God Has a Will and He Will Make a Way

 I was asked to write a short article for a magazine for young people. This is the article I wrote. I penned most of it while on my knees during devotions. The editor asked for 500 words and when I had written it all out it came out to exactly 500 words! Precious words, precious promises straight from the heart!

God Has a Will and He Will Make a Way

Benjamin Jacobs

Let there be no doubt concerning God’s desire to lead you. 

He brought you into this world:

•        Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

•     Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

He has a purpose for your life:

•         Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

He Himself takes responsibility for leading you and enabling you to fulfill His purpose for your life:

•         Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

•          Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

In fact, you cannot fulfill His will (His purpose) alone:

•         John 15:5 Without me ye can do nothing.

Let these words be engraved on your heart, “My Lord’s greatest happiness and my greatest happiness are in His perfect will.” Therefore, discovering His perfect will in all things is my supreme priority. The smiles of Jesus can only be reflected on my own lips. His joy is my bliss.

The texts I claim in prayer to know and to do God’s will are the following:

·         “Lord, work in me both to will and to do according unto Thy good pleasure (His will),” 

(Philippians 2:13).

         “Lord, instruct me and teach me in the way I should go, guide me with Thine eye,” 

(Ps. 32:8)

·         “Lord, cause me to know the way wherein I should walk,” 

(Ps. 143:8).

·         “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” 

(Acts 9:6).

·         “Lord, I throw open the door of my heart and invite you in! Live out Thy will and Thy life within me!

(Rev. 3:20)

Always thank God after praying such prayers as these, (1 Thess. 5:17), for it is as certain as the shining sun lights your way that He will enlighten you to know His will and to walk in His way. 

Tuning your heart to perceive His unmistakable expressions of love and His providential leading (His little loves and His little leadings), is spirituality itself. 

Consider this last thought. If God was so willing to lead and guide Jonah who was so unwilling and reluctant to obey Him, how much MORE willing will He be to lead and guide us who cry out to Him to know and to do His will!

Morning Devotional

Here are thoughts I wrote down during my devotions this morning:

Tuning my heart to perceive His unmistakable expressions of love and His providential leading (His little loves and His little leadings), is spirituality itself.

If we will but yield the throne, Jesus Himself will be the love of our hearts. Then we shall find it very easy to love for His love is unconditional and it is everlasting.

No sacrifice was too great for God to demonstrate His love for me. Let no sacrifice be too great for me to demonstrate my love for Him.

The Devil would deceive us to believe that reality is not reality—that the reality of the Bible, the reality of the ongoing great controversy between Christ and Satan, the invisible warfare of angels on our behalf, and the enormity of sin and the unspeakable blessedness of righteousness, are all but fiction. The only fiction is the illusory pleasures of this fallen world. Christ is more real and living than we ourselves are for He ever has been and ever will be. 

We must have the Holy Spirit to prick our hearts, awaken our consciences, and convict our minds. We shall have Him if we will but look to Jesus. He is the sun of righteousness and His burning beams blazing through the callous corridors of our souls are that Spirit convicting us of both our sin and our Savior—of our lovelessness and His lovingfulness. 

 I wrote down this portion of my prayer. 

"Thank you, Father, for the privilege to be in this place and for the opportunity to be polished with simplicity in speech and ministry. Please, Father, help me to learn every lesson--every single lesson--You have for me in this place. I love you, Lord. Please, let my life be an expression of my love for Thee.”

 

School; Food; Sabbath Singing

Looks like a simple structure, huh? No adornings, no sign, nothing. In this simple building all the classes are held. We also eat meals in there! The infinite truths of God's word are magnified and simplified in there! "Where two or three are gathered together in My name," Jesus said, "there am I," (Mat. 18:20). We always invite the Holy Spirit to "teach us all things," (John 14:26), and to "guide us into all truth," (John 16:13), in Jesus' name.

This is one of the first meals I had in India. Rice and curry has been on the menu ever since (different variations of rice and curries). Today I had rice and pumpkin curry. It was alright! I'm happy to be free from gluten. My mind is so much clearer.

I took a small group of students up a nearby mountain for a short hike. We sang songs at the top! I taught them some simple Scripture songs like Ps. 51:10-12, 1, 2; Pr. 3:5, 6; Jude 24. We also sang songs like Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord. They were all smiles. It was nice and cool up at the top.

Pictures from the Youth Congress in Kerala

This is the school that the meetings were held in. It was just recently built by Maranatha about 7 months ago! It's on the campus of a school built back in the 70's that's in need of new structures.

Here is the inside of the school during the meetings on Sabbath. Quite an impressive structure.

I asked the girls to let me take a quick picture. It was a very hot that day. The girl above was friendly and introduced herself. Her name was Leelah, and she was in the 9th standard (grade) at the school. Indian society is so segregated that I'm still trying to comprehend the implications of it. I can't imagine not having the softening influence of female friends during my childhood, adolescence, etc. The lifestyle around the cities is more westernized but in the vast countryside traditional values remain. I've been told that the Hindu culture has led people to assume that if a young man and woman are alone together and aren't married that they are in an inappropriate relationship. When I asked where is courtship in Indian culture my friend burst out laughing, "There is no courtship!" The whole arranged marriage situation boggles my mind and I'll wait until I understand it better before I write about it. The other night, however, I learned from the director's wife, a very sweet woman, that Indian women will remain single until death if a relationship fails. They will not love another man. That's heartbreaking to me and is expressive of the very delicate female Indian's heart. I would quickly insert here that I am living in Tamil Nadu which I have been told is the most traditional region of India. This situation is certainly not the case in the big cities and in certain places. 

I was speaking with the Kenyan brother on my left when a group of young men came over and asked to take this picture. Coming from affectionate Colombia to reserved India has been a unique experience. Not many people came up to speak with me and when they did it was very brief. They all seemed very happy to learn that I was from America. I tell you coming to India radically changes your perspective of America. Americans are tremendously wealthy, comfortable, and entertained compared to the majority of the world. There are three times more people in India than in the US and they live in less than a third of the land area. 

This picture has quite a story behind it! We caught an "Air bus" and a sleeper bus for our overnight bus trip. When the bus would speed along and hit a bump we would literally jump feet into the air and hit our heads on the ceiling. The first smack on the ceiling sent me jumping out of my seat to the front to stand like the Pastor here. It was terribly, terribly, uncomfortable and we seriously considered changing buses and losing our money. We switched seats and found it was acceptable and soon fell into a deep sleep. I listened to The Bible in Living Sound during all these long, tedious bus rides. It helped so much! I purchased some $10 headphones before I came that turned out to be a blessing because they cancel noise! There's a LOT of noise in India (obnoxious music and blaring horns--they really like the horns here). I was astonished when I took out my headphones and had to yell to talk to the person sitting next to me on the bus. I spent $50 on the 52 hours of Bible stories in the complete Bible in Living Sound series. It's been one of the best investments I've made in a long time! I listen to it while falling asleep every night.

Arrival in India and Youth Congress in Kerala State

The day after I arrived in India I traveled with the Pastor and my Kenyan suite mate to a neighboring state to attend and speak at a Youth Congress. It was a long, grueling (very appropriate word), twenty-four hour trip over five different buses. We left Thursday afternoon and arrived Friday afternoon. I spoke for the vespers that evening. There were around 200 young people in attendance from the ages of 15-25.

Here's an excerpt from my journal:

Life is interesting here in India. I've felt a world of emotions the last few days I've been here. I've felt the screamings within and without of the discomfort of culture shock in a radically different environment. I traveled too much when I arrived. That was a mistake. My body was already taxed beyond exhaustion and wrestling with jet lag and time change. It was a blessing however to attend and speak at the Youth Congress in the state of Kerala. I preached on the POWER of grace. If grace is presented correctly I firmly believe it is almost irresistible. There were about 200 young people at the congress. 

I preached on John 10:10 and the abundant life--the victorious Christian life--that Jesus came to give. 

•  John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I shared examples of victorious believers in the Bible--

• Enoch ('walked with God'--Gen. 5:24--means they were in agreement--Amos 3:3--which means he was not sinning for sin causes separation from God--Is. 59:2)
•  Genesis 5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. 
• Amos 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 
• Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
• By grace Enoch overcame sin in his life and walked with God.

• Job ('Perfect and upright... fears God'--Job 1:8--'Fear God' is defined as keeping the commandments--Eccl. 12:13)
• Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 
• Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 
• By grace Job overcame sin in his life and was perfect and upright, a vindication of the character of God to Satan and his host.
  
• Jesus 
• "As the Son of Man He gave us an example of obedience and as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey," Desire of Ages 24.
• Jude 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 
• After reading Jude 24 I started singing the song ~"He's able, He's able, I know He's able...!" :)

Grace is given not only to pardon us from past sins but to empower us to live up to God's highest expectations--to enable us to be just like Jesus by restoring in us His perfect character of love.

The Reward of the Redeemed

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 20

The most beautiful picture of the literal reward of the redeemed I have ever read! 

The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directed to the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls! "I was a sinner," it will be said, "without God and without hope in the world, and you came to me, and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope. And I believed in Him. I repented of my sins, and was made to sit together with His saints in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Others will say: "I was a heathen in heathen lands. You left your friends and comfortable home, and came to teach me how to find Jesus and believe in Him as the only true God. I demolished my idols and worshiped God, and now I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved, ever to behold Him whom I love. I then saw Him only with the eye of faith, but now I see Him as He is. I can now express my gratitude for His redeeming mercy to Him who loved me and washed me from my sins in His own blood." 
     Others will express their gratitude to those who fed the hungry and clothed the naked. "When despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me," they say, "to speak words of hope and comfort. You brought me food for my physical necessities, and you opened to me the word of God, awakening me to my spiritual needs. You treated me as a brother. You sympathized with me in my sorrows and restored my bruised and wounded soul so that I could grasp the hand of Christ that was reached out to save me. In my ignorance you taught me patiently that I had a Father in heaven who cared for me. You read to me the precious promises of God's word.
You inspired in me faith that He would save me. My heart was softened, subdued, broken, as I contemplated the sacrifice which Christ had made for me. I became hungry for the bread of life, and the truth was precious to my soul. I am here, saved, eternally saved, ever to live in His presence, and to praise Him who gave His life for me." (Volume 6, Testimonies to the Church, page 311)

India 2014

The privilege of wiping a tear from the eye of a child in India is worth more than the comfort of the American dream for a lifetime. 

I have finally received my visa for India (a ten year multi-entry visa). I will fly to India January 13th. For me, it is as Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, put it, "a chance to die." What greater privilege is there than sacrificial service? Most live a lifetime without ever discovering it's immortal pleasures. Be not a stranger to love, beloved. Give and live.

Righteousness By Grace Through Faith

Ephesians 6:10, 11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? The giant Philistine blasphemes the living God before the armies of Israel and requires that they send a man to fight with him and settle the feud between the two groups in a death match. David, intrepid by faith, approaches King Saul with his desire to vindicate the character of God and dispatch this uncircumcised Philistine. Saul consents, recognizing the unconquerable faith and purpose of the stripling but requires barebacked David to utilize his armor.

1 Samuel 17:38, 39 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

Saul's armor was too big and dangerous for David to use in battle. The armor of God--The armor that God offers us--however, fits perfectly. His breastplate of righteousness was worn by His Son, "made under the law," (Gal. 4:4), "like unto his brethren" (Heb. 2:17), "in the likeness of sinful flesh," (Romans 8:3), "but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," (Heb. 4:15). That breastplate has been proven. That breastplate is nothing less than righteousness by faith. David was clothed in it as he doffed Saul's imitation armor and left to stand up to the Philistine. David had a giant which accused the Israelites day and night. Sound familiar? We ourselves have a giant Lion to contend with (see 1 Peter 5:8), "the accuser of our brethren," (Rev. 12:10). David's death match with Goliath is a microcosm of the great controversy.    

2 Timothy 2:1  Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

In the context of the great controversy "strength" is righteousness.

• Psa 105:4  Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. 

• Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

If the strength of God is the righteousness of God supplied to us and salvation is of course nothing less than righteousness and right standing with God, then these thoughts logically follow:

1. Strong in grace
2. Righteousness by grace 
3. Saved by grace through faith
4. Righteousness by grace through faith.

Therefore, the source of our strength, our victory, our righteousness--our overcoming of the "sins which doth so easily beset us," (Heb. 12:1), is God's grace accessed through faith. Our righteousness is not our own, it is the gift of God, the gift of His grace. 

The Letter and the Spirit

The more I know of the Bible, the more I know how little I know. 

The letter is but the surface, the spirit is the infinite ocean. 

The letter speaks to the mind, the spirit thrills the heart.

 The letter is the pen, the spirit is the blood. 

The letter is the law, the spirit is the life. 

The letter is the voice, the spirit is the breath. 

The letter is seen and understood, the spirit is unseen but known. 

The letter is the letter and the spirit is the Spirit.

Hymn Harmonizing

                                                   My Fun Hymn Harmonizing Game
For my morning devotions this morning I found nine (9) texts in the last stanza of the hymn--It Is Well With My Soul.


"And Lord, haste the day"
Zep 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

"When my faith shall be sight"
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

"The clouds be rolled back as a scroll"
Isa 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

"The trump shall resound"
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

"And the Lord shall descend"
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

""Even so""
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

"It is well with my soul"
Isa 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

The Judgment of Love 

 

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus describes the judgment revolving around acts of love to Himself in the person of the suffering, sick, and imprisoned. But the "love of God is shed abroad,"--(Rom. 5:5)--from the hearts of those who have the law of God written in them, (see Heb. 8:10), because the law is love as defined by Jesus (Matt. 22:37-39), and acts of love are the fulfilling of it (Rom. 13:10). It is impossible to love others without obeying and fulfilling the law of God.

Love to God through love to man may be exhibited yet if love to God through obeying His commandments is not demonstrated--"If ye love Me keep My commandments," (John 14:15)--(that is, keeping the first four commandments that relate to our love to God), then we are as those that give all their goods to feed the poor yet lack love and are really as nothing (see 1 Cor. 13:3).

  
With the two above thoughts in mind another perspective of the judgment given by Jesus in Matthew makes more sense.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many Wonderful Works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matt. 7:21-23)
 
"Iniquity," is wickedness or sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4). "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments," (Matt. 19:17). This includes the one commandment which God calls us to "Remember," (Ex. 20:8).

1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
 Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

In what sense are we to understand that this was a new commandment? Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, was a positive precept of the law, Leviticus 19:18 "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." "As I have loved you," (John 13:34), is the new, fresh distinction that Jesus makes. Jesus was to demonstrate a "greater love," (John 15:13), then man had yet beheld in that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," (Romans 5:8).

Jesus life was to demonstrate how we, by His grace alone, are to "magnify the law, and make it honourable." (Isaiah 42:21).

If, "love is the fulfilling of the law," (Rom. 13:10), then love is righteousness. If "God is love," and, "love is of God," (1 John 4:8, 7), then only that which Christ accomplishes in the heart and life is acceptable with God. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," (Isaiah 64:6). Love without selfish motive, love which "seeketh not her own," (1 Cor. 13:5), is found in the heart of God alone and supplied with His presence in the heart.

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

All the words, "gospel," "Jesus," "Christ," have meanings.

The word gospel is not used in the Old Testament. The word, news (that is for "good new"), is used only once: 

• As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. (Proverbs 25:25)

The gospel quenches the thirst of the soul. It answers the questions of eternity, the questions of life.

• O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (Ps. 63:1).

Jesus is the living water to quench our burning thirst.

• John 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

• John 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

The name Jesus means Savior. Jesus is come to save man from his sins. That is, to free him from the guilt and power of sin and finally from the presence of sin.

• Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

Christ means anointed one or "Messiah" . This is the first reference in this gospel to a messianic prophecy in the Old Testament. It refers to Daniel 9.

• Daniel 9:25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

The weeks referred to here in Daniel 9 are addressed specifically by Jesus in Mark 1:15. I'll leave comments to that point. Daniel 9 is, however, an outline of the dates for the baptism, ministry, and crucifixion of Jesus. It is one of the most stunning proofs for the authenticity of the Bible.

Love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10).

This one text has had an immeasurable influence on my theology. It is the pickax that has led me to a thousand gems of truth.

When asked, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus responded, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)

Supreme love to God composes the first four commandments and impartial love to our fellow men composes the latter six. Love becomes the expression of righteousness. Conformity to the law is the standard in the judgment (James 2:12). This is why Jesus employs the imagery of the loving sheep and the selfish goats in his illustration of the Judgment with the righteous and the wicked (Mat. 25:31-46).