Jesus released into His disciples truth – spiritual knowledge – that would establish them – the Church, truth that would give them success in their mission to produce eternal fruit, and truth that would keep the Church in its darkest hour, in its most trying times, against all the wiles of the Devil. What could be so potent?  What could be so compelling?  What was it that Jesus taught that caused men and women to yield their all to Him and live daily on His words?  What truth could be so powerful that the gates of hell could not prevail against the Church? What truth could be so powerful that persecutions, spiritual attacks, trials, nor suffering could stop the success of the Church? What truth could be so trenchant that men and women would give up their lives rather than deny their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? It had to be something that was real to them. It had to be something that worked. It had to be something that they could experience from day to day. It had to be something that they could use and see results. It was the abiding life of Christ. They believed that He was still with them through the Holy Spirit.

The abiding life has to do with God’s will and God’s design for all who believe on Him to live in Him. The abiding life is surrendering or giving up your life as you know it to live life in Christ. The abiding life is Christians daily, moment by moment, living in Christ. Everything that you do now comes from the life of Christ that flows through you. Christ calls us to live in Him and He in us. He uses the word abide. Abide means to stay or remain. Through salvation, we have been baptized into Christ. Now, what He wants us to do is stay in Him…live in Him and bear fruit in Him. Is this the call of God on your life? Do you know deep down within that this is the will of God for you? The give to Him your all. Hold back nothing. Forsake all and follow Him and He will make your life what He wants it to be.

Today, we are challenged by the experience of the early church. This is the pattern, the only pattern, that we have to go by. Many in the church today will readily say “I am a believer on the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” but how many can say that you are a Spirit filled believer on the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? How many can say that you are filled with the Holy Spirit of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ and His power? How many can say that you know that you have been baptized into God’s Holy Spirit and that He has empowered you by His might? … that you no longer live but now it is Christ who lives in you? … that it is not your power, not your strength, not your might that you live from day to day, but it is the power of God given to you after He took you and baptized you into His Holy Spirit?

We find, in the book of Habakkuk a prophet in a state of confusion. How could God who created this earth… who rules and reigns over the affairs of the earth stand back and watch it be destroyed? How could a holy God, who knows no sin or evil, allow evil to triumph over what belongs to Him? For the prophet, this was perplexing; it left him with a heavy burden for the people of God. And to make matters worse, on top of all of this, God told the prophet what He was about to do. “I will raise up another nation, your enemy, to fight you…to war against you until you are a conquered people again.” How could God who loves His people, whose nature is agape (unconditional love) send their enemy among them to destroy them?  It was mind boggling. Yet, we know God. He does all things by His will. He has a purpose. And if it is His purpose to do things this way to get what He wants, then so let it be. He will get what He wants from His creation.

By now in your Christian life, you ought to know that God does not do things by our popular standards.  There are times when you think you know Him…when you think you know which way He is going to go, only to find that you are sorely mistaken.  God can not afford to allow mankind to predict Him.  Not that He is keeping anything secret but because He is sovereign, because He is God.  And He can do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to, how He wants to and He does not need man’s permission to do it.  And whether you like it or not … whether I like it or not, God’s will shall be done.

God is getting you back to a life of faith. The only way He can deal with us is through faith. You have got to believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. A lot of folk have stop believing, given up because of trials and sufferings. A lot of folk have given in because their way has been hard. They have stood back and wondered why God? …when God? …are you going to help? They are stuck in the natural. They need to have faith. What they are going through want let them see what God has already planted in their spirit. The hurt is so bad.  The trials are so great. The needs are so many that they are unable to look into their own spirit for what God has said He will do. God is trying to show you something. He will always see you through no matter the hurt, the pain or the disappointment. He is able to supply all of your needs. But you have to trust Him to do the work.

God has a time. Habakkuk, I am not going to answer you the way you want me to answer you. I know that you want me to move right now but I am not going to do it your way. Your victory, your deliverance, your answer is going to come to pass in my time. This is the road to spiritual maturity. Will you wait? Will you trust me? This is where many of us fail the test. God wants to bring us to a place of absolute trust in Him. He wants to bring us to a place where we are solely governed by His Spirit and by His word. God is seeking to break our dependence upon the things of the flesh. He allows evil to come. He allows trouble to come. He allows dark places to come. He allows dry places to come. He allows valley experiences to come. He allows temptations to come. He allows hurt to come. He allows sickness to come. He allows the attacks of the enemy to come. And then He tells us that He is the God who will deliver us, but it is going to happen in His time. Will you wait on God?

God has a purpose for His timing. Isaiah 30:18 “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.”  You are going to find that many times you are going to find yourself in positions that only God can deliver you from. Then He will get all the glory. He will be glorified. You are going to find that you are going to be in situations where only the grace of God is keeping you. Then you will know who is blessing you…who is keeping you. God has a time that He will move in your life. He has an appointed time.  Therefore, it is time for you to turn loose. Let go. Trust God. Say, yes to God’s will for your life. Say, have you way, God. I will trust you.  When you are ready, I am ready.

Today, the Holy Spirit of Christ is searching throughout to find those who will commit themselves to living the kingdom of heaven life here on earth. We are Jesus’ disciples today. We are His followers today. We are the Church, the body of Christ in the earth today. If we are going to be successful, as individuals and as the Church, in what we do for Him; if we are going to be victorious over the work of the enemy; if we are going to bear fruit and bring glory to God then we must learn to live His life, the kingdom of heaven life here in the earth. Jesus said, John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.