INDEPENDENCE DECLARED

Jack Davis

“For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” I Cor. 7:22-23

God, in the proclamation of the Gospel of His Grace has made manifold declaration of the believers independence. The value of our independence is dependent upon how dependent we are upon the most dependable one. Independence is indeed most blessed, beneficial, profitable as we “use it,” exercise it in dependence on Him.

“Year Of Jubilee”

Consider some thoughts from the Old Testament. “When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof, But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, not prune thy vineyard…And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughput all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants  thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his famiy” – Lev. 25:2-4, 8-10.

God for a multiple purpose, gave Israel this Sabbatic system. They in numbering seven sabbatic years, or seven weeks of years, which totaled forty-nine years, then the forty-nineth year came with that great day of atonement. At the close of that day, the year of Jubilee was introduced with the sounding of the trumpet. Therefore with the forty-ninth sabbatic year pass, the year of jubilee sounded the glad note of rest, restoration, remission, and release. Hallelujah! Freedom from every form of poverty, and bondage. The “proclaiming of liberty throughout all the Land,” was indeed an acclamation of Joy.

This year of jubilee was the crowning aspect of their sabbatic system. All properties, and persons could be priced, measured, or valued in view of that year. The Hebrew word for “jubilee” carries the thought of a rich stream of sound. From the prim root “jubil”” we get the meaning to flow, bring, lead, or carry forth with pomp.

We get that same root from Psalm 89:15, “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound.” Read Lev. 25:47-50 with Ruth 3 and 4; and Psalm 49:6-9 for precious and profitable instructions on the kinsman redeemer. The “day of atonement” and “year of jubilee” merge in pointing prophetically to our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn” – Isa. 61:1-2.

In Luke 4:16-22, Jesus quotes this portion in part, applying it to Himself, for He was there to fulfill those words. He stopped short of reading the part on the day  of vengeance, because it is believed by most, that the Church was hidden in between.

Shortly after Pentecost Peter preached, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” – Acts 3:19-21.

Grace was still being offered to the nation of Israel until the stoning of Steven, but they refused God’s offer. Their kinsman Redeemer was there, standing ready to return, but they rejected Him. Therefore those “times of refreshing” and “times of restoration,” were being missed. Thank God soon these “times” will be realized when believing Israel receives Him.

In the mean time, we are to experience and enjoy the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. We realize this personally as we grow in grace and knowledge of Him. This is far more beneficial than learning a system, studying formulas, or following self-help steps. Knowing Him who is truth personified, in everyday reality, wonderfully liberates. Sin should not exercise dominion over us for we are in the realm, under the principle of God’s grace. There we are willingly held under love’s sweet restraints in the perfect law of liberty – II Cor. 5:14; James 1:25. We are there because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death – Rom. 8:2.

We now have the freedom to make the choice whether we let sin reign in our mortal bodies or refuse. It is our redemptive right to overcome sin, self and Satan by the power of the Spirit’s might, unto the glory of God. This will be well for us until all creation enters that glorious liberty of God’s dear children. For soon our jubilee trumpet will sound.

 Happiness

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:1-3

Blessed means “happy.” How many are searching today for the secret to happiness? It is found right here in God’s Word. This true happiness, that lasts. Happiness is usually tied to circumstances. Something that happens makes us happy. This is why happiness is so elusive for many. Well, here we find a reason for happiness that goes on and on. There are many things that can make us happy. I found a few in Scripture. 

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Psalms 32:1. Knowing your sins are forgiven is reason enough for happiness every day. “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 16:17. “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” Luke 11:28. It seems pretty clear from Scripture that studying, believing and obeying God’s Word will make us happy. If you are wondering if there is any evidence of this, I can tell you there is substantial evidence in millions who have chosen to do just this and found great happiness.

Let’s break this down a little. The first verse gives us some things that happy (blessed) people avoid. Walking always speaks about the conduct of our lives. “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:2. “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” Ephesians 5:8. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,” Ephesians 5:15 Do we live our lives in the counsel or after the advice of the world? We should be allowing the Bible to direct our lives. The world will lead us in a direction that is contrary to Word of God. I love the idea of thinking Biblically about everything. Even though the Bible does not directly address every single thing that we have in our lives, there are principles that guide us if we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us.

Standing in the way of sinners speaks about the idea of continuing in sin because we are forgiven. Paul addresses this in Romans 5 and 6. Since grace abounds more where sin abounds, should we continue in sin? Paul answers this in Romans 6. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2. Grace should actually draw us away from sin and towards God’s Holiness.

Sitting is even more permanent. Now we are talking about just getting comfortable in the seat of the scornful. Scornful is boastful. This is an attitude of thinking we are capable in ourselves. This permeates much of Christianity today as they create programs to help you take control of your life. Blessed are those that know they can’t control their own lives and give control to the Holy Spirit.

The second verse is the key to all of this. It starts with outlining the thing that delights these happy (blessed) people. Think for a minute about what delights you. Are the things of this world a delight to you? How about God’s Word? When you study the Bible, does that delight you? We choose the things that delight us. Do you choose the Word of God? “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” Psalms 112:1. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16. If you are looking for happiness, then choose to delight in the Word of God.

The idea of meditating night and day in God’s Word is a difficult concept for most. First, meditating on God’s Word seems to be somewhat a lost concept. Most of our lives these days are in a hurry. Everything is set up to get little quick bites of news or whatever you are interested in. Youtube has demanded that people who want to create on their platform create “shorts.” These are little short videos that are less than a minute. This is because they know the attention limit for most people is only a minute or two.

Meditating is all about taking time to read carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to really speak to you. It will involve some prayerful time and some quiet time just listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say. What I have found is that I often miss something important if I hurry through the passage, and if I take time, the Holy Spirit will minister to my exact need at that moment. When God ministers to your need, you will find yourself being happy. “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.” Psalms 119:97-99

Meditating night and day speaks to me again about the importance of God’s Word in every aspect of our lives at every moment of every day. There is not a single moment in your life that you do not need God’s Word to guide your life. “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.” Psalms 104:34. Quit looking for happiness in the world, it will not be found there. Seek God’s presence and His Word and you will find happiness.

 REGENERATION

Anita Clark – Pastor

Grace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas

“Then answered Peter and said unto Him, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed Thee: what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:27-28.) The word “regeneration” occurs two times in the Bible.

This word, “regeneration,” means in the Greek, “spiritual renovation,” or change. When Jesus speaks of the “regeneration,” He is speaking of His Kingdom during the millennial (1000 years) reign coming in our time very soon. Note the phrase, “...when the Son shall sit upon the throne of His glory.”

Apostle Paul uses this word “regeneration” in Titus 3:-4-5, when speaking of our salvation provided by the death of Jesus, “For we ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedience, deceived...but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Which was shed abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Note  we are “washed.” I Cor. 6:11, says, “And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God.” “Sanctified” means to make holy and to purify. “Justified” means “to make righteous.” All the human race needs “regeneration.” Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away.” Read John 1:11-13. We are born again by the “will of God.”

Process of Regeneration- Ezekiel 36:26-29 gives us wonderful promises about how God changes us. Vs. 26 - “A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh ...” Read again Titus 3:4-5. These verses show the process of regeneration in our lives. 

Instrument of our Regeneration- I Peter 1:22-23. In Vs. 22 we see that “ye purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.” In verse 23 we read - “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” Ephesians 5: 25-27 shows forth and explains the work of Christ to bring the believers to the place He desires - His Bride. “... Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it. That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Vs. 30 “For we are members of his body, of His flesh, and of His bones.”

This portion of Jeremiah 31:33 was written for the nation of Israel, but applies to us today and God’s work in our lives. “After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Because of Israel’s rejection of the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, God has turned to the Gentiles.” Apostle Paul is the Apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ. He wrote fourteen books of the New Testament. We are thankful for his teaching. This verse in Jeremiah 31:33 shows us the Work of God our Father in us and our regeneration. 

1. The Process is the same for us. God puts His Law (His will, His precepts, and statutes) in our hearts. We receive the new life of Jesus in us, and the process begins.

2. God “writes it in our heart. “ We have a new spirit, and want to know God, and He wants us to study the Word of God. It becomes a part of us in our new life.

3. He will be our God - We accept Him working in us, and taking care of us. We yield to Him and His power over us.

4. We shall be His people. He takes all responsibility for His sheep.

“They shall all know me.” Jesus said, “The sheep follow Him for they know His voice.” John 10:3

Jeremiah 33:8-13 says, “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity; whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth ...” Vs. 11 “The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for His mercy endureth forever and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD.”

Regeneration is not by our works of our flesh, but by the grace of our dear Lord Jesus, and Beloved Father God.

 Fruit Bearing

Part 3

Pastor Vicky Moots

Kingman, Kansas

As we have seen, in Gal. 5:22-23, the apostle Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit, starting with “love”, followed by 8 more items: joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness and temperance.  If you examine these more closely you will see that these last 8 items would not even be possible without the first one, and that they are all a part of the divine nature of Christ Himself.

So how is it possible that we, as mere humans, can ever hope to bear such fruit as this? It is absolutely impossible for us to do that!  That is why Paul is careful to clarify that it is the fruit of the Spirit, and not the flesh.  In vss. 19-21 he lists some sordid examples of the works of the flesh which all have their root in the old creation life.  These all display the exact opposite of love. 

Only as a new creation can the Holy Spirit flow through our spiritual veins to produce spiritual fruit, just like the sap of the vine flows through its branches.  First of all, we must experience and accept the love of God into our own hearts when we are convicted and convinced by the Holy Spirit that we are sinners and in need of a Savior, as we read in Rom. 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

So, the first step in fruit bearing is to accept and lay hold of God’s love personally.  The Scripture doesn’t just say that God shows love, it says, “God is love” (I John 4:8).  Apart from God, there is no true, unselfish love.  Only as we experience God’s love can we share it with others as our spiritual fruit.  John makes that very clear in I John 4:7 when he says, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God [born again], and knoweth God.”

God’s divine love, agape, reaches out to the unlovely.  He sent His Son to die for us when we were yet sinners, when we were still His enemies.  Jesus died for the ones who mocked Him and spit in His face, the ones who laid the stripes upon His back and drove the nails into His hands.  He did that because of love.  Jesus was our earthly example of God’s love in action and in words when He prayed on the cross.  “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

We are to follow His example in our fruit bearing by letting His love flow through us to love those who have hurt us.  Jesus told the Pharisees that love was the greatest commandment, and Paul reiterated that in Rom. 13:10 when he said, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.”  This is, of course, only true of God’s love, agape, and can only be displayed in our lives as a fruit of the Spirit, not by our own works.  Natural man does not possess this kind of love. 

Jesus said in John 15:9, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”  Can you truly grasp the immensity of that statement? Jesus told His disciples that He loved them with the same kind and depth of love that God, His Father, loved Him!  It is hard to imagine how much God loved His Son.  That is love in its purest form; that is the fruit of the Spirit kind of love.  He goes on further to tell them to continue loving others in that same manner, to continue in His love.  In v. 12 He again tells them to “love one another as I have loved you.”  At the beginning of that verse He said, “This is my commandment.” Jesus gave them only one commandment, not ten.  They were commanded to love with God’s kind of love.  This was the fruit that they were told to bear as a result of abiding in the vine.  He is, of course, also speaking those words to us today as His disciples.  

One of the most important Scriptures regarding God’s love, besides John 3:16, which tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” is found in Rom. 8:38-39.  In these verses Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord.” That eliminates everything in God’s creation, including ourselves.  Paul’s words assure us that God will not cut us off from the Vine no matter what happens.  The only cutting that He will do is to prune us, through His Word and through circumstances which He allows, in order to bring us closer to Him, so that we may bear the fruit of His love, the fruit of the Spirit.

 Are You An Eagle Saint?

Earlene Davis

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” 

Waiting upon the Lord promises Spiritual strength to be eagle saints. I find it interesting to read scripture where the eagle is mentioned.

Ex. 19:4, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” Here the eagle symbolizes Jehovah God delivering Israel out of Egypt, calling attention to the grace of God as the aggressor in Israel’s redemption – carrying them through the Red Sea (a type of Calvary. Life and liberty was a type of resurrection. If God had not taken up their cause they would have remained in Egyptian bondage. They were defenceless and helpless. But Jehovah as the great Eagle, the mighty One, came to their help swooping down and bore them upon His wings just as the eagles do their offspring. He is our deliverer and Redeemer, the Lord Himself redeemed us by His death, carrying us down into death and judgment, and then up into life and resurrection in Himself.

Deut. 32:11-12, “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” The thought here is of the mother eagle training her young. She teaches them to fly by throwing them out of their comfortable nest which forces them to use their wings or else they would fall to the ground. That danger causes them to make the effort. The lesson is not learned in a day, it is repeated again and again until they master the art of flying and soar upon the wind. This is how the Lord trains His children. He stirs up the nest, forcing us out of the baby stage. He allows trouble to come our way disciplining in the school of affliction. All the while teaching us to use our wings of faith so we can rise and soar above all danger, thus made spiritually strong. We grow in courage, zeal and knowledge, proving our kinship to the Lord Himself, the great Eagle.

II Sam. 1:23, “Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.” They  were mighty men and David loved them, giving this beautiful eulogy comparing them to the eagle, the king of birds. Their natural skill and beauty are traits manifested spiritually in the overcomers (strong, courageous, daring and swift like the eagle).

Job 39:27, “Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?” It is God that puts the instinct in the eagle to fly high and make her nest far above the haunts of men. Likewise the overcoming saint soars and nest in the Rock, Christ Jesus. The overcoming life of Christ is the heritage of all saints.  We are of heavenly birth and our real home is above. We are just sojourners here. The eagle comes down from her lofty place sometimes, but the air is her element, as the heavenlies are our sphere – Eph. 2:6, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” 

Prov. 23:5, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Yes, the eagle flies swift and far, just as do natural riches. This warning for us is to not set our hearts on transitory things. They can disappear and we will be disappointed. God is jealous of His people’s devotion and desires our hope and confidence be set upon Him. nothing in this world can be depended on. The Lord alone is the Rock. He cannot fail those who put their trust in Him.

Jer. 49:16, “Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.” Man’s pride sets himself up high in his own estimation, feeling secure as if no evil could befall him. Such pride is characteristic of Satan which is an abomination to the Lord. He is able to bring down the proud regardless of their exalted position. Our safe place is hiding under the wings of the great Eagle Himself.

Jer. 49:22, “Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.” This speaks of Christ as the Judge of all men.  As Judge, He shall fly down upon His enemies. The eagle illustrates this, being way up in the air spys a snake and he swoops down clutching him in his beak and rises with him in the air where the battle is fought. The reptile puts up a fight, but he looses. A beautiful picture of Christ, as the Seed of the woman, bruising the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). He gets the victory over all Satan’s seed who dares to dispute Him. Every enemy will be put under His feet (I Cor. 15:25-28).

Ezek. 1:10, “As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.” These symbolic figures represent the overcomers on earth. Those walking in all the light and doing the will of God. They are joined to the throne above and they go straight forward (V. 12), rolling along in perfect obedience to the throne.

Rev. 4:7, “And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.” Here the overcomers are seen in heaven, closely association with the throne and they have a prominent part in its judgment. 

Back to our text (Isa. 40:31) where the eagle speaks of the believer who waits upon the Lord. His strength is renewed, mounting up, soaring in the heavenlies. Our wings of faith lifting us up into the very presence of God. Where obstacles cannot hinder, every difficulty must give way before the Spirit of the Lord. Phil. 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strentheneth me.” May we remember that Christ is the true Eagle – both as Jehovah and as Man. He is the mighty overcomer. We can lay hold of His life and His strength and be renewed by His resurrection life of which we are partakers and go on from strength to strength.

 The Drink offering

Jack Davis

“And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men” - II Sam. 23:13-17.

In this chapter, we read of David’s mighty men; great heroes they were. David, at this time, was in a cave in hiding. These three mighty men along with others, were with him there. David’s enemies, the Philistines, were occupying Bethlehem; and it was well guarded. David had such a great thirst, a deep longing for his home. He yearned for the time when the city of Bethlehem would once more be in the hands of its God-given owners. So he said, “Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” So these three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, drew out the water, and took it and brought it to David. Ah, now, David can have a drink! But, no. This heroic act touched his heart so much that he was crushed. He was overwhelmed. These men had greatly endangered their lives. They, like the Apostle Paul, did not count their lives dear unto themselves. They were themselves a “drink offering,” in honoring their leader and captain. Their feat of love reminds us of the overcoming of the saints mentioned in Revelation twelve. We read that they overcame “the accuser of our brethren…by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” – Rev. 12:10-11. David said, “Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this.” David felt that this sacrifice was too sacred for him, so he “poured it out unto the Lord.” Let us learn that a drink offering which we pour unto the Lord is of great value.

In Genesis 35:1-3,14 we see where Jacob had cried unto God, and God delivered him, and was with him in the way which he went. God talked with Jacob, and told him to build an altar. Jacob did as he was told, and yet he went farther in expressing his appreciation. When he had set the pillar in the place where God had talked with him, he poured a drink offering thereon. Blessed communion with God calls forth a drink offering.

In Exodus 29:40 we learn that the drink offering was to be a part of the daily bunt offering. We know that wine is the product of a crushing process. The Lord so forcibly impressed a though upon me, when I returned to Wichita after attending the funeral of Sister Alice Mooneyhan. I could not sleep that night. I went into the living room and began worshiping the Lord. I cried unto Him, “Oh, let that same life which flowed out through her, flow through me. His answer came powerfully to my mind, “IT TAKES A CRUSHING!” It seems my flesh recoiled. We know that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Wine, in Scripture, is a symbol  of Christ’s blood and of the blessing of the Gospel. It speaks of refreshing, of the exhilarating effects of the Holy Spirit’s fullness. In Ephesians five, wine speaks of the control that He will take in our lives, if we will let Him. We must yield, drink of the Holy Spirit and give Him drink.

We see in Lev. 23:13 that the libation was offered with the sweet savor offering, which speaks of the life of Christ. Its fragrance ascended up to the throne of God. It was to be prepared with the burnt offering – Num. 15:5. The strong wine was to be poured out in the Holy Place unto the Lord – Num. 28:7.

God still accepts a drink offering today. In Gen. 24:17-18 Eleazar said, pertaining to his meeting with Rebekah at the well, “Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.” If we are going to give the Lord drink We, too, must let down our pitcher. Rebekah is typical of those special uncommon unusual saints who, today, are submitting to the Spirit’s control and giving the Lord drink; thus, satisfying His heart.

Jn. 4:5-7,10,14, Jesus was wearied with His journey. He, no doubt, felt somewhat like David – “Oh that one would give me drink!” This journey caused Him far more than physical weariness. This was not a happy scene, that He left heaven’s beauties to come to. His journey was among the unholy, harmful, defiled, sinful, and sick. Oh yes, He would enjoy being refreshed. Several different times in different words He said, “Give Me drink!” Now it is certainly refreshing to meet a hungry and thirsty heart. It is greatly refreshing to meet others who can share with us, entering into the things we feel and enjoy. What an exchange is offered here! We ask a drink, and He offers   a well. He gives us an eternally effervescent well. Now, as we pour out to Him our deep love and wholehearted adoration, He floods our being, which causes us to bubble over and over and over. As we drink and give Him drink, He cause an outflow which becomes a river which cannot be passed over – a river of life-giving waters. But, how can we be refreshing until we are refreshed? Oh, how precious is the outflow of a living sacrifice.

Our lives may give daily evidence that our God  is a living loving God. We may have a continual upspring and outflow; but, we must  be full, if we are going to run over. Certainly, there are dry spells in the Christian’s experience; but it is our fault, not the Lord’s doing. He allows these at times so that we will appreciate the living waters. As we pour out to Him, He pours more into us. Now a vessel full of the wrong material is in poor condition to be filled. In John 7:39 we read a very significant statement, “The Holy Ghost was not get given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” We are at first full of our own ideas, ambitions, and personal desires.  We are prove to self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, self-centeredness, and are seeking self-glory. We are naturally so full of self that there is little room for Him. Sometimes He has to let our little apple cart get upset; tips us over and dumps out some of that old greedy stingy self-life to make room for Himself. Yet an empty vessel is ready to be filled; and one filled with Him will overflow unto the glory of God. Oh! Do you think we can bless and refresh God? The false humble self-life says, “Oh, no, not me: I am not worthy.” But David said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy Name” – Psa. 103:1.

Psalm 23 – While walking with Him through the valleys, experiencing the comfort of His rod and staff, sitting with Him at the table He has prepared for us, allowing Him to pour in the soothing refreshing billows, our cup just cannot help but over flow!

The libation drink offering, in Paul’s terms, speaks of a life being spent or poured out in absolute devotion to the Lord. He presented His body a living sacrifice. Christ was being magnified in His body during His life and in His death. The pouring out of His life unto the Lord resulted in the outflow of the life of Christ unto others. In II Cor. 12:14-15 Paul speaks of gladly spending and being spent – spent on the saint’s behalf. But, notice, how he uses such a different tone with different saints. Some saints refreshed him. It seems that these Corinthians were pulling away from Paul. Listen to the tone he uses with the Philippians.

“Yea, and if I be offered (Greek – pour out as a drink offering) upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.” Phil. 2:17-18. Their fellowship and rejoicing together a result of the offering. II Tim. 4:16, “I am now ready to be offered!” At the very moment he was writing to Timothy, his life was being poured out., a drink offering! We may be also. Oh, let  us give Him drink!