Building a Kingdom

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Hebrews 4:1-3

It is not for nothing that Scripture as in Psalm 96:10 once said speak comfortably to the people of Isaiah 40:2 and say our God reigns. In all our mess and distress how many no longer know our God is in control. Still too how many have lost sight of that fact. It is so easy to do in all of our mess and distress by simply losing sight of the Lord. As the disciples on the sea of Galilee once found who rowed all night and labored for nothing, their faith was met with no reward at the hands of the Lord. When in the morning though he showed up, their faith made sight became as those were possessing everything up to and including even the kingdom. So is it a dangerous thing though these things of the kingdom. See, it is for this that some of the household of faith reached out to obtain much less the promise along with it that comes just before. Now is the Lord's graciousness and long-suffering towards us in 2 Peter 3:9 that not any should perish seen here in the text. So then it is more than just a promise of not being left here by ourselves all alone most likely abandoned at the hands of the Lord. It is all fine, well and good of course that the Lord had made promise to send forth a Comforter, that of his Spirit. Yet what good is a bundle of blankets all by itself as though for keeping us warm if nothing more than a pile of stuff on which it is harder to sleep. Our God is much greater still than this even is he not, my friends. I have a hard time believing he has this pile of blankets for us on which he has written that of his name so we too might be curled up all nice and cozy drifting off to sleep in fluffy clouds on off to glory. Such a thing is almost too sacrilegious to think. Heaven forbid that some comfort at last we should find as ones who too have like our Master have suffered before entering into the light of his own glory much greater. So too is it good to be found of the Lord. Not that we were missing of course but that our Lord had some of us drifted on off almost in the same picture as those having come short of the glory. That then is why it is his rest and not ours to get handed along with the things of his Spirit just fresh for the taking. How prone some of us are though to getting it twisted. We hear of the promises of course and are immediately seeking that of the kingdom. Notice how that the small little children are suffered for coming to him without needing any sort of invitation even at all. But there are others standing without here and not just the children whether "of such is the kingdom" or not. Sure, it might make no sense to you to fear so right in this moment. But what about when through our sin it has entered having crept in again. Here is God seen much as the good Father of all giving his children gifts that won't harm them or cause them to suffer. See, God is very much not like that at all even though some of us in our humanity may often stumble and fall. So too, as the God who is perfect, does he take some to spiritual task so to speak. Yet his discipline is justly given and such is he seen as not being willing that any should perish and rightly so as to some his purpose is shown.

Still the call goes out to all who would listen that by his long-suffering nature these of the fallen and oft though rebellious at times too might come to repentance. In the leading then is his goodness taken up by the things of all men.  Then too, have some come to the house wishing simply to trust in the Lord and also his nature. These it seems have fallen over the edge of the building, the same being made the head of the corner. For this cause is not Christ our chief cornerstone and mason to all who would enter. That is to say he joins us up rightly being fitted together for his work in the center. So then is our faith though being found not of the physical building. Allow me to say it louder for those in the back, if you will. It seems some have disregarded this when they come to the Lord. So too do they view him just for his blessings and stuff and the things he provides. My friends, such a view is almost blasphemous indeed to be seen of the Lord. Small wonder then that in all Israel's wanderings back in the desert, they that viewed God for his nature save Joshua only among them were spared. All the rest that argued with him like a Desperate Housewives series or a bunch of old maids just fresh for the taking were treated with much the same respect that they gave. I can almost hear some of them now among them 'Lord I'm hungry, Lord I'm tired, oh Lord but I'm thirsty.' Only to hear his sweet whisper back in return 'child but I know it too so well I have borne' only to look back behind him over his shoulder to see the one set of foot prints stretching off in the distance. My, such a fearful thing as this indeed to trust in his nature and so too in his goodness as well. I know, I know it's awful hard to rest when the conditions are just fresh for the taking and you cannot understand what may follow then after but for that of our making. Now by no means am I saying that our Lord wants us not to have very much stuff that makes for the living. We all know how he cared for Mary and Martha and Bethany and Lazarus too though he had been as one once having passed on from the scene. Then would he not be called eternal life of his power and very own nature; therein is he found as possessing the building and so being made of the same. Nor would this light of men have come for a time as John 1 says only to be snuffed out by darkness much later and hatred. It is a life that shines in our hearts long after his departed so dearly leaving us the beloved as the old song once says 'borne in his Spirit washed of the blood.' There is life in the Word my friend having so been found as after their Maker were taken. Might well once you have heard how that the Lord's name in vain should not be spoken by any and certainly that extends to his life then as well. So to those of the promises has it come as the building is seen as Shiloh became lost to the ages but not say by a mission. For this cause is it not counted as useless nor wasted of any being taken up as that of the building. Herein then have the promises entered of him whom were given exceedingly "great and precious" things to us of his wealth. For this cause then are we seated with him in Heavenly places and down here too now having an issue. How many know how quickly we do in catching sight of that fact when it comes to his rest now as of late. For some of us though such is the last place we enter being that of the kingdom having looked high and low in all the wrong places. Nor did say the cry go out empty or unheeded that at midnight was heard 'make way the building and let not Shiloh remain' as one having drunk deep at the hand of the Lord.

When it comes to the rest though, such a thing so often trips some up, usually the ones that themselves have not entered but rather have waited outside in the cold. For some then we are a long time in waiting for the Master's soon coming and return to the table. Still more than that how many of us have since lost sight of the fact. When you are no longer walking with him such is rather easy to do. So too is it more than a matter of forgetting or having made a mistake. Rather just a wildfire has spread so too does the tongue speak of a life no longer in his control though it be ever still so far from his hand. Indeed such is sustained in the "comfort ye comfort ye" my people even that of the Lord. See you cannot comfort ye without knowing our God first of all. Here we find called for the blessings of God in a now generation. Just so are some revivalists ever so fond of saying 'right now, right now, right now.' Indeed, Christ walking among his churches of Revelation is once seen. If there were ears to hear I wonder what the Spirit would say to those who would listen. 'Be still right now. Know me right now. I am God right now. I will be exalted right now.' Whether heathen or not matters little to those in the house of the Lord. Yet some of us have the notion to curl up in bed surrounded by pillows and throws and perhaps a lullaby for the soothing getting rocked gently back off to sleep. It is second only to trusting ourselves having forgotten all about God on his throne. Such a thing matters little to those of the Spirit at all. Have you any idea how uncomfortable that thing gets. Then too how good and pleasant is it much as the brethren dwelling together in unity once were along with the precious ointment that softened Aaron's manner of speech. How good then is the God who knows us far better than that or by any than that I suppose. Come on now, there go the ships on a sailing as though steered by the rudders unseen even that of the Spirit. Perhaps then too we will be ones that have entered being counted as worthy to receive in his sight and so also in serving no matter. So then let us trust him, this captain of our salvation, the author, and finisher also of it that has spoken even now so having come to the building. For so can we trust him just a little bit more that is needed.