Christian's Handbook 4

Handbook 4 highlights God's appointed times and appointed works while emphasizing their importance and urgency for His people throughout their generations.

A Postscript: 9/24/12

Handbook 4: Article 43 - The Greater Work Revealed

A voice is crying in the wilderness; perhaps it is mine.

Can you hear it?

It is crying, "Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

Luke 3:4

Things Stand Ready in Heaven

"And He has now entered into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him."

1 Peter 3:22

It Is Here on Earth That Things Are Stalled

The way is not ready:

"...heaven must receive (Him) until the time of the restoration of all that God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ages past."

Acts 3:21

"...now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore it ruins..."

Ezra 9:8, 9

His paths are not straight:

"The one who says I have come to know Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."

1 John 2:6

Jesus was saying to them... "Come to Me... take My yoke upon you..."

Matthew 11:28, 29

"... the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He himself is doing..."

John 5:19, 20

"...I speak these things as the Father taught Me... the things I have seen in the presence of My Father..."

John 8:28, 38

"He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house... Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant... but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are..."

Hebrews 3:2, 5, 6

And He said to them, "It is written,
'My house shall be called a house of prayer...'"

Matthew 21:13

Instructions for This Brief Moment

"But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert for the purpose of prayer." (Lit. prayers)

1 Peter 4:7

"Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so from the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

1 Peter 4:11

Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God.

"And take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, with all prayer and petition praying at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, being at all times on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..."

Ephesians 6:17, 18

Whoever serves, let him do so from the strength which God supplies.

From Paul: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered Me faithful, putting me into service."

1 Timothy 1:12

Moses called every man wise of heart whose heart stirred him to come to the work to perform it.

Every man wise of heart...

"For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding,
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
Guarding the paths of justice;
And He preserves the way of His godly ones..."

Proverbs 2:6-8

...whose heart stirs him to come to the work to perform it.

"For wisdom will enter you heart,
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul...
Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you..."

Proverbs 2:10, 11

And we proclaim Him, "admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ... in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Colossians 1:28; 2:3

* * * * *

This Jesus was saying to them: "Come to Me... learn from Me..."

Matthew 11:28, 29

"...when He comes into the world He says, 'Sacrifice and offerings Thou hast not desired, but a body Thou has prepared for Me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure... Behold. I have come... to do Thy will."

Hebrews 10:5-7

"And coming to Him as to a living stone... you also as living stones, allow yourselves to be built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 2:4, 5

"...present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

Romans 12:1

"...be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:2

And I resolve:

"In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer (or sacrifice) to Thee and eagerly watch."

Psalm 5:3

* * * * *

A Personal Note

I eagerly watched for many mornings. Then one morning in late summer, He spoke to me:

"Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."

Psalm 50:5

Gather those who hear the voice crying in the wilderness?
Gather those who come to Him to be built up as a spiritual house to offer sacrifices?
Gather those whose hearts are stirred to come to the work to perform it?

But how do I gather God's godly ones to Him?
For He has said, "...you will be gathered one by one."
Is it possible He will gather them through the words of this Postscript?

And what does it mean "to gather"?

A Possible Definition

To be gathered is not to merely go ourselves, it is to be moved by the Holy Spirit. And we come, not on our own affairs, but having a single common concern for His. It is this that unites us into His name.

The disciples gathered together immediately after Jesus' ascension.

"And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet... and went up to the upper room, where they had been staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Matthew... These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."

Acts 1:10-13

"And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Lit. the prayers).

Acts 2:42

"Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose... And the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said,

'...select from among the brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the service of the word.'"

Acts 6:1-4

Jesus speaks about gathering. His words include specific instructions:

"Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

And specific promises:

"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them from My Father who is in heaven.

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst."

Matthew 18:18-20

The Vision speaks of gathering:

(The Christian's Handbook, Homepage)

"Sing to the Lord a new song, O my soul!
He will gather us and bring us together as a flock in the midst of a pasture."

But this is not to gather in the old way.

"...not forsaking our own assembling together..."

Hebrews 10:25

Not this time in an upper room, not in a storefront or a megachurch compound or even a shining cathedral... We who have "come out" have left that behind, sometimes not knowing how to continue on with only two or three, sometimes feeling spiritually alone in the world.

To be gathered is a "bringing together" in a new way.

"Sing to the Lord a new song, O my soul!"

...as a flock in the midst of pasture...

"Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom."

Luke 12:32

"For the Lord will save them as the flock of His people, for they are as the stones of a crown, sparkling in His hand. For what goodness and beauty will be theirs."

Zechariah 9:16, 17

The Vision continues:

"He will give us pure speech from pure lips that we may call on His name with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder."

It is a bringing together to pray!

But how do we who find ourselves apart from one another, sometimes a world apart, call on His name with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder? Where and what is this unity -- the unanimous consent and united shoulder.

Jesus answers in His prayer for His disciples and for those of us who will believe in Him through their word.

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world...

As Thou didst send Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world... that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us...

And the glory which Thou has given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity (Lit. into a unit), that the world may know that Thou didst send Me; and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me."

John 17:16, 20-23

And I wonder - is God gathering those of us He has brought to this moment through the Postscript to perfect us into a unity? A unity, built up as a spiritual house to offer up spiritual sacrifices?

A unity...

"...set apart for the gospel of God... God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son..."

Romans 1:1, 9

A spiritual unity...

"...though absent in body but present in spirit..."

1 Corinthians 5:3

* * * * *

A Closer Look: Perfected Into a Unit

"Come to Me... learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart..."

Matthew 11:28, 29

"Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is My resting place?
For My hands have made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord.
But to this one will I look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."

Isaiah 66:1, 2

"And it shall be said,
'Build up, build up, prepare the way,
Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.'
For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
'I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.'"

Isaiah 57:14, 15

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live you shall live also. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you...

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and the Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make Our abode with Him."

John 14:18-20, 23

"...for we are the temple of the living God just as God said; 'I will live and dwell in them and among them and I will be their God and they shall be My people.'"

2 Corinthians 6: 16

Is this our hour?
Is He saying to us...

"Arise and stand into the midst!"

Luke 6:8

"...who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And if you keep silent... relief and deliverance will arise from a different place..."

Esther 4:14

And I hear again my prayer from the pages of Handbook 3: "When on others You are calling, do not pass me by!"

* * * * *

A Personal Experience

"...take... the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..."

Ephesians 6:17, 18

I was working on the Postscript, putting together the following Scriptures that God had brought to my remembrance to include.

"I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus... was in the Spirit on the Lord's day..."

Revelation 1:9, 10

"Now these are the last words of David... 'The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.'"

2 Samuel 23:2

"The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him."

1 Corinthians 6:17

Suddenly as I was typing the following Scriptures...

"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus... set apart for the gospel of God... God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son..."

Romans 1:1, 9

"However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you... For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God... we have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Father, Farther!' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."

Romans 8:9, 14, 15

...in my spirit I cried out in prayer:

"Father, Father,

Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
On earth as it is heaven."

And suddenly I knew:

"...that my body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in me, whom I have from God and I am not my own."

1 Corinthians 6:19

"...the Holy Spirit helps our weakness for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words."

Romans 8:26

I am His house of prayer!

And just as suddenly I caught a glimpse of our unity in the Spirit...

"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you."

John 14:2

And I found myself praying 'The Commission' for those of us He is gathering.

"...enlighten our eyes... give us a reviving to raise up your house, to restore its ruins."

Ezra 9:8, 9

* * * * *

A Studied Approach to Prayer

"Study to show yourself approved, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

2 Timothy 2:15

"Pray then in this way..."
Thoughts on Prayer
(Handbook 2, Article 21)

"Out of heaven He let you hear His voice."
The Voice of God's Word
(Handbook 2, Article 7)

"...I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me."
Pray Reading
(Handbook 1, Article 8)

"...whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."
The Way of God's Judgments
(Handbook 3, Article 53)

"Indeed, while following the way of Thy judgments, O Lord, We have waited for Thee eagerly. Thy name, even Thy memory, is the desire of our souls. At night with my soul I long for Thee, With my spirit I seek Thee diligently, For when the earth experiences Thy judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."

Isaiah 26:7-9

"Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power."
God's People as Warriors
(Handbook 3, Article 49)

* * * * *

Again: Instructions for This Brief Moment

"But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert for the purpose of prayer. (Lit. prayers)

Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so from the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

* * * * *

On 7/25/12 the sword of the Lord appeared in the morning sky.

"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and I have appointed you, that you might go and bear fruit and that your fruit might remain so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you."

John 15:16

"...take... the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance..."

Ephesians 6:17, 18

"Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, 'Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdom, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

Jeremiah 1:9-10

"Let the godly ones exult in glory;
Let them sing for joy on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their throat,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishment of the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the judgment written;
This is an honor for all His godly ones,
Praise the Lord."

Psalm 149:5-9

"So shall My word be which goes forth from My Mouth;
It shall not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

Isaiah 55:11

"It shall not return to Me empty..."

"And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God; and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might give it to the prayers of all the holy ones upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the holy ones, went up before God out of the angels hand.

And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake."

Revelation 8:1-5

"O Lord, we call upon Thee; hasten to us! Give ear to our voices when we call to Thee! May our prayers be fixed as incense before Thee; The lifting up of our hands as the evening offering."

Psalm 141:1, 2

* * * * *

A Promise

"Come unto Me... and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

"And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear...

And His resting place will be glory."

Isaiah 11:2, 3, 10

"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure."

John 3:34

An Encouragement

"Be strong and courageous and act; do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished."

1 Chronicles 28:20


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  1. A Tale of Two Mountains
  2. The Kingdom Is a Kingdom of Priests
  3. The Priesthood
  4. A Portrait of a Priest
  5. A Priest's Apparel
  6. Priests and the Greater Works
  7. A Postscript: 9/24/12

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