To Dream Again

Genesis 37.19

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

“To Dream Again”

Genesis 37.11, 18-20;

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

Genesis 45.26-46.4

25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.

27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Joseph was next to the youngest son of Jacob/Israel. We have talked previously about the use of names to convey character in the Bible. Jacob’s name meant “heel grabber” or “supplanter” It signified his deceiver nature. When he made the change, his name was changed to Israel, meaning “one who has power with God.” In these scriptures, you will see both names used at times. The usage is significant.

Joseph was the son of Rachel. Jacob made for Joseph a coat of many colors. Joseph had dreams. In one dream, Joseph saw him and his brothers binding sheaves in the field. His sheaf arose and stood upright. The sheaves of his father and brothers stood round and made obeisance to his sheaf. His brothers hated him “yet the more.” In another dream, Joseph saw the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars. They made obeisance to him.

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Observed – Shamar – to hedge, to guard, to protect, to keep.

Sayings – dabar – a word, a matter, as spoken of

Jacob kept the dream. He held it in his heart and in his memory. Joseph gave his family his dreams. His brothers despised him, but his father held them dear. Joseph’s dreams became Jacob’s dreams. Jacob was no stranger to dreams. At Bethel, he had a dream/vision of the ladder reaching into heaven and God standing at the top. Jacob was a dreamer as well.

There came a time when Joseph’s brothers were tending to the flocks of sheep in Shechem. Jacob sent Joseph to check on them. When Joseph arrived in Shechem, his brothers were not there. A man told him that he had overheard them say they were going to Dothan.

Verses 18 through 20 recount the words and malice of his brothers, as they saw Joseph approaching from the distance. Their anger/envy spurred them to do in that moment actions they may not have done otherwise and even reconsidered later.

Interestingly, the word compound used to describe Joseph was ‘Ba’al Chalom’. It was two words. There was no Hebrew word for ‘dreamer’, therefore they called him (literally) the owner of the dream.

We will kill him, the brothers plotted, and then we will see what will become of his dream.

In our own history, men have tried to stop the dream by killing the possessor of the dream. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in what appeared to be an effort to silence his dream. Countless and faceless others have died throughout history in the effort of their killers to stop their dreams.

We are Ba’al Chalom

God has given us a dream. He has given us a vision. This vision is the fuel for our fire. It is the inspiration for our walk. Acts 2.7 tells us, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”

Satan desires to destroy our dream – even with the blood of the owners if that is the only way. He tried to end the dream on the hill of the skull. On Calvary he thought he had stopped the dream with the death of Jesus Christ. Not many days hence, however, the dream appears to Mary at the tomb. Later, on the road to Emmaus ..

On that road there were two travelers. One was Cleopas. The other was unnamed and unidentified. For the sake of now, let that second traveler be us. They were both followers of Jesus. They were walking away from the dream. They were walking away from Jerusalem. They were walking toward their old home. It is three days past the crucifixion. Without doubt, their mind had to be on the events of the last few days.

It was on this road, away from the dream, that Jesus joins them. He finds them discouraged, down, depressed, and despairing. Their hope is nearly extinct. The scripture tells us that as they walked they talked about the events that had transpired. While the walked and talked, Jesus came to walk with them. Their minds were clouded that they did not recognize him. Jesus asked them why they were so sad.

“Are you a stranger,” Cleopas asks, “Are you not aware of all that has happened in Jerusalem? Do you not know of Jesus, a prophet mighty in word and deed before God and all the people? Do you not know how the Chief Priests persuaded the people to have him delivered to death? We thought He would be the one..”

See the dialogue of the one who has lost the dream. “We thought he would be the one to deliver us.” The seeds of doubt have fallen on their soil, turned by the plow of events not understood. The ground of belief they stood on in days past was shaken. What was once firm was now scattered with rocks to cause their walk to be halted and unsteady. Such is the walk of those whose dream has been taken. It does not matter whether the dream dies because of the death of the dreamer or merely the loss of faith in the dreamer. The result is the same. Their walk is a walk of uncertainty. Confidence is replaced by questions. “I know,” is replaced by “I thought.”

To the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Calvary was the end of their hope. It was the end of the dream they held. Their heads were down so they did not see the savior approach. Their walk was slow to reflect their spirit. Their comments decried their doubts. The road was between Jerusalem and Emmaus, but it might as well have been called ‘the road to despair.’ There on that road, the road of despair, the road of the dreamless, there, they met Jesus. It is there that Jesus travels. The writer of Psalms 139 said in verse 8 “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” Where will I go that God cannot find me? Where will my life take me that God is not there? He is there in the clouds of my exhilaration. He is there when my despair and failure take me to the depths of Hell.

In verse 25, Jesus opened the scriptures. Let me tell you who is he:

From Moses, He is:

· The promise to Eve (Genesis 3.15)

· The promise to Abraham (Genesis 17.6-7)

· The Paschal Lamb (Isaiah 53.7)

· The Scapegoat (Leviticus 16.10)

· The Brazen Serpent (Numbers 21.9)

· The Star and the Scepter (Number 24.17)

· The Smitten Rock (Isaiah 53.4)

He is:

· Immanuel (Isaiah 57.14)

· The Child Born to us (Isaiah 9.6)

· The Good Shepherd (John 10.11)

· The One ‘who bore our grief’ (Isaiah 53.4)

· The Branch (Isaiah 11.1)

· The Heir of David (Isaiah 11.1)

· The Ruler from Bethlehem (Micah 5.2)

· The Lowly King (Zachariah 9.9)

· The Pierced Victim (Isaiah 53.5)

· The Smitten Shepherd (Isaiah 53.4)

· The Messenger of the Covenant (Malachi 3.1)

· Our Savior and Redeemer (Isaiah 63.16)

As they approached the city, He went to go away. They prayed that He would stay with them. As He broke bread with them, their eyes were opened. Once He was recognized and their doubts dispelled, He vanished into ‘unseen-ness’. The dream came in. They left at that moment and returned to Jerusalem. The distance between the two was approximately 7.5 miles. Though the scripture does not record their demeanor on the return journey, I have to imagine that it was a remarkable difference than their demeanor on the trip toward Emmaus.

Without the dream, they walked slowly and trudgingly.

· Their every step was weighted by their doubts and fears. (Have you been there?)

· Every step was an effort to place in front of the next. (Have you ever walked a walk where every step was filled with the wish it were the last?)

· They walked with their heads bowed by their burden. (Have you felt that weight?)

They walked like the dreamless masses we encounter every day. They have no real root except in the shallow surface of this world. Their moods controlled by how their favorite teams did in last night’s game, or how the stock market fared today, or who spoke to them or didn’t speak to them in the elevator this morning. Their future is the next vacation or long weekend. Their dreams are a future uncertain retirement. Their dreams are limited because they are earth bound and contingent on the whims and winds of this world. (The Bible tells us the Satan is the god of this world and we saw in the ‘Job’s House’ lesson how Satan cares for those things that are his.)

The return trip to Jerusalem was vastly different. The dream was alive. Their hope was beyond this world. There was a spring in their step. There was a light in their faces. The burden was lifted. Their heads were held high. The dream was alive again.

The dreamless cannot understand the ‘owners of the dream.’ They do not understand our optimism that goes far beyond ordinary optimism. They do not comprehend our hope that goes beyond this world. They cannot fathom our trust in an unseen personal Savior. While we face the same financial uncertainties and the same sicknesses and diseases, we maintain a sense of hope. They cannot grasp this. The dream lives within us.

Jacob lost his dream. He lost it in the blood drenched garment belonging to Joseph. Sorrow clouded his vision and obscured the dream. To Jacob, all of Joseph’s dreams died with him. However, God was not finished. Too often we finish before God does. We live in the TV generation. Characters and problems are introduced and solved in an hour. We microwave our meals in a fraction of the time it takes to cook them. We are an impatient generation. If God does not answer in an hour, we are ready to change channels. Though unseen, the dream continued. Jacob could not dream, the dreamer was gone. The Ba’al Chalom was gone.

Time passes. Joseph advances in position in his new land. The events that occur in this time will make several Bible Studies. Time comes when Joseph, by interpreting the king’s dream is in charge of the storehouses. There is to be a famine in the land. There will be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Joseph has the Egyptians save one-fifth of each year’s harvest to be stored for the day of want. It is in these years of want that the brothers of Joseph come to buy grain. In time, after the brothers revealed the change of their natures in their willingness to be lost to save Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, Joseph revealed himself to them.

He sent word with them to his father.

Genesis 45

Vs 25 .. He is called Jacob

Vs 26 .. He is called Jacob

Vs 27 .. He is called Jacob

“..The spirit of Jacob their father revived.”

Vs 28 .. “And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”

‘Israel’ dropped into obscurity during the sorrow. When it is revealed that the dreamer is still alive, his spirit revives. His hope, once dead, is alive again. The hope is alive. The dreamer is alive. The power came back when the dream came back. “Without a vision, the people perish.” In chapter 46, God speaks to Israel in a dream and tells him that he will become a great nation and Joseph will put his hands on his eyes. This is a reference to dying. God told Jacob that Joseph would be with him until his death. The custom was that the favored son would perform the last offices of affection by closing his eyes in death. On his death bed, the father would take the hands of his favored son, kiss them, and place them on his eyes, his face, and his mouth, and say, “now I die.”

Jesus will be with us always, even unto the end. We have this promise. It is part of our dream. When I close my eyes in death, I will not be alone. His hands will cover my eyes, my face, and my mouth. My dream will carry me to death and beyond.

Let me dream again.

When my heart is becoming hardened, let me dream again.

When my faith is failing, let me dream again.

When my strength is low, let me dream again.

When my desire is weak, let me dream again.

When my heart is broken, let me dream again.

When I have no right, when hope has escaped me, when I am covered in sorrow, when all seems lost, let that dream shine through. Let me dream again.

Have you lost your dream?

Deliverance, joy, victory, what have you lost?

The two on the road to Emmaus, the dream came home with:

· Communion with God

· Time with the Word

· Meeting Jesus at the table

Will you dream again?

Will you meet him at the table (altar)?

Will you become the Ba’al Chalom again ?

Have You Been To Job's House

Job 27.1-4

1. Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2. As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment: and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul:

3. All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils:

4. My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

Have You Been To Job's House?

I do not want to give the impression that serving God brings sorrow. Although the devil would have you believe that, it is just not true. Ask anyone, saint or sinner, if there is sorrow in their lives and the answer will be yes. That comes from being human. Every one of us will, in this life, experience times of pain and sorrow. We will all have times of turmoil and times of great personal crisis. There will be times when we will all think we are alone and abandoned. On the cross, carrying the weight of every sin, even Jesus felt that aloneness and cried out, “hast thou forsaken me?” There will be times in our service to Christ that we will serve with sorrow. You will. I will. They will.

We are hesitant to speak of those times because:

• We do not want to burden others. We are filled with courtesy and consideration.

• We feel that the wrong might be in us. It is in these time we feel most alone and fear the judgment of others.

If the truth be known, every one of us has wrestled with some great and personal problems in our lives. Problems:

• We do not understand

• We do not know from whence they came

• We do not know how long they will last

• We do not know if we will make it through them

While we are in the midst of them, here comes Satan, whispering, “Give up.”

Job was a great and righteous man. He was the greatest (wealthiest) of all the men in the land of the east. He was upright, feared God, and shunned evil. He offered offerings for himself and his children, in the event that they may have sinned or cursed God in their hearts. He had seven sons and three daughters. His wealth was as such:

• Seven thousand sheep

• Three thousand camels

• Five hundred yoke of oxen

• Five hundred she asses

• A great household

He was:

• Stripped of earthly possessions and prosperity

• Deprived of property

• His children destroyed

• Inflicted with a most loathsome, painful, and terrible disease, from which there was, humanly speaking, no hope of recovery

• Three friends came from considerable distance to console him and, if possible, comfort him. After one burst of irrepressible grief, they sat with him on the ground for seven days and nights without addressing him a word.

• When the speaking resumes, they accuse him of some great sin of which he has not repented and for which God is punishing him.

Have you ever been to Job’s house?

Let us backtrack here.

Job was going along doing fine. Everything was great. Every day was sunshine. Life was good. His family was healthy. His businesses were prospering. His flocks and herds were increasing. Unbeknownst to Job, there was a meeting taking place in heaven, of which, he would become the chief subject.

“Have you considered my servant Job?”

Wait, wait, wait ..

Satan, the accuser of the brethren, the liar and murderer from the beginning, has just told God that he was walking up and down the face of the earth and going to and fro, like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, and God says, “Have you considered my servant Job?”

“Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. “

Here, we see one fundamental difference in the thinking of Satan, or in the presentation of facts and how they can be made to say something untrue. He is seeking to confuse results with reasons. Satan implies that the reason Job serves God is because He has a hedge around him. Satan pointed to the hedge as the reason, while in truth, the hedge was the result. Job did not serve God because of the hedge. The hedge was there because Job served God. The hedge was:

• About him and his family

• About all that he had on every side

This may seem like mere semantics, but it is an important distinction. The Bible states that we will be blessed in putting God first. Matthew says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” When we put God first, the blessings spill into everything else that we do. However, in 1st Timothy, He tells us that we to turn away from those that would preach godliness as gain. We must not error in the understanding of reason and results.

“And the Lord said unto Satan, behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.”

In the days that followed, a servant came to Job with news. The oxen were plowing with the she asses beside them and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them all. They slew all the servants and I alone escaped to tell you.

While he was still talking, another servant arrived and told him of a fire from heaven that fell and consumed all his sheep and the servants, save himself, that escaped to tell him the news.

While this servant was still talking, another servant arrived with news of the Chaldeans taking all of his camels and slaying all the servants, save him, that escaped to deliver the news.

While the third servant was finishing his woeful tale, another servant arrived with the news of his children. They had gathered in the house of the eldest son. While they were eating and drinking, a wind smote the four corners of the house and it fell on them. They are all dead, save me, who escaped to tell you.

What a powerful illustration of the way the devil cares for what is placed into his hands. In God’s care, the flocks and herds increased. The children prospered. In Satan’s hands, they were taken and destroyed. Can there be any clearer message as to the intents or objectives of God and Satan.

In a matter of moments, everything that defined Job in this world was gone. We look at people and judge them by their appearance and possessions. We look at their clothes and the way they carry themselves, and determine in our minds, the manner of person they are, and their station in life. We deal with people how we perceive them. Generally, we deal with people, as we perceive them to be worthy of dealing, by their appearance and possession. It is a sad commentary on our society in the way we deal with the poorest in our community.

In one afternoon, Job went from being a prosperous family man to being a poor lonely man. He rose. He tore his garment. (Satan anticipating.) He shaved his head. (Satan is beginning to glee.) He fell to the ground. (Satan is barely able to contain his excitement.) He worships. (The end of Satan’s party.)

There are times we can more readily accept pain from sinners or the world, as it is what we expect. Then, there are times when we completely do not understand, nor can we accept the pain and sorrow. We are overwhelmed. There are times when we, out of utter exasperation, fall to our knees and throw up our hands. There are times that things come upon us and we become angry, angry at the world, angry at the person responsible, angry at ourselves, and if we are not careful, angry at God.

It was to be expected that the Sabeans and the Chaldeans would attack and take his flocks and herds. They were the enemies. However, where would Job look to explain the fire from heaven, or the mighty wind that took his most prized charge? In his lament, in his worship, Job acknowledged that these might have come from God when he cried, “the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.”

Have you been to Job’s house?

Again, unbeknownst to Job, a meeting takes place in heaven, of which again, he is the chief subject. Satan, again, coming from walking to and fro in the earth, and God, again, says, “What about my servant Job?”“Skin for skin, all that a man hath will he give for his life.”

Job is afflicted. His body is wracked with disease. He was afflicted with boils over his entire body. He sat in ashes and scraped his sores with a broken piece of pottery. His faith abandoned by his wife and friends. His wife comes to him saying, “Why do you keep your integrity? Curse God and die.” His friends come and accuse him of some unknown sin for which he is suffering.

Have you ever been to Job’s house? Have you ever been there?

Have you ever felt abandoned?

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there;

Have you ever felt you faced your trials alone?

and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

Have you ever felt misunderstood and misaligned?

On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him:

Have you ever stood in a trying time and wondered where all your friends had disappeared to?

he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

Have you ever been to Job’s house?

We are all going to face dire circumstances in our lives. The stories of tragedy will not always be the neighbor’s stories. These are not the products of serving God. These are the products of being human.

Over the course of 2007, I attended the funerals of six family members and my next door neighbor. We saw the passing of my father, Tammy’s father, my grandmother, Tammy’s grandmother, my great aunt, Tammy’s children’s father, and our next door neighbor. It will not always be someone else.

In all of this, Job did not sin nor curse God foolishly.

Job 23.1-10

1. Then Job answered and said,

2. Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

3. Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

4. I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

5. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

6. Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.

7. There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

8. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

9. On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

10. But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

What a powerful statement. If I could find Him, Job says, if I could but plead my case, if I could but come before his judgment seat, then I would know the words He has against me. He would fill me with his power. I know, Job says, I know I have done no wrong. I do not fear to stand in his judgment. I have looked for him and cannot find him. I draw solace in this fact, that while I may not know where he abides, He knows where I am. When this trial is over I will be as gold.

Have you been to Job’s house?

God knows where you are sitting. He knows where you are kneeling.

In sorrow, He knows

In pain, He knows

In suffering, He knows

In turmoil, He knows

We have his promise that we will not be overwhelmed. We may be in the water but we will not be swept away.

If I must serve him in sorrow, I must serve him.

Have you faced pain this week? Have you suffered a trial? Has Satan whispered to you to ‘give up’? Have you been disappointed by friends or family? Have you been to Job’s house?

It is alright if your troubles send you to your knees. Find God there.

In the end, Jobs blessings were doubled. His oxen were doubled. His sheep doubled. His camels doubled. His she asses were doubled. There was born to him, seven sons and three daughters after his trial.

Where is the fourth man?

Daniel 3.25

“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Where is the fourth man?

Daniel 3.19-26

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

Where is the fourth man?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

These were the names given them by the Babylonians. They mean:

Shadrach – Servant of sin (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

Meshach – Shadow of the prince

Abednego – servant of Nebo (god of science and literature)

Their Hebrew names and meaning are:

Hananiah – Jah has favored

Mishael – Who is what God is

Azariah – Jah has helped

Refusal to eat of the king’s meat was not a point of being obstinate. The Children of Israel were commanded not to partake of the blood of the animal. The king’s meat of that time was not slain as Israelites would do. The Israelites would cut the throat of the animal and the blood would drain out. The meat of the king of Babylon was previously offered to idols as a sacrifice. They had been strangled. The blood stayed in the meat. This was anathema to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their refusal was a refusal to lose their identity as Israelites. They maintained, in a captive, sometimes hostile, environment, their identity. There is an old gospel song which states, “they wouldn’t bend they wouldn’t bow, they wouldn’t burn.” They were not the only princes of Israel that were taken, but they were the only ones that refused to be amalgamated into the Babylonian lifestyle.

There are Christians today that are having identity crises. The Bible says that we are in the world, but we are not of the world.

We have all heard the stories of wild animals, raised in captivity, that attack their handlers. I have a ball python. We handle her often to keep her accustomed to being handled. We reach into her terrarium and remover her without fear. She coils around my neck for the warmth my skin offers. We have had her in public places where she is content to be so wrapped. Others around have asked if they could touch her. One question usually comes to the forefront. “Does she bite?” I answer that question thusly: “She is a snake. She does not generally bite, but for all our handling, all our trust, all our confidence, she is still a snake. I have changed her environment, but I have not changed that fact that she is still a snake. If I could put her on a leash, it would not make her a puppy. She would still be a snake.” Knowing this, they may or may not touch her, as is their choice.

We may be in the same place as nonbelievers, but we are to retain our identity and our heritage. We are to be as lambs among the wolves. We are to hold to a higher standard. We are to be Children of God no matter where we are or who is around us.

The world tries daily to strip Christians of their identity. Satan has tried to change the meaning of a couple words. The secular world tries to preach what they call ‘tolerance.’ However, what they claim as tolerance is not tolerance, but ‘acceptance.’ I am tolerant of other lifestyles. I am tolerant of the sins of others. I can be tolerant without being accepting. It is a thin line, but the line is there. Anyone, of any lifestyle or persuasion, can stand beside me in a church service, and worship God. I can stand with them in praise of God. This is the meaning of tolerance.

Acceptance has a different meaning. Sin is still sin. Wrong is still wrong. Jesus loved sinners while hating the sin. While I can be tolerant of a sinner, and love their souls, I cannot accept their sin into my life. I must maintain my identity as a Child of God.

Compromise is the watch word of the day. We must be wary of a water religion. If I pour 16 ounces of water into a coke bottle, it takes the shape of that coke bottle. If I take the same 16 ounces of water and pour in into a bowl, it takes the shape of that bowl. There are those trying to serve God the same way. They try to conform their beliefs to match the circumstances. Someone said once, “If we do not stand for something, we will fall for anything.”

Ephesians 4:14

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

We, as mature Christians, are to be rooted and grounded in our beliefs. This is not to say that we do not grow in the truth, but our core belief must remain true.

Heb 6:1

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

In the original text, it clarifies, launching from the principles, let us go on to completion.

Sadly, there are times that Christians take on the identity of the world.

A young Christian boy was hired to work in a lumber camp with many seasoned lumberjacks over a summer. His mother, as mothers do, worried about him. She worried for his health and well being. She also worried how these men would treat him, being a Christian.

When the longest summer of her life ended, she went to retrieve her son at the train station. She was greeted by a taller, more muscular young man. The boy that left at the start of the summer returned as a young man. After the hugs and the ‘missed you’ greetings, she asks the question that plagued her over the summer.

“Son, how did the men of the camp treat you, being a Christian?”

He beamed as if he had gotten away with something and said, “Mom, they never knew.”

If your friends, neighbors, and coworkers don’t know you are a Christian, you may not be one.

God does not have undercover agents.

Psalms 107:2

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

If you have been redeemed, God expects you to say so. God expects you to tell someone the good news.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He gathered his wise men and asked them to tell him the meaning of the dream. They told him to tell them the dream. He says he cannot because he does not remember the dream.

Let me get this straight, you want me to tell you the meaning of a dream that you cannot remember, and if I cannot tell you the meaning, I will be cut to pieces and my house destroyed?

The kings magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, could not tell him the dream or the interpretation, but they knew someone that could. They knew about a Hebrew that refused to compromise. They knew about a Hebrew that was still in touch with his God. They knew about a Hebrew that maintained his identity.

The king’s men came to Daniel. Daniel went to Hananiah (Shadrach,) Mishael (Meshach,) and Azariah (Abednego.) They began to fast and pray. God revealed the dream to Daniel in the night. Daniel went into the king and told him his dream and the meaning. The dream contained the great image that represented several kingdoms in the future.

The king wanted to see part of the dream happen, specifically the great image. He commissioned to have the image created. When it was finished, he gathered the princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the providences of the nation.

Daniel 3:1-7

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up

Everyone is going to bow. What would be wrong with bowing? Everyone else is going to bow.

If you are going to do what everyone else is going to do, you will lose your identity.

You will not be identified with God anymore.

The time comes. The crowd is assembled. The musicians are ready. You may not have been able to pick Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the crowd, but once the music sounded, they were not hard to find.

The choice is the same today. You will either bow to the image the world has or you will stand for God. There is no compromise. There is no half bowing. There is no half standing. You will be identified with the world or you will be identified with God.

The king was alerted. He called the three Hebrew boys to him. He told them he was going to give them another chance. Perhaps they didn’t understand. Perhaps they were confused. Now that they knew what was expected, surely they would bow.

Daniel 3:16-18

16 …O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

We must refuse to be changed by the world and its ideas. There are some things that are just non-negotiable. There are too many that have given their all, for us to step down from the word of God.

Three went in. The king looked in. He saw four. He called to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The three Hebrew boys came out.

Where is the fourth man?

He is still waiting in the fire.

When you have to go through fiery trials, He is there. When you refuse to lose your identity, the fourth man is in the fire. When you refuse to compromise to this world, and they put you through the fire, He is there.

The fourth man is still there and he is waiting.

Ephesians 6.13

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

When you have done all you can do; stand.

He is a very present help in time of trouble.

When you are in trouble, the fourth man is there.

When you are in a trial, the fourth man is there.

We have more in us than the world has in it.

“Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world”

When we walk through the dry places, He will be with us.

When we are tested and tried, He will be with us.

When the devil rants and raves, He will still be there.

When the furnace is hotter than ever, He is still there.

In the book of Luke, it says the Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert. There are times that the Spirit will lead us to places we may not want to go. Rest assured, the Spirit will never lead you where the Spirit cannot keep you.

If you convictions lead you the furnace, the fourth man is there.

When you refuse to compromise your identity; when you refuse to follow the vain traditions of man; when you refuse to bow to the image; God will be there.

“I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

The fourth man is there.

In the middle of the night, He is there.

In the midst of the trial, He is there.

The fourth man is there.

The Greater Within You, Controls You

I Corinthians 9.27

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

“The Greater Within You Controls You”

I Kings 21.1-4

1. And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

2. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

3. And Naboth said to Ahab, the LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

4. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

We will be looking at Romans 7.15-25 as well.

“The Greater Within You Controls You”

Naboth had a vineyard. That vineyard was coveted by Ahab the king of Samaria. When the Children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, they were required of God to do certain things. God divided the land amongst the tribes and families. They were told that they could not sell the land. In Leviticus 25.23, the Bible states, “The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.” God provided the land (It was His) to the Israelites and included the proviso that it must not be sold. If through poverty, the land was lost to another Israelite, the original possessor had the right to redeem it prior to the year of Jubilee. If he were not able to do so, a near kinsman could redeem it for him.

To Ahab, the vineyard was convenient. It was near to his house. It was appealing because of its location. Ahab desired to have this vineyard. Though there were other vineyards, this was the most convenient for him. It was not going to produce any more herbs than any other vineyard. Ahab offered Naboth another vineyard for it. He offered a ‘better’ vineyard. He also offered the worth of it in money, if Naboth so desired. It seemed like a fair offer.

It never ceases to amaze me how convenient religion has become. In Acts, on the day of Pentecost, the scripture relates, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The word used, ‘katanusso’ means to pierce thoroughly. The preaching of Peter agitated the guilt within and caused them to be pierced by the weight of their actions. They realized that while they may not have stood in the crowd that day, their sins were there. Their actions, past and present, had caused the death of the Christ. The knowing of this was too much for them and they cried, “What shall we do?”

The revelation of the identity of Jesus Christ was not a message of convenience. In a previous Bible Study, we talked about the difference between religion and salvation. Religion may be a matter of convenience. Salvation is not. I recall an incident that occurred while I was still working as an electrician. My partner and I were working on an addition to a large church in Lexington. The leader of the church asked my partner and me about an issue. The leader wanted to know if I did this thing. I told him I did not. He asked if it was a church issue. I explained that it was a church standard and a personal choice. My partner, who attended another church, stated that his church taught against it, but “we all do it anyway.” The leader of the church questioning us said, “Well, we like to do it, so we teach that it is okay.” Convenience.

It would have been convenient for Naboth to sell or trade his vineyard to Ahab. It would have been profitable as well. However, Naboth’s convictions compelled him to turn down a substantial sum of money for his vineyard. This vineyard, to Naboth, represented God’s promises. His ownership was a direct result of his ancestor remaining true to God. This vineyard and his continual ownership represented his dedication to keeping the word of God. Something inside would not allow him to let down on this promise. The promises of God sustained Naboth. He would not depart from them. He would not deviate from them. He would not lessen them.

These promises are not for sale or trade.

His conviction was greater than his flesh. His conviction was so strong that it did not even consider the consequences of his actions. It recoiled in horror at the thought. It was evident in his response. “The Lord forbid it ..”

His greater conviction led to his death.

Ahab pouted about not getting the vineyard. Jezebel, his wife told him to make merry. She would see to him getting the vineyard of Naboth. She sent letters sealed with the kings seal to the leaders of the city. She told them to proclaim a fast and to sit Naboth in the high seat. She further instructed them to have two men sit by him and to proclaim the Naboth cursed God and the king so that he would be stoned. This went according to plan. Naboth was stoned to death. Ahab claimed his vineyard. God spoke to Elisha and sent him to Ahab. He proclaimed, because of his wickedness, that the dogs would lick Ahab’s blood in the same place where Naboth was killed. He further proclaimed that the dogs of Jezreel would eat the flesh of Jezebel.

Romans 7.15-25

Paul said in Vs 16, “I give my consent to the law ..” I give my vote to the law. I approve of it as it is. The Scriptures tell us that there are those that will wrestle with the word to their own destruction. They will seek to wrench or pervert it. Jesus said those the reject the Word as it is will have one that judges them, even the words I have spoken. After all the twisting and perverting, the Word will stand in the last day and judge them all.

The bible tells us that the “weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Co 10.4) One of the primary weapons of the Christian is the Word. Weapons are good only if in working order. In Germany, one may own guns only if they are non-firing. The firing pin must be removed. It makes the weapon void. When we wrest the scriptures, we make the weapons of God of no effect.

In the Garden of Eden, Eve made a mistake when she added to the Words of God. Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were commanded not to eat. When Eve spoke with the serpent, she added the admonition “not to touch.” This would seem to make the commandment even stronger. However, the Word of God is pure. If one takes pure gold and adds anything to it, no matter how pure the additive, we make the gold worth less. When we add anything to the Word of God, we make it worthless.

What soldier wants to go into battle with weapons that do not work? Wet powder. No bullets. No guidance system. All the intricate parts of the weapon are involved in making it work properly. They are all important. Even today, unexploded mines and mortars from World War II are found. They did not accomplish their task because of some small or seeming insignificant parts failure.

Every verse is important. I remember someone asking me once, years ago, what verse my church was founded upon? I was confused. What verse?!?!? How about Genesis 1.1 to Revelation 22.21? I heard a preacher say once that he believed it cover to cover and he even believed the cover.

In His Word, every facet of human life is touched. He tells us the best way to deal with our husband or wife. He tells us how to treat our parents and our children. He tells us the right way to deal with our friends and our enemies. He gives instructions concerning our relationships with neighbors and strangers. He even tells us how to deal with our employers or employees. He talks about how we are to walk, how we are to talk, how we are to dress, how we are to eat, how we are to act, and how we are to look. God has something to say about everything we do.

We must take the scriptures as they are. John 5.39 tells us, “Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.” Someone said that the Bible is the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

Vs 22 says, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” It becomes a joy. It is not a drudgery to serve God. It is distasteful to God to fulfill only the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. 2 Corinthians 3.6 tells us that “.. the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” Look at the scripture. Notice the lowercase “s” at the beginning of the word spirit. This is not talking about the spirit of God. If it were, the “s” would have been uppercase. He is telling us here that the spirit with which we approach the work of God can be life giving. If we approach the work of God with the drudgery of doing the letter, the exact amount, the precise limit, we bring a death to our works. However, if we, full of joy, excited to perform the work of God, enter the work thusly, we bring life. We are to cheerfully submit to the authority of the Word. “God loves a cheerful giver.”

“I’ll do it, but I ain’t gonna like it.” We must learn to love His word and His ways. We must serve God with all of our souls. Isaiah 12:3 “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” We have become so worried about someone thinking we are a fanatic, that we have left our emotions behind in our service to God. We have been chided about letting our emotions run wild. We have been told that all our Spirit feeling is nothing more than our emotions out of control.

Let the University of Kentucky Wildcats score a touchdown in the home stadium and I will show you over 60,000 people showing some emotion, and that is okay. Let the Cats score a three pointer to win the game in the last seconds and I will show you over 23,000 people showing some emotion, and that is okay. However, let a blood bought child of God get excited about the blessing and deliverance of God, and that is just too much emotion. Let me tell you, you can just cover your ears, because this child of God is going to shout the victory.

He says we are to delight in his law. We are to serve with joy. You may have gotten some of the quiet delight and that quiet joy, I didn’t. The greater within me, controls me.

Vs. 25 says “… with the mind I myself serve the law of God.” He will give us a new heart and a new mind. Naboth professed the heart intent and the mind intent. We must be heart and mind Christians. There will be times when Satan attacks your mind and you hold on with your heart. There will be times when Satan attacks your heart and you hold on with your mind. We must set the throne of God in our lives, in our hearts, and in our minds.

I am heart convinced that His Spirit is true. I am also mind convinced that His ways are true. “With my mind..” Paul emphasized to the Church at Rome the importance of knowing who we believe, what we believe, and why we believe.

1 Corinthians 9.24-27

24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

We are not competing against each other. We are collectively and individually striving for Heaven. We fight a common war, in a common land, with common weapons, against a common foe. We strive under a common banner for a common goal. My battle is within. Your battle is within. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “We are met on a great battlefield.”

There is an old Indian story about a chief talking to his grandson. He is telling him about the two natures living within man. These two natures are constantly warring against each other. There is the desire to do that which is right and the desire to do that which is wrong. The chief tells his grandson that these two natures are like two dogs locked in a struggle. The grandson asks the question, “Which one will win, Grandfather?” The wise chief replies, “The one I feed the most.” The greater within you controls you.

Galatians 6.7-9

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

The greater within you controls you. Christ must become the greater in me. Naboth’s convictions brought about his death. We must be willing. Paul said he was in peril every day, yet he was willing to be offered.

The Bible talks about the strongman. No one can enter the house without first binding the strongman. Who is the strongman in your house? Who do you feed? Who is the greater in you?

Christ must be the greater in us.

If Satan ravages your house, if you are a slave to your desires, you need Jesus.

If you need Him, you need Him now!

If Christ is not the greater in you, you need Him.

Christ is greater than my desire, greater than my trial, greater than my test, greater than my problem, and He is greater than anything you or I will encounter today.