Rejoice Always, With Thanksgiving.

Philippians 4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

  • If we would learn to obey just this one command… Oh how wonderful life would be!
  • Corinthians 11:24-25 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. [25] After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me
  • It is in remembering, rejoicing and singing God’s praises that we find His presence and victory! When we lift up Jesus in praise, He will draw all men unto Himself! It is in remembering Him and all that He is and all that He has done that we find joy and rest, hope and peace! But it is not enough to only remember! There is a victory in the singing! So sing out His psalms and hymns and Spiritual songs! Obedience brings blessing!
  • Don’t we have so much to sing about?! Don’t we have so much to be grateful for?! Rejoice that your names are written in heaven!! Rejoice in your Redeemer!! Rejoice in His promises!! Rejoice in His provisions!! Rejoice in how much you’ve been forgiven!! Rejoice that He has not dealt with us according to our sins and iniquities! Rejoice that He has not marked iniquity! Rejoice for His everlasting love and this day of Grace! Rejoice in His precious gifts and blessings that add no sorrow!!
  • God literally dwells in the place where His praises are offered. When we bring a sacrifice of praise, when we sing in the valley and sing in the fire… We bring His presence into our hearts! The darkness will become light, the mourning will turn to dancing as we take our eyes off of our flesh/trials and sing of our Saviour, Redeemer and God! He dwells in those praises! In His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore! In His presence hearts are ministered to!

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

  • This is a description of a truly intimate relationship with God. A relationship of true trust, dependence and submission. A relationship that should be a natural reality to the Born Again believer.
  • Paul says in “everything”! However dramatic or menial; however insignificant or consequential; whatever the time, whatever the situation, whatever the context. Bring it all before The Lord. Bring every care, every concern, every need, desire, hurt and failure. Come with liberty, come with welcome, come with honesty and humility… 
  • But come with thanksgiving! Bring everything before The Lord but always come remembering all that He is, all that He has done, how He has met every need, how He has freely given Salvation, forgiveness, tender mercies and loving compassions, wisdom, freedom and victory! He has never failed! His arm is not shortened! He has brought you safely this far in His strength (not your own!). He is the sovereign God over all the earth! He is the creator, the maintainer, the beginning and the end!! Hallelujah!! We have very much to give thanks for!! 

He Sat Among The Ashes

Job 1
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were over, that Job sent for them to purify and sanctify them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Job 2
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

  • Consider where those ashes came from and how they came to be there. They came from the altar and his daily sacrifices.
  • When everything was lost and the storm raged over His life, Job went and sat in the most intimate place of fellowship, his place of meeting with God. He found himself sat in and surrounded by the ashes of His intimate relationship with The Lord. He sat in the memory of The Lord’s faithfulness, The Lord’s provision, The Lord’s life-giving teaching, wisdom and promises. In the place that he had found the most joy, peace, hope and promise of redemption. When all physical, fleshly things were taken from him, Job did not worry, but worship!! He found solace, security and comfort in The Lord.
  • Oh may we know The Lord as Job does. There is no reason why we can’t. We have no excuse not to. We have far more reason and opportunity to know The Lord far more fully. Yet, in the trial, we are so often less likely to worship. The issue is not dispensational, the difference between Job and us (at times) is simply relational.
  • Let us be busy creating ashes of consistency with The Lord. Calling on His name, trusting in His word, seeking Him for cleansing, provision, wisdom and blessing, bringing sacrifices of praise and worship, sweet smelling savours in prayer and intercession. Let us pour out the most precious gifts to Him as David did. Then, when all is taken away, burned up and lost… May we also be found among the ashes of a life lived in communion with our Almighty, Sovereign God.

Give The Enemy No Credit

Job 1:20
Then Job arose, and tore his coat, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped

Job 2
9 Then said his wife unto him, Do you still hold fast to your integrity? curse God, and die.
10 But he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept only good at the hand of God and shall we not accept evil? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

  • Job never mentions the devil. He never gives the enemy any credit and never attributes to him any power or ability. He only sees and only fears His sovereign God who he is intimately acquainted with. Who he has walked with, talked with, trusted and proven!
  • It’s true that Paul talks of being hindered to the Thessalonians but… He DOES NOT say that the work of God was hindered. He DOES NOT say that his faith in or fellowship with Christ was hindered. He DOES NOT say that God’s sovereign plan was hindered! he only mentions it in passing concerning a personal desire to see them.
  • Born Again believers, the Temples of The Holy Ghost, who ought to be abiding in Christ and in the secret place of The Most High (where no evil can be!!), often give the devil far too much attention and give not enough reverence to the sovereignty of Almighty God!! The devil cannot touch God’s children abiding in Him without permission and that… Will always be for His glory to be revealed!
  • The devil has as much power over you as you attribute to him. Yes the devil is a powerful, crafty foe… But He is a defeated enemy before the sons and daughters of God.

Luke 22
31 “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].”

  • Jesus is saying that Satan will indeed sift you!! But the sifting is only to reveal the grain! Let the chaff (flesh) be removed and let the glory of God be revealed as we abide in Him and keep looking unto Jesus who is the beginning and the end, the author and finisher, the Risen, Conquering King!! The one who has all things placed under His feet!! ABIDE IN HIM!!! He is the power and the glory! Yield and submit to His sovereign plan and timing. Trust in His faithfulness and loving ways. The sifting is painful but “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous].” Job 23:10
  • Follow in Jobs example. Give the devil no credit. Attribute to him no power. When He is given permission to sift… Then may we be found on our faces in worship before The Almighty, Sovereign God! Hallelujah!!

Oil For The Lamp

Exodus 27:20-21
“And you shall command the children of Israel, that they bring you pure crushed/beaten olive oil for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always”

  • The olives must be beaten/crushed. The oil would come forth from the crushing of the olives. It was in the Mount of Olives where Christ’s will was crushed and He prayed “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” It is this symbolic crushing death to the self-will that will bring forth oil to fuel the light of the testimony.
  • Be careful not to focus on the crushing. Do not consume yourself with the death but rather rejoice in the precious oil and the light that comes from such a testimony! Some can become sepulchral, losing all joy, seeing only their unworthiness and lack… But rejoice evermore and pray without ceasing, giving thanks that the Light of The Lord’s testimony may shine on another day.

“In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony”

  • The oil was brought from the individual homes to the place of congregational worship. It is only as our self-life is crushed that we can learn to love, serve and prefer others above ourselves. As we are crushed and see how much we’ve been forgiven we can learn to love much and we can learn to worship The Lord in unity. That is where The Lord places His testimony. Not in the individual homes but upon a people united unto Him.

“it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.”

  • From generation to generation the statute, the marker of The Lord’s presence/blessing/testimony would be the light in the tabernacle of the congregation. It is the offering of crushing of The Lord’s people that keeps it shining.
  • Oh may we with joy bring our oil to the place of united fellowship and congregational worship. May we bring fuel for the light of our Saviour’s glory and testimony.

Strength That Never Fails

Joshua 14:11
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

  • May we never doubt the power of The Spirit and what The Lord can do through a willing, obedient vessel.
  • Not all of us will be blessed with physical vigour as Caleb but there is no excuse not to have such a testimony in the Spirit.
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may be seen over me.
  • There was no loss of effectiveness and ability. There was no loss of confidence or faith. Caleb did not for a second doubt the power of God as he moved in obedience.
  • Let us encourage and remind the older saints of such precious truths. Oh, that there would be an older generation that does not slack in faith and vigour of The Spirit; who are fierce in prayer; who are mighty in compassion and unmovable in wisdom and faithfulness. Let us recognise those who are older in years of service and be challenged and inspired by their knowledge of The Lord and love for Him.
  • Too often the weight and responsibility of the future is placed upon the youth! This is reckless and worldly foolishness and utterly unbiblical! The young are to look to their elders and be encouraged and inspired; taught and trained! Oh may we look with awe to our examples and follow with joy in their footsteps. May we look to exalt our elders in The Lord who have walked before us, who have dug wells and springs in the valleys and desert places. Those who can share the never failing faithfulness of The Lord; those who have sought Him, found Him, proved Him and have been granted to be bearers of His glorious testimonies!
  • Our thinking is so backward today and we have lost the wisdom and pattern of God in this area.

Joshua 14:12
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

  • Caleb doesn’t ask for a small, easy patch. He doesn’t request land already conquered. 
  • Caleb picked a fight! A mighty fight! A fight that he could not win on his own! A fight that would prove and glorify The Lord God. A fight that would be a mighty and precious testimony unto God. He saw the potential; He saw the limitless ability of Almighty God; He saw the testimony to be won and the abundant promise to be claimed!
  • Caleb was careful to confess that His victory relied solely on the presence and blessing of The Lord being with him. He did not aim/seek to take this mountain in His own strength.