Peaceable Habitation!!! 2011/3 01/30/11
It surely seems that the storm clouds are darker now than I’ve ever seen them, and I am not talking about the weather, though it is a bit different than most have ever known. I think I have to believe that it is the season of the Lord’s return for His bride – us, and that is a joy, but in the meantime there is much going on that births uneasiness in many, and that is what we want to look at today.
Several weeks ago we spoke of the kingdom that we are in, but not of and that is the kingdom of this world’s systems that are in massive stages of confusion that no one has an answer for, and that too is not any new information for we who have studied the bible, especially the prophetic portions, for we are aliens here and citizens of a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God, and we have a place there that we are on the road to now. So let’s just walk a moment on the pathway to His place for us.
Before we go to our starting position for this time, I feel that the Lord spoke to me and gave me a word to act on, and this is what I feel that He said;
Even my people have their focus set on their IRAs, and CDs, and Saving Accounts and other assets and their own talents and abilities, and most of these are attached to the world’s system of economy and ways, and none are where My people should have their focus. They are focused on their resources and strengths. I would have them change course and focus on Me as their total Source and where their Resources will come from as they change their minds to a Kingdom of heaven mindset. My kingdom has been placed within them and they have but to call on Me and understand that the world’s systems are failing all of mankind in every area of life, but I cannot fail nor forsake My people, so turn you eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face and the blessings are all in Him from Whom My blessings flow.
Now turn to Turn to Ps. 27:4-5;
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider and inquire in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.”
The Psalmist, in 31:15a declared -- “my times are in Your hands”
This lesson is entitled “A peaceable habitation”and it means that in this place there is no lack, no strife and nothing to attack you, nor break you in body, soul or spirit, and that is where we are headed. So lets take off and read Psalm 1:1-3;
“Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.
And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].
Now to cap this off, turn to Jer. 17:7-8;
“[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. We will come back to the word hope in just a minute.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.”
Note: ‘leaf shall be green’ means in Heb. to arrive at a place of prosperity & peace. Ref. to Rev. 22:1-2 for the source of river and streams of water.
Just a few lines back, we spoke of the fact that we are surely not of this ‘kingdom’ [world], even though we are in it and we do live on this earth until we go to dinner with our Lord. In fact lets go to John 17: 14-18 for the word that declares this truth;
“I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world.
I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one.
They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.
Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”
We have been separated from the world and its failing systems, and do belong to the kingdom of God, and there is no failure there, it is the Kings Dominion, and we are its citizens. We are to prosper in spite of all that is crumbling around us. Let me read you a portion from the Old Testament that is a shadow of what is happening in the realm of the Spirit of God, and you will see where we are and how we are protected in the secret place of our God, His dwelling place. Turn to Exodus 8:23;
But, before I go to this verse, let me explain the importance of it to all of us. The people of Israel were in total bondage to Pharaoh and when Moses went to him to ask that he let his people go, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not agree, and God sent seven plagues on Egypt, and the last was the death of all of the firstborn in Egypt, but now let us see what God did to protect His own; [the beginning of Passover]
“And I will put a division and a sign of deliverance between My people and your people. By tomorrow shall this sign be in evidence.”
The Hebrew word for division is the same word used for redemption. God put a ‘wall of redemption’ between His own people and the Egyptians, so that none of the plagues came near the Israelites. They were perfectly safe throughout all the ordeals of the Egyptians. Jesus blood is our wall of redemption, and we are on the side of the wall where there is provision, health and liberty, and total security, secure against all the curses on the world.
Note: From Psalm 91:8; Only a spectator shall you be – you will be inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High.
In a recent Copeland meeting, Ken had the following word from the Lord;
The world is in serious trouble. Some very hard things are coming in different place around the world. They are that way now, but they will not get better. They will only continue to get worse and worse. It is on a downhill run that the world cannot stop. But, for the household of faith, everything is going to be all right. Everything is going to be OK. Cling to the word, take your stand, fight the good fight of faith, don’t feed on fear and trouble, but feed on the Word.
Then the Lord followed that word with the following;
Praise and worship and preach the Word. For as I have said, and will continue to say until it becomes solid and strong in your spirit—Your time has come! It is your time to excel! It is your time to do exceeding, extraordinary things in the world of finances,,in the medical world, in all of the areas where the world is in such dire trouble and are so confused far beyond their ability to understand just how confused they really are. They are hurting because of it. They are crying out because of it. But for the household of faith, everything is going to be all right.
STAND ON AND STAND IN THE WORD!!
Back toward the beginning of this time together, I told you I would return to the word hope from Jer. 17:7, so turn to Hebrews 6:16-20a;
“Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves], and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife].
Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise, the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (meditated) with an oath.
This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us].
[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfastanchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it—a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil,
Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance],
Are we beginning to see where our peaceable habitation is located? It is our position “IN CHRIST”
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. Of course that is Psalm 91:1, and from there through vs8 are the blessings to that point, and then if you will look, you will see that there are two verses that begin with the word ‘because’, and these both reveal the fruit of our resting in Him. Look at the first of these, and it is verse 9;
“Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High you dwelling place.”
Now we can read from here to the second “because” (vs14 to 16), and will see how we fare when we truly set our hearts and fix our lives on our Lord Jesus;
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. [in this He begins to set us in His dwelling place]
He shall call on Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
This is so exciting that I want to jump around just a bit and feel what the Psalmist was catching a glimpse of; listen to his cry and know his assurance because he has already experienced the goodness of his God in other dilemmas, as I am sure we all have, if we just think back on how many times we have been delivered in the midst of the storms of life, and God is telling us to just live in His presence which is ever present in us. Psalm 27:1, 4 and 5; [this is a partial repeat of vss we had moments ago, but it is necessary.
“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider and inquire in His temple. [if you seek and ask Him, you will receive your desire]
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high on a rock.”
JESUS IS OUR DWELLING PLACE! [Psalm 32:7-8]
“You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance.
I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
God so loved that He gave …. He sent a Savior – Jesus! When He sent Jesus, He sent His love, power, grace, mercy, compassion, health, wealth and all that comes with the riches of glory in our God and Jesus went to the Father and He had Him send the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all Truth, to teach us and recall to us all that Jesus had said, and convict us of sin, judgment, and righteousness, and empowered us to stay in our dwelling, where we are “In Christ” [Go to Acts 17:28]
“For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, for we are also His offspring.”
We may call Him our refuge, or our hiding place, or our dwelling, but it really is a shelter of His love, and we achieve multiplications of peace as we develop our position in this secret place, by time of worship and praise and seeking Him in the Word, being witnesses to Him wherever we are. In this place we are always under the Shadow of the Almighty -- Rest in His Presence!!
Class! Be Abundantly Blessed!!
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