Proverbs 25:
2 ¶ It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. {is…: Heb. there is no searching}:
4 ¶ Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
God is concealing His handiwork because it is an internal work, and it is the glory of us as kings to search out what He is doing – to get understanding of His ways – so that we can walk in them and allow Him, in turn, to foster and grow His seed in us. In this way, we can become the revelation of His Holy Spirit and His power in the earth. And He will be revealed in a people at a time of His choosing, if we will only seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
He will bring us into His Promised Land, for that is His plan and purpose for those who have not only accepted the call – but are determined to diligently aim for The Higher Calling in Christ Jesus. But He has work to do in us – and we must be open to letting the Holy Spirit do that work. But if we are not open to it, He will move on to people who are. There will be no condemnation – indeed there will be a blessing still – but He will have His plan and purpose fulfilled. There is no doubt – God shall bring thee [or some ones of His choosing] into the land.
Deuteronomy 7:1-11
1 ¶ When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
And if we turn from Him who is 'all in all in us', 'that they may serve other gods', then we cut ourselves off from Him 'suddenly' – in the twinkling of an eye. And when we realise that those 'other Gods' can be simple passions - “well that's not doing anyone any harm, is it?” - they take us away from being 'a mind stayed on Him', then we place ourselves in such jeopardy in our relationship with Him, that 'suddenly' ['in the twinkling of an eye'], we can – no, we will – be cut off...and destroy thee suddenly. But...
5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cutdown their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. {their images: Heb. their statues, or, pillars}
6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be aspecial people unto himself, above all people that areupon the face of the earth.
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than anypeople; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you,...
Song of Solomon 1:
2 ¶ Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is betterthan wine. {thy…: Heb. thy loves}
The wine represents His life, His Holy Spirit, but His love is better!
There is His life lived in His love – which is higher and deeper and more intimately perfecting than His Spirit. Despise not the gifts of the Spirit. Of course not, but we must realise that there is a fulness and a passionately fulfilling life beyond the gifts – in Him!
The gifts of the spirit are gifts – His Spirit was given to us to lead us into His love – beyond the gift realm into the fulness of a union with Him.
...and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
And of course Pharaoh is a type of Satan and Egypt of the world.
9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
We know that God is looking for is a people in which His Spirit may dwell – so His purpose in bringing us into the land is create a habitation for Himself. The land is the 'Promised Land' that is talked of, and that spiritual dwelling-place is the seed of Christ planted in each one called of God. A seed planted corporately in a people – a people that He is gathering into His church – to become the temple of the living God. We know this from these familiar verses.
1Corinthians 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. {defile: or, destroy}
1Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
We are not 'our own' having accepted the LORD into our lives. We belong to Him. But we are not 'holy unto the LORD' when we go to find the 'promised land' – we have to be made holy – for God cannot dwell in an unclean place. We have to keep 'this temple which we are' clean. We have to let Jesus turn over the tables in our temple – cast out those things which are impurities and that offend Him.
Deuteronomy 23:14 For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. {unclean…: Heb. nakedness of any thing}
God must – to be true to His nature – turn away from the unclean thing. It is the same as when we looked at the 'suddenly' just now. We have been setting other Gods into our lives – we have become unclean.
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
So we must work with Him – by seeking to be perfected, matured, made whole in the life of Jesus Christ – drawing closer to Him as He draws us to Himself – hearing the Holy Spirit speak to us in the inner parts that we might understand how we are to be.
In Acts 2:
1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The word Pentecost is found only in the New Testament, but is really first spoken of in Exodus 23:16 as "the feast of harvest," and again in Exodus 34:22 as "the day of the first fruits". Besides the sacrifices prescribed for the occasion, every one was to bring to the Lord his "tribute of a free-will offering" (De 16:9-11). This free-will offering is, in reality, us 'of our own free will' coming before the LORD and submitting to His authority, His control, His purpose for our lives – allowing His nature to grow in us and expel all that is not of Him. We, in effect, become the sacrifice, just as Jesus did, dying to the old nature born of Adam, being renewed by the transforming of our minds into the Christ-nature.
And that nature growing within us is His Holy Spirit – and when we allow His Holy Spirit to have His way with us, then we see ‘the first fruits’ of that seed being realised in us, so that He can ‘harvest’ the people that He is taking to build His dwelling-place – and become a 'First Fruits Company' unto Him, committed, as it says in Ephesians 4:13, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: {in: or, into} {stature: or, age}.
This does not mean that we give up our individual character, but allow the person that each of us were created to be, to be yielded to Christ and the Holy Spirit. We become 'begotten of Him', like Jesus, instead of 'created beings', and live in the love of God. And the first thing that The LORD must work in us is to deliver us from the 7 nations which are 'stronger and mightier than thou' – than each of us. These nations listed in Deuteronomy must be defeated – each represents an aspect of our natures which will not be tolerated if we are to draw nigh unto Him. He begins by cleaning out His temple. Overturning those tables....
John 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Selling the doves – making the Holy Spirit a vessel for commerce. Turning the Spirit of the Living God to profit and money. It is just like in the middle ages when Papal 'indulgences' were sold. They promised absolution from sins – if one could pay enough for it.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
And of course they did destroy this temple. They crucified Him – and in 3 days He was raised up. There are in total 10 nations mentioned in scripture in the greater and mightier category – there are other nations mentioned throughout scripture too, but their significance is maybe for mention at another time.
10 is the number in the numerology of scripture, which represents the Law [10 commandments]; fallen government [or earthly government]; testing; responsibility – but usually only 6 or 7 are mentioned at any time – 7 of course being the number of completion, maturity; perfection – meaning here that if we submit ourselves to the LORD's working in us, He will rid us of ALL our sins, ALL of the things in us which will keep us apart from Him, perfecting our fallen human nature to be more like His perfect nature. And yes, this is possible this side of the veil if we will but yield ourselves to Him. So we have here 7 spiritual 'nations' that must be 'cast out'. These are:
Hittites
- means 'terror'; fear. So those who are governed by fear, must look to the LORD for deliverance from this enemy. We can be disabled by fear, ‘paralysed’ is a word often connected with fear. And we must understand that living in fear is not Godly. He does not want us to live that way. And the Good News is that He can lift us out of this trap. We all fear something or other, and by coming close to Him and allowing His Holy Spirit to work in us we can overcome this disability.
Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
and also:
1 John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
– ‘…greater is He that is in you…’.
Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death
1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Girgashites
– means 'clay dwellers'. Those who are governed by the things of the earth – who look down to the dust and dirt instead of to the heavenly realms – I believe it also means those of us who are complacent, stuck in our own old ways. Stuck in the clay. We know the expression to be a ‘stick-in-the-mud’. ‘Stubborn’; ‘unyielding’.
Psalm 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
Jeremiah 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
He takes this clay and fashions it as He would desire. Our LORD wants us to know Him; be like Him; to know Him as He really is; to be in close relationship with Him, but we cannot be in that place if we persist in our ‘iniquity’. That word – the Bible uses it a lot in the Authorised Version – really means ‘to go our own way’. And if God is going His way, and we are on a different track, neither is going to meet up at any time. So He wants to turn us around to follow in His way….but we must let Him.
These nations are ‘stronger and mightier’ than anything we can handle. We need to call in He who is stronger and mightier than they are – in fact the strongest and mightiest of all – to help us to overcome these nations and win our way into the land we desire to inherit.
Amorites
– self-elevating; boasting. What I believe this comes down to is vanity, pride and arrogance. And it is present in all of us most of the time, to some degree, and we do not realise it. We can't help it – it is a basic drive in all of us to protect the self from harm – and we do that in part by telling ourselves 'I am good at this'; '...of course, such things come naturally to someone like me'. Well, I ask you. And it is inextricably linked with so many other flaws we have – it is like Japanese knotweed, or ground elder, it creeps along under the surface and before you know it, it's everywhere – choking the good stuff you are trying to cultivate. Fortunately we know a strong and mighty gardener who can pluck this stuff up by the roots and bin it.
Canaanites
– 'lowlands'; traffickers; slavery; humiliation; subjugation. Those who subject others to humiliation, and are therefore governed by a contemptuous way with others.
Jeremiah 34:11 But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
We are the ones to be brought into subjection, and there is someone who has the ability and the desire to work this for us and turn it around…
Perizzites
– 'unwalled village dwellers'. Think of it – you live on the plains, in a village, unprotected from wild animals, reptiles and beasts of every shape and form, all of whom are not good for you. So we are looking at those people who are governed by whatever comes along – open to any passing influence, good or bad, easily led and therefore easily led away from all God has to offer. Those who easily fall into unbelief, maybe. But we know that we have a Great Shepherd, who goes after even the one that goes astray.
Proverbs 28:10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Hivites
– 'village dwellers'; tell; make known; declare; show. Those who are governed by a need to gossip, tell tales [truth or lies] and whose tongues are always wagging – keen to expose instead of covering and protecting. Doesn’t seem like much really – but a strong and mighty nation in many lives...maybe in all of our lives. Again it is something we do without thinking, or knowing of it – but it can keep us apart from God.
Jebusites
– 'tread down'; kick out; reject. Those who are not governed, who will trample on and reject anything that comes along. It is 'iniquity'; going your own way.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
The implication here is that those who trample down are like pigs – and I for one have never seen a saintly porker (although P G Wodehouse and his fictional pig-loving Lord Emsworth may disagree). Well The LORD is not going to countenance that.
We cannot do anything about this ourselves – because we rarely know what it is that governs our thoughts and actions. And if...Luke 12:7 ...even the very hairs of your head are all numbered....then God knows more about us than we do ourselves. You will also notice that these 7 nations have a lot in common with one another – and you can distil it all down to one characteristic – they are not of God.
LORD, let your Spirit have His way with us we pray. Clean your house – we seek the reward of being in Your presence.
And the reward is great – the greatest. As it says further on in our Deuteronomy reading...
6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because heBwould keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
It is wonderful that the Holy Spirit accomplishes such great things – when we yield ourselves to His presence. If we look at Galatians 5, we read...
1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
We cannot be in bondage to those seven nations we have been hearing about. We are made free in Christ, and Paul exhorts us to 'stand fast' in what we have gained through our LORD.
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? {hinder you: or, drive you back}
Well the only one in God's sight to hinder us – is us!
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
'Leaven', we know, is a type for sin. If you put leavening into the dough, it softens the bread and makes it rise. With sin in us, we become soft and puffed-up and of little use to God. There needs to be no leaven in us – the 7 nations – all of them – need to be cast out and this is part of The Lord's work in us.
13 ¶ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. {ye…: or, fulfil not}
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like [17 of these = number of victory = in Him we shall have victory over these – and do not think “I have done none of these things”; we are capable of much we do not recognise in ourselves.]: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. {affections: or, passions}
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
And if we live and walk in the Spirit, we abide in His love.
John 15:
9 ¶ As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Such love.
Deuteronomy 7: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
There are 7 nations stronger and mightier than we are. The love of the LORD will vanquish them utterly. O LORD, do that work in us. 
Bring us into thy land, Father. 
Such love.

The Power of God
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
We talk blithely about the Holy Ghost in power, about His mighty power, God is my strength and power, mighty men of power.

The Aramaic word is kowach (ko-akh) which means to be firm. The AV translates it as strength (58), power (47), might (7), force (3), ability (2), and able (2). However, in a lot of scripture these words are used along with power. Thus, God is my strength and power loses a lot if shown as God is my strength and strength. Or this verse from MICAH 3:8 ¶ But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, … if it read But truly I am full of might by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might. 
In Hebrew (a 'word poor' language by some standards), there is no word for 'very', so to emphasise something the word is repeated, which does not read well in translation. By saying God is my strength and strength, the intention is to stress that our God is truly mighty. but I venture to suggest that spiritually there is an additional quality here. It is one of transcendence, of awe... and energy.
PSALM 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Yes, it means strength and might and force, but with a generous double-portion of Holy Spirit-led wonder that reveals the work as God-breathed and not man-centred.
MICAH 3:8 ¶ But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might,
When God is going to move, He first fills his people with power.
1 CORINTHIANS 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
The preaching of the cross … is the power of God indeed, but it is what the power of the cross preaches to us, not what we as men preach of the cross – which can be the speech of them which are puffed up if we are not led by the Holy Spirit in our words. The Amplified Bible shows 1 CORINTHIANS 1: 18 and 19 as: 18 For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify [them] and bring [them] to nothing.
Our only hope is to stand by faith in the power of God. And this is clearly shown in
COLOSSIANS 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. {having…: or, making }
COLOSSIANS 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled {in…: or, by your mind in }
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
In the Old Testament we were shown the promise, and His power was demonstrated in His wrath, but in the gospel the righteousness and the power of God is revealed and made accessible.
EPHESIANS 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: {in…: or, for the acknowledgement }
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, {his mighty power: Gr. the might of his power }
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Kept By The Power of God
MATTHEW 10:1 ¶ And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. {against: or, over }
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon [Simeon = hearing], who is called Peter [a rock or stone], and Andrew [manly; a man or husband] his brother; James [Jacob = supplanter] the son of Zebedee [my gift or endowment], and John [Jehovah is a gracious giver] his brother;
3 Philip [lover, or friend of horses], and Bartholomew [son of the furrow (accumulation)]; Thomas [a twin], and Matthew [a gift of Jehovah; from a root meaning to strive or fight] the publican; James [see above] the son of Alphaeus [change or exchange], and Lebbaeus [a man of heart], whose surname was Thaddaeus [large-hearted; courageous];
4 Simon [see above] the Canaanite [zealous; jealous (only of God)], and Judas [he shall be praised] Iscariot [men of Kerioth (cities)], who also betrayed him.
2 TIMOTHY 1:6 ¶ Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Note the order here. Power comes first, then love, then a sound mind, meaning a mind controlled and corrected by the Holy Spirit. The second and third come from the first. Power comes first of all, and you need the power of God to move in love and a sound or pure mind.
And the power of God is made up from these 5 things

P – PRAISE
JUDGES 1:17 And Judah [praise] went with Simeon [hearing] his brother, and they slew the Canaanites [zealous; from root meaning merchants or traffickers] that inhabited Zephath [watchtower; a city renamed Hormah], and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah [devotion].

O – OVERCOMING
REVELATION 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

W – WORSHIP or WALK (in the Spirit)

E – ENCOURAGEMENT

R – RESTORATION

All these things when put together reveal the power of God. When we praise Him, we come closer to Him and we become overcomers, who walk and worship the Lord. Thus, we are encouraged, which leads to full restoration; a return to the garden; and this releases the power of the Lord God.
2 PETER 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: {to: or, by }
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He does the work in us by giving us the power to be partakers of the divine life. And if you lack these things you become blind, for you walk in darkness.
Give diligence to make your calling and election sure – for if you do these things, you shall never fail.
1 PETER 1:1 ¶ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, {abundant: Gr. much }
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, {for you: or, for us }
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
An incorruptible inheritance awaits us – it is already set in place for each one who choose the Lord. And those who choose Him are kept by the power of God – through faith – unto salvation.
Kept by the power of God. Imagine yourself floating in water. Something, some power keeps you afloat. It saves you from drowning. But you can only remain afloat if you give yourself to it. Resist and you sink. Relax, rest and trust... and the power is there to save.

Amen.

At the beginning of Isaiah Chapter 51, the prophet calls three times Hearken to me. The threefold repetition reveals that he brings a word from on high. These are not my thoughts, my instructions, but those of Almighty God, he is saying.
1 ¶ Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
4 ¶ Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
Thus Isaiah sets out the call to hear the Word of the Lord.

• -First we have the call to hear addressed to those that follow Righteousness, pointing them to the picture of Abraham and Sarah, and revealing that The Lord brings Comfort and Joy.
• -Secondly, we have the call to hear addressed to the Lord's People, illustrated by the picture of Heavens and Earth, and revealing that The Lord is Salvation and Righteousness.
• -Finally, we have the call to hear addressed to those that know righteousness, showing that the corruption of moth and worm shall not touch them and that The Lord's Righteousness and Salvation are everlasting.

Thus Isaiah is speaking to all of the Lord's people, whatever their revelation of Him, whether it be – using our present day terminology – Born again, Charismatic or Third Feast. The detail does not matter, The Lord speaks to all where they are.

Next we see that three times there is the trumpet call to awaken:
9 ¶ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
17 ¶ Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.
1 ¶ Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

• -The first is a call to those who have been strong in The Lord,  (put on strength, you have been called, you are the planting of The Lord and must now seek your election to a higher place ).
• -The second is a call to Jerusalem, his Church on the earth; His holy people, (stand up, rise up; come up higher to the fullness, and make your calling and election sure).
• -The third is a call to Zion, his Church in the heavenly realms; His perfected church, (put on thy strength; show the strength of The Lord that fills you and makes you pure and holy).

This call to awaken is addressed to the same three groups (as mentioned in verses 1, 4 and 7) of The Lord's people and each in its turn is shown comfort by Jehovah. Again we see that The Lord excludes no part of His people from the comfort and salvation that He brings. His word is all-inclusive, and it is beholden to each saint to hear His word and answer the call to come up higher, indeed to the highest calling in our walk with Him.
11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.
We are to understand from this that we are His people; the righteous; the planting of the Lord, and we shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away because of His presence, if we choose to live there.
22 Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:
This we are to see that He has removed all cause for fear from us. We must fear only him, by which is meant the reverence and respect due to almighty God.

ISAIAH 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
GENESIS 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.
All the indicators are set in place – the call to hear; the call to awaken, be alert – the call sent out to all the people of God. What is that call for? What is the purpose?
ISAIAH 52:2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
Shake off the old life, the ties that bind you to the earth. You are captive to a life that causes a divide between you and Almighty God.
3 For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4 For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
What a wonderful awe-inspiring statement of salvation and redemption. The Lord of All will make sure that His people know His name! His name. We all know His name, surely?

In the Bible there is something which is revealed again and again. I discovered this when studying the rebuilding of the gates of Jerusalem in Ezra and Nehemiah. An understanding of the meaning of the names of those employed in that great work is crucial to an understanding of what The Lord has intended in His plan for His people.
It is there throughout the whole Bible, and of course, those who could read it in its original language – the priests and kings, who also we now are as so created by our Lord, Jesus Christ – would know without thinking about it – that the name reveals a nature, a type, a truth.
When we see and understand the Lord's nature, we can then appreciate in its fullness...7 ¶ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, Thy God reigns!
Hallelujah!

Then comes an extolling of praise unto our God; a beautiful song of praise, in the manner in which Isaiah seems to excel:
8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. {be…: Heb. gather you up }
The Lord will cover us before and behind. We need not fear because He is there, we need only to throw in our all with Him and walk in His ways to be lifted to the heavenlies and made perfect, made pure, made holy in that very instant, in the twinkling of an eye, for He is The Lord that heals, that protects, that saves, that comforts and brings peace and rest. He is the name above all names...
He is the everlasting saviour, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is the son that sits on the right hand of God and is our all in all.
He is the Seed of the Woman; Born of a Virgin; of the Family of Shem; of the race of the Hebrews; of the line of Isaac; of Jacob and Israel; of the tribe of Judah; of the House of David.
He is also The Son of God; The Son of Man; The Holy One of Israel; The Saint of Saints; The Just One; the Righteous One; The Wisdom of God; The Oracle of God; The Word; Our Redeemer and Saviour; The root and offspring of David and the bright and Morning star; The Lamb of God; The Mediator, Intercessor and Advocate; Shiloh, the apostle; The Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley; The High Priest; The Prophet; Our Captain, Chief and Leader; Teacher; The Lord of Hosts; The God of Israel; The Messiah; The Christ.
… to name but a few. And he is each of these, all of these to us all.

So let us now pause and consider and remember. We praise and worship our Lord, and we must never forget that He is also our inspiration.
It is the inspiration of the call to hearken and awake. To be overcomers in the service of our God. So here are three exhortations from the book of Revelation to us as overcomers:
REVELATION 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
REVELATION 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.
REVELATION 3:21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
These are amazing promises. But to be in that place we must …
7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproachof men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.…and then …
1 ¶ Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city:
… which city we are if we are found in Christ.
Amen.

LUKE 24:28-35
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Visiting my Mother recently, she showed me my Grandmother's Bible. Written in the frontispiece was:
"All things point to Christ's Resurrection- All things depend upon it."
We have special cause to reflect on this statement – for if we each have answered the call to live the life of Christ [Colossians 1:27 'Christ in you the hope of glory {in: or, among}'], then indeed 'all things depend on [the Resurrection]'.

ALL THINGS POINT TO CHRIST'S RESURRECTION
Sometimes our meetings with Christ can be restricted to formal occasions - church on Sunday; funerals; weddings (although this seems to be more and more a very secular event) - but every day and every moment of every day should be lived with the same intensity of abiding in The LORD. If we are to walk in life [His life], not in death [our own way], we must live in the resurrected life of Christ.
“All things depend on it”. Our life depends on it.
We need to be passionate about it – get 'hot under the collar' – so my title is taken from Luke 24:32 'Did not our heart burn within us?'. As we shall see, contact with The LORD, engenders a strong reaction – one way or the other. There are no half measures – there can be no apathy in this. It requires a burning passion for Him.

I don't know how many of you saw Mel Gibson's film 'The Passion of The Christ'. I saw it in Ireland some years ago. This was no sanitized version of the crucifixion. It was bloody and visceral in its depiction of events, with maybe about 30 seconds at the end to represent the resurrection. And many churches bussed many in their congregations to special screenings, cherishing the hope perhaps that an 'event movie' would bring 'the lost' to know Him, or swell the congregations.
Well, I'm sorry, but I do not believe that God works in that way. And anyone who is converted into having a close relationship with The LORD out of sympathy for the awful way we treated Jesus two thousand years ago is, I believe, living in deception.

The story of our LORD's death on the cross has much to show us – not the least being that our own road to salvation is never going to be an easy one, that there will be suffering and difficulty and misunderstanding, and that we must endure the crucifixion of our own 'flesh-nature' to be reborn into the resurrection life which is His 'spirit-nature'.
And that can be done in this life. The symbolism of the veil being 'rent in twain' is of our flesh being torn apart – the 'flesh nature' destroyed to allow access to the Holiest of all.
Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. And those of you who know the Tabernacle pattern, know that the veil surrounded the Holy of Holies, into which only the High Priest could enter on one day in the year – the day of atonement, when he would seek to be reconciled to God for sins committed by all.
Hebrews 10:19 ¶ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, {boldness: or, liberty}

The High Priest had thus to be pure and clean – without spot or blemish – completely free of any fleshly taint when he entered the Holy of Holies – any impurity and he would not survive. And of course, Jesus is now our High Priest – and at His crucifixion, He revealed the way to 'die to the flesh', to be purified, matured, perfected 'in Him' so that we might 'enter in'.
Hebrews 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; {consecrated: or, new made}
And the High Priest did not just stand in the Holy of Holies – he had ‘things to do’, as part of this ‘atonement’ ministration.
Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

Atonement = 'at-one-ment' – being made whole again – at one with The LORD. It must also be constantly kept in mind that the need for atonement is not the cause of, but the outcome of God’s love for us. God ‘so loved the world’ not for itself, but that we might be re-united, reconciled, redeemed and restored to Him. Just as Jesus dying on the cross for us was first and foremost the outcome of His love for and obedience to The Father.
Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. {willing, remove: Gr. willing to remove}
It was not Jesus' own will to do this thing. He did not desire it. But for Him, the will of Father God came first and could not be gainsaid.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
This was Jesus' only guide – to do as His Father directed through the Holy Spirit. We each can do no less if it is our desire to be like Him. 'Did not our heart burn within us?' Does it? Does your heart burn with passion for Jesus. Jesus did what He did, and lived the life He did because of His passion for Father God. And The Father has a passion for The Son. Does His word stir you to the very marrow? It is not enough to understand and love Jesus. That is ‘keeping your distance’. We need to have Jesus.
Remember the scene. This is the third day – the stone across the tomb has been found rolled away...
Luke 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee [circuit from ring; circle; to roll together; trust],
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again [3 – speaking of God's works].
8 And they remembered his words,
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven [number of disorder – they were in disarray after the events of the last days], and to all the rest.
13 ¶ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus [warm baths; hot springs], which was from Jerusalem about threescore [sixty; 10x6] furlongs [from root to stand; establish; set; stand by].
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas ['of a renowned father'], answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day [‘this day’, which was ‘that day’ in Old Testament] is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

This is one of the occasions when we have the subject of 'suffering' mentioned – only to be followed immediately by 'glory'. There are many occasions in Scripture where we hear of 'the glory' – but any time you hear of 'suffering', then we are always shown that it leads to 'glory'. When the sufferings are mentioned, we are not left to imagine that all is to end there. The glory is often mentioned alone, I believe because there is to be no end to it. But to the sufferings there was to be an end, and that end was to be revealed in glory. That is why, when the Lord makes the first mention of His sufferings, in Matt. 16:21, He at once proceeded to speak of the time when He "shall come in the glory of His Father" (v. 27), and to add that some of those who were standing should see it. [stand in the presence of the LORD].
Matthew 16:21 ¶ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.And then, after six days [number of man], three [number of perfection, God's working] of them saw the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and were eye-witnesses of His majesty.

Now, having heard of the sufferings, the disciples were not left to believe that all was to end there. They were immediately given the most wonderful vision of the glory which was to follow. [This is why the Trans-figuration scene occurs in the third part of the Lord's ministry, which had to do with His sufferings. These three parts to Jesus' ministry reveal also the other significant three's – the Three Feasts, The Trinity, etc.]
1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Suffering is also inherent in our consideration of the Atonement.
Leviticus 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
And here comes the glory, back to Luke 24:
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself
...and one of the first of those things must have been how the golden altar of incense in Moses’ tabernacle was a picture of Him – the golden altar of incense was ordained as a foretaste of Jesus – that by His sacrifice on the altar of the cross, He would go through the veil as our High Priest burned in the tribulation fires to become pure and spotless fragrance – a sweet-smelling savour to God.

So if we are abiding in Him, and He in us, then we have access to this holiest of all through Him. But whenever we read of the altar of incense it is located outside the Holy of Holies not inside. Going to the altar of the cross is the Brazen Altar in the sanctuary [The Holy Place], which is outside the Holy of Holies, just as the cross itself was located outside the city walls.

ALL THINGS DEPEND UPON IT
Jesus died as an atonement for sins, and it is only on the day of atonement that the altar of incense is placed inside the Holiest of all. Let’s just look at that very briefly. This is Hebrews Chapter 9 – from The Amplified Bible [which I believe has the better translation].
Hebrews 9:1 Now even the first covenant had its own rules and regulations for divine worship, and it had a sanctuary [but one] of this world.
2 For a tabernacle (tent) was erected, in the outer division or compartment of which were the lampstand and the table with [its loaves of] the showbread set forth. [This portion] is called the Holy Place.
3 But [inside] beyond the second curtain or veil, [there stood another] tabernacle [division] known as the Holy of Holies.
4 It had the golden altar of incense [Henry Alford, The Greek New Testament, with Notes: Not kept permanently in the Holy of Holies (normally in the sanctuary), but taken in on the Day of Atonement] and the ark (chest) of the covenant, covered over with wrought gold. This [ark] contained a golden jar which held the manna and the rod of Aaron that sprouted and the [two stone] slabs of the covenant [bearing the Ten Commandments].

As only the High Priest is allowed access to the Holy of Holies and then only on the day of Atonement each year, and if only He meets the standard of purity and spotlessness demanded, then Jesus was fulfilling the pattern as the great High Priest [great = of God]. Back to Luke 24 again:
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them [just as at the Last Supper].
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight [literally came into existence, made or became from/of the air, or atmosphere – suggesting a change from body to spirit? – but coupled with 'and they knew him' suggests that understanding suddenly came to them – that there had been a change in His nature. He is become spirit]. {vanished…: or, ceased to be seen of them}
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us [G2545 set on fire; light; burning; consume with fire], while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? [suddenly, it all ‘became clear’ for them – they were ‘set on fire’ by the revelation in their spirits]
33 And they rose up [not just 'got up and left', but their spirits were lifted also] the same hour [now; this instant], and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Is it any wonder that those met on the Emmaus road were 'on fire for Jesus'? For Emmaus means 'warm baths'. And do we not see the steam rising from warm baths? And often fragrant oils and spices would be put into the baths to cleanse the senses and spirit.
Psalm 39:3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned:
Psalm 142: 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice [oblation].
This passage in Luke is ‘about’ many things, but principally it is showing that God’s plan is being fulfilled. And Jesus is the one to do it. He is the ‘golden altar of incense’. So the meeting takes place where there are warm fragrances; Jesus ‘vanishes from their sight’, becoming ‘made from the atmosphere’.
The ‘bottom line’ is this. Him abiding in us is now as simple as taking the next breath, if we will be in the place where the fragrance is released.
He walks along the road with us in the everyday, despite having gone on to glory. He is as insubstantial as atmosphere, yet as solid and real as the one who sits at table with us and eats the broiled fish and the honeycomb.
He has fulfilled all that scripture claimed for Him, the work is finished, yet He is still with us. His compassion for us faileth not.
It shows that the NT witnesses to and fulfills the promise of the Old and that what God has purposed, He will do!
All our hopes are in Him – there is no other hope. But He does not do it all for us – we need to nod our assent and give ourselves fully to the programme – there is much to do. We can either do it with or without Him. With Him is easier. Without Him simply doesn’t work.

Oswald Chambers said this about Luke 24:32:
"We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions, then we have to learn to keep the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything. It is the dull, bald, dreary, commonplace day, with commonplace duties and people, that kills the burning heart unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.
"We cannot stay on the mount of transfiguration, but we must obey the light we received there; we must act it out. When God gives a vision, transact business on that line, no matter what it costs."
On the last page of my grandmother's Bible she had written:
“He who walks with God always reaches his destination”
...and that destination – it should be emphasised – is one of His choosing, not ours.

We've come to the altar of incense,
no longer the many, but one;
We've come to the evening oblation,
to be offered in the fullness of the Son.
Burn thou fire till Christ be offered up,
and we enter into the holiest of all.

JEREMIAH 45:1 ¶  The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,
2  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch;
3  Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
4  Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.
5  And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

The Lord speaks to believers; He speaks here in Jeremiah's short prophecy to Baruch the son of Neriah, which interpreted means that this prophecy is addressed to the Blessed, who are born from the light of God; for that is what those names mean.
It comes from the prophet Jeremiah, who can be trusted to speak the words of The Lord, because his name – and thus his nature; his whole purpose – tells us that he is 'appointed by God'.
There is a time frame involved here too; the prophecy is for a specific time; the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.
This is the time [year] when the Lord raises up [Jehoikim = Jehovah raises up] His people [fourth = foursquare = creation = the world], whose hearts are full of praise and thanksgiving [who dwell in Judah, the land of praise] because they have been redeemed and restored [son of Josiah = whom Jehovah heals].
We can see that although the prophecy is addressed to one named Baruch [pronounced baw-rook], it is meant for all God's people. Scripture always speaks to us either personally or corporately.
And do we not say to ourselves 'Woe is me now!' for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

Well, I have been in that place. Troubles seemed to pile up one upon another; nothing goes aright; having one of those days that no matter which way I turn it only adds to the calamity and confusion. I let my worries and minor grumbles get the better of me. I feel frustrated; angry with myself and others (but mainly with myself); my concentration goes I know not where and even crying out to The Lord seems to exacerbate my self-pity - not in a good place and working up a few irksome thoughts into an earth-shattering fury.
The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.
The Lord allows us these times – maybe to teach us that we are not as composed and sorted as we like to think we are. And He is prepared to uproot us and turn us inside out.
And that is The Lord's way. In ISAIAH 55 we read this...
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The Lord's ways are upside down or inside out to our way of thinking, and it is His desire that we change our thinking, our attitudes, and allow His governance to prevail in us; for us to become like Him ...to think like Him and view everything from His standpoint. In this way, our outward expression will be of Him also. His word to us will always accomplish its purpose. He will not allow otherwise, thus He is quite prepared to pluck up what He has planted. In fact, that is what His purpose is for each one of us – that our old life be put on the scrapheap, that we be recreated in Him.

And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not:
Are we seeking great things for ourselves? Is not being a great person a finer goal? I use the word great as it is often used in Scripture; great, as in godly, good, something or someone imbued with the Spirit of Christ. God wants us to be close to Him, leaning on the Beloved...
SONG OF SONGS 8:5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?

It is not just about His good gifts to us; the provision; the gifts of the spirit. [GALATIANS 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.] No, The Lord wants us to get to know Him, to be in an intimate relationship with Him. That really, is the basis of the Christian message in its simplest form. And there is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God, unless of course, it is not God we are seeking, but only what He can do for us. If we have only come to the place where our only desire is what God can give us, then we do not comprehend what 'I surrender all' really means.

All to Jesus I surrender,
all to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
in His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender,
humbly at his feet I bow;
worldly pleasures all forsaken,
take me Jesus, take me now.

It is important that we come to Him on His terms, not ours. When I cry out to Him in my bewilderment, I believe that I get no reply. There will be no reply, because I am coming to Him in the wrong Spirit, I am not rightly related to Him. I demand that He fix things. No reply means He is having no truck with a wrong-headed attitude; it does not mean that He is not listening, nor does not mean 'no answer'. I have got my answer when I am genuinely and properly at the end of myself. Then He will answered my prayer, often because He puts it in my lovely wife Gill's heart to pray for me in my distress. Then – and only then – will I feel the peace of the Lord descend on me.

His response is that of a caring Father, (just like my own natural father, in fact). “I am not speaking to you while you are in that mood.” The Lord knew that I would not be listening. It did not mean that He was not working to change my mood and get me out of it. He got His way in the end, and I found that I could focus on priorities once again and not be distracted by needless fears.
God had identified the reason I was in such a state. I was not seeking Him at all, but something for myself. Jesus said, in MATTHEW 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you . . .

We are to ask God for what we want and not be concerned about asking amiss, because as we draw closer to Him, we will cease asking for things altogether. MATTHEW 6:8 your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Then why should you ask at all? So that we may get to know Him. All prayer is about getting each of us closer to Him.
God always ignores, or rather, forgives our present state of incompleteness, in favour of the end of the matter – our ultimate perfection. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy right now, but He’s continually working out His ultimate perfection in us. JOHN 17:22 ...that they may be one just as We are one . . . The fact that we are trying to get closer to Him is what I believe The Lord values most.

"We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself."                                             Oswald Chambers: 'My Utmost for His Highest'

behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD:
God says that this is part of His plan, that all in the natural will perish. Our hope of completeness and eternal life will never be realised if we cling to an inadequate life-raft, one not fit for purpose. We cannot save ourselves; thus, we must find the one who is able.
HEBREWS 2:18 For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.
HEBREWS 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
HEBREWS 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Three magnificent quotations from the Book of Hebrews, which point the way, whereby...thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

We do not nowadays use the word prey as it is used here. Other translations say 'prize', 'purpose' or 'gain'. This is a promise indeed; I will give your life to you . . . What more do any of us really want or need but our own lives. It is the basic, essential thing; … your life … as a prize … means that no matter what, we will come out with our life, and nothing and no man can take that from us. It is sealed and protected by Almighty God. It is the life that is hidden with Christ in God. (COLOSSIANS 3:3). 
Are we prepared to be in total oneness with God, paying no more attention to the great things of life?
Are we prepared to let go, to abandon all to The Lord?

The true test of this abandonment or surrender lies in questioning how The Lord goes about His business. We must look out for and beware of our own ideas about things. As soon as we start questioning God - “Lord, have you thought about this?”, “Eh, Lord, you haven't thought about that.” And we have all done it if we are honest with ourselves – we reveal where we really are – and it is not abandoned to God.
But once we surrender, we will no longer think about what God is going to do. It is an acceptance of The Lord's way of things over our own way of things. And when we grant The Lord free, unhindered access to ourselves, He will move in and take possession … and that means He gives us our life … as a prize.

2 CHRONICLES 14:7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
The Lord is building Zion – the spiritual Jerusalem; the city of the Living God, wherein life abounds; everlasting life. That is a prize worth any price.

Recently, I found myself singing a version of the chorus of a song entitled I serve a risen Saviour. I couldn't get it out of my mind … didn't want to.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
...He lives within my heart.