The Daily Word of Righteousness

Making Trees of Life, #6

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10—NIV)

There is only one legitimate will in the universe, and that is the will of the Father. The Kingdom of God is the doing of God's will in the earth as it is in Heaven.

We have known the Glory of Christ in salvation.

We have known the holiness and fellowship of the Spirit in Pentecost.

Now we are approaching the level of stern obedience to God. For the past twenty or so years in America we have been trying to make Christ our servant. He is not our servant. He is the King and we are His servants. If He wishes to call us up higher, that is fine. But He has purchased us with His blood; therefore by right we are His bond-servants.

I think most sincere Christians would like to bring salvation and release to the peoples of the nations. God intends for us to do just that. While we may have opportunity to minister to people in the present age, God is preparing us for a future age, for a worldwide ministry of bringing eternal life to the prisoners of the earth, to those condemned to the frustrating, corruptible life of flesh and blood.

Let us take a look at the twelfth chapter of the Book of Isaiah. This is what was chanted during the feast of Tabernacles. This is what we will experience as we pass from the Pentecostal experience to the Tabernacles experience.

In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me." (Isaiah 12:1—NIV)

"In that day." That "day" is the Day of the Lord, the day in which the flesh is cast down and the Lord alone is exalted in our life.

As we commence our Christian journey we experience many tribulations. This is because God is angry with the sin and rebellion in our personality. If we do not quit but remain faithful to God, the time comes when God comforts us. He consoles us for the problems and pain we have experienced, problems and pain that have come from His hand.

After we thus are brought low, having humbled ourselves under the hand of God, receiving His chastening with a good spirit, He raises us up. Then we cease attempting to exalt ourselves and begin to praise the Lord. The Lord becomes our focus, instead of ourselves and what we are going to get from the Lord.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2—NIV)

In the Tabernacles experience, God becomes our salvation. He makes us part of Himself. Instead of giving us power, joy, life, righteousness, He Himself becomes our Power, our Joy, our Life, our Righteousness. No longer are we seeking just gifts, although there is a time to desire fervently the gifts of the Spirit, and they are needed in these days that the Body of Christ may come to maturity.

But beyond the gifts there is the Presence of God Himself. This is the highest and best, the rest of God, the eternal Sabbath—the fulfillment of all God intends the Sabbath to be.

To be continued.