that all three of those animals refer to believers who are called but not chosen ... not chosen because they do not choose the way of the Cross. Therefore, they are not walking in the Kingdom of God. Further, the fact that those three animals were divided speaks of the church at Corinth, where the very first error that Paul addresses is that there were divisions among them (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). When divisions occur in the church, that opens the door for all sorts of further errors and works of the flesh, just as what occurred in the church at Corinth.
In Genesis 15:10, "birds" means "little birds," like a sparrow. However, from Verse 9, "birds" apparently refers to a turtledove and a young pigeon. Since they were not divided, perhaps the turtledove was on one side and the young pigeon on the other side. These birds speak of believers who are little in their own sight. The name, Paul, means little. Paul certainly lived up to his name because he was little in his own sight; he had the humility of God worked within him.
Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests, which may be placed on trees, ledges, or on the ground. There is much spiritual significance here. We believers are not of this world; we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We are sojourners here on earth. Our real home is in heaven.
Note that the heifer, the she goat, and the ram were killed, but nothing is explicitly said about the birds being killed. A heifer is a female calf, nearly grown. The word "heifer" comes from a root word meaning "circular, or to revolve." This speaks of those Christians who continue to go around the same mountain. Forty-one years ago, in December 1979, I received a letter trom one of the very few true prophets I have ever met. That prophet stayed in our home in the 1970's about seven times. In his letter to us he included the following parable, titled "The Procession Caterpillar." (quote)
"Many years ago a certain man was walking through a beautiful, well-kept garden. He was not only admiring the gorgeous floral array but carefully observing the various forms of life therein. He found himself preoccupied with a company of caterpillars whose characteristic were very unique and quite different from all others. They were called, "The Procession Caterpillar." They travel in great companies, in single file and in straight lines. The feelers of each one rests on the hindquarters of the one immediately in front. In this, they have no sense of individuality and are completely lost when they fall out of line.
The man picked up a dead stick and slowly maneuvered the lead caterpillar until its feelers made contact with the end caterpillar. Hour after hour he periodically returned to watch them. He saw them march in a circle until they perished for lack of nourishment. A beautiful creation, with a unique function, foiled by a dead stick in the hands of a man experimenting with a life that could never be fulfilled through manipulation. They who have an ear, let them understand this Word." (end quote)
The word "she goat" comes from a Hebrew word which means "harden, impudent, or strengthen self." This speaks of those Christians who have hardened their hearts from focusing on self. The phrase, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness" occurs four times in scripture, in Psalm 95, Hebrews 3 and Hebrews 4.
The word "ram" is a Hebrew word which means "strength or powerful." This speaks of those Christians who are mighty in their own strength.
I believe that all three of those animals refer to believers who are called but not chosen ... not chosen because they do not choose the way of the Cross. Therefore, they are not walking in the Kingdom of God. Further, the fact that those three animals were divided speaks of the church at Corinth, where the very first error that Paul addresses is that there were divisions among them (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). When divisions occur in the church, that opens the door for all sorts of further errors and works of the flesh, just as what occurred in the church at Corinth.
In Genesis 15:10, "birds" means "little birds," like a sparrow. However, from Verse 9, "birds" apparently refers to a turtledove and a young pigeon. Since they were not divided, perhaps the turtledove was on one side and the young pigeon on the other side. These birds speak of believers who are little in their own sight. The name, Paul, means little. Paul certainly lived up to his name because he was little in his own sight; he had the humility of God worked within him.
Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests, which may be placed on trees, ledges, or on the ground. There is much spiritual significance here. We believers are not of this world; we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We are sojourners here on earth. Our real home is in heaven.
From Matthew 8:20, "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."
The turtle dove is also called a "mourning dove" or a "rain dove." Mourning doves do not call attention to themselves. Its plaintive woo-00-00-00-00 call gives the bird its name. Turtledoves are noted for their love and faithfulness. They are also a symbol of peace.
Now let us try to understand, in Genesis 15:9-10, the significance of the turtledove and the young pigeon; and why the birds were not divided. The word used for a young pigeon means a nestling, as being comparatively nude of feathers. Feathers are a feature unique to birds. Feathers facilitate flight, provide insulation from heat and cold, and are used in camouflage and signaling. A new believer, or an old believer who has never heard the true gospel of the kingdom of God, needs much spiritual attention. From my experience and observation, many charismatic pastors do not know the difference between being saved and going to heaven one day on the one hand, and the kingdom of God on the other hand. Therefore, it should be no surprise that there are many believers, born from above, who are still young pigeons, with no defense mechanisms ... no feathers.
Every true believer is called to be a priest. But not all priests are ministers of the Lord (Ezekiel 44). The turtledove, or mourning dove, represents those priests who minister to the Lord as distinct from the priests who minister to the house or the body of believers, where "ministering to the Lord" means much more than just singing praises in the Spirit. Many are called but few are chosen because few choose. The exhortation in Joel 2:17 is for the priests, the ministers of the Lord, to weep between the porch and the altar. That is to be done by the turtledoves, the mourning doves, the priests, the ministers of the Lord.
12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.14 Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Joel 2:12-14
Now perhaps it is more clear why the birds were not divided. The turtledoves will always be in one accord. The birds were not divided because,
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 1 Corinthians 1:12-13
There will never be a physical gathering or conference of the turtledoves. The Lord will not allow it. That way, no man can take the glory. They are hidden away, but they will do that which is ordained for them. They will intercede for the young pigeons that the body of Christ may come into fullness ... that the Lord may be glorified. We are fast approaching the time when the turtledoves ... the sons of God ... will be caught up in the realm of the Spirit and will bring forth the young pigeons. That will be the real rapture.
10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [turtledove] is heard in our land;13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.Song of Solomon 2:10-13
The turtledove and young pigeon speak prophetically of those Christians who are or will become overcomers. Now, are you one of the turtledoves? Am I? Wrong question. What is important is that the Lord is glorified and that His chosen vessels come forth. May the Lord quickly bring forth His turtledoves in our time! And may the Lord add meat to these bones!
Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
Note the three conditions or prerequisites to becoming an overcomer. First, it is by accepting or receiving, by His grace, the fact that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. In other words, we must be born again.
The second condition to become an overcomer is by the word of our testimony. The word "testimony" comes from the same root word as "witness." The Greek word is marturia, from which we get our English word martyr.
In Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
That verse does not say that we shall be witnesses unto other people. In judicial courts, a witness testifies concerning what he knows to be true from his personal experience.
Now let us consider the phrase, "and they loved not their lives unto the death." We should note from that verse that being faithful unto death includes natural death, both figuratively and perhaps literally ... death to self.
Now let us consider the phrase, "and they loved not their lives unto the death." We should note from that verse that being faithful unto death includes natural death, both figuratively and perhaps literally ... death to self.
Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Now let is consider the question, How can I know the will of God for me in any situation? The short answer is simply to ask the Lord. The reason that David never lost a battle was because he always asked the Lord whether or not he should go to war. Of course, that implies that we must have a hearing ear. We know, from Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." That seems to imply that if we cannot hear from God then we cannot have faith. I believe that the most important function of any minister is to teach young pigeons how to hear the voice of the Lord for themselves. That is what Eli did for Samuel, as recorded in 1 Samuel, Chapter 3. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Christian leaders just assume that all Christians automatically hear from the Lord. Many long years ago, an elder in a New Testament house church told me, after hearing what I have just shared, that he never knew we could hear from the Lord directly or sovereignly.
When God created man, He did not give him a Bible or any other kind of written instructions.
Genesis 3:8 states, "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden."
Note how God communicated with man in the beginning. This is very important - they heard the voice of the Lord. Let me state unequivocally ... God has never changed. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. His will for man has never changed. God's principles relating to His will are the same whether we read about them in the Old Testament or the New Testament.
What is so important about the voice? The preeminence is on the person who is speaking. The voice speaks of the Spirit of God. That is why the Lord so desires for His people to hear Him. This is the way that He has always desired to communicate with man. This was God's original will, and His will has never changed. Hebrews 3:15, "While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." I knew a man many years ago who said he had heard the voice of the Lord speak through place mats, a man's hat, a man's pants, a man's shoes, a dog, window blinds, believers and non-believers, but never in an audible voice. The Lord wants us to hear His voice more than we want to hear Him.
What is so important about the voice? The preeminence is on the person who is speaking. The voice speaks of the Spirit of God. That is why the Lord so desires for His people to hear Him. This is the way that He has always desired to communicate with man. This was God's original will, and His will has never changed. Hebrews 3:15, "While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." I knew a man many years ago who said he had heard the voice of the Lord speak through place mats, a man's hat, a man's pants, a man's shoes, a dog, window blinds, believers and non-believers, but never in an audible voice. The Lord wants us to hear His voice more than we want to hear Him.
Jesus said, in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."Jesus also said, in John 10:8, "All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them."
Why not? because the Lord alone is our shepherd. In Revelation 2 and 3, the Spirit said unto the churches such and such. That means of communication is indeed the most intimate.
We need to remember that man did not accept God's invitation to hear His voice. Instead, in
We need to remember that man did not accept God's invitation to hear His voice. Instead, in
Exodus 20:19, "And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die."
Another means of communication is the spoken word. We know, from Hebrews 1:1, that
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;"
There was a time when He spoke through a donkey. He can even cause the rocks to cry out. Jesus said, in Matthew 4:4, that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that is proceeding from the mouth of God. God wants to speak a word to us, but we should never limit the method that He uses to get our attention. Our responsibility is to hear that word.
The third means of communication is the letter, which is a more remote way to communicate. From my experience, one of the most difficult ways for charismatic Christians to communicate with each other is through written words. I have had a number of very dramatic experiences in that area. Almost every professing Christian would say they believe all of the Bible is true. What they are really saying is they believe their interpretation of the Bible is true. Jesus said, "It is written." The Lord said unto John, Write unto the angel in such and such a city. In the messages to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, John wrote about the condition of the early church. Those messages are being repeated today all over again.
Because man rarely accepted hearing the voice of the Lord or the Word of the Lord, He came to the stage of saying, just write them a letter. Collectively, 66 such letters became known as the Bible. However, the letter was not the way of communicating that God wanted from the beginning. The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life. This simply shows how far we have strayed from God's primary objective in His plan to deal with us both individually and as a nation. We are repeating the same errors that the children of Israel walked in as recorded in the Old Testament. What happened to the children of Israel about 3500 years ago is the same thing that is happening to us as a church. We are hearing man's voice and man's word.
We see the same thing in the New Testament. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:12, said to the church at Corinth (and to us) that some say I am of Paul, some say I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas (Peter), or I am of Christ. It was the exact same situation. They said that they chose man to speak to them. They identified with and heard Paul or Cephas or Apollos. Does any Christian today like to hear Pastor XYZ preach or teach? How about prophet ABC? Who wants to hear the voice of the Lord? Let me repeat something I have said several times before. If any minister teaches perfectly all the counsel of God, that is no guarantee that believers will become mature. The life and teachings of Paul prove that. Also, even after the early disciples were taught by Jesus on earth for three and one-half years, they had little or no understanding until the day of Pentecost.
Jeremiah 48:11-12, "Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles."
Matthew 9:16-17, "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."
From Hebrews 8:10-11, "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."
Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.
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