The Secret Place
The Secret Place
You would think we Americans would understand that God is removing His hand from us—the various plagues and pestilences, which we have not seen the end of yet; ISIS; the troubles in the public schools; the destruction of our system of immigration; the squabbling at the highest levels of government; the tornadoes and freezing temperatures.
We can't seem to understand that God is displeased with our country because of sin and the rejection of Christ and the Bible. Being an older person I can remember when our nation was more intact.
If I am hearing the Lord correctly, matters are going to become much worse.
This morning, Sunday the 16th of November, 2014, there was a spirit of rejoicing in the church. I looked up to the Lord to see what His opinion was. Much to my surprise, the Lord Jesus said, "Death and destruction."
(Interestingly enough, when Audrey and I were watching in the evening the news on the television, what do you think we saw? Death and destruction due to the freezing weather in the United States.)
I was standing at the back of the congregation. I looked straight ahead at the front wall of the auditorium, which is of stone. This is my custom when I want to be sure I have the mind of the Lord for the morning service.
You know what I saw? and I have never seen it before. There was the Grim Reaper, scythe and all. Also, there was what looked Jesus pouring something out of a bowl.
The 91st Psalm tells us that we need not fear plagues and pestilences. So thinking about what I had received this morning, just before preaching, I concluded the Lord was telling us that there would be plagues and pestilences, such as Ebola and Hemorrhagic Dengue Fever, or Influenza, but that He is able to keep us free from these, or to heal us if we contract them.
There was such a happy mood on the congregation that I felt uncomfortable, to say the least, to tell them what I was seeing. But a pastor has to tell the people the good and the bad. So I told them what I had seen. Surprisingly, we continued in a happy mood. That is just like the Lord, isn't it. When we are obedient, He takes care of the details.
But when we are depending on the promises of the 91st Psalm, we have to remember the conditions, if we are to be protected.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalms 1:1)
The critical term here is, "dwells."
I personally have an issue with our practice of "accepting Christ."
First of all, "accepting Christ" is not a scriptural phrase.
What we mean is, we are accepting the fact that He is our Savior and Lord.
That's it! We have "accepted Christ." Then we go on our way rejoicing.
But the 91st Psalm does not speak of our accepting Christ but of our "dwelling in the shelter of the Most High." The fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of John speaks of "abiding" in Christ. From my point of view, abiding in Christ is the same state as dwelling in the shelter of the Most High.
Both expressions refer to a state in which we choose to live day and night, rather than an action we took at one time in a church or somewhere else.
The promise of protection from Ebola, Hemorrhagic Dengue Fever, and Influenza, as well as other plagues and pestilences, is good only as we dwell in the shelter of the Most High, that is, in Christ.
Nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. (Psalms 91:6)
As I understand it, the shelter or secret place of the Most High is the same state of being as the "rest of God."
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11)
After we have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and before the Lord returns, there is an experience referred to as "the rest of God." The rest of God is that state of being in which we always are aware of the will of God for us, and we always have the strength, wisdom, and desire to do God's will.
Those of us who have received the Pentecostal blessing must now press forward into the rest of God, which is our land of promise.
The protections of the 91st Psalm apply only to those who are dwelling in the rest of God. Only those who are living in the rest of God will be transformed when Jesus returns, and then, along with the saints who have returned with the Lord Jesus, ascend to meet Him at His staging area in the air. From there, He along with the army of saints and angels will descend and install the Kingdom of God on the earth.
It may be important to present at this time a thought that may not have as yet been brought to the attention of the reader.
To be saved, an individual must believe in Christ, His Lordship, His atoning blood, His victorious resurrection from the dead, and His return to earth in the future. He also must be baptized in water, into the death and resurrection of the Lord.
To be saved is to be eligible for citizenship on the new earth as a member of one of the nations of saved people. These are the "sheep" who ministered to the needs of Christ's disciples while they were pursuing their discipleship on the earth.
"Believe and be baptized, and you shall be saved." This message is for the "sheep.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. (Matthew 25:34)
"The kingdom prepared for you." The "kingdom" is the Church, the believers called out from the world to serve God as a Royal Priesthood.
This means that the people of the Church have been called out of the Antichrist world system, and are being urged to enter the rest of God so in the future they can minister to the needs of the people of the nations, the "sheep," who have chosen to believe in Christ and be baptized in water.
The people of the Christian churches simply cannot minister effectively to the sheep until the ministers themselves have been set free by the Lord Jesus from sin and self-will.
The sheep have ministered to the needs of the saints, the Lord's brothers, and have believed in Christ and been baptized in water. These same "brothers" will in turn bring the Presence and blessing of God to the sheep, when the new sky and earth appear. They are the Kingdom, the members of the Royal Priesthood.
Now we come to people who are saved but who are not of the "sheep." These are the members of the Royal Priesthood, that is the Christian Church, the "brothers" of the Lord Jesus, the "kingdom" prepared for the sheep.
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. (Revelation 21:14)
The "nations" are composed of the "sheep" who ministered to the disciples of the Lord Jesus during their rigorous training on the earth.
"Its light" refers to the new Jerusalem, the glorified Christian Church, the Kingdom of God. The "sheep" are the inheritance of the Lord Jesus and His co-heirs.
As I said previously, "Believe and be baptized" is addressed to the sheep.
A different admonition is given to the members of the elect, the Church, the "Royal Priesthood."
It is, "You must be born again if you would see or enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the new Jerusalem, the glorified Christian Church.
We may use the term "born again" to refer to "accepting Christ." This is not a correct use of the term. An individual must accept Christ. At that time a portion of the Spirit of God and the Seed of God is given to him or her. The extent to which the individual is "born again" depends on the attention they give to nourishing and otherwise taking care of the Seed.
The fruit of the Seed can be brought forth to a thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or hundredfold extent.
From that time, his or her appointed destiny begins to operate. If his appointed destiny is to be a member of the elect, the Church, he or she will be drawn to seek Christ. He now is in the pursuit of eternal life---more eternal life, more of Christ than was given to him when he first received Christ.
If the individual faithfully seeks Christ, obeying Him each day, he will pass to the ranks of the chosen.
It can be seen readily that there are ranks in the Kingdom, and this is why we must run in order to attain to the prize.
If he or she then pursues Christ in spite of the many obstacles placed before them, they will pass to the ranks of the faithful. Called, chosen, and faithful. Remember, we are not speaking now of the sheep drawn from the nations, but of those destined to be closer to Christ.
The drawing to be closer to Christ, to bring forth a hundredfold of what was sown, depends partly on the Father's will for us, and partly on us---whether or not we are faithful.
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. (Revelation 17:14)
Here is something we might wish to consider. We may be tempted to think, "Oh well, if I do not run the race all the way to the hundredfold, although the call is on me for God's highest and best, I will just slip back to a lesser destiny.
We need to consider Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. He was called and chosen, But he was not faithful. Consider his end, if you believe you can neglect the calling that is on you and still have a successful life.
All Christians must come to understand that if we do not grasp that for which God has called us, there may be very serious consequences. Think about what happened to the servant who buried his talent!
Remember our Lord said, "Many that are last shall be first, and the first last."
The day in which we are living is last in time. Now the revelation of the Word is rich. There are thrones of glory, just waiting for someone to pursue God with sufficient constancy and ardor to mount one of those thrones. The thrones were not as visible in time past, and the Word was not as clear as it is now.
We need to think seriously about pressing into the rest of God, into that state in which we always are aware of God's will for us and have been given the strength, wisdom, and desire to do that will.
The following is a way of entering God's rest:
Every time you think of it, during the day and night, ask the Lord Jesus two things. Ask Him if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. Ask Him also if you are where you are supposed to be.
If Christ says "No" to either question, then ask Him repeatedly to have you do what is assigned and to be where He wants you to be.
If you will pray faithfully, and do what He tells you to do, you soon will be getting a "Yes" to both questions.
Now you are in the rest of God. Do not leave. Remain in the shelter, the secret place, of the Most High.
The Christian discipleship is more than a confession of faith. It is a race that we are to run.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (I Corinthians 9:24)
There are numerous hurdles that must be surmounted. There are enemies, constant demonic harassment. There is opposition from well meaning people.
There is destructive doctrine from sincere but misled teachers of the Gospel. There is the pressure of friends. Sometimes there are financial problems or some form of health disability.
It is up to you and me to be faithful to God, and persevere as He assists us. God is absolutely faithful and will help us every time we go to Him with a problem.
There is a reward for every victory we attain to. We press on, and on, and on, with the fullness of God in sight. There is no telling what glory will be ours if we keep on pressing forward in Christ.
However, we do not seek glory for ourselves. Our motivation is to please God who has called us to live at His right hand in Christ.
Also, the more of God we gain, the more we have to give to other people who may not be as strong as we are.
Very difficult days are approaching the United States because of our sinful ways. God is removing His covering from us. It is His covering that has made the United States the envy of many nations, not our system of democracy. We soon will find this to be the case, I believe.
There seems to be little we can do to guide the governmental agencies into making wise decisions. They appear to be following their own self-interests instead of the interests of the nation.
For this reason I am exhorting all who will hear me to strive to enter the narrow gate and to run on the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Few there be who find it. Many are called but few are chosen. Our casual church attendance is going to lead not to glory but to remorse.
Keep asking Jesus if you are doing what He wants; if you are where He wants you to be. If the answer consistently is "Yes," you are in the shelter of the Most High.
Then no evil shall befall you no matter how morally and physically chaotic our nation becomes.
Do not be concerned about your death or the death of a loved one. What is death if it is not release from the valley of the shadow of death and entrance into the righteousness, love, joy, and peace of the Presence of Jesus in the spirit world?
But if we take our ease in America at the present time, not running after the Lord at all times with all the fervor we possess, our future will be grim indeed.
This morning before I went to the pulpit, the Lord told me death and destruction are at hand, although we were a happy group in the assembling.
I looked at the front wall of the church and I saw the Grim Reaper.
I also saw the Lord pouring out a solution that I believe will heal us from all plagues and pestilences.
I do not know what it all means. But I do know that the promises of the 91st Psalm will hold as a mighty rock for those who live in that state of being known as the rest of God.
When we live in the rest of God, we are fulfilling the fiat: "Man shall not live by food alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God."
As such, we have become the firstfruits to God of mankind.
This is how our Lord Jesus lives!