The Appointed Time

"Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an APPOINTED TIME; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries (has not come), wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry (stay away forever). Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith." (the understanding God has given) (Habakkuk 2:2,3)

When is the APPOINTED TIME? When the Lord knows we are ready to undertake what He has planned as He would! When we want no glory but rejoice in His righteousness and His way being made in the earth. He desires to "make our feet like deer's feet, to make us walk on our high hills."  (Habakkuk 3:19)

 

We see there was a wide void between what God wanted for Judah and what they were willing to do. Correction had to come to them in the form of the Chaldeans: a bitter, hasty, terrible, dreadful and fierce people.

 

In Luke 17:5 the apostles asked Jesus for something, that He would "increase their (our) faith" after He had instructed them to forgive a brother who sins against them seven times in a day and seven times returns to repent. Sounds like a reasonable, in fact, excellent request. Jesus replies in v.7 "and which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'come at once and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him, 'PREPARE something for my supper and GIRD YOURSELF and SERVE ME til I have eaten and drunk, and AFTERWARD you will eat and drink'?

 

One can imagine the strength, vitality and fitness of deer's feet. In that strength, vitality and fitness the deer scales the high hills before it. Likewise, we christians must prepare (study to show ourselves approved) gird ourselves (humble ourself will under His mighty hand and in His sight) and serve Him(rather than serving ourselves). His vision for all christians is that we be strong, vital and fit in Him; for Judah then and the church now. Then He can disperse us to our individual callings because we have proved to Him that we will do those things commanded us. He knows when our soul is upright in us.

The Righteousness That is of Faith

 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'the just shall live by faith'." (Romans 1:16,17)

For from the gospel (the written word breathed upon by the Holy Spirit to man's spirit), the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. (Faith in it's purest form is a revelation to man in the knowledge of God. That revelation is accompanied by an understanding of what to do from there, how to apply the revelation in our daily lives. When we willingly obey according to that revelation, we have become a believer of IT!) It is my understanding that the christian will receive little in addition to that which has been revealed until he/she willingly obeys what he/she has heard (that living word that we know we heard from God).

 

When we receive the Lord's salvation we are washed by His blood. His blood makes us righteous, as we heard the message of salvation and willingly obeyed. We BELIEVED and were washed clean of our sin. If the righteousness of God is revealed by faith, and we willingly obey (the works of faith), we are becoming the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Revelation by revelation He is building us up as a spiritual house (just as a physical house would be built). "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10) Are you still learning what it means to believe? Then, you are still learning what it means to become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!

 

"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who PRACTICES RIGHTEOUSNESS is righteous, just as He is righteous. Each time we hear Him speak (faith), and we willingly obey, we are being BELIEVERS and PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS unto completion in Him, being made the righteousness of God in Christ!

He Who Is Least

 

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but HE WHO IS LEAST in the kingdom of heaven is greater then he"  (Matthew 11:11). Lets understand that Jesus is not talking about the departed saints and their habitation as there is no "suffering violence" (verse 12) where the Father and the Son reign. Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven that came into fruition when He arrived. So, it seems, we should discuss what we think our Lord meant when He said that those who are least in the kingdom are greater than he (John).

John the Baptist was an old testament prophet who was integral in readying Israel for her Messiah. His ministry was to call the people to the "baptism of repentance" for "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" or right before them. He admirably fulfilled that call as our Master said again "among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist". The new testament saint is similar to John as we also are born of women. The difference is we are also born of God! Our fathers and mothers made us but we dads and moms in Christ gladly step aside and allow God the Father to reign over our families! We have been born again by God with His Holy Spirit through our Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

Yet Jesus said that "the LEAST of these in the kingdom of heaven are greater than he (John)". If you are familiar with the previous submissions to this blog, you may know where I am about to go. The new testament saint is born of God and should be filled with the Holy Spirit which empowers those to be "witnesses to Him". It is my opinion that the HE WHO IS LEAST in this kingdom is the one who has allowed God to refine out the carnality in his/her soul. When the Apostle Paul said "I am less than the least of all saints", he was informing us that he has allowed God to have His way in him and, as a result, he said "by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, YET NOT I, but the grace of God that was with me (1 Corinthians 15:10)". Jesus informed Paul, "My strength is made perfect in (your) weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). In fact, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 is a great example of how Jesus made Paul one of the "least" in this kingdom.

 

It is my intent to open these concepts to you if you have not already heard. Our King, by the Holy Spirit, will breathe life upon His truth and make it real to you!