"I am like a green olive tree in the house of God" (Psa.52:8).

Beloved, this is what the God of grace and glory wants you to be. If you knew what it means, then like
David you also would long to be like this, so that you might satisfy the loving heart of God; and when the
Lord makes you so your heart also will be filled with joy.

AN OLIVE TREE

You will remember that it was the olive tree which first appeared on the new earth in the days of Noah,
after the waters of the flood had subsided, and the dove returned with an olive leaf in her mouth (Gen.8:
11). This meant that the waters of judgment had passed away, and that the new vegetation had begun to
show itself.

If you have not yet repented of your sins, and given your heart to the Lord Jesus Who loved you and died
for you, then you are still under judgment, ready to be cut down and cast into the fire. But if you have
accepted into your heart the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who bore the judgment of all your sins upon
the cross, then for you the judgment, is over, and the new creation has begun in your heart. "He that
believeth on him is not condemned" (John 3:18). "...if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor.5:17). Then you can be called an olive
tree.

A GREEN OLIVE TREE

A green tree is full of sap; a green olive tree is full of oil; and oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The
Lord desires that every child of His should be filled with the Spirit. The best life, the happiest life and the
easiest life, is for those who are willing to be filled with the Spirit. Alas, how much joy is lost; how much
glory, power and blessing are left un - enjoyed; how many unnecessary tears are shed; how much
reproach is brought upon the Lord's Name; all because His people do not long to be filled with the Spirit!
How sad it is to see the people of God full of bitterness, quarrelling, jealousy, arguments, rebellion, and
love for worldly pleasure; a people neither hot nor cold; a people who have forgotten their heavenly
calling! We have to lament like Jeremiah, because the gold has become dim; "the stones of the sanctuary
are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold,
...are...esteemed as earthen pitchers" (Lam.4:1 ,2).
Beloved, are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you a green olive tree? Or, are you only an old, dry and
barren tree?

IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

If the olive tree is full of oil, if the child of God is filled with the Spirit, the Lord's whole intention is, that
his or her life, testimony and ministry should be always in the House of God, and in relation to the House
of God. Read the Word of God over and over again, and you will be amazed to see how much the Lord
and His saints love the House of God, -the Heavenly Jerusalem, -Zion, the City of the Living God. "The
Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob"(Psa.87: 2). "If I forget thee, O
Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the
roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy" (Psa.137: 5,6).

If you are a green olive tree, but not "in the House of God", then God's full purpose in you is not being
accomplished. Alas! how many believers there are who have love and zeal for the Lord, but who yet love
to work independently. Thus their love is mostly misdirected, and their zeal is largely wasted. Even
though souls may be saved through them, yet this is not God's best for them. God wants that love and zeal
to be poured out in the House of God, in the Church, and to be used in building it up. Beloved, are you a
green olive tree in the House of God?

In Zech.4: 11-14, we read of two trees, or two olive branches, which through two golden pipes empty the
golden oil out of themselves, into the golden candlestick. These two olive trees are explained as the two
anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. Such is the beautiful picture which the Lord
gives of Zerubbabel, the Prince, and Joshua, the High Priest, who led the children of Israel in their first
expedition out of their captivity in Babylon. Having come to Jerusalem, these two men led the people in
building again the Temple of God, and this ministry is described as pouring golden oil, through golden
pipes into the golden candlestick.

But now the Lord is building a better Temple, made without hands. The Golden Candlestick is the
Church, the Holy Jerusalem. And the Lord wants us to have the unique privilege of standing by Him, as
builders together with God. He wants you to be an olive branch emptying out of itself the golden oil
through golden pipes, into the golden candlestick.

Beloved, are you emptying yourself, are you being poured out in the service of the Lord?
Are you
spending and being spent, with all your energy and time and talent, in this great eternal work of God,
which is to shed forth its heavenly light, and to show forth now unto the principalities and powers in
heavenly places the manifold wisdom of God? (Eph.3: 10). How greatly the Lord loves us! How great are
His intentions towards us! And how great are the riches of His grace!

May the Lord make each one of us to be "a green olive tree in the House of God", for His Name's sake.
Amen.

SECRET OF EFFECTIVE MINISTRY -4
BAKHT SINGH

God put new life into Abraham, and so he became righteous. "He staggered not at the promise of God
through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he
had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness"
(Rom.4: 20 -22). He could not glory in his own self or energy. We do not become righteous before God
by our Bible knowledge, rituals and activities. By receiving into us by faith the power of resurrection, we
become righteous forever. And that is the meaning of new birth, which is a great experience. It is by that
new life and death -conquering power that day by day we have to serve God, by becoming righteous in
His sight. "...Jesus our Lord...was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification"
(Rom.4: 24,25).

The second thing we learn through the Name, the God of Abraham, is how Abraham became the friend of
God. "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him
for righteousness: and he was the Friend of God" (James 2:23). He became God's friend at the age of 99.
Before that he could have said truthfully, "God appeared to me; God spoke to me; I obeyed Him" and so
on, but he could not say, "God is my friend". Only after Genesis 17 he became God's friend. We read in
Gen.18: 17, " And the Lord said, Shall hide from Abraham that thing which I do... ?" God could share
with Abraham all the secrets from that time onwards. By sharing our personal secrets, problems,
shortcomings and failures freely, we also become God's friends. Talk to Him like a Friend. There is no
fear in telling Him our personal secrets, temptations and failures. Share everything with Him as your best
Friend. Then wait patiently for His answer. Similarly, ask God to show you His own secrets, His
heavenly mysteries. Friendship becomes thicker when we share secrets. And that is how God could speak
to Moses and He could carry out His task. As we walk with God like a friend we have the privilege of
serving Him more fruitfully.

Secondly, God is called by the Name, "The God of Isaac" (Exo.3: 6). In Isaac we have the symbol of
resurrection. The power of resurrection was available, not only for Moses but it is for all those who obey
the Lord. That power of resurrection works in a threefold way. First of all, we become righteous by the
power of resurrection (Rom.4: 25). Secondly, by the power of resurrection we conquer all our earthly
trials and temptations (Phil.3: 10 - 14). That was the longing of Paul the apostle -to know Him and the
power of His resurrection, that he might win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That is
possible by conquering every trial and temptation by the power of resurrection. Whatever may be our
trials and temptations, weaknesses and shortcomings, we can say by faith, "0 Lord, in myself I am weak
and helpless, having so many failures. Will you kindly pour in me your power of resurrection 'and make
me an overcomer? Help me to overcome this temptation. In myself I am nothing. I depend upon you".
That is the second way in which the power of resurrection works in us. Thirdly, by that power one day we
will be given immortal bodies. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in
you" (Rom.8: 11). The same power by which our Lord rose again will be poured into our bodies. When
the Lord Jesus Christ will come back again, by the efficacy of the precious blood and by the power of.
resurrection we will be given immortal, glorified, heavenly bodies. But we must learn how to receive and
appropriate that power day by day, and not depend upon our own human strength of any kind for victory.

The third name is the God of Jacob. When God first met Jacob he was full of fear. He was fully
transformed after going through many years of severe trials. Then he became Israel, i.e. God's prince
(Gen.32: 26-29). Then the God of Jacob became the God of Israel. God has given us a high heavenly
calling in the Lord Jesus Christ to be kings, but very few believers enjoy it in experience.