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A Home-Grown Training Ground

We are His household. (Hebrews 3:6 ISV)

With all that the Lord needs and desires to do in the recovery of His first thought, His original idea for His people, not the least is the recovery of the spiritual family. Any fresh movement of God which relates to His original thought will most certainly reintroduce the spiritual family, and all that that means. That may mean the breakdown of a lot; it may mean that a good deal of misconception will have to be set aside; it may be that a whole traditional system will have to be discarded.

There is a tremendous value connected with the spiritual family life and with the training in the family. There is no training better than the training in the family. You cannot find an adequate substitute in the institution. Really, the Lord responsible and useful men and women are not trained in the institution; they are trained in the family. It is because of the lack of that family background of training that so often those who go out into the Lord work break down in the matter of relationships. The tragedy of so much of the work of God is the tragedy of broken relationships between workers who are put together in an organized way, and they have never gone through the discipline of family life to know how to live triumphantly with difficult people. There is an immense value in the training of the spiritual family and that necessitates very close relationships. We have heard Christian people (church-going people) say that they do not want to come into too close an association with their fellow Christians and church members; they would rather not know too much. That is defeat, and that means the loss of a very great deal for the Lord. The Lord way is to bring His people together in the closest relationship and not to eliminate the most difficult ones. He has a very peculiar family, made up of all sorts, and some of the sorts are very funny sorts; and that all provides the basis of a wonderful training.

The whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire.

They took Jesus and led Him away. And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him. § The bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the gate, bearing His reproach. § The fellowship of His sufferings.

Rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. § Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Lev. 4:12;  John 19:16;  John 19:17;  John 19:18;  Heb. 13:11;  Heb. 13:12;  Heb. 13:13;  Phil. 3:10;  1 Peter 4:13;  2 Cor. 4:17

God created man in His own image.

Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ … We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. § For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. § I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. § If children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

Gen. 1:27;  Acts 17:29;  Eph. 2:4,5;  Eph. 2:10;  Rom. 8:29;  1 John 3:2;  Ps. 17:15;  Rev. 21:7;  Rom. 8:17

Highly Placed

O our God . . . we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee" (2 Chron. 20:12).

Many believers have gone only as far as justification can take them - spiritual birth, and a bit beyond. There they stagnate, in dire need of the fresh streams of living water that come from seeing their position in Christ. "God . . . hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). "Always begin with your position, where you are; and then think of your condition, what you are." -R.P. "Christians are at their wits' end. Many have given up the fight. They still go to church; but secretly they feel that victory is out of the question. They have no weapons for such an hour. Frankly, they have capitulated to the prince of this world, for all their efforts to rout the foe have failed. "But victory is the believer's right, as truly his as the air he breathes. However, he must understand the conditions. He must see himself enthroned with Christ. He must see himself according to God's own Holy Word, as crucified with the Lord Jesus, dead, buried, raised and made to sit in heavenly places with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Without this he will go down in ignominious defeat in spite of all his strivings and his prayers. With this position he is more than conqueror through Him who loved him and gave Himself for him." -F.J.H.

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).

God, My Tranquility (All I Need-3)

Suffering But Rejoicing