Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luk 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Luk 18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
Luk 18:4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luk 18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
A parable- a story with a meaning. Dict-PAR'ABLE, v.t. To represent by fiction or fable.
This parable is used to illustrate to us that we must PRAY ALWAYS and not FAINT.
Here we have a city judge who doesn’t have any respect to God or his fellow man.
We also have a widow with an adversary and she went to this judge and wanted his help against her adversary. The ungodly judge wouldn't help her. Just imagine it- the judge was most likely a very arrogant, self-serving man who believed in nothing but himself. He didn't hold other men in high esteem, he was a judge, he was the one who should be held in high esteem. He didn't reverence God at all, he didn't fear God at all whatsoever- he got where he was of his own accord- in his thinking. He was all about himself and no one else. He had no real sympathy for the widow and he wasn't going to help her, why should he, he didn't want to so he wouldn't. However, the widow wouldn't stop seeking help from the judge. The widow became a 'pest' to the judge. Just imagine her there day after day seeking an audience with him, pleading for help. When he wouldn't grant her an audience it's not hard to envision the widow waiting for the judge whenever he would go out. She was a constant presence in his life and soon the judge grew very tired of her pestering so what does he do? He avenges her, he takes care of her problem, he deals with her adversary just so he doesn't have to put up with her annoying him. The judge didn't help because he cared for the widow. The judge didn't act out of the kindness of his heart. The judge didn't help out because he knew God would want him to do so. The judge served himself by helping the widow- because the widow was very persistent in her search for justice. Would the judge have helped her if she wasn't persistent? NO, absolutely not! That's the point here, this is the point the parable is making for us.
We have to continually come before our Father, acknowledging our need to be connected with Him, acknowledging His Lordship over us, acknowledging Him as our Creator, as our Redeemer. We must constantly bring ourselves to God, our spiritual self must meet with the Holy Spirit if we hope to ever be avenged of our adversary, Satan. We must cry night and day to our God! And God bears LONG with us, He does! God bears long with our constant need for redemption, with our constant need to be born again, with our needing to die daily. God bears very, very long with us in our fallen state, and through the sacrifice of His Son we are made new. Our LOVING, heavenly Father who cares for us more than we can even begin to imagine is more than willing to avenge us and He will do so, He will.
Like that widow dealing with an uncaring judge- she was avenged- not speedily but she was avenged.
We will be avenged we just have to hold fast, we just have to continuously PRAY and NOT FAINT. Only then will the Son of Man find faith on earth- holding fast NO matter what, NO matter how long, knowing our LOVING God will avenge us.
We must not spiritually faint- something Satan would have us do as often as possible.
Maybe physically you've never fainted in your life - you would know right? It's easy to know when you faint physically. We need to be more aware of our spiritual fainting. There are way too many who are unconscious spiritually. The world is filled with people in spiritual comas. We can't let ourselves faint or we too risk falling into a spiritual coma. We have to always pray it's the only way to keep from fainting, the only way. When we physically faint we are completely unaware of our physical surroundings, there is just nothingness to us. When we spiritually faint we become completely unaware of our spiritual surroundings, there exists no spiritual realm. When we pray we are an active part of the spiritual realm we exist in, a realm way too many believe doesn't even exist. That spiritual connection keeps us awake, keeps us from fainting and we need to grasp it and not let go.
Pray… right now, pray.
Holy heavenly Father God please, we lay ourselves at your feet seeking your tender mercy, pleading for forgiveness offered to us by Your Son's great sacrifice. Help us not to faint but to come to You in prayer always! Help us to remain faithful to you until the very end. Please let Your will be done in our lives, just like Your will is done in heaven. Help us to forgive those who sin against us. Give us all we need right now today Lord so that we may be spiritually well fed by You. Help us Lord, not to be led into the despair that temptation to sin brings. Deliver us Lord! Deliver us from ALL evil! By Your love!.
Amen.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Not to faint
Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Men ought always to pray and not to faint.
Not to faint.
What does it mean not to faint?
G1573
ekkakeō
ek-kak-eh'-o
From G1537 and G2556; to be (bad or) weak, that is, (by implication) to fail (in heart): - faint, be weary.
Men out always to pray and not to …be bad, be weak, to fail in heart, be weary.
It's EXTREMELY easy for us to be bad, to be weak, to fail in our hearts, to be weary. It almost seems like our natural tendency is one leading more towards pessimism than optimism and that's very explainable isn't it? Our nature isn't one that tends towards good things, towards optimistic things. When we 'faint', when we find ourselves losing heart, when we become weary and feel very weak what happens? We lose sight of the hope that is in our Savior. Can you lose heart and still have hope? Do the two go together? Can you be pessimistic and optimistic at the same time? Don't they cancel each other out if that happens? People like to call it being realistic when they are neither pessimistic or optimistic. But truthfully isn't there a lean more in the pessimistic direction when that happens?
Fainting- for all of us fainting is a real possibility especially when we lose sight of our Savior and it's easy to lose sight of our Savior if we stop praying. If you are praying ALWAYS you are seeking the source of hope beyond all the horror this world has for us.
Always--
G3842 every when, that is, at all times: - always (-s), ever (-more).
Praying at ALL times. If we are forever connected to God we won't faint. God is then our strength and we are not our own source of strength. We are no longer our own hope. When we realize that by reaching out, that by connecting with the source of our hope we won't faint shouldn't we understand just how important it is to have that heavenly connection always?
The disciples wanted to know how they should pray. Shouldn't they have known how to pray? They were all Jews, all of them raised in the faith of the Jews. All raised to believe in God, to pray to God, to make supplication to God. So why did they ask Jesus about how they should pray?
Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Teach them… but they knew how to pray. They wanted to know how they should pray in light of the fulfillment of the Messiah having come.
Jesus taught them...
Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Pray to the Father in heaven.
Holy is His name.
His kingdom come.
His will be done in heaven and earth.
Give us our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive.
Lead us not into temptation.
Deliver us from evil.
Jesus said to pray this way. This was the base line of EVERY prayer. These are the basic elements necessary when we pray. Acknowledging who we pray to and that He is Holy. Praying for a future in His kingdom- a future not of this world as it is. Praying for HIS will to be done, not ours. Asking for sustenance Spiritual and physical. Asking to be forgiven- knowing we have to forgive. Asking to be kept from temptation and delivered from evil.
This prayer establishes so much and if we are to pray always we need to pray the way Jesus would have us pray first and foremost. We make supplication to our Lord and we make it often in praying always and if we are praying always we will NOT faint! It's when we stop praying that we faint.
More tomorrow by the grace of God!
In His love, in His mercy.
Amen.
Men ought always to pray and not to faint.
Not to faint.
What does it mean not to faint?
G1573
ekkakeō
ek-kak-eh'-o
From G1537 and G2556; to be (bad or) weak, that is, (by implication) to fail (in heart): - faint, be weary.
Men out always to pray and not to …be bad, be weak, to fail in heart, be weary.
It's EXTREMELY easy for us to be bad, to be weak, to fail in our hearts, to be weary. It almost seems like our natural tendency is one leading more towards pessimism than optimism and that's very explainable isn't it? Our nature isn't one that tends towards good things, towards optimistic things. When we 'faint', when we find ourselves losing heart, when we become weary and feel very weak what happens? We lose sight of the hope that is in our Savior. Can you lose heart and still have hope? Do the two go together? Can you be pessimistic and optimistic at the same time? Don't they cancel each other out if that happens? People like to call it being realistic when they are neither pessimistic or optimistic. But truthfully isn't there a lean more in the pessimistic direction when that happens?
Fainting- for all of us fainting is a real possibility especially when we lose sight of our Savior and it's easy to lose sight of our Savior if we stop praying. If you are praying ALWAYS you are seeking the source of hope beyond all the horror this world has for us.
Always--
G3842 every when, that is, at all times: - always (-s), ever (-more).
Praying at ALL times. If we are forever connected to God we won't faint. God is then our strength and we are not our own source of strength. We are no longer our own hope. When we realize that by reaching out, that by connecting with the source of our hope we won't faint shouldn't we understand just how important it is to have that heavenly connection always?
The disciples wanted to know how they should pray. Shouldn't they have known how to pray? They were all Jews, all of them raised in the faith of the Jews. All raised to believe in God, to pray to God, to make supplication to God. So why did they ask Jesus about how they should pray?
Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Teach them… but they knew how to pray. They wanted to know how they should pray in light of the fulfillment of the Messiah having come.
Jesus taught them...
Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Pray to the Father in heaven.
Holy is His name.
His kingdom come.
His will be done in heaven and earth.
Give us our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive.
Lead us not into temptation.
Deliver us from evil.
Jesus said to pray this way. This was the base line of EVERY prayer. These are the basic elements necessary when we pray. Acknowledging who we pray to and that He is Holy. Praying for a future in His kingdom- a future not of this world as it is. Praying for HIS will to be done, not ours. Asking for sustenance Spiritual and physical. Asking to be forgiven- knowing we have to forgive. Asking to be kept from temptation and delivered from evil.
This prayer establishes so much and if we are to pray always we need to pray the way Jesus would have us pray first and foremost. We make supplication to our Lord and we make it often in praying always and if we are praying always we will NOT faint! It's when we stop praying that we faint.
More tomorrow by the grace of God!
In His love, in His mercy.
Amen.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Living in a state of expectation.
Living in a state of expectation.
Watching and praying.
Watching is indicative of expectation isn't it? Especially the instruction to watch for a reason.
We aren't told to watch as if we are watching the sunset and noting it's beauty. We are told to watch because we don't know when our Savior is going to return. We are told to watch in order to be LOOKING for Christ when He returns. How many people today do you suppose are actively looking for Christ to come?
The question was- actively. Not how many are looking for Christ to come.
You'll get a lot of people saying they're looking, they're waiting, but what they are really doing is acknowledging that He will return, not actively LOOKING for His return. You can acknowledge something will happen without watching for it, can't you. I acknowledge there will be a football superbowl this coming year- this is a fact. Now if I were an avid football fan I might have it marked on my calendar, I might be counting down the days till it gets here, I might be making preparations for the party I'm going to have that day. I can also acknowledge that it will rain this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm avidly watching for that rain to take place. We can acknowledge all sorts of things but it doesn't mean we are WATCHING for them. I can just imagine in the day of Christ's coming people acknowledging they knew He would come, they knew it. But Christ will know they weren't WATCHING even though they acknowledged He would return.
So we have to ask the question are WE actively watching for Christ to return? Or are we acknowledging He will return but making no concerted effort to watch for His return? Are we SLEEPING??????? Remember the 10 virgins waiting for the Bridegroom? ALL of them slept! BUT some prepared for that event. Some were ready, they were prepared, they planned ahead of time. We are to watch but the danger of sleep is upon us all and we MUST be prepared, we must have the knowledge of our Lord's return and our salvation wrought through Him embedded into our lives fully. If we acknowledge our Savior will return and then fall asleep- are we prepared? Have we lived with the expectation of the return of our Savior as a REAL driving force in our daily life, and because of that we know that we must be ready- actively be prepared for Him?
Sleep if you want to! Sleep and don't prepare, that's your choice. Live with the knowledge of your Savior as an abstract thought, believing that you need to do know more and you WILL be caught without extra oil. You will be told that Christ doesn't know you. You will be told you are not wearing the wedding garment provided by Christ but trying to attending the wedding in your own clothing- your own righteousness.
We need to LIVE with EXPECTATION, glorious EXPECTATION! Not just live with acknowledgement.
The KING is COMING! The KING is COMING! This is real, and it is as real today as it was in the days of the Apostles and we need to live with this expectation as a reality, not as something that *might* happen someday and if we're lucky the sooner the better.
So many are waiting for signs before they really grasp the reality. They are saying- well this needs to happen and that needs to happen so there's no way Christ is coming anytime soon- like tomorrow. They say, don't tell me to believe Christ could come tomorrow, because it's not true. It is true that we are given signs to watch for. It is true that we need to watch for these signs. But what isn't true is that we should rely on our very fallible judgment to determine when we should *really* start watching for Christ's return. We know things are supposed to happen first but we also know God does things in His time, in His way and not our time, not our way. We are to be ready ALWAYS. If you are among those who are waiting for such and such to take place before you really get serious about our LORD'S return then you could be among those who die LONG before such and such takes place and you will have died before ever getting serious, without ever truly believing and LIVING in, and for Christ your Savior!
We have to live in a state of expectation, watching.
We must not confusing a state of acknowledgment with a state of active watching, active hoping, active praying.
May the Holy Spirit guide us to all understanding by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior. May we live in EXPECTATION, a real, pure expectation of our Savior's return!
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mar 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Mar 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Mar 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Mar 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Mar 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Col 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
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.
In His most amazing love!
Amen.
Watching and praying.
Watching is indicative of expectation isn't it? Especially the instruction to watch for a reason.
We aren't told to watch as if we are watching the sunset and noting it's beauty. We are told to watch because we don't know when our Savior is going to return. We are told to watch in order to be LOOKING for Christ when He returns. How many people today do you suppose are actively looking for Christ to come?
The question was- actively. Not how many are looking for Christ to come.
You'll get a lot of people saying they're looking, they're waiting, but what they are really doing is acknowledging that He will return, not actively LOOKING for His return. You can acknowledge something will happen without watching for it, can't you. I acknowledge there will be a football superbowl this coming year- this is a fact. Now if I were an avid football fan I might have it marked on my calendar, I might be counting down the days till it gets here, I might be making preparations for the party I'm going to have that day. I can also acknowledge that it will rain this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm avidly watching for that rain to take place. We can acknowledge all sorts of things but it doesn't mean we are WATCHING for them. I can just imagine in the day of Christ's coming people acknowledging they knew He would come, they knew it. But Christ will know they weren't WATCHING even though they acknowledged He would return.
So we have to ask the question are WE actively watching for Christ to return? Or are we acknowledging He will return but making no concerted effort to watch for His return? Are we SLEEPING??????? Remember the 10 virgins waiting for the Bridegroom? ALL of them slept! BUT some prepared for that event. Some were ready, they were prepared, they planned ahead of time. We are to watch but the danger of sleep is upon us all and we MUST be prepared, we must have the knowledge of our Lord's return and our salvation wrought through Him embedded into our lives fully. If we acknowledge our Savior will return and then fall asleep- are we prepared? Have we lived with the expectation of the return of our Savior as a REAL driving force in our daily life, and because of that we know that we must be ready- actively be prepared for Him?
Sleep if you want to! Sleep and don't prepare, that's your choice. Live with the knowledge of your Savior as an abstract thought, believing that you need to do know more and you WILL be caught without extra oil. You will be told that Christ doesn't know you. You will be told you are not wearing the wedding garment provided by Christ but trying to attending the wedding in your own clothing- your own righteousness.
We need to LIVE with EXPECTATION, glorious EXPECTATION! Not just live with acknowledgement.
The KING is COMING! The KING is COMING! This is real, and it is as real today as it was in the days of the Apostles and we need to live with this expectation as a reality, not as something that *might* happen someday and if we're lucky the sooner the better.
So many are waiting for signs before they really grasp the reality. They are saying- well this needs to happen and that needs to happen so there's no way Christ is coming anytime soon- like tomorrow. They say, don't tell me to believe Christ could come tomorrow, because it's not true. It is true that we are given signs to watch for. It is true that we need to watch for these signs. But what isn't true is that we should rely on our very fallible judgment to determine when we should *really* start watching for Christ's return. We know things are supposed to happen first but we also know God does things in His time, in His way and not our time, not our way. We are to be ready ALWAYS. If you are among those who are waiting for such and such to take place before you really get serious about our LORD'S return then you could be among those who die LONG before such and such takes place and you will have died before ever getting serious, without ever truly believing and LIVING in, and for Christ your Savior!
We have to live in a state of expectation, watching.
We must not confusing a state of acknowledgment with a state of active watching, active hoping, active praying.
May the Holy Spirit guide us to all understanding by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior. May we live in EXPECTATION, a real, pure expectation of our Savior's return!
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mar 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Mar 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Mar 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Mar 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Mar 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Col 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
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.
In His most amazing love!
Amen.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Are you ready for the Bridegroom?
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
(LITV) Let us rejoice and let us exult, and we will give glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb came, and His wife prepared herself.
Made HERSELF ready.
Prepared HERSELF.
Regardless of what ANYONE says- the part we play in our salvation matters.
This thought may instantly have many up in arms as they cry out- we can't save ourselves! And I agree, we can't save ourselves at all whatsoever in any way.
The part we have comes into play at all only because salvation IS made available to us. Without salvation being made available to us we have NO part to play. We can't produce our own salvation.
We have the choice to accept the salvation made available to us through our Savior.
We have the choice to make ourselves ready, to prepare ourselves for the Bridegroom. We have to act. We have to prepare. We can't sit back and expect to be ready. We can't get ready one moment and believe that we are then ready forever, any more than we could prepare as a child to be married and expect all those preparations to last until we are actually of age. The child's gown would not fit the adult, the child's shoes would not fit the feet of the adult, any flowers picked would have long since dried up.
Preparations for an impending marriage whether one year away, two, ten, twenty, fifty years in the future-- take time.
As Christ's bride we have to prepare for the Bridegroom. We have to be ready to meet the Bridegroom. If you knew your marriage was going to be tomorrow you'd want to be ready for it, wouldn't you? My sister planned a nice wedding in less than 3 weeks and boy was she busy, busy, busy getting ready for that wedding. In preparing for the wedding to our Savior we need to be busy, busy, busy, don't we? We are talking about our eternal marriage.
If you were going to be married in a few weeks you can bet that you'd be thinking about that upcoming wedding night and day. We too easily lose sight of our impending marriage, letting our everyday life supersede that glorious future event. We stop preparing, we stop even thinking about being ready. We say we love our Lord but we don't act as if we do, we don't prepare or think about being prepared because we are TOO caught up in trying to NOT do anything for fear we will be trying to work towards our salvation. The Devil has us so confused that he sits back and laughs as we run in circles of his devising.
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
We need to be ready.
We need to constantly be thinking about our future marriage.
Are you ready for the Bridegroom?
Being ready doesn't mean YOU perfect your life according to some misguided notions of perfection. Being ready means ACCEPTING what the Lord has done for you, fully accepting what the Lord has done and choosing to LIVE for Him. Our Savior needs to be a REALITY to us. The love we have for our Savior needs to be REAL to us, a REAL love, a REAL knowledge, a REAL choice, a REAL marriage we are going to.
By His grace and mercy may we be prepared for Him, by Him, out of His love.
Amen.
(LITV) Let us rejoice and let us exult, and we will give glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb came, and His wife prepared herself.
Made HERSELF ready.
Prepared HERSELF.
Regardless of what ANYONE says- the part we play in our salvation matters.
This thought may instantly have many up in arms as they cry out- we can't save ourselves! And I agree, we can't save ourselves at all whatsoever in any way.
The part we have comes into play at all only because salvation IS made available to us. Without salvation being made available to us we have NO part to play. We can't produce our own salvation.
We have the choice to accept the salvation made available to us through our Savior.
We have the choice to make ourselves ready, to prepare ourselves for the Bridegroom. We have to act. We have to prepare. We can't sit back and expect to be ready. We can't get ready one moment and believe that we are then ready forever, any more than we could prepare as a child to be married and expect all those preparations to last until we are actually of age. The child's gown would not fit the adult, the child's shoes would not fit the feet of the adult, any flowers picked would have long since dried up.
Preparations for an impending marriage whether one year away, two, ten, twenty, fifty years in the future-- take time.
As Christ's bride we have to prepare for the Bridegroom. We have to be ready to meet the Bridegroom. If you knew your marriage was going to be tomorrow you'd want to be ready for it, wouldn't you? My sister planned a nice wedding in less than 3 weeks and boy was she busy, busy, busy getting ready for that wedding. In preparing for the wedding to our Savior we need to be busy, busy, busy, don't we? We are talking about our eternal marriage.
If you were going to be married in a few weeks you can bet that you'd be thinking about that upcoming wedding night and day. We too easily lose sight of our impending marriage, letting our everyday life supersede that glorious future event. We stop preparing, we stop even thinking about being ready. We say we love our Lord but we don't act as if we do, we don't prepare or think about being prepared because we are TOO caught up in trying to NOT do anything for fear we will be trying to work towards our salvation. The Devil has us so confused that he sits back and laughs as we run in circles of his devising.
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
We need to be ready.
We need to constantly be thinking about our future marriage.
Are you ready for the Bridegroom?
Being ready doesn't mean YOU perfect your life according to some misguided notions of perfection. Being ready means ACCEPTING what the Lord has done for you, fully accepting what the Lord has done and choosing to LIVE for Him. Our Savior needs to be a REALITY to us. The love we have for our Savior needs to be REAL to us, a REAL love, a REAL knowledge, a REAL choice, a REAL marriage we are going to.
By His grace and mercy may we be prepared for Him, by Him, out of His love.
Amen.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Holy Cleansing
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Pure water.
We cannot enter into the kingdom of God if we are impure. We must be cleansed. Baptism- being immersed in water from head to toe, totally submerged we are completely covered in water. Baptism signifies the washing away of our old lives, the lives we lived before we came to know Jesus. Baptism signifies that we want our old lives to die so that we can rise anew into a life with Christ as our Savior. Repenting of our unsaved life, repenting of the sins that have covered us we are seeking to be cleansed when we are baptized. Baptism is an outward, public symbol of our desire to be God's. Except we are born of the water… except we are baptized… we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
The realization of our filthy state, the realization of our need for cleansing is a must. You cannot enter the kingdom of God filthy it's not possible. You cannot enter the kingdom of God unclean. The kingdom of God is pure and holy and all that is clean and anything unclean is immediately rejected. Is it any wonder we have to symbolically show our willingness to be cleansed?
John the Baptist went about baptizing many - baptizing the one who was pure and in need of NO cleansing. Jesus was our example in all things and Jesus was immersed in water- symbolizing cleansing, symbolizing becoming pure. He allowed this act which began His ministry so that we would realize its importance.
Priests were to be clean. Purification acts of cleansing were necessary. These acts didn't clean the heart but they symbolically represented the NEED to be clean. We need to be born of the water, we need to be clean, we need to recognize our NEED to be clean, and in recognizing the need to be clean we must understand that we are dirty.
Baptism alone isn't enough, the symbolic cleansing isn't enough, we must be born of the Spirit as well.
Only the Holy Spirit can truly cleanse the spirit within us. We could wash our outwards selves until our flesh is raw. We could bathe endlessly. We could submit to a purification of the likes contaminated scientists undergo, or wash our entire bodies as a performing surgeon washes his hands and arms, we could go to any lengths to clean our bodies of every contaminant but we cannot cleanse our spirit. You could even clean the inside of your body with fasts and such, but you cannot TOUCH your spirit to clean it. Only the Holy Spirit can cleanse the spirit. We can symbolically show our willingness to be clean for our Savior, which reveals our willingness to have the Holy Spirit cleanse our spirit self. Being born of the Spirit is as necessary as being born of the water to enter the kingdom of God.
Purity is heavenly- pure water.
Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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.
The water of life the purest water. We will partake of this purest of waters one day when we inherit the kingdom of God.
Pure. Clean. Cleansed. Spotless. WE are made pure by our Savior. We are washed clean in His blood.
Is it any wonder we are to partake of the SYMBOLIC act of eating and drinking of Christ's body and blood? Christ is pure, Christ is the only one who could cleanse us by HIS sacrifice. As baptism is symbolic of cleansing our bodies, our eternal cleansing is symbolically shown through the bread and wine taken into our bodies. The Holy Spirit with both cleansing acts is the power of God acting within us, transforming us in ways we could NEVER clean ourselves, never. We cannot save ourselves but submit to being saved by our LORD, choose to be saved by our LORD.
Born of the water, born of the Spirit only then do we have hope of entering the kingdom of God.
All glory, all praise, all honor to our King and Savior!
Amen.
Pure water.
We cannot enter into the kingdom of God if we are impure. We must be cleansed. Baptism- being immersed in water from head to toe, totally submerged we are completely covered in water. Baptism signifies the washing away of our old lives, the lives we lived before we came to know Jesus. Baptism signifies that we want our old lives to die so that we can rise anew into a life with Christ as our Savior. Repenting of our unsaved life, repenting of the sins that have covered us we are seeking to be cleansed when we are baptized. Baptism is an outward, public symbol of our desire to be God's. Except we are born of the water… except we are baptized… we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
The realization of our filthy state, the realization of our need for cleansing is a must. You cannot enter the kingdom of God filthy it's not possible. You cannot enter the kingdom of God unclean. The kingdom of God is pure and holy and all that is clean and anything unclean is immediately rejected. Is it any wonder we have to symbolically show our willingness to be cleansed?
John the Baptist went about baptizing many - baptizing the one who was pure and in need of NO cleansing. Jesus was our example in all things and Jesus was immersed in water- symbolizing cleansing, symbolizing becoming pure. He allowed this act which began His ministry so that we would realize its importance.
Priests were to be clean. Purification acts of cleansing were necessary. These acts didn't clean the heart but they symbolically represented the NEED to be clean. We need to be born of the water, we need to be clean, we need to recognize our NEED to be clean, and in recognizing the need to be clean we must understand that we are dirty.
Baptism alone isn't enough, the symbolic cleansing isn't enough, we must be born of the Spirit as well.
Only the Holy Spirit can truly cleanse the spirit within us. We could wash our outwards selves until our flesh is raw. We could bathe endlessly. We could submit to a purification of the likes contaminated scientists undergo, or wash our entire bodies as a performing surgeon washes his hands and arms, we could go to any lengths to clean our bodies of every contaminant but we cannot cleanse our spirit. You could even clean the inside of your body with fasts and such, but you cannot TOUCH your spirit to clean it. Only the Holy Spirit can cleanse the spirit. We can symbolically show our willingness to be clean for our Savior, which reveals our willingness to have the Holy Spirit cleanse our spirit self. Being born of the Spirit is as necessary as being born of the water to enter the kingdom of God.
Purity is heavenly- pure water.
Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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.
The water of life the purest water. We will partake of this purest of waters one day when we inherit the kingdom of God.
Pure. Clean. Cleansed. Spotless. WE are made pure by our Savior. We are washed clean in His blood.
Is it any wonder we are to partake of the SYMBOLIC act of eating and drinking of Christ's body and blood? Christ is pure, Christ is the only one who could cleanse us by HIS sacrifice. As baptism is symbolic of cleansing our bodies, our eternal cleansing is symbolically shown through the bread and wine taken into our bodies. The Holy Spirit with both cleansing acts is the power of God acting within us, transforming us in ways we could NEVER clean ourselves, never. We cannot save ourselves but submit to being saved by our LORD, choose to be saved by our LORD.
Born of the water, born of the Spirit only then do we have hope of entering the kingdom of God.
All glory, all praise, all honor to our King and Savior!
Amen.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Win Christ!
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ
*******
Count ALL things loss but for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
All things are DUNG, other then then knowledge of our Savior.
Not some things. Not just a few things. BUT all things mean NOTHING other than the knowledge of Christ.
We could have everything this world calls good. We could have everything our worldly heart desires. We could have just ONE cherished possession, or perhaps a few. Maybe we want to hold on to just one earthly treasure in the form of heirloom, or a priceless personal gift that would mean nothing to anyone but you. All is counted loss but the knowledge of our Savior.
We need to realize just how little everything in our lives means outside of having the knowledge of our Lord. Does this include people? What good does it do to cling to a loved one if there is no knowledge of Christ? Seriously. It sounds horrifically callous but it's the truth. Christ is ALL things, knowledge of Christ is ALL, leaving no room for anything else to enter in. Am I saying we shouldn't CARE and LOVE others? NO, no, no! But I am saying knowledge of our Savior MUST come before anything else or all our loving, all our caring will mean nothing at all.
We want to be naturally loving, naturally like Jesus, and when we fail to be Christ-like in our lives we chastise ourselves and start to believe that we will never be as Christ would have us be. It WON'T come naturally! It WON'T come easy because our natural self WARS against our Spiritual self. Our natural self clings to THINGS other than the knowledge of our Savior. Our natural self is an excellent excuse maker, an amazing conscience soother, a marvelous deal broker- our natural self wars with our spirit self and all this takes place within us. Our natural self will mock our spirit self with a determination to get our spirit self to just give up. It's horrible to imagine this, let alone believe it. We don't want to be a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde- that's a fictional character in a fictional book and nothing more. We hate to believe that we possess split personalities- and in the medical sense we don't but in the spiritual realm we ALL possess split personalities, ALL humans but our Savior have these split personalities but few want to believe it's a reality. This is crazy people talk, and I can understand how some might believe that to be true. Split personalities, heh, that's nonsense. But it's not nonsense, it wasn't nonsense to the Apostle Paul.
Read this and tell me there isn't a split SPIRITUAL personality situation going on here-
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
We all have bodies of death, every single one of us. We all are in this spiritual fight. If we don't care about our spiritual life- if we don't care about worshipping and honoring our Creator - this war within is seemingly won by the carnal side and often that carnal side will subdue the spiritual side and all will appear normal. No more spiritual fighting, no more spiritual angst, no more spiritual upsets, no more spiritual warring- this carnal victor is more than willing to help you enjoy it's victory over the spiritual.
Going back to counting ALL loss but the knowledge of our Savior, it's the truth. Yet our carnal side will have us believe that our spiritual side matters little and the earthly life that surrounds us now means everything. If you want to believe that you should NATURALLY be able to count all loss but your Savior it's not going to happen. It's a fight! It's a war! You're in a battle for your spiritual life! You have to choose DAILY, choose often during the day, choose always to be Christ's to seek knowledge of Him. You have to ask God to show you always when and where the battle lines are being drawn so you know when and where the fight is. When we recognize our battles we can recognize the need to fight with the armor of God, fight with our Savior as our King, submit to our Lord. Wouldn't you much rather be at war taking part in the spiritual battle than having surrendered to the carnal nature? The chaos we feel inside ourselves is to be embraced as the knowledge of the war. We have to stop trying to be naturally good, thinking that we should be naturally good and then flailing about when we are naturally bad. We have to seek the kingdom of God, we have to seek all knowledge, an excellent knowledge of our Savior and we have to do this ACTIVELY, not half-heartedly or passively when the mood strikes. This is our duty, to know God, to love God. When the naturally bad stuff creeps up as it will we have to fall to our knees seeking forgiveness, repenting of our bad acts even bad thoughts. We have to run to Christ not run from Christ thinking we are too evil to go before Him. Satan will DO everything He can to get us to run from Christ, to look to ourselves for our salvation, for our hope but our HOPE is NOT in us at all… PRAISE GOD! Our hope is in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Let us WIN Christ! Let us count all around us as dung but the knowledge of Christ. Let Christ matter MOST. Please Lord… by YOUR GRACE!
Amen.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ
*******
Count ALL things loss but for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
All things are DUNG, other then then knowledge of our Savior.
Not some things. Not just a few things. BUT all things mean NOTHING other than the knowledge of Christ.
We could have everything this world calls good. We could have everything our worldly heart desires. We could have just ONE cherished possession, or perhaps a few. Maybe we want to hold on to just one earthly treasure in the form of heirloom, or a priceless personal gift that would mean nothing to anyone but you. All is counted loss but the knowledge of our Savior.
We need to realize just how little everything in our lives means outside of having the knowledge of our Lord. Does this include people? What good does it do to cling to a loved one if there is no knowledge of Christ? Seriously. It sounds horrifically callous but it's the truth. Christ is ALL things, knowledge of Christ is ALL, leaving no room for anything else to enter in. Am I saying we shouldn't CARE and LOVE others? NO, no, no! But I am saying knowledge of our Savior MUST come before anything else or all our loving, all our caring will mean nothing at all.
We want to be naturally loving, naturally like Jesus, and when we fail to be Christ-like in our lives we chastise ourselves and start to believe that we will never be as Christ would have us be. It WON'T come naturally! It WON'T come easy because our natural self WARS against our Spiritual self. Our natural self clings to THINGS other than the knowledge of our Savior. Our natural self is an excellent excuse maker, an amazing conscience soother, a marvelous deal broker- our natural self wars with our spirit self and all this takes place within us. Our natural self will mock our spirit self with a determination to get our spirit self to just give up. It's horrible to imagine this, let alone believe it. We don't want to be a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde- that's a fictional character in a fictional book and nothing more. We hate to believe that we possess split personalities- and in the medical sense we don't but in the spiritual realm we ALL possess split personalities, ALL humans but our Savior have these split personalities but few want to believe it's a reality. This is crazy people talk, and I can understand how some might believe that to be true. Split personalities, heh, that's nonsense. But it's not nonsense, it wasn't nonsense to the Apostle Paul.
Read this and tell me there isn't a split SPIRITUAL personality situation going on here-
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
We all have bodies of death, every single one of us. We all are in this spiritual fight. If we don't care about our spiritual life- if we don't care about worshipping and honoring our Creator - this war within is seemingly won by the carnal side and often that carnal side will subdue the spiritual side and all will appear normal. No more spiritual fighting, no more spiritual angst, no more spiritual upsets, no more spiritual warring- this carnal victor is more than willing to help you enjoy it's victory over the spiritual.
Going back to counting ALL loss but the knowledge of our Savior, it's the truth. Yet our carnal side will have us believe that our spiritual side matters little and the earthly life that surrounds us now means everything. If you want to believe that you should NATURALLY be able to count all loss but your Savior it's not going to happen. It's a fight! It's a war! You're in a battle for your spiritual life! You have to choose DAILY, choose often during the day, choose always to be Christ's to seek knowledge of Him. You have to ask God to show you always when and where the battle lines are being drawn so you know when and where the fight is. When we recognize our battles we can recognize the need to fight with the armor of God, fight with our Savior as our King, submit to our Lord. Wouldn't you much rather be at war taking part in the spiritual battle than having surrendered to the carnal nature? The chaos we feel inside ourselves is to be embraced as the knowledge of the war. We have to stop trying to be naturally good, thinking that we should be naturally good and then flailing about when we are naturally bad. We have to seek the kingdom of God, we have to seek all knowledge, an excellent knowledge of our Savior and we have to do this ACTIVELY, not half-heartedly or passively when the mood strikes. This is our duty, to know God, to love God. When the naturally bad stuff creeps up as it will we have to fall to our knees seeking forgiveness, repenting of our bad acts even bad thoughts. We have to run to Christ not run from Christ thinking we are too evil to go before Him. Satan will DO everything He can to get us to run from Christ, to look to ourselves for our salvation, for our hope but our HOPE is NOT in us at all… PRAISE GOD! Our hope is in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Let us WIN Christ! Let us count all around us as dung but the knowledge of Christ. Let Christ matter MOST. Please Lord… by YOUR GRACE!
Amen.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Celebrating and Sinning
Job 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Some say the Book of Job was written long before its place in the Bible, in fact they say the Book of Job has no date of origin- others have speculated that the book was actually the first book written. I'm not even going to play scholar, I will not try to date the book. However, I have to agree with this statement--
'Job's sacrifices were according to the patriarchal pattern, with Job acting as the priest for his household.'
Job's seven sons and three daughters were feasting-
Job 1:4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
The feasted at least for seven days- seven days, every one his day. Job knew of this feasting they were undertaking and he was worried their feasting had them sinning. So as the patriarch of the family he rose up early AFTER their feasting days were over and sent for them, needing to sanctify them. To do this Job needed to offer a burnt offering sacrifice for each of them to rid them of any feasting sins they may have committed during that time. Job says - 'It MAY be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.' Job didn't know for certain that His sons were sinning and cursing God but He wasn't about to let that stop Him from making sacrifices for them. Job wanted his family right with God. Regardless of whether or not they were going to stop sinning, Job wanted to keep His family on the right track. It says- 'Thus did Job continually.' Job's children would party and Job would pray and offer sacrifices for them to keep them sanctified before God.
During our days of feasting- our celebrating - how easy is it to get caught up in things ungodly especially when you add alcohol and drugs to the mix. As soon as you add those elements you strip away the natural inhibitions we possess and we are no longer in our right minds- right?
Eli to Hannah-
1Sa 1:14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
Hannah wasn't drunk, but the point being drunk people act much differently than those who aren't influenced by alcohol. Depending upon the severity of the drunkenness the actions match that severity. We all know, we've all seen it, watched it in movies, or even experienced it in friends and family members, or perhaps even in ourselves. The advisement of Eli to Hannah to put away her wine, was an advisement against her supposed drunkenness.
2Sa 11:12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
2Sa 11:13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
David wanted to get Uriah drunk enough to let go of his inhibition to abstain from being with his wife as a matter of honor, so that Uriah would be with Bathsheba and the child she carried could be called his- not David's conceived through adultery. It didn't work. Uriah was able to keep to his conviction even though David and made him drunk. The hope however had been to lessen Uriah's conviction through alcohol- the knowledge that getting drunk has bad connotations is a given.
1Ki 16:8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.
1Ki 16:9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.
1Ki 16:10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
Drinking himself drunk- because Elah drank himself drunk it made it very easy to kill him.
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
Be NOT drunk with wine- wherein is excess. That excess being profligacy which means- 'A profligate or very vicious course of life; a state of being abandoned in moral principle and in vice.' A state of being abandoned in moral principle and in vice, these are far from good things. But getting drunk does that- moral principles are abandoned, actions are made that would NEVER be made without the drunkenness.
Gen 19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
Gen 19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
Gen 19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
Two daughters made their father drunk, so drunk that he wasn't even aware of what was going on when they seduced him! Without the drunkenness there would have been no seducing going on whatsoever.
Lev 10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
Lev 10:10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
Lev 10:11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
Do NOT drink wine nor strong drink- this is a admonition to the Levite priests. When you are drunk you are undiscerning and you don't care about what is holy and unholy, clean and unclean. You lose your sense of purpose, you lose your ability to recognize right from wrong and you surely can't teach others if you are drunk.
We know this don't we? The Bible speaks of it and we know it as well. There was a time in our country we tried to prohibit alcohol consumption because of the evils associated with it, yet that didn't last. People will drink and they will drink to get drunk for many, many reasons. Some do it just because they call it a 'good time', 'loosening up', 'relaxing'. Some do it to give themselves an excuse to forget about life's hardships, allowing the drug that alcohol is to numb them temporarily.
There are many reasons why people drink and what happens when they drink is something they don't concern themselves with.
So, going back to Job- it was logical for Job to want to have his children sinless before God, to have them forgiven of their sins, to sanctify them. Job didn't know for sure that the feasting had them sinning but it was a good bet that it did. The dangers of alcohol go far beyond the worldly dangers and into the spiritual dangers. Alcohol endangers spiritual lives- alcohol can turn an otherwise innocently festive experience into one that is not quite so innocent. Sin-- cursing God in the heart-- and truly sin IS a cursing of God in the heart, it's breaking God's commands of love.
Job knew as we too should know- that feasting - celebrating- getting drunk or even not getting drunk but allowing the festivities themselves lead us to ungodly behavior- is something we need to ask forgiveness for if we get caught up in it. Prayerfully we won't get entrapped by any behavior that would lead us away from God. Prayerfully we will fall to our knees and plead for forgiveness claiming the offering of God's only Son as our Sacrifice, if we do find ourselves trapped.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, may we NOT be caught up in the feasting, festivities, and celebrations and lose sight of our God, our Savior, our Lord, our King! Please God hear this prayer!
Amen.
Some say the Book of Job was written long before its place in the Bible, in fact they say the Book of Job has no date of origin- others have speculated that the book was actually the first book written. I'm not even going to play scholar, I will not try to date the book. However, I have to agree with this statement--
'Job's sacrifices were according to the patriarchal pattern, with Job acting as the priest for his household.'
Job's seven sons and three daughters were feasting-
Job 1:4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
The feasted at least for seven days- seven days, every one his day. Job knew of this feasting they were undertaking and he was worried their feasting had them sinning. So as the patriarch of the family he rose up early AFTER their feasting days were over and sent for them, needing to sanctify them. To do this Job needed to offer a burnt offering sacrifice for each of them to rid them of any feasting sins they may have committed during that time. Job says - 'It MAY be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.' Job didn't know for certain that His sons were sinning and cursing God but He wasn't about to let that stop Him from making sacrifices for them. Job wanted his family right with God. Regardless of whether or not they were going to stop sinning, Job wanted to keep His family on the right track. It says- 'Thus did Job continually.' Job's children would party and Job would pray and offer sacrifices for them to keep them sanctified before God.
During our days of feasting- our celebrating - how easy is it to get caught up in things ungodly especially when you add alcohol and drugs to the mix. As soon as you add those elements you strip away the natural inhibitions we possess and we are no longer in our right minds- right?
Eli to Hannah-
1Sa 1:14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
Hannah wasn't drunk, but the point being drunk people act much differently than those who aren't influenced by alcohol. Depending upon the severity of the drunkenness the actions match that severity. We all know, we've all seen it, watched it in movies, or even experienced it in friends and family members, or perhaps even in ourselves. The advisement of Eli to Hannah to put away her wine, was an advisement against her supposed drunkenness.
2Sa 11:12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
2Sa 11:13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
David wanted to get Uriah drunk enough to let go of his inhibition to abstain from being with his wife as a matter of honor, so that Uriah would be with Bathsheba and the child she carried could be called his- not David's conceived through adultery. It didn't work. Uriah was able to keep to his conviction even though David and made him drunk. The hope however had been to lessen Uriah's conviction through alcohol- the knowledge that getting drunk has bad connotations is a given.
1Ki 16:8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.
1Ki 16:9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.
1Ki 16:10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
Drinking himself drunk- because Elah drank himself drunk it made it very easy to kill him.
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
Be NOT drunk with wine- wherein is excess. That excess being profligacy which means- 'A profligate or very vicious course of life; a state of being abandoned in moral principle and in vice.' A state of being abandoned in moral principle and in vice, these are far from good things. But getting drunk does that- moral principles are abandoned, actions are made that would NEVER be made without the drunkenness.
Gen 19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
Gen 19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
Gen 19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
Two daughters made their father drunk, so drunk that he wasn't even aware of what was going on when they seduced him! Without the drunkenness there would have been no seducing going on whatsoever.
Lev 10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
Lev 10:10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
Lev 10:11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
Do NOT drink wine nor strong drink- this is a admonition to the Levite priests. When you are drunk you are undiscerning and you don't care about what is holy and unholy, clean and unclean. You lose your sense of purpose, you lose your ability to recognize right from wrong and you surely can't teach others if you are drunk.
We know this don't we? The Bible speaks of it and we know it as well. There was a time in our country we tried to prohibit alcohol consumption because of the evils associated with it, yet that didn't last. People will drink and they will drink to get drunk for many, many reasons. Some do it just because they call it a 'good time', 'loosening up', 'relaxing'. Some do it to give themselves an excuse to forget about life's hardships, allowing the drug that alcohol is to numb them temporarily.
There are many reasons why people drink and what happens when they drink is something they don't concern themselves with.
So, going back to Job- it was logical for Job to want to have his children sinless before God, to have them forgiven of their sins, to sanctify them. Job didn't know for sure that the feasting had them sinning but it was a good bet that it did. The dangers of alcohol go far beyond the worldly dangers and into the spiritual dangers. Alcohol endangers spiritual lives- alcohol can turn an otherwise innocently festive experience into one that is not quite so innocent. Sin-- cursing God in the heart-- and truly sin IS a cursing of God in the heart, it's breaking God's commands of love.
Job knew as we too should know- that feasting - celebrating- getting drunk or even not getting drunk but allowing the festivities themselves lead us to ungodly behavior- is something we need to ask forgiveness for if we get caught up in it. Prayerfully we won't get entrapped by any behavior that would lead us away from God. Prayerfully we will fall to our knees and plead for forgiveness claiming the offering of God's only Son as our Sacrifice, if we do find ourselves trapped.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, may we NOT be caught up in the feasting, festivities, and celebrations and lose sight of our God, our Savior, our Lord, our King! Please God hear this prayer!
Amen.
Friday, December 24, 2010
In the World, Not Of the World
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Ye are of God
Little children
And have overcome them
Because greater is he that is in you
Than he that is in the world
We want to be OF God don't we? I know I want to be OF God. Because the only other alternative is being of the world and we know who rules this world- the world Jesus was not OF. If we are with Jesus we are NOT Of this world. We CAN'T be of this world if we are with God. We can be IN this world, but we can't be OF this world.
This point keeps popping up lately, over and over for me as if there is something I need to learn, something I'm missing, or neglecting. Perhaps it's the season right now where the world is celebrating Christmas. I grew up celebrating Christmas. I grew up with family traditions associated with Christmas. We get together and celebrate the birth of Christ. Yes, I know that Christ was not born on Christmas day. Yes, I know that the celebration stems from pagan origins. Yes, I understand all this and at the same time I don't want to give up the family get together. Tonight at our annual Christmas Eve get together it was especially hard because it's the Sabbath as well. It is GOD'S holy day, GOD'S sanctified day, GOD'S blessed day, it's the day God made for us to draw closer to Him - in His rest. Glaringly throughout the night over and over and over again it was clear that this family get together was filled with worldliness, filled with things that aren't of God no matter how much I don't want to admit it to myself let alone anyone else. I want to convince myself that it's harmless teasing, harmless joking, harmless disobedience- but what it all really is - is worldliness- it's being part of the WORLD, not being of God. My sister did her best to make it geared towards God- with it being the Sabbath and all, and through NO fault of her own it was twisted into worldliness at every possible turn.
I absolutely cringe at the mere thought of not attending a family get together because of my principles because it comes across as my being HOLIER than thou and nothing more. It doesn't endear any of the family to me. For me to NOT attend would be angst-filled and cause all sorts of hurt feelings all the way around. The thought of being estranged from my family is awful to me and yet we know that many will choose family over God. Many would rather suffered eternal death than give up their loved ones here and now. I don't want to be one of them.
What are we to do? Or rather I suppose I want to know what I should do. Am I willing to lose all here and now for eternal life with my Savior? Do I need to separate myself or do I need to 'stay in the world' but 'be kept from evil'?
That was Jesus' prayer for us- part of it.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
If we take ourselves OUT of the world- we aren't really doing as Jesus would have us do, are we? If we take ourselves out of all interaction with the world because the world and the majority of the people inhabiting it are Satan's, are we actually contradicting God's will. Jesus prayed that we DON'T get taken out of the world. Jesus wants us IN the world we are NOT to be a part of. Jesus wants us KEPT from evil not by taking ourselves OUT of the world and secluding ourselves, associating only with like believers - because truly even like believers can be of the world. We are all called to Christ uniquely in our own ways. My walk with Christ is not a single other person's walk with Christ and vice versa.
Are you thinking I'm trying to justify my family get togethers? Maybe I am but I'm trying to understand what it is God wants from me personally in my walk with Him. I just can't believe God wants us to make ourselves hermits. I fully believe that God can and has used people in the world surrounded by those who are of the world to let their lives be a living testimony to others.
No, we are NOT to join in the idolatry, the blasphemy, the God mocking, the unseemly acts that are of the world. We have to stand against them.
There are so many ways to view this and it's a matter very close to my heart, obviously.
Any of you reading this, do you ever find yourselves faced with this sort of situation? How do you view the fact we are to be in the world, but not of the world?
Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
THEY shall separate you from their company.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
COME OUT from among them and be ye separate.
They will separate you AND be ye separate.
The danger of association arises when we are tempted to take part in the sinning. The danger of association comes when we become part OF the worldly we are around. If we are easily swayed we senselessly place ourselves in temptations way.
I know I need to do A LOT more praying and studying on this subject for many personal reasons, but enough for now.
May God open my eyes and lead me in the way everlasting through His glorious LOVE.
By Your grace Lord, by Your grace.
Amen.
Ye are of God
Little children
And have overcome them
Because greater is he that is in you
Than he that is in the world
We want to be OF God don't we? I know I want to be OF God. Because the only other alternative is being of the world and we know who rules this world- the world Jesus was not OF. If we are with Jesus we are NOT Of this world. We CAN'T be of this world if we are with God. We can be IN this world, but we can't be OF this world.
This point keeps popping up lately, over and over for me as if there is something I need to learn, something I'm missing, or neglecting. Perhaps it's the season right now where the world is celebrating Christmas. I grew up celebrating Christmas. I grew up with family traditions associated with Christmas. We get together and celebrate the birth of Christ. Yes, I know that Christ was not born on Christmas day. Yes, I know that the celebration stems from pagan origins. Yes, I understand all this and at the same time I don't want to give up the family get together. Tonight at our annual Christmas Eve get together it was especially hard because it's the Sabbath as well. It is GOD'S holy day, GOD'S sanctified day, GOD'S blessed day, it's the day God made for us to draw closer to Him - in His rest. Glaringly throughout the night over and over and over again it was clear that this family get together was filled with worldliness, filled with things that aren't of God no matter how much I don't want to admit it to myself let alone anyone else. I want to convince myself that it's harmless teasing, harmless joking, harmless disobedience- but what it all really is - is worldliness- it's being part of the WORLD, not being of God. My sister did her best to make it geared towards God- with it being the Sabbath and all, and through NO fault of her own it was twisted into worldliness at every possible turn.
I absolutely cringe at the mere thought of not attending a family get together because of my principles because it comes across as my being HOLIER than thou and nothing more. It doesn't endear any of the family to me. For me to NOT attend would be angst-filled and cause all sorts of hurt feelings all the way around. The thought of being estranged from my family is awful to me and yet we know that many will choose family over God. Many would rather suffered eternal death than give up their loved ones here and now. I don't want to be one of them.
What are we to do? Or rather I suppose I want to know what I should do. Am I willing to lose all here and now for eternal life with my Savior? Do I need to separate myself or do I need to 'stay in the world' but 'be kept from evil'?
That was Jesus' prayer for us- part of it.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
If we take ourselves OUT of the world- we aren't really doing as Jesus would have us do, are we? If we take ourselves out of all interaction with the world because the world and the majority of the people inhabiting it are Satan's, are we actually contradicting God's will. Jesus prayed that we DON'T get taken out of the world. Jesus wants us IN the world we are NOT to be a part of. Jesus wants us KEPT from evil not by taking ourselves OUT of the world and secluding ourselves, associating only with like believers - because truly even like believers can be of the world. We are all called to Christ uniquely in our own ways. My walk with Christ is not a single other person's walk with Christ and vice versa.
Are you thinking I'm trying to justify my family get togethers? Maybe I am but I'm trying to understand what it is God wants from me personally in my walk with Him. I just can't believe God wants us to make ourselves hermits. I fully believe that God can and has used people in the world surrounded by those who are of the world to let their lives be a living testimony to others.
No, we are NOT to join in the idolatry, the blasphemy, the God mocking, the unseemly acts that are of the world. We have to stand against them.
There are so many ways to view this and it's a matter very close to my heart, obviously.
Any of you reading this, do you ever find yourselves faced with this sort of situation? How do you view the fact we are to be in the world, but not of the world?
Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
THEY shall separate you from their company.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
COME OUT from among them and be ye separate.
They will separate you AND be ye separate.
The danger of association arises when we are tempted to take part in the sinning. The danger of association comes when we become part OF the worldly we are around. If we are easily swayed we senselessly place ourselves in temptations way.
I know I need to do A LOT more praying and studying on this subject for many personal reasons, but enough for now.
May God open my eyes and lead me in the way everlasting through His glorious LOVE.
By Your grace Lord, by Your grace.
Amen.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
God- forethought or afterthought
Pro 1:20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Pro 1:21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
Pro 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Pro 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Pro 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Pro 1:27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Pro 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Pro 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Pro 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Wisdom cries out to be heard.
God would have us be wise.
Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
Pro 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
We must be wise in the ways of the Lord. We must love knowledge of the Lord. We must choose the Lord in all our ways. We must be willing to take counsel from the Lord and to learn from the reproof given to us. God's way is being wise in knowledge of Him and that knowledge bring Salvation because it's only through knowledge of our Savior that we are saved. Through learning of His grace we are saved.
Make no mistake though… the people who do NOT listen, the people who do not seek God's wisdom, those who don't look to God will one day face desolation and destruction of the likes they can't even imagine in their worse nightmares. And then, when they realize they should have sought God it will be too late. They might even be able to recall every single missed opportunity to come to the knowledge of the Lord and know they had the chance and refused. They turned their back on salvation. They wouldn't listen to the wisdom of God but rather chose the wisdom of man over God's. The wisdom of man is pure foolishness to God. None of us should seek to be considered wise in man's ways and if we find ourselves longing to be touted as a wise person, let us seek forgiveness and choose only to long for the wisdom of God.
Destruction will come.
Desolation will come.
Anguish will come.
Agony will come.
Eternal death will come.
If you are not wise unto God, you will face terror unlike anything you've ever experienced. This is the truth and as much as people would love to believe that everyone in the world is automatically guaranteed eternal life, they're wrong.
People cannot deny their Creator and Redeemer then expect to be saved by Him.
People cannot reject their Creator and their Redeemer and expect to be accepted by Him.
I'm not talking about people who have denied and rejected God only to repent of their actions, but those who do not repent, those who never repent.
Too many people want to believe that God and His ways, God and His love, don't really matter beyond perhaps a half-hearted belief. Too many people do NOT have God as an integral part of their lives. God is an afterthought, not a forethought to way too many people. God is fit into a schedule rather than a schedule fit around God.
Where does God rank in your life? In your EVERYDAY life? Does God only rank in your weekly thoughts? Your monthly thought? Your yearly consideration? Is God REAL to you? If He isn't a real force in your life then it's truly time you get down on your knees - even if it's only mentally you are on those knees- and pray to God that He becomes real to you and then take steps to ensure He's there in your life by daily reading, daily studying, daily praying, daily praising, daily thanking your Lord and Savior, your God, your Creator. Left to our own devices we will not automatically choose to follow our Savior, why? Because of sin. We have to choose to follow God and choose daily to do so, not hope that automatically we will be His. God will NOT force us. God will NOT coerce us. God will wait for us. God will open His arms to us. God is there always for us to choose but He will not make the choice for us.
This is real, very, very real.
People will be saved and people will be lost. We choose our eternal destination it is NOT chosen for us.
May God help us to be wise unto salvation through our Lord and Savior. May we be among those who listen to the wisdom of God in reproofs, in chastisements, in any and all ways God chooses to open our eyes and our hearts to Him and His amazing LOVE.
Amen.
Pro 1:21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
Pro 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Pro 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Pro 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Pro 1:27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Pro 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Pro 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Pro 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Wisdom cries out to be heard.
God would have us be wise.
Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
Pro 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
We must be wise in the ways of the Lord. We must love knowledge of the Lord. We must choose the Lord in all our ways. We must be willing to take counsel from the Lord and to learn from the reproof given to us. God's way is being wise in knowledge of Him and that knowledge bring Salvation because it's only through knowledge of our Savior that we are saved. Through learning of His grace we are saved.
Make no mistake though… the people who do NOT listen, the people who do not seek God's wisdom, those who don't look to God will one day face desolation and destruction of the likes they can't even imagine in their worse nightmares. And then, when they realize they should have sought God it will be too late. They might even be able to recall every single missed opportunity to come to the knowledge of the Lord and know they had the chance and refused. They turned their back on salvation. They wouldn't listen to the wisdom of God but rather chose the wisdom of man over God's. The wisdom of man is pure foolishness to God. None of us should seek to be considered wise in man's ways and if we find ourselves longing to be touted as a wise person, let us seek forgiveness and choose only to long for the wisdom of God.
Destruction will come.
Desolation will come.
Anguish will come.
Agony will come.
Eternal death will come.
If you are not wise unto God, you will face terror unlike anything you've ever experienced. This is the truth and as much as people would love to believe that everyone in the world is automatically guaranteed eternal life, they're wrong.
People cannot deny their Creator and Redeemer then expect to be saved by Him.
People cannot reject their Creator and their Redeemer and expect to be accepted by Him.
I'm not talking about people who have denied and rejected God only to repent of their actions, but those who do not repent, those who never repent.
Too many people want to believe that God and His ways, God and His love, don't really matter beyond perhaps a half-hearted belief. Too many people do NOT have God as an integral part of their lives. God is an afterthought, not a forethought to way too many people. God is fit into a schedule rather than a schedule fit around God.
Where does God rank in your life? In your EVERYDAY life? Does God only rank in your weekly thoughts? Your monthly thought? Your yearly consideration? Is God REAL to you? If He isn't a real force in your life then it's truly time you get down on your knees - even if it's only mentally you are on those knees- and pray to God that He becomes real to you and then take steps to ensure He's there in your life by daily reading, daily studying, daily praying, daily praising, daily thanking your Lord and Savior, your God, your Creator. Left to our own devices we will not automatically choose to follow our Savior, why? Because of sin. We have to choose to follow God and choose daily to do so, not hope that automatically we will be His. God will NOT force us. God will NOT coerce us. God will wait for us. God will open His arms to us. God is there always for us to choose but He will not make the choice for us.
This is real, very, very real.
People will be saved and people will be lost. We choose our eternal destination it is NOT chosen for us.
May God help us to be wise unto salvation through our Lord and Savior. May we be among those who listen to the wisdom of God in reproofs, in chastisements, in any and all ways God chooses to open our eyes and our hearts to Him and His amazing LOVE.
Amen.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Placating our conscience
1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
The world knoweth us not.
This is such a very important statement.
The world didn't know Jesus. The world as a WHOLE did NOT know Jesus, they did not recognize Him for who He was. Did some know Jesus and believe in Him as the Son of God? Yes. Were they few in number? Yes.
Remember when Jesus fed five thousand with fish and loaves? How many of those He fed, how many of those that followed Him that day and listened to Him speak continued on with Him?
Read the whole story in John. Here is just a bit.
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Many of his disciples went back and walked NO MORE with Him. Over 5000 men, women, and children were fed just the day before and they followed Jesus from one place to another, across a sea. They saw Him perform MIRACLES, they ate of a miracle. Bread and fish they took into their mouths was brought into existence supernaturally. And yet when it came right down to the nitty gritty, whether or not they truly believed Jesus was God's Son, sent from the Father God they worshipped, they folded. They were all set to accept Jesus as a man just like themselves with special powers- a magician of sorts but as the true Son of God- this they couldn't accept. Unable to accept Jesus for who He really was they left, all but the 12 disciples left Him and He asked them if they were going to go away too.
Today MANY follow Jesus but how many people truly, truly love Him. How many will keep following Him when that LAST spiritual call is made separating true disciples from false? We know the Lord will say to MANY the day of His return- 'I never knew you, get away from me.' And that MANY truly believe they are His followers, His disciples.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Not every one that says, Lord, Lord will be saved.
5000 people and none but the 12 disciples remained with Jesus.
The world didn't know Jesus.
The world won't know US who are the sons of God either.
1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
If the world knows you, if you are understood by the world, if you mesh with the world you might just want to ask yourself why. If you care more for the world and life here and now, if you care more for yourself than any other, you have to ask yourself if you truly know Jesus, if you truly believe in Him and all He stands for. We are good at fooling ourselves. We are masters of placating our conscience. We love the darkness enveloping us because it hides our sins from us. We don't want to see our filthiness, we'd much rather pretend we are wearing pure white garments unspotted from any stain of sin. As long as we continue to keep the spiritual blinders on our eyes we can count ourselves among those who believe we are Jesus' and will cry out Lord, Lord, only to have Him tell us He never knew us. If we strip off the spiritual blinders and understand that this world and its sinfulness is not something we want to know us, we just might be able to see our sin-filled state and truly understand our need to be saved by the grace of our Lord.
The world knoweth us not--
-- because it knew Him not.
By the grace of my Savior may I NOT be known by the world, may I not be numbered with the world, may I not be among those who believe they know You, but don't. I long to be Yours, to be a 'son' of God, known of God. Please Lord… save me.
Amen.
The world knoweth us not.
This is such a very important statement.
The world didn't know Jesus. The world as a WHOLE did NOT know Jesus, they did not recognize Him for who He was. Did some know Jesus and believe in Him as the Son of God? Yes. Were they few in number? Yes.
Remember when Jesus fed five thousand with fish and loaves? How many of those He fed, how many of those that followed Him that day and listened to Him speak continued on with Him?
Read the whole story in John. Here is just a bit.
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Many of his disciples went back and walked NO MORE with Him. Over 5000 men, women, and children were fed just the day before and they followed Jesus from one place to another, across a sea. They saw Him perform MIRACLES, they ate of a miracle. Bread and fish they took into their mouths was brought into existence supernaturally. And yet when it came right down to the nitty gritty, whether or not they truly believed Jesus was God's Son, sent from the Father God they worshipped, they folded. They were all set to accept Jesus as a man just like themselves with special powers- a magician of sorts but as the true Son of God- this they couldn't accept. Unable to accept Jesus for who He really was they left, all but the 12 disciples left Him and He asked them if they were going to go away too.
Today MANY follow Jesus but how many people truly, truly love Him. How many will keep following Him when that LAST spiritual call is made separating true disciples from false? We know the Lord will say to MANY the day of His return- 'I never knew you, get away from me.' And that MANY truly believe they are His followers, His disciples.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Not every one that says, Lord, Lord will be saved.
5000 people and none but the 12 disciples remained with Jesus.
The world didn't know Jesus.
The world won't know US who are the sons of God either.
1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
If the world knows you, if you are understood by the world, if you mesh with the world you might just want to ask yourself why. If you care more for the world and life here and now, if you care more for yourself than any other, you have to ask yourself if you truly know Jesus, if you truly believe in Him and all He stands for. We are good at fooling ourselves. We are masters of placating our conscience. We love the darkness enveloping us because it hides our sins from us. We don't want to see our filthiness, we'd much rather pretend we are wearing pure white garments unspotted from any stain of sin. As long as we continue to keep the spiritual blinders on our eyes we can count ourselves among those who believe we are Jesus' and will cry out Lord, Lord, only to have Him tell us He never knew us. If we strip off the spiritual blinders and understand that this world and its sinfulness is not something we want to know us, we just might be able to see our sin-filled state and truly understand our need to be saved by the grace of our Lord.
The world knoweth us not--
-- because it knew Him not.
By the grace of my Savior may I NOT be known by the world, may I not be numbered with the world, may I not be among those who believe they know You, but don't. I long to be Yours, to be a 'son' of God, known of God. Please Lord… save me.
Amen.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Way Everlasting
Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Search me, O God
Know my heart.
Try me.
Know my thoughts.
See if there be ANY wicked way in me.
Lead me in the way everlasting.
This is my prayer! This is my plea!
Search me God!
If there is any wickedness in me- lead me in the way everlasting!!!
The way everlasting.
We might have wickedness in us, in fact it's almost guaranteed that we do have wickedness in us. If we didn't have any wickedness we'd be claiming perfection and while the Bible says in- Mat 5:48 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' The only way to that perfection is through our Savior- not through out own righteousness, not through any perfection in ourselves. The wickedness in us must be conquered as we are led in the way everlasting; that 'WAY' everlasting is our being conquerors through Christ our Lord and Savior.
The way everlasting--
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
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 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
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.
1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
There is so much hatred in the world.
There is so much self-serving.
We use the word hate and apply it to the infamously vile.
I still hear the voice of my mother saying- 'Never say you hate someone. Hate is a terrible word.'
My mother was right, hate is a terrible word and our world is full of haters. That's become a common word now, used as slang. The saying- 'They're just haters.' Meaning there are people who are jealous, people who don't like what you want to be acceptable. You're a hater if you disagree with someone's opinion, you're a hater if you say something contrary, you're a hater if you don't like someone.
We equate hating with not being loving, right? And as long as we DISLIKE and don't truly HATE, we don't classify ourselves among those who beyond the slang meaning, really hate other people. We pride ourselves on being able to say we DON'T hate anyone. A quick pat on our backs for our being able to keep from hating others feels good, doesn't it? Yet even as we take pride in our non-hating selves we are guilty of self-serving in that pride. And there is more hatred in selfishness than anywhere else. Sin entered Satan through selfishness.
Count the 'I's' in these verses--
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Five 'I's', FIVE!
Satan in pure selfishness wanted to ascend into heaven, he wanted to exalt his throne above the angels of God, he wanted to sit on God's mountain, he wanted to be above the clouds, and MOST selfishly- Satan wanted to be like the MOST HIGH!
Satan's self serving, Satan's selfishness brought sin into existence. Not being loving, but hating, is pure selfishness.
Pure wickedness - is pure selfishness.
Christ's way, the WAY everlasting is pure unselfishness!
God is love and over and over it is emphasized that love is selfless and we too need to have that selfless love- by the grace and mercy of our Savior may we follow the WAY everlasting and become selfless as He is selfless.
Amen!
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Search me, O God
Know my heart.
Try me.
Know my thoughts.
See if there be ANY wicked way in me.
Lead me in the way everlasting.
This is my prayer! This is my plea!
Search me God!
If there is any wickedness in me- lead me in the way everlasting!!!
The way everlasting.
We might have wickedness in us, in fact it's almost guaranteed that we do have wickedness in us. If we didn't have any wickedness we'd be claiming perfection and while the Bible says in- Mat 5:48 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' The only way to that perfection is through our Savior- not through out own righteousness, not through any perfection in ourselves. The wickedness in us must be conquered as we are led in the way everlasting; that 'WAY' everlasting is our being conquerors through Christ our Lord and Savior.
The way everlasting--
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
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 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
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.
1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
There is so much hatred in the world.
There is so much self-serving.
We use the word hate and apply it to the infamously vile.
I still hear the voice of my mother saying- 'Never say you hate someone. Hate is a terrible word.'
My mother was right, hate is a terrible word and our world is full of haters. That's become a common word now, used as slang. The saying- 'They're just haters.' Meaning there are people who are jealous, people who don't like what you want to be acceptable. You're a hater if you disagree with someone's opinion, you're a hater if you say something contrary, you're a hater if you don't like someone.
We equate hating with not being loving, right? And as long as we DISLIKE and don't truly HATE, we don't classify ourselves among those who beyond the slang meaning, really hate other people. We pride ourselves on being able to say we DON'T hate anyone. A quick pat on our backs for our being able to keep from hating others feels good, doesn't it? Yet even as we take pride in our non-hating selves we are guilty of self-serving in that pride. And there is more hatred in selfishness than anywhere else. Sin entered Satan through selfishness.
Count the 'I's' in these verses--
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Five 'I's', FIVE!
Satan in pure selfishness wanted to ascend into heaven, he wanted to exalt his throne above the angels of God, he wanted to sit on God's mountain, he wanted to be above the clouds, and MOST selfishly- Satan wanted to be like the MOST HIGH!
Satan's self serving, Satan's selfishness brought sin into existence. Not being loving, but hating, is pure selfishness.
Pure wickedness - is pure selfishness.
Christ's way, the WAY everlasting is pure unselfishness!
God is love and over and over it is emphasized that love is selfless and we too need to have that selfless love- by the grace and mercy of our Savior may we follow the WAY everlasting and become selfless as He is selfless.
Amen!
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Lord will deal with the leeches.
Pro 30:15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
A leech only wants more, right? When someone is called a leech it is in a derogatory manner, meaning they are taking and taking, not giving. A leech wants someone to give, right? A leech lives off another. When I say, 'He's nothing but a leech.' I mean that all he does is take from me. When this verse says 'The horseleach hath two daughters, crying Give, give' we are being told that a taker breeds takers. Seriously, the desire to be given more and more, living to be given is truly the epitome of being unable to ever be satisfied.
If you live only to get things you will NEVER be satisfied, it's impossible. You will never be given enough, you can never be given enough because you are LIVING to get things.
There are FOUR things that are never satisfied-
Pro 30:16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
1) The grave-
- death is never ending.
In the world each day approximately --
156 thousand die .
Pasted from
That's one hundred and fifty six THOUSAND people dying EVERY DAY. The grave most assuredly is NOT satisfied. The grave will NEVER be satisfied- not until death is done away with once and for all by our Savior!
2)The barren womb-
- many, many, many women LONG to have children when they are barren. Many go to great lengths to get pregnant, spending their life savings to do so. Some have their barrenness derange them and they murder to get a baby trying to pass that baby off as their own. There is a medical condition or rather a psychological condition that affects some barren women where they actually believe they are pregnant but aren't- yet their bodies even begin to take on the characteristics of one pregnant. Being barren is truly never having the satisfaction of bearing a child- the emptiness of the womb is endlessly felt.
3) The earth that is not filled with water-
-dry earth, have you ever poured water onto dry dirt? What happens? The dirt absorbs the water quickly. You could keep pouring water all day on the desert and it would NEVER be satisfied.
4) Fire-
-we all know that fire will consume everything it can, as long as it can. A fire is never, ever satisfied until it has consumed all it can - ask any firefighter about the voracity of fire.
Four things that will NEVER be satisfied.
And the prelude to those is talk of a leech and it's continuing line of its kind always wanting to be given, never giving.
We've all heard these words--
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.
Give.
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.
Give His life.
Luk 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
Luk 21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
Luk 21:3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
Luk 21:4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
Giving all she had.
Luk 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
Luk 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Give light.
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Seeking nothing carnal above our Savior. We do NOT cry out 'Give to us, give to us!' seeking temporal gain.
Our only cry give us the kingdom of our Savior!
Act 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
BLESSED to GIVE!
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Ye gave meat.
Ye gave clothes.
Ye gave drink.
Ye gave a home.
Ye gave your company.
GAVE.
GIVE.
There will always be those who need us to give to them.
There will always be those who will want to be given to wrongly.
Should those who, like the leech, be our concern? Should the leech stop us from giving through worry we are giving to leeches? NO. We are to give and our Lord will deal with the leeches.
And it is NO shame to be one of those who need to be given to, to be in need. The Lord also said the poor would be with us always. If you genuinely are in need and MANY of us are there is no shame in that, none, you are a BLESSING to those who are able to give.
We must give, not seek gain.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever and ever!
Amen.
A leech only wants more, right? When someone is called a leech it is in a derogatory manner, meaning they are taking and taking, not giving. A leech wants someone to give, right? A leech lives off another. When I say, 'He's nothing but a leech.' I mean that all he does is take from me. When this verse says 'The horseleach hath two daughters, crying Give, give' we are being told that a taker breeds takers. Seriously, the desire to be given more and more, living to be given is truly the epitome of being unable to ever be satisfied.
If you live only to get things you will NEVER be satisfied, it's impossible. You will never be given enough, you can never be given enough because you are LIVING to get things.
There are FOUR things that are never satisfied-
Pro 30:16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
1) The grave-
- death is never ending.
In the world each day approximately --
156 thousand die .
Pasted from
That's one hundred and fifty six THOUSAND people dying EVERY DAY. The grave most assuredly is NOT satisfied. The grave will NEVER be satisfied- not until death is done away with once and for all by our Savior!
2)The barren womb-
- many, many, many women LONG to have children when they are barren. Many go to great lengths to get pregnant, spending their life savings to do so. Some have their barrenness derange them and they murder to get a baby trying to pass that baby off as their own. There is a medical condition or rather a psychological condition that affects some barren women where they actually believe they are pregnant but aren't- yet their bodies even begin to take on the characteristics of one pregnant. Being barren is truly never having the satisfaction of bearing a child- the emptiness of the womb is endlessly felt.
3) The earth that is not filled with water-
-dry earth, have you ever poured water onto dry dirt? What happens? The dirt absorbs the water quickly. You could keep pouring water all day on the desert and it would NEVER be satisfied.
4) Fire-
-we all know that fire will consume everything it can, as long as it can. A fire is never, ever satisfied until it has consumed all it can - ask any firefighter about the voracity of fire.
Four things that will NEVER be satisfied.
And the prelude to those is talk of a leech and it's continuing line of its kind always wanting to be given, never giving.
We've all heard these words--
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.
Give.
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.
Give His life.
Luk 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
Luk 21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
Luk 21:3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
Luk 21:4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
Giving all she had.
Luk 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
Luk 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Give light.
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Seeking nothing carnal above our Savior. We do NOT cry out 'Give to us, give to us!' seeking temporal gain.
Our only cry give us the kingdom of our Savior!
Act 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
BLESSED to GIVE!
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Ye gave meat.
Ye gave clothes.
Ye gave drink.
Ye gave a home.
Ye gave your company.
GAVE.
GIVE.
There will always be those who need us to give to them.
There will always be those who will want to be given to wrongly.
Should those who, like the leech, be our concern? Should the leech stop us from giving through worry we are giving to leeches? NO. We are to give and our Lord will deal with the leeches.
And it is NO shame to be one of those who need to be given to, to be in need. The Lord also said the poor would be with us always. If you genuinely are in need and MANY of us are there is no shame in that, none, you are a BLESSING to those who are able to give.
We must give, not seek gain.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever and ever!
Amen.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Light
1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
God is light.
There is NO darkness in God at all!
Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Psa 104:2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain
Covers Himself with light as with a garment- clothed with honor and majesty.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Truly, beyond the word light meaning mental enlightenment, it means- light - physical illumination. Physical light and mental understanding. Light truly does reveal life around us. Have someone blindfold you and lead you to an undisclosed location. Once there have them keep you in darkness but take your blindfold off. Being in complete darkness you have NO clue what is surrounding you. You don't know if you take a step forward if you'll trip over something, bump into something, fall into something, you're clueless. Darkness hides our surroundings. Once we are used to living in the light, used to using light to know what is around us, dependent upon the light to keep us from the harm darkness can bring, it's very difficult to be told you must live in darkness. People who live sin-filled lives often long for darkness to hide what they're doing. Physically no one wishes to be totally blind, even the blind wish for ways to reverse that blindness. Spiritually there are many who love being blind-
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Sin brings darkness. Sin destroys the light. When we choose to walk in darkness we choose to walk in sin. Choosing to walk in light is to walk in the glory of God, in the path that God wills us to walk in Him.
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We have to walk in the way of God- not sinning. Even then we cannot declare ourselves to be sinless because we don't have that power in us. We have to confess our sins to our Savior and He will forgive us and cleanse us.
Man before choosing salvation cannot be saved without accepting Jesus as his Savior. Man cannot WORK to save himself- not now, not ever.
Man after accepting salvation must live a life that glorifies the salvation he has received- his life will reflect the glory of God, he must walk in the light of God.
Man walks in darkness before Salvation- spiritual darkness and they can NEVER walk in the Spiritual light of our Savior without first making Him their Savior.
If we choose to walk in darkness after we have been saved, we don't really walk in the light of Christ, we are not living a life in Christ and if we are not living a life in Christ- the blood of our Savior cannot cleanse us from our sins.
Our works will not save us, but we know for a fact that faith without works is dead. Is it sad so many who become Christians - truly accepting the sacrifice of our Lord- turn around and continue to live the same sin-filled life. They don't fully understand that their new faith will have new works resulting from that faith- they don't want to 'work' for their salvation they claim, but that's not what is meant at all by being saved by grace not of works. Their new works will be a life in the light of Christ, living as He lived, loving as He would have us love, not living a life of sinning because He did not sin. We have to walk in the light- live in the light, if we are living in darkness and our lives are filled with sin we KNOW we are not walking in the light. We have to confess those sins, we have to repent of those sins, we have to go and sin no more as we actively seek to live in Christ's light through His grace.
All glory, praise, and honor to our King!
By His mercy now and forever!
Amen.
God is light.
There is NO darkness in God at all!
Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Psa 104:2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain
Covers Himself with light as with a garment- clothed with honor and majesty.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Truly, beyond the word light meaning mental enlightenment, it means- light - physical illumination. Physical light and mental understanding. Light truly does reveal life around us. Have someone blindfold you and lead you to an undisclosed location. Once there have them keep you in darkness but take your blindfold off. Being in complete darkness you have NO clue what is surrounding you. You don't know if you take a step forward if you'll trip over something, bump into something, fall into something, you're clueless. Darkness hides our surroundings. Once we are used to living in the light, used to using light to know what is around us, dependent upon the light to keep us from the harm darkness can bring, it's very difficult to be told you must live in darkness. People who live sin-filled lives often long for darkness to hide what they're doing. Physically no one wishes to be totally blind, even the blind wish for ways to reverse that blindness. Spiritually there are many who love being blind-
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Sin brings darkness. Sin destroys the light. When we choose to walk in darkness we choose to walk in sin. Choosing to walk in light is to walk in the glory of God, in the path that God wills us to walk in Him.
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We have to walk in the way of God- not sinning. Even then we cannot declare ourselves to be sinless because we don't have that power in us. We have to confess our sins to our Savior and He will forgive us and cleanse us.
Man before choosing salvation cannot be saved without accepting Jesus as his Savior. Man cannot WORK to save himself- not now, not ever.
Man after accepting salvation must live a life that glorifies the salvation he has received- his life will reflect the glory of God, he must walk in the light of God.
Man walks in darkness before Salvation- spiritual darkness and they can NEVER walk in the Spiritual light of our Savior without first making Him their Savior.
If we choose to walk in darkness after we have been saved, we don't really walk in the light of Christ, we are not living a life in Christ and if we are not living a life in Christ- the blood of our Savior cannot cleanse us from our sins.
Our works will not save us, but we know for a fact that faith without works is dead. Is it sad so many who become Christians - truly accepting the sacrifice of our Lord- turn around and continue to live the same sin-filled life. They don't fully understand that their new faith will have new works resulting from that faith- they don't want to 'work' for their salvation they claim, but that's not what is meant at all by being saved by grace not of works. Their new works will be a life in the light of Christ, living as He lived, loving as He would have us love, not living a life of sinning because He did not sin. We have to walk in the light- live in the light, if we are living in darkness and our lives are filled with sin we KNOW we are not walking in the light. We have to confess those sins, we have to repent of those sins, we have to go and sin no more as we actively seek to live in Christ's light through His grace.
All glory, praise, and honor to our King!
By His mercy now and forever!
Amen.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Simple concerning evil
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Rom 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Being among contention is never pleasant, or at least it isn't pleasant to me. Would I knowingly put myself among those who only wish to cause division and offense ? I hope not. Some consider jumping into the fray of witnessing about their beliefs a noble thing. Some could careless what others think and long for the fight just to be able to say they stood up for their beliefs. It is a good thing to be able to stand up for what you believe in, but it's not a good thing to purposely insert yourself into a situation where you know others have already decided against your beliefs. For them to have decided against your beliefs they most likely have had enough information to make that decision - the witness was already given to them, maybe not by you but by others. Am I saying we shouldn't witness? No. Our lives are to be a living witness to others. To purposely try to incite those who choose not to believe as you do is NEVER a good thing.
Here Paul is beseeching his brethren in Christ telling them to MARK- to take note of - those who cause divisions, those who commit offenses that are against the truths they have learned. Why is Paul telling them to make note of these people? So they can AVOID them. Not so they can continue to witness to them. AVOID.
Webster's terms Avoid as follows--
Avoid
AVOID', v.t. [Eng. side, void, widow; L. vidua, vito, evito. See Void.]
To shun; to keep at a distance from; that is, literally, to go or be wide from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters.
~~
Shun them, keep away from them. That doesn't sound very Christian like, but it is. There will ALWAYS be those opposed to our Savior, opposed to Christ's way, opposed to the truth and we aren't to put ourselves purposely into situation with them thinking by some miraculous way they'll suddenly convert. If we happen to find ourselves in that situation that's a different thing but to purposely enter into a situation of contention with those who have already had access to learning the truths of Christ is us only asking for trouble.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
They serve their own belly…
Belly-
G2836
koilia
koy-lee'-ah
From κοῖλος koilos (“hollow”); a cavity, that is, (specifically) the abdomen; by implication the matrix; figuratively the heart: - belly, womb.
They serve their OWN heart, their own desires and not Christ's. Whenever any one of us serves ourselves before we serve Christ we are in danger. We need to avoid those whose only concern is themselves. We need to avoid those who speak eloquently in deception pointing other away from Christ.
I've had the opportunity to catch a few- not many, but a few- late night Christian television programs - watching bits of them and I was saddened to listen to these VERY eloquent people using Christ's name to support self-serving, self-advancement, self-wealth, self-love. They twist things to make them appealing to those who want to put self first and have an advantage in life through their pretended, and deceptive walks with Christ. Many love to listen to these preachers, they absolutely LOVE them because they placate them that they are fine and walking in God's plan by being prosperous and serving themselves first and foremost. God will grant them riches, God will bless them if they follow simple rules. There is nothing in their sermons about adhering to the 10 sacred commandments of God, and if they are mentioned it's only to subvert their true meaning to make them more acceptable to the sinners who want to keep on sinning and still be saved. Men and women everywhere are deceived- the hearts of the simple are deceived! We are NOT to put ourselves into situations that are contrary to the truths we've learned of our Lord and Savior. We are NOT to tempt God that way. And it is tempting God to do something He clearly would have us not do and expect Him to keep us from being deceived. We have to FOLLOW God, not test Him. If we find ourselves in a bad situation without purposely seeking that bad situation- yes, God will protect us. But we can't 'throw ourselves down off a wall' figuratively, any more than Jesus could when He was tempted to do so.
Rom 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Wise unto that which is good.
Simple concerning evil.
God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us.
Wise unto that which is good.
Simple concerning evil.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
We aren't to think on the evil things. Evil surrounds us daily in many, many forms but we need to think on the good things, be wise to the good- whatsoever is TRUE, HONEST,JUST,PURE,LOVELY, GOOD REPORT, VIRTUE, PRAISE- think on these things.
If we spent more time in our day to day lives seeking to think about the good things do you think our lives would be different?
Too often our minds focus on the evil things. I'm not saying we are to be UNAWARE of the signs of the times around us- we must be. I'm not saying we aren't to note the evil in the world, we have to. I'm not saying that we can't be concerned about Satan and his deceptive way- we have to watch and be ready. But we have to WATCH not study , not participate in, not delve deeply into the evil. We are to note the evil and be *simple* concerning the evil- not absorbing it into our lives. We are to be WISE to the good. We are to knowledgeable, we are to study, we are to participate in, we are to delve very deeply into the good things of God.
It's so much easier to be caught up in the depressive sickness of our corrupt, very evil world, than it is to find the good in this horrifically evil existence. If we keep Christ ever before us that means keeping the good before us, the salvation that is found with our Savior is the most wondrous thing we can be wise towards. The righteousness of Christ, not the hopelessness of self-salvation should be our focus.
Satan is defeated! Praise God! All the evil works of Satan are defeated. The head of the serpent will be cut off soon and death will be swallowed up in the victory of Christ, our Lord, our Savior!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Rom 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Being among contention is never pleasant, or at least it isn't pleasant to me. Would I knowingly put myself among those who only wish to cause division and offense ? I hope not. Some consider jumping into the fray of witnessing about their beliefs a noble thing. Some could careless what others think and long for the fight just to be able to say they stood up for their beliefs. It is a good thing to be able to stand up for what you believe in, but it's not a good thing to purposely insert yourself into a situation where you know others have already decided against your beliefs. For them to have decided against your beliefs they most likely have had enough information to make that decision - the witness was already given to them, maybe not by you but by others. Am I saying we shouldn't witness? No. Our lives are to be a living witness to others. To purposely try to incite those who choose not to believe as you do is NEVER a good thing.
Here Paul is beseeching his brethren in Christ telling them to MARK- to take note of - those who cause divisions, those who commit offenses that are against the truths they have learned. Why is Paul telling them to make note of these people? So they can AVOID them. Not so they can continue to witness to them. AVOID.
Webster's terms Avoid as follows--
Avoid
AVOID', v.t. [Eng. side, void, widow; L. vidua, vito, evito. See Void.]
To shun; to keep at a distance from; that is, literally, to go or be wide from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters.
~~
Shun them, keep away from them. That doesn't sound very Christian like, but it is. There will ALWAYS be those opposed to our Savior, opposed to Christ's way, opposed to the truth and we aren't to put ourselves purposely into situation with them thinking by some miraculous way they'll suddenly convert. If we happen to find ourselves in that situation that's a different thing but to purposely enter into a situation of contention with those who have already had access to learning the truths of Christ is us only asking for trouble.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
They serve their own belly…
Belly-
G2836
koilia
koy-lee'-ah
From κοῖλος koilos (“hollow”); a cavity, that is, (specifically) the abdomen; by implication the matrix; figuratively the heart: - belly, womb.
They serve their OWN heart, their own desires and not Christ's. Whenever any one of us serves ourselves before we serve Christ we are in danger. We need to avoid those whose only concern is themselves. We need to avoid those who speak eloquently in deception pointing other away from Christ.
I've had the opportunity to catch a few- not many, but a few- late night Christian television programs - watching bits of them and I was saddened to listen to these VERY eloquent people using Christ's name to support self-serving, self-advancement, self-wealth, self-love. They twist things to make them appealing to those who want to put self first and have an advantage in life through their pretended, and deceptive walks with Christ. Many love to listen to these preachers, they absolutely LOVE them because they placate them that they are fine and walking in God's plan by being prosperous and serving themselves first and foremost. God will grant them riches, God will bless them if they follow simple rules. There is nothing in their sermons about adhering to the 10 sacred commandments of God, and if they are mentioned it's only to subvert their true meaning to make them more acceptable to the sinners who want to keep on sinning and still be saved. Men and women everywhere are deceived- the hearts of the simple are deceived! We are NOT to put ourselves into situations that are contrary to the truths we've learned of our Lord and Savior. We are NOT to tempt God that way. And it is tempting God to do something He clearly would have us not do and expect Him to keep us from being deceived. We have to FOLLOW God, not test Him. If we find ourselves in a bad situation without purposely seeking that bad situation- yes, God will protect us. But we can't 'throw ourselves down off a wall' figuratively, any more than Jesus could when He was tempted to do so.
Rom 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Wise unto that which is good.
Simple concerning evil.
God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us.
Wise unto that which is good.
Simple concerning evil.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
We aren't to think on the evil things. Evil surrounds us daily in many, many forms but we need to think on the good things, be wise to the good- whatsoever is TRUE, HONEST,JUST,PURE,LOVELY, GOOD REPORT, VIRTUE, PRAISE- think on these things.
If we spent more time in our day to day lives seeking to think about the good things do you think our lives would be different?
Too often our minds focus on the evil things. I'm not saying we are to be UNAWARE of the signs of the times around us- we must be. I'm not saying we aren't to note the evil in the world, we have to. I'm not saying that we can't be concerned about Satan and his deceptive way- we have to watch and be ready. But we have to WATCH not study , not participate in, not delve deeply into the evil. We are to note the evil and be *simple* concerning the evil- not absorbing it into our lives. We are to be WISE to the good. We are to knowledgeable, we are to study, we are to participate in, we are to delve very deeply into the good things of God.
It's so much easier to be caught up in the depressive sickness of our corrupt, very evil world, than it is to find the good in this horrifically evil existence. If we keep Christ ever before us that means keeping the good before us, the salvation that is found with our Savior is the most wondrous thing we can be wise towards. The righteousness of Christ, not the hopelessness of self-salvation should be our focus.
Satan is defeated! Praise God! All the evil works of Satan are defeated. The head of the serpent will be cut off soon and death will be swallowed up in the victory of Christ, our Lord, our Savior!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Borrowed Armor
Borrowed Armor-
Saul wanted David to wear His armor to fight Goliath. David had no armor of his own, being a simple shepherd he had no need to wear armor. Imagine it, David, a simple shepherd conversing with the king of Israel being told he could wear the king's armor- in fact the king put his own helmet of brass upon David's head and he had him put on his coat of mail. Then David picked up the king's sword and put it on the armor and then what did he do? He looked at the king of Israel himself and told him that he could not wear the king's armor. He could not accept this honor bestowed upon him.
1Sa 17:38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
1Sa 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
David was no awestruck shepherd boy cowering under his king's gaze as he took off the armor the king put on him. Here he was ready to face the most fearful of all Philistine warriors- a warrior that NO other in all of the Israeli army would dare to face. In fact for a whole 40 days Goliath- the Philistine champion- offered the Philistine army to the one who could defeat him. No Israeli warrior dared take up the challenge- because the price if he lost was the surrender of the Israeli army.
1Sa 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
1Sa 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
1Sa 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
What a challenge! One no Israeli solider following Saul would answer- they were too afraid.
1Sa 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
The king himself was VERY afraid.
Just imagine it- 40 days. A month and ten days, almost six weeks, day in and day out Goliath came to taunt the men in Saul's army. This was a standoff between two armies with one army giving a challenge for the other to meet.
Then along comes a shepherd boy. A SHEPHERD BOY. This shepherd boy wants to face this giant, he wants to answer the challenge and what is the king's reaction?
1Sa 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
You can't do this, you're too young, you're not a warrior, the king told him and David didn't back down. Instead David recounted his experience as a shepherd slaying a lion and a bear. And David did not boast to himself at all! David boasted of GOD. The LORD, he says, delivered him from the lion and from the bear. David knew that of his own strength he couldn't have defeated either the lion or the bear but God delivered Him from both. God saved Him. And if God could save him from vicious, man-eating animals he could deliver him from a human who defied the living God. David knew on his own he could NEVER defeat the giant, never. All the men of Saul's army were thinking not of God but of their own strength and they knew they didn't have the strength or skill to defeat Goliath. David knew he didn't have the strength or the skill either- but GOD had both!
1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
David didn't need to borrow Saul's armor to fight, he had God's armor.
We are told to have armor, aren't we?
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God...
We DO need to borrow armor don't we? Seriously, don't we? We are to borrow God's armor!
We aren't told to put on a mastersmith's armor. We aren't told to go to the local Army Thrift store and pick up some used armor. We aren't told to craft our own armor. We are told plainly to PUT on the whole armor of GOD.
Was David garbed in God's armor when He faced Goliath?
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
David was living in God's truth.
David was living in God's righteousness- not his own.
David was living in God's peace.
David had the shield of faith in God, of that there is NO doubt.
David wore the salvation of God.
David's spiritual sword truly was the Spirit of God and David did pray!
David did not wear his own armor to face Goliath, but he did wear the spiritual armor of God.
We aren't coming face to face with a Goliath- at least most of us aren't- but we ALL come face to face with principalities, with powers, with rulers of the darkness of this world, with spiritual wickedness in high places. No flesh and blood foe here for us (again, most of us) but spiritually wicked flesh, spiritually wicked blood- is it any wonder Christ offered us His spiritual flesh and His spiritual blood to defeat the spiritual wickedness in life. We are to eat His spiritual flesh and drink His spiritual blood- not his real flesh nor his real blood. When we eat and drink of Him we are taking on His Spirituality and it is ONLY His Spirituality that can defeat the wicked spirituality surrounding us. We must put on GOD'S spiritual armor- we must BORROW this armor from God. We must borrow it indefinitely until the spiritual warfare that exists - exists no more. It's not armor of our own making we can't save ourselves, we can't protect ourselves, we have to rely on God to do it ALL! The most we can do is PUT ON the armor- choose to wear God's armor. Choose God.
By His amazing mercy and grace always may we choose to borrow His armor!
Amen.
Saul wanted David to wear His armor to fight Goliath. David had no armor of his own, being a simple shepherd he had no need to wear armor. Imagine it, David, a simple shepherd conversing with the king of Israel being told he could wear the king's armor- in fact the king put his own helmet of brass upon David's head and he had him put on his coat of mail. Then David picked up the king's sword and put it on the armor and then what did he do? He looked at the king of Israel himself and told him that he could not wear the king's armor. He could not accept this honor bestowed upon him.
1Sa 17:38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
1Sa 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
David was no awestruck shepherd boy cowering under his king's gaze as he took off the armor the king put on him. Here he was ready to face the most fearful of all Philistine warriors- a warrior that NO other in all of the Israeli army would dare to face. In fact for a whole 40 days Goliath- the Philistine champion- offered the Philistine army to the one who could defeat him. No Israeli warrior dared take up the challenge- because the price if he lost was the surrender of the Israeli army.
1Sa 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
1Sa 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
1Sa 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
What a challenge! One no Israeli solider following Saul would answer- they were too afraid.
1Sa 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
The king himself was VERY afraid.
Just imagine it- 40 days. A month and ten days, almost six weeks, day in and day out Goliath came to taunt the men in Saul's army. This was a standoff between two armies with one army giving a challenge for the other to meet.
Then along comes a shepherd boy. A SHEPHERD BOY. This shepherd boy wants to face this giant, he wants to answer the challenge and what is the king's reaction?
1Sa 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
You can't do this, you're too young, you're not a warrior, the king told him and David didn't back down. Instead David recounted his experience as a shepherd slaying a lion and a bear. And David did not boast to himself at all! David boasted of GOD. The LORD, he says, delivered him from the lion and from the bear. David knew that of his own strength he couldn't have defeated either the lion or the bear but God delivered Him from both. God saved Him. And if God could save him from vicious, man-eating animals he could deliver him from a human who defied the living God. David knew on his own he could NEVER defeat the giant, never. All the men of Saul's army were thinking not of God but of their own strength and they knew they didn't have the strength or skill to defeat Goliath. David knew he didn't have the strength or the skill either- but GOD had both!
1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
David didn't need to borrow Saul's armor to fight, he had God's armor.
We are told to have armor, aren't we?
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God...
We DO need to borrow armor don't we? Seriously, don't we? We are to borrow God's armor!
We aren't told to put on a mastersmith's armor. We aren't told to go to the local Army Thrift store and pick up some used armor. We aren't told to craft our own armor. We are told plainly to PUT on the whole armor of GOD.
Was David garbed in God's armor when He faced Goliath?
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
David was living in God's truth.
David was living in God's righteousness- not his own.
David was living in God's peace.
David had the shield of faith in God, of that there is NO doubt.
David wore the salvation of God.
David's spiritual sword truly was the Spirit of God and David did pray!
David did not wear his own armor to face Goliath, but he did wear the spiritual armor of God.
We aren't coming face to face with a Goliath- at least most of us aren't- but we ALL come face to face with principalities, with powers, with rulers of the darkness of this world, with spiritual wickedness in high places. No flesh and blood foe here for us (again, most of us) but spiritually wicked flesh, spiritually wicked blood- is it any wonder Christ offered us His spiritual flesh and His spiritual blood to defeat the spiritual wickedness in life. We are to eat His spiritual flesh and drink His spiritual blood- not his real flesh nor his real blood. When we eat and drink of Him we are taking on His Spirituality and it is ONLY His Spirituality that can defeat the wicked spirituality surrounding us. We must put on GOD'S spiritual armor- we must BORROW this armor from God. We must borrow it indefinitely until the spiritual warfare that exists - exists no more. It's not armor of our own making we can't save ourselves, we can't protect ourselves, we have to rely on God to do it ALL! The most we can do is PUT ON the armor- choose to wear God's armor. Choose God.
By His amazing mercy and grace always may we choose to borrow His armor!
Amen.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Overcoming the World
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Overcoming the world.
G3528
nikaō
nik-ah'-o
From G3529; to subdue (literally or figuratively): - conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory.
Conquering the world.
Prevailing against the world.
Getting the victory over the world.
The world is our enemy. You only need to conquer an enemy. You only need to prevail against opposition. You only get victory when there is something to be victorious over, something to win and if something is won it's a given that something is lost. The world is the loser.
Our enemy, our opposition- the world.
A never ending battle is what we exist in. The war is raging on and the casualties are mounting even though the battle has been won.
Just recently during a study it was mentioned that on the cross the victory was won- Satan's head was crushed- the 'death blow' was given and yet Satan is still alive. Satan truly is the living-dead. Satan was defeated at the cross there is NO denying that, however until Jesus comes and the millennium passes Satan will live. The person giving the study made a good point using David and Goliath. A lot of people think that Goliath was killed by the stone that David threw from His sling but that's not true. The stone gave the death blow- incapacitating Goliath but it was David cutting off Goliath's head that finished him off. Cutting off a head doesn't make for a good children's story though- at least it didn't when I was a child. As a child the stories I heard were of David and his sling, the stone killing Goliath. I didn't see any pictures in my books of David cutting off Goliath's head, not a single one and yet that's what killed Goliath.
In Genesis 3:15 the prophecy is given- Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Hatred would exist between Satan and God's people. Hatred would exist between the seed of Satan and the Seed of God's people. The Seed of God's people would bruise the head of Satan, but Satan would only bruise the heel of the Seed of God's people.
Satan had Jesus- the Seed of God's people killed yet Jesus by the power of the Father was raised from the dead. Jesus has bruised Satan's head- the death blow has been given to Satan and all that remains is to cut off his head.
People wonder why God has allowed Satan to rule so long after Jesus won the victory at the cross. To everyone that has wondered and to everyone that continues to wonder- just their being alive and in a position to wonder, to question God is the answer. You and I, are the answer and it's not for some sadistic purpose on God's part. The entire story of our existence if put in some fantasy movie would have us cheering for the heroes- God's people, the good guys. We would watch this movie with fascination as these humans were brought to life and then fell from grace through the help of an enemy of the Creator. We would see them struggling to survive as this enemy infects as many people as he can trying to destroy all of mankind. We'd watch as the Savior was brought into the world and killed by the enemy- only to be brought back to life- winning! Then we'd be able to see the world continuing on and on as the enemy who has been defeated tries to take as many humans with him as possible. Ultimately we'd come to the grand finale where the enemy is wiped from existence and the good guys win by the victory of their Savior. What a fascinating move that would be- in fact people have used the theme countless times. There is an end to this existence, we are living in this story. Every single person has their part to play and in time it will all play out. Why this has gone on so long is because we are ALL precious to our Savior. We are all in this world able to wonder at all by the grace of our King. How can we debate our own existence? We can't, not really would wouldn't exist by our own logic. And if we really can't debate our existence we can't debate anyone else's. Each person that is born deserves life as much as we do, they deserve to exist.
Overcoming this world is a fact of our existence. Or rather a fact of the existence to those who wish to follow their Creator, their Redeemer. Those who choose to be friends with the world and not fight, not long to overcome the world ruled by Satan, won't. In fact the lovers of this world are in league with Satan and he will use them against us in any way he can.
This is a real war and though people might want to believe it's crazy to' believe' it's true and only wackos believe then those same people must classify Jesus as a wacko as well. Jesus didn't belong to this world and time and time again I know I touch on this point, but I can't help but do so.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
We overcome this world through our Savior and ONLY through our Savior.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Belief in our Savior. Faith in the Son of God and HIS victory on our behalf.
Let us cling to our Savior and live for Him, not for the world, not for anything in this world except for Christ and those who are His.
In His love!
Amen.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Overcoming the world.
G3528
nikaō
nik-ah'-o
From G3529; to subdue (literally or figuratively): - conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory.
Conquering the world.
Prevailing against the world.
Getting the victory over the world.
The world is our enemy. You only need to conquer an enemy. You only need to prevail against opposition. You only get victory when there is something to be victorious over, something to win and if something is won it's a given that something is lost. The world is the loser.
Our enemy, our opposition- the world.
A never ending battle is what we exist in. The war is raging on and the casualties are mounting even though the battle has been won.
Just recently during a study it was mentioned that on the cross the victory was won- Satan's head was crushed- the 'death blow' was given and yet Satan is still alive. Satan truly is the living-dead. Satan was defeated at the cross there is NO denying that, however until Jesus comes and the millennium passes Satan will live. The person giving the study made a good point using David and Goliath. A lot of people think that Goliath was killed by the stone that David threw from His sling but that's not true. The stone gave the death blow- incapacitating Goliath but it was David cutting off Goliath's head that finished him off. Cutting off a head doesn't make for a good children's story though- at least it didn't when I was a child. As a child the stories I heard were of David and his sling, the stone killing Goliath. I didn't see any pictures in my books of David cutting off Goliath's head, not a single one and yet that's what killed Goliath.
In Genesis 3:15 the prophecy is given- Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Hatred would exist between Satan and God's people. Hatred would exist between the seed of Satan and the Seed of God's people. The Seed of God's people would bruise the head of Satan, but Satan would only bruise the heel of the Seed of God's people.
Satan had Jesus- the Seed of God's people killed yet Jesus by the power of the Father was raised from the dead. Jesus has bruised Satan's head- the death blow has been given to Satan and all that remains is to cut off his head.
People wonder why God has allowed Satan to rule so long after Jesus won the victory at the cross. To everyone that has wondered and to everyone that continues to wonder- just their being alive and in a position to wonder, to question God is the answer. You and I, are the answer and it's not for some sadistic purpose on God's part. The entire story of our existence if put in some fantasy movie would have us cheering for the heroes- God's people, the good guys. We would watch this movie with fascination as these humans were brought to life and then fell from grace through the help of an enemy of the Creator. We would see them struggling to survive as this enemy infects as many people as he can trying to destroy all of mankind. We'd watch as the Savior was brought into the world and killed by the enemy- only to be brought back to life- winning! Then we'd be able to see the world continuing on and on as the enemy who has been defeated tries to take as many humans with him as possible. Ultimately we'd come to the grand finale where the enemy is wiped from existence and the good guys win by the victory of their Savior. What a fascinating move that would be- in fact people have used the theme countless times. There is an end to this existence, we are living in this story. Every single person has their part to play and in time it will all play out. Why this has gone on so long is because we are ALL precious to our Savior. We are all in this world able to wonder at all by the grace of our King. How can we debate our own existence? We can't, not really would wouldn't exist by our own logic. And if we really can't debate our existence we can't debate anyone else's. Each person that is born deserves life as much as we do, they deserve to exist.
Overcoming this world is a fact of our existence. Or rather a fact of the existence to those who wish to follow their Creator, their Redeemer. Those who choose to be friends with the world and not fight, not long to overcome the world ruled by Satan, won't. In fact the lovers of this world are in league with Satan and he will use them against us in any way he can.
This is a real war and though people might want to believe it's crazy to' believe' it's true and only wackos believe then those same people must classify Jesus as a wacko as well. Jesus didn't belong to this world and time and time again I know I touch on this point, but I can't help but do so.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
We overcome this world through our Savior and ONLY through our Savior.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Belief in our Savior. Faith in the Son of God and HIS victory on our behalf.
Let us cling to our Savior and live for Him, not for the world, not for anything in this world except for Christ and those who are His.
In His love!
Amen.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Love of God
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
God's commandments- commandments that were instituted when?
We know for a fact beyond any doubt that at least ONE of the ten commandments was instituted in Eden- before sin entered the world.
Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Do you see the similarities?
The seventh day, the Lord created heavens and the earth, rested, blessed, sanctified-hallowed.
Is there really any doubt that the sabbath was instituted during creation week?
God's commandments are NOT grievous.
Grievous- Strong's Greek Dictionary
G926
barus
bar-ooce'
From the same as G922; weighty, that is, (figuratively) burdensome, grave: - grievous, heavy, weightier.
God's commandments are not weighty, they aren't burdensome, they aren't heavy upon us.
God's commandments are blessings to us not restrictions. We are blessed to have a God who counsels us and gives us guidance. People talk about God NOT conversing with them, how they pray and yet never get any real response. I've had people say that to me just recently and my response was God gave us His word in the Bible. Though nothing more was said I had the distinct impression that the answer I gave wasn't the sort of answer the person was looking for.
God has given us all the direction we'll ever need in life, but it's easy to overlook that direction because we want the answers to all come out in our favor. We want God to answer in our way- leaning to what we desire more than anything else. We say we are prepared to accept God's guidance in all things and yet we secretly (or not so secretly to God) really want our will to be done. In God's commandments we find so much more than just a lot of shalt nots. If God were to spruce up His commandments we'd find things like this…
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you
Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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.
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
While these are NOT the ten commandments - not the sacred ten commandments- not the ONLY commandments written by the finger of God Himself- all these things Jesus told us when He walk the earth, God with us- are all embodiments of those ten sacred commandments written by God's finger and etched in stone by God.
Exo 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
Those ten commandments contain every other commandment.
We are to LOVE GOD and LOVE OUR FELLOWMAN. Out of that love we are to live our lives and by the grace of God we can do that. God's commandments are NOT grievous, they just aren't. The devil would have us believe they are chains wrapped around our neck weighing us down. The devil would have us treat God's commandments as something horrifically grievous to bear.
If we are to OVERCOME this world-we will live God's commandments- ALL of them for the love of God is in those commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
By His grace!
Amen.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
God's commandments- commandments that were instituted when?
We know for a fact beyond any doubt that at least ONE of the ten commandments was instituted in Eden- before sin entered the world.
Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Do you see the similarities?
The seventh day, the Lord created heavens and the earth, rested, blessed, sanctified-hallowed.
Is there really any doubt that the sabbath was instituted during creation week?
God's commandments are NOT grievous.
Grievous- Strong's Greek Dictionary
G926
barus
bar-ooce'
From the same as G922; weighty, that is, (figuratively) burdensome, grave: - grievous, heavy, weightier.
God's commandments are not weighty, they aren't burdensome, they aren't heavy upon us.
God's commandments are blessings to us not restrictions. We are blessed to have a God who counsels us and gives us guidance. People talk about God NOT conversing with them, how they pray and yet never get any real response. I've had people say that to me just recently and my response was God gave us His word in the Bible. Though nothing more was said I had the distinct impression that the answer I gave wasn't the sort of answer the person was looking for.
God has given us all the direction we'll ever need in life, but it's easy to overlook that direction because we want the answers to all come out in our favor. We want God to answer in our way- leaning to what we desire more than anything else. We say we are prepared to accept God's guidance in all things and yet we secretly (or not so secretly to God) really want our will to be done. In God's commandments we find so much more than just a lot of shalt nots. If God were to spruce up His commandments we'd find things like this…
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you
Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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.
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
While these are NOT the ten commandments - not the sacred ten commandments- not the ONLY commandments written by the finger of God Himself- all these things Jesus told us when He walk the earth, God with us- are all embodiments of those ten sacred commandments written by God's finger and etched in stone by God.
Exo 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
Those ten commandments contain every other commandment.
We are to LOVE GOD and LOVE OUR FELLOWMAN. Out of that love we are to live our lives and by the grace of God we can do that. God's commandments are NOT grievous, they just aren't. The devil would have us believe they are chains wrapped around our neck weighing us down. The devil would have us treat God's commandments as something horrifically grievous to bear.
If we are to OVERCOME this world-we will live God's commandments- ALL of them for the love of God is in those commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
By His grace!
Amen.
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