Give Jesus your heart

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For a threshingfloor, for the personal purification of your old man/person, in order that you do not fall under His judgment.

2 Samuel 24:20-25 "And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel."

God came with judgment over Israel on account of the sin of the census, which David had organized. It was a sin of pride of life. God answered this committed sin by sending pestilence over Israel, as a result of which 70,000 Israelites died.

In these last, sinful days God's anger will, in ever increasing measure, also come over the world and unrepentant Christianity. God's wrath is to come over The Netherlands too; this country that leads the world with its sinful laws, such as the laws of the homosexual marriage, euthanasia and other wicked practices.

David had to appease God's wrath with a burnt offering which he was to bring on Araunah's (or Ornan's) threshingfloor. A burnt offering is a voluntary sacrifice and is a type of the voluntary offering we have to bring to God for the deliverance of our sinful heart and life on the basis of Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary, in order that we no longer should live under His burning wrath, and that we might be protected from His judgments.
A burnt sacrifice had to be completely burned to ASHES. Nothing was to be left. This means NOTHING is to be left of our sinful heart and life. Everything has to be burned away in the Fire of God's Holy Spirit if we want to escape His judgments.
In 1 Corinthians 5 verses 6-8 it is written: "a little yeast (sin) will spoil the whole dough (new life)." All sin must be burned in the Fire of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 3:11-12 "I (John the Baptist) baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor (of our heart and life), and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

On a threshingfloor chaff was separated from the corn/wheat. Chaff is the type of the old, sinful, natural life we have to lose to Jesus; and corn/wheat is the type of the New, Divine life we will receive from Jesus. We have to be completely delivered from our natural, i.e. sinful being: the sinful state of the natural man/person.

Ephesians 2:1-3 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

1 John 2:15-17 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

A person consists of body, soul and spirit. The sins of the body (flesh) are: the desires (lusts) of our flesh which we commit with our five senses and which we then misuse and make as many idols of. The sins of our soul are the desires of the eyes: the pursuit of luxuries, property, money and wealth; of material things.

The sins of the spirit are: the pride of life, pride, arrogance, conceit, dominance over other people. We have to lose all these sins to Jesus by confessing them, by surrendering them to Him.

We find bible verses that deal on this subject in:

Proverbs 28:13-14 "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief."

Isaiah 59:1-2 "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The need of deliverance from the sinful nature.

Besides confession and surrender/subjection we also have to undergo the working of His Spirit's Fire. It is necessary, but not enough, for the deliverance of our sins, to believe in His offer and in His power to deliver from sins.

John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

It is also necessary, but not enough, to have ourselves immersed in His death and resurrection through the (water)baptism. Our redemption from sin does NOT happen AUTOMATICALLY after we have done all these things. We also have to be willing to be baptized in His Fire by the Holy Spirit.

We did read Matthew 3:11-12; we will now go to Malachi 3:1-4:

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old, and as in former years."

Our surrender, as Arauna's (or Ornan's), is to be complete (100%), in order that He burn away our old life unto the foundations thereof.

Isaiah 61:8 a "For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering (namely a burnt sacrifice that is not completely burned up)..."

A milder statement than the burning in His Fire, is the washing in His Blood, but this, in fact, means the same thing. We are to undergo voluntarily the Spirit of purification, because we have a free will and God will not go against this free will of ours. We are to carry/bear our cross voluntarily; this means: we must be willing to die to our personal sins, which sins we are to overcome in Jesus' strength.

Jesus defeated satan through His sacrifice on the cross, He gained the victory over him, but we have to overcome our personal sins and our sinful life ourselves with the help of Jesus, and on the basis of our faith in His sacrifice on the cross. For this purpose we are to take up our cross voluntarily; this means we are to be willing to die to our sinful being.

Luke 9:23-25: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?"

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study – that is to long for the Blog – further.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 3) - Wanting to live in a continuing disposition of repentance

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The active effect of the Word unto repentance.

In this chapter we will study the Word of repentance active in us. We have looked at it in its "before-state"; we have studied it in its birth, and now in its active working in the life of the person who is willing to open up to this purifying and justifying power which is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The power of repentance must first of all be active in our personal life, and then also in the Church for it to be effective outside; for it to bring this word of repentance to outsiders.

It goes without saying that there has to be an interaction: We must be willing to repent, to accept Him as the Prince of our further life; We must be willing to conform to the word of repentance; We must be willing to turn our back to the powers of sin; We must be willing to resist the urge of worldly lusts in our flesh and the worldly standards and requirements; We must now turn more to God and His Word; We must now ask: "Lord, what are your standards, what do you want me to do?" Then He will give us the strength to actual repentance which is in Jesus Christ.

This word is directed to all, but in particular to the young people of these last days wherein satan works in an extraordinary measure. In our days the (strong) inclination is seen to shake off standards of life, while these standards have mostly come from the Holy Scriptures. One regards as hypocrisy the keeping of these standards. One wants "the truth", and in the case of sinful man: letting oneself go in sinful lusts and desires, while man should comply to the will of his Creator instead. Let us realize the situation, especially the young ones among us. It is only when man is willing to comply to God's standards, that God can give him what He wants to give him: strength to continue to choose His will, and above all a sharing of Himself!

Luke 3 verse 1-2: "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tuberous Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch (prince over one quarter of the Roman province of Palestine) of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness."

Here we get to know a working of the Word of God. Precisely determined, measured in time, the Word of God came to John. John had already been called by God, but... had not yet been sent out on an actual ministry. Now, at that exact point in time, the power of God's Word came over and in John, and took control of him, because he was a spiritual channel, which had been fully prepared to receive this divine Word; to be taken over by this Word. John then became the personification of that "living word unto repentance!" Glory to God! And if this Word of repentance has completely "taken over", filled us completely; when we have become the personification of this Word, then, it is true, we have become insufferable for the world, but irresistible for those who are willing to repent. Then we will pull them out of the world's pool of sin, out of God's fiery judgment! To God be the glory!

Luke 3 verse 3-6: "And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As is written in the book of the words of Esaias, the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Here we see the divine working of the Word to repentance. Once it is in us, it is irresistible, and it does not need any propaganda. For this divine Word then is like a light in the darkness, as a fire which consumes the dry wood. The appearance of John, in the valley of the Jordan, worked like a bright flash of lightning in those areas. It was seen by everyone, everyone came to him; drawn as it were by a magnet.

No propaganda is necessary for the Spirit of God if He is active. A true Holy-Ghost revival was going on here, which was powerfully effective in that area. Without any "propaganda" the whole country knew John the Baptist in no time at all. So was the Lord Jesus Christ's action too. Therefore, beloved, if you want a Holy-Spirit revival, pray and beg for it, and be willing to be cleansed, sanctified and used by Him yourself. Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and offer yourself to become His instrument; let Him be, and remain, your Master so that God's anointing work through you. Pray earnestly about this. It may cost you everything; you must dare to pay the price for it. Let God work, give Him a free hand and you will see that the anointing of God will make an instrument of you and me which will bring many out of this world unto voluntary repentance and subjection to God. Beloved, let us seek this, for the end-time (= the end of times or the last days) requires such laborers; laborers who allow God's anointing to work through them. Then you will see that, in a short time, the work will surpass that of many years. Be sanctified in Him that the anointing can work freely through you; that the anointing will not be hindered by our hobbies, pet subjects, habits (good and bad). If we then have allowed this Word of repentance to work in us, we will see that God's power in us, as an introduction to His full grace, will prepare the way hereto: namely to the union with His anointing, with the full Word of God, with the living God Himself, Who is a consuming Fire, but also an enchanting Love-fire. Then all valleys – the sinful pits in our being – will be made smooth; all mountains and hills – all stubbornness and proud desires – will be made low by God's powerful and recreating Word. Then the crooked ways in our life will be made straight. Let Him do all this in your being; long for it. However strange this may sound, but in this light it is understandable: Long for the cross...; love your cross... Long for it, that all works of the flesh, which, naturally, are always sinful, be killed by the works of the Spirit (Romans 8:13); also praying for His strength to undergo all this. This "Way of sorrows", it is true, is a painful affair for our flesh, but He will be with us, and will make this sacrifice of our flesh a joyful, holy feast after our spirit. Remember, that the Israelites had to travel three days out of Egypt to offer the Lord a sacrificial feast there (Exodus 5:1-3). For us, too, this sacrifice of self will be a spiritual feast of joy and peace and justice in Christ Jesus!

So all flesh shall see "the salvation of God". If we are prepared to bring this sacrifice, then we will receive this promise we have read about in verse 6. All flesh that had "itself crucified" will see and taste the salvation, the glory of God. Let us be willing to be purified from al the old and sinful in us by the Word of repentance, so that we will be different people, NEW CREATIONS of God, new men, new women, Jesus-men and Jesus-women, who have truly and completely given up the old life, who have been found willing by God to pay this price. Glory to God!

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 3) – that is to long for the Blog – further.[1]

By E. van den Worm

[1] For Chapter 1 and 2, see our Blog at 10 November and 10 December 2009.