1 Thess
{5:1} But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
{5:2} For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
{5:3} For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
{5:4} But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
{5:5} Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
{5:6} Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
{5:7} For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
{5:8} But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. {5:9} For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
{5:10} Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
{5:11} Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night- unannounced, unexpectedly, without warning, surprisingly.
Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Anything? I have. When I went to look for the thing that was stolen it was missing and a sense of violation filled me. My property had been taken. My personal belongings gone forever. The memories the belongings had, the usefulness was all stolen from me. I've had it happen more than once and it's not a very good feeling. Now had I known when the thieves were going to strike do you think I would have let my property be vulnerable to them? Would I have watched the thieves come and take that which is mine? No. The whole business of being a thief is getting away with stolen goods without anyone being aware. Even if a thief steals something right out from under your nose they are doing so without your knowing and that's the whole point. Being robbed in the night is being taken advantage of without your knowing. So it stands to reason that Jesus' second coming doing so with His arriving as a thief in the night will take many by surprise, it will be that unexpected by them. However...
We who are Christ's are not left in darkness, we won't see that day as Christ's coming as a thief in the night. We will be ready and waiting for him.
We will hear people saying PEACE and SAFETY. Those are wonderful words and words we are hearing daily in our news. Peace, safety, peace, safety. Peace...peace...peace...peace...everything is peace. World peace. Have we called for world peace before as we have now? So many countries having the technology to blow up each other there has to be peace or there will be destruction. On a small scale we see destruction; destruction without nuclear bombs and yet still destruction, just enough destruction that keeps us screaming for peace. If we have peace it will end the senseless killing, the senseless destruction. Religious world leaders are calling for peace as never before, political leaders are demanding peace, peace, peace. You say they've been demanding peace forever and you're right, but right now our world is in an upheaval of change; financially, politically, things are bad. The combination of bad is in a place it never could be before. The woman is having birth pangs and they are getting stronger and stronger. No woman can stop the birth pangs of labor once they begin in earnest, this isn't false labor, this is real birth and Christ is coming and there is NO stopping Him.
The only question we have to ask ourselves is if we are ready? Are we? Are we ready so that we won't be caught off guard as those who will be such as a thief in the night?
1 Thess
{5:1} But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
{5:2} For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
{5:3} For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
{5:4} But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
{5:5} Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
{5:6} Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
{5:7} For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
{5:8} But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. {5:9} For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
{5:10} Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
{5:11} Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
We know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly when people are saying peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes and it's going to come as a woman in labor - no stopping the birth and the pains getting closer and closer until that birth. We aren't in darkness, we won't be overtaken. We are children of light, children of the day- we aren't not filled with darkness, we are not shrouded in the darkness that reveals nothing. We can't sleep. We CAN'T sleep! We can't let our guard down, we can't stop being vigiliant. Others will sleep, others will tell you not to worry, not to think about it, not to dwell on the bad things, but be optimistic and just forget about all that stuff that is depressing and doom and gloom. Live for now and enjoy life, sleep, rest, relax...NO!
We can't sleep as others do. We have to WATCH and be SOBER. People everywhere sleep and are drunken lost to the night, to the darkness they desire because the light of truth is something they've shunned. We can see it all around us people sleeping, people drunken, people shutting out any light that might take their darkness from them. We can't sleep! We must be sober.
We have to put on Christ.
The breastplate of fiath and love, the helmet of hope of salvation.
We are not to fight against others, we are to obtain our salvation through Jesus Christ- through love.
Whether we are awake, alive or whether we sleep, dead- we will live together with Christ, He died for us.
We need to comfort one another, build each other up in Christ. We must be aware, alert to the goings on and alerting others around us that believe as we believe.
The birthing is near, the labor intense and growing more and more intense. We are witnesses to this now and we know what is to come we are not left in the dark.
Praise be to God for His glorious love towards us allowing us to be alert, to know what is to be and for keeping us awake. All glory to God!
May the Lord bless and keep us in His love, in His mercy, in His grace now and forever. Amen.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Honor found in God
John
{5:44} How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that [cometh] from God only?
Receiving honor from one another.
Here's a quick dictionary definition of the word honor-
honor
1. High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem: the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.
2. a. Good name; reputation. b. A source or cause of credit: was an honor to the profession.
3. a. Glory or recognition; distinction. b. A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction: the place of honor at the table. c. A military decoration. d. A title conferred for achievement.
4. Nobility of mind; probity.
5. High rank.
6. The dignity accorded to position: awed by the honor of his office.
7. Great privilege: I have the honor to present the governor.
8. Honor. Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for certain officials, such as judges and mayors: Her Honor the Mayor.
9. a. A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms. b. Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity. c. A woman's chastity or reputation for chastity.
10. honors. Social courtesies offered to guests: did the honors at tea.
11. honors. a. Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated with honors. b. A program of individual advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.
12. Sports. The right of being first at the tee in golf.
13. Games. a. Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist. b. The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
verb, transitive
honored, honoring, honors
1. a. To hold in respect; esteem. b. To show respect for. c. To bow to (another dancer) in square dancing: Honor your partner.
2. To confer distinction on: He has honored us with his presence.
3. To accept or pay as valid: honor a check; a store that honors all credit cards.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
*******
Receiving - respect, esteem, recognition, distinction.
When we receive honor one of another, from one another, we are getting their respect, their esteem, their recognition and distinction from them. We care so much about what people think, at least some of us do, and some more than others. We want to be treated with respect we feel we deserve respect and to be recognized as deserving that respect. We might not say to one another that we want to be honored, that word has a connotation of superiority to it and yet the verb form of honor simply says- 'To hold in respect, esteem. To show respect for.' So no, we don't tell someone they should honor us but sometimes we tell others that they need to respect us, especially when we're dealing with disrespectful situations. We feel a right to be respected simply because we exist. Some of the worst people have no trouble telling others they should respect them- thinking they truly deserve it just because they live. Is feeling like you deserve respect wrong?Is feeling like you deserve to be honored wrong? Is honoring another wrong? We are told to honor our mother and father so that can't be, and yet something about honoring others is wrong.
John
{5:44} How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that [cometh] from God only?
Seeking honor of others and not the honor that God alone possesses is wrong. Seeking respect from mankind and not seeking respect that comes from God, is wrong. Seeking to be esteemed by man, seeking recognition and distinction from man is wrong. The ONLY one we need to seek honor from is God. God first, always.
God first. If God is kept first in our lives then we won't care what others think of us, whether or not they respect us or esteem us. If God comes first then nothing else matters. If you suffer disrespect, if you aren't given the recognition you think you deserve, if you're given no distinction at all and not esteemed in the slightest- then you should bear it with joy (not that it feels good- but that's not the point). People suffer for well doing (1 Pet. 3:17) and it is good, better than suffering for evil. When we suffer in any way for God, keeping God first in our lives, then all is good.
We can have faith in God when we seek God first before all else. When we seek our fellow man first we lose our faith. God first, always.
There is an honor that come from God only and that honor is something we should seek. How? Faith.
We're not going to receive a pat on the back from God. He's not going to wink at us and tell us, 'Well done.' God isn't going to shower us with tokens of His appreciation. We won't receive a new company car because we've managed to honor God and He wants to show us we've done well.
How many people seek such honor from man? How many long to hear that little word of gratitude- thanks? How many live hoping to please others and never once concern themselves with pleasing God?
Is it fear that keeps a person from seeking God first? Fear of what their fellow man will think of them? How they might be labeled by others. Jesus freak, God crazy, religious jerk, holy nut, you get the picture. Sometimes we think of the extreme man on the street in a toga dancing and trying to hand out pamphlets, or maybe a looney who wears a billboard shouting about the second coming of Christ. We think of those we call extremist and guess what... In Jesus' day His apostles, His disciples were considered extremists.
Am I saying go out and be an extremist for Christ- yes, I am.
We need to live for Christ, seeking the honor that comes from God. Our only concern should be what God thinks, not what others think.
What God thinks. Perhaps because He's not visible to us to give us physical reassurance that following Him is the only good and right way, we tend to look to that which we can get reactions from and live by their reactions. We seek approval of one another and that is a down fall. The only approval we need is from God and that approval is based on faith.
Faith- the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebs.11:1)
Our hope is Christ.
Faith.
1 John {5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.
Faith. Live for God. Live seeking the honor that comes solely from God.
May God bless and keep us in Him, through the grace and mercy of Christ help us to seek the honor found in God and not in man.
Amen.
{5:44} How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that [cometh] from God only?
Receiving honor from one another.
Here's a quick dictionary definition of the word honor-
honor
1. High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem: the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.
2. a. Good name; reputation. b. A source or cause of credit: was an honor to the profession.
3. a. Glory or recognition; distinction. b. A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction: the place of honor at the table. c. A military decoration. d. A title conferred for achievement.
4. Nobility of mind; probity.
5. High rank.
6. The dignity accorded to position: awed by the honor of his office.
7. Great privilege: I have the honor to present the governor.
8. Honor. Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for certain officials, such as judges and mayors: Her Honor the Mayor.
9. a. A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms. b. Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity. c. A woman's chastity or reputation for chastity.
10. honors. Social courtesies offered to guests: did the honors at tea.
11. honors. a. Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated with honors. b. A program of individual advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.
12. Sports. The right of being first at the tee in golf.
13. Games. a. Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist. b. The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
verb, transitive
honored, honoring, honors
1. a. To hold in respect; esteem. b. To show respect for. c. To bow to (another dancer) in square dancing: Honor your partner.
2. To confer distinction on: He has honored us with his presence.
3. To accept or pay as valid: honor a check; a store that honors all credit cards.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
*******
Receiving - respect, esteem, recognition, distinction.
When we receive honor one of another, from one another, we are getting their respect, their esteem, their recognition and distinction from them. We care so much about what people think, at least some of us do, and some more than others. We want to be treated with respect we feel we deserve respect and to be recognized as deserving that respect. We might not say to one another that we want to be honored, that word has a connotation of superiority to it and yet the verb form of honor simply says- 'To hold in respect, esteem. To show respect for.' So no, we don't tell someone they should honor us but sometimes we tell others that they need to respect us, especially when we're dealing with disrespectful situations. We feel a right to be respected simply because we exist. Some of the worst people have no trouble telling others they should respect them- thinking they truly deserve it just because they live. Is feeling like you deserve respect wrong?Is feeling like you deserve to be honored wrong? Is honoring another wrong? We are told to honor our mother and father so that can't be, and yet something about honoring others is wrong.
John
{5:44} How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that [cometh] from God only?
Seeking honor of others and not the honor that God alone possesses is wrong. Seeking respect from mankind and not seeking respect that comes from God, is wrong. Seeking to be esteemed by man, seeking recognition and distinction from man is wrong. The ONLY one we need to seek honor from is God. God first, always.
God first. If God is kept first in our lives then we won't care what others think of us, whether or not they respect us or esteem us. If God comes first then nothing else matters. If you suffer disrespect, if you aren't given the recognition you think you deserve, if you're given no distinction at all and not esteemed in the slightest- then you should bear it with joy (not that it feels good- but that's not the point). People suffer for well doing (1 Pet. 3:17) and it is good, better than suffering for evil. When we suffer in any way for God, keeping God first in our lives, then all is good.
We can have faith in God when we seek God first before all else. When we seek our fellow man first we lose our faith. God first, always.
There is an honor that come from God only and that honor is something we should seek. How? Faith.
We're not going to receive a pat on the back from God. He's not going to wink at us and tell us, 'Well done.' God isn't going to shower us with tokens of His appreciation. We won't receive a new company car because we've managed to honor God and He wants to show us we've done well.
How many people seek such honor from man? How many long to hear that little word of gratitude- thanks? How many live hoping to please others and never once concern themselves with pleasing God?
Is it fear that keeps a person from seeking God first? Fear of what their fellow man will think of them? How they might be labeled by others. Jesus freak, God crazy, religious jerk, holy nut, you get the picture. Sometimes we think of the extreme man on the street in a toga dancing and trying to hand out pamphlets, or maybe a looney who wears a billboard shouting about the second coming of Christ. We think of those we call extremist and guess what... In Jesus' day His apostles, His disciples were considered extremists.
Am I saying go out and be an extremist for Christ- yes, I am.
We need to live for Christ, seeking the honor that comes from God. Our only concern should be what God thinks, not what others think.
What God thinks. Perhaps because He's not visible to us to give us physical reassurance that following Him is the only good and right way, we tend to look to that which we can get reactions from and live by their reactions. We seek approval of one another and that is a down fall. The only approval we need is from God and that approval is based on faith.
Faith- the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebs.11:1)
Our hope is Christ.
Faith.
1 John {5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.
Faith. Live for God. Live seeking the honor that comes solely from God.
May God bless and keep us in Him, through the grace and mercy of Christ help us to seek the honor found in God and not in man.
Amen.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Seek salvation in Christ
John
{3:16} For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. {3:17} For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved.
*******
Matthew
{21:12} And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast
out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and
overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of
them that sold doves, {21:13} And said unto them, It is
written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye
have made it a den of thieves.
*******
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but thta the world through him might be saved...
Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and seats of them that sold doves.
We want Jesus to condemn don't we? Seriously. When He overthrew tables and chairs and cast out the wrongdoers in the temple the imagery of it all is amazing. Jesus filled with a righteous wrath because overthrowing and casting out isn't done with smiles. We want evil to be condemned and we feel inside ourselves this righteous wrath when we are injured, when we are despitefully used, when we are treated with disrespect, we feel this anger inside of us and is it righteous? Is the anger we feel justified? Is the anger akin to Jesus' wrath as He over turned furniture and kicked people out of the temple? We want to believe it is, but truly can it be?
Jesus was sinless in His wrath. There was no personal injury on His behalf that He was trying to champion, no personal wrong that He was trying to avenge. He said unto those in the temple- It is written My house shall be called the house of prayer - but ye have made it a den of thieves.
It is written.
God's house shall be called a house of prayer.
Buying and selling, exchaning money even for animal sacrifices to be made in the temple wasn't in accord with God's will. It wasn't written you shall buy and sell in my house, that you should cheat people and sell for gain, that you shall barter a price on a sacrifice, that you should make my house a place of haggling and forget all about it being a place of prayer. There was a sacredness in the temple and people had lost sight of that. Jesus saw the totally disregard for His father's house and righteously revealed the evil going on right in the temple.
Our anger isn't sinless, it isn't righteous because more often than not our supposed righteous indignation comes from selfish origins. You want to protest not always and maybe you're right, I can't condemn you for anything it's not my place. Jesus came into the world to save the world, not to condemn the world. If we want condemnation we aren't looking to Jesus.
Jesus came to save. Yes, Jesus felt a righteous indignation as His father's house was descrated but it wasn't a selfish indignation. He didn't condemn the world in that act, He condemned actions. Jesus can condemn and has to condemn sin, but the sinner He longs to save.
May God help us to recognize the actions in our lives that are worthy of condemnation and may we beg for forgiveness for those actions and seek salvation in Christ, by His everlasting mercy and grace.
Amen.
{3:16} For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. {3:17} For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved.
*******
Matthew
{21:12} And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast
out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and
overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of
them that sold doves, {21:13} And said unto them, It is
written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye
have made it a den of thieves.
*******
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but thta the world through him might be saved...
Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and seats of them that sold doves.
We want Jesus to condemn don't we? Seriously. When He overthrew tables and chairs and cast out the wrongdoers in the temple the imagery of it all is amazing. Jesus filled with a righteous wrath because overthrowing and casting out isn't done with smiles. We want evil to be condemned and we feel inside ourselves this righteous wrath when we are injured, when we are despitefully used, when we are treated with disrespect, we feel this anger inside of us and is it righteous? Is the anger we feel justified? Is the anger akin to Jesus' wrath as He over turned furniture and kicked people out of the temple? We want to believe it is, but truly can it be?
Jesus was sinless in His wrath. There was no personal injury on His behalf that He was trying to champion, no personal wrong that He was trying to avenge. He said unto those in the temple- It is written My house shall be called the house of prayer - but ye have made it a den of thieves.
It is written.
God's house shall be called a house of prayer.
Buying and selling, exchaning money even for animal sacrifices to be made in the temple wasn't in accord with God's will. It wasn't written you shall buy and sell in my house, that you should cheat people and sell for gain, that you shall barter a price on a sacrifice, that you should make my house a place of haggling and forget all about it being a place of prayer. There was a sacredness in the temple and people had lost sight of that. Jesus saw the totally disregard for His father's house and righteously revealed the evil going on right in the temple.
Our anger isn't sinless, it isn't righteous because more often than not our supposed righteous indignation comes from selfish origins. You want to protest not always and maybe you're right, I can't condemn you for anything it's not my place. Jesus came into the world to save the world, not to condemn the world. If we want condemnation we aren't looking to Jesus.
Jesus came to save. Yes, Jesus felt a righteous indignation as His father's house was descrated but it wasn't a selfish indignation. He didn't condemn the world in that act, He condemned actions. Jesus can condemn and has to condemn sin, but the sinner He longs to save.
May God help us to recognize the actions in our lives that are worthy of condemnation and may we beg for forgiveness for those actions and seek salvation in Christ, by His everlasting mercy and grace.
Amen.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Faith in the only one trustworthy.
1 Peter
{2:19} For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
Suffering wrongfully.
Innocents suffer wrongfully. Man is not innocent by nature. Children are innocent until they reach their own age of accountability, there is no set age but rather the maturity that brings accountability with it. Once someone knows right from wrong then they are accountable to do right rather than wrong. Once the choices begin and the child chooses the wrong over the right, again accountability is in effect. We all know that as children it starts young, our wrongs are innocent until we are taught they are wrong. Not touching a hot stovetop is something we are taught, but at first we are kept safe by keeping us away from the hot stovetop. Later we are told not to touch the hot stove it could hurt us. We choose whether or not to listen to that admonishment. If we choose not to listen and put our fingers on the hot stove we get burned- an instant punishment is given us for our wrong doing. Was it an innocent wrong when we we were told not to touch and we did? The choosing not to listen makes it a choice for wrong. As we grow up we are told our actions have consequences and not all of those consequences are immediately felt such as the touching of the hot stovetop resulting in burnt fingers. Sometimes it's best if we do get immediate consequences isn't it? Maybe if all wrong doing resulted in immediate punishment there'd be less wrong doing, but that's not how it all works.
Choices. We all make them and starting very young. Only the innocents suffer wrongfully, right? No, that's not right. Innocents do suffer, but so do the guilty.
Man by nature matures and guilt abounds. We find forgiveness in Christ, He died to take away our sins. Once we are made innocent in Christ, through Christ's righteousness we are like a child before accountability, innocent. Every day we make choices that can produce more guilt and more need of forgiveness, or we can make choices that result in remaining innocent- through the grace of Christ.
Suffering wrongfully.
Suffering undeservedly.
By the guilt of our nature anything that happens to us is deserved, but we still have that sense of being undeserving of guilt when we've not done wrong and when we've asked for forgiveness. This is why we must consider it thankworthy suffering wrongfully, because the only one who never deserved a single ounce of suffering, suffered the most for us who deserve all the suffering in the world.
It's not oh, God why me?! But oh, God... thank you, keep me strong in faith, in love, in you. Now, if only we can truly remember that when the suffering and grief come to us. May God remind us that the suffering now is only temporary however horrific when we are in the midst of the pain, the agony, the emotional turmoil, the physical horrors.
By His grace, help us remember, to trust, to believe, to have faith in the only one trustworthy.
Thank you Lord, thank you our heavenly Father.
Amen.
{2:19} For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
Suffering wrongfully.
Innocents suffer wrongfully. Man is not innocent by nature. Children are innocent until they reach their own age of accountability, there is no set age but rather the maturity that brings accountability with it. Once someone knows right from wrong then they are accountable to do right rather than wrong. Once the choices begin and the child chooses the wrong over the right, again accountability is in effect. We all know that as children it starts young, our wrongs are innocent until we are taught they are wrong. Not touching a hot stovetop is something we are taught, but at first we are kept safe by keeping us away from the hot stovetop. Later we are told not to touch the hot stove it could hurt us. We choose whether or not to listen to that admonishment. If we choose not to listen and put our fingers on the hot stove we get burned- an instant punishment is given us for our wrong doing. Was it an innocent wrong when we we were told not to touch and we did? The choosing not to listen makes it a choice for wrong. As we grow up we are told our actions have consequences and not all of those consequences are immediately felt such as the touching of the hot stovetop resulting in burnt fingers. Sometimes it's best if we do get immediate consequences isn't it? Maybe if all wrong doing resulted in immediate punishment there'd be less wrong doing, but that's not how it all works.
Choices. We all make them and starting very young. Only the innocents suffer wrongfully, right? No, that's not right. Innocents do suffer, but so do the guilty.
Man by nature matures and guilt abounds. We find forgiveness in Christ, He died to take away our sins. Once we are made innocent in Christ, through Christ's righteousness we are like a child before accountability, innocent. Every day we make choices that can produce more guilt and more need of forgiveness, or we can make choices that result in remaining innocent- through the grace of Christ.
Suffering wrongfully.
Suffering undeservedly.
By the guilt of our nature anything that happens to us is deserved, but we still have that sense of being undeserving of guilt when we've not done wrong and when we've asked for forgiveness. This is why we must consider it thankworthy suffering wrongfully, because the only one who never deserved a single ounce of suffering, suffered the most for us who deserve all the suffering in the world.
It's not oh, God why me?! But oh, God... thank you, keep me strong in faith, in love, in you. Now, if only we can truly remember that when the suffering and grief come to us. May God remind us that the suffering now is only temporary however horrific when we are in the midst of the pain, the agony, the emotional turmoil, the physical horrors.
By His grace, help us remember, to trust, to believe, to have faith in the only one trustworthy.
Thank you Lord, thank you our heavenly Father.
Amen.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Conscience toward God
1 Peter {2:19} For this [is] thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. {2:20} For what glory [is it,] if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it,] ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. {2:21} For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: {2:22} Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: {2:23} Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: {2:24} Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. {2:25} For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
For conscience toward God...
How can we have our conscience toward God?
conscience
conscience (kòn´shens) noun
1. a. The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong: Let your conscience be your guide. b. A source of moral or ethical judgment or pronouncement: a document that serves as the nation's conscience. c. Conformity to one's own sense of right conduct: a person of unflagging conscience.
2. The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one's actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
We need an awareness of our moral responsibility to God. When we have our conscience towards God then we prefer what God prefers and not what we naturally prefer selfishly. To have our conscience towards God is thankworthy, meaning we have reason to give thanks if our conscience, if our awareness of our responsibility to God, is pronounced in our lives. Too often people have NO conscience towards God. They've taken God out of their lives entirely believing in themselves, believing in humanity, believing in tangible things that just are because those people are without any thought of God at all.
For conscience toward God it is thankworthy...worth thanks if a man--
-- endures grief and suffers wrongfully.
Being thankful for enduring grief??
Being thankful for suffering wrongfully??
Our senses tells us that's wrong! How can we be thankful for grief, for suffering, how? We should be thankful when we don't have to grieve or suffer, right? Yet here we are being told it's thankworthy to suffer and grieve when we don't deserve to do either. Sure, if we're hateful, spiteful, lying, cheating, and deserving of our grief and suffering we have no one to blame but ourselves for it and being thankful for such suffering is ridiculous. For such suffering we deserve we have no reason to be glad. And you want to say for suffering we don't deserve we should be even less happy about and that's true for the natural man, for the man whose conscience isn't towards God.
If we suffer undeservedly, if we endure grief patiently, thankfully, when we are focused on God guess what? It's is acceptable to God that we do grieve and suffer so. Why? Because Christ suffered for us as an example. He suffered worse than we can ever suffer and He did so without seeking revenge, without ranting and raving, without swearing, He suffered and committed himself to him that judges righteously- He committed Himself to God! He suffered an innocent man as our example. If we are to endure suffering, if we are to endure grief our natural man says to lash out at those causing it all, to give as we are given, to hurt those who are hurting us and yet we can't do that not if our conscience is towards God. With our conscience towards God we suffer as Christ suffered and let God judge. God's judgment isn't clouded by all infallible opinion. God's judgment is true and just and infinitely better than any ability we may think we have to judge. If we let God judge then we are willing to submit ourselves to Him, letting go of our own selfish need to exact revenge and to pay back others for their hurtful, hatefully, horrendous, insidious, reprehensible behavior.
Through Christ we live. Through Christ's righteousness we live. By the suffering of Christ we are healed. No, we aren't promised a live of no suffering and no grief, but we are promised Christ and life eternal through Christ. We are promised that all we endure is nothing compared to what our Savior endured and we should be thankful that we do suffer for Christ, for our conscience towards God because there is life promised in that suffering and grief, a promise through Christ.
1 Peter {2:19} For this [is] thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. {2:20} For what glory [is it,] if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it,] ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. {2:21} For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: {2:22} Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: {2:23} Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: {2:24} Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. {2:25} For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
It is so hard for our natural selves to be hurt and to be thankful for that hurt. It is so hard for our natural selves to grieve and be thankful for the grief. Only through Christ is it at all possible to be so, knowing that God is in control. God is in control of our lives and we must trust Him. That doesn't mean we won't grieve- that we are to smile through tears- no, it doesn't mean that at all. It doesn't mean we are to laugh through pain. God understands we must cry, and we must feel the agony that grief brings, and to suffer means to feel the pain and yes, to even cry out upon feeling the pain. We aren't called to be smiling as our hearts are torn to shreds or our bodies filled with agony. We are called to be thankful to God, we are called to trust in God, we are called to put all our faith in God that all that horror is for some reason we can't begin to understand and yet God does understand and He alone can judge everything. We are not to judge God. Yes, we cry out WHY GOD?! WHY?! And that's natural as well, but ultimately we have to trust that we can't know the why's of God yet we must still trust in Him.
Is it easy? No. It's suffering, it's grief, it's pain, and that is never easy.
Through it all we know Christ placed all His faith and trust in the Father, Satan tempted Him and YES He could have fallen to the temptation. He didn't have a shield around Himself, He didn't have a special protection from sinning, He was tempted LIKE WE ARE IN ALL POINTS and remained without sin. People like to think Christ couldn't have sinned, but that's wrong. He could have and He didn't. He had faith in the Father. He was constantly praying to the Father, constantly seeking the Father and to live for the Father, Christ's conscience was towards God, His Father. His life was lived for the Father, saving us through His suffering.
Ease isn't something we're promised when we have our conscience towards God. Life eternal is the promise we are given through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, by His amazing grace and mercy now and forever.
Amen.
For conscience toward God...
How can we have our conscience toward God?
conscience
conscience (kòn´shens) noun
1. a. The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong: Let your conscience be your guide. b. A source of moral or ethical judgment or pronouncement: a document that serves as the nation's conscience. c. Conformity to one's own sense of right conduct: a person of unflagging conscience.
2. The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one's actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
We need an awareness of our moral responsibility to God. When we have our conscience towards God then we prefer what God prefers and not what we naturally prefer selfishly. To have our conscience towards God is thankworthy, meaning we have reason to give thanks if our conscience, if our awareness of our responsibility to God, is pronounced in our lives. Too often people have NO conscience towards God. They've taken God out of their lives entirely believing in themselves, believing in humanity, believing in tangible things that just are because those people are without any thought of God at all.
For conscience toward God it is thankworthy...worth thanks if a man--
-- endures grief and suffers wrongfully.
Being thankful for enduring grief??
Being thankful for suffering wrongfully??
Our senses tells us that's wrong! How can we be thankful for grief, for suffering, how? We should be thankful when we don't have to grieve or suffer, right? Yet here we are being told it's thankworthy to suffer and grieve when we don't deserve to do either. Sure, if we're hateful, spiteful, lying, cheating, and deserving of our grief and suffering we have no one to blame but ourselves for it and being thankful for such suffering is ridiculous. For such suffering we deserve we have no reason to be glad. And you want to say for suffering we don't deserve we should be even less happy about and that's true for the natural man, for the man whose conscience isn't towards God.
If we suffer undeservedly, if we endure grief patiently, thankfully, when we are focused on God guess what? It's is acceptable to God that we do grieve and suffer so. Why? Because Christ suffered for us as an example. He suffered worse than we can ever suffer and He did so without seeking revenge, without ranting and raving, without swearing, He suffered and committed himself to him that judges righteously- He committed Himself to God! He suffered an innocent man as our example. If we are to endure suffering, if we are to endure grief our natural man says to lash out at those causing it all, to give as we are given, to hurt those who are hurting us and yet we can't do that not if our conscience is towards God. With our conscience towards God we suffer as Christ suffered and let God judge. God's judgment isn't clouded by all infallible opinion. God's judgment is true and just and infinitely better than any ability we may think we have to judge. If we let God judge then we are willing to submit ourselves to Him, letting go of our own selfish need to exact revenge and to pay back others for their hurtful, hatefully, horrendous, insidious, reprehensible behavior.
Through Christ we live. Through Christ's righteousness we live. By the suffering of Christ we are healed. No, we aren't promised a live of no suffering and no grief, but we are promised Christ and life eternal through Christ. We are promised that all we endure is nothing compared to what our Savior endured and we should be thankful that we do suffer for Christ, for our conscience towards God because there is life promised in that suffering and grief, a promise through Christ.
1 Peter {2:19} For this [is] thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. {2:20} For what glory [is it,] if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it,] ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. {2:21} For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: {2:22} Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: {2:23} Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: {2:24} Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. {2:25} For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
It is so hard for our natural selves to be hurt and to be thankful for that hurt. It is so hard for our natural selves to grieve and be thankful for the grief. Only through Christ is it at all possible to be so, knowing that God is in control. God is in control of our lives and we must trust Him. That doesn't mean we won't grieve- that we are to smile through tears- no, it doesn't mean that at all. It doesn't mean we are to laugh through pain. God understands we must cry, and we must feel the agony that grief brings, and to suffer means to feel the pain and yes, to even cry out upon feeling the pain. We aren't called to be smiling as our hearts are torn to shreds or our bodies filled with agony. We are called to be thankful to God, we are called to trust in God, we are called to put all our faith in God that all that horror is for some reason we can't begin to understand and yet God does understand and He alone can judge everything. We are not to judge God. Yes, we cry out WHY GOD?! WHY?! And that's natural as well, but ultimately we have to trust that we can't know the why's of God yet we must still trust in Him.
Is it easy? No. It's suffering, it's grief, it's pain, and that is never easy.
Through it all we know Christ placed all His faith and trust in the Father, Satan tempted Him and YES He could have fallen to the temptation. He didn't have a shield around Himself, He didn't have a special protection from sinning, He was tempted LIKE WE ARE IN ALL POINTS and remained without sin. People like to think Christ couldn't have sinned, but that's wrong. He could have and He didn't. He had faith in the Father. He was constantly praying to the Father, constantly seeking the Father and to live for the Father, Christ's conscience was towards God, His Father. His life was lived for the Father, saving us through His suffering.
Ease isn't something we're promised when we have our conscience towards God. Life eternal is the promise we are given through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, by His amazing grace and mercy now and forever.
Amen.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Pray now like never before
James {1:13} Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of
God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth
he any man: {1:14} But every man is tempted, when he is
drawn away of his own lust, and enticed
Heb. {11:32} And what shall I
more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and
[of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David
also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets: {11:33} Who
through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, {11:34}
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the
sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in
fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. {11:35}
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others
were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might
obtain a better resurrection: {11:36} And others had trial of
[cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds
and imprisonment: {11:37} They were stoned, they were
sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented; {11:38} (Of whom the world
was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in]
mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth. {11:39}
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise: {11:40} God having provided
some better thing for us, that they without us should not be
made perfect.
Heb. {4:15} For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without
sin.
***
Jesus was tempted like we are- yet without sin. Some argue of course He was without sin, He was God's Son so He had extra power to keep from sinning. I beg to differ. To be tempted like we are He had to feel the temptation, He had to resist the temptation. True, He didn't have the sinful nature- He wasn't born into sin like we are, He didn't inherit sin, but He was tempted like we are and the same amazing miracle that created Jesus inside Mary, a miracle we cannot fathom and in no way could create ourselves also enabled Jesus to live a unique life as One who was tempted like we are. The Bible says so. The Bible doesn't say Jesus was tempted as Adam and Eve were. It could say that, it really could, but it doesn't. Jesus was in all points tempted like we are yet without sin; that's what the Bible says. Not just tempted like we are, but tempted in ALL points like we are. We know what it is like to be tempted don't we? We know what it means to deny ourselves something because we know it's wrong, and we also know what it means to fall to temptation, to give into it and not resist it, not fight it. Often we've embraced sin in our lives to fulfill the lusts of our flesh, you know, to have fun and do as we please.
Jesus was tempted like we are- yet without sin. He resisted temptation, He didn't have to. He felt the pull, the want, the desire and yet he resisted. Satan went after Him full out, He didn't leave Him alone, didn't stop trying to get Jesus to fall into His web of sin.
Those who have faith aren't promised a good life. We are promised the opposite. We are promise deprivation, tormenting, affliction, those are the things we are promised, not happiness, a life of ease, a worry free existence, a pain free life. We are going to be attacked by Satan full out and in many ways, in lots of disguises. If Satan can't get us one way he'll try another, and another, and yes-- another. He won't give up and the only way we can defeat Him is through faith. Not faith in our own ability to do anything at all, but faith in Jesus Christ our Righteousness, our Savior. Faith in Jesus will defeat Satan and Jesus prays for us, prays that our faith won't fail, that it will be strong. In turn when we are strengthened by the love of our Savior we need to help our fellow followers of Christ because all around us and them Satan works without ceasing.
Few of us have trouble believing that Jesus is real, but many of us have trouble making Satan real. It's easier to believe in a good Shepherd watching over us, taking care of us, but harder to name Satan as the one who causes the misery in our lives. You have a bad day where everything seems to go wrong and you tell someone that Satan was really working overtime with you that day and they'll get that squinting look in their eyes that says they think you're a little off your rocker. Sure say you're having a bad day, but don't mention who might be behind it because well...we all have bad days and surely Satan isn't behind all things bad. He's not behind the waking up late and missing the bus, he's not behind the ruined dress that some how became torn in the dryer, he has nothing to do with your spilling that coffee on your trousers... those are just things that happen end of story. To say that Satan caused those things means he's a living enitity that actually controls various things, manipulating them and that just won't do- it's like having poltergiests about and that's just creepy. So, lets say it's true that Satan doesn't do those things, that they just happen. Satan influences our reactions to things that happen will you agree to that? No? So Satan doesn't nothing at all, he's not real? But Jesus was in the wilderness and Satan was surely influencing Him- tempting Him to change a rock into bread and such. Isn't that real? Jesus was tempted in all points like we are; Satan was there tempting Jesus to change a rock into bread so it stands to reason that Satan really tempts us and really puts obstacles in our way that make our lives miserable and then some.
Naming Satan as our enemy is a good thing because we recognize Christ's ability to defeat Satan. Christ DID defeat Him and we through Christ can too. But as long as we refuse to acknowledge the reality we live in we allow Satan to work without being seen, we allow Him to control so much of our lives. If you live knowing that Satan is in control of you and what you do by your choice and it doesn't bother you- pray. Pray that your heart will be pricked by the Holy Spirit, that you'll gain understanding and feel the desire to repent. Do you love this world you live in? Has it given you all you've ever wanted? Is this life pain free? Worry free? No, it's not and it's not for all of us. Even the richest, most beautiful, the luckiest person alive has heartache and pain. Is this life here and now truly the way you want it to be for you and in the end do you want to be as if you've never been? Do you want to never have existed? We only know existing because we are, and we can imagine not being because of those we've lost to death's sleep and are no longer with us. Their existence in our lives is over, but we live with the hope that it's not a permanent loss. There is a permanent loss for us, for them, and yet there doesn't have to be. This world is not our end, or rather it doesn't have to be our end as long as we cling to Jesus and accept His sacrifice for us.
Life now might be horrific in many ways, or maybe it's not so bad, but regardless of our existence now Satan is fighting for us and Jesus died for us. We choose.
Pray now like never before because Satan is working harder than ever before to tear down any faith you may have.
May God bless us and keep us, may our faith grow shielding us from the fiery darts of Satan as the evil one seeks to destroy that faith.
By the grace and mercy our our Righteous Lord and Savior now and forever, in Jesus.
Amen.
God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth
he any man: {1:14} But every man is tempted, when he is
drawn away of his own lust, and enticed
Heb. {11:32} And what shall I
more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and
[of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David
also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets: {11:33} Who
through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, {11:34}
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the
sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in
fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. {11:35}
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others
were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might
obtain a better resurrection: {11:36} And others had trial of
[cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds
and imprisonment: {11:37} They were stoned, they were
sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented; {11:38} (Of whom the world
was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in]
mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth. {11:39}
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise: {11:40} God having provided
some better thing for us, that they without us should not be
made perfect.
Heb. {4:15} For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without
sin.
***
Jesus was tempted like we are- yet without sin. Some argue of course He was without sin, He was God's Son so He had extra power to keep from sinning. I beg to differ. To be tempted like we are He had to feel the temptation, He had to resist the temptation. True, He didn't have the sinful nature- He wasn't born into sin like we are, He didn't inherit sin, but He was tempted like we are and the same amazing miracle that created Jesus inside Mary, a miracle we cannot fathom and in no way could create ourselves also enabled Jesus to live a unique life as One who was tempted like we are. The Bible says so. The Bible doesn't say Jesus was tempted as Adam and Eve were. It could say that, it really could, but it doesn't. Jesus was in all points tempted like we are yet without sin; that's what the Bible says. Not just tempted like we are, but tempted in ALL points like we are. We know what it is like to be tempted don't we? We know what it means to deny ourselves something because we know it's wrong, and we also know what it means to fall to temptation, to give into it and not resist it, not fight it. Often we've embraced sin in our lives to fulfill the lusts of our flesh, you know, to have fun and do as we please.
Jesus was tempted like we are- yet without sin. He resisted temptation, He didn't have to. He felt the pull, the want, the desire and yet he resisted. Satan went after Him full out, He didn't leave Him alone, didn't stop trying to get Jesus to fall into His web of sin.
Those who have faith aren't promised a good life. We are promised the opposite. We are promise deprivation, tormenting, affliction, those are the things we are promised, not happiness, a life of ease, a worry free existence, a pain free life. We are going to be attacked by Satan full out and in many ways, in lots of disguises. If Satan can't get us one way he'll try another, and another, and yes-- another. He won't give up and the only way we can defeat Him is through faith. Not faith in our own ability to do anything at all, but faith in Jesus Christ our Righteousness, our Savior. Faith in Jesus will defeat Satan and Jesus prays for us, prays that our faith won't fail, that it will be strong. In turn when we are strengthened by the love of our Savior we need to help our fellow followers of Christ because all around us and them Satan works without ceasing.
Few of us have trouble believing that Jesus is real, but many of us have trouble making Satan real. It's easier to believe in a good Shepherd watching over us, taking care of us, but harder to name Satan as the one who causes the misery in our lives. You have a bad day where everything seems to go wrong and you tell someone that Satan was really working overtime with you that day and they'll get that squinting look in their eyes that says they think you're a little off your rocker. Sure say you're having a bad day, but don't mention who might be behind it because well...we all have bad days and surely Satan isn't behind all things bad. He's not behind the waking up late and missing the bus, he's not behind the ruined dress that some how became torn in the dryer, he has nothing to do with your spilling that coffee on your trousers... those are just things that happen end of story. To say that Satan caused those things means he's a living enitity that actually controls various things, manipulating them and that just won't do- it's like having poltergiests about and that's just creepy. So, lets say it's true that Satan doesn't do those things, that they just happen. Satan influences our reactions to things that happen will you agree to that? No? So Satan doesn't nothing at all, he's not real? But Jesus was in the wilderness and Satan was surely influencing Him- tempting Him to change a rock into bread and such. Isn't that real? Jesus was tempted in all points like we are; Satan was there tempting Jesus to change a rock into bread so it stands to reason that Satan really tempts us and really puts obstacles in our way that make our lives miserable and then some.
Naming Satan as our enemy is a good thing because we recognize Christ's ability to defeat Satan. Christ DID defeat Him and we through Christ can too. But as long as we refuse to acknowledge the reality we live in we allow Satan to work without being seen, we allow Him to control so much of our lives. If you live knowing that Satan is in control of you and what you do by your choice and it doesn't bother you- pray. Pray that your heart will be pricked by the Holy Spirit, that you'll gain understanding and feel the desire to repent. Do you love this world you live in? Has it given you all you've ever wanted? Is this life pain free? Worry free? No, it's not and it's not for all of us. Even the richest, most beautiful, the luckiest person alive has heartache and pain. Is this life here and now truly the way you want it to be for you and in the end do you want to be as if you've never been? Do you want to never have existed? We only know existing because we are, and we can imagine not being because of those we've lost to death's sleep and are no longer with us. Their existence in our lives is over, but we live with the hope that it's not a permanent loss. There is a permanent loss for us, for them, and yet there doesn't have to be. This world is not our end, or rather it doesn't have to be our end as long as we cling to Jesus and accept His sacrifice for us.
Life now might be horrific in many ways, or maybe it's not so bad, but regardless of our existence now Satan is fighting for us and Jesus died for us. We choose.
Pray now like never before because Satan is working harder than ever before to tear down any faith you may have.
May God bless us and keep us, may our faith grow shielding us from the fiery darts of Satan as the evil one seeks to destroy that faith.
By the grace and mercy our our Righteous Lord and Savior now and forever, in Jesus.
Amen.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Our sufficency is of God.
2 John {1:4} I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children
walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from
the Father. {1:5} And now I beseech thee, lady, not as
though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that
which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
{1:6} And this is love, that we walk after his
commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have
heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
From the beginning the commandment was to love one another. How could it be otherwise? God is love. When man fell into sin it was into a world that knew only love and now it would know the opposite of love, it would know hatred. The commandment to love is a command to live. People try to make it so God is harsh and restrictive, but He's love and all He asks is out of love. Loving one another is so important. Loving one another is what it's all about. Love. Putting others before ourselves. Putting God before ourselves. We walk in love.
1 John {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.
No man has seen God at any time.
No man has seen God.
God dwells in us... if we love one another. God's love is perfected in us.
We know we dwell in God and God in us because God's given us his Spirit.
With the Holy Spirit in us, living in us, we know that God's love is in us and we can love with God's love. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit will help us to love with God's love. Nothing is of ourselves.
2 Cor. {3:4} And such trust have we through Christ to Godward:
{3:5} Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think
any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God
Our sufficency is of God.
We are NOT sufficient of ourselves.
May the Lord bless us and keep us, may the Holy Spirit dwell in us so that we may love one another with the only true and powerful love that is God's, all through the love of Christ, by His grace and His mercy now and forever.
Amen.
walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from
the Father. {1:5} And now I beseech thee, lady, not as
though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that
which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
{1:6} And this is love, that we walk after his
commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have
heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
From the beginning the commandment was to love one another. How could it be otherwise? God is love. When man fell into sin it was into a world that knew only love and now it would know the opposite of love, it would know hatred. The commandment to love is a command to live. People try to make it so God is harsh and restrictive, but He's love and all He asks is out of love. Loving one another is so important. Loving one another is what it's all about. Love. Putting others before ourselves. Putting God before ourselves. We walk in love.
1 John {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.
No man has seen God at any time.
No man has seen God.
God dwells in us... if we love one another. God's love is perfected in us.
We know we dwell in God and God in us because God's given us his Spirit.
With the Holy Spirit in us, living in us, we know that God's love is in us and we can love with God's love. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit will help us to love with God's love. Nothing is of ourselves.
2 Cor. {3:4} And such trust have we through Christ to Godward:
{3:5} Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think
any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God
Our sufficency is of God.
We are NOT sufficient of ourselves.
May the Lord bless us and keep us, may the Holy Spirit dwell in us so that we may love one another with the only true and powerful love that is God's, all through the love of Christ, by His grace and His mercy now and forever.
Amen.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
WAKE UP! You're either hot or cold, good or evil!
Rev.
{20:7} And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison
{20:8} And shall go out to deceive
the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth
Satan deceives NATIONS!
Why do you think that he can't deceive you?
Rev. {3:9} Behold,
I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they
are Jews, and are not, but do lie
The Synagogue of Satan. A congregation of Satan. What does that tell us? What? Satan worshippers. They are real. Any who would not worship God worships Satan, there is NO middle ground. You can try to find a middle ground, you can even label it your own ground because you think you are not going to follow either God or Satan, but it won't change the facts. There are only two sides and no more. There is only good and evil and no more. Liars are of the synagogue of Satan. You don't claim to belong to any synagogue let alone a synagogue of Satan and yet there are only two synagogues and there is no sitting outside between them, there is no between. We live in a world where there are many shades of gray, there are many sides to choose from, there are circumstances which give varying perceptions. We seldom have to choose between two things and only two things, having multiple choices is a way of life for us. We like having choices the more the better because that means we have an opportunity to decide among a lot of things and find something to suit our needs. We love finding things to suit our needs. But having just two choices narrows things down and we have to pick one or the other without any alternatives. There are only two choices in life that lead to our eternal life and the decision is one we make all the time. We have Satan on one hand that will stop at nothing at all to get us to choose His side, even unwittingly. He has counterfiets of the true way set up all along the path to His synagogue and many, many are going to be fooled thinking they are following Christ's way when in fact they aren't. Christ doesn't use trickery, He doesn't try to fool us. He tells us how hard things are going to be for us, but He tells us that in Him we can be saved. He's done the hardest work of all, and we have to cling to Him.
Satan is real.
Satan will deceive nations. Satan has a synagogue. Satan tempted Jesus, Satan tempted humans to sin. Don't make the mistake of thinking he's not after you. When you sit back and relax thinking you're above being tempted, Satan likes that too.
WAKE UP! You're either hot or cold, good or evil, lukewarm is just as bad as being evil because there is no middle ground.
May God bless us and keep us, helping us now and always to be on His side, to choose good over evil, right over wrong, life over death, God over Satan.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
{20:7} And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison
{20:8} And shall go out to deceive
the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth
Satan deceives NATIONS!
Why do you think that he can't deceive you?
Rev. {3:9} Behold,
I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they
are Jews, and are not, but do lie
The Synagogue of Satan. A congregation of Satan. What does that tell us? What? Satan worshippers. They are real. Any who would not worship God worships Satan, there is NO middle ground. You can try to find a middle ground, you can even label it your own ground because you think you are not going to follow either God or Satan, but it won't change the facts. There are only two sides and no more. There is only good and evil and no more. Liars are of the synagogue of Satan. You don't claim to belong to any synagogue let alone a synagogue of Satan and yet there are only two synagogues and there is no sitting outside between them, there is no between. We live in a world where there are many shades of gray, there are many sides to choose from, there are circumstances which give varying perceptions. We seldom have to choose between two things and only two things, having multiple choices is a way of life for us. We like having choices the more the better because that means we have an opportunity to decide among a lot of things and find something to suit our needs. We love finding things to suit our needs. But having just two choices narrows things down and we have to pick one or the other without any alternatives. There are only two choices in life that lead to our eternal life and the decision is one we make all the time. We have Satan on one hand that will stop at nothing at all to get us to choose His side, even unwittingly. He has counterfiets of the true way set up all along the path to His synagogue and many, many are going to be fooled thinking they are following Christ's way when in fact they aren't. Christ doesn't use trickery, He doesn't try to fool us. He tells us how hard things are going to be for us, but He tells us that in Him we can be saved. He's done the hardest work of all, and we have to cling to Him.
Satan is real.
Satan will deceive nations. Satan has a synagogue. Satan tempted Jesus, Satan tempted humans to sin. Don't make the mistake of thinking he's not after you. When you sit back and relax thinking you're above being tempted, Satan likes that too.
WAKE UP! You're either hot or cold, good or evil, lukewarm is just as bad as being evil because there is no middle ground.
May God bless us and keep us, helping us now and always to be on His side, to choose good over evil, right over wrong, life over death, God over Satan.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Names Written in Heaven
Luke
{10:17} And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
{10:18} And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
{10:19} Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
*
The disciples knew how real devils were-- they were thrilled that the devils would listen to them through the name of Jesus. Devils, evil spirits, Satan, they are all subject unto Jesus and Jesus only. Only one that is with Jesus can cast out devils. Jesus told them that He saw Satan as lightening falling from heaven. He witnessed Satan being cast out of heaven. Amazing! He is so real and we need to believe in the reality of Satan, of evil. If we dismiss the reality of Satan we are dismissing Christ Himself! People have to wake up! WAKE UP! He's real! He's not some fabrication of someone's overactive and warped imagination.
You are Christ's or you are Satan's, there is no middle ground. You can't hold onto Satan and Christ. You can be caught up by Satan and as soon as you cry out to Christ he will save you from Satan, and it's a choice you'll need to make often because Satan will not stop trying to get you back. He never stops. He'll plot and plan, he'll even step aside and let you glory in Christ in fact the seemingly happier you in Christ the better. Having your life all caught up in Christ serves Satan's plans when he sits back and plots to attack you and steal you back. The higher you are the harder you'll fall and the harder you fall the more wounded you'll be and the more wounded you are the longer it will take you to heal- that's if you ever recover because Satan glories in being able to wound mortally. The longer he can keep you down and keep you from the healing source the happier he is, if he can keep you away from full surrender to the Healer then you're counted as his and he glories in stealing you from Christ's love.
This is REAL!
I want to scream it, I want to shout it, SATAN IS REAL!
Satan is real and he's either working in you or Christ is, that middle ground doesn't exist.
James
{4:7} Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
{4:8} Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Resist the devil.
RESIST the DEVIL!
John
{11:9} Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
{11:10} But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
Do you stumble? We have to walk in the light, we have to have light, the light of Christ in us. We have to draw nigh to God and He'll draw nigh to us. God's not going to force Himself on us. God's not going to push the darkness out of those unwilling to let go of the darkness inside themselves. There has to be a willingness, a surrender, and acceptance.
None of that means a person will be perfect, or that the desire to do evil things will disappear instantly.
The initial surrender and the first Christian walk can be so glorious and as a soldier in Christ's army the battles you face seem very surmountable with Christ at our sides, we feel all but invincible, our walk with Christ is secure and nothing will tear us apart from our Lord and Savior. It's amazing and beautiful if that walk continues on that way but more often than not there will come a time when you are suddenly ripped from that secure place and nothing seems as it was. The hope, the love you felt seems to have disappeared. You even feel God has abandoned you to Satan as the assaults become overpowering. You fall over and over into temptation and the more you fall the more wretched you feel and the further and further out to the sea of sin you go until the safety shore of Christ is out of sight completely and there you are left at sea to flounder- to sink or swim. So maybe you sink but Christ never stops throwing out lifelines even to the deepest part of the sea. Satan will do all he can to keep your eyes focused on the deep, dark sea surrounding you so that every time you might glimpse a lifeline you turn your back on it because you're not ready to swim out of Satan's sea.
Yes, I'm using metaphors but Satan is so real! REAL! And you know what? YOU'll NEVER DEFEAT HIM, but guess what? CHRIST DID! Cling to Christ, cling to Him and find victory.
Christ Himself told the disciples not to rejoice in defeating devils, but rejoice in what??
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We aren't to rejoice because we defeat any devils but rejoice because our names are written in heaven. The victory is in Jesus! Our rejoicing is in Jesus.
Every victory can be thought of in two ways- Rejoicing over those you've defeated, or rejoicing rather that you won. They are different. Think about it... if you focus on the fact you beat your opponents your happiness is based on their pain, their loss, their defeat. If you focus on the fact you won for the sake of winning without glorying and rejoicing in those you've defeated how much better is it? There are poor sports - those who take defeat badly, and there are poor winners - those who focus on beating their opponents and do not win graciously at all. A true winner is one who wins and shares the victory with all.
Christ didn't want His disciples rejoicing in beating Satan, but in the fact they won eternal life. Rejoicing in Christ!
Victory in Christ!
Hope in Christ!
Faith- the substance of things hoped for- the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1
Keep hope in Christ alive.
By His mercy and grace, in His everlasting love.
Amen.
{10:17} And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
{10:18} And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
{10:19} Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
*
The disciples knew how real devils were-- they were thrilled that the devils would listen to them through the name of Jesus. Devils, evil spirits, Satan, they are all subject unto Jesus and Jesus only. Only one that is with Jesus can cast out devils. Jesus told them that He saw Satan as lightening falling from heaven. He witnessed Satan being cast out of heaven. Amazing! He is so real and we need to believe in the reality of Satan, of evil. If we dismiss the reality of Satan we are dismissing Christ Himself! People have to wake up! WAKE UP! He's real! He's not some fabrication of someone's overactive and warped imagination.
You are Christ's or you are Satan's, there is no middle ground. You can't hold onto Satan and Christ. You can be caught up by Satan and as soon as you cry out to Christ he will save you from Satan, and it's a choice you'll need to make often because Satan will not stop trying to get you back. He never stops. He'll plot and plan, he'll even step aside and let you glory in Christ in fact the seemingly happier you in Christ the better. Having your life all caught up in Christ serves Satan's plans when he sits back and plots to attack you and steal you back. The higher you are the harder you'll fall and the harder you fall the more wounded you'll be and the more wounded you are the longer it will take you to heal- that's if you ever recover because Satan glories in being able to wound mortally. The longer he can keep you down and keep you from the healing source the happier he is, if he can keep you away from full surrender to the Healer then you're counted as his and he glories in stealing you from Christ's love.
This is REAL!
I want to scream it, I want to shout it, SATAN IS REAL!
Satan is real and he's either working in you or Christ is, that middle ground doesn't exist.
James
{4:7} Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
{4:8} Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Resist the devil.
RESIST the DEVIL!
John
{11:9} Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
{11:10} But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
Do you stumble? We have to walk in the light, we have to have light, the light of Christ in us. We have to draw nigh to God and He'll draw nigh to us. God's not going to force Himself on us. God's not going to push the darkness out of those unwilling to let go of the darkness inside themselves. There has to be a willingness, a surrender, and acceptance.
None of that means a person will be perfect, or that the desire to do evil things will disappear instantly.
The initial surrender and the first Christian walk can be so glorious and as a soldier in Christ's army the battles you face seem very surmountable with Christ at our sides, we feel all but invincible, our walk with Christ is secure and nothing will tear us apart from our Lord and Savior. It's amazing and beautiful if that walk continues on that way but more often than not there will come a time when you are suddenly ripped from that secure place and nothing seems as it was. The hope, the love you felt seems to have disappeared. You even feel God has abandoned you to Satan as the assaults become overpowering. You fall over and over into temptation and the more you fall the more wretched you feel and the further and further out to the sea of sin you go until the safety shore of Christ is out of sight completely and there you are left at sea to flounder- to sink or swim. So maybe you sink but Christ never stops throwing out lifelines even to the deepest part of the sea. Satan will do all he can to keep your eyes focused on the deep, dark sea surrounding you so that every time you might glimpse a lifeline you turn your back on it because you're not ready to swim out of Satan's sea.
Yes, I'm using metaphors but Satan is so real! REAL! And you know what? YOU'll NEVER DEFEAT HIM, but guess what? CHRIST DID! Cling to Christ, cling to Him and find victory.
Christ Himself told the disciples not to rejoice in defeating devils, but rejoice in what??
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We aren't to rejoice because we defeat any devils but rejoice because our names are written in heaven. The victory is in Jesus! Our rejoicing is in Jesus.
Every victory can be thought of in two ways- Rejoicing over those you've defeated, or rejoicing rather that you won. They are different. Think about it... if you focus on the fact you beat your opponents your happiness is based on their pain, their loss, their defeat. If you focus on the fact you won for the sake of winning without glorying and rejoicing in those you've defeated how much better is it? There are poor sports - those who take defeat badly, and there are poor winners - those who focus on beating their opponents and do not win graciously at all. A true winner is one who wins and shares the victory with all.
Christ didn't want His disciples rejoicing in beating Satan, but in the fact they won eternal life. Rejoicing in Christ!
Victory in Christ!
Hope in Christ!
Faith- the substance of things hoped for- the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1
Keep hope in Christ alive.
By His mercy and grace, in His everlasting love.
Amen.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Satan is Real
We have a very real enemy, very real and it's not the IRS or the obnoxious jerk trying to make your life miserable it's Satan. He's real, very real and we need to recognize where he is in our lives because he's tricky and he'd have us blame God, or blame others, or blame the weather and anything else but him for things that go wrong and upset us. If he can keep our thoughts anywhere but on him he's thrilled. He's devious, he works through deception and doesn't want to be brought into the light, into the open to be seen for what he is and how he works.
It's easy to tell someone that the devil was in that one- meaning someone who is let's say a serial killer, and people will nod and agree. But try to tell them that the devil is working in them and their lives in less blatent ways and they'll scoff at you. Satan only works through 'BAD' people they'll tell you and claim their goodness in the next breath. They're wrong. Satan works through any and all He can. It's pretty obvious when you read some of the following Bible verses. Jesus even calls Peter, Satan. A disciple, one of His apostles He calls Satan. Why? To make a point. Satan can be in any of us if we allow. Satan's ways can be enacted by us all and Satan's ways are many.
Satan is real. He's not some fictional character for books and movies, he's not some imaginary being we've created to blame things on, he's not only concerned with so-called 'bad' people. He's as real as you and I are real. He's as real as Jesus is real. We have to bring him out into the light in our own lives. He has to be revealed in our lives so we can- through our Lord and Savior- find victory over him and his deceptive ways. Recognizing the reality of Satan is important because we need desperately not to cling to life and its bad aspects blaming God, blaming situations, blaming our fellow human beings, we need to place the blame where it truly belongs. How can we truly love our enemies unless we can put the blame for their hateful actions where they belong? If we are told to love those that hate us it's all but impossible unless we realize that they are being controlled by Satan and whether willingly or not, they aren't acting of their own accord. They might say they are, but that's what Satan loves. He loves using people and getting them to take the blame. He loves using them and controlling them so they don't even know they are being used and controlled. We who are Christ's need to recognize the devil working in others and only by doing so can we take pity upon them and love them. Because how could you love someone that killed another you loved? How could you ever love someone that tortured a child? How could you ever love someone that betrays you completely? You'd look at them and the hatred inside yourself would grow and grow because all you'd see is their hurting the others you love, or hurting you. And if all you see is that hatred, detesting that person how can you love them- how could you love your enemy?
You might want to protest and say they have to pay for what they done and if I love them I'm excusing what they've done, I'm letting them get away with their evil by not reminding them of it daily by hating them, despising them, by being loathed to look at them. It's not our duty to remind them, it's not our duty to condemn them. We have a duty to Jesus and Jesus alone. Jesus tells us to love those who hurt us and to truly love our enemies, our attackers, our abusers we have to realize they are under the control of Satan and Satan would use them to fill us with hatred and not only have our abusers under their control but have us as well.
We can't let Satan hide working his insidious ways in our lives. We have to be able and willing to recognize that he's alive and well and seeking to devour all he can before his end comes-- and it will come.
*******
Job
{1:6} Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
{1:7} And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
{1:8} And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
{1:9} Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
{1:10} Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
{1:11} But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
{1:12} And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job
{2:1} Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
{2:2} And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
{2:3} And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
{2:4} And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
{2:5} But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
{2:6} And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he [is] in thine hand; but save his life.
{2:7} So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
{2:8} And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes
Psalms
{109:1} Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
{109:2} For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
{109:3} They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought
against me without a cause.
{109:4} For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer.
{109:5} And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
{109:6} Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
{109:7} When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
{109:8} Let his days be few; [and] let another take his office.
{109:9} Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
{109:10} Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek [their bread] also out of their desolate places.
{109:11} Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
{109:12} Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
{109:13} Let his posterity be cut off; [and] in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
{109:14} Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
{109:15} Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
{109:16} Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in
heart.
{109:17} As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
{109:18} As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his
bones.
{109:19} Let it be unto him as the garment [which] covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
{109:20} [Let] this [be] the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
{109:21} But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me.
{109:22} For I [am] poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
{109:23} I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
{109:24} My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
{109:25} I became also a reproach unto them: [when] they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
{109:26} Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
{109:27} That they may know that this [is] thy hand; [that] thou, LORD, hast done it.
{109:28} Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
{109:29} Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
{109:30} I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
{109:31} For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save [him] from those that condemn his soul.
Zechariah
{3:1} And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. {3:2} And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
{3:3} Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
{3:4} And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
{3:5} And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
{3:6} And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
{3:7} Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
{3:8} Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they [are] men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
{3:9} For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone [shall be] seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
{3:10} In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Matthew
{4:1} Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
{4:2} And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
{4:3} And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
{4:4} But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
{4:5} Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
{4:6} And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
{4:7} Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
{4:8} Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
{4:9} And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
{4:10} Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
{4:11} Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Matthew
{12:22} Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
{12:23} And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
{12:24} But when the Pharisees heard [it,] they said, This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. {12:25} And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
{12:26} And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
{12:27} And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast [them] out? therefore they shall be your judges.
{12:28} But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
{12:29} Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
{12:30} He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Matthew
{16:21} From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
{16:22} Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
{16:23} But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that
be of God, but those that be of men.
Mark
{1:13} And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Mark
{3:22} And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. {3:23} And he called them [unto him,] and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
{3:24} And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
{3:25} And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
{3:26} And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
{3:27} No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
{3:28} Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: {3:29} But he that shall blaspheme againstthe Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
{3:30} Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
Mark
{4:1} And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
{4:2} And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
{4:3} Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
{4:4} And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
{4:5} And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
{4:6} But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
{4:7} And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
{4:8} And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty,
and some an hundred.
{4:9} And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
{4:10} And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
{4:11} And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these [things] are done in parables:
{4:12} That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.
{4:13} And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
{4:14} The sower soweth the word.
{4:15} And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
{4:16} And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
{4:17} And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
{4:18} And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
{4:19} And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
{4:20} And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive [it,] and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mark
{8:27} And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
{8:28} And they answered, John the Baptist: but some [say,] Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
{8:29} And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
{8:30} And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
{8:31} And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and [of] the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
{8:32} And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
{8:33} But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
{8:34} And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
{8:35} For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
{8:36} For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
{8:37} Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
{8:38} Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Luke
{4:1} And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
{4:2} Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
{4:3} And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
{4:4} And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
{4:5} And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
{4:6} And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
{4:7} If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
{4:8} And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
{4:9} And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself
down from hence:
{4:10} For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
{4:11} And in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
{4:12} And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
{4:13} And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
{4:14} And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
{4:15} And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
It's easy to tell someone that the devil was in that one- meaning someone who is let's say a serial killer, and people will nod and agree. But try to tell them that the devil is working in them and their lives in less blatent ways and they'll scoff at you. Satan only works through 'BAD' people they'll tell you and claim their goodness in the next breath. They're wrong. Satan works through any and all He can. It's pretty obvious when you read some of the following Bible verses. Jesus even calls Peter, Satan. A disciple, one of His apostles He calls Satan. Why? To make a point. Satan can be in any of us if we allow. Satan's ways can be enacted by us all and Satan's ways are many.
Satan is real. He's not some fictional character for books and movies, he's not some imaginary being we've created to blame things on, he's not only concerned with so-called 'bad' people. He's as real as you and I are real. He's as real as Jesus is real. We have to bring him out into the light in our own lives. He has to be revealed in our lives so we can- through our Lord and Savior- find victory over him and his deceptive ways. Recognizing the reality of Satan is important because we need desperately not to cling to life and its bad aspects blaming God, blaming situations, blaming our fellow human beings, we need to place the blame where it truly belongs. How can we truly love our enemies unless we can put the blame for their hateful actions where they belong? If we are told to love those that hate us it's all but impossible unless we realize that they are being controlled by Satan and whether willingly or not, they aren't acting of their own accord. They might say they are, but that's what Satan loves. He loves using people and getting them to take the blame. He loves using them and controlling them so they don't even know they are being used and controlled. We who are Christ's need to recognize the devil working in others and only by doing so can we take pity upon them and love them. Because how could you love someone that killed another you loved? How could you ever love someone that tortured a child? How could you ever love someone that betrays you completely? You'd look at them and the hatred inside yourself would grow and grow because all you'd see is their hurting the others you love, or hurting you. And if all you see is that hatred, detesting that person how can you love them- how could you love your enemy?
You might want to protest and say they have to pay for what they done and if I love them I'm excusing what they've done, I'm letting them get away with their evil by not reminding them of it daily by hating them, despising them, by being loathed to look at them. It's not our duty to remind them, it's not our duty to condemn them. We have a duty to Jesus and Jesus alone. Jesus tells us to love those who hurt us and to truly love our enemies, our attackers, our abusers we have to realize they are under the control of Satan and Satan would use them to fill us with hatred and not only have our abusers under their control but have us as well.
We can't let Satan hide working his insidious ways in our lives. We have to be able and willing to recognize that he's alive and well and seeking to devour all he can before his end comes-- and it will come.
*******
Job
{1:6} Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
{1:7} And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
{1:8} And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
{1:9} Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
{1:10} Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
{1:11} But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
{1:12} And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job
{2:1} Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
{2:2} And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
{2:3} And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
{2:4} And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
{2:5} But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
{2:6} And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he [is] in thine hand; but save his life.
{2:7} So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
{2:8} And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes
Psalms
{109:1} Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
{109:2} For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
{109:3} They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought
against me without a cause.
{109:4} For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer.
{109:5} And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
{109:6} Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
{109:7} When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
{109:8} Let his days be few; [and] let another take his office.
{109:9} Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
{109:10} Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek [their bread] also out of their desolate places.
{109:11} Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
{109:12} Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
{109:13} Let his posterity be cut off; [and] in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
{109:14} Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
{109:15} Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
{109:16} Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in
heart.
{109:17} As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
{109:18} As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his
bones.
{109:19} Let it be unto him as the garment [which] covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
{109:20} [Let] this [be] the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
{109:21} But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me.
{109:22} For I [am] poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
{109:23} I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
{109:24} My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
{109:25} I became also a reproach unto them: [when] they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
{109:26} Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
{109:27} That they may know that this [is] thy hand; [that] thou, LORD, hast done it.
{109:28} Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
{109:29} Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
{109:30} I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
{109:31} For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save [him] from those that condemn his soul.
Zechariah
{3:1} And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. {3:2} And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
{3:3} Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
{3:4} And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
{3:5} And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
{3:6} And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
{3:7} Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
{3:8} Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they [are] men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
{3:9} For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone [shall be] seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
{3:10} In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Matthew
{4:1} Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
{4:2} And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
{4:3} And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
{4:4} But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
{4:5} Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
{4:6} And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
{4:7} Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
{4:8} Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
{4:9} And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
{4:10} Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
{4:11} Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Matthew
{12:22} Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
{12:23} And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
{12:24} But when the Pharisees heard [it,] they said, This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. {12:25} And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
{12:26} And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
{12:27} And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast [them] out? therefore they shall be your judges.
{12:28} But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
{12:29} Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
{12:30} He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Matthew
{16:21} From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
{16:22} Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
{16:23} But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that
be of God, but those that be of men.
Mark
{1:13} And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Mark
{3:22} And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. {3:23} And he called them [unto him,] and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
{3:24} And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
{3:25} And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
{3:26} And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
{3:27} No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
{3:28} Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: {3:29} But he that shall blaspheme againstthe Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
{3:30} Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
Mark
{4:1} And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
{4:2} And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
{4:3} Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
{4:4} And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
{4:5} And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
{4:6} But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
{4:7} And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
{4:8} And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty,
and some an hundred.
{4:9} And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
{4:10} And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
{4:11} And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these [things] are done in parables:
{4:12} That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.
{4:13} And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
{4:14} The sower soweth the word.
{4:15} And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
{4:16} And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
{4:17} And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
{4:18} And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
{4:19} And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
{4:20} And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive [it,] and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mark
{8:27} And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
{8:28} And they answered, John the Baptist: but some [say,] Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
{8:29} And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
{8:30} And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
{8:31} And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and [of] the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
{8:32} And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
{8:33} But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
{8:34} And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
{8:35} For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
{8:36} For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
{8:37} Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
{8:38} Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Luke
{4:1} And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
{4:2} Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
{4:3} And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
{4:4} And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
{4:5} And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
{4:6} And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
{4:7} If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
{4:8} And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
{4:9} And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself
down from hence:
{4:10} For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
{4:11} And in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
{4:12} And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
{4:13} And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
{4:14} And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
{4:15} And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
We never deserve forgiveness
Luke
{6:27} But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you
{6:28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
{6:29} And unto him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not [to take thy] coat also.
{6:30} Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask [them] not again.
{6:31} And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
{6:32} For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
{6:33} And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
{6:34} And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
{6:35} But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
{6:36} Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
{6:37} Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
{6:38} Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Love your enemies.
What if your enemy is someone you already love? Seriously. Does that sound contradictory? It's been proven that people you know and love hurt you more than strangers do. We don't want to believe that could be true. We trust the ones we love. Love and trust often go hand in hand don't they? How can you truly love someone and not trust them? As soon as the element of distrust creeps in it taints the love doesn't it? Instead of an 'I love you', it becomes an 'I love you but...' And as soon as that but emerges it changes the love doesn't it?
Love your enemies. What was Christ asking us to do by asking us to do good to them that hate us, bless them that curse us, pray for those who despitefully use us? What was He asking? The impossible? So much inside us rises up in rebellion, in revenge, in anger, in hatred when we are set upon by enemies, especially enemies you thought were your most cherished loved ones already. The sense of betrayal coupled with abuse is so raw, so intense.
So what was Christ asking for, the impossible? Yes. Yes, I said yes. Because it is impossible for the natural man in us to do that. So if Christ was asking us to do the impossible and we know that Christ wouldn't really ask us to do anything impossible, what was the purpose of His asking us to do all that to despicable creatures that are somehow below the standard of humanity we like to think should exist?
Christ was asking us to rely on Him. To rely on Christ in us to do these things.
Col.{1:27} To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Gal. {3:26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
{3:27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Christ in us, putting on Christ.
Col.
{3:1} If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
{3:2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
{3:3} For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
{3:4} When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory
Risen with Christ.
We are dead and our live is hid with Christ in God.
Of ourselves we can do nothing.
John {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
Abide in Christ.
Jesus knew when He told us to love our enemies that it would be impossible for us to do so without Him in our lives. The natural man inside each of us wars against the love of Jesus in favor of the sinful things that we have come to know as our natural tendencies. Paul knew this just as we do.
Romans
{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.
Jesus Christ our Lord alone can save us from ourselves. It is only through Him that we can truly face the worst of our enemies even if they are an enemy of the worst kind, a beloved trusted family member, and turn the other cheek. Love our enemies, impossible for us, but not for Christ in us.
Satan wins a victory over us if we allow his wily well laid schemes to bear fruit and rip us from the grasp of our Lord. Don't think that Satan doesn't scheme and have patience to do so, he does. The evil in Him is satisfied to lay traps down for us and glory in our falling into them and then using those captured in the traps as bait for future trapping. Yes, he sows his own seeds of discord and sits back to watch them take root and shoot up, grow and flourish until they try and bear fruit to our destruction. Only Christ saves us from that trap, from that wicked plant that would crush the life from us, the eternal life.
Don't be afraid to name names and point at Satan and declare him for what he is, a liar, an evil angel bent on destruction of all that is good in humanity.
When we truly realize we're fighting against principalities and wickedness in high places and not just our fellow man, we can know that the battle we're in is fierce. We fight against an unseen enemy using any means possible to fuel our destruction. So while our enemy might appear to be our fellow man, we need to recognize the truth-- our enemy is using our fellow man and yes, even our loved ones. Satan will stop at nothing to take us, to 'sift us as wheat'. Christ has prayed for us, for our faith to remain and in Him we have to place all our hope, all our trust. Such hope, such trust will allow us to truly love our enemies because we see beyond the here and now and glimpse into eternity when we do so. We lay hold of a future filled with love in Christ and we condemn the evil that would destroy us here and now and take eternity from us with bitterness and hatred.
Yes, we can do the impossible with Christ and with Christ alone through faith in Him.
May God bless us and keep us in Him now and forever. May our faith be renewed through each and every assault on it, may it serve to only make us stronger in our love for Christ and the hope of His love eternally.
Christ wasn't saying let the wicked escape punishment, Christ was saying there is a bigger picture- a much bigger picture where love rules and if your enemies can find that love in Christ because you reveal your own love of Christ then all glory and praise to God! Christ was saying if your enemy never finds their way to Christ but continuously and everlastingly abuses you that their reward for their wickedness is in His hands. We need to trust in Christ. If we love our enemies we are allowing Christ to reveal His love through us.
Someone once said to me they didn't deserve my forgiveness, and I said to them, that's the whole point-- we never deserve forgiveness. Christ died for us who don't deserve to be forgiven and isn't that the whole point?
Love.
Christ's love.
By His love, by His mercy and grace now and forever.
Amen.
{6:27} But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you
{6:28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
{6:29} And unto him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not [to take thy] coat also.
{6:30} Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask [them] not again.
{6:31} And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
{6:32} For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
{6:33} And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
{6:34} And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
{6:35} But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
{6:36} Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
{6:37} Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
{6:38} Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Love your enemies.
What if your enemy is someone you already love? Seriously. Does that sound contradictory? It's been proven that people you know and love hurt you more than strangers do. We don't want to believe that could be true. We trust the ones we love. Love and trust often go hand in hand don't they? How can you truly love someone and not trust them? As soon as the element of distrust creeps in it taints the love doesn't it? Instead of an 'I love you', it becomes an 'I love you but...' And as soon as that but emerges it changes the love doesn't it?
Love your enemies. What was Christ asking us to do by asking us to do good to them that hate us, bless them that curse us, pray for those who despitefully use us? What was He asking? The impossible? So much inside us rises up in rebellion, in revenge, in anger, in hatred when we are set upon by enemies, especially enemies you thought were your most cherished loved ones already. The sense of betrayal coupled with abuse is so raw, so intense.
So what was Christ asking for, the impossible? Yes. Yes, I said yes. Because it is impossible for the natural man in us to do that. So if Christ was asking us to do the impossible and we know that Christ wouldn't really ask us to do anything impossible, what was the purpose of His asking us to do all that to despicable creatures that are somehow below the standard of humanity we like to think should exist?
Christ was asking us to rely on Him. To rely on Christ in us to do these things.
Col.{1:27} To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Gal. {3:26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
{3:27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Christ in us, putting on Christ.
Col.
{3:1} If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
{3:2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
{3:3} For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
{3:4} When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory
Risen with Christ.
We are dead and our live is hid with Christ in God.
Of ourselves we can do nothing.
John {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
Abide in Christ.
Jesus knew when He told us to love our enemies that it would be impossible for us to do so without Him in our lives. The natural man inside each of us wars against the love of Jesus in favor of the sinful things that we have come to know as our natural tendencies. Paul knew this just as we do.
Romans
{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.
Jesus Christ our Lord alone can save us from ourselves. It is only through Him that we can truly face the worst of our enemies even if they are an enemy of the worst kind, a beloved trusted family member, and turn the other cheek. Love our enemies, impossible for us, but not for Christ in us.
Satan wins a victory over us if we allow his wily well laid schemes to bear fruit and rip us from the grasp of our Lord. Don't think that Satan doesn't scheme and have patience to do so, he does. The evil in Him is satisfied to lay traps down for us and glory in our falling into them and then using those captured in the traps as bait for future trapping. Yes, he sows his own seeds of discord and sits back to watch them take root and shoot up, grow and flourish until they try and bear fruit to our destruction. Only Christ saves us from that trap, from that wicked plant that would crush the life from us, the eternal life.
Don't be afraid to name names and point at Satan and declare him for what he is, a liar, an evil angel bent on destruction of all that is good in humanity.
When we truly realize we're fighting against principalities and wickedness in high places and not just our fellow man, we can know that the battle we're in is fierce. We fight against an unseen enemy using any means possible to fuel our destruction. So while our enemy might appear to be our fellow man, we need to recognize the truth-- our enemy is using our fellow man and yes, even our loved ones. Satan will stop at nothing to take us, to 'sift us as wheat'. Christ has prayed for us, for our faith to remain and in Him we have to place all our hope, all our trust. Such hope, such trust will allow us to truly love our enemies because we see beyond the here and now and glimpse into eternity when we do so. We lay hold of a future filled with love in Christ and we condemn the evil that would destroy us here and now and take eternity from us with bitterness and hatred.
Yes, we can do the impossible with Christ and with Christ alone through faith in Him.
May God bless us and keep us in Him now and forever. May our faith be renewed through each and every assault on it, may it serve to only make us stronger in our love for Christ and the hope of His love eternally.
Christ wasn't saying let the wicked escape punishment, Christ was saying there is a bigger picture- a much bigger picture where love rules and if your enemies can find that love in Christ because you reveal your own love of Christ then all glory and praise to God! Christ was saying if your enemy never finds their way to Christ but continuously and everlastingly abuses you that their reward for their wickedness is in His hands. We need to trust in Christ. If we love our enemies we are allowing Christ to reveal His love through us.
Someone once said to me they didn't deserve my forgiveness, and I said to them, that's the whole point-- we never deserve forgiveness. Christ died for us who don't deserve to be forgiven and isn't that the whole point?
Love.
Christ's love.
By His love, by His mercy and grace now and forever.
Amen.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
In Christ Alone I Place My Trust
Psalms
{130:1} Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
{130:2} Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice
of my supplications.
{130:3} If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall
stand?
{130:4} But [there is] forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be
feared.
{130:5} I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I
hope.
{130:6} My soul [waiteth] for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning: [I say, more than] they that watch for the morning.
{130:7} Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD [there is]
mercy, and with him [is] plenteous redemption.
I wait fot the Lord, my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope.
Waiting for the Lord. Hoping in His word.
Matthew {28:20} Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
Waiting for the Lord-
Jesus is with us always.
So if Jesus is with us alway, what are we waiting for? We're waiting for the new world promised by Jesus. The world without sin, without pain, without heartache.
Hebrews {9:28} So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time without sin unto salvation
Christ died bearing our sins, not a single sin of His own, but taking on all of our sins. He will come again and without any of our sins, bringing salvation to us that look for Him. We are looking for Him with hope. We are waiting for Him, hoping in the word that He's given us.
If we had this world with all its sin and pain to only look forward to then there is no hope at all. The only true hope lies with Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior who died to save us for eternity with Him. Are we worthy? No, we're never worthy and we never can be worthy. The worth that deserves salvation is Christ's alone.
There is a song...
'In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope is Christ alone'
It's so true. Our hope is Christ alone. We can't have hope in ourselves because we'll fail ourselves, it's inevitable. Our hope has to be in Christ who alone will not fail us, Christ who has the victory already for us. He's our source of strength, our source of hope and when we fail to be as He'd have us be, we need to trust in Him to help us and anything we lack He will supply.
'Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us'
Help us to forgive Lord.
Help us to forgive.
Ps. {7:1} O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust
Ps. {11:1} In the LORD put I my trust
Ps. {16:1} Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Ps. {25:20} O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I
put my trust in thee.
Ps. {31:1} In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed:
deliver me in thy righteousness.
{31:2} Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong
rock, for an house of defence to save me.
{31:3} For thou [art] my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s
sake lead me, and guide me.
{31:4} Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for
thou [art] my strength.
{31:5} Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O
LORD God of truth.
{31:6} I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the
LORD.
{31:7} I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast
considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
{31:8} And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast
set my feet in a large room.
{31:9} Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is
consumed with grief, [yea,] my soul and my belly.
{31:10} For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my
strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are
consumed.
{31:11} I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among
my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see
me without fled from me.
{31:12} I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken
vessel.
{31:13} For I have heard the slander of many: fear [was] on every side:
while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take
away my life.
{31:14} But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my God.
{31:15} My times [are] in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine
enemies, and from them that persecute me.
{31:16} Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy
mercies’ sake.
{31:17} Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let
the wicked be ashamed, [and] let them be silent in the grave.
King James Bible Psalms Page 331
{31:18} Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous
things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
{31:19} [Oh] how great [is] thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for
them that fear thee; [which] thou hast wrought for them that
trust in thee before the sons of men!
{31:20} Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the
pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from
the strife of tongues.
{31:21} Blessed [be] the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous
kindness in a strong city.
{31:22} For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes:
nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I
cried unto thee.
{31:23} O love the LORD, all ye his saints: [for] the LORD preserveth
the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
{31:24} Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye
that hope in the LORD.
Ps. {56:3} What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
{56:4} In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I
will not fear what flesh can do unto me
Ps. {56:11} In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can
do unto me.
Ps. {71:1} In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to
confusion.
{71:2} Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline
thine ear unto me, and save me.
{71:3} Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually
resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou [art] my
rock and my fortress.
{71:4} Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the
hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
{71:5} For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my
youth.
{71:6} By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that
took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be]
continually of thee.
Ps. {73:28} But [it is] good for me to draw near to God: I have put my
trust in the Lord GOD
Ps. {141:8} But mine eyes [are] unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my
trust; leave not my soul destitute.
{141:9} Keep me from the snares [which] they have laid for me, and the
gins of the workers of iniquity.
{141:10} Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal
escape.
Heb. {2:13} And again, I will
put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children
which God hath given me. {2:14} Forasmuch then as the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same; that through death he might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
{2:15} And deliver them who through fear of death were all
their lifetime subject to bondage. {2:16} For verily he took
not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the
seed of Abraham. {2:17} Wherefore in all things it behoved
him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to
God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
{2:18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succour them that are tempted
{130:1} Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
{130:2} Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice
of my supplications.
{130:3} If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall
stand?
{130:4} But [there is] forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be
feared.
{130:5} I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I
hope.
{130:6} My soul [waiteth] for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning: [I say, more than] they that watch for the morning.
{130:7} Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD [there is]
mercy, and with him [is] plenteous redemption.
I wait fot the Lord, my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope.
Waiting for the Lord. Hoping in His word.
Matthew {28:20} Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
Waiting for the Lord-
Jesus is with us always.
So if Jesus is with us alway, what are we waiting for? We're waiting for the new world promised by Jesus. The world without sin, without pain, without heartache.
Hebrews {9:28} So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time without sin unto salvation
Christ died bearing our sins, not a single sin of His own, but taking on all of our sins. He will come again and without any of our sins, bringing salvation to us that look for Him. We are looking for Him with hope. We are waiting for Him, hoping in the word that He's given us.
If we had this world with all its sin and pain to only look forward to then there is no hope at all. The only true hope lies with Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior who died to save us for eternity with Him. Are we worthy? No, we're never worthy and we never can be worthy. The worth that deserves salvation is Christ's alone.
There is a song...
'In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope is Christ alone'
It's so true. Our hope is Christ alone. We can't have hope in ourselves because we'll fail ourselves, it's inevitable. Our hope has to be in Christ who alone will not fail us, Christ who has the victory already for us. He's our source of strength, our source of hope and when we fail to be as He'd have us be, we need to trust in Him to help us and anything we lack He will supply.
'Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us'
Help us to forgive Lord.
Help us to forgive.
Ps. {7:1} O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust
Ps. {11:1} In the LORD put I my trust
Ps. {16:1} Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Ps. {25:20} O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I
put my trust in thee.
Ps. {31:1} In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed:
deliver me in thy righteousness.
{31:2} Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong
rock, for an house of defence to save me.
{31:3} For thou [art] my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s
sake lead me, and guide me.
{31:4} Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for
thou [art] my strength.
{31:5} Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O
LORD God of truth.
{31:6} I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the
LORD.
{31:7} I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast
considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
{31:8} And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast
set my feet in a large room.
{31:9} Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is
consumed with grief, [yea,] my soul and my belly.
{31:10} For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my
strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are
consumed.
{31:11} I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among
my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see
me without fled from me.
{31:12} I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken
vessel.
{31:13} For I have heard the slander of many: fear [was] on every side:
while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take
away my life.
{31:14} But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my God.
{31:15} My times [are] in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine
enemies, and from them that persecute me.
{31:16} Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy
mercies’ sake.
{31:17} Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let
the wicked be ashamed, [and] let them be silent in the grave.
King James Bible Psalms Page 331
{31:18} Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous
things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
{31:19} [Oh] how great [is] thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for
them that fear thee; [which] thou hast wrought for them that
trust in thee before the sons of men!
{31:20} Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the
pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from
the strife of tongues.
{31:21} Blessed [be] the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous
kindness in a strong city.
{31:22} For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes:
nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I
cried unto thee.
{31:23} O love the LORD, all ye his saints: [for] the LORD preserveth
the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
{31:24} Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye
that hope in the LORD.
Ps. {56:3} What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
{56:4} In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I
will not fear what flesh can do unto me
Ps. {56:11} In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can
do unto me.
Ps. {71:1} In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to
confusion.
{71:2} Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline
thine ear unto me, and save me.
{71:3} Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually
resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou [art] my
rock and my fortress.
{71:4} Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the
hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
{71:5} For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my
youth.
{71:6} By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that
took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be]
continually of thee.
Ps. {73:28} But [it is] good for me to draw near to God: I have put my
trust in the Lord GOD
Ps. {141:8} But mine eyes [are] unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my
trust; leave not my soul destitute.
{141:9} Keep me from the snares [which] they have laid for me, and the
gins of the workers of iniquity.
{141:10} Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal
escape.
Heb. {2:13} And again, I will
put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children
which God hath given me. {2:14} Forasmuch then as the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same; that through death he might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
{2:15} And deliver them who through fear of death were all
their lifetime subject to bondage. {2:16} For verily he took
not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the
seed of Abraham. {2:17} Wherefore in all things it behoved
him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to
God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
{2:18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succour them that are tempted
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Because God loves us His plan for Atonement equals that love
Make An Atonement.
Throughout the Bible there is mention of making atonement for wrongs committed.
Atonement-
1. Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
Reparation-
1. The act or process of repairing or the condition of being repaired.
2. The act or process of making amends; expiation.
3. Something done or paid to compensate or make amends.
4. Reparations. Compensation or remuneration required from a defeated nation as indemnity for damage or injury during a war.
Expiate-
To make amends or reparation for; atone: expiate one's sins by acts of penance.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
The reason for making an atonement, for an act of reparation, is quite involved and necessarily so, and yet very simple.
You wrong someone you make up for it.
You make something wrong then you make something right.
You injure someone and you have to help fix them again.
There are reasons our justice system has in place awards for damages suffered. I'm not saying that sometimes it's not all screwed up and people get awarded way more than they should or vice versa, but putting a price on suffering isn't easy to do.
Suffering is a personal thing. Torment is a personal thing. Causing someone to suffer even when you think you only hurt them a little bit is ludicrous because unless you're the person actually suffering you CAN'T know the degree of their pain. You think you can, but in reality you can't.
Emotional, mental pain is horrific. Wounds received from enemies are expected. Wounds received from those you love and trust, from those who are supposed to protect you and keep you safe cause the worst kind of suffering imaginable. When wounded by a loved one they've stripped away your sense of reality. They've taken from you the ability to feel protected, to trust. They've stripped from you the basic foundation of life and how do you ever make amends for something like that? How?
Yet an atonement needs to be made.
Do you think killing an animal compares to killing the Son of God? Is it equal at all in any way? The Son of God Himself, killed so that an atonement could be made for our sins, so that we could be made right again with God.
No. There isn't an animal sacrifice that can be made that can equal the sacrifice of the Son of God and yet throughout the old testament sacrifices were being made to cover the sins of God's people and once a year on the Day of Atonement all those accumulated, covered sins were transferred to a scapegoat and sent away forever.
People were told to make amends, to atone for the wrongs committed by each other. If you stole a sheep you had to make amends and give back even more than you stole. You are not only returning what you took you are paying for the crime of the stealing.
When Jesus came He told us to love our enemies, and yet if our enemies turn around and believe they should love us they will naturally atone for their wrongdoings.
Making that atonement first of all calls for admitting there was something done that needs to be atoned for. It's taking responsibility for the crime and letting the one you hurt know you realize you did something wrong. Making atonement shows that you want to make things right again, as right as you possibly can. You're guilty and you want to be make it right somehow.
No, you can't put a price on suffering. You might be able to put a price on a stolen car- you pay for the car, or return it and you compensate for all the hardship it caused. But how do you put a price on stealing innocence? Of stripping away trust? How?
It's no wonder some crimes were punishable by death by Old Testament standards. Because some crimes can never be compensated for in reality. You can't give back trust as you can a car. You can't give back innocence as you can a wallet. Crimes against the very core of a human being are the most heinous. You can't give back life if you've murdered someone, as you can a handful of jewelry. Some crimes steal so much more than people imagine.
So, how do you atone for something that you can't return?
You admit the wrong. You let the other know you realize the seriousness of what you've done. You tell them that you understand that you've done something horrific by stealing their innocence, by crushing the trust they placed in you. You own up to it-- not just once. You've destroyed something that can't be replaced and a single admission of guilt isn't enough. You do this as often as it takes. You don't ever reach a place where you can say I've atoned enough, not until the one you hurt decides it's enough and there isn't a time limit on something like this. Unlike giving back a stolen car and paying for damages where all is said and done, when you've stolen something you can't give back the small sacrifices of having to do all you can to atone, no matter what that may be is nothing in compared to the thing you took, NOTHING.
Atonement.
Because God loves us His plan for Atonement equals that love.
Because a person loves someone they've irrevocably hurt, they too need to plan to atone for that in whatever ways necessary for as long as necessary.
A single admission of guilt doesn't absolve a person. It's contrition, it's repentance.
repentance-
1. The act or process of repenting.
2. Remorse or contrition for past conduct or sin.
repent -
1. To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.
2. To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it: repented of intemperate behavior.
3. To make a change for the better as a result of remorse or contrition for one's sins.
contrition- (ken-trîsh´en) noun
Sincere remorse for wrongdoing; repentance
The act of repenting... the act of making a change for the better, the act of feeling remorse, the act of repenting is just that... an act- something you do and keep doing- making a change for the better. Making a change. It's a process, it's not something instantaneous. It's not simple.
When you've done something horrific it's something the injured party will NEVER forget, it will color their lives forever. They have to learn to live with what was done to them and find in life good things.
It's up to the wrong doer to do whatever it takes to help the one they've hurt recover as much as they can, whatever it takes.
By the grace of God when we are told to love our enemies, may the Holy Spirit guide us to do so. When we are called to forgive, Jesus, please help us to forgive. When we need to make amends to someone may the Lord help us to do what is right, guiding us to do so-- whatever it takes.
Please Lord.
By your mercy and grace, by your love.
Amen.
Throughout the Bible there is mention of making atonement for wrongs committed.
Atonement-
1. Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
Reparation-
1. The act or process of repairing or the condition of being repaired.
2. The act or process of making amends; expiation.
3. Something done or paid to compensate or make amends.
4. Reparations. Compensation or remuneration required from a defeated nation as indemnity for damage or injury during a war.
Expiate-
To make amends or reparation for; atone: expiate one's sins by acts of penance.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
The reason for making an atonement, for an act of reparation, is quite involved and necessarily so, and yet very simple.
You wrong someone you make up for it.
You make something wrong then you make something right.
You injure someone and you have to help fix them again.
There are reasons our justice system has in place awards for damages suffered. I'm not saying that sometimes it's not all screwed up and people get awarded way more than they should or vice versa, but putting a price on suffering isn't easy to do.
Suffering is a personal thing. Torment is a personal thing. Causing someone to suffer even when you think you only hurt them a little bit is ludicrous because unless you're the person actually suffering you CAN'T know the degree of their pain. You think you can, but in reality you can't.
Emotional, mental pain is horrific. Wounds received from enemies are expected. Wounds received from those you love and trust, from those who are supposed to protect you and keep you safe cause the worst kind of suffering imaginable. When wounded by a loved one they've stripped away your sense of reality. They've taken from you the ability to feel protected, to trust. They've stripped from you the basic foundation of life and how do you ever make amends for something like that? How?
Yet an atonement needs to be made.
Do you think killing an animal compares to killing the Son of God? Is it equal at all in any way? The Son of God Himself, killed so that an atonement could be made for our sins, so that we could be made right again with God.
No. There isn't an animal sacrifice that can be made that can equal the sacrifice of the Son of God and yet throughout the old testament sacrifices were being made to cover the sins of God's people and once a year on the Day of Atonement all those accumulated, covered sins were transferred to a scapegoat and sent away forever.
People were told to make amends, to atone for the wrongs committed by each other. If you stole a sheep you had to make amends and give back even more than you stole. You are not only returning what you took you are paying for the crime of the stealing.
When Jesus came He told us to love our enemies, and yet if our enemies turn around and believe they should love us they will naturally atone for their wrongdoings.
Making that atonement first of all calls for admitting there was something done that needs to be atoned for. It's taking responsibility for the crime and letting the one you hurt know you realize you did something wrong. Making atonement shows that you want to make things right again, as right as you possibly can. You're guilty and you want to be make it right somehow.
No, you can't put a price on suffering. You might be able to put a price on a stolen car- you pay for the car, or return it and you compensate for all the hardship it caused. But how do you put a price on stealing innocence? Of stripping away trust? How?
It's no wonder some crimes were punishable by death by Old Testament standards. Because some crimes can never be compensated for in reality. You can't give back trust as you can a car. You can't give back innocence as you can a wallet. Crimes against the very core of a human being are the most heinous. You can't give back life if you've murdered someone, as you can a handful of jewelry. Some crimes steal so much more than people imagine.
So, how do you atone for something that you can't return?
You admit the wrong. You let the other know you realize the seriousness of what you've done. You tell them that you understand that you've done something horrific by stealing their innocence, by crushing the trust they placed in you. You own up to it-- not just once. You've destroyed something that can't be replaced and a single admission of guilt isn't enough. You do this as often as it takes. You don't ever reach a place where you can say I've atoned enough, not until the one you hurt decides it's enough and there isn't a time limit on something like this. Unlike giving back a stolen car and paying for damages where all is said and done, when you've stolen something you can't give back the small sacrifices of having to do all you can to atone, no matter what that may be is nothing in compared to the thing you took, NOTHING.
Atonement.
Because God loves us His plan for Atonement equals that love.
Because a person loves someone they've irrevocably hurt, they too need to plan to atone for that in whatever ways necessary for as long as necessary.
A single admission of guilt doesn't absolve a person. It's contrition, it's repentance.
repentance-
1. The act or process of repenting.
2. Remorse or contrition for past conduct or sin.
repent -
1. To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.
2. To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it: repented of intemperate behavior.
3. To make a change for the better as a result of remorse or contrition for one's sins.
contrition- (ken-trîsh´en) noun
Sincere remorse for wrongdoing; repentance
The act of repenting... the act of making a change for the better, the act of feeling remorse, the act of repenting is just that... an act- something you do and keep doing- making a change for the better. Making a change. It's a process, it's not something instantaneous. It's not simple.
When you've done something horrific it's something the injured party will NEVER forget, it will color their lives forever. They have to learn to live with what was done to them and find in life good things.
It's up to the wrong doer to do whatever it takes to help the one they've hurt recover as much as they can, whatever it takes.
By the grace of God when we are told to love our enemies, may the Holy Spirit guide us to do so. When we are called to forgive, Jesus, please help us to forgive. When we need to make amends to someone may the Lord help us to do what is right, guiding us to do so-- whatever it takes.
Please Lord.
By your mercy and grace, by your love.
Amen.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Forgiving the Unforgivable- How?
Forgiving the Unforgivable.
There shouldn't be such a thing, should there? It's contradictory. There is no list in the Bible that says this sin is forgivable, that one isn't. You might argue that obviously in the Old Testament that any sin that you were put to death for committing was unpardonable because of the fact it warranted immediate death. However, all sin truly warrants death, right? For the wages of sin is death... Ro. 6:23.
Then you might say that this is the only unforgivable sin... '{12:10} And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.'
So if you can even be forgiven for speaking against Jesus, the innocent of God, God's Son, the Sinless One then truly that's the worst of the worst that can be forgiven. But where do we who live our lives day to day and are confronted with sins that seem unforgivable, where do we find forgiveness, or the ability to forgive?
The Lord's prayer says... Matthew {6:12} And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
We are forgiven as we forgive. It's scary to think that we will be forgiven as we forgive when we find it so hard to forgive. Does God find it hard to forgive? It had to be harder than we can imagine for Him to sacrifice His own son, yet in our mind we can think of so very many horrific things that people do to one another that are unforgivable, or rather seemingly unforgivable. We say Jesus wasn't sinned against in this particular way, surely if He had been God would never forgive the one who did that to Him, to His Only Son.
Are there those who are unforgiven? Obviously those who blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit. We are told outright they are unforgiven and why? Because it is the Holy Spirit who pricks our hearts, who strives with us to bring us to the point where we can seek forgiveness, repenting and putting away of our sins. If we deny, if we blasphemy we are...
Dict.
blasphemy (blàs´fe-mê) noun
plural blasphemies
1. a. A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity. b. The act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God.
2. An irreverent or impious act, attitude, or utterance in regard to something considered inviolable or sacrosanct.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
...committing a contempuous or proface act, utterance, writing against God. We are claiming attributes and rights of God. We are committing irreverent, impious acts against God.
Sin is being against God. Permanently being against God is unforgivable.
If anyone lives against God, if anyone commits acts that are against God, they are sinning. The act itself warrants death. The severity of the acts varies but death is death. In the end people will suffer as they have sinned if they've gone unrepented, unforgiven.
Here's another thing to think of... Matthew {7:1} Judge not, that ye be not judged. {7:2} For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Can we forgive the unforgivable? Can we hold up our own lives to inspection and say our sins aren't as bad as anothers? That for some reason our sins are undeserving of death but theirs are? Can we say while I've picked a pocket or two, they'f robbed banks; while I've had lascivious thoughts they've committed the acts of the lasciviousness; while I've wanted to kill they've actually murdered someone so surely they deserve death and not forgiveness, but I deserve it more. This reminds me of this...Luke {18:11} The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are,] extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
{18:12} I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. {18:13} And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. {18:14} I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall
be exalted.
We can't extol our own virtues, we can't pit our seemingly less sinful sins against those who seemingly have great sins.
Again we can go back to the whole business about some sins warranted death in the Old Testament while other sins didn't so surely that is putting degrees on sin and which are really bad and which aren't. Today we have laws that tell us murdering someone means putting them in jail if caught, while thinking about it doesn't. Stealing someone's treasures warrants jail time, but again...just thinking about it doesn't. We've determined that some crimes in some states are punishable by death and some crimes aren't. We have to have such determinations don't we, or we'd live in a world of complete chaos.
Yet, a lot of crimes are committed, crimes worthy of jail and worthy of death and they go unpunished. Sometimes they go unpunished because we choose to let them be that way. Pardoned, forgiven, undeserving of both and yet given both.
Why is it we desire forgiveness and yet find it so hard to forgive the seemingly unforgivable?
How often should we forgive? Matthew {18:21} Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? {18:22} Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Endlessly forgiving...
Forgiving the unforgivable.
Forgive as we'd be forgiven. Our supposed lesser sin is as worthy of death in the realm of eternity if not forgiven, just as the largest sin in existence is the same. And if we would be forgiven at all we have to extend forgiveness ourselves-- but how?
Matthew {6:14} For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: {6:15} But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses
But how?
Matthew {18:23} Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. {18:24} And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. {18:25} But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. {18:26} The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. {18:27} Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. {18:28} But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. {18:29} And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. {18:30} And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. {18:31} So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. {18:32} Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: {18:33} Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? {18:34} And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. {18:35} So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
But how?
Help us Lord to learn how. Help us.
Amen.
There shouldn't be such a thing, should there? It's contradictory. There is no list in the Bible that says this sin is forgivable, that one isn't. You might argue that obviously in the Old Testament that any sin that you were put to death for committing was unpardonable because of the fact it warranted immediate death. However, all sin truly warrants death, right? For the wages of sin is death... Ro. 6:23.
Then you might say that this is the only unforgivable sin... '{12:10} And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.'
So if you can even be forgiven for speaking against Jesus, the innocent of God, God's Son, the Sinless One then truly that's the worst of the worst that can be forgiven. But where do we who live our lives day to day and are confronted with sins that seem unforgivable, where do we find forgiveness, or the ability to forgive?
The Lord's prayer says... Matthew {6:12} And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
We are forgiven as we forgive. It's scary to think that we will be forgiven as we forgive when we find it so hard to forgive. Does God find it hard to forgive? It had to be harder than we can imagine for Him to sacrifice His own son, yet in our mind we can think of so very many horrific things that people do to one another that are unforgivable, or rather seemingly unforgivable. We say Jesus wasn't sinned against in this particular way, surely if He had been God would never forgive the one who did that to Him, to His Only Son.
Are there those who are unforgiven? Obviously those who blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit. We are told outright they are unforgiven and why? Because it is the Holy Spirit who pricks our hearts, who strives with us to bring us to the point where we can seek forgiveness, repenting and putting away of our sins. If we deny, if we blasphemy we are...
Dict.
blasphemy (blàs´fe-mê) noun
plural blasphemies
1. a. A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity. b. The act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God.
2. An irreverent or impious act, attitude, or utterance in regard to something considered inviolable or sacrosanct.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
...committing a contempuous or proface act, utterance, writing against God. We are claiming attributes and rights of God. We are committing irreverent, impious acts against God.
Sin is being against God. Permanently being against God is unforgivable.
If anyone lives against God, if anyone commits acts that are against God, they are sinning. The act itself warrants death. The severity of the acts varies but death is death. In the end people will suffer as they have sinned if they've gone unrepented, unforgiven.
Here's another thing to think of... Matthew {7:1} Judge not, that ye be not judged. {7:2} For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Can we forgive the unforgivable? Can we hold up our own lives to inspection and say our sins aren't as bad as anothers? That for some reason our sins are undeserving of death but theirs are? Can we say while I've picked a pocket or two, they'f robbed banks; while I've had lascivious thoughts they've committed the acts of the lasciviousness; while I've wanted to kill they've actually murdered someone so surely they deserve death and not forgiveness, but I deserve it more. This reminds me of this...Luke {18:11} The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are,] extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
{18:12} I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. {18:13} And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. {18:14} I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall
be exalted.
We can't extol our own virtues, we can't pit our seemingly less sinful sins against those who seemingly have great sins.
Again we can go back to the whole business about some sins warranted death in the Old Testament while other sins didn't so surely that is putting degrees on sin and which are really bad and which aren't. Today we have laws that tell us murdering someone means putting them in jail if caught, while thinking about it doesn't. Stealing someone's treasures warrants jail time, but again...just thinking about it doesn't. We've determined that some crimes in some states are punishable by death and some crimes aren't. We have to have such determinations don't we, or we'd live in a world of complete chaos.
Yet, a lot of crimes are committed, crimes worthy of jail and worthy of death and they go unpunished. Sometimes they go unpunished because we choose to let them be that way. Pardoned, forgiven, undeserving of both and yet given both.
Why is it we desire forgiveness and yet find it so hard to forgive the seemingly unforgivable?
How often should we forgive? Matthew {18:21} Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? {18:22} Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Endlessly forgiving...
Forgiving the unforgivable.
Forgive as we'd be forgiven. Our supposed lesser sin is as worthy of death in the realm of eternity if not forgiven, just as the largest sin in existence is the same. And if we would be forgiven at all we have to extend forgiveness ourselves-- but how?
Matthew {6:14} For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: {6:15} But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses
But how?
Matthew {18:23} Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. {18:24} And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. {18:25} But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. {18:26} The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. {18:27} Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. {18:28} But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. {18:29} And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. {18:30} And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. {18:31} So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. {18:32} Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: {18:33} Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? {18:34} And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. {18:35} So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
But how?
Help us Lord to learn how. Help us.
Amen.
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