“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one” (Eze 22:30).

 God has designed man to respond to His initiative. His will is accomplished and we are complete when we are in the right place to receive from God and use what we receive in ways that glorify Him. Fragmentation is taking what God gives and using it for our own pleasure without regard to His will. The world suffers when there is no man to cultivate God’s creation. Where there is no man there is chaos and confusion. The absence of a man who stewards the grace of God’s judgment is inevitable. It is the rule of the righteous that preserves the order so that God withholds His wrath. Wickedness positions the world for destruction. Many do not consider the potential devastation for the world when misguided people are allowed to have their way. God seeks out those who would stand and not wavier regardless of the cost they may have to pay. Where they are received, the grace of God will abide. 

“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1Corinthians 2:2). 

Once Jesus Christ is revealed to you, it is then necessary to measure all information by and through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Former experiences and former schools of thought may try to compete with this newly gained knowledge. The logical mind searches through former experiences seeking out ways to deny Christ or to diminish the impact of experiencing Him. Then Christ becomes subjective while other things become the objects of our faith. The intent is to get us to serve God for what we may gain personally rather than living for Him. To know Him as crucified is to live for Him alone. He gives us His resurrected life and we live in newness of life. No longer are we competing for the same prizes that the world is seeking after. Our goal is to know Him even as we are known. It takes determination for the message of Christ to remain relevant in an age of selfishness and self-centeredness. But when we are determined to know Him, He gives us the knowledge necessary to live the abundant life. It will be a fulfilling life with real purpose. 

“Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?” (Psalm 8:4 MSG). 

My smallness in contrast to His greatness and the vastness of His creation causes me to wonder. Why would God even bother with someone as small and seemingly insignificant as I am? If it were only my appearance, my worth would be very little. But since God looks at His creation from the perspective of potential, we all stand as His masterpieces created for good works. What we have the potential to become and to do far outweighs the work of angels. We are to reflect His glory to all of His creation. Principalities and powers in heavenly places will know His many- faceted wisdom through those obedient souls that are surrendered to Him. God gives special attention to mankind. All of creation is held in subjection until the mature sons of God are manifested for its release. Therefore God is not merely looking at historical or current events. He is looking at those who are in Christ being prepared to carry out His work. 

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). 

The gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the description of His Personhood in words from heaven through vessels of clay yet ordained to carry the message. God uses ordinary people but imparts to them extraordinary power. They are no longer mere men but the Word that they carry changes them into becoming vessels of honor. The message preserves the messenger so that as he partakes of what he has to deliver, his heart is set ablaze with the unction that comes from the Holy Spirit. The gift of Jesus Christ is indescribable, but what is equally indescribable is how God can choose from among the people those whom He wills to choose and use them in such remarkable ways! The sufficiency is not in them, but He continues to remind them that without Him they can do nothing. Thanks be to God for the methodology He has chosen to get His Word to us. And most of all, thanks be to God for a changeless but a life-changing message. 

“For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (Hebrews 3:14). 

Our confidence in Christ must not waver even when we face adversities that appear stronger than our strength can endure. It is not our strength that preserves us but God alone. Our beginning is of faith therefore we must not view the battles as ours alone. Christ being a part of us is involved in everything we do. He shares with us what belongs to Him and since He has already passed through the heavens, there is no goal higher than what He has already accomplished. He takes His victory and shares it with us, therefore we have an identity in Him in heaven. We are admonished to hold fast to the confidence we had from the beginning. It is God’s gift to us to be maintained by us. Our faith is cultivated by and through the living Word. Even if we do not see an end to our difficulties, God is able to stay with us to the end in order for us to receive what He has promised. There is an end or a reward to all who trust in Him. 

For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Hebrews 8:5). 

God gave Moses specific instructions as to how to build the tabernacle. It was not arbitrary, but rather what God showed him while he was in His presence. It requires both hearing and seeing from heaven to engage in the sacred task of leading others in the way of God. We are not here merely to survive. Our lives are to be lived with such exactness as to leave a legacy for those who come after us to follow. They must see Christ in us if they are ever to impact their generation. They are to build upon the foundation that we have laid. The baton is passed from one hand to another. Even though great things are accomplished by those who are mighty in the eyes of the world, none of what they say or do will receive any rewards in heaven. It is only those things shown to us by God and proclaimed in concert with the whole Body of Christ that God will honor as His work. Take heed what we hear and 

how we hear it. The pattern of God in heaven is to be reflected on the earth. 

“Storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1Timothy 6:19). 

The grace of God produces works of righteousness. It is from a heart of love that we do the will of God and not for the sake of earning His favor. If we love Jesus Christ, we will do His will and find pleasure in doing it. Those who are rich often think of themselves as having all that they need. Paul’s admonishment was not that they become impoverished, but rather to make sure that their hearts are not held captive by the things of this world. Those who find greater pleasure in the here and now, but lack a heavenly perspective, will sacrifice eternal life for what their money is able to buy them. When Christ is our foundation we store up riches for the time to come. Every act is centered in our love for the Lord and given full expression through how we use our resources. We participate with the Lord in what He is doing on the earth as fellow laborers in His garden and in the construction of His house. After our work is complete, we will spend eternity with Him giving full expression of what has been developed within us as the result of our labor of love. 

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). 

Diligence is required in the preparation for the presentation of oneself as an authorized worker who is able to wholly participate in the work of God. God’s work must take place within the worker before the Holy Spirit is able to work through the worker. We must be careful not to engage in efforts we deem to be important prior to the life-changing experience of conversion. We are converted into seeing things from God’s point of view in heaven rather than ours which is limited to what we observe on the earth. He then takes the worker and places him among other workers in order for the work to be complete. No worker is able to complete his true conversion without the assistance of others who have been assigned to assist. The work of God is not just what we do but who we become. We are the raw material God uses to erect a spiritual house in which He will dwell throughout eternity. Our proper placement adds to our worth. Whatever it takes in assuring that our efforts are according to His specifications and is not in vain is of utmost importance. Be diligent that each may qualify as living stones in their rightful place. 

“He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:1). 

The benefit of abiding with Christ is the motivation to act and to be governed by the Holy Spirit rather than merely our own minds. The thoughts which emanate from God and are transferred to our hearts dictate that our will is to do His will rather than what previously occupied our time and attention. It is not a matter of consciously manipulating the mind to think right. There is a continual flow from the heart to the mind maintaining an awareness of God’s presence at all times. Then it is not difficult to make the right decisions in relation to our walk. Though temptations may come and trials may test our faith, we know that He is with us and we know that He working in us. Now when we speak, we speak from a changed heart. His word resides in our hearts and no other language is our own other than what is being translated into life within us. What marvelous position to occupy when God is able to convey His truth boldly through an earthen vessel that has been transformed by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit! 

“You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:3). 

We all have spoken before we had given thought to what we should say. Those words were merely from the top of heads and not words from the depth of our hearts. These words we live to regret if we ever develop a humble and a tender heart. It is the wisdom of God that tames our words enabling us to speak wisdom. When we have taken the time to seek the Lord in prayer and meditate over who He is and what He has done, we are more careful to think before we speak. Many people have been misled by counsel from the hearts of unregenerate men. They have listened to the counsel of the ungodly, even among the religious, and have followed the course that leads to destruction of character and soul. God’s counsel can be obscured by the careless opinions and faulty interpretations of men. The Word of Truth is very precious. When we realize its true value we will seek it with greater diligence and treasure it above the value of silver and gold.