Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Granted to be arrayed in fine linen- a bride, what bride doesn't want to be arrayed in fine linen? A fine gown, a bridal gown the fancier the better right? In most cases a bride with a traditional wedding ceremony puts great store in finding the perfect wedding gown. All eyes feast upon the bride's gown, she's the crowning jewel in the wedding- prepared for the groom.
Read this excerpt from a web page -
'The bride and bridegroom would be elaborately clothed. They would act and be treated like a king and a queen, even being adorned with crowns.
Song of Solomon. 3:11--- "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and gaze on King Solomon with the crown with which his mother has crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of his gladness of heart."
Isaiah 61:10---For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Jeremiah 2:32--- "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?"
The bride imagery in Ezekiel is also indicative of the preparation and adornment of the bride:
Ezekiel 16:8-14--- "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD. "Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidered cloth, and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace around your neck. I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord GOD.
(KJV- Eze 16:8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
Eze 16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
Eze 16:10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
Eze 16:11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
Eze 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Eze 16:13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD)
(From- http://ldolphin.org/risk/ult.shtml)
The clothing we need for our bridal attire is Christ's Righteousness.
'...for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.'
Rom 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Rom 10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Php 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
We can't rely on our own clothing. There isn't a single piece of clothing we can ever manufacture and wear that is pure.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away
We can't rely on our own righteousness- we have NONE.
We have to have total dependence upon Christ's righteousness so we can be clothed in fine linen- His bride when He returns for us.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ may we claim the righteousness of Christ's as our clothing, stripping off our filthy rags and letting Him clothe us in His fine linen, a bride ready for Him.
Amen.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Come Out of Sinning
Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
*******
Babylon (bàb´e-len, -lòn´) noun
1. A city or place of great luxury, sensuality, and often vice and corruption.
*
In John's day Babylon as a wild city was long gone. The memory of it's abhorrent behavior lived on as part of the history of the Jewish people. The Jewish people had at one point in their past, 500 or so BC been taken captive by the King of Babylon. In their history they knew this and that includes John.
The imagery provoked by Babylon is one of corruption, one of being the anti-God. Babylon even in our dictionary has this to say-
A city or place of great luxury, sensuality, and often vice and corruption.
When John was given his vision of hearing an angel saying- Babylon the great is fallen is fallen is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every four spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication; John knew that Babylon history as did all Jews. John also knew this is a future vision- future to the end of days and Babylon is no longer in existence as a super powerful sin-city. There are a lot of various suppositions and just looking at this without pulling in all those theories isn't ANYTHING that takes us into sin figurative of living in Babylon? Living a life of sin and following any that promote that sinning way creates the need for us to come out of Babylon- come out of the sinning ways. I'm not trying to belittle the deeper meanings of the prophecy at all- but it needs to be said that if you are caught up in sin you need to come out of that sin and God wants us out of the sinning ways so we do find forgiveness with Christ Jesus and aren't overcome by the plagues.
We are ordered to come out of Babylon...come out, that's an action that needs to be taken and we are all called to do so. If we choose to keep on sinning and living in a life surrounded by purposeful sin we are guilty of not heeding the warning to come out and not partake of the sins. We can then expect the plagues, the punishment of God to fall upon us. Not something pleasant to look forward to and NO sin pleasure now, no matter what it is will ever be worth the end result. The price paid for choosing self-indulgence over choosing to love God will be something none will want to pay yet it's not a reality to people. Just as in history the prophecies weren't reality until they came to pass and today people have been lulled into a deep sleep unwilling to wake to see that Biblical prophecies have proven true throughtout our history. It's the past, it's ancient history and therefore nothing we should bother over. Wrong. The prophecies go all the way until the end of days when Jesus returns and ultimately when all the sinners are destroyed and sin completely wiped away. We've not come to that day- we are still living in the days of unfulfilled prophecies and we have to ask ourselves a question- if prophecies of old have come to pass, what will stop the prophecies of the future from coming to pass?
The answer... nothing. Nothing can stop it and it's up to us to decide where we wish to be found in when that prophecy comes to pass.
May God help us all to come out of Babylon, come out of our sinning ways and cling to Him asking for our Savior to save us by His merciful grace and overwhelming love.
Amen.
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
*******
Babylon (bàb´e-len, -lòn´) noun
1. A city or place of great luxury, sensuality, and often vice and corruption.
*
In John's day Babylon as a wild city was long gone. The memory of it's abhorrent behavior lived on as part of the history of the Jewish people. The Jewish people had at one point in their past, 500 or so BC been taken captive by the King of Babylon. In their history they knew this and that includes John.
The imagery provoked by Babylon is one of corruption, one of being the anti-God. Babylon even in our dictionary has this to say-
A city or place of great luxury, sensuality, and often vice and corruption.
When John was given his vision of hearing an angel saying- Babylon the great is fallen is fallen is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every four spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication; John knew that Babylon history as did all Jews. John also knew this is a future vision- future to the end of days and Babylon is no longer in existence as a super powerful sin-city. There are a lot of various suppositions and just looking at this without pulling in all those theories isn't ANYTHING that takes us into sin figurative of living in Babylon? Living a life of sin and following any that promote that sinning way creates the need for us to come out of Babylon- come out of the sinning ways. I'm not trying to belittle the deeper meanings of the prophecy at all- but it needs to be said that if you are caught up in sin you need to come out of that sin and God wants us out of the sinning ways so we do find forgiveness with Christ Jesus and aren't overcome by the plagues.
We are ordered to come out of Babylon...come out, that's an action that needs to be taken and we are all called to do so. If we choose to keep on sinning and living in a life surrounded by purposeful sin we are guilty of not heeding the warning to come out and not partake of the sins. We can then expect the plagues, the punishment of God to fall upon us. Not something pleasant to look forward to and NO sin pleasure now, no matter what it is will ever be worth the end result. The price paid for choosing self-indulgence over choosing to love God will be something none will want to pay yet it's not a reality to people. Just as in history the prophecies weren't reality until they came to pass and today people have been lulled into a deep sleep unwilling to wake to see that Biblical prophecies have proven true throughtout our history. It's the past, it's ancient history and therefore nothing we should bother over. Wrong. The prophecies go all the way until the end of days when Jesus returns and ultimately when all the sinners are destroyed and sin completely wiped away. We've not come to that day- we are still living in the days of unfulfilled prophecies and we have to ask ourselves a question- if prophecies of old have come to pass, what will stop the prophecies of the future from coming to pass?
The answer... nothing. Nothing can stop it and it's up to us to decide where we wish to be found in when that prophecy comes to pass.
May God help us all to come out of Babylon, come out of our sinning ways and cling to Him asking for our Savior to save us by His merciful grace and overwhelming love.
Amen.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Blessed in Watching and Keeping
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
He's coming but we don't know when. It's proper to give warning when you go visiting isn't it? In some cases to ask permission to visit. Having Ol' Aunt Agna show up on your doorstep without nary a phone call or even a post card, well that's not a very pleasant surprise is it? Imagine standing there in your bathrobe, hair all sticking out this way and that, the remainder of last night's wrinkle cream caked in a few wrinkle crevices, with coffee on your breath and a few dribbles of it on that bath robe and there she is, Ol' Aunt Agna smiling away with every white hair on her perfectly coiffed head in place, a delicate patting of powder on her face, red rosy cheeks and sparkling blue eyes. She's happy to be there, happy to surprise you and now expects you to be happy to see her when all you can think about is...OH NO! Why didn't she call first! I would have prepared, I would have been ready! I would have had the numbers to a few decent motels close at hand. Too late. You could shut the door in her face, you could tell her she's got the wrong address while using a fake accent, you could apologize and tell her to come back later that the kiddos are all sick and very contagious. But she's not old and senile, or rather she's not senile just old and she'd know that if you tried to do anything but invite her inside her little surprise would have been a very bad one and who wants to hurt sweet Ol' Agna's feelings? The old woman never hurt a flea. The thing is, you really do love Ol' Aunt Agna and would love to have her visit, you just wanted to be prepared for her, ready for her arrival. You wanted your untidy house tided, your unruly mop of hair tamed, you wanted the children in their best clothes, not flopped about in their raggedy but very comfortable jammies. Had you known she was coming you would have been happy to see her there on your doorstep.
How many people have that sort of relationship with Christ? You want Him to visit, you want Him to return to redeem you from earth and take you home with Him to heaven to live a life of eternity in love with Him. Yet perhaps you want to know when He's coming so you can be ready, rather than be ready at all times for Him. How many people consider it a waste of time to be watching when you don't know when to expect Him? Being in a constant state of readiness and watching is perhaps considered tedious? If so, if that's the way of it don't you realize that you won't be happy in heaven? You aren't prepared. Your heart isn't caught up with the Lord's love.
Think of it this way--
Your lover is called away overseas unexpectedly and tells you they don't have a clue when they'll return it could be tomorrow or next year, possible two or three years, it's a top secret mission. You watch your lover go and now begins the waiting. Every day could be the day of your lover's return. This is someone you've truly fallen deeply in love with and it's unthinkable that the love would disappear. You're prepared to wait for eternity for your lover to return. Every day you wake up and wonder, is this the day? Will my lover return today? On the chance that your lover just might come back you make sure you're ready. No, you don't go all out everyday with party streamers or dusting off the special occasion balloons, but you are prepared in your heart for the return of one so dear to you. You are ready, truly ready at any time of the day for your lover to come back, ready to welcome them with open arms. There isn't a moment that you'd ever think - 'I hope they don't come back just yet, I'm not ready.' You don't even care if you're in your old night clothes or in the middle of a meal. You don't care if you're in the middle of a work project that means the security of keeping your job, you'd still embrace your lover with all the joy and happiness you possess.
There's a big difference in how we watch and wait for Christ to return, isn't there? We can be ready at all times, eager for Him no matter the situation we are in- or we can have reservations about things. If we have reservations we have to ask ourselves if our love for Christ is first and foremost. Our love. We can't put things like our readiness in front of that love, if we do then we have our eyes on ourselves and you know something- we will NEVER be ready in and of ourselves it's only through that love of Christ we are made ready. He won't see the wrinkle cream or the tangled hair, He won't be looking for clothes from the best designers. He's not interested in the dust-free house. Christ wants to be welcomed with open, loving arms ready to embrace Him without a thought at all to self.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Keeping our garments, guarding our garments, and what garments are we talking about here?
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
The white raiment is Christ's righteousness not ours. We need to guard the gift of Christ's righteousness given to us to cloth us. If we aren't covered in Christ's righteousness then we will be naked and all our shame, all our sins, all our unrighteousness will be visible.
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
No wonder we are to guard, to keep our garments they are garments fashioned by Christ Himself to prepare us for the great day of the wedding between Christ and His bride- His church- His people.
We need to look forward to Christ's return, to be eager for Him to come at any moment in time and in our watching we need to forever keep upon us Christ's righteousness- not our own filthy rags. We will be blessed in Him by His mercy and grace now and forever let us be found ready.
Amen.
He's coming but we don't know when. It's proper to give warning when you go visiting isn't it? In some cases to ask permission to visit. Having Ol' Aunt Agna show up on your doorstep without nary a phone call or even a post card, well that's not a very pleasant surprise is it? Imagine standing there in your bathrobe, hair all sticking out this way and that, the remainder of last night's wrinkle cream caked in a few wrinkle crevices, with coffee on your breath and a few dribbles of it on that bath robe and there she is, Ol' Aunt Agna smiling away with every white hair on her perfectly coiffed head in place, a delicate patting of powder on her face, red rosy cheeks and sparkling blue eyes. She's happy to be there, happy to surprise you and now expects you to be happy to see her when all you can think about is...OH NO! Why didn't she call first! I would have prepared, I would have been ready! I would have had the numbers to a few decent motels close at hand. Too late. You could shut the door in her face, you could tell her she's got the wrong address while using a fake accent, you could apologize and tell her to come back later that the kiddos are all sick and very contagious. But she's not old and senile, or rather she's not senile just old and she'd know that if you tried to do anything but invite her inside her little surprise would have been a very bad one and who wants to hurt sweet Ol' Agna's feelings? The old woman never hurt a flea. The thing is, you really do love Ol' Aunt Agna and would love to have her visit, you just wanted to be prepared for her, ready for her arrival. You wanted your untidy house tided, your unruly mop of hair tamed, you wanted the children in their best clothes, not flopped about in their raggedy but very comfortable jammies. Had you known she was coming you would have been happy to see her there on your doorstep.
How many people have that sort of relationship with Christ? You want Him to visit, you want Him to return to redeem you from earth and take you home with Him to heaven to live a life of eternity in love with Him. Yet perhaps you want to know when He's coming so you can be ready, rather than be ready at all times for Him. How many people consider it a waste of time to be watching when you don't know when to expect Him? Being in a constant state of readiness and watching is perhaps considered tedious? If so, if that's the way of it don't you realize that you won't be happy in heaven? You aren't prepared. Your heart isn't caught up with the Lord's love.
Think of it this way--
Your lover is called away overseas unexpectedly and tells you they don't have a clue when they'll return it could be tomorrow or next year, possible two or three years, it's a top secret mission. You watch your lover go and now begins the waiting. Every day could be the day of your lover's return. This is someone you've truly fallen deeply in love with and it's unthinkable that the love would disappear. You're prepared to wait for eternity for your lover to return. Every day you wake up and wonder, is this the day? Will my lover return today? On the chance that your lover just might come back you make sure you're ready. No, you don't go all out everyday with party streamers or dusting off the special occasion balloons, but you are prepared in your heart for the return of one so dear to you. You are ready, truly ready at any time of the day for your lover to come back, ready to welcome them with open arms. There isn't a moment that you'd ever think - 'I hope they don't come back just yet, I'm not ready.' You don't even care if you're in your old night clothes or in the middle of a meal. You don't care if you're in the middle of a work project that means the security of keeping your job, you'd still embrace your lover with all the joy and happiness you possess.
There's a big difference in how we watch and wait for Christ to return, isn't there? We can be ready at all times, eager for Him no matter the situation we are in- or we can have reservations about things. If we have reservations we have to ask ourselves if our love for Christ is first and foremost. Our love. We can't put things like our readiness in front of that love, if we do then we have our eyes on ourselves and you know something- we will NEVER be ready in and of ourselves it's only through that love of Christ we are made ready. He won't see the wrinkle cream or the tangled hair, He won't be looking for clothes from the best designers. He's not interested in the dust-free house. Christ wants to be welcomed with open, loving arms ready to embrace Him without a thought at all to self.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Keeping our garments, guarding our garments, and what garments are we talking about here?
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
The white raiment is Christ's righteousness not ours. We need to guard the gift of Christ's righteousness given to us to cloth us. If we aren't covered in Christ's righteousness then we will be naked and all our shame, all our sins, all our unrighteousness will be visible.
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
No wonder we are to guard, to keep our garments they are garments fashioned by Christ Himself to prepare us for the great day of the wedding between Christ and His bride- His church- His people.
We need to look forward to Christ's return, to be eager for Him to come at any moment in time and in our watching we need to forever keep upon us Christ's righteousness- not our own filthy rags. We will be blessed in Him by His mercy and grace now and forever let us be found ready.
Amen.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Endurance
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus
Patience
hupomone?
hoop-om-on-ay'
From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
Keep
te?reo?
tay-reh'-o
From teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon...)
The endurance of the saints. It sounds like a movie title doesn't it? Perhaps a show on saints through time and their common link through endurance- a documentary of sorts. Or maybe it could be a touching story of a family with the last name Saints and it's a tale of courage and faith beyond all odds- enduring hardships and such to make the story appropriately exciting and something people would want to watch. The meaning here in Revelation 14:2 is prophetic and it's talking about those in the future who are on God's side as the world comes to an end. People with endurance, people with hopeful endurance. People who will watch, who will guard the commandments of God.
We've talked about this several times but it bears studying even more. It's too easy to lose hope, it's too easy to stop hanging in there- to stop enduring with patience. It would be so incredibly easy for us to just give up hope, to believe it's all too much and that things would never change.
People will argue that they've known others who have held fast to their faith for a long time, growing from being young to old, to very old without ever having their hope realized. They would say they were fools to believe and that it's foolish for them to believe when it's always hope without realization. The endurance means nothing, the patience means stupidity. The watching and guarding the commandments of God is silly to them because the love in those commandments isn't seen at all- only the restrictiveness.
It's what we call human nature to want to rebel against anything that might restrict our lives, but in truth it's not human nature at all, it's the sin nature. Most don't want to diffrientiate between the two arguing that they're one and the same because we're all sinfilled from our birth- caught up in the nature we inherit from our parents who ultimately inherited it from the first human to sin- Eve. But in truth and that's what we are interested in here, truth, we weren't originially created human with sin. We were created human without sin. There are a group of people who believe it's that nature Jesus took on but that's clearly not true. Jesus was tempted taking on our nature through his sinful mother... yes, some have claimed that Mary was sinless but that's not true. People want to believe that Jesus didn't have our sinning nature- yet remained without sin. People want to believe that Jesus was like Adam and Eve who were not in any way tainted by thousands of years of sinning. Jesus took on a nature that had for thousands of years been prone to sinning and with that nature HE did not sin. The temptations of Christ were real, He was touched by our infirmities not absolved and shielded from them.
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.
ALL points tempted like we are. Does that sound like He was absolved from the nature, the humanity we possess? No. He wasn't protected in some special way - He became human and endured all the temptations we endure- if he'd been given some special attributes that we don't possess then Satan would call His sacrifice superficial and non-acceptable. Satan can't call His sacrifice unacceptable though. Jesus didn't use His power as a Son of God to defeat sin. Jesus defeated sin in the same way it's possible for us, in humanity- through God and God alone He prevailed.
So to say that as humans we want to be in charge of our own fate- to choose not to believe in what we call fairy tales and fables, would be false. To say that we as humans tainted by sin want that - would in fact be the truth. God did not create us to defy Him, but to love Him. There will be a people- the saints - who will hold fast to the truth in Christ and believe in the commandments of God all the commands that He's given us out of His love. These people will have salvation through Christ's sacrifice, believing in God and all He is. These people and I pray I'm among them will hold fast to the faith of Jesus, clinging to Him who while tempted like we are endured without sinning, laying down His life to redeem ours.
By the grace and mercy of Christ now and forever...
Amen.
Patience
hupomone?
hoop-om-on-ay'
From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
Keep
te?reo?
tay-reh'-o
From teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon...)
The endurance of the saints. It sounds like a movie title doesn't it? Perhaps a show on saints through time and their common link through endurance- a documentary of sorts. Or maybe it could be a touching story of a family with the last name Saints and it's a tale of courage and faith beyond all odds- enduring hardships and such to make the story appropriately exciting and something people would want to watch. The meaning here in Revelation 14:2 is prophetic and it's talking about those in the future who are on God's side as the world comes to an end. People with endurance, people with hopeful endurance. People who will watch, who will guard the commandments of God.
We've talked about this several times but it bears studying even more. It's too easy to lose hope, it's too easy to stop hanging in there- to stop enduring with patience. It would be so incredibly easy for us to just give up hope, to believe it's all too much and that things would never change.
People will argue that they've known others who have held fast to their faith for a long time, growing from being young to old, to very old without ever having their hope realized. They would say they were fools to believe and that it's foolish for them to believe when it's always hope without realization. The endurance means nothing, the patience means stupidity. The watching and guarding the commandments of God is silly to them because the love in those commandments isn't seen at all- only the restrictiveness.
It's what we call human nature to want to rebel against anything that might restrict our lives, but in truth it's not human nature at all, it's the sin nature. Most don't want to diffrientiate between the two arguing that they're one and the same because we're all sinfilled from our birth- caught up in the nature we inherit from our parents who ultimately inherited it from the first human to sin- Eve. But in truth and that's what we are interested in here, truth, we weren't originially created human with sin. We were created human without sin. There are a group of people who believe it's that nature Jesus took on but that's clearly not true. Jesus was tempted taking on our nature through his sinful mother... yes, some have claimed that Mary was sinless but that's not true. People want to believe that Jesus didn't have our sinning nature- yet remained without sin. People want to believe that Jesus was like Adam and Eve who were not in any way tainted by thousands of years of sinning. Jesus took on a nature that had for thousands of years been prone to sinning and with that nature HE did not sin. The temptations of Christ were real, He was touched by our infirmities not absolved and shielded from them.
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.
ALL points tempted like we are. Does that sound like He was absolved from the nature, the humanity we possess? No. He wasn't protected in some special way - He became human and endured all the temptations we endure- if he'd been given some special attributes that we don't possess then Satan would call His sacrifice superficial and non-acceptable. Satan can't call His sacrifice unacceptable though. Jesus didn't use His power as a Son of God to defeat sin. Jesus defeated sin in the same way it's possible for us, in humanity- through God and God alone He prevailed.
So to say that as humans we want to be in charge of our own fate- to choose not to believe in what we call fairy tales and fables, would be false. To say that we as humans tainted by sin want that - would in fact be the truth. God did not create us to defy Him, but to love Him. There will be a people- the saints - who will hold fast to the truth in Christ and believe in the commandments of God all the commands that He's given us out of His love. These people will have salvation through Christ's sacrifice, believing in God and all He is. These people and I pray I'm among them will hold fast to the faith of Jesus, clinging to Him who while tempted like we are endured without sinning, laying down His life to redeem ours.
By the grace and mercy of Christ now and forever...
Amen.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
All Thanksgiving to God
Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
God is worthy of our awe, our praise. God the maker of heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water is worthy to judge His creations. We are His creations. Yet God will look to His Son and the sacrifice He made for the creatures He created and He will honor the sacrifice by deeming worthy the unworthy. He's paid for our worthiness. He's paid for our redemption. He only is worthy and we need to cling to Him. We need to give Him glory, give Him praise, give Him honor, give Him all He asks. Living our lives as a living tribute to our Lord reveals our awe of Him. He is all.
Thank you Lord. Thank you for making life worth living knowing that through You we live not only now but with the hope of forever in You. Thank you for giving us our lives, for enlightening our minds and spirit with You. Open our hearts that You've created clean by the blood of the Lamb. Thank you for all Your blessings. All honor and glory, all praise and thanksgiving unto You!
By Your will, by Your grace, now and forever.
Amen.
God is worthy of our awe, our praise. God the maker of heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water is worthy to judge His creations. We are His creations. Yet God will look to His Son and the sacrifice He made for the creatures He created and He will honor the sacrifice by deeming worthy the unworthy. He's paid for our worthiness. He's paid for our redemption. He only is worthy and we need to cling to Him. We need to give Him glory, give Him praise, give Him honor, give Him all He asks. Living our lives as a living tribute to our Lord reveals our awe of Him. He is all.
Thank you Lord. Thank you for making life worth living knowing that through You we live not only now but with the hope of forever in You. Thank you for giving us our lives, for enlightening our minds and spirit with You. Open our hearts that You've created clean by the blood of the Lamb. Thank you for all Your blessings. All honor and glory, all praise and thanksgiving unto You!
By Your will, by Your grace, now and forever.
Amen.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
No Guile
Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Let's get a dictionary look at what guile is. Obviously it's something we shouldn't be found with so we can be without fault before the throne of God so it's really something we should be aware of in ourselves.
*******
Greek- Guile
dolos
dol'-os
dello (an obsolete primary probably meaning to decoy; compare G1185); a trick (bait), that is, (figuratively) wile: - craft, deceit, guile, subtilty.
*******
guile (gìl) noun
1.Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit.
2.Obsolete. A trick or stratagem.
verb, transitive
guiled, guiling, guiles
Archaic.
To beguile; deceive.
*******
God would not have us deceitful, He would not have us using trickery, or treacherous cunning - these are not God's ways. To have no guile would mean that we don't resort to being wily, crafty, deceitful that we're upstanding, forthright, and honest in our ways. It's no wonder that those who stand before God will have no guile in their mouths- no deceit before the throne of God.
There is no misleading, no tricking, no lying in all they do. We need this in our lives and before any one jumps up and says they have no guile we need to really look at our lives in all we do and see if there isn't something in them that we judge acceptable because we deem it harmless deception. I read the other day in Reader's Digest one of those little sections of information where it was stated that most people lie 6 times a day at least. Can you imagine!? Can you? And they say the lie most often told is this... When asked how they are they say, fine. We do it don't we? We tell others we're fine, we're okay. Have a great day. When in truth things might not be so fine at all, and having a great day is the last thing you're concerned about another doing. We call it politeness and you know I've raised my kids to be liars that way-- haven't we all? If not by outright telling them to lie we tell them to act certain ways in public, to do what is proper and keep private things private and so on and so forth. Sure people say it's harmless to say you're fine to a stranger because you're not going to tell them your life story which might be full of woe, but in truth and that's what this is all about-- in truth -- isn't it better to say something along the lines of - Oh, I'm hanging in there, and that would be the truth. You're not offering a tale of woe but at the same time you're not lying either. We really don't like to think about the little ways we tell untruths (lies) because they are so ingrained in us. Let's take time to notice though, shall we? Just out of curiosity to gauge the guile within. We are to have NO guile at all before God.
Psa 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psa 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 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.
1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile
***
Lying, cheating, deceiving, we know all these things are contrary to good things- pure things, righteous things. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Saviour may we be found without guile before God now and forever.
Amen.
Let's get a dictionary look at what guile is. Obviously it's something we shouldn't be found with so we can be without fault before the throne of God so it's really something we should be aware of in ourselves.
*******
Greek- Guile
dolos
dol'-os
dello (an obsolete primary probably meaning to decoy; compare G1185); a trick (bait), that is, (figuratively) wile: - craft, deceit, guile, subtilty.
*******
guile (gìl) noun
1.Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit.
2.Obsolete. A trick or stratagem.
verb, transitive
guiled, guiling, guiles
Archaic.
To beguile; deceive.
*******
God would not have us deceitful, He would not have us using trickery, or treacherous cunning - these are not God's ways. To have no guile would mean that we don't resort to being wily, crafty, deceitful that we're upstanding, forthright, and honest in our ways. It's no wonder that those who stand before God will have no guile in their mouths- no deceit before the throne of God.
There is no misleading, no tricking, no lying in all they do. We need this in our lives and before any one jumps up and says they have no guile we need to really look at our lives in all we do and see if there isn't something in them that we judge acceptable because we deem it harmless deception. I read the other day in Reader's Digest one of those little sections of information where it was stated that most people lie 6 times a day at least. Can you imagine!? Can you? And they say the lie most often told is this... When asked how they are they say, fine. We do it don't we? We tell others we're fine, we're okay. Have a great day. When in truth things might not be so fine at all, and having a great day is the last thing you're concerned about another doing. We call it politeness and you know I've raised my kids to be liars that way-- haven't we all? If not by outright telling them to lie we tell them to act certain ways in public, to do what is proper and keep private things private and so on and so forth. Sure people say it's harmless to say you're fine to a stranger because you're not going to tell them your life story which might be full of woe, but in truth and that's what this is all about-- in truth -- isn't it better to say something along the lines of - Oh, I'm hanging in there, and that would be the truth. You're not offering a tale of woe but at the same time you're not lying either. We really don't like to think about the little ways we tell untruths (lies) because they are so ingrained in us. Let's take time to notice though, shall we? Just out of curiosity to gauge the guile within. We are to have NO guile at all before God.
Psa 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psa 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 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.
1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile
***
Lying, cheating, deceiving, we know all these things are contrary to good things- pure things, righteous things. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Saviour may we be found without guile before God now and forever.
Amen.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Book of Life
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
All that dwell on the earth will worship the beast/dragon - one who is blaspheming God! It sounds shocking doesn't it? That ALL that dwell on the earth will be caught up in this horror. All but... those who have their names written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
What?! Wait... the Lamb slain from when? The foundation of the world. That's before sin entered isn't it? The world had to be created, the creatures placed up on it and the choice to be made to follow God out of love or look to self and sin. The foundation of the world, the founding of the world. In making this world the provision was made. In making human beings- creatures a little lower than the angels, creatures made in God's own image- a provision was needed. The what if this happens provision. Christ was the provision. God made of Spirit willing to be made into flesh forever. Christ willing to die for us. God's Son willing to be slain, knowing the price that would have to be paid should man sin before the foundation of the world was even created. This Lamb of God has a book of life for all those who He claims as His. If our names are not in that book we will be among all the others on the earth worshipping the devil through his various devices and deceptions.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we have our names in His book of life. This world is not our final home. This life is not how life for us was intended to be. We are here but a short while suffering through many trials and tribulations and then by the grace of God will will go to Him when Christ returns, or sleep and be woken when the glorious day arrives.
Amen.
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
All that dwell on the earth will worship the beast/dragon - one who is blaspheming God! It sounds shocking doesn't it? That ALL that dwell on the earth will be caught up in this horror. All but... those who have their names written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
What?! Wait... the Lamb slain from when? The foundation of the world. That's before sin entered isn't it? The world had to be created, the creatures placed up on it and the choice to be made to follow God out of love or look to self and sin. The foundation of the world, the founding of the world. In making this world the provision was made. In making human beings- creatures a little lower than the angels, creatures made in God's own image- a provision was needed. The what if this happens provision. Christ was the provision. God made of Spirit willing to be made into flesh forever. Christ willing to die for us. God's Son willing to be slain, knowing the price that would have to be paid should man sin before the foundation of the world was even created. This Lamb of God has a book of life for all those who He claims as His. If our names are not in that book we will be among all the others on the earth worshipping the devil through his various devices and deceptions.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we have our names in His book of life. This world is not our final home. This life is not how life for us was intended to be. We are here but a short while suffering through many trials and tribulations and then by the grace of God will will go to Him when Christ returns, or sleep and be woken when the glorious day arrives.
Amen.
Monday, November 23, 2009
For Thy Pleasure
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
For God's pleasure we were created. Some might start up instantly saying, see God's just toying with us as if we were nothing but play toys. God gets His amusement from our pain. Untrue. God is forever, for eternity and God lives in eternity while we live in finite time. Our days are numbered in this life of agony and yes, for many it is agony. In fact for all of us it is agony in some degree, on some level emotionally, mentally, or physically, possibly all three. We have heartache, we have pain, we have tears, we live in a world where things are imperfect from our beginnings. We live in a world where all our far ancestors no longer exist and all we have is the knowledge that they had to exist so we could be where we are now. We live in a world where we produce more of us to live on after us and this is what we call eternity- living through our future generations. God lives in eternity always and He knows that our finite lives are temporary because of things gone wrong. The future we are told by God, won't have any agony to be endured. We are and were created for God's pleasure and it is His pleasure that we exist at all as His creations. It is His pleasure just as it is a parent's pleasure to behold their own children and hope for the brightest of futures for their children. God knows that we have the potential to be the creatures He wants us to be and the day will come that the creatures He has created for His pleasure will be as He intended them to be and then for all eternity.
How foolish is it for the creature to question the Creator? Without the Creator there would be no creation to question. Our very existence we owe to God and it's an existence with the possibility for a future of perfection in Him.
We are redeemed to God by the Blood of the Lamb. God paid a price for us and it was no small price when the Word became Flesh- when Spirit took on Flesh, when eternity became finite with the possibility of remaining so forever, but by the grace and mercy of our Lord eternity was restored to God made flesh as Jesus lived and died for us, only to live again to redeem us to Him.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
They loved not their lives unto death.
We can't love our lives not in the sense that this life is all there is and we get so caught up in it that nothing else matters. We truly need to live as if Heaven is a reality, that Jesus' second coming is a reality, that life eternal is found in Jesus and the life we have here is temporary and not something we should love in and of itself but love God and trust in Him for everlasting life in Jesus.
May God bless and keep us in Him by His mercy and grace now and forever!
Amen.
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
For God's pleasure we were created. Some might start up instantly saying, see God's just toying with us as if we were nothing but play toys. God gets His amusement from our pain. Untrue. God is forever, for eternity and God lives in eternity while we live in finite time. Our days are numbered in this life of agony and yes, for many it is agony. In fact for all of us it is agony in some degree, on some level emotionally, mentally, or physically, possibly all three. We have heartache, we have pain, we have tears, we live in a world where things are imperfect from our beginnings. We live in a world where all our far ancestors no longer exist and all we have is the knowledge that they had to exist so we could be where we are now. We live in a world where we produce more of us to live on after us and this is what we call eternity- living through our future generations. God lives in eternity always and He knows that our finite lives are temporary because of things gone wrong. The future we are told by God, won't have any agony to be endured. We are and were created for God's pleasure and it is His pleasure that we exist at all as His creations. It is His pleasure just as it is a parent's pleasure to behold their own children and hope for the brightest of futures for their children. God knows that we have the potential to be the creatures He wants us to be and the day will come that the creatures He has created for His pleasure will be as He intended them to be and then for all eternity.
How foolish is it for the creature to question the Creator? Without the Creator there would be no creation to question. Our very existence we owe to God and it's an existence with the possibility for a future of perfection in Him.
We are redeemed to God by the Blood of the Lamb. God paid a price for us and it was no small price when the Word became Flesh- when Spirit took on Flesh, when eternity became finite with the possibility of remaining so forever, but by the grace and mercy of our Lord eternity was restored to God made flesh as Jesus lived and died for us, only to live again to redeem us to Him.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
They loved not their lives unto death.
We can't love our lives not in the sense that this life is all there is and we get so caught up in it that nothing else matters. We truly need to live as if Heaven is a reality, that Jesus' second coming is a reality, that life eternal is found in Jesus and the life we have here is temporary and not something we should love in and of itself but love God and trust in Him for everlasting life in Jesus.
May God bless and keep us in Him by His mercy and grace now and forever!
Amen.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Kept from the hour of temptation...
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth
Patience--
hupomone
hoop-om-on-ay'
From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
patience (pâ´shens) noun
1. The capacity, quality, or fact of being patient.
patient (pâ´shent) adjective
1. Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness.
2. Marked by or exhibiting calm endurance of pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance.
3. Tolerant; understanding: an unfailingly patient leader and guide.
4. Persevering; constant: With patient industry, she revived the failing business and made it thrive.
5. Capable of calmly awaiting an outcome or a result; not hasty or impulsive.
6. Capable of bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance: "My uncle Toby was a man patient of injuries" (Laurence Sterne).
Keeping the word of someone's patience means what? If someone keeps your word what is your word about? It's your beliefs right? When you speak and give someone your words you are telling them things that you believe, in Jesus' case He is giving the truth to us through His words. The words of Jesus give life.
Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life
The Word of life, the word of Jesus' patience. The word, Jesus' words are life to us and the word of His patience is what? What does Jesus have to say about patience?
Luk 8:15 ... having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
And here's what the Word of God has to say further --
Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2Co 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
Col 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness
1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure
1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2Ti 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ
Apparantly there is a lot to say about patience, a lot! No wonder this is said--
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth
We need to endure and keep the word of Christ's patience, we need to be kept from the hour of temptation but we can't keep ourselves from temptation Christ will have to keep us from that hour of temptation, an hour that will come upon ALL the world. We need to be patience through Christ, in Christ, for Christ. By the grace of God may we keep the word of Christ's patience.
Amen.
Patience--
hupomone
hoop-om-on-ay'
From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
patience (pâ´shens) noun
1. The capacity, quality, or fact of being patient.
patient (pâ´shent) adjective
1. Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness.
2. Marked by or exhibiting calm endurance of pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance.
3. Tolerant; understanding: an unfailingly patient leader and guide.
4. Persevering; constant: With patient industry, she revived the failing business and made it thrive.
5. Capable of calmly awaiting an outcome or a result; not hasty or impulsive.
6. Capable of bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance: "My uncle Toby was a man patient of injuries" (Laurence Sterne).
Keeping the word of someone's patience means what? If someone keeps your word what is your word about? It's your beliefs right? When you speak and give someone your words you are telling them things that you believe, in Jesus' case He is giving the truth to us through His words. The words of Jesus give life.
Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life
The Word of life, the word of Jesus' patience. The word, Jesus' words are life to us and the word of His patience is what? What does Jesus have to say about patience?
Luk 8:15 ... having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
And here's what the Word of God has to say further --
Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2Co 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
Col 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness
1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure
1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2Ti 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ
Apparantly there is a lot to say about patience, a lot! No wonder this is said--
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth
We need to endure and keep the word of Christ's patience, we need to be kept from the hour of temptation but we can't keep ourselves from temptation Christ will have to keep us from that hour of temptation, an hour that will come upon ALL the world. We need to be patience through Christ, in Christ, for Christ. By the grace of God may we keep the word of Christ's patience.
Amen.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Jesus, Please Save Me from Myself!
You saved me from myself- lyrics from a song I heard that stood out to me. We need Jesus to save us from ourselves don't we?
Self gets in the way of so much.
What's this mean-- Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
We understand what following someone means- to us it's not truly literal we don't have Jesus walking about to follow physically in that respect, we have to follow His teachings, His ways. But what about that denying self. These are Jesus' words. If ANY man will come after Him they must deny themselves. What are we to deny ourselves?
Strong's Lexicon: Deny - ap-ar-neh'-om-ahee - To deny utterly, that is, disown, abstain: - deny.
Disown, abstain self. We can insert lots and lots of *things*, we can say oh that means to deny ourselves alcohol, food, sex, friendship with the world, deny ourselves worldly pleasures but is that what it's saying? Did Jesus say that if any man will come after him they had to deny themselves things? Do you think it's implied? In the context of the reading Peter was rebuking Jesus after Jesus began to tell the disciples about what He was going to suffer soon. Peter couldn't fathom the things Jesus was saying would come to pass. He didn't want to believe that Jesus, the Messiah, would suffer. The Messiah was to come and save His people, to be exalted, full of power and greatness, not be hurt, ridiculed, and killed. Jesus told Peter this-- and it's a very STRONG counter rebuke.
Mat 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.
Peter was savoring the things that weren't of God, worldly things like glory, power, exaltation of the world; Peter wanted Jesus to come into His own to be famous and recognized by the world as the Son of God, the King of Kings. What was the response of Jesus? He called Him Satan! Could there be any stronger rebuke? He called one of His disciples Satan because he wasn't focused on God, and God's plan for men here and now on earth. He was focused on the world then and there and what it had to offer. Aren't we the same? Don't we pray to God to make our lives here and now simpler, easier, richer. We look at the lowest of the low on our earth today and how they live in deep poverty we can't imagine and we don't want to live anything like that and we think Jesus should keep us from being the lowest of the low and even Jesus said the poor would be with you always. That's fine isn't it? As long as we're not among the poor. Seriously. He told the rich young ruler what?
Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Sell that thou hast and give to the poor- thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me. The very idea of selling all that he had and giving the money to the poor was appalling to the man, why? Because he had GREAT POSSESSIONS. He wasn't being asked to give up something meager, but he was being asked to give up GREAT POSSESSIONS. He wanted to know what he needed to do to have eternal life and he was already following the commandments but he was doing so in the comfort of great possessions- those possession meant more to him than eternal life. Do you think it'd be the same if eternal life was a reality to Him? Seriously? It's possible isn't it? We believe in eternal life but we tell ourselves that we have to live for here and now. We gather our great possessions and they ARE great when we compare them to the poor and their possessions. We gather our great possessions and we comfort ourselves by saying God understands. When hardships come and our possessions become endangered we feel as if we've gained God's disfavor some how and we're being punished, he's allowing Satan to hurt us. Do we stop and think for a moment that maybe God is trying to strip away things in our lives that are meaningless in comparison to eternal life in Christ? To be poor, to be without a home, without the ability to pay the bills for our cars, our entertainment, our abiity to communicate through phone and internet, to have things taken away makes us want to cry in fear for our losses and we agonize over what we're going to do without the ability to have these things because we just can't imagine our lives destitute of them- we'd be failures, we'd have failed to live as we believe we need to live not to be filthy rich or successful but in our minds to just get by with a few comforts. It's a terrifying thought to be without our great possessions, we've found security in them. It's even more terrifying to imagine losing out on eternal life because we are so wrapped up in ourselves we can't even contemplate giving up anything, denying ourselves anything. We pat ourselves on the back and think of all the things we want and deny ourselves already and we say that's enough denying. We tell ourselves God doesn't REALLY want us to deny ourselves things, that's foolish cultish talk.
Christ tells us this--
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Deny himself- take up his cross- follow me.
What does it mean 'take up his cross'? Strong's has this to say--
A stake or post (as set upright), that is, (specifically) a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively exposure to death, that is, self denial; by implication the atonement of Christ: - cross.
Figuratively exposure to death- that is SELF DENIAL.
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
As long as SELF rules us and our lives we are in danger. Those words from the song are so true....
You saved me from myself.
We need to be saved from ourselves. Self has to die and Christ has to live. Today if Christ asked you to sell all that you had and give it to the poor and follow Him, what would you tell Him? God help us, please help us, because we might just find ourselves with the young man in sorrow who couldn't fathom selling His great possessions not even for eternal life.
We need to take up our cross and even if we can't imagine giving up our possessions meager or otherwise, we need to take up the cross, denying ourselves- our selfish wants and desires, our selfish need to put our supposedly deserved needs before those of others because we work so hard, we do so much already. It's not easy to do away with self and only by the grace and mercy of Christ will we be able to do it at all. While Satan has our minds wrapped up in some sins of ours we are finding hard to give up he's keeping us caught up tight in the bindings of selfishness, of self-first, of self so much we think it's normal to consider our selfish needs first and foremost.
Please LORD, please! Save me from myself!
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, please save us from ourselves.
Amen.
Self gets in the way of so much.
What's this mean-- Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
We understand what following someone means- to us it's not truly literal we don't have Jesus walking about to follow physically in that respect, we have to follow His teachings, His ways. But what about that denying self. These are Jesus' words. If ANY man will come after Him they must deny themselves. What are we to deny ourselves?
Strong's Lexicon: Deny - ap-ar-neh'-om-ahee - To deny utterly, that is, disown, abstain: - deny.
Disown, abstain self. We can insert lots and lots of *things*, we can say oh that means to deny ourselves alcohol, food, sex, friendship with the world, deny ourselves worldly pleasures but is that what it's saying? Did Jesus say that if any man will come after him they had to deny themselves things? Do you think it's implied? In the context of the reading Peter was rebuking Jesus after Jesus began to tell the disciples about what He was going to suffer soon. Peter couldn't fathom the things Jesus was saying would come to pass. He didn't want to believe that Jesus, the Messiah, would suffer. The Messiah was to come and save His people, to be exalted, full of power and greatness, not be hurt, ridiculed, and killed. Jesus told Peter this-- and it's a very STRONG counter rebuke.
Mat 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.
Peter was savoring the things that weren't of God, worldly things like glory, power, exaltation of the world; Peter wanted Jesus to come into His own to be famous and recognized by the world as the Son of God, the King of Kings. What was the response of Jesus? He called Him Satan! Could there be any stronger rebuke? He called one of His disciples Satan because he wasn't focused on God, and God's plan for men here and now on earth. He was focused on the world then and there and what it had to offer. Aren't we the same? Don't we pray to God to make our lives here and now simpler, easier, richer. We look at the lowest of the low on our earth today and how they live in deep poverty we can't imagine and we don't want to live anything like that and we think Jesus should keep us from being the lowest of the low and even Jesus said the poor would be with you always. That's fine isn't it? As long as we're not among the poor. Seriously. He told the rich young ruler what?
Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Sell that thou hast and give to the poor- thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me. The very idea of selling all that he had and giving the money to the poor was appalling to the man, why? Because he had GREAT POSSESSIONS. He wasn't being asked to give up something meager, but he was being asked to give up GREAT POSSESSIONS. He wanted to know what he needed to do to have eternal life and he was already following the commandments but he was doing so in the comfort of great possessions- those possession meant more to him than eternal life. Do you think it'd be the same if eternal life was a reality to Him? Seriously? It's possible isn't it? We believe in eternal life but we tell ourselves that we have to live for here and now. We gather our great possessions and they ARE great when we compare them to the poor and their possessions. We gather our great possessions and we comfort ourselves by saying God understands. When hardships come and our possessions become endangered we feel as if we've gained God's disfavor some how and we're being punished, he's allowing Satan to hurt us. Do we stop and think for a moment that maybe God is trying to strip away things in our lives that are meaningless in comparison to eternal life in Christ? To be poor, to be without a home, without the ability to pay the bills for our cars, our entertainment, our abiity to communicate through phone and internet, to have things taken away makes us want to cry in fear for our losses and we agonize over what we're going to do without the ability to have these things because we just can't imagine our lives destitute of them- we'd be failures, we'd have failed to live as we believe we need to live not to be filthy rich or successful but in our minds to just get by with a few comforts. It's a terrifying thought to be without our great possessions, we've found security in them. It's even more terrifying to imagine losing out on eternal life because we are so wrapped up in ourselves we can't even contemplate giving up anything, denying ourselves anything. We pat ourselves on the back and think of all the things we want and deny ourselves already and we say that's enough denying. We tell ourselves God doesn't REALLY want us to deny ourselves things, that's foolish cultish talk.
Christ tells us this--
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Deny himself- take up his cross- follow me.
What does it mean 'take up his cross'? Strong's has this to say--
A stake or post (as set upright), that is, (specifically) a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively exposure to death, that is, self denial; by implication the atonement of Christ: - cross.
Figuratively exposure to death- that is SELF DENIAL.
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
As long as SELF rules us and our lives we are in danger. Those words from the song are so true....
You saved me from myself.
We need to be saved from ourselves. Self has to die and Christ has to live. Today if Christ asked you to sell all that you had and give it to the poor and follow Him, what would you tell Him? God help us, please help us, because we might just find ourselves with the young man in sorrow who couldn't fathom selling His great possessions not even for eternal life.
We need to take up our cross and even if we can't imagine giving up our possessions meager or otherwise, we need to take up the cross, denying ourselves- our selfish wants and desires, our selfish need to put our supposedly deserved needs before those of others because we work so hard, we do so much already. It's not easy to do away with self and only by the grace and mercy of Christ will we be able to do it at all. While Satan has our minds wrapped up in some sins of ours we are finding hard to give up he's keeping us caught up tight in the bindings of selfishness, of self-first, of self so much we think it's normal to consider our selfish needs first and foremost.
Please LORD, please! Save me from myself!
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, please save us from ourselves.
Amen.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Be Watchful
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Be watchful. What's it mean to be watchful?
watchful (wòch´fel) adjective
1. Closely observant or alert; vigilant: kept a watchful eye on the clock. See synonyms at aware, careful.
2. Archaic. Not sleeping; awake.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Be awake, be aware, alert, vigilent, observant, careful. Christ tells us to follow Him and His way to eternal life. Remember--
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
We are blessed by reading, by hearing, by keeping what we are told to and Christ would have us be watchful. It's so easy to become complacent in our walks with Christ. So easy to fall into a routine of praying, studying, praising God. Routines aren't so bad but if we're not careful they lose their honestly and what was once done out of a heartfelt love and joy can be done by habit. We need to be careful that we don't focus on our selves which is all too easy to do. We don't feel like doing this or that, or we feel like doing that but not this. We have to realize what we have in our relationship to Christ is special and like any relationship it needs to be nurtured. There are all sorts of relationships even those which grow stale, you hear tell of couples drifting apart after the years and often they drift so far apart they find other relationships. This is the sort of thing that needs to be guarded against. We have to be watchful- awake to our personal, spiritual walk with Christ. Am I advocating that there must be a giddy sense of happy, happy all the time or something is wrong? No. It's not the emotional high that is sought. What is needed is the deep abiding realness of the relationship we have as Christ's followers and a daily life that reflects that relationship.
We need to often remember how we first came to Christ- the real knowledge of Him as our personal Savior. We need to repent when we lose sight of our Lord as a real, living part of us. Regulating God to a corner of our lives that does not impact our daily existence yet we call ourselves Christians means that we've lost that newness, that first real knowledge and acceptance of Christ's grace, the forgiveness He offers to each of us, cleansing us from sin and bringing us up to new life in Him. We can never forget that we are sinners in need of the grace of God, never. We can never forget that without Christ we are nothing.
Life is going to be hard, and there will be many tears and much tribulation but Christ will see us through it all if we hold fast to Him.
May the grace and mercy of Christ be a reality to us as we live each day in His amazing love.
Amen.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Be watchful. What's it mean to be watchful?
watchful (wòch´fel) adjective
1. Closely observant or alert; vigilant: kept a watchful eye on the clock. See synonyms at aware, careful.
2. Archaic. Not sleeping; awake.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Be awake, be aware, alert, vigilent, observant, careful. Christ tells us to follow Him and His way to eternal life. Remember--
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
We are blessed by reading, by hearing, by keeping what we are told to and Christ would have us be watchful. It's so easy to become complacent in our walks with Christ. So easy to fall into a routine of praying, studying, praising God. Routines aren't so bad but if we're not careful they lose their honestly and what was once done out of a heartfelt love and joy can be done by habit. We need to be careful that we don't focus on our selves which is all too easy to do. We don't feel like doing this or that, or we feel like doing that but not this. We have to realize what we have in our relationship to Christ is special and like any relationship it needs to be nurtured. There are all sorts of relationships even those which grow stale, you hear tell of couples drifting apart after the years and often they drift so far apart they find other relationships. This is the sort of thing that needs to be guarded against. We have to be watchful- awake to our personal, spiritual walk with Christ. Am I advocating that there must be a giddy sense of happy, happy all the time or something is wrong? No. It's not the emotional high that is sought. What is needed is the deep abiding realness of the relationship we have as Christ's followers and a daily life that reflects that relationship.
We need to often remember how we first came to Christ- the real knowledge of Him as our personal Savior. We need to repent when we lose sight of our Lord as a real, living part of us. Regulating God to a corner of our lives that does not impact our daily existence yet we call ourselves Christians means that we've lost that newness, that first real knowledge and acceptance of Christ's grace, the forgiveness He offers to each of us, cleansing us from sin and bringing us up to new life in Him. We can never forget that we are sinners in need of the grace of God, never. We can never forget that without Christ we are nothing.
Life is going to be hard, and there will be many tears and much tribulation but Christ will see us through it all if we hold fast to Him.
May the grace and mercy of Christ be a reality to us as we live each day in His amazing love.
Amen.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
He That Overcomes
Rev 2:19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations
Charity, service, faith, patience and works.
Jesus says these are all good things- these works. Doing good. We all know what it means to do good and to do evil, and the many areas in between. People believe all sorts of things. Some believe doing good will earn them grace. Others believe doing good means living a life as Jesus would want them to live it, yet grace comes from God alone. And still others believe that good or bad, anything they do matters not because words won't earn you grace.
Jesus says these are good things- the works. Jesus says those who keep HIS works till the end will have power over the nations, meaning they will be in the minority among the few that are saved compared to the many who aren't.
When we live in Christ our good works are His works they're not our own, He works through us and all glory goes to Him. We have to hold fast, we have to overcome through Christ. We need to being loving, giving, believing all with patience.
May God bless us with these gifts and forgive us our selfishness which results in so much wrong doing in the little and big things. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we find life in Him and overcome as He would have us to overcome through Him, keeping His works until the end.
Amen.
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations
Charity, service, faith, patience and works.
Jesus says these are all good things- these works. Doing good. We all know what it means to do good and to do evil, and the many areas in between. People believe all sorts of things. Some believe doing good will earn them grace. Others believe doing good means living a life as Jesus would want them to live it, yet grace comes from God alone. And still others believe that good or bad, anything they do matters not because words won't earn you grace.
Jesus says these are good things- the works. Jesus says those who keep HIS works till the end will have power over the nations, meaning they will be in the minority among the few that are saved compared to the many who aren't.
When we live in Christ our good works are His works they're not our own, He works through us and all glory goes to Him. We have to hold fast, we have to overcome through Christ. We need to being loving, giving, believing all with patience.
May God bless us with these gifts and forgive us our selfishness which results in so much wrong doing in the little and big things. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we find life in Him and overcome as He would have us to overcome through Him, keeping His works until the end.
Amen.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Repent
Rev 2:16 Repent
metanoeo
met-an-o-eh'-o
From G3326 and G3539; to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction): - repent.
compunction (kem-pùngk´shen) noun
1. A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt. See synonyms at penitence.
2. A sting of conscience or a pang of doubt aroused by wrongdoing or the prospect of wrongdoing. See synonyms at qualm.
repent (rî-pènt´) verb
repented, repenting, repents verb, intransitive
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.
We are told to repent- and repentence is to think differently- to feel a sense of guilt, to understand our wrong doing and our need of Christ's forgiveness for the wrongs we commit against Him.
God is love, out of love God gave us life and a chance to keep the life He's given us but only through His Son. God claimed a people as His and offered them life through Christ, revealing to them what life in Him and in His Son is all about. The love that He is, is revealed in His laws which only have what is just and good in them. The basis of that law is to love Him and love each other. When we sin we are transgressing the law- we are ceasing in some way to love Him or each other. We are told to repent... to think differently. To understand our need of God fully in that repenting. Admitting that to think only of ourselves, to live selfishly, is wrong.
Repent. Feel remorse for the wrongs we've committed. Repent. Asking God to forgive us for our wrongs and seeking Him fully through His mercy and grace, now and forever.
Repent.
Repenting allows us to recognize our need of God, the unrepentent feel no need of God. Repenting admits to our unworthiness, not repenting admits to no need of understanding our unworthiness. We need to recognize that Christ is all, that without Him we are nothing. Without the connection of God and man together we are left to flounder helplessly on our own filled with a false sense of self-sufficiency. Yet of our own selves we cannot rid the world of sin. We try to contain those who commit sins we find detrimental to our society in our prisons, yet even that does nothing to rid the world of sin, we've just taken the society sinful and caged them without ridding the world of anything. To think that a world filled with sin is acceptable and all there is, is to deny God and what He intends for the world. Only through God will a world without sin ever be realized, a world with true love for God and each other.
May God help us all to feel the intense need to repent, to admit to our need, to think differently setting aside our self and seeking God.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever!
Amen.
metanoeo
met-an-o-eh'-o
From G3326 and G3539; to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction): - repent.
compunction (kem-pùngk´shen) noun
1. A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt. See synonyms at penitence.
2. A sting of conscience or a pang of doubt aroused by wrongdoing or the prospect of wrongdoing. See synonyms at qualm.
repent (rî-pènt´) verb
repented, repenting, repents verb, intransitive
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.
We are told to repent- and repentence is to think differently- to feel a sense of guilt, to understand our wrong doing and our need of Christ's forgiveness for the wrongs we commit against Him.
God is love, out of love God gave us life and a chance to keep the life He's given us but only through His Son. God claimed a people as His and offered them life through Christ, revealing to them what life in Him and in His Son is all about. The love that He is, is revealed in His laws which only have what is just and good in them. The basis of that law is to love Him and love each other. When we sin we are transgressing the law- we are ceasing in some way to love Him or each other. We are told to repent... to think differently. To understand our need of God fully in that repenting. Admitting that to think only of ourselves, to live selfishly, is wrong.
Repent. Feel remorse for the wrongs we've committed. Repent. Asking God to forgive us for our wrongs and seeking Him fully through His mercy and grace, now and forever.
Repent.
Repenting allows us to recognize our need of God, the unrepentent feel no need of God. Repenting admits to our unworthiness, not repenting admits to no need of understanding our unworthiness. We need to recognize that Christ is all, that without Him we are nothing. Without the connection of God and man together we are left to flounder helplessly on our own filled with a false sense of self-sufficiency. Yet of our own selves we cannot rid the world of sin. We try to contain those who commit sins we find detrimental to our society in our prisons, yet even that does nothing to rid the world of sin, we've just taken the society sinful and caged them without ridding the world of anything. To think that a world filled with sin is acceptable and all there is, is to deny God and what He intends for the world. Only through God will a world without sin ever be realized, a world with true love for God and each other.
May God help us all to feel the intense need to repent, to admit to our need, to think differently setting aside our self and seeking God.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever!
Amen.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Perfect Love
Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer
Tribulation-poverty-hardships of any sort
We can't let fear rule us.
Perfect love casts out fear.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Fear hath torment- so true. No fear is good fear. People say fear has it's place and it does in the sense of being caution more than fear. Anyone that has been afraid - truly afraid understands the way it makes a person feel. That feeling is unpleasant to say the least. To hold onto fear is to deny that God is more powerful than what is causing that fear.
Perfect love, God's love does cast out fear. God casts out fear.
Faith in God, belief in His love.
May God grant me the faith I need in Him so that the fear that threatens to overwhelm me is cast away under His almighty, eternal love.
By His Grace and Mercy, in Christ now and always.
Amen.
Tribulation-poverty-hardships of any sort
We can't let fear rule us.
Perfect love casts out fear.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Fear hath torment- so true. No fear is good fear. People say fear has it's place and it does in the sense of being caution more than fear. Anyone that has been afraid - truly afraid understands the way it makes a person feel. That feeling is unpleasant to say the least. To hold onto fear is to deny that God is more powerful than what is causing that fear.
Perfect love, God's love does cast out fear. God casts out fear.
Faith in God, belief in His love.
May God grant me the faith I need in Him so that the fear that threatens to overwhelm me is cast away under His almighty, eternal love.
By His Grace and Mercy, in Christ now and always.
Amen.
Monday, November 16, 2009
First Love
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Keepeth the sayings-- readeth, hear, keep.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
We must remember the newness of our walk with Christ. We all have it, or most do. The moment in time when the revelation of Christ's love and forgiveness became a very personal connection. When we forget the realness of that moment and allow it to be overcome by time and various tribulations great and small, then we forget the power of the cross in a personal way. We can't let ourselves forget the truth as it was discovered by us. When we do find ourselves forgetting we need to repent, to remember and recapture the zeal, the truth in our hearts and lives. When we forget the love of Christ and the results of that love on a personal level then we forget Jesus and when we forget our Savior, we are lost. We must ever look to the One who saves us.
By His Grace and Mercy now and FOREVER!
In Christ's Amazing Love.
Amen.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Keepeth the sayings-- readeth, hear, keep.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
We must remember the newness of our walk with Christ. We all have it, or most do. The moment in time when the revelation of Christ's love and forgiveness became a very personal connection. When we forget the realness of that moment and allow it to be overcome by time and various tribulations great and small, then we forget the power of the cross in a personal way. We can't let ourselves forget the truth as it was discovered by us. When we do find ourselves forgetting we need to repent, to remember and recapture the zeal, the truth in our hearts and lives. When we forget the love of Christ and the results of that love on a personal level then we forget Jesus and when we forget our Savior, we are lost. We must ever look to the One who saves us.
By His Grace and Mercy now and FOREVER!
In Christ's Amazing Love.
Amen.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Servant of God
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
The angel said to John that the things that had been said to him were to be believed and trustworthy. The Lord God of the holy prophets- all the prophets throughout all time, the Lord God of those holy prophets sent his angel to John to reveal to God's servants, those who claim God as their Master, the events that would happen in due time, their appointed time.
Are you a servant of God?
Mat 20:26 ...but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
God is love and in that love He is all that we can imagine love to be, the perfect love in pure unselfishness. Jesus, sent of God, His Father, came and ministered unto us. Jesus, Lord of Lords; King of Kings, our perfect Savior took on the role of a servant and ministered to His disciples.
So often we see in life the *boss* being catered to. We don't have servants like they did a 100 years ago, where one in every 12 or so households had at least one domestic servant. Only the very rich have servants and they're called hired help, maids and such, rarely servants. Servant has is a term that is used to reveal a lower status to a master, you can't have a servant unless you have a master- right? And in our very imperfect, sin-filled world throughout time servants have been the lower class, used and abused, though not always abused. Servants by virtue of their servitude were beneath their masters, meant to cater to their needs. Slaves were the same yet without the liberty to leave their master at the end of a period of servitude. Slaves were property kept indefinitely as such. Throughout time it has been this way and the very idea of a master serving the servant is ludicrous. It totally twists the whole grand design of what's what. It's like the boss telling a worker to sit in their chair while they go do the worker's work. It's something that is hard to comprehend.
God is our Master, we are his servants and yet Jesus, Himself, God's Son made Himself a servant and told us to do likewise. Meaning what? What message was Jesus trying to give to us? That we are here to serve one another, not better one another. That we are to give rather than receive. That we are to not esteem ourselves greater than any other. Serving one another reveals the life of Christ who came to serve, to reveal the true self-lessness of LOVE. He lay down His life for us.
We are the servants of God, He is our Master. To serve Him we must emmulate Him as He has asked us to do.
By His grace and mercy, may we truly be the servants of God, allowing Him to reveal Himself to others through us. May we take on the role of a servant of God, allowing our Master to guide our lives in all things.
Amen.
The angel said to John that the things that had been said to him were to be believed and trustworthy. The Lord God of the holy prophets- all the prophets throughout all time, the Lord God of those holy prophets sent his angel to John to reveal to God's servants, those who claim God as their Master, the events that would happen in due time, their appointed time.
Are you a servant of God?
Mat 20:26 ...but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
God is love and in that love He is all that we can imagine love to be, the perfect love in pure unselfishness. Jesus, sent of God, His Father, came and ministered unto us. Jesus, Lord of Lords; King of Kings, our perfect Savior took on the role of a servant and ministered to His disciples.
So often we see in life the *boss* being catered to. We don't have servants like they did a 100 years ago, where one in every 12 or so households had at least one domestic servant. Only the very rich have servants and they're called hired help, maids and such, rarely servants. Servant has is a term that is used to reveal a lower status to a master, you can't have a servant unless you have a master- right? And in our very imperfect, sin-filled world throughout time servants have been the lower class, used and abused, though not always abused. Servants by virtue of their servitude were beneath their masters, meant to cater to their needs. Slaves were the same yet without the liberty to leave their master at the end of a period of servitude. Slaves were property kept indefinitely as such. Throughout time it has been this way and the very idea of a master serving the servant is ludicrous. It totally twists the whole grand design of what's what. It's like the boss telling a worker to sit in their chair while they go do the worker's work. It's something that is hard to comprehend.
God is our Master, we are his servants and yet Jesus, Himself, God's Son made Himself a servant and told us to do likewise. Meaning what? What message was Jesus trying to give to us? That we are here to serve one another, not better one another. That we are to give rather than receive. That we are to not esteem ourselves greater than any other. Serving one another reveals the life of Christ who came to serve, to reveal the true self-lessness of LOVE. He lay down His life for us.
We are the servants of God, He is our Master. To serve Him we must emmulate Him as He has asked us to do.
By His grace and mercy, may we truly be the servants of God, allowing Him to reveal Himself to others through us. May we take on the role of a servant of God, allowing our Master to guide our lives in all things.
Amen.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Judge not, that ye be not judged
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
*
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
When we judge people we tend to judge them pessimistically don't we? Our judging leads more to condemnation than compassion. Why do you suppose that is? Why do people like scandals? Why do people inwardly cheer at the misfortune of others? You don't? They don't? On national television- on a very popular show millions of people watch a man once looked at someone who seemed to be genuinely nice and wish well for the competitors they were up against and this man seemed amused and slightly disbelieving of the nice person. Asking with that amused incrediblity if that person really, really were being sincere the man went on to say that it's just not done that way- people don't just wish for the best for others but rather are more cutthroat wanting their competitors to falter and fail so they win.
It's sad isn't it? That a lot of us are taught from a young age to be competitive about life and most aspects of it. As soon as we realize that those who excel at things- sports, academics, appearance, etc- are commended and rewarded we strive towards those things and if we fail through our own faults or no fault of our own, we feel substandard and this feeling creates a long to succeed and if another falters or fails then all the better because that means that maybe, just maybe we might have a chance to succeed or in the least it means they might get a taste of a loser's life by experiencing some of the pain failing brings.
Judge not that ye be not judged. When we stop judging others- searching for the faults, pointing out failures, when we stop exalting ourselves at the expense of others, when we just cease to look at others with a judgemental attitude we have to realize that we will be judged the same. Do we really want to be judged as we are judging?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
When we can claim perfection (which will not happen as long as we are living in this sin-filled world) we can judge others but until then we can't worry about others- judging them. Our plates are filled to the brim with the many beams in our own eyes needing to be cast out.
May God help us to recognize our judgmental moments and help us to turn that judgment on to ourselves realizing that another's failing will never in anyway somehow make us and better and vice versa, another's success does not mean we are failures.
We are all sinners needing the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and that is the bottom line. No matter what kind of life we lead- successful or not in the world's eyes-- we don't stand before the world to be judge we stand before God and by the grace of Jesus Christ may He stand in our place as we cling to Him and trust in His redemption for us.
Amen.
*
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
When we judge people we tend to judge them pessimistically don't we? Our judging leads more to condemnation than compassion. Why do you suppose that is? Why do people like scandals? Why do people inwardly cheer at the misfortune of others? You don't? They don't? On national television- on a very popular show millions of people watch a man once looked at someone who seemed to be genuinely nice and wish well for the competitors they were up against and this man seemed amused and slightly disbelieving of the nice person. Asking with that amused incrediblity if that person really, really were being sincere the man went on to say that it's just not done that way- people don't just wish for the best for others but rather are more cutthroat wanting their competitors to falter and fail so they win.
It's sad isn't it? That a lot of us are taught from a young age to be competitive about life and most aspects of it. As soon as we realize that those who excel at things- sports, academics, appearance, etc- are commended and rewarded we strive towards those things and if we fail through our own faults or no fault of our own, we feel substandard and this feeling creates a long to succeed and if another falters or fails then all the better because that means that maybe, just maybe we might have a chance to succeed or in the least it means they might get a taste of a loser's life by experiencing some of the pain failing brings.
Judge not that ye be not judged. When we stop judging others- searching for the faults, pointing out failures, when we stop exalting ourselves at the expense of others, when we just cease to look at others with a judgemental attitude we have to realize that we will be judged the same. Do we really want to be judged as we are judging?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
When we can claim perfection (which will not happen as long as we are living in this sin-filled world) we can judge others but until then we can't worry about others- judging them. Our plates are filled to the brim with the many beams in our own eyes needing to be cast out.
May God help us to recognize our judgmental moments and help us to turn that judgment on to ourselves realizing that another's failing will never in anyway somehow make us and better and vice versa, another's success does not mean we are failures.
We are all sinners needing the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and that is the bottom line. No matter what kind of life we lead- successful or not in the world's eyes-- we don't stand before the world to be judge we stand before God and by the grace of Jesus Christ may He stand in our place as we cling to Him and trust in His redemption for us.
Amen.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Don't borrow trouble.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Don't borrow trouble.
By the grace of God may we heed this command.
Don't borrow trouble.
By the grace of God may we heed this command.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Commanded to Love
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Jesus' commandments--
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Note- Raca- worthless one - vilification.
Mat 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Mat 5:25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Mat 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
Mat 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil
To say that Jesus had no commands for us would be false. Jesus had a lot of commands that some like to call advice so that they can either choose to follow the advice or not without too much of a consequence. A command, an order, sounds so much more demanding doesn't it? To say you're given advice automatically leaves room to choose one way or another because it's just advice. Given a command is an order you must follow or there will be consquences. We don't like to have consequences based upon our actions. We like to have leeway. If we make a mistake we want someone there to say it was an honest mistake. If we don't take advice, well it was an honest mistake not to. Consequences. We live in a society that doesn't want any of those. We want mollification, we want to be coddled and reassured that we're good no matter what bad we might do. This isn't to say that there aren't those who truly make *honest* mistakes, but in truth many mistakes could be avoided if the advice was followed, right? Commands. Somehow that sounds better than Commandments. Commandments sounds so demanding and permanent, a command sounds a bit less rigid and something much more temporary. A command seems like it could be given once and commandments seem more like something meant to be followed endlessly.
Jesus gives us plenty of commandments to follow an ultimately they all revolve around two central commandments-
Love God.
Love Man.
Seriously. There isn't a single commandment from Jesus that doesn't revolve either around loving God or loving our fellow man. There's no wonder about that really though is there? Because God is...LOVE. We're the ones that have warped love into something almost unthinkable unless it's total SELF love which even then isn't really love because selfishness isn't loving yourself. You actually love yourself more when you love God and others. Selfishness, self-love in that respect is the fartherest thing from real love as you can get.
May God grant us the wisdom and understanding to realize that all that He asks of us is out of love, not to restrict us from things that are good for us. May the love of God be realized in us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, by His grace and mercy towards us sinners who while striving to do all that He asks, realizes it's only through Him that any of it really matters.
Amen.
Jesus' commandments--
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Note- Raca- worthless one - vilification.
Mat 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Mat 5:25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Mat 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
Mat 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil
To say that Jesus had no commands for us would be false. Jesus had a lot of commands that some like to call advice so that they can either choose to follow the advice or not without too much of a consequence. A command, an order, sounds so much more demanding doesn't it? To say you're given advice automatically leaves room to choose one way or another because it's just advice. Given a command is an order you must follow or there will be consquences. We don't like to have consequences based upon our actions. We like to have leeway. If we make a mistake we want someone there to say it was an honest mistake. If we don't take advice, well it was an honest mistake not to. Consequences. We live in a society that doesn't want any of those. We want mollification, we want to be coddled and reassured that we're good no matter what bad we might do. This isn't to say that there aren't those who truly make *honest* mistakes, but in truth many mistakes could be avoided if the advice was followed, right? Commands. Somehow that sounds better than Commandments. Commandments sounds so demanding and permanent, a command sounds a bit less rigid and something much more temporary. A command seems like it could be given once and commandments seem more like something meant to be followed endlessly.
Jesus gives us plenty of commandments to follow an ultimately they all revolve around two central commandments-
Love God.
Love Man.
Seriously. There isn't a single commandment from Jesus that doesn't revolve either around loving God or loving our fellow man. There's no wonder about that really though is there? Because God is...LOVE. We're the ones that have warped love into something almost unthinkable unless it's total SELF love which even then isn't really love because selfishness isn't loving yourself. You actually love yourself more when you love God and others. Selfishness, self-love in that respect is the fartherest thing from real love as you can get.
May God grant us the wisdom and understanding to realize that all that He asks of us is out of love, not to restrict us from things that are good for us. May the love of God be realized in us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, by His grace and mercy towards us sinners who while striving to do all that He asks, realizes it's only through Him that any of it really matters.
Amen.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Twisted Mentalities
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Blessed are they that do his commandments.
And Jesus says--
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Blessed are they that mourn
Blessed are the meek
Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness
Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you false for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven.
Poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger and thirst for what is good, persecuted, reviled, accused falsely- these are blessed. A total contradiction to how we envision life. We are told to be anything but meek, to have our spirits lifted up and, to leave off mourning, to do what we want as long as we don't hurt anyone- but by all means don't deprive ourselves of any desire. We are taught to detest any sort of persecution and to fight tooth and nail for our right not to be persecuted and to have any persecutors prosecuted by the law. We are raised to HATE the things that Christ says we are blessed by experiencing. We are taught to live for the here and now not for some fictitious, highly unlikely reward that may or may not be in heaven for us.
People want to say that Satan doesn't rule, they want to say that mankind hasn't allowed itself to be corrupted by Satan, they want Satan out of the picture altogether as fictitious as the mythical heaven. It is Satan, the father of lies that has infilterated the hearts and souls of people corrupting them fully until all that is truly blessed and good is made to seem hateful.
Truthfully, Jesus couldn't have LIKED being persecuted, and can't like to have those who love Him and seek His righteousness persecuted. Liking it isn't the issue, realizing that it will exist for as long as the battle between good and evil goes on is important. Understanding the facts of what we face is very important. With our tendencies to fight back and give as good as we are given, to be hateful to those that are hateful to us, with this sort of response praised and exalted it won't be easy at all to love the way Jesus would have us love, to love as He loved.
Christ allowed Himself to be tortured and killed when He could have fought back. He was righteouse, He was sinless, He was innocent of any crime and yet He did not call witnesses to come to His defense, He did not bring out the facts, He did not flaunt the miracles He performed. Jesus had EVERY right to fight- He had innocence on His side- yet He chose not to fight. We call that being a coward and a fool, we call people cowards and fools who allow themselves to be mistreated and walked all over. Christ was not a coward or a fool.
Our mentalities have been twisted and looking at ourselves and demanding we be treated right, with respect due to us, we forget all about Christ.
Love, truth, righteousness, faith these are God, these are Jesus, these are the things we long for and are offered by the Holy Spirit, the comforter sent to us by Christ.
There is a reward in heaven, it is real. You can't believe in God and not believe in Satan. You can't believe in God and not believe in heaven. You can't believe in God and not believe in love.
May God grant us His mercy and His righteousness by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, now and forever in Him.
Amen.
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Blessed are they that do his commandments.
And Jesus says--
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Blessed are they that mourn
Blessed are the meek
Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness
Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you false for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven.
Poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger and thirst for what is good, persecuted, reviled, accused falsely- these are blessed. A total contradiction to how we envision life. We are told to be anything but meek, to have our spirits lifted up and, to leave off mourning, to do what we want as long as we don't hurt anyone- but by all means don't deprive ourselves of any desire. We are taught to detest any sort of persecution and to fight tooth and nail for our right not to be persecuted and to have any persecutors prosecuted by the law. We are raised to HATE the things that Christ says we are blessed by experiencing. We are taught to live for the here and now not for some fictitious, highly unlikely reward that may or may not be in heaven for us.
People want to say that Satan doesn't rule, they want to say that mankind hasn't allowed itself to be corrupted by Satan, they want Satan out of the picture altogether as fictitious as the mythical heaven. It is Satan, the father of lies that has infilterated the hearts and souls of people corrupting them fully until all that is truly blessed and good is made to seem hateful.
Truthfully, Jesus couldn't have LIKED being persecuted, and can't like to have those who love Him and seek His righteousness persecuted. Liking it isn't the issue, realizing that it will exist for as long as the battle between good and evil goes on is important. Understanding the facts of what we face is very important. With our tendencies to fight back and give as good as we are given, to be hateful to those that are hateful to us, with this sort of response praised and exalted it won't be easy at all to love the way Jesus would have us love, to love as He loved.
Christ allowed Himself to be tortured and killed when He could have fought back. He was righteouse, He was sinless, He was innocent of any crime and yet He did not call witnesses to come to His defense, He did not bring out the facts, He did not flaunt the miracles He performed. Jesus had EVERY right to fight- He had innocence on His side- yet He chose not to fight. We call that being a coward and a fool, we call people cowards and fools who allow themselves to be mistreated and walked all over. Christ was not a coward or a fool.
Our mentalities have been twisted and looking at ourselves and demanding we be treated right, with respect due to us, we forget all about Christ.
Love, truth, righteousness, faith these are God, these are Jesus, these are the things we long for and are offered by the Holy Spirit, the comforter sent to us by Christ.
There is a reward in heaven, it is real. You can't believe in God and not believe in Satan. You can't believe in God and not believe in heaven. You can't believe in God and not believe in love.
May God grant us His mercy and His righteousness by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, now and forever in Him.
Amen.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Cling to Christ
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Buy- faith
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ
Buy- white raiment
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints
Buy- eye salve
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints
Act 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ''
Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him
1Jn 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.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
*******
We are often rebuke, often chastened and it's out of love. Does it always feel as if it's out of love? No. When we're rebuked the first instinct is to justify ourselves, our actions. When we are chastened it feels uncomfortable to say the least. No one likes to be wrong, to be found in need of rebuking and chastening. Yet out of love we are rebuked, we are chastened. Our lives are not such that any of us can escape the rebuking and chastening of God. Those who believe that they have such perfection in their lives need the chastening and rebuking even more. It is Christ who is perfect and Christ we need to rely on.
God is love, and we have to believe God is- that love is. We have to have faith in God, it's impossible to please Him without faith in Him, without believing in Him, which is believing in love.
We are counseled to buy faith, Christ's righteousness, and understanding. To seek these things surrounds us in the love of God. Too many want to believe that Satan has no power, but he has great power to deceive. We need our eyes opened- Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God. We need God, we need love, the two are impossible to separate- and we need to believe in the truth of Jesus' love and mercy, His grace given to us out of love. We need to believe. Without believing we can never please God- because without believing in God, which is believing in love, there is nothing. Many today don't believe, they choose not to believe and they are lost to Satan and his deceptiveness - living a life that is filled with the false love Satan encourages- passing it off as true love. What good is a counterfiet if it doesn't mimic the true so closely only those expert in the true can spy it? We have this warning that we should all heed--
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Let us hold fast to our faith in God, in love which is God. Let us cling to the righteousness of our Savior's love for us, for it is truth.
By His mercy and grace we are saved.
Amen.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Buy- faith
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ
Buy- white raiment
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints
Buy- eye salve
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints
Act 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ''
Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him
1Jn 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.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
*******
We are often rebuke, often chastened and it's out of love. Does it always feel as if it's out of love? No. When we're rebuked the first instinct is to justify ourselves, our actions. When we are chastened it feels uncomfortable to say the least. No one likes to be wrong, to be found in need of rebuking and chastening. Yet out of love we are rebuked, we are chastened. Our lives are not such that any of us can escape the rebuking and chastening of God. Those who believe that they have such perfection in their lives need the chastening and rebuking even more. It is Christ who is perfect and Christ we need to rely on.
God is love, and we have to believe God is- that love is. We have to have faith in God, it's impossible to please Him without faith in Him, without believing in Him, which is believing in love.
We are counseled to buy faith, Christ's righteousness, and understanding. To seek these things surrounds us in the love of God. Too many want to believe that Satan has no power, but he has great power to deceive. We need our eyes opened- Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God. We need God, we need love, the two are impossible to separate- and we need to believe in the truth of Jesus' love and mercy, His grace given to us out of love. We need to believe. Without believing we can never please God- because without believing in God, which is believing in love, there is nothing. Many today don't believe, they choose not to believe and they are lost to Satan and his deceptiveness - living a life that is filled with the false love Satan encourages- passing it off as true love. What good is a counterfiet if it doesn't mimic the true so closely only those expert in the true can spy it? We have this warning that we should all heed--
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Let us hold fast to our faith in God, in love which is God. Let us cling to the righteousness of our Savior's love for us, for it is truth.
By His mercy and grace we are saved.
Amen.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Faith in Adversity
Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Faithful and true.
The two things we need - faith and truth.
Believing in things unseen, believing in God even when we do not understand a single thing we have faith. Believing in the truth and what is the truth, Jesus is the truth.
In all our lives there can be so much confusion, so much controversy and things we don't understand at all whatsoever but by faith we can please God. Trusting in God, trusting in all that God is. Having faith in God beyond all understanding. Knowing the truth is found in Christ.
All else will fail. It will. Make no mistake. A mistake lies in thinking that things won't fail here and now on earth. The mistake lies in believing that life should some how be fair, that because we believe in God we should have it just a little bit easier now. The truth is that Christ suffered and we should expect nothing more. Seriously. People talk of prosperity and such and say if only you believe, and to trust in God things will get better, but if we are going to trust in God we have to expect that our road we have to walk here and now will not be easy, will not be better. The only thing we can hope to get better is our faith. The only thing we can strive for is a strengthening of our faith through each trial and not a weakening of it as Satan seeks. Every single trial thrown at us whether it's a trial that lasts a single day or one that last years, is set up to either weaken or strengthen us. We cry no fair, God shouldn't allow this to happen and as soon as that thought crosses our mind we are allowing the trial to weaken us, we are allowing Satan to slip in with the doubts about the love of God. When he slips that in the door is open for it to grow.
Faith beyond any doubt no matter what happens. May God grant us this faith and help us to find a growing faith through every trial big or small so that we may live in the truth of Jesus, of Christ's righteousness and not our own. Through Him, in Him, now and forever. By the grace and mercy of our Lord!
Amen.
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Faithful and true.
The two things we need - faith and truth.
Believing in things unseen, believing in God even when we do not understand a single thing we have faith. Believing in the truth and what is the truth, Jesus is the truth.
In all our lives there can be so much confusion, so much controversy and things we don't understand at all whatsoever but by faith we can please God. Trusting in God, trusting in all that God is. Having faith in God beyond all understanding. Knowing the truth is found in Christ.
All else will fail. It will. Make no mistake. A mistake lies in thinking that things won't fail here and now on earth. The mistake lies in believing that life should some how be fair, that because we believe in God we should have it just a little bit easier now. The truth is that Christ suffered and we should expect nothing more. Seriously. People talk of prosperity and such and say if only you believe, and to trust in God things will get better, but if we are going to trust in God we have to expect that our road we have to walk here and now will not be easy, will not be better. The only thing we can hope to get better is our faith. The only thing we can strive for is a strengthening of our faith through each trial and not a weakening of it as Satan seeks. Every single trial thrown at us whether it's a trial that lasts a single day or one that last years, is set up to either weaken or strengthen us. We cry no fair, God shouldn't allow this to happen and as soon as that thought crosses our mind we are allowing the trial to weaken us, we are allowing Satan to slip in with the doubts about the love of God. When he slips that in the door is open for it to grow.
Faith beyond any doubt no matter what happens. May God grant us this faith and help us to find a growing faith through every trial big or small so that we may live in the truth of Jesus, of Christ's righteousness and not our own. Through Him, in Him, now and forever. By the grace and mercy of our Lord!
Amen.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Hold Fast
Pro 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
*******
Hold fast.
Hang on.
Wait.
Be patience.
Rev.2:25
Hold Fast--
G2902 (Thayer's Greek Lexicon)
krateo?
krat-eh'-o
From G2904; to use strength, that is, seize or retain (literally or figuratively): - hold (by, fast), keep, lay hand (hold) on, obtain, retain, take (by).
Obtain, retain, keep.
Rev. 3:3
G5083 (Thayer's Greek Lexicon)
te?reo?
tay-reh'-o
From ?????? teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfil a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried): - hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve, watch.
Guard, watch so it doesn't escape, hold in custody, maintain, keep, serve, watch.
If you're asked to hold fast to something what comes to mind? Someone wants you to keep hold of something so it doesn't get away, so you don't lose it, it's valuable. There are certain documents in life people are told to hold on to, not to lose because they're important. Yes, you could get replacements and some people do just that but it's a bothersome process. Sometimes there just are no replacements to something important given to you. A love letter from your wife or husband from years ago holding precious memories. You might say that's not important but the value is placed on it by the ones who gave it and keep it, right?
We are told to hold fast until Jesus comes. We are told to hold fast to what we've received through Jesus, to repent. We are told to hold fast and let no man take our crown. Hold fast to Jesus and all that is Jesus. Hold fast to Him, not to ourselves. Hold fast to Jesus' righteousness counting ours as filthy rags. We have to keep Jesus alive and real in our hearts, glorying and living in Him always even when our lives are a mess and they can be very, very, messy. Smile when your heart is breaking? Smile when the whole world hates you? Smile when you are dying? Smile when you live a life of pure misery? Smile? The smile only means that through the tears you can't help but shed you know this world is not the final world for you. You know this life is not the only life there is to look forward to. You know that the pain now is nothing compared to the glory in Christ that awaits and all this pain and agony is only temporary. Easy to say, hard to do. Only by the grace of God can we do it, can we live in Him as He will and when we try to stand by ourselves and claim victory of our own we will find it is a false victory, hollow and empty and it will crumble. The only hope of holding fast is in Christ, all for Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
*******
Hold fast.
Hang on.
Wait.
Be patience.
Rev.2:25
Hold Fast--
G2902 (Thayer's Greek Lexicon)
krateo?
krat-eh'-o
From G2904; to use strength, that is, seize or retain (literally or figuratively): - hold (by, fast), keep, lay hand (hold) on, obtain, retain, take (by).
Obtain, retain, keep.
Rev. 3:3
G5083 (Thayer's Greek Lexicon)
te?reo?
tay-reh'-o
From ?????? teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfil a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried): - hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve, watch.
Guard, watch so it doesn't escape, hold in custody, maintain, keep, serve, watch.
If you're asked to hold fast to something what comes to mind? Someone wants you to keep hold of something so it doesn't get away, so you don't lose it, it's valuable. There are certain documents in life people are told to hold on to, not to lose because they're important. Yes, you could get replacements and some people do just that but it's a bothersome process. Sometimes there just are no replacements to something important given to you. A love letter from your wife or husband from years ago holding precious memories. You might say that's not important but the value is placed on it by the ones who gave it and keep it, right?
We are told to hold fast until Jesus comes. We are told to hold fast to what we've received through Jesus, to repent. We are told to hold fast and let no man take our crown. Hold fast to Jesus and all that is Jesus. Hold fast to Him, not to ourselves. Hold fast to Jesus' righteousness counting ours as filthy rags. We have to keep Jesus alive and real in our hearts, glorying and living in Him always even when our lives are a mess and they can be very, very, messy. Smile when your heart is breaking? Smile when the whole world hates you? Smile when you are dying? Smile when you live a life of pure misery? Smile? The smile only means that through the tears you can't help but shed you know this world is not the final world for you. You know this life is not the only life there is to look forward to. You know that the pain now is nothing compared to the glory in Christ that awaits and all this pain and agony is only temporary. Easy to say, hard to do. Only by the grace of God can we do it, can we live in Him as He will and when we try to stand by ourselves and claim victory of our own we will find it is a false victory, hollow and empty and it will crumble. The only hope of holding fast is in Christ, all for Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Keep His Works
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
overcometh- prevails, conquers
keepeth- guards, holdfast
works- deeds, labour, acts
How do we guard Christ's deeds?
How do we holdfast to Christ's labours, His acts?
Seriously? How? If we're to prevail in this life and keep Christ's works to the end, what are we doing? What action? Guarding, holding fast, keeping the works of Christ.
If we're busy doing this guarding, this keeping we are occupied with doing so. Being a Christian isn't a check box we mark on a form that asks us if we have a religious preference. Being Christian isn't something we are one day a week, it's a way of life. Jesus' way of life. It's something that incorporates all that we are and all that we do. We can't separate our lives into little compartments and say this one is my work self, this is my home self, this is my public self, this is my private self, this is my religious self, this is my worldly self, this is my evil self, this is my relative self, this is my close friend self and yet don't we often find ourselves adjusting to various situations accordingly? Such as behaving one way in public and another in private. Allowing more leniency in behavior when no one is watching. It's natural isn't it? Natural for us to show our anger more to those close to us than those who aren't. Natural for us to bring home our upsets and sadness than to weep in public. We learn early on what sort of behavior is accepted where. We learn by the examples of our parents, by the various situations we see whether in real life or fictional on television, maybe even in school. We learn that in church you are to be reverent because in that building God is somehow closer to us, but once we step out the door we leave that behind and so things are back to every day life- actions and reactions without much consideration for God being close to us.
People like to compartmentalize their lives and yet if we are to truly keep the works of Jesus we can't compartmentalize Him. He is a way of life, not one compartment in many. He is life.
The devil would have us treat Jesus and our walk with Him as something that only happens every now and again, once a week, once a day, three times a week, three times a day, four...five. He would have us put our Christianity into points of time rather than having our Christianity timeless and forever in us.
We need to follow Christ fully and perhaps you're saying that you can't really think about God while you're sitting at a desk under the grind of paper work, or while you're out there banging away at a hammer constructing a house it's not good to be distracted by anything when you're busy concentrating on what you're doing for your job whatever it may be, even if it's putting together a recipe for dinner that night.
No one is saying that to be fully Christ's you have to stop doing your job. Christ was a carpenter and for years He concentrated on doing His job while being prepared for His ministry. While He planed that wood was His mind not on the correct way of doing it, of taking off just the right amount of wood to complete what He was doing? No, Christ concentrated on His work as well, but He was forever God's. He consecrated Himself to God in all that He did.
Christ didn't want us to stop working, but in all that we do, we do it to the glory of God.
1Cor 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
For our lives to be Christ's, for us to keep His works our lives must be consecrated to Him and all we do must be done to the glory of God. Can you dig a ditch to the glory of God? Yes. Can you sweep a floor to the glory of God? Yes. You can live and do all to the glory of God if He is truly alive and real in our lives and not put into a compartment to pull open as desired.
May God help us all as we seek Him in all that we do. If we are having trouble giving glory to God in something we do, may we ask for His mercy and grace, His help in our time of need to overcome whatever may be hindering our walk with Christ. Only by His righteousness do we have hope, by faith in His ability to overcome and save us through His grace.
By His mercy and love, in Him now and forever.
Amen.
overcometh- prevails, conquers
keepeth- guards, holdfast
works- deeds, labour, acts
How do we guard Christ's deeds?
How do we holdfast to Christ's labours, His acts?
Seriously? How? If we're to prevail in this life and keep Christ's works to the end, what are we doing? What action? Guarding, holding fast, keeping the works of Christ.
If we're busy doing this guarding, this keeping we are occupied with doing so. Being a Christian isn't a check box we mark on a form that asks us if we have a religious preference. Being Christian isn't something we are one day a week, it's a way of life. Jesus' way of life. It's something that incorporates all that we are and all that we do. We can't separate our lives into little compartments and say this one is my work self, this is my home self, this is my public self, this is my private self, this is my religious self, this is my worldly self, this is my evil self, this is my relative self, this is my close friend self and yet don't we often find ourselves adjusting to various situations accordingly? Such as behaving one way in public and another in private. Allowing more leniency in behavior when no one is watching. It's natural isn't it? Natural for us to show our anger more to those close to us than those who aren't. Natural for us to bring home our upsets and sadness than to weep in public. We learn early on what sort of behavior is accepted where. We learn by the examples of our parents, by the various situations we see whether in real life or fictional on television, maybe even in school. We learn that in church you are to be reverent because in that building God is somehow closer to us, but once we step out the door we leave that behind and so things are back to every day life- actions and reactions without much consideration for God being close to us.
People like to compartmentalize their lives and yet if we are to truly keep the works of Jesus we can't compartmentalize Him. He is a way of life, not one compartment in many. He is life.
The devil would have us treat Jesus and our walk with Him as something that only happens every now and again, once a week, once a day, three times a week, three times a day, four...five. He would have us put our Christianity into points of time rather than having our Christianity timeless and forever in us.
We need to follow Christ fully and perhaps you're saying that you can't really think about God while you're sitting at a desk under the grind of paper work, or while you're out there banging away at a hammer constructing a house it's not good to be distracted by anything when you're busy concentrating on what you're doing for your job whatever it may be, even if it's putting together a recipe for dinner that night.
No one is saying that to be fully Christ's you have to stop doing your job. Christ was a carpenter and for years He concentrated on doing His job while being prepared for His ministry. While He planed that wood was His mind not on the correct way of doing it, of taking off just the right amount of wood to complete what He was doing? No, Christ concentrated on His work as well, but He was forever God's. He consecrated Himself to God in all that He did.
Christ didn't want us to stop working, but in all that we do, we do it to the glory of God.
1Cor 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
For our lives to be Christ's, for us to keep His works our lives must be consecrated to Him and all we do must be done to the glory of God. Can you dig a ditch to the glory of God? Yes. Can you sweep a floor to the glory of God? Yes. You can live and do all to the glory of God if He is truly alive and real in our lives and not put into a compartment to pull open as desired.
May God help us all as we seek Him in all that we do. If we are having trouble giving glory to God in something we do, may we ask for His mercy and grace, His help in our time of need to overcome whatever may be hindering our walk with Christ. Only by His righteousness do we have hope, by faith in His ability to overcome and save us through His grace.
By His mercy and love, in Him now and forever.
Amen.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Blessed is he that keepeth...
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
quickly- shortly, soon (by surprise), suddenly, readily
blessed- extremely fortunate, well-off, happy
keepeth - to watch, to guard, hold fast, keep, serve.
sayings- what is said, what is meant, doctrine, preached
prophecy- prediction
book- writing
Look, I come suddenly: happy is he that holds fast the doctrines of the predictions of this writing.
We need to study the doctrines, the predictions in this book of Revelation. It is a book that reveals and we are blessed by the revelations as long as we keep them, guard them, hold fast to them.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
quickly- shortly, soon (by surprise), suddenly, readily
blessed- extremely fortunate, well-off, happy
keepeth - to watch, to guard, hold fast, keep, serve.
sayings- what is said, what is meant, doctrine, preached
prophecy- prediction
book- writing
Look, I come suddenly: happy is he that holds fast the doctrines of the predictions of this writing.
We need to study the doctrines, the predictions in this book of Revelation. It is a book that reveals and we are blessed by the revelations as long as we keep them, guard them, hold fast to them.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Everlasting Life- For You?
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
When you take away from the words of a book you are doing what? With any book what happens when you take parts out? Books are edited by editors before being published. This book was edited by God and deemed to be appropriate in all that was written there. Appropriate and important, vital to us. So vital there is a warning given-
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Our names are to be taken OUT of the book of life. Names that are written in the book, names of those to live forever, are to be taken out! So grievous is the crime of altering this book of Revelation it warrants removal from eternal life. Great caution has to be taken that nothing is altered, that nothing is taken away from these words of prophecy. How amazingly important these words have to be for such an eternal punishment to be given. Why such a punishment? Because by taking away from these words we take away the understanding people need to claim Jesus as their Savior. The everlasting gospel, the choice of either receiving the mark of the beast or not, knowing that God's people are to be those who keep His commandments and have the faith of Jesus. Without the knowlege, without giving this knowlege to others in its fulness the responsibility for their lack of salvation rests upon the shoulders of those who understand. To take away the knowledge warrants eternal death.
This all sounds like something from a fantasy movie, Satan would have us believe its just that, not real. If he can get us to marginalize everything, to fictionalize the truth he has us as His fully.
How many people long for adventure, for an amazing life such as those pictured in movies and described in books little realizing they live daily the adventure that will decide their eternal life in a battle, a warfare that has everlasting consequences for them. Taught to believe their lives have little meaning beyond the daily grind, that their lives are so banal they could do whatever they want and nothing matters. Taught that to reject fantasies that hint at reality as being beyond their intelligence, people are trapped by their own limited beliefs and need to realize that their lives are amazingly important and the gift of that life to be lived in Christ has a reward unimaginable in its fulness to anything we can think of.
Truly this is our prayer...
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
When you take away from the words of a book you are doing what? With any book what happens when you take parts out? Books are edited by editors before being published. This book was edited by God and deemed to be appropriate in all that was written there. Appropriate and important, vital to us. So vital there is a warning given-
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Our names are to be taken OUT of the book of life. Names that are written in the book, names of those to live forever, are to be taken out! So grievous is the crime of altering this book of Revelation it warrants removal from eternal life. Great caution has to be taken that nothing is altered, that nothing is taken away from these words of prophecy. How amazingly important these words have to be for such an eternal punishment to be given. Why such a punishment? Because by taking away from these words we take away the understanding people need to claim Jesus as their Savior. The everlasting gospel, the choice of either receiving the mark of the beast or not, knowing that God's people are to be those who keep His commandments and have the faith of Jesus. Without the knowlege, without giving this knowlege to others in its fulness the responsibility for their lack of salvation rests upon the shoulders of those who understand. To take away the knowledge warrants eternal death.
This all sounds like something from a fantasy movie, Satan would have us believe its just that, not real. If he can get us to marginalize everything, to fictionalize the truth he has us as His fully.
How many people long for adventure, for an amazing life such as those pictured in movies and described in books little realizing they live daily the adventure that will decide their eternal life in a battle, a warfare that has everlasting consequences for them. Taught to believe their lives have little meaning beyond the daily grind, that their lives are so banal they could do whatever they want and nothing matters. Taught that to reject fantasies that hint at reality as being beyond their intelligence, people are trapped by their own limited beliefs and need to realize that their lives are amazingly important and the gift of that life to be lived in Christ has a reward unimaginable in its fulness to anything we can think of.
Truly this is our prayer...
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)