Romans
{11:25} For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
{11:26} And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob
{11:27} For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
{11:28} As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
{11:29} For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.
{11:30} For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief
{11:31} Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
{11:32} For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
***
We know the times of the Gentiles was fulfilled in 1980 when Jerusalem became the captial of Israel. This says-- 'that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.'
Israel was to be blinded in part from the time of Jesus until 1980, a long, long time. What was it all about? God gave His chosen many, many chances to be His people fully. They rejected Him over and over. Their ultimate rejection of God happened when Christ came and they rejected the Son of God. From then on the Word was given over to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were given a chance to come to God. God would not have any lost to Him. All that would come to Him He wants them to come.
He doesn't want the Gentiles thinking that He has forsaken Israel, His chosen. He hasn't forsaken them. Their eyes were allowed to see once more after 1980 when the Times of the Gentiles was fulfilled.
Perhaps that is where Messianic Judaism comes into true opportunity for God's chosen.
That passage reads- 'And so Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.'
When the blind are made to see the truth enters in and has saving power to those that will hear it, seeking understanding of the truth.
No, God wasn't willing that any should be lost but all have a way to come to Him. Jews, Gentiles, none are forsaken a way has been made for all.
Yes, time is growing shorter and shorter and soon it will be-
Rev. {22:11} He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. {22:12} And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be
Even so, come Lord Jesus, by Your mercy and grace come and find us Yours.
Amen.Romans
{11:25} For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
{11:26} And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob
{11:27} For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
{11:28} As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
{11:29} For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.
{11:30} For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief
{11:31} Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
{11:32} For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
***
We know the times of the Gentiles was fulfilled in 1980 when Jerusalem became the captial of Israel. This says-- 'that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.'
Israel was to be blinded in part from the time of Jesus until 1980, a long, long time. What was it all about? God gave His chosen many, many chances to be His people fully. They rejected Him over and over. Their ultimate rejection of God happened when Christ came and they rejected the Son of God. From then on the Word was given over to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were given a chance to come to God. God would not have any lost to Him. All that would come to Him He wants them to come.
He doesn't want the Gentiles thinking that He has forsaken Israel, His chosen. He hasn't forsaken them. Their eyes were allowed to see once more after 1980 when the Times of the Gentiles was fulfilled.
Perhaps that is where Messianic Judaism comes into true opportunity for God's chosen.
That passage reads- 'And so Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.'
When the blind are made to see the truth enters in and has saving power to those that will hear it, seeking understanding of the truth.
No, God wasn't willing that any should be lost but all have a way to come to Him. Jews, Gentiles, none are forsaken a way has been made for all.
Yes, time is growing shorter and shorter and soon it will be-
Rev. {22:11} He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. {22:12} And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be
Even so, come Lord Jesus, by Your mercy and grace come and find us Yours.
Amen.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Opposing the World
Romans
{12:1} I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
{12:2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
The will of God is good.
The will of God is acceptable.
The will of God is perfect.
Proving what the will of God is, is allowing our minds to be renewed and as our minds are renewed we are transformed. We are told not to be conformed to this world. We are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice- holy, acceptable to God. We are encouranged by the mercy of God to do this, and it's all reasonable.
Alone we can't present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. Only by the mercy of God can we do so. Only through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior.
We are told not to be conformed to the world.
What does it mean to be conformed to the world?
Dictionary Definition:
Conform -
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply. See synonyms at agree.
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes. See synonyms at adapt.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
When we conform to the world we are similar to all those in the world. We act in accord, in agreement with the world, complying to the world's ways. We act in accordance with current customs or modes.
Do we do this? Do we conform to the world?
Are you different than those who conform? Are you a stranger to them? Do you stand out as opposed to worldly ways?
We are taught from a young age to conform to the world we live in. It doesn't matter what country you're from. Each country has it's own customs, it's own ways and they are worldy ways. There isn't a single country that isn't worldly unto itself. The world's ways dominate. Godly ways are the miniority making those who follow them strangers to the world.
We want to conform though, it's just easier, it's just right to us to fit in and not stand out.
Do you conform?
We need to ask ourselves this question. How much like the world are we? How much to we keep of the world and shun of God? Where does God fit in our lives. We cry out we have to conform to live and yet deep down inside do we believe that?
We are in the world, but we aren't to be of the world.
Jesus prayed to His Father, to God-
John
{17:15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
{17:16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
We aren't to be taken out of the world.
We are to be kept from evil.
We aren't to be of the world.
Even as Christ wasn't of the world.
Be not conformed to this world.
By the Grace and Mercy of Christ we need to be His. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Him, through the Holy Spirit.
Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Only in Christ. When we try to conform on our own, when we attempt the renewing of our own minds, we fight a battle that is impossible and the weight of it overwhelms us completely bringing on despair. We need to grow ever closer to Christ. We need to grasp hold of His love, His mercy, ever laying hold of His mercy, seeking always to be closer to Him and his love.
We can't allow ourselves to forget that Jesus is our Savior, if we take our eyes off Jesus there is no hope.
When it might seem impossible to walk in the way of Christ we have to just remember He died for us! He lives for us and He will return for us, these are truths, these are facts and not fancy.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, we need to cry out to Jesus, cry out we believe, help our unbelief! We believe we would be His by His mercy and grace through the Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us Lord! Mercy.
Amen.
{12:1} I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
{12:2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
The will of God is good.
The will of God is acceptable.
The will of God is perfect.
Proving what the will of God is, is allowing our minds to be renewed and as our minds are renewed we are transformed. We are told not to be conformed to this world. We are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice- holy, acceptable to God. We are encouranged by the mercy of God to do this, and it's all reasonable.
Alone we can't present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. Only by the mercy of God can we do so. Only through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior.
We are told not to be conformed to the world.
What does it mean to be conformed to the world?
Dictionary Definition:
Conform -
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply. See synonyms at agree.
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes. See synonyms at adapt.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
When we conform to the world we are similar to all those in the world. We act in accord, in agreement with the world, complying to the world's ways. We act in accordance with current customs or modes.
Do we do this? Do we conform to the world?
Are you different than those who conform? Are you a stranger to them? Do you stand out as opposed to worldly ways?
We are taught from a young age to conform to the world we live in. It doesn't matter what country you're from. Each country has it's own customs, it's own ways and they are worldy ways. There isn't a single country that isn't worldly unto itself. The world's ways dominate. Godly ways are the miniority making those who follow them strangers to the world.
We want to conform though, it's just easier, it's just right to us to fit in and not stand out.
Do you conform?
We need to ask ourselves this question. How much like the world are we? How much to we keep of the world and shun of God? Where does God fit in our lives. We cry out we have to conform to live and yet deep down inside do we believe that?
We are in the world, but we aren't to be of the world.
Jesus prayed to His Father, to God-
John
{17:15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
{17:16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
We aren't to be taken out of the world.
We are to be kept from evil.
We aren't to be of the world.
Even as Christ wasn't of the world.
Be not conformed to this world.
By the Grace and Mercy of Christ we need to be His. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Him, through the Holy Spirit.
Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Only in Christ. When we try to conform on our own, when we attempt the renewing of our own minds, we fight a battle that is impossible and the weight of it overwhelms us completely bringing on despair. We need to grow ever closer to Christ. We need to grasp hold of His love, His mercy, ever laying hold of His mercy, seeking always to be closer to Him and his love.
We can't allow ourselves to forget that Jesus is our Savior, if we take our eyes off Jesus there is no hope.
When it might seem impossible to walk in the way of Christ we have to just remember He died for us! He lives for us and He will return for us, these are truths, these are facts and not fancy.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, we need to cry out to Jesus, cry out we believe, help our unbelief! We believe we would be His by His mercy and grace through the Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us Lord! Mercy.
Amen.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Nothing Can Separate Us From God's Love
Romans
{8:38} For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come
{8:39} Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Neither death.
Nor life.
Nor angels.
Nor principalities.
Nor powers.
Nor things present.
Nor things to come.
Nor height.
Nor depth.
Nor any other creature.
Not death.
Not life.
Not angels.
Not principalities.
Not powers.
Not things present.
Not things to come.
Not height.
Not depth.
Not any other creature.
Nothing! Not a single thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not a single thing except- our choice.
We can separate ourselves but nothing ouside of us can, nothing.
We tend to think it's very easy to get rid of God's love. That God will desert us in our greatest time of need, that He's made everything so hard that it's near impossible to be with Him. We want to believe that so we can somehow absolve ourselves of responsibility and place it all on God. He's the bad guy, we're innocent, we can't help that we are sinners we were born this way. The trouble with all that is it's not true. Our warped perceptions come because it's easier for us to blame someone else, much easier than feeling the weight of sin on ourselves.
God's love transcends death. We may die but He will raise us again immortal one day because of His love.
God's love transcends life. We may live our lives day to day struggling to get by and in all our lives- in our happiness, our disappointments, our heartaches, and our joys God's love is there. God's love doesn't disappear it lives.
God's love transcends angels. Angels can't take God's love from us, of course only evil angels would try.
God's love transcends principalities. There is no authority at all that can stop God's love.
God's love transcends powers. Not a single power can usurp God's love.
God's love transcends things present. God's love goes beyond the now.
God's love transcends things to come. Nothing can take God'd love from us, nothing at all.
God's love transcends all heights, all depths, all creatures!
God's love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This amazing love is a spiritual love and our carnal selves cannot understand such a thing. We have to let the part in us that is spiritual connect to the Spirit of God.
We have to be persuaded that there is NOTHING that can separated from God. NOTHING, because it's true.
God's love is amazing. It goes beyond feelings which are temporal. It's factual, it's real, it is the Great I Am.
We have to believe, we have to have hope that goes beyond everything, every thought we have has to be tempered with the truth of God's everlasting love in Jesus.
May God have mercy on us, may His grace fill us now and forever!
Amen
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”- 2 Corinthians 5:21
{8:38} For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come
{8:39} Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Neither death.
Nor life.
Nor angels.
Nor principalities.
Nor powers.
Nor things present.
Nor things to come.
Nor height.
Nor depth.
Nor any other creature.
Not death.
Not life.
Not angels.
Not principalities.
Not powers.
Not things present.
Not things to come.
Not height.
Not depth.
Not any other creature.
Nothing! Not a single thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not a single thing except- our choice.
We can separate ourselves but nothing ouside of us can, nothing.
We tend to think it's very easy to get rid of God's love. That God will desert us in our greatest time of need, that He's made everything so hard that it's near impossible to be with Him. We want to believe that so we can somehow absolve ourselves of responsibility and place it all on God. He's the bad guy, we're innocent, we can't help that we are sinners we were born this way. The trouble with all that is it's not true. Our warped perceptions come because it's easier for us to blame someone else, much easier than feeling the weight of sin on ourselves.
God's love transcends death. We may die but He will raise us again immortal one day because of His love.
God's love transcends life. We may live our lives day to day struggling to get by and in all our lives- in our happiness, our disappointments, our heartaches, and our joys God's love is there. God's love doesn't disappear it lives.
God's love transcends angels. Angels can't take God's love from us, of course only evil angels would try.
God's love transcends principalities. There is no authority at all that can stop God's love.
God's love transcends powers. Not a single power can usurp God's love.
God's love transcends things present. God's love goes beyond the now.
God's love transcends things to come. Nothing can take God'd love from us, nothing at all.
God's love transcends all heights, all depths, all creatures!
God's love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This amazing love is a spiritual love and our carnal selves cannot understand such a thing. We have to let the part in us that is spiritual connect to the Spirit of God.
We have to be persuaded that there is NOTHING that can separated from God. NOTHING, because it's true.
God's love is amazing. It goes beyond feelings which are temporal. It's factual, it's real, it is the Great I Am.
We have to believe, we have to have hope that goes beyond everything, every thought we have has to be tempered with the truth of God's everlasting love in Jesus.
May God have mercy on us, may His grace fill us now and forever!
Amen
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”- 2 Corinthians 5:21
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sin Shifting
Sin Shifter - Are You a Sin Shifter?
Pushing sins around- sweeping some under the rug, others into a corner, others still into a dustpan where they're dumped into a trash can.
Dirt pushed under a rug can work its way to the outer edges of the rug until it's visible once more. The rug could be turned over sending dirt flying everywhere. A little bit of a wind can take the dirt out of a corner spreading it every which way. Sin shifting is like trying to hide dirt rather than getting rid of it entirely, it's something people do to ease their conscience. Hide a bit of sin for awhile maybe turning the focus onto another sin for awhile. Of course shifting things around whether it's dirt or sin does nothing at all to get rid of them does it? You can shift dirt all around a floor and it's not going to make the dirt disppear. You could even spread the dirt so eveningly about it seems like hardly nothing spread out, rather than a big pile when all pushed together. Shift it anyway you like. Divide it into halves, quarters, eights, sixteenths go on, divide it into hundredths and you're still going to have just as much dirt as before. Sin is like that too. We can shuffle our sin about, shift it this way and that. We can let it dominate or be submissive but it's still there, still in our lives.
Sin no more.
What words! What amazing words!
Who said them? Jesus said them.
John {5:14} '...sin no more...'
John {8:11} '...go, and sin no more.'
Does it often feel like our very existence is sin itself? That we wake up in the morning and as we climb from our beds we are already sinning?
Sin we know is the transgression of the law. 1 John {3:4} Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The law is-
Deut. {5:6} I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
{5:7} Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
{5:8} Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
{5:9} Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me
{5:10} And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
{5:11} Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. {5:12} Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
{5:13} Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work
{5:14} But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
{5:15} And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
{5:16} Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
{5:17} Thou shalt not kill.
{5:18} Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
{5:19} Neither shalt thou steal.
{5:20} Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
{5:21} Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
{5:22} These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
The law is-
Mark {12:28} And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
{12:29} And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
{12:30} And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
{12:31} And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
{12:32} And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: {12:33} And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength. Maybe we love Him just a little bit, not entirely. Maybe we've giving most of our heart, our soul, our understanding, our strength to loving ourselves, putting ourselves first.
1 John {5:1} Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
{5:2} By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
{5:3} For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
{5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
{5:5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John {4:7} Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
{4:8} He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
{4:9} In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
{4:10} Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
{4:11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
{4:12} No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
{4:13} Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
{4:14} And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
{4:15} Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
{4:16} And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
{4:17} Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. {4:18} There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
{4:19} We love him, because he first loved us.
{4:20} If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
{4:21} And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
I say again- perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength.
Shifting sin around will not get rid of sin.
Being told to go and 'sin no more' seems in impossible feat.
Are we alone in this belief? That it's impossible not to sin?
No.
Romans {7:7} What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
{7:8} But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
{7:9} For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
{7:10} And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
{7:11} For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
{7:12} Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
{7:13} Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
{7:14} For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
{7:15} For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
{7:16} If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
{7:17} Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:18} For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
{7:19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
{7:20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
{7:22} For I delight in the law of God after the inward man
{7:23} But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
{7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
{7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
{8:1} There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:2} For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
{8:3} For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh
{8:4} That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
{8:7} Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
{8:8} So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
{8:9} But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
{8:10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
{8:11} 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.
{8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
{8:14} For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
{8:15} For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
{8:16} The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God
{8:17} And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
*mortify (môr´te-fì´) verb
mortified, mortifying, mortifies verb, transitive
1. To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride; humiliate.
2. To discipline (one's body and physical appetites) by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
If we rise up out of bed determined to live carnally we are taking on sin and all its evil.
If we rise up out of bed and determined to live after the Spirit we are trusting in Christ to forgive our sins.
We aren't just shifting our sins about putting on a light sin one day and a heavier, warmer sin the next day. We aren't shifting sin under the bed or the dresser, we are bringing our sins boldly into the light and that light is Jesus! The Light of the World, the forgiver of sin!
No, it's not at all simple or easy to choose to live Spiritually rather than carnally, but we must. Until we determine to walk a Spiritual walk we will forever be doomed to walk carnally. Our flesh is weak and if we look to our flesh for sinlessness we'll never find it there. We must look to the Spirit of Christ and walk after the Spirit, looking to Jesus.
Mortifying the deeds of the body-
Dictionary definition states that mortifying means to discipline one's body and physical appetites by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
How many of us understand this mortifying business?
We are used to gratifying our desires, our wants, our lust, our appetites. We are not used mortifying anything, it's an alien concept to us. We live in a world that tells us gratifying our desires is our life-long goal. Having enough money, enough time, enough energy to gratify our desires is paramount or what the heck is life worth living for? If we can't satisfy our desires, our seemingly harmless desires then what's the point to it all? Really, what is the point of being alive if we can't get pleasure from living. If we can't push aside everything and do what we want to do, is there a point? We work hard so we deserve to give ourselves a break, right? We work hard to afford all that we want out of life. We work hard to get the nice car, that nice dress, those nice shoes, that nice expensive fish, new furniture, the big tv, the amazing laptop, the newest video game, the list is endless. We live without sacrifice, we live without knowing mortifying- and this isn't a temporary mortification demanded by circumstances. This mortification is that which you do when you don't have to do it, but rather choose to do it because you know, you realize that gratifying all your senses and desires is selfish and draws your mind back to yourself and only to yourself and away from God. We live carnally, and in living carnally how do we ever supposed to live spiritually? When circumstances demand that we no longer have the means to live carnally and we are forced to live spiritually it'll be too late then because we will be too busy mourning the carnal things we've had taken from us to care about anything spiritual. We'll look upon our losses as deprivations forced upon us against our wills and woe to us. Like Lot's wife we will turn back and long for that which has been taken from us, we'll have no choice but to do so because we have no real spiritual connection and things spiritual will seem wrong some how and be the enemy of us because they've taken our carnal desires away. When we're stripped of things carnal we will mourn, not celebrate. Mortifying- self-denial, self-inflicted privation. It's a choice to deny yourself.
Romans {8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
If we live after our flesh we will die.
But if we THROUGH the SPIRIT deny ourselves, inflict privations upon ourselves, those deeds of the body the carnal desires we shall live!
Romans {8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
We have to ask ourselves which we are... are we carnally minded? Or are we spiritually minded?
People claim Jesus came and died for us, forgiving us and giving us eternal life and asked nothing of us. He asked a lot of us, He asked the hardest thing of all from us, the one thing that most will find impossible to do. Give up self.
He didn't ask us to do it on our own but through the Holy Spirit. By drawing ever closer to God it will be possible. But to think that you don't have to suffer a thing, that you don't have to deny yourself is a falsehood that will trap many. People have labeled self-sacrifice as works, saying we're working to get ourselves to heaven, we're trying to work out our own salvation. It's a perfect scheme of Satan and it works on many, many people. As long as people believe they don't have to mortify the deeds of the body, they're safe from a true Spiritual life. As long as we believe we are saved no matter what we do, Satan has us. He'll let us believe our strong delusions. He'll dance a little jig of happiness as we go about our lives satisfying our desires, our wants without once thinking that maybe, just maybe we really do need to deny ourselves something.
Yes, you could give up everything and live a life full of self-denial and it won't get you salvation.
You have to give up things and live a life full of self-denial in the SPIRIT, not seeking salvation by the acts, but seeking a closer connection to Christ. Choosing God first, not self.
You can deny yourself and still do it selfishly and that is what is meant by trying to work your way to salvation.
Ultimately it's the reason behind your actions that matters.
Jesus needs to matter most.
Not I, but Christ.
There is song called just that-
Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.
Not I, but Christ, to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ, to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear.
Christ, only Christ! no idle words e’er falling,
Christ, only Christ; no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ; no self important bearing;
Christ, only Christ; no trace of “I” be found.
Not I, but Christ, my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ, my strength and health to be;
Not I, but Christ, for body, soul, and spirit,
Christ, only Christ, here and eternally.
By the Grace and Mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we come to Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins. May we stop shifting about our sins and lay them at the foot of the cross. May the light shine in the darkness of our lives revealing the sins we try to hide or ignore. May the grace of God shine on us, the mercy of Christ fill us, the blood of the Lamb cleanse us from all unrighteousness, now and forever.
Amen.
Pushing sins around- sweeping some under the rug, others into a corner, others still into a dustpan where they're dumped into a trash can.
Dirt pushed under a rug can work its way to the outer edges of the rug until it's visible once more. The rug could be turned over sending dirt flying everywhere. A little bit of a wind can take the dirt out of a corner spreading it every which way. Sin shifting is like trying to hide dirt rather than getting rid of it entirely, it's something people do to ease their conscience. Hide a bit of sin for awhile maybe turning the focus onto another sin for awhile. Of course shifting things around whether it's dirt or sin does nothing at all to get rid of them does it? You can shift dirt all around a floor and it's not going to make the dirt disppear. You could even spread the dirt so eveningly about it seems like hardly nothing spread out, rather than a big pile when all pushed together. Shift it anyway you like. Divide it into halves, quarters, eights, sixteenths go on, divide it into hundredths and you're still going to have just as much dirt as before. Sin is like that too. We can shuffle our sin about, shift it this way and that. We can let it dominate or be submissive but it's still there, still in our lives.
Sin no more.
What words! What amazing words!
Who said them? Jesus said them.
John {5:14} '...sin no more...'
John {8:11} '...go, and sin no more.'
Does it often feel like our very existence is sin itself? That we wake up in the morning and as we climb from our beds we are already sinning?
Sin we know is the transgression of the law. 1 John {3:4} Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The law is-
Deut. {5:6} I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
{5:7} Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
{5:8} Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
{5:9} Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me
{5:10} And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
{5:11} Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. {5:12} Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
{5:13} Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work
{5:14} But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
{5:15} And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
{5:16} Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
{5:17} Thou shalt not kill.
{5:18} Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
{5:19} Neither shalt thou steal.
{5:20} Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
{5:21} Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
{5:22} These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
The law is-
Mark {12:28} And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
{12:29} And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
{12:30} And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
{12:31} And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
{12:32} And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: {12:33} And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength. Maybe we love Him just a little bit, not entirely. Maybe we've giving most of our heart, our soul, our understanding, our strength to loving ourselves, putting ourselves first.
1 John {5:1} Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
{5:2} By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
{5:3} For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
{5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
{5:5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John {4:7} Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
{4:8} He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
{4:9} In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
{4:10} Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
{4:11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
{4:12} No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
{4:13} Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
{4:14} And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
{4:15} Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
{4:16} And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
{4:17} Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. {4:18} There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
{4:19} We love him, because he first loved us.
{4:20} If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
{4:21} And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
I say again- perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength.
Shifting sin around will not get rid of sin.
Being told to go and 'sin no more' seems in impossible feat.
Are we alone in this belief? That it's impossible not to sin?
No.
Romans {7:7} What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
{7:8} But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
{7:9} For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
{7:10} And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
{7:11} For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
{7:12} Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
{7:13} Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
{7:14} For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
{7:15} For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
{7:16} If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
{7:17} Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:18} For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
{7:19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
{7:20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
{7:22} For I delight in the law of God after the inward man
{7:23} But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
{7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
{7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
{8:1} There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:2} For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
{8:3} For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh
{8:4} That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
{8:7} Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
{8:8} So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
{8:9} But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
{8:10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
{8:11} 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.
{8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
{8:14} For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
{8:15} For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
{8:16} The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God
{8:17} And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
*mortify (môr´te-fì´) verb
mortified, mortifying, mortifies verb, transitive
1. To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride; humiliate.
2. To discipline (one's body and physical appetites) by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
If we rise up out of bed determined to live carnally we are taking on sin and all its evil.
If we rise up out of bed and determined to live after the Spirit we are trusting in Christ to forgive our sins.
We aren't just shifting our sins about putting on a light sin one day and a heavier, warmer sin the next day. We aren't shifting sin under the bed or the dresser, we are bringing our sins boldly into the light and that light is Jesus! The Light of the World, the forgiver of sin!
No, it's not at all simple or easy to choose to live Spiritually rather than carnally, but we must. Until we determine to walk a Spiritual walk we will forever be doomed to walk carnally. Our flesh is weak and if we look to our flesh for sinlessness we'll never find it there. We must look to the Spirit of Christ and walk after the Spirit, looking to Jesus.
Mortifying the deeds of the body-
Dictionary definition states that mortifying means to discipline one's body and physical appetites by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
How many of us understand this mortifying business?
We are used to gratifying our desires, our wants, our lust, our appetites. We are not used mortifying anything, it's an alien concept to us. We live in a world that tells us gratifying our desires is our life-long goal. Having enough money, enough time, enough energy to gratify our desires is paramount or what the heck is life worth living for? If we can't satisfy our desires, our seemingly harmless desires then what's the point to it all? Really, what is the point of being alive if we can't get pleasure from living. If we can't push aside everything and do what we want to do, is there a point? We work hard so we deserve to give ourselves a break, right? We work hard to afford all that we want out of life. We work hard to get the nice car, that nice dress, those nice shoes, that nice expensive fish, new furniture, the big tv, the amazing laptop, the newest video game, the list is endless. We live without sacrifice, we live without knowing mortifying- and this isn't a temporary mortification demanded by circumstances. This mortification is that which you do when you don't have to do it, but rather choose to do it because you know, you realize that gratifying all your senses and desires is selfish and draws your mind back to yourself and only to yourself and away from God. We live carnally, and in living carnally how do we ever supposed to live spiritually? When circumstances demand that we no longer have the means to live carnally and we are forced to live spiritually it'll be too late then because we will be too busy mourning the carnal things we've had taken from us to care about anything spiritual. We'll look upon our losses as deprivations forced upon us against our wills and woe to us. Like Lot's wife we will turn back and long for that which has been taken from us, we'll have no choice but to do so because we have no real spiritual connection and things spiritual will seem wrong some how and be the enemy of us because they've taken our carnal desires away. When we're stripped of things carnal we will mourn, not celebrate. Mortifying- self-denial, self-inflicted privation. It's a choice to deny yourself.
Romans {8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
If we live after our flesh we will die.
But if we THROUGH the SPIRIT deny ourselves, inflict privations upon ourselves, those deeds of the body the carnal desires we shall live!
Romans {8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
We have to ask ourselves which we are... are we carnally minded? Or are we spiritually minded?
People claim Jesus came and died for us, forgiving us and giving us eternal life and asked nothing of us. He asked a lot of us, He asked the hardest thing of all from us, the one thing that most will find impossible to do. Give up self.
He didn't ask us to do it on our own but through the Holy Spirit. By drawing ever closer to God it will be possible. But to think that you don't have to suffer a thing, that you don't have to deny yourself is a falsehood that will trap many. People have labeled self-sacrifice as works, saying we're working to get ourselves to heaven, we're trying to work out our own salvation. It's a perfect scheme of Satan and it works on many, many people. As long as people believe they don't have to mortify the deeds of the body, they're safe from a true Spiritual life. As long as we believe we are saved no matter what we do, Satan has us. He'll let us believe our strong delusions. He'll dance a little jig of happiness as we go about our lives satisfying our desires, our wants without once thinking that maybe, just maybe we really do need to deny ourselves something.
Yes, you could give up everything and live a life full of self-denial and it won't get you salvation.
You have to give up things and live a life full of self-denial in the SPIRIT, not seeking salvation by the acts, but seeking a closer connection to Christ. Choosing God first, not self.
You can deny yourself and still do it selfishly and that is what is meant by trying to work your way to salvation.
Ultimately it's the reason behind your actions that matters.
Jesus needs to matter most.
Not I, but Christ.
There is song called just that-
Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.
Not I, but Christ, to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ, to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear.
Christ, only Christ! no idle words e’er falling,
Christ, only Christ; no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ; no self important bearing;
Christ, only Christ; no trace of “I” be found.
Not I, but Christ, my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ, my strength and health to be;
Not I, but Christ, for body, soul, and spirit,
Christ, only Christ, here and eternally.
By the Grace and Mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we come to Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins. May we stop shifting about our sins and lay them at the foot of the cross. May the light shine in the darkness of our lives revealing the sins we try to hide or ignore. May the grace of God shine on us, the mercy of Christ fill us, the blood of the Lamb cleanse us from all unrighteousness, now and forever.
Amen.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The world hateth you.
John
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
We don't want to be hated.
If the world hates us then we're doing something wrong aren't we?
When the world is against you then you sure aren't conforming to the world and maybe thta's the whole point. We can't conform to the world. We can't expect to be able to conform to the world and walk as Jesus walked.
We want to walk with Jesus and we want to walk with the world. Having it both ways is always good right? To our modern way of thinking it is. Or who knows, maybe it's always been the way man has tended to think. If they can lead a good life with just enough mischief to balance it out it's called complete.
We see religious groups that adhere to strict ways of dressing, eating, convorting with the world and we shake our heads calling it extremism. We rouse up and cry out, Jesus died to do away with all that strict stuff. We want to believe that Jesus died so we would no longer have to act certain ways and such not because it draws us closer to Him but because it makes our lives less strict and well, conforming to the world is a whole lot easier when we tear down walls of separation.
I'm not saying those groups have it all right, but I am saying the world sure does tend towards hating them while the world looks at us and sees what? Good people with a few little quirks but for the most part a nice sort of people that aren't too different, aren't too strange. There's still enough world in us so that we can get along with just about any one without them hating us.
Everything inside us cries out not to be hated by the world. No? You could careless if the world hates you? What about if your friends hate you? What about if your loved one hate you? Do you use your loved ones as an excuse to keep one foot in the door of the world? We don't want to be hated. Can you stop right now and imagine all your loved ones hating you? Not all your loved ones being disappointed with you, but all your loved ones truly HATING you. If you're lucky then you are surrounded by those who love Jesus as much as you do, but that's not how it is for everyone.
Chosen out of the world.
It'd be nice if all the world stopped at a certain time and messages came from above so that all could see and know, messages saying, 'I have chosen you, Dorene; I have chosen you, Debbie; I have chosen you Diane; I have chosen you, Shirley; I have chosen you, Matthew; I have chosen you, Beth.' Wouldn't it be nice to hear that and have everyone around us hear it too so that we could just stop feeling compelled to conform to the world. We would then be expected to be different, right? We've had a personal communication from God that we are His and we are no longer to be 'of' the world. Also, it's okay for the world to hate us because we would be different from them, we were chosen.
Unfortunately things don't work that way. Unfortunately for us, not for God. He wants us of our own free will to choose Him over worldly conformity. He wants our love for Him to be greater than the love of the world. He wants us to step outside the norm and be different if only because growing closer to Him will naturally do that, naturally change us.
John
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Jesus they will persecute us.
That sounds so cultish doesn't it?
Some wild-eyed preacher calling out to his congregation- If they persecute Jesus they will persecute you!
We can picture it as being okay back in Jesus' day and we comfort ourselves by saying, people just don't persecute like they used to. This is a modern, advanced society and well you can believe whatever you want to and you won't be persecuted. We'll tolerate your kind especially if you aren't so different from the way we are.
There is so much to think about, so much to contemplate and ultimately, choices to be made. We make choices daily. We make descisions and while the decision to turn on the tv or to read a book might not seem like big decisions in the end they just might be.
May the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior have mercy upon us. We are so weak and so full of sin. We know it's not meant to be easy here and now, we know we'd much rather be taken out of the situation we are in and put in another that would aid our walks with Christ and yet we have the lives we have and there seems to be nothing we can do to change them- nothing that seems rational and keeps us with our loved ones, nothing that seems rational and keeps us living the way we are used to living. Lord, we need your help desperately we are weak, we are sinners, we are the lowest of the low.
Lord, please help us!
By your mercy Lord!
Amen.
“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”- Psalm 62:7
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
We don't want to be hated.
If the world hates us then we're doing something wrong aren't we?
When the world is against you then you sure aren't conforming to the world and maybe thta's the whole point. We can't conform to the world. We can't expect to be able to conform to the world and walk as Jesus walked.
We want to walk with Jesus and we want to walk with the world. Having it both ways is always good right? To our modern way of thinking it is. Or who knows, maybe it's always been the way man has tended to think. If they can lead a good life with just enough mischief to balance it out it's called complete.
We see religious groups that adhere to strict ways of dressing, eating, convorting with the world and we shake our heads calling it extremism. We rouse up and cry out, Jesus died to do away with all that strict stuff. We want to believe that Jesus died so we would no longer have to act certain ways and such not because it draws us closer to Him but because it makes our lives less strict and well, conforming to the world is a whole lot easier when we tear down walls of separation.
I'm not saying those groups have it all right, but I am saying the world sure does tend towards hating them while the world looks at us and sees what? Good people with a few little quirks but for the most part a nice sort of people that aren't too different, aren't too strange. There's still enough world in us so that we can get along with just about any one without them hating us.
Everything inside us cries out not to be hated by the world. No? You could careless if the world hates you? What about if your friends hate you? What about if your loved one hate you? Do you use your loved ones as an excuse to keep one foot in the door of the world? We don't want to be hated. Can you stop right now and imagine all your loved ones hating you? Not all your loved ones being disappointed with you, but all your loved ones truly HATING you. If you're lucky then you are surrounded by those who love Jesus as much as you do, but that's not how it is for everyone.
Chosen out of the world.
It'd be nice if all the world stopped at a certain time and messages came from above so that all could see and know, messages saying, 'I have chosen you, Dorene; I have chosen you, Debbie; I have chosen you Diane; I have chosen you, Shirley; I have chosen you, Matthew; I have chosen you, Beth.' Wouldn't it be nice to hear that and have everyone around us hear it too so that we could just stop feeling compelled to conform to the world. We would then be expected to be different, right? We've had a personal communication from God that we are His and we are no longer to be 'of' the world. Also, it's okay for the world to hate us because we would be different from them, we were chosen.
Unfortunately things don't work that way. Unfortunately for us, not for God. He wants us of our own free will to choose Him over worldly conformity. He wants our love for Him to be greater than the love of the world. He wants us to step outside the norm and be different if only because growing closer to Him will naturally do that, naturally change us.
John
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Jesus they will persecute us.
That sounds so cultish doesn't it?
Some wild-eyed preacher calling out to his congregation- If they persecute Jesus they will persecute you!
We can picture it as being okay back in Jesus' day and we comfort ourselves by saying, people just don't persecute like they used to. This is a modern, advanced society and well you can believe whatever you want to and you won't be persecuted. We'll tolerate your kind especially if you aren't so different from the way we are.
There is so much to think about, so much to contemplate and ultimately, choices to be made. We make choices daily. We make descisions and while the decision to turn on the tv or to read a book might not seem like big decisions in the end they just might be.
May the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior have mercy upon us. We are so weak and so full of sin. We know it's not meant to be easy here and now, we know we'd much rather be taken out of the situation we are in and put in another that would aid our walks with Christ and yet we have the lives we have and there seems to be nothing we can do to change them- nothing that seems rational and keeps us with our loved ones, nothing that seems rational and keeps us living the way we are used to living. Lord, we need your help desperately we are weak, we are sinners, we are the lowest of the low.
Lord, please help us!
By your mercy Lord!
Amen.
“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”- Psalm 62:7
Thursday, March 26, 2009
These things I command you, that ye love one another
John
{15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you.
We are chosen.
We are ordained.
Chosen and ordained for what? To go and bring forth fruit.
We've been talking about fruit for a bit now and it's true, we need to be productive. Our lives have to grow in Christ. We have to bring forth good fruit through Jesus. We've learned and are learning that our connection to Christ is crucial. Yes, crucial. We cannot live outside of Christ. We are to bring forth fruit and we are told how to do so. The Husbandman will tend to us, and we must stay attached to the Vine. The conditions outside of those two things are beyond our control. If we make sure we are connected with Christ in all we do we will produce the fruit that only a branch connected to the Vine can do.
Jesus commands us...
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Love one another.
If you don't know what sort of fruit you might be producing through Christ this is a wonderful indication. How much do you love others. And by love I mean--
1 Corinthians
{13:4} Charity suffereth long
and is kind
charity envieth not
charity vaunteth not itself
is not puffed up
{13:5} Doth not behave itself unseemly
seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
{13:6} Rejoiceth not in iniquity,
but rejoiceth in the truth
{13:7} Beareth all things,
believeth all things
hopeth all things
endureth all things.
{13:8} Charity never faileth
{5:22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, {5:23}
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Do you see how they both go together these lists, one of love and one of the fruit of the Spirit.
You really can't have one without the other.
If you do manage to be a good person and to produce these attributes they'd be nothing but counterfiets, because without Jesus they are hollow.
The source of our love is Jesus and it's only through Jesus that real fruit, real love can grow.
Again, if you wonder if your life is producing the fruit and if you have the love Jesus commands, reread those attributes of Spiritual fruit and of love. If you fall far short of being this sort of person then growing closer to Christ is the only answer.
We all need to grow closer to Christ, all of us and as we do... Jesus has this to say--
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
More on that tomorrow :)
May the Lord bless and keep us in His love, by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Amen.
{15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you.
We are chosen.
We are ordained.
Chosen and ordained for what? To go and bring forth fruit.
We've been talking about fruit for a bit now and it's true, we need to be productive. Our lives have to grow in Christ. We have to bring forth good fruit through Jesus. We've learned and are learning that our connection to Christ is crucial. Yes, crucial. We cannot live outside of Christ. We are to bring forth fruit and we are told how to do so. The Husbandman will tend to us, and we must stay attached to the Vine. The conditions outside of those two things are beyond our control. If we make sure we are connected with Christ in all we do we will produce the fruit that only a branch connected to the Vine can do.
Jesus commands us...
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Love one another.
If you don't know what sort of fruit you might be producing through Christ this is a wonderful indication. How much do you love others. And by love I mean--
1 Corinthians
{13:4} Charity suffereth long
and is kind
charity envieth not
charity vaunteth not itself
is not puffed up
{13:5} Doth not behave itself unseemly
seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
{13:6} Rejoiceth not in iniquity,
but rejoiceth in the truth
{13:7} Beareth all things,
believeth all things
hopeth all things
endureth all things.
{13:8} Charity never faileth
{5:22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, {5:23}
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Do you see how they both go together these lists, one of love and one of the fruit of the Spirit.
You really can't have one without the other.
If you do manage to be a good person and to produce these attributes they'd be nothing but counterfiets, because without Jesus they are hollow.
The source of our love is Jesus and it's only through Jesus that real fruit, real love can grow.
Again, if you wonder if your life is producing the fruit and if you have the love Jesus commands, reread those attributes of Spiritual fruit and of love. If you fall far short of being this sort of person then growing closer to Christ is the only answer.
We all need to grow closer to Christ, all of us and as we do... Jesus has this to say--
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
More on that tomorrow :)
May the Lord bless and keep us in His love, by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Amen.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Cast them into the fire
John
{15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
{15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
*******
We know that God is the Husbandman, that Jesus is the vine, and that we are the branches.
We know that we need to bear fruit as a result of this connection.
We know that we will be purged so that we bring forth more fruit.
These things are important to remember lest we believe we can produce fruit on our own. Of ourselves we are nothing. NOTHING.
John
{15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
We are clean through the word Jesus speaks to us. We have to listen to the words of Jesus. It is through listening that we learn from the Vine, and all things coming from the Vine only do so through the will of the husbandman.
{15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Jesus says- abide in me and I in you.
We have to abide- to live in Jesus. Our lives are not our own. We can give our lives to Jesus and live in Him and He will live in us. It's a choice we make. Just as it's a choice you make where you abide physically, it's a choice you make as to where you will abide spiritually.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.
You can cut off a branch from a vine and watch it and what will happen? It will wither and die. It will no longer bear any fruit at all. When we choose to separate ourselves from Jesus and go off on our own or attach ourselves to other evil vines, we will not bear the fruit of the Spirit. Any fruit we bear will be poison even if it's exterior has it looking like the perfect piece of fruit.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
He tell us how we produce fruit. We don't strive to produce fruit, we strive to be in Him and the fruit will come from that abiding.
{15:5} 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.
Jesus says- 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.
He says it so perfectly. There can be no mistaking what He's saying. Without Jesus we can do nothing. People will scoff at that and go about doing all sorts of things, mocking God and saying 'See! I can to do all sorts of things without you! I don't need you!' And yet what they don't realize is that all those things they are doing are not good things. Again they shout, 'See all the good things I can do without you!' And yet they don't understand that the very fact they lay claim to what they do negates any goodness it holds. The very breath they breath is from God. The very body they have is from God. They would not exist without Him and to live as if that doesn't matter, as if they manage somehow to breathe breath into their own bodies and keep their own hearts beating. We can lay no claim, no glory to anything we do without first acknowledging it is by the Grace and Mercy of God that we are able to do anything. When we abide in Jesus and realize this truth then yes, much fruit can come from us through Him, only through Him.
{15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned
Yes, any branch not abiding in the Vine, not attached to the Vine and living as a result of that bond will die and will be burned away to nothing. It's true and so few realize how true it is.
We need this connection!
We need this abiding!
We need this relationship with our Lord and Savior, a relationship that is as viable as that of a plant with a vine and branches. A living growing, producing relationship.
May God our heavenly Father, be realized as the source of all life.
May Jesus our Lord and Savior, be realized as the Vine that is given life by the Husbandman and in turn gives us life.
May we in Christ produce the fruit of the Spirit, good fruit, much fruit.
By His Grace, by His Mercy.
In Christ,
Amen.
{15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
{15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
*******
We know that God is the Husbandman, that Jesus is the vine, and that we are the branches.
We know that we need to bear fruit as a result of this connection.
We know that we will be purged so that we bring forth more fruit.
These things are important to remember lest we believe we can produce fruit on our own. Of ourselves we are nothing. NOTHING.
John
{15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
We are clean through the word Jesus speaks to us. We have to listen to the words of Jesus. It is through listening that we learn from the Vine, and all things coming from the Vine only do so through the will of the husbandman.
{15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Jesus says- abide in me and I in you.
We have to abide- to live in Jesus. Our lives are not our own. We can give our lives to Jesus and live in Him and He will live in us. It's a choice we make. Just as it's a choice you make where you abide physically, it's a choice you make as to where you will abide spiritually.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.
You can cut off a branch from a vine and watch it and what will happen? It will wither and die. It will no longer bear any fruit at all. When we choose to separate ourselves from Jesus and go off on our own or attach ourselves to other evil vines, we will not bear the fruit of the Spirit. Any fruit we bear will be poison even if it's exterior has it looking like the perfect piece of fruit.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
He tell us how we produce fruit. We don't strive to produce fruit, we strive to be in Him and the fruit will come from that abiding.
{15:5} 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.
Jesus says- 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.
He says it so perfectly. There can be no mistaking what He's saying. Without Jesus we can do nothing. People will scoff at that and go about doing all sorts of things, mocking God and saying 'See! I can to do all sorts of things without you! I don't need you!' And yet what they don't realize is that all those things they are doing are not good things. Again they shout, 'See all the good things I can do without you!' And yet they don't understand that the very fact they lay claim to what they do negates any goodness it holds. The very breath they breath is from God. The very body they have is from God. They would not exist without Him and to live as if that doesn't matter, as if they manage somehow to breathe breath into their own bodies and keep their own hearts beating. We can lay no claim, no glory to anything we do without first acknowledging it is by the Grace and Mercy of God that we are able to do anything. When we abide in Jesus and realize this truth then yes, much fruit can come from us through Him, only through Him.
{15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned
Yes, any branch not abiding in the Vine, not attached to the Vine and living as a result of that bond will die and will be burned away to nothing. It's true and so few realize how true it is.
We need this connection!
We need this abiding!
We need this relationship with our Lord and Savior, a relationship that is as viable as that of a plant with a vine and branches. A living growing, producing relationship.
May God our heavenly Father, be realized as the source of all life.
May Jesus our Lord and Savior, be realized as the Vine that is given life by the Husbandman and in turn gives us life.
May we in Christ produce the fruit of the Spirit, good fruit, much fruit.
By His Grace, by His Mercy.
In Christ,
Amen.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Husbandman, Vine, & Branches
John
{15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Amazing. Jesus wasn't claiming to be the husbandman Himself, He was pointing to God, the Father as the Husbandman. God is the farmer- God is the one in control of the garden. God is the one planting, cultivating. God decide which plant is healthy, which isn't. God pulls the weeds out of the garden. God is in control and that's something we tend to forget because we are brought up to believe that we are in control of our own lives. For the longest time we know we are under the control of our parents- and even then we start to fight for our independence- we are OLD enough to do for ourselves. We are encouraged to take over control of ourselves because it's only proper, right? We learn to dress and feed ourselves, we learn to meet our basic needs, bathing, using the bathroom, we are being taught to take care of ourselves. Along with the being taught to tend for ourselves as is only proper we are encouraged to believe that we know what is best for ourselves-- what? We are encouraged to believe we know what is best for ourselves, but is that true? Don't some parents fight to keep that control over their kids? Don't some parents believe that even when their child is full grown that they still don't know what's best for themselves. Some clingy parents, some obsessive parents, some overbearing parents actually claim to know better than their children forever. When life knocks their child down over something the child dared to undertake on their own they claim that if only they'd listened then they wouldn't be in the situation they are in. The parent knew best. But most children don't like that do they? Most children even adult children don't like it when their parent is right and they're wrong, when their parent knew better than they did and can gloat about it. Not all parents are like this though and not all children are like this.
The bottom line is we are taught and compelled by something in our sinful nature to want to do for ourselves, to be our own 'man', to handle things our way.
To have to believe that we aren't in control, that we're not in full control of ourselves, that we need to depend upon any one is something we rebel against and it's the very thing we need to accept, to believe.
Jesus was the true vine-- His Father the husbandman.
And if Jesus was a vine, what does that make us?
{15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit
We are branches of the vine.
We are offshoots of our Lord and Savior and that makes God our husbandman as well.
Our life is dependent upon God and Jesus, the Father and the Son, the Husbandman and the Vine.
We can't forget that without the Husbandman the garden withers and becomes wild and often dies. Without the Vine, there is no life for the branches, none.
Every branch in Jesus that bears no fruit God takes away.
Every branch in Jesus that bears fruit God purges it, so it brings more fruit.
The fruit of the Spirit.
We are promised the fruit of the Spirit and we will have the fruit there is no getting away from it if we are truly in Jesus, truly in God.
Instead of setting out to do this on our own, working to produce our own fruit- you can just imagine how well that would work- we have to stay as close as we possibly can to the Vine, to the Husbandman. We have to relinquish control to the Vine and Husbandman. We have to believe truly that we are the creatures created and not the creatures who create. Try as we are in this world, we are not and never will be the Creator.
Masters of our own destiny?
Masters.
Total control over ourselves.
So why are we shown time and time again how little control we really have over ourselves?
We do not control our life and death do we?
We have no say so over that.
Sure we can consent to have an operation to save our lives, but we don't control the accident that takes the life of one who was just recently saved themselves by that operation. Ultimately we don't have control, but we fight for it constantly and we get defiant against the fates, against God, against life itself for being what it is that leaves us without full control.
We were never meant to be our own gods. We were always meant to know our Father, our Creator.
May God help us relinquish control over our lives to Him and help us to bear the fruit He would have us bear. May He help us as we are purged by Him to bear more fruit, trusting always in Him for all things. By His will, by the grace and mercy of our Lord and our Savior may we be found in Him always!
Amen.
{15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Amazing. Jesus wasn't claiming to be the husbandman Himself, He was pointing to God, the Father as the Husbandman. God is the farmer- God is the one in control of the garden. God is the one planting, cultivating. God decide which plant is healthy, which isn't. God pulls the weeds out of the garden. God is in control and that's something we tend to forget because we are brought up to believe that we are in control of our own lives. For the longest time we know we are under the control of our parents- and even then we start to fight for our independence- we are OLD enough to do for ourselves. We are encouraged to take over control of ourselves because it's only proper, right? We learn to dress and feed ourselves, we learn to meet our basic needs, bathing, using the bathroom, we are being taught to take care of ourselves. Along with the being taught to tend for ourselves as is only proper we are encouraged to believe that we know what is best for ourselves-- what? We are encouraged to believe we know what is best for ourselves, but is that true? Don't some parents fight to keep that control over their kids? Don't some parents believe that even when their child is full grown that they still don't know what's best for themselves. Some clingy parents, some obsessive parents, some overbearing parents actually claim to know better than their children forever. When life knocks their child down over something the child dared to undertake on their own they claim that if only they'd listened then they wouldn't be in the situation they are in. The parent knew best. But most children don't like that do they? Most children even adult children don't like it when their parent is right and they're wrong, when their parent knew better than they did and can gloat about it. Not all parents are like this though and not all children are like this.
The bottom line is we are taught and compelled by something in our sinful nature to want to do for ourselves, to be our own 'man', to handle things our way.
To have to believe that we aren't in control, that we're not in full control of ourselves, that we need to depend upon any one is something we rebel against and it's the very thing we need to accept, to believe.
Jesus was the true vine-- His Father the husbandman.
And if Jesus was a vine, what does that make us?
{15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit
We are branches of the vine.
We are offshoots of our Lord and Savior and that makes God our husbandman as well.
Our life is dependent upon God and Jesus, the Father and the Son, the Husbandman and the Vine.
We can't forget that without the Husbandman the garden withers and becomes wild and often dies. Without the Vine, there is no life for the branches, none.
Every branch in Jesus that bears no fruit God takes away.
Every branch in Jesus that bears fruit God purges it, so it brings more fruit.
The fruit of the Spirit.
We are promised the fruit of the Spirit and we will have the fruit there is no getting away from it if we are truly in Jesus, truly in God.
Instead of setting out to do this on our own, working to produce our own fruit- you can just imagine how well that would work- we have to stay as close as we possibly can to the Vine, to the Husbandman. We have to relinquish control to the Vine and Husbandman. We have to believe truly that we are the creatures created and not the creatures who create. Try as we are in this world, we are not and never will be the Creator.
Masters of our own destiny?
Masters.
Total control over ourselves.
So why are we shown time and time again how little control we really have over ourselves?
We do not control our life and death do we?
We have no say so over that.
Sure we can consent to have an operation to save our lives, but we don't control the accident that takes the life of one who was just recently saved themselves by that operation. Ultimately we don't have control, but we fight for it constantly and we get defiant against the fates, against God, against life itself for being what it is that leaves us without full control.
We were never meant to be our own gods. We were always meant to know our Father, our Creator.
May God help us relinquish control over our lives to Him and help us to bear the fruit He would have us bear. May He help us as we are purged by Him to bear more fruit, trusting always in Him for all things. By His will, by the grace and mercy of our Lord and our Savior may we be found in Him always!
Amen.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Missing Peace
The Missing Peace
John {14:27}
Peace I leave with you
my peace I give unto you
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled
neither let it be afraid.
There's a restlessness inside every human being, inherited at birth. Maybe the restlessness in you takes the form of a tiny feeling that something isn't quite right. Something in life just isn't how it should be. There has to be something more. Even if all our needs are taken care of we want something more. People call us selfish for wanting more when we have our basic human needs met. Those without those needs fulfilled long to be like we are and believe that if only they had what we had they'd finally be happy- but how can they be happy when they don't have the basic needs? It's not surprising when a poor man suddenly becomes a rich man and he finds out after a short while of celebration that in fact that real happiness is still missing.
Missing peace is what it really is and it can be found in all of us. We can call it something else, call it our lot in life not to be content. We can say that if only we had this differently then peace an happiness would be ours. What we're caught up in is a lie. There are nothing but temporary glimpses of peace. Temporary glimpses of what a happy life should be and even a very poor person can have these glimpses.
Truly, irregardless of circumstances we are touched by peace at various moments in our lives.
Those tiny moments allow us to realize that there is really something more to be had.
Unfortunately, most of us look for the something in temporal ways. We seek more money to take more vacations, or better quality vacations. We seek a new person to bring us that spark. We seek the latest toy on the market. We strive to obtain something, putting all our efforts into that something and when it is ours we have to start over again striving for something else, something newer, better.
A person content with their life we say is a good thing, but that contentment could have been obtained by resignation- giving up on things, settling for what you have because it's too much effort to strive for more. The striving becomes tiresome and so a 'happy' resignation settles in. And yet there is still...
...the missing peace.
You see, I believe that when we were created in God's image, by God Himself, mankind was made with a necessary connection with the Creator. We were made by God, for God and not for any other reason.
You ever see a gorgeous wedding cake? Maybe in a picture, or in a movie, if not in real life? If you attempted to make that same wedding cake it's only when you get started and begin the process do you realize just what sort of effort and skill it takes to create such a thing.
The same principle holds to seeing a sculpture, a painting, a building, or a complex mathematical formula, inside a computer, a television set, a telephone... things are possible and have been made possible through effort, through talent and often we don't realize the extent of such effort and talent until we try to do create for ourselves what has been created for us.
Sometimes people who imitate the art of others can get it exactly the same- they can counterfeit the piece of art but that's rare. Often people will try and come close but fall short of the same glory of the piece.
In some things it's impossible to duplicate them and we call them one of a kind.
We say humans are one of a kind. Even identical twins have their differences.
We are each unique.
God made us to be this way, different from one another, each of us having within us something amazing and wonderful and yet every single one of us are missing peace.
We are.
This peace that Jesus leaves with us, this peace that Jesus gives to us is in fact that missing peace and we can't get it except through Him. It's a peace unlike anything we can manufacture on our own. It's a peace that in truth connects us back to God, a peace we forfieted in the garden when we separated ourselves from God.
Titus {2:14} Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
A peculiar people.
We become a peculiar people when we accept the peace offered to us by Jesus. How could we not be peculiar when we have imperfectly (and yet we have) reached out to accept the hand offered to us, reached out to accept the hope Jesus offers us in Him. The hope of reconnecting with God, of bridging the gap created by sin, or becoming once again as God intended. We've been given the missing peace.
Satan doesn't want any of us having the missing peace. He doesn't want any of us believing we can ever connect with God again. If we do believe it He then wants to make our lives so miserable that we turn away. It's not the peace of the world Jesus offers us. If we accept Jesus and we are given the comforter, we all too often mistake the peace offered to us as worldly peace, when it's very far from that.
John {14:27}
Peace I leave with you
my peace I give unto you
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled
neither let it be afraid.
John {16:33}
These things I have spoken unto you
that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation
but be of good cheer
I have overcome the world.
How can you have good cheer when you are going through tribulation?
It's having hope.
Hope that no matter what we suffer- and we will suffer - that there is hope in Jesus.
We can't hope to have worldly peace, but a peace that transcends what the world offers, a peace that can ease our hearts, our worries so that we're not all caught up in them.
There is a God connection we all were supposed to have and yet sin separates us from God.
Man disobeyed God's command and as a result they were separated from God. Changes took place when that separation happened, changes we can only imagine as we know that man goes from being unashamed of his own nakedness to being ashamed. Changes, instant changes, instant separation from being the creature God intended man to be and...it is only our arrogance, our pride which cries out and says it was a good thing that we know good and evil- God shouldn't have kept that tree of knowledge from us in the first place. God did so for a reason and obviously a very good reason when we look at the result of disobeying Him. Our own sin, our own pride and as long as we believe that it was a good thing to disobey God, how can we ever be reunited with Him?
Our only hope is Jesus.
Missing peace.
We can fill our lives we all sorts of things and yet the missing peace is our connection to God and we are offered that connection, that reuniting with God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
No, it doesn't mean you'll be given worldly peace, that your life will be all sunshine and roses, happiness and sweetness, it won't be.
The Missing Peace - not Worldly Peace.
Peace that reunites in Spirit and holds within it the future promise of a peace that reunites in all ways, physical and spiritual in Jesus.
May God bless us all and help us to hold fast to the missing peace found in Jesus through the Holy Spirit so we may be reunited with God now and forever, our hope is in Him.
Amen.
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”- James 1:12
John {14:27}
Peace I leave with you
my peace I give unto you
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled
neither let it be afraid.
There's a restlessness inside every human being, inherited at birth. Maybe the restlessness in you takes the form of a tiny feeling that something isn't quite right. Something in life just isn't how it should be. There has to be something more. Even if all our needs are taken care of we want something more. People call us selfish for wanting more when we have our basic human needs met. Those without those needs fulfilled long to be like we are and believe that if only they had what we had they'd finally be happy- but how can they be happy when they don't have the basic needs? It's not surprising when a poor man suddenly becomes a rich man and he finds out after a short while of celebration that in fact that real happiness is still missing.
Missing peace is what it really is and it can be found in all of us. We can call it something else, call it our lot in life not to be content. We can say that if only we had this differently then peace an happiness would be ours. What we're caught up in is a lie. There are nothing but temporary glimpses of peace. Temporary glimpses of what a happy life should be and even a very poor person can have these glimpses.
Truly, irregardless of circumstances we are touched by peace at various moments in our lives.
Those tiny moments allow us to realize that there is really something more to be had.
Unfortunately, most of us look for the something in temporal ways. We seek more money to take more vacations, or better quality vacations. We seek a new person to bring us that spark. We seek the latest toy on the market. We strive to obtain something, putting all our efforts into that something and when it is ours we have to start over again striving for something else, something newer, better.
A person content with their life we say is a good thing, but that contentment could have been obtained by resignation- giving up on things, settling for what you have because it's too much effort to strive for more. The striving becomes tiresome and so a 'happy' resignation settles in. And yet there is still...
...the missing peace.
You see, I believe that when we were created in God's image, by God Himself, mankind was made with a necessary connection with the Creator. We were made by God, for God and not for any other reason.
You ever see a gorgeous wedding cake? Maybe in a picture, or in a movie, if not in real life? If you attempted to make that same wedding cake it's only when you get started and begin the process do you realize just what sort of effort and skill it takes to create such a thing.
The same principle holds to seeing a sculpture, a painting, a building, or a complex mathematical formula, inside a computer, a television set, a telephone... things are possible and have been made possible through effort, through talent and often we don't realize the extent of such effort and talent until we try to do create for ourselves what has been created for us.
Sometimes people who imitate the art of others can get it exactly the same- they can counterfeit the piece of art but that's rare. Often people will try and come close but fall short of the same glory of the piece.
In some things it's impossible to duplicate them and we call them one of a kind.
We say humans are one of a kind. Even identical twins have their differences.
We are each unique.
God made us to be this way, different from one another, each of us having within us something amazing and wonderful and yet every single one of us are missing peace.
We are.
This peace that Jesus leaves with us, this peace that Jesus gives to us is in fact that missing peace and we can't get it except through Him. It's a peace unlike anything we can manufacture on our own. It's a peace that in truth connects us back to God, a peace we forfieted in the garden when we separated ourselves from God.
Titus {2:14} Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
A peculiar people.
We become a peculiar people when we accept the peace offered to us by Jesus. How could we not be peculiar when we have imperfectly (and yet we have) reached out to accept the hand offered to us, reached out to accept the hope Jesus offers us in Him. The hope of reconnecting with God, of bridging the gap created by sin, or becoming once again as God intended. We've been given the missing peace.
Satan doesn't want any of us having the missing peace. He doesn't want any of us believing we can ever connect with God again. If we do believe it He then wants to make our lives so miserable that we turn away. It's not the peace of the world Jesus offers us. If we accept Jesus and we are given the comforter, we all too often mistake the peace offered to us as worldly peace, when it's very far from that.
John {14:27}
Peace I leave with you
my peace I give unto you
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled
neither let it be afraid.
John {16:33}
These things I have spoken unto you
that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation
but be of good cheer
I have overcome the world.
How can you have good cheer when you are going through tribulation?
It's having hope.
Hope that no matter what we suffer- and we will suffer - that there is hope in Jesus.
We can't hope to have worldly peace, but a peace that transcends what the world offers, a peace that can ease our hearts, our worries so that we're not all caught up in them.
There is a God connection we all were supposed to have and yet sin separates us from God.
Man disobeyed God's command and as a result they were separated from God. Changes took place when that separation happened, changes we can only imagine as we know that man goes from being unashamed of his own nakedness to being ashamed. Changes, instant changes, instant separation from being the creature God intended man to be and...it is only our arrogance, our pride which cries out and says it was a good thing that we know good and evil- God shouldn't have kept that tree of knowledge from us in the first place. God did so for a reason and obviously a very good reason when we look at the result of disobeying Him. Our own sin, our own pride and as long as we believe that it was a good thing to disobey God, how can we ever be reunited with Him?
Our only hope is Jesus.
Missing peace.
We can fill our lives we all sorts of things and yet the missing peace is our connection to God and we are offered that connection, that reuniting with God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
No, it doesn't mean you'll be given worldly peace, that your life will be all sunshine and roses, happiness and sweetness, it won't be.
The Missing Peace - not Worldly Peace.
Peace that reunites in Spirit and holds within it the future promise of a peace that reunites in all ways, physical and spiritual in Jesus.
May God bless us all and help us to hold fast to the missing peace found in Jesus through the Holy Spirit so we may be reunited with God now and forever, our hope is in Him.
Amen.
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”- James 1:12
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Choked with Cares
Luke {8:14} And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. {8:15} But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Choked with cares.
Choked with riches.
Choked with pleasures of this life.
Choked.
Is there any good connotation connected with the word choked?
1. To interfere with the respiration of by compression or obstruction of the larynx or trachea.
2. a. To check or slow down the movement, growth, or action
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Choked by cares...choked by riches...choked by pleasures of this life- all these things slowing down the movement, the growth, the action of our Christian life. All these things interfereing with our ability to breath in Christ, to live for Christ. We are hardly living for Christ when we are caught up in our selves.
Honesty, good heart, hearing the word and keeping it...bring forth fruit with patience.
Do we want to bring forth fruit to perfection?
We can't bring forth fruit to perfection with the cares of this life taking over us, it's impossible.
We can bring forth fruit to perfection with honesty, with a good heart, with hearing God's word and keeping it- with patience.
May the Lord help us as we seek to bring forth good fruit to perfection.
Help us to recognize when the cares of this life are overtaking us so that we may quickly turn to You before they choke us completely killing whatever fruit we have.
By the Grace and the Mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever.
Amen.
Choked with cares.
Choked with riches.
Choked with pleasures of this life.
Choked.
Is there any good connotation connected with the word choked?
1. To interfere with the respiration of by compression or obstruction of the larynx or trachea.
2. a. To check or slow down the movement, growth, or action
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Choked by cares...choked by riches...choked by pleasures of this life- all these things slowing down the movement, the growth, the action of our Christian life. All these things interfereing with our ability to breath in Christ, to live for Christ. We are hardly living for Christ when we are caught up in our selves.
Honesty, good heart, hearing the word and keeping it...bring forth fruit with patience.
Do we want to bring forth fruit to perfection?
We can't bring forth fruit to perfection with the cares of this life taking over us, it's impossible.
We can bring forth fruit to perfection with honesty, with a good heart, with hearing God's word and keeping it- with patience.
May the Lord help us as we seek to bring forth good fruit to perfection.
Help us to recognize when the cares of this life are overtaking us so that we may quickly turn to You before they choke us completely killing whatever fruit we have.
By the Grace and the Mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever.
Amen.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
More Fruit - Repentance
Fruit of the wicked.
Proverbs {10:16} '...the fruit of the wicked to sin.'
Fruit of the righteous.
{11:30} 'The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life...'
Life and death.
Fruit of the Righteous, fruit of the wicked.
One leads to life, one to death.
Jer. {17:10} I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
The Lord God searches our hearts.
The Lord God tries the reins.
The Lord God gives every man according to his ways.
The Lord God gives every man according to the fruit of his doings.
We have choices to make.
God or no God.
The choice is straight forward.
The choice made is the difference between life and death.
Every human creature of God's will make the choice.
We will live according to that choice, our lives will be a reflection of the choice we make- daily, hourly, minutely.
Our lives are comprised by our fruits. Our fruits are wrought from our beliefs. Our beliefs will be revealed in our actions (fruits).
According to our ways we will be given of God what He deems proper.
Jer. {21:14} But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
We may be punished.
Jer. {32:19} Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
The Lord sees, the Lord knows and we will reap what we sow, we will get according to our ways. Anything we receive of the Lord will be deserved whether it is punishment for wickedeness or the Tree of Life for our obedience to Him.
Hos. {10:13} Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Do we plow wickeness?
Do we reap sin?
Do we eat the fruit of lies?
Do we trust our own ways and in the ways of those around us and not God?
What is the reward of wickedness?
Death.
Amos {6:12} '... for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.'
Judgment into gall-something bitter and unwelcome, something unwanted and despised.
The fruit of righteousness into hemlock- poison, deadly.
What happens when we despise judgment and consider the fruit of righteousness poison?
No good can happen, none. Yet it will be done. Many would rather turn that which is good into something seemingly bad so they no longer are accountable to the good. If you make something good bad, if you pervert something good you can placate your conscience falsely holding yourself unaccountable.
Micah {7:13} Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
Desolate land why? Because the fruit of those in the land is evil, is wicked. Desolation is not desired by any. Desolation as a result of evil ways.
Matt. {3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {3:9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {3:10} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Fruits for repentence.
Trees with rotten fruit are cut down and burned.
We need to repent of our ways and go- and sin no more. We need to grow closer to Christ, our Lord and Savior. We have to realize that anything less will mean we can't possibly have fruit meet for repentance, that any fruit we have will be rotten. Only the fruit we bring forth as a result of our lives in Christ will be acceptable.
The cutting down, the burning is all real, these aren't lies being spread to cause you to lose hope, to lose faith. These are truths being told so that you may find hope and have faith in the only one who can save you.
Matt. {7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Known by our fruits.
What fruit do you produce? It's a valid question. It's a question we need to ask ourselves.
Is it possible for a person to seemingly produce one sort of fruit but secretly bear another? Wolves in sheep's clothing. Ultimately the fruit they bear will reveal where they stand by the grace of God, what they believe in and what they are speaking of. We are given a standard to judge all men by and that standard is God's word, God's law. 'Isaiah {8:20} To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.' When we refuse to hold up that standard of judgment we fail to even begin to recognize the fruits their works should reveal.
We liked to think that those who appear loving, kind, good-hearted, sweet and wonderful will of course have to be God's, how could such wonderful fruit come from someone if they were in fact wicked? Impossible? I don't think so. Christ even says --
Matt. {7:21} Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven. {7:22} Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works? {7:23} And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
Many will say... MANY...willl say didn't I do this and that in your Name...didn't I do many wonderful works (actions-fruits). What's Jesus going to say to these many?
'I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.'
Depart.
Workers of iniquity.
But here they are saying that they did many wonderful things in Jesus' name! They are truly believing they are doing wonderful things. So it's not the sweet, kind, loving, gentle person we couldn't imagine not being in Christ who is going to be known by Christ. We are told who have light in them, who have truth in them- 'Isaiah {8:20} To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.'
Why would God who saved His people from the Egyptians and brought them out into the wilderness to offer them a covenant, why would He do that if it was a covenant that meant nothing? Jesus never broke the covenant. Jesus proved by His life that it was possible to keep the covenant. Yes, the sacrificial, ritualistic laws were abolished because they all pointed to Christ, but God's law, the testimony didn't change. The commandments the Ark of the Covenant held were not done away with.
Yes, we have a standard to judge by, and it's a standard we have to use because if we trust our senses, our feel good, looks good, nature than we will be deceived and while we might think we are following truth we won't be and we will be among those crying out to the Lord only to hear those awful words- 'I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.'
Matt. {12:33} Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
So true.
Mark {4:26} And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; {4:27} And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. {4:28} For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. {4:29} But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
We have very little control over the hows and whys of things, but we know that God is in control and He does things in His order. Step by step His ways are past our comprehension. He has a reason for all that is allowed and He is watching the inhabitants of Earth very closely. Seed to the ground, earth bringing forth fruit-- the blade, the ear, the full corn, the harvest. The Lord will reap the bounty of those that love Him truly they will be the fruit He harvests.
Luke {3:9} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
The wicked bearing will be cut down and burned- there is no escaping it for those who refuse to love the Lord their God, their Creator, their Redeemer.
Luke {6:43} For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {6:44} For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. {6:45} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.
Every tree is known by his own fruit. We can't use anyone else's fruit, we all have our own whether we want to admit it or not. Each person is either a good man with good treasure or an evil man with evil treasure. God knows which is which and we can only hope and pray that our treasure is good by His grace.
People generally would rather not think about good and bad, they'd rather hold up the standard that it's by grace we are saved, that not of ourselves it is a gift of God --Eph. {2:8} For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: {2:9} Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Truly if anyone boasts that their goodness will save them they've got it all wrong!
On the same token if anyone boasts of their evilness and claims they are saved by grace they've got it all wrong too. If they glory in their evil ways and show no signs of repentance they will not be saved.
Ps. {51:17} The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Rev. {3:19} As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent
Rev. {3:3} Remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast,
and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will
come upon thee
Acts {26:19} Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision: {26:20} But shewed first unto
them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the
coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Acts {3:19} Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the Lord;
Matt. {4:17} From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark {6:12} And they went out, and
preached that men should repent.
Repent.
May the Lord our God and Savior Jesus Christ bless and keep us! May we repent of our sins, may we be known of God, may we cling to our salvation in Jesus our One and Only hope! By His mercy, by His grace!
Amen.
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”- Jeremiah 17:7-8
Proverbs {10:16} '...the fruit of the wicked to sin.'
Fruit of the righteous.
{11:30} 'The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life...'
Life and death.
Fruit of the Righteous, fruit of the wicked.
One leads to life, one to death.
Jer. {17:10} I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
The Lord God searches our hearts.
The Lord God tries the reins.
The Lord God gives every man according to his ways.
The Lord God gives every man according to the fruit of his doings.
We have choices to make.
God or no God.
The choice is straight forward.
The choice made is the difference between life and death.
Every human creature of God's will make the choice.
We will live according to that choice, our lives will be a reflection of the choice we make- daily, hourly, minutely.
Our lives are comprised by our fruits. Our fruits are wrought from our beliefs. Our beliefs will be revealed in our actions (fruits).
According to our ways we will be given of God what He deems proper.
Jer. {21:14} But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
We may be punished.
Jer. {32:19} Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
The Lord sees, the Lord knows and we will reap what we sow, we will get according to our ways. Anything we receive of the Lord will be deserved whether it is punishment for wickedeness or the Tree of Life for our obedience to Him.
Hos. {10:13} Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Do we plow wickeness?
Do we reap sin?
Do we eat the fruit of lies?
Do we trust our own ways and in the ways of those around us and not God?
What is the reward of wickedness?
Death.
Amos {6:12} '... for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.'
Judgment into gall-something bitter and unwelcome, something unwanted and despised.
The fruit of righteousness into hemlock- poison, deadly.
What happens when we despise judgment and consider the fruit of righteousness poison?
No good can happen, none. Yet it will be done. Many would rather turn that which is good into something seemingly bad so they no longer are accountable to the good. If you make something good bad, if you pervert something good you can placate your conscience falsely holding yourself unaccountable.
Micah {7:13} Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
Desolate land why? Because the fruit of those in the land is evil, is wicked. Desolation is not desired by any. Desolation as a result of evil ways.
Matt. {3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {3:9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {3:10} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Fruits for repentence.
Trees with rotten fruit are cut down and burned.
We need to repent of our ways and go- and sin no more. We need to grow closer to Christ, our Lord and Savior. We have to realize that anything less will mean we can't possibly have fruit meet for repentance, that any fruit we have will be rotten. Only the fruit we bring forth as a result of our lives in Christ will be acceptable.
The cutting down, the burning is all real, these aren't lies being spread to cause you to lose hope, to lose faith. These are truths being told so that you may find hope and have faith in the only one who can save you.
Matt. {7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Known by our fruits.
What fruit do you produce? It's a valid question. It's a question we need to ask ourselves.
Is it possible for a person to seemingly produce one sort of fruit but secretly bear another? Wolves in sheep's clothing. Ultimately the fruit they bear will reveal where they stand by the grace of God, what they believe in and what they are speaking of. We are given a standard to judge all men by and that standard is God's word, God's law. 'Isaiah {8:20} To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.' When we refuse to hold up that standard of judgment we fail to even begin to recognize the fruits their works should reveal.
We liked to think that those who appear loving, kind, good-hearted, sweet and wonderful will of course have to be God's, how could such wonderful fruit come from someone if they were in fact wicked? Impossible? I don't think so. Christ even says --
Matt. {7:21} Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven. {7:22} Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works? {7:23} And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
Many will say... MANY...willl say didn't I do this and that in your Name...didn't I do many wonderful works (actions-fruits). What's Jesus going to say to these many?
'I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.'
Depart.
Workers of iniquity.
But here they are saying that they did many wonderful things in Jesus' name! They are truly believing they are doing wonderful things. So it's not the sweet, kind, loving, gentle person we couldn't imagine not being in Christ who is going to be known by Christ. We are told who have light in them, who have truth in them- 'Isaiah {8:20} To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.'
Why would God who saved His people from the Egyptians and brought them out into the wilderness to offer them a covenant, why would He do that if it was a covenant that meant nothing? Jesus never broke the covenant. Jesus proved by His life that it was possible to keep the covenant. Yes, the sacrificial, ritualistic laws were abolished because they all pointed to Christ, but God's law, the testimony didn't change. The commandments the Ark of the Covenant held were not done away with.
Yes, we have a standard to judge by, and it's a standard we have to use because if we trust our senses, our feel good, looks good, nature than we will be deceived and while we might think we are following truth we won't be and we will be among those crying out to the Lord only to hear those awful words- 'I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.'
Matt. {12:33} Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
So true.
Mark {4:26} And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; {4:27} And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. {4:28} For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. {4:29} But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
We have very little control over the hows and whys of things, but we know that God is in control and He does things in His order. Step by step His ways are past our comprehension. He has a reason for all that is allowed and He is watching the inhabitants of Earth very closely. Seed to the ground, earth bringing forth fruit-- the blade, the ear, the full corn, the harvest. The Lord will reap the bounty of those that love Him truly they will be the fruit He harvests.
Luke {3:9} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
The wicked bearing will be cut down and burned- there is no escaping it for those who refuse to love the Lord their God, their Creator, their Redeemer.
Luke {6:43} For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {6:44} For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. {6:45} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.
Every tree is known by his own fruit. We can't use anyone else's fruit, we all have our own whether we want to admit it or not. Each person is either a good man with good treasure or an evil man with evil treasure. God knows which is which and we can only hope and pray that our treasure is good by His grace.
People generally would rather not think about good and bad, they'd rather hold up the standard that it's by grace we are saved, that not of ourselves it is a gift of God --Eph. {2:8} For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: {2:9} Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Truly if anyone boasts that their goodness will save them they've got it all wrong!
On the same token if anyone boasts of their evilness and claims they are saved by grace they've got it all wrong too. If they glory in their evil ways and show no signs of repentance they will not be saved.
Ps. {51:17} The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Rev. {3:19} As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent
Rev. {3:3} Remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast,
and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will
come upon thee
Acts {26:19} Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision: {26:20} But shewed first unto
them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the
coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Acts {3:19} Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the Lord;
Matt. {4:17} From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark {6:12} And they went out, and
preached that men should repent.
Repent.
May the Lord our God and Savior Jesus Christ bless and keep us! May we repent of our sins, may we be known of God, may we cling to our salvation in Jesus our One and Only hope! By His mercy, by His grace!
Amen.
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”- Jeremiah 17:7-8
Friday, March 20, 2009
Fruit- Evil and Good
Fruit.
Suppose you have a fruit tree in your yard what do you expect of it? Do you expect when you planted it that it would instantly have fruit? No.
Would you expect it to have fruit the next day? Or the next day? Or the next? When should you expect it to have fruit realistically?
It would depend upon what kind of fruit tree it was, wouldn't it? All fruit trees grow differently, have different seasons, right?
Yet no fruit tree will instantly produce fruit, it's impossible.
Fruit on a tree will only happen over time and maturing. It's no wonder that we talk of the fruit of the Spirit and how we desire to have the fruit of the Spirit, yet we need to realize it will only happen the more time we spend with the Gardener letting him cultivate us into producing the richest fruit that is possible for us to produce through Him.
We can't begin to even hope that we will produce fruit of the Spirit without the Spirit in us. Anything we manage to produce on our own might have the outward appearance of being the tastiest fruit in the world but one bite would expose the truth of the matter. Fruit we produce on our own will be bitter and inedible, it will be unacceptable. We must cling to our Lord and Savior and pray that the Holy Spirit will come live in us so that we can have the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Listen to the following few verses-
Proverbs {10:16} The labour of the righteous tendeth to life the fruit of the wicked to sin.
{11:30} The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.
Jer. {17:10} I the LORD search the heart, [I[ try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.
Jer. {21:14} But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
Jer. {32:19} Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Hos. {10:13} Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Amos {6:12} Shall horses run upon the rock? will [one] plow [there] with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock
Micah {7:13} Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
Matt. {3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {3:9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {3:10} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Matt. {7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matt. {12:33} Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit.
Mark {4:26} And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; {4:27} And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. {4:28} For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. {4:29} But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Luke {3:9} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke {6:43} For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {6:44} For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. {6:45} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.
Luke {8:14} And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. {8:15} But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it,] and bring forth fruit with patience.
John {15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. {15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit {15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. {15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. {15:5} 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. {15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned {15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. {15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another. {15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that [it hated] me before it hated you. {15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. {15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Ro. {6:20} For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. {6:21} What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death. {6:22} But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. {6:23} For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eph. {5:9} (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) {5:10} Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. {5:11} And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them.
Heb. {12:11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. {12:12} Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; {12:13} And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. {12:14} Follow peace with all [men,] and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
May the Lord bless and keep us now and forever, helping us to walk in His ways, filled with the Holy Spirit by the grace of our Lord, by His mercy, by His forgiveness. Father, ruler of heaven and earth, bless us all. Your will be done, not ours.
Amen.
Fruit.
Suppose you have a fruit tree in your yard what do you expect of it? Do you expect when you planted it that it would instantly have fruit? No.
Would you expect it to have fruit the next day? Or the next day? Or the next? When should you expect it to have fruit realistically?
It would depend upon what kind of fruit tree it was, wouldn't it? All fruit trees grow differently, have different seasons, right?
Yet no fruit tree will instantly produce fruit, it's impossible.
Fruit on a tree will only happen over time and maturing. It's no wonder that we talk of the fruit of the Spirit and how we desire to have the fruit of the Spirit, yet we need to realize it will only happen the more time we spend with the Gardener letting him cultivate us into producing the richest fruit that is possible for us to produce through Him.
We can't begin to even hope that we will produce fruit of the Spirit without the Spirit in us. Anything we manage to produce on our own might have the outward appearance of being the tastiest fruit in the world but one bite would expose the truth of the matter. Fruit we produce on our own will be bitter and inedible, it will be unacceptable. We must cling to our Lord and Savior and pray that the Holy Spirit will come live in us so that we can have the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Listen to the following few verses-
Proverbs {10:16} The labour of the righteous tendeth to life the fruit of the wicked to sin.
{11:30} The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.
Jer. {17:10} I the LORD search the heart, [I[ try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.
Jer. {21:14} But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
Jer. {32:19} Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Hos. {10:13} Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Amos {6:12} Shall horses run upon the rock? will [one] plow [there] with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock
Micah {7:13} Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
Matt. {3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {3:9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {3:10} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Matt. {7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matt. {12:33} Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit.
Mark {4:26} And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; {4:27} And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. {4:28} For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. {4:29} But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Luke {3:9} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke {6:43} For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {6:44} For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. {6:45} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.
Luke {8:14} And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. {8:15} But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it,] and bring forth fruit with patience.
John {15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. {15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit {15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. {15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. {15:5} 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. {15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned {15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. {15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another. {15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that [it hated] me before it hated you. {15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. {15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Ro. {6:20} For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. {6:21} What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death. {6:22} But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. {6:23} For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eph. {5:9} (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) {5:10} Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. {5:11} And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them.
Heb. {12:11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. {12:12} Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; {12:13} And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. {12:14} Follow peace with all [men,] and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
May the Lord bless and keep us now and forever, helping us to walk in His ways, filled with the Holy Spirit by the grace of our Lord, by His mercy, by His forgiveness. Father, ruler of heaven and earth, bless us all. Your will be done, not ours.
Amen.
Suppose you have a fruit tree in your yard what do you expect of it? Do you expect when you planted it that it would instantly have fruit? No.
Would you expect it to have fruit the next day? Or the next day? Or the next? When should you expect it to have fruit realistically?
It would depend upon what kind of fruit tree it was, wouldn't it? All fruit trees grow differently, have different seasons, right?
Yet no fruit tree will instantly produce fruit, it's impossible.
Fruit on a tree will only happen over time and maturing. It's no wonder that we talk of the fruit of the Spirit and how we desire to have the fruit of the Spirit, yet we need to realize it will only happen the more time we spend with the Gardener letting him cultivate us into producing the richest fruit that is possible for us to produce through Him.
We can't begin to even hope that we will produce fruit of the Spirit without the Spirit in us. Anything we manage to produce on our own might have the outward appearance of being the tastiest fruit in the world but one bite would expose the truth of the matter. Fruit we produce on our own will be bitter and inedible, it will be unacceptable. We must cling to our Lord and Savior and pray that the Holy Spirit will come live in us so that we can have the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Listen to the following few verses-
Proverbs {10:16} The labour of the righteous tendeth to life the fruit of the wicked to sin.
{11:30} The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.
Jer. {17:10} I the LORD search the heart, [I[ try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.
Jer. {21:14} But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
Jer. {32:19} Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Hos. {10:13} Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Amos {6:12} Shall horses run upon the rock? will [one] plow [there] with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock
Micah {7:13} Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
Matt. {3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {3:9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {3:10} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Matt. {7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matt. {12:33} Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit.
Mark {4:26} And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; {4:27} And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. {4:28} For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. {4:29} But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Luke {3:9} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke {6:43} For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {6:44} For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. {6:45} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.
Luke {8:14} And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. {8:15} But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it,] and bring forth fruit with patience.
John {15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. {15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit {15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. {15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. {15:5} 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. {15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned {15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. {15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another. {15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that [it hated] me before it hated you. {15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. {15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Ro. {6:20} For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. {6:21} What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death. {6:22} But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. {6:23} For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eph. {5:9} (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) {5:10} Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. {5:11} And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them.
Heb. {12:11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. {12:12} Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; {12:13} And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. {12:14} Follow peace with all [men,] and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
May the Lord bless and keep us now and forever, helping us to walk in His ways, filled with the Holy Spirit by the grace of our Lord, by His mercy, by His forgiveness. Father, ruler of heaven and earth, bless us all. Your will be done, not ours.
Amen.
Fruit.
Suppose you have a fruit tree in your yard what do you expect of it? Do you expect when you planted it that it would instantly have fruit? No.
Would you expect it to have fruit the next day? Or the next day? Or the next? When should you expect it to have fruit realistically?
It would depend upon what kind of fruit tree it was, wouldn't it? All fruit trees grow differently, have different seasons, right?
Yet no fruit tree will instantly produce fruit, it's impossible.
Fruit on a tree will only happen over time and maturing. It's no wonder that we talk of the fruit of the Spirit and how we desire to have the fruit of the Spirit, yet we need to realize it will only happen the more time we spend with the Gardener letting him cultivate us into producing the richest fruit that is possible for us to produce through Him.
We can't begin to even hope that we will produce fruit of the Spirit without the Spirit in us. Anything we manage to produce on our own might have the outward appearance of being the tastiest fruit in the world but one bite would expose the truth of the matter. Fruit we produce on our own will be bitter and inedible, it will be unacceptable. We must cling to our Lord and Savior and pray that the Holy Spirit will come live in us so that we can have the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Listen to the following few verses-
Proverbs {10:16} The labour of the righteous tendeth to life the fruit of the wicked to sin.
{11:30} The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.
Jer. {17:10} I the LORD search the heart, [I[ try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.
Jer. {21:14} But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
Jer. {32:19} Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Hos. {10:13} Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Amos {6:12} Shall horses run upon the rock? will [one] plow [there] with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock
Micah {7:13} Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
Matt. {3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {3:9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {3:10} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Matt. {7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matt. {12:33} Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit.
Mark {4:26} And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; {4:27} And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. {4:28} For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. {4:29} But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Luke {3:9} And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke {6:43} For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {6:44} For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. {6:45} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh.
Luke {8:14} And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. {8:15} But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it,] and bring forth fruit with patience.
John {15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. {15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit {15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. {15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. {15:5} 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. {15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned {15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. {15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another. {15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that [it hated] me before it hated you. {15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. {15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Ro. {6:20} For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. {6:21} What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death. {6:22} But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. {6:23} For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eph. {5:9} (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) {5:10} Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. {5:11} And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them.
Heb. {12:11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. {12:12} Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; {12:13} And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. {12:14} Follow peace with all [men,] and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
May the Lord bless and keep us now and forever, helping us to walk in His ways, filled with the Holy Spirit by the grace of our Lord, by His mercy, by His forgiveness. Father, ruler of heaven and earth, bless us all. Your will be done, not ours.
Amen.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Light Revealing Dirt
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”- Galatians 5:22-23
Why is there no law against such things? Should there be? The answer- no. What purpose would such a law serve? Laws do serve purposes don't they? Otherwise why have them at all. A sin is a transgression of the law. The law exists to determine a standard of existence for those who have the possibility of choice. Given a choice there has to be something to choose between, a freedom to choose. It is no good to say you have a choice if the two choices are one and the same thing. There has to be a difference for a choice to matter. If there were only chocolate muffins on a plate I have no choice but to choose a chocolate muffin - if in fact I had to choose a muffin and had no choice but to choose one.
When man was created they were created with the possibility of choosing. It gave them a freedom from being mere creature with only the ability to follow one way and one way only.
Some say we should never have been allowed a choice at all.
Without it though we are merely stick figures, dolls to toy with, unable to truly love our Creator because there would be no other choice but to love Him. Forced love.
Some say you have to love family, but is it true? No. There are many people that don't love their family, in fact many that despise them. You don't have to. You should perhaps, under ideal circumstances but you don't have to. Some people say mothers have to love their babes, and yet they don't have to. Again, under ideal circumstances they will, but they don't have to, they are not forced to do so.
We understand the laws of our society exist to keep society functioning peacefully as possible.
The laws of God exist to reveal Him to us, to reveal His ways, His love.
Reading this-- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”- Galatians 5:22-23
We understand right away don't we?
Do we have a law against love? Joy? Peace? Longsuffering? Gentleness? Goodness? Faith? Meekness? Temperance?
No. None I know of. And who would ever seriously propose there should be laws against these things?
These things are the fruit of the Spirit.
If we have the Spirit indwelling in us as Jesus promised then the result of that indwelling - the fruit that grows- will be these *good* things, things there is no law against because they are God-ly things, they are right, they are just, they are wholesome.
Do you want to know if you have the Spirit dwelling in you, ask yourself how loving, how joyful, how peaceful, how longsuffering, how gentle, how good, how faithful, how meek, how temperate you are and there is some indication of the answer.
If you're like me you'll cringe knowing how far short of these marks we are. Maybe you're not like me and glory to God for that.
I read or heard once that the closer we get to the light the more dark corners the light shines into revealing the dust and the dirt, the hidden cobwebs. It's true. The indwelling of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit are such wonderful things, in fact they are points of light revealing the dust and dirt, the cobwebs and swampy dankness in our live and letting us know not to despair as some want to do (yes, it's very, very, very easy to despair) we see the dirt and how much easier can it get than to hide dirt rather than clean it up? Cover it up with the rug, push it under the bed, tuck it aside because it's easier and we don't have to look at it. That's just it...we don't want to see the darkness and dirtiness of our lives, so it's easier to keep the dirt hidden and be satisfied with the way we are because anything else means a struggle.
Am I advocating working for salvation? NO. I never do and never will. Salvation comes by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus who will give His Holy Spirit to us, the same Holy Spirit whose fruit are all those wonderful things we're talking about.
When the Holy Spirit reveals our shortcomings, our failings it's not so we hide from them and despair of ever being different, it's to encourage us to get closer ever closer to the One and Only person who can ever make us clean. The work we do is the effort we make to fall at the feet of Jesus and cling to Him, to His righteousness, His love.
Don't despair when the darkness and dirt in your life is revealed, we have to thank and praise God for allowing us to see our failings and recognize our need of Him.
May the Lord our God, our Savior, our Redeemer have mercy upon us all. May the Holy Spirit dwell with us and may the fruits of the indwelling be realized in us. When the darkness of our shortcomings rise up harshly let it be to remind us to cling tighter to the cross, to our Hope. The Holy Spirit will work within us, by the grace of God let us not try to push Him away and keep our darkness hidden but praise God now and always. May the Light shine ever brighter upon us leading us to the source of that Light, that Life, to Jesus.
By His Grace!
Amen
Why is there no law against such things? Should there be? The answer- no. What purpose would such a law serve? Laws do serve purposes don't they? Otherwise why have them at all. A sin is a transgression of the law. The law exists to determine a standard of existence for those who have the possibility of choice. Given a choice there has to be something to choose between, a freedom to choose. It is no good to say you have a choice if the two choices are one and the same thing. There has to be a difference for a choice to matter. If there were only chocolate muffins on a plate I have no choice but to choose a chocolate muffin - if in fact I had to choose a muffin and had no choice but to choose one.
When man was created they were created with the possibility of choosing. It gave them a freedom from being mere creature with only the ability to follow one way and one way only.
Some say we should never have been allowed a choice at all.
Without it though we are merely stick figures, dolls to toy with, unable to truly love our Creator because there would be no other choice but to love Him. Forced love.
Some say you have to love family, but is it true? No. There are many people that don't love their family, in fact many that despise them. You don't have to. You should perhaps, under ideal circumstances but you don't have to. Some people say mothers have to love their babes, and yet they don't have to. Again, under ideal circumstances they will, but they don't have to, they are not forced to do so.
We understand the laws of our society exist to keep society functioning peacefully as possible.
The laws of God exist to reveal Him to us, to reveal His ways, His love.
Reading this-- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”- Galatians 5:22-23
We understand right away don't we?
Do we have a law against love? Joy? Peace? Longsuffering? Gentleness? Goodness? Faith? Meekness? Temperance?
No. None I know of. And who would ever seriously propose there should be laws against these things?
These things are the fruit of the Spirit.
If we have the Spirit indwelling in us as Jesus promised then the result of that indwelling - the fruit that grows- will be these *good* things, things there is no law against because they are God-ly things, they are right, they are just, they are wholesome.
Do you want to know if you have the Spirit dwelling in you, ask yourself how loving, how joyful, how peaceful, how longsuffering, how gentle, how good, how faithful, how meek, how temperate you are and there is some indication of the answer.
If you're like me you'll cringe knowing how far short of these marks we are. Maybe you're not like me and glory to God for that.
I read or heard once that the closer we get to the light the more dark corners the light shines into revealing the dust and the dirt, the hidden cobwebs. It's true. The indwelling of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit are such wonderful things, in fact they are points of light revealing the dust and dirt, the cobwebs and swampy dankness in our live and letting us know not to despair as some want to do (yes, it's very, very, very easy to despair) we see the dirt and how much easier can it get than to hide dirt rather than clean it up? Cover it up with the rug, push it under the bed, tuck it aside because it's easier and we don't have to look at it. That's just it...we don't want to see the darkness and dirtiness of our lives, so it's easier to keep the dirt hidden and be satisfied with the way we are because anything else means a struggle.
Am I advocating working for salvation? NO. I never do and never will. Salvation comes by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus who will give His Holy Spirit to us, the same Holy Spirit whose fruit are all those wonderful things we're talking about.
When the Holy Spirit reveals our shortcomings, our failings it's not so we hide from them and despair of ever being different, it's to encourage us to get closer ever closer to the One and Only person who can ever make us clean. The work we do is the effort we make to fall at the feet of Jesus and cling to Him, to His righteousness, His love.
Don't despair when the darkness and dirt in your life is revealed, we have to thank and praise God for allowing us to see our failings and recognize our need of Him.
May the Lord our God, our Savior, our Redeemer have mercy upon us all. May the Holy Spirit dwell with us and may the fruits of the indwelling be realized in us. When the darkness of our shortcomings rise up harshly let it be to remind us to cling tighter to the cross, to our Hope. The Holy Spirit will work within us, by the grace of God let us not try to push Him away and keep our darkness hidden but praise God now and always. May the Light shine ever brighter upon us leading us to the source of that Light, that Life, to Jesus.
By His Grace!
Amen
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Fear & Faith
Isaiah
{41:10} Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
FEAR NOT
Rev. {1:17}
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid
his right hand upon me, saying unto me, FEAR NOT; I am the
first and the last: {1:18} I [am] he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the
keys of hell and of death.
Acts {27:23} For there stood by me this
night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
{27:24} Saying, FEAR NOT, Paul; thou must be brought before
Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with
thee. {27:25} Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I
believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me
Luke {12:31} But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all
these things shall be added unto you. {12:32} FEAR NOT, little
flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.
Luke {12:7} But even the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. FEAR NOT therefore: ye
are of more value than many sparrows. {12:8} Also I say
unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
{12:9} But he that denieth me before men shall be denied
before the angels of God.
Luke {8:49} While he yet spake, there cometh one from the
ruler of the synagogue’s [house,] saying to him, Thy
daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. {8:50} But when
Jesus heard [it,] he answered him, saying, FEAR NOT: believe
only, and she shall be made whole.
Luke {5:10} And so [was] also James, and John, the sons of
Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said
unto Simon, FEAR NOT; from henceforth thou shalt catch men
Luke {2:10} And
the angel said unto them, FEAR NOT: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke {1:30} And the angel said unto her, FEAR NOT, Mary: for thou
hast found favour with God.
Luke {1:12} And when
Zacharias saw [him,] he was troubled, and fear fell upon
him. {1:13} But the angel said unto him, FEAR NOT,
Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Matt. ]{28:5} And the angel answered
and said unto the women, FEAR NOT ye: for I know that ye
seek Jesus, which was crucified. {28:6} He is not here: for
he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord
lay.
Matt. {10:28} And FEAR NOT them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is
able to destroy both soul and body in hell
Mal.{3:5} And I will come near to you to
judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers,
and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and
against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the
widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger
[from his right,] and FEAR NOT me, saith the LORD of hosts.
{3:6} For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed
FEAR NOT
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Fear not.
For I am with thee.
Be not dismayed.
For I am thy God.
I will strengthen thee.
Yes.
I will help thee.
Yes.
I will uphold thee
with the right hand
of my righteousness.
Fear not.
We are a fearful people aren't we? Do we have reason to be? I think we do. We have a lot of reason to be fearful if we aren't with God. We have a whole lot of fear coming our way when we don't trust in God. It's one thing to say we trust Him, another thing to really mean we trust Him. As things get worse and worse it stands to reason people are fearful. We need to have faith in God, true faith that won't buckle under anything! Not a faith that says only believe when things are going our way. Not a faith that says we will not have to suffer. Not a faith that claims IF God truly were God all these bad things wouldn't happen. When Christians martyrs were being thrown to the lions and used in Roman games to be killed, when they were being torn asunder and their guts spilled, their bodies tortured they could have reason to fear don't you think? Fear not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, I will uphold thee. Do you think they believed God then? If they had a real faith in God then they did. We don't like to assume they did because such thought scare us silly. We can't imagine being hunted and tortured. We fear the idea of being hunted and tortured and I'm not saying ANYONE should want these things, just that not wanting them to happen and being fearful of them are two different things.
As a Christian being thrown out into the arena at the Roman colliseum, hearing the roaring and snapping jaws of the starving lions, how could they not be scared? How? Maybe some where, but maybe they weren't.
We're a fearful society. I see it in the paper, on the computer news, headlines about people being afraid of the economy and its downfall and where it's all going.
Fear.
We live in a world where it's okay to have fears and even more okay to treat those fears with medication so we don't have to be so fearful, but calmed, chilled a bit so we aren't so uptight and such.
Fear.
I've lived with fear all my life, it's part of me and I say it's part of my make up, of who I am. I could no longer imagine having to get up and speak in front of a crowd without fear than I could imagine me bungee jumping without fear. The fear is real in me. I feel my hands going ice cold when I'm frightened and I just recently learned it's because the fear response is to run and the blood leaves my hands to go to my legs so I can run faster if necessary.
Fear.
Yes, I do want to run, to be away from the things that make me fearful.
I'm on very familiar terms with fear.
Where do fear and faith meet?
God would have us fear not, but trust in Him for all things...ALL things.
Easy to say- hard to do.
Faith my faith needs to grow- no, not in size necessary but in quality.
Having faith in God completely means trusting in Him completely and not in self at all.
Perhaps when I put away self, perhaps if I take my eyes OFF myself for a bit I would be able to see God more.
Lord I believe! Help thou my UNBELIEF!
Mark {9:24} And
straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with
tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
With tears of desperation, of hope Lord I plead with You by Your grace and mercy to help thou my unbelief!
I want to trust in Your words- 'Fear not'
Please Lord, we know that we need less of self and more of You. Help us! Save us! Know us!
In the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior we thank you, we praise you now and forever!
Amen.
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”- Romans 15:13
{41:10} Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
FEAR NOT
Rev. {1:17}
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid
his right hand upon me, saying unto me, FEAR NOT; I am the
first and the last: {1:18} I [am] he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the
keys of hell and of death.
Acts {27:23} For there stood by me this
night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
{27:24} Saying, FEAR NOT, Paul; thou must be brought before
Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with
thee. {27:25} Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I
believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me
Luke {12:31} But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all
these things shall be added unto you. {12:32} FEAR NOT, little
flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.
Luke {12:7} But even the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. FEAR NOT therefore: ye
are of more value than many sparrows. {12:8} Also I say
unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
{12:9} But he that denieth me before men shall be denied
before the angels of God.
Luke {8:49} While he yet spake, there cometh one from the
ruler of the synagogue’s [house,] saying to him, Thy
daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. {8:50} But when
Jesus heard [it,] he answered him, saying, FEAR NOT: believe
only, and she shall be made whole.
Luke {5:10} And so [was] also James, and John, the sons of
Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said
unto Simon, FEAR NOT; from henceforth thou shalt catch men
Luke {2:10} And
the angel said unto them, FEAR NOT: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke {1:30} And the angel said unto her, FEAR NOT, Mary: for thou
hast found favour with God.
Luke {1:12} And when
Zacharias saw [him,] he was troubled, and fear fell upon
him. {1:13} But the angel said unto him, FEAR NOT,
Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Matt. ]{28:5} And the angel answered
and said unto the women, FEAR NOT ye: for I know that ye
seek Jesus, which was crucified. {28:6} He is not here: for
he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord
lay.
Matt. {10:28} And FEAR NOT them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is
able to destroy both soul and body in hell
Mal.{3:5} And I will come near to you to
judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers,
and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and
against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the
widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger
[from his right,] and FEAR NOT me, saith the LORD of hosts.
{3:6} For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed
FEAR NOT
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Fear not.
For I am with thee.
Be not dismayed.
For I am thy God.
I will strengthen thee.
Yes.
I will help thee.
Yes.
I will uphold thee
with the right hand
of my righteousness.
Fear not.
We are a fearful people aren't we? Do we have reason to be? I think we do. We have a lot of reason to be fearful if we aren't with God. We have a whole lot of fear coming our way when we don't trust in God. It's one thing to say we trust Him, another thing to really mean we trust Him. As things get worse and worse it stands to reason people are fearful. We need to have faith in God, true faith that won't buckle under anything! Not a faith that says only believe when things are going our way. Not a faith that says we will not have to suffer. Not a faith that claims IF God truly were God all these bad things wouldn't happen. When Christians martyrs were being thrown to the lions and used in Roman games to be killed, when they were being torn asunder and their guts spilled, their bodies tortured they could have reason to fear don't you think? Fear not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, I will uphold thee. Do you think they believed God then? If they had a real faith in God then they did. We don't like to assume they did because such thought scare us silly. We can't imagine being hunted and tortured. We fear the idea of being hunted and tortured and I'm not saying ANYONE should want these things, just that not wanting them to happen and being fearful of them are two different things.
As a Christian being thrown out into the arena at the Roman colliseum, hearing the roaring and snapping jaws of the starving lions, how could they not be scared? How? Maybe some where, but maybe they weren't.
We're a fearful society. I see it in the paper, on the computer news, headlines about people being afraid of the economy and its downfall and where it's all going.
Fear.
We live in a world where it's okay to have fears and even more okay to treat those fears with medication so we don't have to be so fearful, but calmed, chilled a bit so we aren't so uptight and such.
Fear.
I've lived with fear all my life, it's part of me and I say it's part of my make up, of who I am. I could no longer imagine having to get up and speak in front of a crowd without fear than I could imagine me bungee jumping without fear. The fear is real in me. I feel my hands going ice cold when I'm frightened and I just recently learned it's because the fear response is to run and the blood leaves my hands to go to my legs so I can run faster if necessary.
Fear.
Yes, I do want to run, to be away from the things that make me fearful.
I'm on very familiar terms with fear.
Where do fear and faith meet?
God would have us fear not, but trust in Him for all things...ALL things.
Easy to say- hard to do.
Faith my faith needs to grow- no, not in size necessary but in quality.
Having faith in God completely means trusting in Him completely and not in self at all.
Perhaps when I put away self, perhaps if I take my eyes OFF myself for a bit I would be able to see God more.
Lord I believe! Help thou my UNBELIEF!
Mark {9:24} And
straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with
tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
With tears of desperation, of hope Lord I plead with You by Your grace and mercy to help thou my unbelief!
I want to trust in Your words- 'Fear not'
Please Lord, we know that we need less of self and more of You. Help us! Save us! Know us!
In the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior we thank you, we praise you now and forever!
Amen.
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”- Romans 15:13
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