The Psalmist did not bother here to pose the most serious question mortal man can ask to another mortal man or any minister for that matter, for they would fleshly answer it otherwise if many a ministers messages are anything to go by today. He asked God Who does not diminish from His standard for man. And God’s answer is this: “He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.”
There is a generation that seeks the Lord; the generation that is “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” – Titus 2: 13: There is a generation that seeks the Lord. They look for the path that leads unto life, which way is narrow and which gate is strait; and they constantly hear the Masters’ silent Voice: Enter you in at the strait gate for many there are which find the broad way – Matthew 7: 13. Indeed, they hear the Voice of One always saying to them: ‘This is the way, walk you in it!’ So, they avoid the wide gate and the broad way; and deal carefully with those engulfed in it whether they are ministers or not. Like Job they can say: “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” – Job 23: 10.
They obey the admonition of Psalm Number 1 in this matter: “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.” They deal carefully with those that love the world, who promote the world and the things the world can offer, and it doesn’t matter if they (the latter) twist or wrest scriptures for this purpose. They deal carefully and beware of false prophets in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By the pure and undiluted Word of God they try to distinguish between grapes and thorns, figs and thistles; between the good tree that brings forth good fruit and the corrupt tree that brings forth evil fruits; and so they live their lives in a way as not to be hewn down and cast into the fire, and accordingly refused to compromise with fleshly messages from the pulpit and unholy living of whosoever; after all, by their fruits you shall know them (see Matthew 8: 15-20). In what looked like a short trance I got the following line ostensibly from God: “Living our lives to glorify God is the key to everything!” Help me Lord.
There is a generation that seeks the Lord. That is the generation to be manifested as sons of God. Jesus says we should seek first (hunt eagerly) the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and the other things will be added unto us and not otherwise – Mathew 6: 33 (compare Luke 15: 8). Let us seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness: This is what takes us to Heaven. But there are things that would be added as we seek the Kingdom and its righteousness: Gifts/talents, miracles, financial blessing etc which usages shall be graciously rewarded in Heaven if we holily, faithfully and humbly use them here anyway. But it is the life we live after salvation that determines making the rapture and Heaven. There shall be some works that are supposed to be rewarded in Heaven but will be unrewarded because the supposed recipients are not there. Holiness therefore remains the key thing. And we have been representing holiness all along with the few scriptures we have referred to.
Therefore, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” – 1 John 3: 1-3. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” – This is the generation that seeks Him! The generation promised to be rapture!
And still, who are they? They are the men that sigh and cry for the abominations in the altar and pulpits, church and in the world. And consequently, they are the sealed and secured for the deliverance of God; as it is written: “And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” – Ezekiel 9: 4.
The generation that seeks the Lord are the people who fear the Lord, shares God’s burden with one another and with God; and that thought upon the holy Name of God, and so consequently eschew anything evil: anything that reproaches that Name; and with this background they pray for themselves and intercedes for others, which is why the Lord hearkens, heard them and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them and which is finally why they shall be His in that day when He makes up His jewels, and shall spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him. For it is written: “And they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not” – Malachi 3: 16-18. This is the generation that seeks the Lord. And this is their glorious portion eternally when they are manifested as God’s sons.
The subject matter of the fear of the Lord vis-à-vis the rapture is so vital that it is necessarily visited again in a chapter of its own.
Being among the Few that will make Heaven
They that seek the Lord are those that dare to be among the few today, and I captured daring to be among the few in this hymn of mine: “Dare to be among the few today”. We here represent it:
Dare to be among the few today.
For while few are purifying their lives,
While on heaven they focus remain,
Multitude is at ease in Zion!
Refrain
Multitude is at ease in Zion;
Many there are that find the broad-way.
Lord, never let me so to be.
Make me stick with the few on the strait way,
To be rapture-ready at the Last Trump!
Dare to be among the few today.
For while few are prayer-overwhelmed,
Because our very Lord expects this,
Multitude is at ease in Zion!
Refrain
Dare to be among the few today.
For while few are selfishly preaching,
Not for selfish gain or belly’s sake,
Multitude do surfeit in Zion!
Refrain
Dare to be among the few today.
For while few become like Barnabas,
Though wealthy, yet living poor for Christ,
Multitude do surfeit in Zion!
Refrain
Dare to be among the few today.
For while few are hazarding their lives,
And some, in the swelling of Jordan,
Multitude is at ease in Zion!
They that seek the Lord in truth and in spirit are obviously few in our midst today. Truly, few are they that will make the Eternal Kingdom God at last. I wish to seek God and seek Him alone for I wish to be among the number, among the few that wil
l make Heaven. And I wish all Christians to seek God and seek Him alone to be among the few that will make Heaven. After all: everyman that seeks finds. If we don’t find it is because will did not seek. And the admonition is that we should seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness.
So, let’s endeavor to be among the few: Earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints; endeavor to fight the good fight of faith; humbly condescend to men of low estate; endeavor to keep holy and always present our bodies as living sacrifice unto God; endeavor to flee youthful lust and endeavor not to love the unrighteous mammon, both of which have made many to make shipwreck of their faith; always endeavor to watch our thoughts and our words and ensure they line up with the Holy Spirit’s thoughts and God’s Word; endeavor to love the brethren with unfeigned love; endeavor as much as possible to live peaceably with all men and to lead a conscience void of offence toward God and man; endeavor to preach the undiluted gospel as we see it in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles and the rest of Bible; endeavor to teach the will and mind of God as we see it in the divine pages; endeavor to build ourselves and the brethren or the body of Christ upon the foundation laid by the Apostles of Christ in the Bible; endeavor to always go to the throne of God to receive grace; try always to look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith and endeavor to conform to His Image and His alone; endeavor to be light of the world in our little corners and salt of the earth in our little corners; and endeavor to live for His pleasure, for in Him we live and have our being.
Living for God’s Pleasure
Seekers of God live for God’s pleasure, and not for self. This must be at the back of our minds. For His pleasure we are created in the first place. And if by our restoration or redemption through Jesus Christ we are restored to His purpose of creating us, then it must be too that we are restored or redeemed to do His pleasure, and if we keep the faith, which is actually doing His pleasure after salvation, till He comes to take His own home at the rapture, then we shall be among them in that great and eternal consummation of His pleasure. And in His pleasure now, is our pleasure now; in His pleasure then shall be our pleasure. And may He deliver us from His displeasure: Now and then!
O the grace to live for Him faithfully and to serve Him faithfully! We must keep this ever in mind: We live for His pleasure; we serve to please Him and Him alone. In this is our joy now and through all eternity.
Permit an addendum. It is a reproduction of a sub-chapter: “Living for His Pleasure” under the Chapter “Making it to that Indescribably Exquisite Heaven of God” from my book, Pondering Eternity:
“It is proper and expected that we know what displeases Him and what pleases Him and may we be so obedient to do that which is right in His sight in every circumstance – which is why He has given us His Holy Word and Holy Spirit for us to approach unto and tap graces from to live holily and acceptably for Him. That is how to live for Him. And that is how to live with eternity in view. This is what pleases Him; that is His pleasure.
“And in Jesus Christ alone we have grace to do this, and to do it to the end; even to the end when He comes in the rapture or catching away of the saints to receive His them (His own) to Himself eternally, even His precious jewels. These are those that live for His pleasure or those that please Him while breath they still have. These shall worship God forever and they shall both know the unimaginable comfort, bliss and glory that are in the presence of God everlastingly and a holy and perfect service to our God eternally. “Until then may the prayerful confession and amen of Paul in 2 Tim. 4:18 be always ours: ‘And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.’ The perception Charles Spurgeon had of this scripture is most irresistible and must be visited presently.
“On 2 Timothy 4: 18 Spurgeon comments in his devotional: ‘Yonder city of the great King is a place of active service. Ransomed spirits serve Him day and night in His temple. They never cease to fulfill the good pleasure of their King. They always ‘rest,’ so far as ease and freedom from care is concerned; and never ‘rest,’ in the sense of indolence or inactivity. Jerusalem the golden is the place of communion with all the people of God. We shall sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in eternal fellowship. We shall hold high converse with the noble host of the elect, all reigning with Him who by His love and His potent arm has brought them safely home. We shall not sing solos, but in chorus shall we praise our King. Heaven is a place of victory realized. Whenever, Christian, thou hast achieved a victory over thy lusts–whenever after hard struggling, thou hast laid a temptation dead at thy feet–thou hast in that hour a foretaste of the joy that awaits thee when the Lord shall shortly tread Satan under thy feet, and thou shalt find thyself more than conqueror through Him who hath loved thee. Paradise is a place of security. When you enjoy the full assurance of faith, you have the pledge of that glorious security which shall be yours when you are a perfect citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem. O my sweet home, Jerusalem, thou happy harbour of my soul! Thanks, even now, to Him whose love hath taught me to long for Thee; but louder thanks in eternity, when I shall possess thee.
“My soul has tasted of the grapes,
And now it longs to go
Where my dear Lord His vineyard keeps
And all the clusters grow.
“Upon the true and living vine,
My famish’d soul would feast,
And banquet on the fruit divine,
An everlasting guest.”’
“Amen!
“But to live for His pleasure in eternity and to be overwhelmed with the eternal bliss, comfort and provisions of heaven we must first live for His pleasure now or in ‘time’. Living for His pleasure here, or what Paul by the Spirit in Romans 12:1-2 represents as presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which also is our reasonable service; and being not conformed to this world: but being transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God; is making it to that indescribably exquisite heaven of God after our salvation.”
