Luk 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
All of us can see the kingdom of God right now, do you believe this? Seriously. The kingdom of God is Jesus Christ and salvation through Him. If we accept Jesus as our Savior we are seeing the kingdom of God realized fully. Just as the thief on the cross was promised the kingdom, we too are promised it. The thief didn't go that very day to *heaven*, Jesus Himself didn't even go to *heaven* that day but lay in the grave. The promise of the kingdom is given now not upon death. There were some standing there when Jesus spoke those words who accepted Him as their Savior, they accepted Him as the kingdom of God come to them and they didn't see death. Maybe they lived their lives and didn't fully accept the Lord as their Savior for many years, but before they died they understood, they realized the the kingdom of God was found only in one place-- Jesus Christ. NONE shall see the kingdom of God who don't realize that Jesus is the kingdom of God and it's only through Him that any will ever experience life eternal.
Jesus said...
Mat 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Jesus said...
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus said....
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mar 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Mar 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
Jesus said...
Luk 10:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Jesus said...
Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Jesus said...
Luk 13:18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
Luk 13:19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Luk 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
Luk 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Jesus said...
Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
'...the kingdom of God is within you.'
The knowledge can lie within us all, the truth, the way, Jesus is that knowledge, Jesus is the truth, Jesus is the way, Jesus is the kingdom of God for us all. By His grace and mercy may we realize the kingdom of God within us through Him and only Him as our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Abhor Evil, Cleave to Good
Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Dict. Def-- Dissimulation-- To disguise (one's intentions, for example) under a feigned appearance. To conceal one's true feelings or intentions.
Dict. Def-- Abhor-- To regard with horror or loathing; abominate. To reject vehemently; shun
Dict. Def-- Cleave to-- Cohere: stick to, cleave to, come off on, rub off on
Let love be without disguise, without concealing, without feigning- love that is true and real isn't disguised, concealed, or feigned.
Reject vehemently, regard with horror, regard with loathing that which is evil. Stick to that which is good.
*******
Do we really abhor evil? First of all what do we consider evil? Let's look at the dictionary definition of evil--
vil (ê´vel) adjective
eviler, evilest
1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked: an evil tyrant. See synonyms at bad1.
2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful: the evil effects of a poor diet.
3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous: evil omens.
4. Bad or blameworthy by report; infamous: an evil reputation.
5. Characterized by anger or spite; malicious: an evil temper.
noun
1. The quality of being morally bad or wrong; wickedness.
2. That which causes harm, misfortune, or destruction: a leader's power to do both good and evil.
3. An evil force, power, or personification.
4. Something that is a cause or source of suffering, injury, or destruction: the social evils of poverty and injustice.
Morally bad or wrong- who decides what is morally bad? God has His own moral standards doesn't He? Look at the Ten Commandments these are the moral laws of God. That which is against God's moral laws is evil.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. ((((Having other Gods before God is evil)))
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. ((((Making graven images to bow down to and serve is evil.)))
Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. ((((Taking the name of the LORD thy God in vain is evil.)))
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. (((( Not keeping the Sabbath is evil.)))
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. ((((Not honoring your father and mother is evil.)))
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. ((((Killing is evil)))
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. ((((Committing adultery is evil)))
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. ((((Stealing is evil.)))
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. ((((Lying about someone is evil.)))
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. ((((Coveting other's things is evil.)))
And Jesus summed up these ten laws into two knowing that the two embraced them all--
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. ((((Not loving the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind is evil.)))
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ((((Not loving our neighbors as ourselves is evil.)))
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Abhoring evil would mean hating anything that would keep us from loving God first and foremost.
Abhoring evil would mean hating anything that would keep us from loving our neighbors.
We are to cleave to that which is good, the good being the opposite of evil.
We need to ask ourselves what keeps us from loving God first and foremost, as well as ask ourselves what keeps us from loving our fellow human beings as we should. Can you think of anything that keeps you from putting God first in your life? Can you think of anything that keeps you from loving your fellow man? Seriously, we need to take stock of things in our lives don't we? A lot of time there are outside forces that influence our behavior. We blame our behavior on the weather, on other people and their actions, we blame our responses on situations and make excuses for ourselves time and again for why we aren't as loving towards God and others as we should be. We turn our thoughts so completely inward on ourselves nothing else seems to matter except for how we feel at any given moment and our world revolves around our own feelings. There are web groups like Myspace and Facebook as well as others and they want us to express how we feel at any moment in time. Soandso is happy- insert smile face here. Soandso is angry- insert angry smilie here. They have numerous expressions to indicate how you might feel at any moment and this all turns our thoughts inward on ourselves. How we feel has become increasingly important, self has become increasingly important. Self-help, self-actualization, self-exploration, so much is about self. We are so busy self noting that we've forgotten what it means to be self-less in any way, shape, or form. Putting God and others first before ourselves is what it's all about. Jesus stripped Himself of His immortal Spirit and took on humanity's mortality. Jesus' stripped Himself of His Self and came to earth devoting His entire life to the saving of humanity. Every action He took was self-less. When we are called by Jesus to believe in Him to follow Him we are called to take up His cross.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
If you choose to follow Jesus you choose to DENY YOURSELF. If you choose to follow Jesus you choose to take up a cross. What cross are you taking up but the same one that Jesus took up- living His entire life for the salvation of others. While salvation isn't ours to give to anyone pointing the way to salvation is ours to give. Salvation is found solely in Christ and out of love for Christ we choose to deny ourselves and take up the cross.
We who have so much have that much more trouble denying ourselves. We who have been taught to indulge self by the society we live in won't find denying self easy at all. Setting self aside is something that seems impossible and it's something that we can do only through the grace of Jesus, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
May God help us all as we learn to abhor evil- hating anything that would keep us from loving God and our fellow man. May we learn to deny self and take up our cross so that it will be possible. With selfishness out of the way we are free to truly love. By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Dict. Def-- Dissimulation-- To disguise (one's intentions, for example) under a feigned appearance. To conceal one's true feelings or intentions.
Dict. Def-- Abhor-- To regard with horror or loathing; abominate. To reject vehemently; shun
Dict. Def-- Cleave to-- Cohere: stick to, cleave to, come off on, rub off on
Let love be without disguise, without concealing, without feigning- love that is true and real isn't disguised, concealed, or feigned.
Reject vehemently, regard with horror, regard with loathing that which is evil. Stick to that which is good.
*******
Do we really abhor evil? First of all what do we consider evil? Let's look at the dictionary definition of evil--
vil (ê´vel) adjective
eviler, evilest
1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked: an evil tyrant. See synonyms at bad1.
2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful: the evil effects of a poor diet.
3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous: evil omens.
4. Bad or blameworthy by report; infamous: an evil reputation.
5. Characterized by anger or spite; malicious: an evil temper.
noun
1. The quality of being morally bad or wrong; wickedness.
2. That which causes harm, misfortune, or destruction: a leader's power to do both good and evil.
3. An evil force, power, or personification.
4. Something that is a cause or source of suffering, injury, or destruction: the social evils of poverty and injustice.
Morally bad or wrong- who decides what is morally bad? God has His own moral standards doesn't He? Look at the Ten Commandments these are the moral laws of God. That which is against God's moral laws is evil.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. ((((Having other Gods before God is evil)))
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. ((((Making graven images to bow down to and serve is evil.)))
Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. ((((Taking the name of the LORD thy God in vain is evil.)))
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. (((( Not keeping the Sabbath is evil.)))
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. ((((Not honoring your father and mother is evil.)))
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. ((((Killing is evil)))
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. ((((Committing adultery is evil)))
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. ((((Stealing is evil.)))
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. ((((Lying about someone is evil.)))
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. ((((Coveting other's things is evil.)))
And Jesus summed up these ten laws into two knowing that the two embraced them all--
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. ((((Not loving the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind is evil.)))
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ((((Not loving our neighbors as ourselves is evil.)))
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Abhoring evil would mean hating anything that would keep us from loving God first and foremost.
Abhoring evil would mean hating anything that would keep us from loving our neighbors.
We are to cleave to that which is good, the good being the opposite of evil.
We need to ask ourselves what keeps us from loving God first and foremost, as well as ask ourselves what keeps us from loving our fellow human beings as we should. Can you think of anything that keeps you from putting God first in your life? Can you think of anything that keeps you from loving your fellow man? Seriously, we need to take stock of things in our lives don't we? A lot of time there are outside forces that influence our behavior. We blame our behavior on the weather, on other people and their actions, we blame our responses on situations and make excuses for ourselves time and again for why we aren't as loving towards God and others as we should be. We turn our thoughts so completely inward on ourselves nothing else seems to matter except for how we feel at any given moment and our world revolves around our own feelings. There are web groups like Myspace and Facebook as well as others and they want us to express how we feel at any moment in time. Soandso is happy- insert smile face here. Soandso is angry- insert angry smilie here. They have numerous expressions to indicate how you might feel at any moment and this all turns our thoughts inward on ourselves. How we feel has become increasingly important, self has become increasingly important. Self-help, self-actualization, self-exploration, so much is about self. We are so busy self noting that we've forgotten what it means to be self-less in any way, shape, or form. Putting God and others first before ourselves is what it's all about. Jesus stripped Himself of His immortal Spirit and took on humanity's mortality. Jesus' stripped Himself of His Self and came to earth devoting His entire life to the saving of humanity. Every action He took was self-less. When we are called by Jesus to believe in Him to follow Him we are called to take up His cross.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
If you choose to follow Jesus you choose to DENY YOURSELF. If you choose to follow Jesus you choose to take up a cross. What cross are you taking up but the same one that Jesus took up- living His entire life for the salvation of others. While salvation isn't ours to give to anyone pointing the way to salvation is ours to give. Salvation is found solely in Christ and out of love for Christ we choose to deny ourselves and take up the cross.
We who have so much have that much more trouble denying ourselves. We who have been taught to indulge self by the society we live in won't find denying self easy at all. Setting self aside is something that seems impossible and it's something that we can do only through the grace of Jesus, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
May God help us all as we learn to abhor evil- hating anything that would keep us from loving God and our fellow man. May we learn to deny self and take up our cross so that it will be possible. With selfishness out of the way we are free to truly love. By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Present your bodies a living sacrifice
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
By the mercies of God-- present your body a living sacrifice.
We know that a sacrifice offering is killed symbolizing the need for the shedding of blood for the remission of sins.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission- no forgiveness, no pardon for sin. Christ shed His blood, His innocent blood so we could be fully forgiven by Him. Here we are told to present our bodies a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice isn't killed, a living sacrifice does not give it's life for the remission of sins. A living sacrifice- a sacrifice nonetheless. What is sacrificed? The self is sacrificed- the selfishness.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Present ourselves a living sacrifice- holy, acceptable unto God. The only way we are acceptable to God is through Jesus Christ. When we give ourselves to God we change our lives, we are no longer living for ourselves and selfish purposes.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Be not conformed to the world. We are all about conforming aren't we?
conform (ken-fôrm´) verb
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply. See synonyms at agree.
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes.
These are good things right? Acting in accord and agreeing with society around us which is our world, being similar to others around us, acting in accord with the current customs or modes of the world. We thrive in a society of conformity and non-conformist are usually considered radical and often times criminal. Jesus Himself was a non-conformist wasn't He? Think about it. The Pharisees were all about revealing His rabble rousing ways, showing where He didn't act in accord to the proper Jewish norms. That He was accused of calling Himself a king, that He was accused of blasphemy against God, all this was to show that He was a non-conformist and so much so that He deserved to be put to death.
We are called to be non-conformist. We are told NOT to be conformed to the world. Does that mean we are to be so called rabble rousers, troublemakers, bucking society? I think it does mean that if it interferes with us being holy acceptable to God. We need to be transformed from being conformist to the world by the renewing of our mind and the renewing of our minds will prove what is good, acceptable, perfect - the will of God.
God, throughout the Bible, throughout history has shown that following the crowd, following the ways of the world, agreeing with the world is the wrong path. God has a chosen people and the chosen people have always been in the minority in comparison to the world. Why do we think it will be different now, in our day and age? Why do we believe that suddenly the world as a whole will follow God? Why do we think that whole governments will conform to God's will? They won't and we have to understand this because it's important to understand that even living in the United States, a country with the freedom of religion that we the majority will not be God's or following God's perfect way.
We need to search for the pure truth in Jesus and only the pure truth in Him and when we find the truth and the way we need to follow that truth in Jesus. We can't say we need to conform to the world even when people spout Jesus' saying about rendering under Caesar what is Caesar's. Jesus never meant that we are to compromise the truth in doing so. If Caesar's way is against God's moral law then we follow God's moral law first and foremost. Jesus told us that we are to love God first and love our fellow man second. In that love of our fellow man we sacrifice self for them and that means when they ask for our coat we give them our cloak too which means we give of ourselves, we sacrifice self. Sacrificing self is one of the hardest things any of us will be asked to do. Giving up self and surrendering fully to God will be the most trying thing ever.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we not be conformed to the world, may we not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, by faith may we surrender our self to God fully out of love to Him, for Him, from Him.
Amen.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
By the mercies of God-- present your body a living sacrifice.
We know that a sacrifice offering is killed symbolizing the need for the shedding of blood for the remission of sins.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission- no forgiveness, no pardon for sin. Christ shed His blood, His innocent blood so we could be fully forgiven by Him. Here we are told to present our bodies a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice isn't killed, a living sacrifice does not give it's life for the remission of sins. A living sacrifice- a sacrifice nonetheless. What is sacrificed? The self is sacrificed- the selfishness.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Present ourselves a living sacrifice- holy, acceptable unto God. The only way we are acceptable to God is through Jesus Christ. When we give ourselves to God we change our lives, we are no longer living for ourselves and selfish purposes.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Be not conformed to the world. We are all about conforming aren't we?
conform (ken-fôrm´) verb
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply. See synonyms at agree.
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes.
These are good things right? Acting in accord and agreeing with society around us which is our world, being similar to others around us, acting in accord with the current customs or modes of the world. We thrive in a society of conformity and non-conformist are usually considered radical and often times criminal. Jesus Himself was a non-conformist wasn't He? Think about it. The Pharisees were all about revealing His rabble rousing ways, showing where He didn't act in accord to the proper Jewish norms. That He was accused of calling Himself a king, that He was accused of blasphemy against God, all this was to show that He was a non-conformist and so much so that He deserved to be put to death.
We are called to be non-conformist. We are told NOT to be conformed to the world. Does that mean we are to be so called rabble rousers, troublemakers, bucking society? I think it does mean that if it interferes with us being holy acceptable to God. We need to be transformed from being conformist to the world by the renewing of our mind and the renewing of our minds will prove what is good, acceptable, perfect - the will of God.
God, throughout the Bible, throughout history has shown that following the crowd, following the ways of the world, agreeing with the world is the wrong path. God has a chosen people and the chosen people have always been in the minority in comparison to the world. Why do we think it will be different now, in our day and age? Why do we believe that suddenly the world as a whole will follow God? Why do we think that whole governments will conform to God's will? They won't and we have to understand this because it's important to understand that even living in the United States, a country with the freedom of religion that we the majority will not be God's or following God's perfect way.
We need to search for the pure truth in Jesus and only the pure truth in Him and when we find the truth and the way we need to follow that truth in Jesus. We can't say we need to conform to the world even when people spout Jesus' saying about rendering under Caesar what is Caesar's. Jesus never meant that we are to compromise the truth in doing so. If Caesar's way is against God's moral law then we follow God's moral law first and foremost. Jesus told us that we are to love God first and love our fellow man second. In that love of our fellow man we sacrifice self for them and that means when they ask for our coat we give them our cloak too which means we give of ourselves, we sacrifice self. Sacrificing self is one of the hardest things any of us will be asked to do. Giving up self and surrendering fully to God will be the most trying thing ever.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we not be conformed to the world, may we not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, by faith may we surrender our self to God fully out of love to Him, for Him, from Him.
Amen.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
To Him Are All Things
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
His ways PAST finding out. God's ways PAST finding out. We are so demanding, so selfish, we feel that we have the right to know everything. We don't want anything hidden from us. If we don't have proof we don't fall for things, right? We want to search out God's judgments, we want to find out God's ways. When we speak of faith we automatically mean that we won't have tangible proof. Faith the evidence of things NOT seen, the substance of things HOPED for.
With God we have to have faith, we have to believe without knowing his way, his judgments. Faith.
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Of Him...
Through Him...
To Him...
...are ALL things!
All things are God's and we cannot begin to understand the way He works. He knows all the ins and out and everything in between. We see a tiny picture, He sees the entire picture. He knows how things fit together, He sees far beyond any consequences for actions that we can imagine. Something could happen twenty years ago that impacts the future and while we are in the dark He is not. We have to understand that it is only by His grace we live. Some may detest that fact when their lives are filled with horrific pain and anguish and that's understandable- look at Job. We can't understand fully we can only hope and pray that in our lives God's will will be done, not ours. We have to hope that we choose Him first and foremost not forsaking Him no matter what comes our way. Is it all easy? No. But the trials and tribulations work to refine us for Him and that's what we have to hope that His will always is done whether we understand it or like it.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior who said His Father's will be done, may we live with Him one day fully knowing and known by Him. God's will be done always.
Amen.
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
His ways PAST finding out. God's ways PAST finding out. We are so demanding, so selfish, we feel that we have the right to know everything. We don't want anything hidden from us. If we don't have proof we don't fall for things, right? We want to search out God's judgments, we want to find out God's ways. When we speak of faith we automatically mean that we won't have tangible proof. Faith the evidence of things NOT seen, the substance of things HOPED for.
With God we have to have faith, we have to believe without knowing his way, his judgments. Faith.
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Of Him...
Through Him...
To Him...
...are ALL things!
All things are God's and we cannot begin to understand the way He works. He knows all the ins and out and everything in between. We see a tiny picture, He sees the entire picture. He knows how things fit together, He sees far beyond any consequences for actions that we can imagine. Something could happen twenty years ago that impacts the future and while we are in the dark He is not. We have to understand that it is only by His grace we live. Some may detest that fact when their lives are filled with horrific pain and anguish and that's understandable- look at Job. We can't understand fully we can only hope and pray that in our lives God's will will be done, not ours. We have to hope that we choose Him first and foremost not forsaking Him no matter what comes our way. Is it all easy? No. But the trials and tribulations work to refine us for Him and that's what we have to hope that His will always is done whether we understand it or like it.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior who said His Father's will be done, may we live with Him one day fully knowing and known by Him. God's will be done always.
Amen.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Take heed lest he also spare not thee
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
I can't help but think of step children when I think of this passage. You've all probably heard about people adopting a child and then a short while later having a child by natural means. Usually it happens accidentally. A couple try and try to no avail and then when they finally stop trying because they've adopted a child that's when they realize that long sought dream of having their own. What happens when this occurs? The ideal situation is the couple love the children equally, raise them equally and all is well. Unfortunately it's natural for parents to lean towards their own blood child, the fruit of their own loins. People will say blood is stronger always and in a lot of ways it's true. We feel more affection, more loyalty towards our blood relatives.
God chose Israel to be His people then because they turned on God- because they chose not to follow His ways God had to separate Himself from them- they were broken off. We have to live by faith. We cannot not be presumptuous as children of God by faith, grafted in, not natural children but adopted. The Bible tells us not to be highminded- we can't take on airs at all. We need to fear God in a way that no other feared Him knowing that God is an exacting God and won't spare us any more than He spared Israel. Truly we have to live by pure faith and live it to the fullest in Christ trusting in Christ for salvation through His grace, through His righteousness.
Let's ever keep before us the fear of God in reverence and in awe, in the knowledge of His all consuming love and all that entails fully.
By His mercy, His grace.
Amen.
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
I can't help but think of step children when I think of this passage. You've all probably heard about people adopting a child and then a short while later having a child by natural means. Usually it happens accidentally. A couple try and try to no avail and then when they finally stop trying because they've adopted a child that's when they realize that long sought dream of having their own. What happens when this occurs? The ideal situation is the couple love the children equally, raise them equally and all is well. Unfortunately it's natural for parents to lean towards their own blood child, the fruit of their own loins. People will say blood is stronger always and in a lot of ways it's true. We feel more affection, more loyalty towards our blood relatives.
God chose Israel to be His people then because they turned on God- because they chose not to follow His ways God had to separate Himself from them- they were broken off. We have to live by faith. We cannot not be presumptuous as children of God by faith, grafted in, not natural children but adopted. The Bible tells us not to be highminded- we can't take on airs at all. We need to fear God in a way that no other feared Him knowing that God is an exacting God and won't spare us any more than He spared Israel. Truly we have to live by pure faith and live it to the fullest in Christ trusting in Christ for salvation through His grace, through His righteousness.
Let's ever keep before us the fear of God in reverence and in awe, in the knowledge of His all consuming love and all that entails fully.
By His mercy, His grace.
Amen.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Do you know someone that is 'godly', someone who is 'religious', someone who you might label a 'Jesus freak'? I'm not going to super extremes here, or maybe I am. Do you know anyone you can point to and say they're a 'God-fearing' person? No matter their passion whether it's great or small? There are plenty of people the media presents we can point to and say they're 'God-fearing', in fact there are famous 'God-fearing' people and not all of them are evangelists, or preachers, or leaders of some religious television show.
Do you believe that where there is something real there can be something unreal? Where there is a genuine there can be a counterfiet?
This Bible verse above states- 'For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.' People can have a ZEAL of God but it won't necessarily mean they have that zeal according to knowledge. That zeal could be based on one or two feel-good verses in the Bible while the exacting verses revealing God's true nature are ignored. It's not atypical for people to pick out the supposed good bits - bits they approve of and like - and then leave the undesireable bits alone forming their own religion and not God's but using God's name just the same. Unless the zeal we have for God is based on knowledge, based on ALL the truth of the Bible then our zeal means very little to God.
The verses above go on to say this --
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Being ignorant of God's righteousness. Our righteousness means nothing and when we point to ourselves and the things we've done *FOR* God we are pointing in the wrong direction. It's so easy to tell others to look at us and see this is how it's all supposed to be done. We like to point people to our righteousness when in truth the only way we should be pointing is towards Christ and Christ alone. Yes, we have our part in the grand scheme of things and that part is to surrender to Christ, repent and accept His forgiveness, accept His righteousness for us. There is such a real danger of getting caught up in self-righteousness that we can't be too careful. We have to fully submit ourselves to the righteousness of God admitting that Jesus Christ is ultimately the One the law of God was made upon. Jesus broke none of God's law when He walked as a human among us, none. It's because of this we can cling to Him and His righteousness. He embraced all of the laws God intended to be eternal and not simply sacrificial or ceremonial but kept every law as God commanded. The whole law was summed up in two- love God and love your neighbor. And while we can keep the laws until we die they won't save us, it's claiming Christ's righteousness- not ours, claiming His ability to perfectly keep the law- not our ability to keep it perfectly, that will save us.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and all marvelous, wondrous Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Do you know someone that is 'godly', someone who is 'religious', someone who you might label a 'Jesus freak'? I'm not going to super extremes here, or maybe I am. Do you know anyone you can point to and say they're a 'God-fearing' person? No matter their passion whether it's great or small? There are plenty of people the media presents we can point to and say they're 'God-fearing', in fact there are famous 'God-fearing' people and not all of them are evangelists, or preachers, or leaders of some religious television show.
Do you believe that where there is something real there can be something unreal? Where there is a genuine there can be a counterfiet?
This Bible verse above states- 'For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.' People can have a ZEAL of God but it won't necessarily mean they have that zeal according to knowledge. That zeal could be based on one or two feel-good verses in the Bible while the exacting verses revealing God's true nature are ignored. It's not atypical for people to pick out the supposed good bits - bits they approve of and like - and then leave the undesireable bits alone forming their own religion and not God's but using God's name just the same. Unless the zeal we have for God is based on knowledge, based on ALL the truth of the Bible then our zeal means very little to God.
The verses above go on to say this --
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Being ignorant of God's righteousness. Our righteousness means nothing and when we point to ourselves and the things we've done *FOR* God we are pointing in the wrong direction. It's so easy to tell others to look at us and see this is how it's all supposed to be done. We like to point people to our righteousness when in truth the only way we should be pointing is towards Christ and Christ alone. Yes, we have our part in the grand scheme of things and that part is to surrender to Christ, repent and accept His forgiveness, accept His righteousness for us. There is such a real danger of getting caught up in self-righteousness that we can't be too careful. We have to fully submit ourselves to the righteousness of God admitting that Jesus Christ is ultimately the One the law of God was made upon. Jesus broke none of God's law when He walked as a human among us, none. It's because of this we can cling to Him and His righteousness. He embraced all of the laws God intended to be eternal and not simply sacrificial or ceremonial but kept every law as God commanded. The whole law was summed up in two- love God and love your neighbor. And while we can keep the laws until we die they won't save us, it's claiming Christ's righteousness- not ours, claiming His ability to perfectly keep the law- not our ability to keep it perfectly, that will save us.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and all marvelous, wondrous Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Other Things Which Jesus Did
Joh 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
The world itself could not contain the books that should be written about Jesus and the things He did. Think about it, take a moment and really think. We can't imagine anything so numerous can we? Something in such great amount the world cannot contain it. Think about how huge the oceans are, how numerous the grains of sand, there isn't anything we can fully realize that the world cannot contain, perhaps our imagines can stretch to realize planets that are bigger than earth so the earth could not contain such a thing, but can we really imagine something so numerous the earth could not contain it? Books in such a number that the WHOLE earth could not hold them?
We've many autobiographies, in fact we all could write one couldn't we? We could tell our tales and in that autobiographer we would highlight the special events that made up our life. We wouldn't put down every detail most likely because we couldn't remember them. Some people right in journals daily giving such details of their lives and yet those details wouldn't even begin to fill up enough books so the earth couldn't contain them.
Jesus was a man of many actions, a man of many deeds. We read of only a snippet of the things He did, the miracles He performed, the life He led, the people He affected.
The precious insights we are given are to be cherished, they are to be studied, they are to be committed to our hearts and memories. May God bless us as we read His Holy Word, as we learn of Jesus, of the plan of salvation for one and all. May we keep His love and mercy ever before us as we seek forgiveness, repenting of our sins and grasping hold of Jesus' grace and righteousness.
Amen.
The world itself could not contain the books that should be written about Jesus and the things He did. Think about it, take a moment and really think. We can't imagine anything so numerous can we? Something in such great amount the world cannot contain it. Think about how huge the oceans are, how numerous the grains of sand, there isn't anything we can fully realize that the world cannot contain, perhaps our imagines can stretch to realize planets that are bigger than earth so the earth could not contain such a thing, but can we really imagine something so numerous the earth could not contain it? Books in such a number that the WHOLE earth could not hold them?
We've many autobiographies, in fact we all could write one couldn't we? We could tell our tales and in that autobiographer we would highlight the special events that made up our life. We wouldn't put down every detail most likely because we couldn't remember them. Some people right in journals daily giving such details of their lives and yet those details wouldn't even begin to fill up enough books so the earth couldn't contain them.
Jesus was a man of many actions, a man of many deeds. We read of only a snippet of the things He did, the miracles He performed, the life He led, the people He affected.
The precious insights we are given are to be cherished, they are to be studied, they are to be committed to our hearts and memories. May God bless us as we read His Holy Word, as we learn of Jesus, of the plan of salvation for one and all. May we keep His love and mercy ever before us as we seek forgiveness, repenting of our sins and grasping hold of Jesus' grace and righteousness.
Amen.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
God's Will Be Done
Mar 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened
The miracle of loaves. This miracle produce enough food to feed 5000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish. Imagine it for a moment. You were there you witness the miracle first hand you see the food coming and coming and coming and you know that it's an impossibility yet it's happening. Truly it was a miracle of loaves. And yet the disciples weren't considering the miracle they'd just seen when they were being tossed about by the wind out at sea in the middle of the night and they saw something coming towards them. Why? Why didn't they realize they'd just witness one miracle and this could be yet another? Why were they afraid if they believed their lives were being lived under the loving care of the Messiah? Their hearts were hardened. What does it mean to have a hardened heart? When we tell someone that so and so has hardened their heart we mean they aren't receptive to whatever it is we're talking about. They are dead set against something. A soft, open heart is a heart willing to entertain ideas, a person with a hardened heart won't entertain any ideas. But here the disciples were having not long before partaken in a miracle, for they passed out those miracle loaves and fish themselves and yet the very idea that this strange happening that night was another such miracle was incomprehensible to them. They shut off that part of themselves that was open and receptive to miracles. We might say that's to be expected, Jesus wasn't in the ship with them He'd stayed behind to pray in solitude. As long as Jesus was right there running things so they could see and hear Him as the miracles were done it'd be fine and yet isn't it true that we need to have that faith in Jesus that miracles can happen even thousands of years later after He's long since gone to heaven to minister there? We do need that faith and we need to recognize the miracles of Jesus, the big ones and the small ones.
Just a week ago my husband was sent to the ICU with a sepsis infection which weakened his already weak heart, shut down his kidneys and affected His already surgery compromised lungs and damaged his colon. The doctors were talking about the possibility of never regaining kidney function, about having to intubate him with the possibility of that compromising him for life and maybe not ever coming off intubation, on top of that they mentioned surgery on his colon which would most likely have left him with a colostomy bag- if he lived through the surgery which because of his condition was unlikely. They painted a very, very grim picture for us and needless to say we were shocked by it all and heartsick. Today my husband, a week later, has recovered full use of his kidneys without any lasting problems, he never had to be intubated the special Bi-pap mask he had to wear was able to do the necessary job for his lungs (though he's still on oxygen through a nose tube), his blood pressure has returned to normal, and the surgeon just today told him that his colon is fine and they wouldn't need to see him again. MIRACLES!
Sure, I'll get people telling me that it's not a miracle but I know it is.
Life throws many faith trying obstacles at us. We suspected my husband had lung cancer and then after a biopsy that was negative we were thrilled that it wasn't and claimed it a miracle and yet it still turned out to be lung cancer. The testing and trying of faith is a real thing. It would be easy to blame God for not *really* performing a miracle and it not be cancer, but that's succumbing to doubt in God and maybe it wasn't the miracle we thought it would be, but the lung cancer has been removed along with two lobes of his right lung and He's a good candidate for not needing further treatment. That's another blessing- originally we were told he would probably need a course of chemotherapy as well, but now they are saying that he most likely won't need even that. Blessings. Miracles.
God is amazing and while again it would be so easy to blame Him, especially when people die instead of get well, we have to know that God is with us no matter what. We don't have to like how things turn out, we just have to have faith that no matter what happens it's in His hands. My daughter said to me as it was all going on, 'God's will be done.' She's right, in all-- God's will be done and by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we not harden our hearts. May we consider all the miracles Jesus has performed and expect more miracles, loving Him no matter what comes our way.
Amen.
The miracle of loaves. This miracle produce enough food to feed 5000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish. Imagine it for a moment. You were there you witness the miracle first hand you see the food coming and coming and coming and you know that it's an impossibility yet it's happening. Truly it was a miracle of loaves. And yet the disciples weren't considering the miracle they'd just seen when they were being tossed about by the wind out at sea in the middle of the night and they saw something coming towards them. Why? Why didn't they realize they'd just witness one miracle and this could be yet another? Why were they afraid if they believed their lives were being lived under the loving care of the Messiah? Their hearts were hardened. What does it mean to have a hardened heart? When we tell someone that so and so has hardened their heart we mean they aren't receptive to whatever it is we're talking about. They are dead set against something. A soft, open heart is a heart willing to entertain ideas, a person with a hardened heart won't entertain any ideas. But here the disciples were having not long before partaken in a miracle, for they passed out those miracle loaves and fish themselves and yet the very idea that this strange happening that night was another such miracle was incomprehensible to them. They shut off that part of themselves that was open and receptive to miracles. We might say that's to be expected, Jesus wasn't in the ship with them He'd stayed behind to pray in solitude. As long as Jesus was right there running things so they could see and hear Him as the miracles were done it'd be fine and yet isn't it true that we need to have that faith in Jesus that miracles can happen even thousands of years later after He's long since gone to heaven to minister there? We do need that faith and we need to recognize the miracles of Jesus, the big ones and the small ones.
Just a week ago my husband was sent to the ICU with a sepsis infection which weakened his already weak heart, shut down his kidneys and affected His already surgery compromised lungs and damaged his colon. The doctors were talking about the possibility of never regaining kidney function, about having to intubate him with the possibility of that compromising him for life and maybe not ever coming off intubation, on top of that they mentioned surgery on his colon which would most likely have left him with a colostomy bag- if he lived through the surgery which because of his condition was unlikely. They painted a very, very grim picture for us and needless to say we were shocked by it all and heartsick. Today my husband, a week later, has recovered full use of his kidneys without any lasting problems, he never had to be intubated the special Bi-pap mask he had to wear was able to do the necessary job for his lungs (though he's still on oxygen through a nose tube), his blood pressure has returned to normal, and the surgeon just today told him that his colon is fine and they wouldn't need to see him again. MIRACLES!
Sure, I'll get people telling me that it's not a miracle but I know it is.
Life throws many faith trying obstacles at us. We suspected my husband had lung cancer and then after a biopsy that was negative we were thrilled that it wasn't and claimed it a miracle and yet it still turned out to be lung cancer. The testing and trying of faith is a real thing. It would be easy to blame God for not *really* performing a miracle and it not be cancer, but that's succumbing to doubt in God and maybe it wasn't the miracle we thought it would be, but the lung cancer has been removed along with two lobes of his right lung and He's a good candidate for not needing further treatment. That's another blessing- originally we were told he would probably need a course of chemotherapy as well, but now they are saying that he most likely won't need even that. Blessings. Miracles.
God is amazing and while again it would be so easy to blame Him, especially when people die instead of get well, we have to know that God is with us no matter what. We don't have to like how things turn out, we just have to have faith that no matter what happens it's in His hands. My daughter said to me as it was all going on, 'God's will be done.' She's right, in all-- God's will be done and by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we not harden our hearts. May we consider all the miracles Jesus has performed and expect more miracles, loving Him no matter what comes our way.
Amen.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The smallest drop in the bucket of eternity
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Everything thing we see is temporary. Some might argue that certain landmarks are forever but they'd be wrong. The earth itself is constantly changing, shifting, moving, altering. Natural disasters can alter the entire landscape of a mountain we might think untouchable. Temporary. Everything is temporary. Even we are here right now on earth only temporary.
temporary (tèm´pe-rèr´ê) adjective
Abbr. temp.
Lasting, used, serving, or enjoyed for a limited time.
...for a limited time.
We are all only here for a limited time and there is no telling how long that time might be. Do we really live like our lives are temporary or do we make plans that would have us fooling ourselves that we are going to be around forever? I'd like to think most people are aware of their temporary existence and understand that eventually their time will be up. People don't really like to talk about death and dying though, especially not their own. It's considered morbid to dwell on death and yet we only have hope for eternal life by thinking about death- the death of Jesus Christ. Accepting His sacrifice and believing in His resurrection to eternal life is our only real hope at all in life.
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Things that are not seen.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
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?
Faith isn't seen.
God isn't seen.
The things God has prepared for us are not seen.
Those are eternal things and yet we cannot see them. People want to shun God because He's not seen. They'd rather believe this temporary life is all there is.
Our lives here and now are but the smallest drop in the bucket of eternity.
If we could TRULY understand that all that happens now is supposed to be preparation of our spirits for a life of eternity in love with God, we'd live differently wouldn't we? We'd live as if this life here and now on earth was truly temporary and NOTHING on this earth, NOTHING in this life right now is worth losing life eternal in Christ Jesus.
Cultivating the love God gives to us, sharing the love God gives to us with others, this is what we need to do. Share the good news of the gospel, share the love eternal found in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, this is our duty.
Love God. Love each other.
Love.
May God bless and keep us as we seek to live the temporary existence we have here on earth right now in Him now and one day may we share His eternity.
By the mercy and grace, the love of Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever.
Amen.
Everything thing we see is temporary. Some might argue that certain landmarks are forever but they'd be wrong. The earth itself is constantly changing, shifting, moving, altering. Natural disasters can alter the entire landscape of a mountain we might think untouchable. Temporary. Everything is temporary. Even we are here right now on earth only temporary.
temporary (tèm´pe-rèr´ê) adjective
Abbr. temp.
Lasting, used, serving, or enjoyed for a limited time.
...for a limited time.
We are all only here for a limited time and there is no telling how long that time might be. Do we really live like our lives are temporary or do we make plans that would have us fooling ourselves that we are going to be around forever? I'd like to think most people are aware of their temporary existence and understand that eventually their time will be up. People don't really like to talk about death and dying though, especially not their own. It's considered morbid to dwell on death and yet we only have hope for eternal life by thinking about death- the death of Jesus Christ. Accepting His sacrifice and believing in His resurrection to eternal life is our only real hope at all in life.
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Things that are not seen.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
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?
Faith isn't seen.
God isn't seen.
The things God has prepared for us are not seen.
Those are eternal things and yet we cannot see them. People want to shun God because He's not seen. They'd rather believe this temporary life is all there is.
Our lives here and now are but the smallest drop in the bucket of eternity.
If we could TRULY understand that all that happens now is supposed to be preparation of our spirits for a life of eternity in love with God, we'd live differently wouldn't we? We'd live as if this life here and now on earth was truly temporary and NOTHING on this earth, NOTHING in this life right now is worth losing life eternal in Christ Jesus.
Cultivating the love God gives to us, sharing the love God gives to us with others, this is what we need to do. Share the good news of the gospel, share the love eternal found in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, this is our duty.
Love God. Love each other.
Love.
May God bless and keep us as we seek to live the temporary existence we have here on earth right now in Him now and one day may we share His eternity.
By the mercy and grace, the love of Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever.
Amen.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The gospel is hid to them that are lost
2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
*******
The gospel is HID to them that are lost. That makes sense doesn't it? To truly understand the gospel, to have the gospel be a reality to us is to have it reveal Christ and Him crucified to save us from our sins. Understanding the magnitude of that magnificent sacrfice can't help but affect a person's life. When the gospel doesn't have any affect on a person it truly is hidden. The gospel like so much in life can be known but not understood and applied. You can know of something but never experience that something. I can know what it is to drive a car but until I'm behind the wheel driving it I'm not experiencing driving. You can know that Christ died for you, that His blood was shed to cover your sins so that you might one day reunite with Him upon His return, but until you confess with a sincere heart and repent of your sins- accepting Christ's sacrifice- the gospel is hidden to you.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world...
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world- Jesus said that He is not of the world just as we are not to be of the world. The god of this world is Satan, make no mistake about it, Satan tempted Jesus this way--
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Worldly things are of Satan. Our treasure should be in heaven not earth. So when we read the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not we have to realize that Satan is blinding the minds of people who choose not to believe. If we do not believe in God there is only one other recourse though many think there are a lot of different gods, religions, and what not to believe in there aren't, not in truth.
There is God and Satan. Satan in all his deceptive power is able to blind the minds of those who choose not to believe in God and those people believe something other than the one true God, our Creator and Redeemer, are deceived. They can dress that *other* up any way they choose but if it's not God ... it's Satan wearing a grand disguise. And yes, even possibly a disguise so deceptive people can't help but believe that it is a good thing believing as they do.
May the gospel be reveal in our lives to the fullest and not be hidden from us.
May 'the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,... shine' upon us!
May the Holy Spirit guide us fully into the fulness of Christ.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever.
Amen.
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
*******
The gospel is HID to them that are lost. That makes sense doesn't it? To truly understand the gospel, to have the gospel be a reality to us is to have it reveal Christ and Him crucified to save us from our sins. Understanding the magnitude of that magnificent sacrfice can't help but affect a person's life. When the gospel doesn't have any affect on a person it truly is hidden. The gospel like so much in life can be known but not understood and applied. You can know of something but never experience that something. I can know what it is to drive a car but until I'm behind the wheel driving it I'm not experiencing driving. You can know that Christ died for you, that His blood was shed to cover your sins so that you might one day reunite with Him upon His return, but until you confess with a sincere heart and repent of your sins- accepting Christ's sacrifice- the gospel is hidden to you.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world...
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world- Jesus said that He is not of the world just as we are not to be of the world. The god of this world is Satan, make no mistake about it, Satan tempted Jesus this way--
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Worldly things are of Satan. Our treasure should be in heaven not earth. So when we read the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not we have to realize that Satan is blinding the minds of people who choose not to believe. If we do not believe in God there is only one other recourse though many think there are a lot of different gods, religions, and what not to believe in there aren't, not in truth.
There is God and Satan. Satan in all his deceptive power is able to blind the minds of those who choose not to believe in God and those people believe something other than the one true God, our Creator and Redeemer, are deceived. They can dress that *other* up any way they choose but if it's not God ... it's Satan wearing a grand disguise. And yes, even possibly a disguise so deceptive people can't help but believe that it is a good thing believing as they do.
May the gospel be reveal in our lives to the fullest and not be hidden from us.
May 'the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,... shine' upon us!
May the Holy Spirit guide us fully into the fulness of Christ.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever.
Amen.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Unspotted From the World
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Pure religion.
Undefiled before God and the Father.
Pure. We all know what pure is, it's being untainted, spotless, clean perfectly. Pure is something we like to hear, it has a positive note it doesn't it?
100% Pure.
It sounds authentic, it sounds desirable because we know that 100% pure means there are no additives, no contaminants.
Pure.
A pure religion is a religion undefiled. A religion untainted. There is nothing corrupt in something pure. When something is defiled it is no longer pure. You defile something by contaminating it with other things. Defilement is something no one wants. Who would willingly desire to be defiled? Only those who are corrupted already. Those who are impure, those who do not long to be God's. Yes, there are a lot of people who are impure and defiled and because of Satan and his urgings they often desire to spread their impurities, to defile others as they are defiled.
The pure and undefiled will know it is their duty to visit the fatherless. Children who no longer have a father need a guiding hand, they need a friend to help fill the void the father being gone has left. The widow who has lost her husband likewise needs to be visited by those among God's people so that they aren't suffering alone.
Godly people know they have a duty to their fellow man, to their neighbors.
Remember--
'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' Mat 22:39
Just as you would want people to be there for you, help you out in your time of need, others too who are your neighbors (in a worldwide sense not just your next door neighbors or those across the street from you) need people to care for them.
Pure religion an undefiled before God and the Father -- are to keep UNSPOTTED from the world.
Unspotted. If you are spotted by the world what does that mean? Tainted, defiled, impure-- the world has corrupted you.
To be unspotted from the world means to remain pure in God.
We have all sinned and that sin marks us. When we pray for forgiveness and repent of our sins then Jesus' blood covers the stains of our sins. We know we must... 'resist unto blood, striving against sin.' Heb 12:4
Trusting in God, placing all our hopes and our lives in His hands, we can be unspotted from the world. Only in Jesus Christ, covered by His blood, clothed in His righteousness, in His purity are we saved.
May God keep us pure and undefiled. May our hearts yearn to love our neighbors and out of that love act accordingly. By the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ now and forever may we stand before Him unspotted from the world.
In His Love.
Amen.
Pure religion.
Undefiled before God and the Father.
Pure. We all know what pure is, it's being untainted, spotless, clean perfectly. Pure is something we like to hear, it has a positive note it doesn't it?
100% Pure.
It sounds authentic, it sounds desirable because we know that 100% pure means there are no additives, no contaminants.
Pure.
A pure religion is a religion undefiled. A religion untainted. There is nothing corrupt in something pure. When something is defiled it is no longer pure. You defile something by contaminating it with other things. Defilement is something no one wants. Who would willingly desire to be defiled? Only those who are corrupted already. Those who are impure, those who do not long to be God's. Yes, there are a lot of people who are impure and defiled and because of Satan and his urgings they often desire to spread their impurities, to defile others as they are defiled.
The pure and undefiled will know it is their duty to visit the fatherless. Children who no longer have a father need a guiding hand, they need a friend to help fill the void the father being gone has left. The widow who has lost her husband likewise needs to be visited by those among God's people so that they aren't suffering alone.
Godly people know they have a duty to their fellow man, to their neighbors.
Remember--
'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' Mat 22:39
Just as you would want people to be there for you, help you out in your time of need, others too who are your neighbors (in a worldwide sense not just your next door neighbors or those across the street from you) need people to care for them.
Pure religion an undefiled before God and the Father -- are to keep UNSPOTTED from the world.
Unspotted. If you are spotted by the world what does that mean? Tainted, defiled, impure-- the world has corrupted you.
To be unspotted from the world means to remain pure in God.
We have all sinned and that sin marks us. When we pray for forgiveness and repent of our sins then Jesus' blood covers the stains of our sins. We know we must... 'resist unto blood, striving against sin.' Heb 12:4
Trusting in God, placing all our hopes and our lives in His hands, we can be unspotted from the world. Only in Jesus Christ, covered by His blood, clothed in His righteousness, in His purity are we saved.
May God keep us pure and undefiled. May our hearts yearn to love our neighbors and out of that love act accordingly. By the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ now and forever may we stand before Him unspotted from the world.
In His Love.
Amen.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Judging Ourselves
Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Jud 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Jud 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Jud 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Murmurers
Complainers
Walking after their own lusts
Mouths speaking great swelling words
Admiring others for advantage
Mockers
Sensual
No Spirit
Ungodly sinners
Ungodly deeds
There is no doubt whatsoever that the ungodly are among the majority of people. Our lives, our lifestyles, society as a whole is ungodly. We want to shout no it's not, but it is, it really is. The ungodly are the norm. If you had to examine your own life how would you classify yourself- ungodly or godly? What makes a person ungodly or godly?
ungodly
1. Not revering God; impious.
2. Sinful; wicked
godly
1. Having great reverence for God; pious.
2. Divine.
reverence
1. A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love; veneration.
2. An act showing respect, especially a bow or curtsy.
irreverence
1. Lack of reverence or due respect.
2. A disrespectful act or remark.
The ungodly do not revere God.
The ungodly are sinful.
The ungodly are wicked.
The ungodly are disrespectful of God in their words and actions.
The godly revere God.
The godly are not purposefully sinful.
The godly are not purposefully wicked.
The godly respect God in their words and actions.
When we think of being sinful we have to know what sin means and the word of God tells us this--
1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The law of God is the ten commandments and they are summed up here by Christ--
Mar 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mar 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Mar 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Being sinful is not loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and not loving thy neighbor as you would be loved.
What does it mean to love God that way? The rest of the commandments give us a big clue. Having no other Gods before God. Not taking God's name in vain. Not worshipping any idols. Worshipping on the seventh day Sabbath.
We can stop here and contemplate just this bit of what it means to revere God, to not sin. We have to ask ourselves simply what place God holds in our lives. Starting there we can begin to determine our own place in the grand scheme of things. Do we put God first? If we answer no then we are truly in danger of being among those who will not be among the saints of God at Jesus' return. Think about it... it's a simply way to judge ourselves. Perhaps a person can say it doesn't matter, but the Bible says otherwise, God says otherwise.
By the grace of God, by the mercy and forgiveness we find in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we discern where we stand, either among the godly or ungodly. By the Holy Spirit may we be among the godly, through the righteousness of Jesus, in His love.
Amen.
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Jud 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Jud 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Jud 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Murmurers
Complainers
Walking after their own lusts
Mouths speaking great swelling words
Admiring others for advantage
Mockers
Sensual
No Spirit
Ungodly sinners
Ungodly deeds
There is no doubt whatsoever that the ungodly are among the majority of people. Our lives, our lifestyles, society as a whole is ungodly. We want to shout no it's not, but it is, it really is. The ungodly are the norm. If you had to examine your own life how would you classify yourself- ungodly or godly? What makes a person ungodly or godly?
ungodly
1. Not revering God; impious.
2. Sinful; wicked
godly
1. Having great reverence for God; pious.
2. Divine.
reverence
1. A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love; veneration.
2. An act showing respect, especially a bow or curtsy.
irreverence
1. Lack of reverence or due respect.
2. A disrespectful act or remark.
The ungodly do not revere God.
The ungodly are sinful.
The ungodly are wicked.
The ungodly are disrespectful of God in their words and actions.
The godly revere God.
The godly are not purposefully sinful.
The godly are not purposefully wicked.
The godly respect God in their words and actions.
When we think of being sinful we have to know what sin means and the word of God tells us this--
1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The law of God is the ten commandments and they are summed up here by Christ--
Mar 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mar 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Mar 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Being sinful is not loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and not loving thy neighbor as you would be loved.
What does it mean to love God that way? The rest of the commandments give us a big clue. Having no other Gods before God. Not taking God's name in vain. Not worshipping any idols. Worshipping on the seventh day Sabbath.
We can stop here and contemplate just this bit of what it means to revere God, to not sin. We have to ask ourselves simply what place God holds in our lives. Starting there we can begin to determine our own place in the grand scheme of things. Do we put God first? If we answer no then we are truly in danger of being among those who will not be among the saints of God at Jesus' return. Think about it... it's a simply way to judge ourselves. Perhaps a person can say it doesn't matter, but the Bible says otherwise, God says otherwise.
By the grace of God, by the mercy and forgiveness we find in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we discern where we stand, either among the godly or ungodly. By the Holy Spirit may we be among the godly, through the righteousness of Jesus, in His love.
Amen.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Our Joy - Jesus!
Deu 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
Psa 128:1 A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
Psa 128:2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
Psa 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
Psa 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Psa 146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
Pro 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Speaking of wisdom-- Pro 3:18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Pro 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Pro 16:20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
Pro 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
Pro 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
1Pe 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
*******
Happy - corrected of God
Happy - feareth the Lord
Happy - whose God is the LORD
Happy - finding wisdom, has understanding
Happy - retaining wisdom
Happy - wisdom
Happy - help the poor
Happy - trusts in the Lord
Happy - feareth (awe) of the Lord
Happy - keep the law
Happy - being a servant
Happy - enduring
Happy - suffer for righteousness' sake
Happy - reproached for the name of Christ
What we deem happiness is not what God deems happiness. Our sense of happiness has become warped. We consider happiness selfish pleasure. We are happy when we get things, happy when we can give things that endear others to us, happy when we don't have any problems. If someone asks you if you're happy what do you think you'd answer? Our usual answer is 'I don't know.' Seriously, we all have various things that bring us happiness. If you're in the middle of one of those things you will probably answer 'yes' to being happy. If you're not then you could say 'no'. But most people don't even know if they're happy, or aren't happy. They might answer they're content, or rather... and you know this is true... they're okay. Most people are OKAY. Just okay. Neither happy, nor sad, but just okay. Isn't okay where most people live the majority of their lives? Is that a good thing?
Another word for happy is joyful, joy.
Psa 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Psa 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Ecc 7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Ecc 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels
Psa 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Pro 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
Pro 21:15 It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Isa 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joh 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Joh 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Joh 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Php 1:25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptation
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Our happiness, our joy is to be found in one place only-- in Jesus. We can't expect joy and happiness in earthly things even though being the creatures that we are it is natural for us to seek happy things, happy times, happiness and joy. Our hearts and lives feel lighter when we are happy and we holdfast to it for as long as we can but inevitably it dissipates and we're back to being okay, or even sad. All temporal pleasures are fleeting and nothing compared to the joy we will find in Christ Jesus. If we place our hope and happiness in Him, not to receive ANY temporal pleasures or happiness, but to keep the faith, keep His commandments, to keep Him ever before us as our Lord God Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them- then one day we will know a joy incomparable to any temporal pleasure or joy we could ever receive here and now on earth.
Does this mean we should be sad or depressed, unhappy here and now? No. But the joy we seek is the joy that is everlasting. All other joy that comes our way is all well and good to be appreciated and grateful for, thankful for, but not something we should place our hope in. Temporal happiness's aren't what we should strive for and count our lives as success or failure, our joy should be in the surety of Jesus Christ and the salvation we find in Him now and forever. May God help us truly find our real joy in Him and only Him through His mercy and His grace.
Amen.
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
Psa 128:1 A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
Psa 128:2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
Psa 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
Psa 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Psa 146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
Pro 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Speaking of wisdom-- Pro 3:18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Pro 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Pro 16:20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
Pro 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
Pro 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
1Pe 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
*******
Happy - corrected of God
Happy - feareth the Lord
Happy - whose God is the LORD
Happy - finding wisdom, has understanding
Happy - retaining wisdom
Happy - wisdom
Happy - help the poor
Happy - trusts in the Lord
Happy - feareth (awe) of the Lord
Happy - keep the law
Happy - being a servant
Happy - enduring
Happy - suffer for righteousness' sake
Happy - reproached for the name of Christ
What we deem happiness is not what God deems happiness. Our sense of happiness has become warped. We consider happiness selfish pleasure. We are happy when we get things, happy when we can give things that endear others to us, happy when we don't have any problems. If someone asks you if you're happy what do you think you'd answer? Our usual answer is 'I don't know.' Seriously, we all have various things that bring us happiness. If you're in the middle of one of those things you will probably answer 'yes' to being happy. If you're not then you could say 'no'. But most people don't even know if they're happy, or aren't happy. They might answer they're content, or rather... and you know this is true... they're okay. Most people are OKAY. Just okay. Neither happy, nor sad, but just okay. Isn't okay where most people live the majority of their lives? Is that a good thing?
Another word for happy is joyful, joy.
Psa 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Psa 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Ecc 7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Ecc 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels
Psa 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Pro 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
Pro 21:15 It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Isa 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joh 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Joh 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Joh 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Php 1:25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptation
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Our happiness, our joy is to be found in one place only-- in Jesus. We can't expect joy and happiness in earthly things even though being the creatures that we are it is natural for us to seek happy things, happy times, happiness and joy. Our hearts and lives feel lighter when we are happy and we holdfast to it for as long as we can but inevitably it dissipates and we're back to being okay, or even sad. All temporal pleasures are fleeting and nothing compared to the joy we will find in Christ Jesus. If we place our hope and happiness in Him, not to receive ANY temporal pleasures or happiness, but to keep the faith, keep His commandments, to keep Him ever before us as our Lord God Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them- then one day we will know a joy incomparable to any temporal pleasure or joy we could ever receive here and now on earth.
Does this mean we should be sad or depressed, unhappy here and now? No. But the joy we seek is the joy that is everlasting. All other joy that comes our way is all well and good to be appreciated and grateful for, thankful for, but not something we should place our hope in. Temporal happiness's aren't what we should strive for and count our lives as success or failure, our joy should be in the surety of Jesus Christ and the salvation we find in Him now and forever. May God help us truly find our real joy in Him and only Him through His mercy and His grace.
Amen.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Counterfeit Religion
Today the mysteries of heathen worship are replaced by the secret association and seances, the obscurities and wonders, of spiritistic mediums. The disclosures of these mediums are eagerly received by thousands who refuse to accept light from God's word or through His Spirit. Believers in spiritism may speak with scorn of the magicians of old, but the great deceiver laughs in triumph as they yield to
his arts under a different form.
There are many who shrink with horror from the thought of consulting spirit mediums, but who are attracted by more pleasing forms of spiritism. Others are led astray by the teachings of Christian Science, and by the mysticism of Theosophy and other Oriental religions.
The apostles of nearly all forms of spiritism claim to have power to heal. They attribute this power to electricity, magnetism, the so-called "sympathetic remedies," or to latent forces within the mind of man. And there are not a few, even in this Christian age, who go to these healers, instead of trusting in the power of the living God and the skill of well-qualified physicians. The mother, watching by the
sickbed of her child, exclaims, "I can do no more. Is there no physician who has power to restore my child?" She is told of the wonderful cures performed by some clairvoyant or magnetic healer, and she trusts her dear one to his charge, placing it as verily in the hand of Satan as if he were standing by her side. In many instances the future life of the child is controlled by a satanic power which it seems
impossible to break.
Prophets & Kings pg 211, 212
We laugh at this sort of thing don't we? We scoff at it and shake our heads. This sort of thing doesn't happen. But it does. We are supposedly more enlightened today, that book was written back in the early 1900's so it's very out of date. Surely it is out of date in some respects but think about it. Today we have the NEW AGE religion. Today we have ENLIGHTENMENT. Today we have SELF ACTUALIZATION. We have SCIENTOLOGY. We have ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES. We have YOGA Cults. We have Spiritism in such abundance we can't turn tv on or watch movies without finding a show or two involved in Spiritism.
spiritism (spîr´î-tîz´em) noun
1. The belief that the dead communicate with the living; spiritualism.
2. The practices or doctrines of those holding such a belief.
We have so much to lure our minds from God, the ONE True God, a God who wants us to worship Him, our creator and redeemer. We don't want to say the name of the one in charge of other religions and practices because that's just us being short-sighted and narrow-minded. We are fools and crazy if we dare name the one who leads the others under the guise of supposed goodness. Besides, how could Satan do so much good? Because surely a lot of those religions and practices do much good there is no question there, but at what price is eternal life bought? Even those television/movies shows mostly seem to use spiritism itself as something good. The great lie Satan told from the beginning to Eve- 'Thou shalt not surely die.' If we just pass over to a different life upon dying there is no death, but that's not what death is. Death is a sleep until Christ returns and raises those that are His from the grave.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
If Satan can lure and seduce us with good deeds then he will. All that matters to Him is the end result. Have you ever heard the words- I don't care how you do it, just do it? Satan doesn't care how people are lured away from the ONE true God, just so long as they are. All those *other* religions with other Gods, with practices that are not Godly, with deeds that underneath the shiny coat of purity are corrupt, Satan exalt himself in them fooling so many. Remember the counterfeit has to look exactly like the original or it fools no one. Only an expert in detection can spot a counterfeits ways and then they tell others what makes the thing counterfeit and then they are wise to the false thing. There will be many false religions, many will say to Christ in that day-
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Why would those people say that if they didn't truly believe they were working for Christ? They believed they were. They believed they were doing good and doing it for the Lord.
So how do we know we worship the One true God especially when other religions claim they have the One true God? There is no other God than the God revealed in His word, the Bible. The Bible which is supported by thousands of years of history, prophecies in the Bible that have come unerringly true over and over. There is no other God like our God. We need to read the word of God constantly, we need to study His truths. We need to look at what others believe and weigh them against the Word of God and the Word of God only.
We do know outright that God gave us His ten commandments and Jesus reaffirmed them with His life. God doesn't make mistakes, when He gave those ten commandments they were all true until the end of time not one of them would be scratched out or rewritten, not one of those law for God and Man would be changed by God.
He even wrote this--
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The power that would dare to speak great words against the most High, against God will think to change TIMES and LAWS.
We are warned. We are told that evil would think to change times and laws, not God. No where does it tell us God would change His law. Jesus even said this--
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
And Jesus did fulfil every single commandment of God, breaking not a single one of them. The Pharisees didn't get Jesus crucified over breaking any laws, but rather they took Him to the civil authorities and claimed He was a king, when the civil authorities only allowed for one king- Caesar. The High Priests of the temple didn't have Jesus stoned under their own laws because He didn't break their laws and knew the multitude of people would know that, they couldn't have the multitudes turning against them.
When we think about God's law we have to realize that it is something we all have to believe in as followers of God. The One True God gave us His laws and we can look to that law and know that all who do not follow that law are not of God, no matter how wonderful, sweet, good-hearted, loyal, kind, generous, they may seem. When we have an enemy who will stop at nothing to deceive us and we have Jesus' own words telling us that there will be people thinking they are doing His will when they're not, we really have to study and pray for discernment to understand the truth from the counterfeit.
One of God's laws was changed by man- the Sabbath was changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week without a single bit of authority to do so from God. God's law was unchangeable, Jesus kept that law completely. God did not make a mistake when He wrote those laws forever they would point to the One True God. The counterfeit is in place and the majority will be fooled by it completely under the guise of goodness they don't believe Satan is capable of using.
May God bless us all and keep us in His truth now and forever knowing His will, His truth, His laws and may the Holy Spirit keep our eyes opened to all truth able to discern between right and wrong so that Satan cannot fool us. By the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ now and forever... in His love.
Amen.
his arts under a different form.
There are many who shrink with horror from the thought of consulting spirit mediums, but who are attracted by more pleasing forms of spiritism. Others are led astray by the teachings of Christian Science, and by the mysticism of Theosophy and other Oriental religions.
The apostles of nearly all forms of spiritism claim to have power to heal. They attribute this power to electricity, magnetism, the so-called "sympathetic remedies," or to latent forces within the mind of man. And there are not a few, even in this Christian age, who go to these healers, instead of trusting in the power of the living God and the skill of well-qualified physicians. The mother, watching by the
sickbed of her child, exclaims, "I can do no more. Is there no physician who has power to restore my child?" She is told of the wonderful cures performed by some clairvoyant or magnetic healer, and she trusts her dear one to his charge, placing it as verily in the hand of Satan as if he were standing by her side. In many instances the future life of the child is controlled by a satanic power which it seems
impossible to break.
Prophets & Kings pg 211, 212
We laugh at this sort of thing don't we? We scoff at it and shake our heads. This sort of thing doesn't happen. But it does. We are supposedly more enlightened today, that book was written back in the early 1900's so it's very out of date. Surely it is out of date in some respects but think about it. Today we have the NEW AGE religion. Today we have ENLIGHTENMENT. Today we have SELF ACTUALIZATION. We have SCIENTOLOGY. We have ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES. We have YOGA Cults. We have Spiritism in such abundance we can't turn tv on or watch movies without finding a show or two involved in Spiritism.
spiritism (spîr´î-tîz´em) noun
1. The belief that the dead communicate with the living; spiritualism.
2. The practices or doctrines of those holding such a belief.
We have so much to lure our minds from God, the ONE True God, a God who wants us to worship Him, our creator and redeemer. We don't want to say the name of the one in charge of other religions and practices because that's just us being short-sighted and narrow-minded. We are fools and crazy if we dare name the one who leads the others under the guise of supposed goodness. Besides, how could Satan do so much good? Because surely a lot of those religions and practices do much good there is no question there, but at what price is eternal life bought? Even those television/movies shows mostly seem to use spiritism itself as something good. The great lie Satan told from the beginning to Eve- 'Thou shalt not surely die.' If we just pass over to a different life upon dying there is no death, but that's not what death is. Death is a sleep until Christ returns and raises those that are His from the grave.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
If Satan can lure and seduce us with good deeds then he will. All that matters to Him is the end result. Have you ever heard the words- I don't care how you do it, just do it? Satan doesn't care how people are lured away from the ONE true God, just so long as they are. All those *other* religions with other Gods, with practices that are not Godly, with deeds that underneath the shiny coat of purity are corrupt, Satan exalt himself in them fooling so many. Remember the counterfeit has to look exactly like the original or it fools no one. Only an expert in detection can spot a counterfeits ways and then they tell others what makes the thing counterfeit and then they are wise to the false thing. There will be many false religions, many will say to Christ in that day-
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Why would those people say that if they didn't truly believe they were working for Christ? They believed they were. They believed they were doing good and doing it for the Lord.
So how do we know we worship the One true God especially when other religions claim they have the One true God? There is no other God than the God revealed in His word, the Bible. The Bible which is supported by thousands of years of history, prophecies in the Bible that have come unerringly true over and over. There is no other God like our God. We need to read the word of God constantly, we need to study His truths. We need to look at what others believe and weigh them against the Word of God and the Word of God only.
We do know outright that God gave us His ten commandments and Jesus reaffirmed them with His life. God doesn't make mistakes, when He gave those ten commandments they were all true until the end of time not one of them would be scratched out or rewritten, not one of those law for God and Man would be changed by God.
He even wrote this--
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The power that would dare to speak great words against the most High, against God will think to change TIMES and LAWS.
We are warned. We are told that evil would think to change times and laws, not God. No where does it tell us God would change His law. Jesus even said this--
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
And Jesus did fulfil every single commandment of God, breaking not a single one of them. The Pharisees didn't get Jesus crucified over breaking any laws, but rather they took Him to the civil authorities and claimed He was a king, when the civil authorities only allowed for one king- Caesar. The High Priests of the temple didn't have Jesus stoned under their own laws because He didn't break their laws and knew the multitude of people would know that, they couldn't have the multitudes turning against them.
When we think about God's law we have to realize that it is something we all have to believe in as followers of God. The One True God gave us His laws and we can look to that law and know that all who do not follow that law are not of God, no matter how wonderful, sweet, good-hearted, loyal, kind, generous, they may seem. When we have an enemy who will stop at nothing to deceive us and we have Jesus' own words telling us that there will be people thinking they are doing His will when they're not, we really have to study and pray for discernment to understand the truth from the counterfeit.
One of God's laws was changed by man- the Sabbath was changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week without a single bit of authority to do so from God. God's law was unchangeable, Jesus kept that law completely. God did not make a mistake when He wrote those laws forever they would point to the One True God. The counterfeit is in place and the majority will be fooled by it completely under the guise of goodness they don't believe Satan is capable of using.
May God bless us all and keep us in His truth now and forever knowing His will, His truth, His laws and may the Holy Spirit keep our eyes opened to all truth able to discern between right and wrong so that Satan cannot fool us. By the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ now and forever... in His love.
Amen.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
No Other Gods
Here is a passage from the book- Prophets and Kings that I found very interesting.
'The time is at hand when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal. The Spirit of God is being withdrawn. Disasters by sea and by land follow one another in quick succession. How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized, unregulated forces
of nature, wholly beyond the control of man; but in them all, God's purpose may be read. They are among the agencies by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.'
Throughout history God prevailed. Time after time people turned from God and His ways and they were punished for turning away from Him. If man won't seek the only connection that is vital to His salvation then God would do many things to let them realize He is God, the one and only true God. People long ago sought other gods to guide them, and people today do the same. We disguise it as self-discovery, as nature's forces, and yet instead of believing in the ONE true God and worshipping Him people worship their own self realizations, their self-empowerment. Satan is ready, willing, and very able to help those who would seek a false experience with so called enlightenment he'd do anything to keep people from worshipping God. Tapping into our OWN powers is something that is sweeping the world. The power in positive thinking is being touted as a saving grace, a life changing belief. Remember, Satan will stop at nothing to get people away from realizing the power of God.
For many, many years God had prophets walking the earth warning kings and peoples to turn from their wicked ways. Punishments were given, punishments were stayed depending on the response of the people. Christ Jesus, God on Earth came to give His warnings as well and we all know how well He was received by the masses. We know that Christ was rejected and crucified- God's Son. We know that Jesus' ministry was pointing the way to God, to life in God. People don't want to walk that walk because it is a less popular walk and it calls for self sacrifice, not self-empowerment. People don't want to place their lives in the hands of God fully because they believe they should have a hand in things. People will not flock to walk the narrow road fraught with trials and tribulations. People want to believe only in themselves and any power they can seemingly find within, not without.
More and more severe weather is playing its role in our lives. Lately year after recent year we are hearing of the worst this or that in so many years. God is trying to rouse people to understand that He is in control and that there is danger in not seeking Him. But instead our minds are turned to where-- self. Global warming- man made catastrophes. If we would only stop doing things the weather itself would alter and things will be fine. So much for people looking to God. Satan doesn't want ANYONE looking to God and He's very nearly succeeded in getting mankind as a whole to think only of themselves.
Read the story of Jonah- read how God wanted Him to warn the people of Nineveh. The same God that was in control then is in control now.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
We don't worship an inconsistent God. God has a plan and that plan is unfolded in His word and in our lives. We choose to either worship God or worship others - even self. Once all the deciding is done, once all have had the chance and no more will turn to God no matter what is done- then the end will come. God, the same God who told Abraham that He'd spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were ten righteous people there, is the same God today that will know when all is decided. We fool ourselves when we refuse to believe that God is in control. We might not like the things Satan has brought into play in our lives and the lives around us, but we can take solace in the knowledge he has but a limited time to work.
May the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior be with each of us as we seek to be His fully by the righteousness of Christ, not of ourselves. May we determine to worship God and only God and no other.
By His love.
Amen.
'The time is at hand when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal. The Spirit of God is being withdrawn. Disasters by sea and by land follow one another in quick succession. How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized, unregulated forces
of nature, wholly beyond the control of man; but in them all, God's purpose may be read. They are among the agencies by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.'
Throughout history God prevailed. Time after time people turned from God and His ways and they were punished for turning away from Him. If man won't seek the only connection that is vital to His salvation then God would do many things to let them realize He is God, the one and only true God. People long ago sought other gods to guide them, and people today do the same. We disguise it as self-discovery, as nature's forces, and yet instead of believing in the ONE true God and worshipping Him people worship their own self realizations, their self-empowerment. Satan is ready, willing, and very able to help those who would seek a false experience with so called enlightenment he'd do anything to keep people from worshipping God. Tapping into our OWN powers is something that is sweeping the world. The power in positive thinking is being touted as a saving grace, a life changing belief. Remember, Satan will stop at nothing to get people away from realizing the power of God.
For many, many years God had prophets walking the earth warning kings and peoples to turn from their wicked ways. Punishments were given, punishments were stayed depending on the response of the people. Christ Jesus, God on Earth came to give His warnings as well and we all know how well He was received by the masses. We know that Christ was rejected and crucified- God's Son. We know that Jesus' ministry was pointing the way to God, to life in God. People don't want to walk that walk because it is a less popular walk and it calls for self sacrifice, not self-empowerment. People don't want to place their lives in the hands of God fully because they believe they should have a hand in things. People will not flock to walk the narrow road fraught with trials and tribulations. People want to believe only in themselves and any power they can seemingly find within, not without.
More and more severe weather is playing its role in our lives. Lately year after recent year we are hearing of the worst this or that in so many years. God is trying to rouse people to understand that He is in control and that there is danger in not seeking Him. But instead our minds are turned to where-- self. Global warming- man made catastrophes. If we would only stop doing things the weather itself would alter and things will be fine. So much for people looking to God. Satan doesn't want ANYONE looking to God and He's very nearly succeeded in getting mankind as a whole to think only of themselves.
Read the story of Jonah- read how God wanted Him to warn the people of Nineveh. The same God that was in control then is in control now.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
We don't worship an inconsistent God. God has a plan and that plan is unfolded in His word and in our lives. We choose to either worship God or worship others - even self. Once all the deciding is done, once all have had the chance and no more will turn to God no matter what is done- then the end will come. God, the same God who told Abraham that He'd spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were ten righteous people there, is the same God today that will know when all is decided. We fool ourselves when we refuse to believe that God is in control. We might not like the things Satan has brought into play in our lives and the lives around us, but we can take solace in the knowledge he has but a limited time to work.
May the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior be with each of us as we seek to be His fully by the righteousness of Christ, not of ourselves. May we determine to worship God and only God and no other.
By His love.
Amen.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Chastened
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
When we read of the patriarchs and prophets, men of God through the Bible we read of trials they endured. Were they chastened by the Lord? Yes. It's easy to see where by their example we are to follow and not to follow. Were most of these men perfect in all their ways? No. But most of them repented of their wrongs and returned to the way of the Lord.
'Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.'
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty
Pro 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction
We can't forget the exhortation. When we forget exhortations God gives to us we we risk our eternal lives. Read through this slowly--
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure;
I'll be the first to jump up and say I, as a mother, don't enjoy chastening my children. However, and it's something to think about, a lot of times we consider our children reflections of ourselves and as such we want to mold them to be children that we can be proud of so when we chasten our children we are in some small ways selfishly doing so. Yes, we want what's best for them, we do, but our children are our heirs their children are our heirs. We want our heirs to carry on our names remembering us and yes, being people we can be proud of. It all comes back to us and our pleasure- to be proud of your children brings pleasure to us. I'm not saying we shouldn't desire to be proud of our children but this passage in the Bible is so true, we do punish our children and it's not entirely without selfishness.
God punishes, God chastens and He does so because He wants us to be partakers of His holiness. He wants us to be His heirs, His children, His sons and daughters.
We want life to be easy but it's not and it never will be.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Chastening is grievous. God's chastening will bring us righteousness. We are chastened over and over again to have no other God before God, to turn from our selfish ways and to turn to Christ. When we fully accept Christ and yield to Him it is HIS righteousness that becomes ours through His sacrifice.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Make straight paths for our feet- the striaight paths will give us healing any other way will result in our eternal deaths. We all need the healing of Christ and by His grace we will live.
May God bless us and keep us on the straight paths. May we resist our temptations unto blood. May the Lord God chasten us so that we may be healed and find righteousness in His son, keeping us from being self-absorbed, choosing God first always!
By His will, in love.
Amen.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
When we read of the patriarchs and prophets, men of God through the Bible we read of trials they endured. Were they chastened by the Lord? Yes. It's easy to see where by their example we are to follow and not to follow. Were most of these men perfect in all their ways? No. But most of them repented of their wrongs and returned to the way of the Lord.
'Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.'
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty
Pro 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction
We can't forget the exhortation. When we forget exhortations God gives to us we we risk our eternal lives. Read through this slowly--
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure;
I'll be the first to jump up and say I, as a mother, don't enjoy chastening my children. However, and it's something to think about, a lot of times we consider our children reflections of ourselves and as such we want to mold them to be children that we can be proud of so when we chasten our children we are in some small ways selfishly doing so. Yes, we want what's best for them, we do, but our children are our heirs their children are our heirs. We want our heirs to carry on our names remembering us and yes, being people we can be proud of. It all comes back to us and our pleasure- to be proud of your children brings pleasure to us. I'm not saying we shouldn't desire to be proud of our children but this passage in the Bible is so true, we do punish our children and it's not entirely without selfishness.
God punishes, God chastens and He does so because He wants us to be partakers of His holiness. He wants us to be His heirs, His children, His sons and daughters.
We want life to be easy but it's not and it never will be.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Chastening is grievous. God's chastening will bring us righteousness. We are chastened over and over again to have no other God before God, to turn from our selfish ways and to turn to Christ. When we fully accept Christ and yield to Him it is HIS righteousness that becomes ours through His sacrifice.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Make straight paths for our feet- the striaight paths will give us healing any other way will result in our eternal deaths. We all need the healing of Christ and by His grace we will live.
May God bless us and keep us on the straight paths. May we resist our temptations unto blood. May the Lord God chasten us so that we may be healed and find righteousness in His son, keeping us from being self-absorbed, choosing God first always!
By His will, in love.
Amen.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Faith, Hope, Love
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
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 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
2Th 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
Can you have faith in God without love? Or love of God without faith? Seriously, can you? I know that we can love a person without fully trusting them, having faith in them, but that's with our very imperfect love. Some would say that's a warped love, being able to love someone whom you can't have faith in. We do it all the time as parents don't we? Our children do things that hurt us as they grow up and yet the love doesn't stop. But... is the love still there because we are trying to have faith in them, that they'll be better? The same with spouses that cheat, or do other things that are detrimental to the relationship. We love them, the love doesn't stop just because we are hurt by them and we want to give them another chance don't we? We want to believe they won't hurt us again. That's faith isn't it? Believing in something unseen, hoping in something. And love, we give part of ourselves to those we love don't we? We invest part of ourselves. We care for them and don't want to see them hurt.
Can we have faith in someone without love? Yes, I don't have to love my neighbor do I, in order to trust them. Or is that a love of fellowman that I have for them? I certainly can't hate my neighbor and have faith in them could I? Faith seems to disappear when hate enters in. Can we have love without faith? No. Because love automatically has us hoping in the best even if we think the worst. I may think the worst of a lying, cheating, abusing husband but the part of me that still loves him would have hope that the lying, cheating, and abusing would end. Part of me would hope that there are good reasons for all of it if it doesn't end.
Faith and love are all intertwined aren't they? It's no wonder that without faith it's impossible to please God. We have to believe in God and have a certain measure of love towards God and others. I say a certain measure because I'm beginning to believe that it's very true, we have to love God and love our fellowman- these are the two greatest commandments that all the rest hang on. It's not the overwhelming gooshy love but a love filled with hope, a love believing in the best of each other even in the face of the worst. A love hoping when there is little tangible reason to hope.
Jesus died to give us hope. We have to have patience, our faith has to remain to the end, we have to love each other- hope in each other. We have to have faith, hope, and love... and yes the greatest is love because it encompasses faith and hope. It's determining to love when there is no outward reason to hope or have faith.
Faith without works is dead. We cannot truly have faith without works. The faith in God will result in a life full of decisions based upon that faith and our lives are made up daily of the works we do, the actions we take.
May the Lord God Almighty look down upon us and bless us with the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. May the Holy Spirit live in us, all by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May our faith grow now and always in Him and our works, our lives be a reflection of that faith. Please Lord, hear us and help us.
Amen.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
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 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
2Th 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
Can you have faith in God without love? Or love of God without faith? Seriously, can you? I know that we can love a person without fully trusting them, having faith in them, but that's with our very imperfect love. Some would say that's a warped love, being able to love someone whom you can't have faith in. We do it all the time as parents don't we? Our children do things that hurt us as they grow up and yet the love doesn't stop. But... is the love still there because we are trying to have faith in them, that they'll be better? The same with spouses that cheat, or do other things that are detrimental to the relationship. We love them, the love doesn't stop just because we are hurt by them and we want to give them another chance don't we? We want to believe they won't hurt us again. That's faith isn't it? Believing in something unseen, hoping in something. And love, we give part of ourselves to those we love don't we? We invest part of ourselves. We care for them and don't want to see them hurt.
Can we have faith in someone without love? Yes, I don't have to love my neighbor do I, in order to trust them. Or is that a love of fellowman that I have for them? I certainly can't hate my neighbor and have faith in them could I? Faith seems to disappear when hate enters in. Can we have love without faith? No. Because love automatically has us hoping in the best even if we think the worst. I may think the worst of a lying, cheating, abusing husband but the part of me that still loves him would have hope that the lying, cheating, and abusing would end. Part of me would hope that there are good reasons for all of it if it doesn't end.
Faith and love are all intertwined aren't they? It's no wonder that without faith it's impossible to please God. We have to believe in God and have a certain measure of love towards God and others. I say a certain measure because I'm beginning to believe that it's very true, we have to love God and love our fellowman- these are the two greatest commandments that all the rest hang on. It's not the overwhelming gooshy love but a love filled with hope, a love believing in the best of each other even in the face of the worst. A love hoping when there is little tangible reason to hope.
Jesus died to give us hope. We have to have patience, our faith has to remain to the end, we have to love each other- hope in each other. We have to have faith, hope, and love... and yes the greatest is love because it encompasses faith and hope. It's determining to love when there is no outward reason to hope or have faith.
Faith without works is dead. We cannot truly have faith without works. The faith in God will result in a life full of decisions based upon that faith and our lives are made up daily of the works we do, the actions we take.
May the Lord God Almighty look down upon us and bless us with the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. May the Holy Spirit live in us, all by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May our faith grow now and always in Him and our works, our lives be a reflection of that faith. Please Lord, hear us and help us.
Amen.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Love is...
Mat 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love is... having no other gods before God.
Love is... not making any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth, not bowing down thyself to them, nor serving them.
Love is... not taking the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
Love is... Remembering the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. 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. 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.
Love is... Honouring thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Love is... Not killing.
Love is... Not committing adultery.
Love is... Not stealing.
Love is... Not bearing false witness against thy neighbour.
Love is... Not coveting thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Most of us will recognize the following.
Charity is... suffering long
Charity is... kind
Charity is... envying not
Charity is... vaunting not itself
Charity is... not puffed up
Charity is... not behaving itself unseemly
Charity is... seeking not her own
Charity is... not easily provoked
Charity is... thinking no evil
Charity is... rejoicing not in iniquity, but rejoicing in the truth
Charity is... bearing all things
Charity is... believing all things
Charity is... hoping all things
Charity is... enduring all things
Charity is... never failing
We know for a fact that loving someone is not harming them in any way. We know for a fact when we love we look out for the others best interests no matter what that entails. That old saying if you love something set it free, love automatically allows for freedom because it's not imprisoning in any way. Children believe their parents don't love them when they put up restrictions, but the parents know it is because they do love them they erect the restrictions to protect their children.
God would have us know Him and in knowing Him we learn love. God didn't leave us without instructions, but over and over reveals His love to us. Some would say God has only reveals His wrath, His ability to spread suffering and heartache, but that isn't true at all. We are given examples all through life of God's love and Satan's evil. Satan would have us believe that when God allows the evil to reign that it's a sign of His own evil, not love. God allows the evil to exist, but it will only exist for a short while compared to eternity without any evil at all. We can't know the ways of God- our finite minds can't comprehend fully.
Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
We have to believe in God.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
In believing we come to know the love of God and our lives reflect that love. If our lives fail to reflect that love something isn't right- because believing alone is not enough. Devils believe.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we believe and live in Him, for Him, all in love for God is love.
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love is... having no other gods before God.
Love is... not making any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth, not bowing down thyself to them, nor serving them.
Love is... not taking the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
Love is... Remembering the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. 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. 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.
Love is... Honouring thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Love is... Not killing.
Love is... Not committing adultery.
Love is... Not stealing.
Love is... Not bearing false witness against thy neighbour.
Love is... Not coveting thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Most of us will recognize the following.
Charity is... suffering long
Charity is... kind
Charity is... envying not
Charity is... vaunting not itself
Charity is... not puffed up
Charity is... not behaving itself unseemly
Charity is... seeking not her own
Charity is... not easily provoked
Charity is... thinking no evil
Charity is... rejoicing not in iniquity, but rejoicing in the truth
Charity is... bearing all things
Charity is... believing all things
Charity is... hoping all things
Charity is... enduring all things
Charity is... never failing
We know for a fact that loving someone is not harming them in any way. We know for a fact when we love we look out for the others best interests no matter what that entails. That old saying if you love something set it free, love automatically allows for freedom because it's not imprisoning in any way. Children believe their parents don't love them when they put up restrictions, but the parents know it is because they do love them they erect the restrictions to protect their children.
God would have us know Him and in knowing Him we learn love. God didn't leave us without instructions, but over and over reveals His love to us. Some would say God has only reveals His wrath, His ability to spread suffering and heartache, but that isn't true at all. We are given examples all through life of God's love and Satan's evil. Satan would have us believe that when God allows the evil to reign that it's a sign of His own evil, not love. God allows the evil to exist, but it will only exist for a short while compared to eternity without any evil at all. We can't know the ways of God- our finite minds can't comprehend fully.
Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
We have to believe in God.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
In believing we come to know the love of God and our lives reflect that love. If our lives fail to reflect that love something isn't right- because believing alone is not enough. Devils believe.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we believe and live in Him, for Him, all in love for God is love.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Sin is the Will to Destroy God
Listening to a Bible lecture the other day I came across this -
'When you sin what are you saying?
I don't want to do His will, His law.
But the law is the basis of His government.
The sinning is trying to pull down the government of God. Right?
Sin is trying to destroy, pull down the government God has set up.
Sin is the will to destroy God.'
We don't like to think about sin that way. We think of it more as a harmless little hurt, a pinprick that God barely feels. He's God, right? Nothing can hurt Him. Nothing can destroy Him. When I sin I don't imagine I'm trying to destroy God that's just ludicrous. Why is sin so abhorrent to God then? In our own lives we sometimes acquire enemies. No, not everyone can say they have someone out there wanting to destroy them, but most people do find people in their lives that are less than happy to watch them succeed. As children it's very common to get on the wrong side of a school yard bully- it could be something as simple as a cross-eyed look at a bully and you're in their sites. When we're young it doesn't seem to matter what might set things off so much. Once a bully gets you in their sites they want to push you about, call you names, take you to the school yard and put you in your place. As we grow up sometimes that sort of thing continues on into high school but not so often as the childishness of things begins to give way to adulthood. The destroying of another that we perceive as a threat when we're older comes about in other ways. We use the law sometimes, other times we break the law to get back at another. Mostly we just learn to live with someone were not fond of and merely talk badly about them to prove to others how bad that person is so they don't befriend them. In some circles someone business men are at each others throats corporately trying to tear one another down in order to succeed. Corporate spies are common place and they're set in motion to gain information that can be used to hurt a company while benefitting another. Not all of the will to destroy another is fictional, though we do see some of it glorified in movies and books. Even on a grand scale- nation against nation - there is the *good guys* and the *bad guys* and of course it depends on which side you're on as to who is who. Certainly to our perceived bad guys we are the bad ones. We have wars going on right now and yes, killing going on right now, as we try to destroy an enemies whose values or lack there of are detrimental to ours. Kill or be killed they say. Destroy or be destroyed.
How many people out there actively try to destroy God? Impossible you say, He's not a *REAL* person. No one can point a gun at God and end His life. You're right and yet people actively hurt God more often than they even realize because they don't equate their actions with anything to do with God. Yet God is our creator and has an active interest in all we do, good or bad.
God is a spirit incapable of dying. Angels are spirits that under normal circumstance do not die, yet can be killed by God in the long run as a result of their rebellion. Satan is one such angel who has led a multitude of angels to defy God, to turn from God's ways seeking to destroy God and all He stands for.
We DON'T want to make that a reality in our minds, in our lives. We want that to be a fictional story. As long as God and Satan and the war between them is a fiction tale then we don't have to realize our own part in it all. When we realize that it isn't a tall tale but real life we have to realize that it is because of Satan seducing Eve into sin that we are all a part of this battle between God and Satan. We know who has won, but that doesn't stop the loser from wanting to take as many of us down with Him as He can- hurting God until the very last moment it's possible for Him to do so. God on the other hand is long suffering wanting as many as will to come to Him. He's set a time in the grand scale of things when it will all be decided one way or another and when that time comes we will either be on God's side or Satan's. So you see, it's very, very important for us to realize that our sins are our futile attempt to destroy God, to defy Him, to make His government, His laws, His ways of none effect. OUR SINS. Is it no wonder our sins caused the death of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus became lowly human flesh in order to save us- proving once and for all that God's law, God's government, God's ways on earth are just.
'Sin is the will to destroy God.' Again, I have to emphasize, we don't believe that our sins, our petty little wrong doings and such are truly us trying to destroy God. Sin is the transgression of God's law. When we sin we are hurting God, we are hurting our fellow man and God's law says to honor and worship Him and to have respect to our fellow man- love God and love man- this is the whole law.
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Our sins great or small break one of these two laws, or both. We don't want to believe that but it's true. We call our sins harmless and yet isn't that just what Satan wants? As long as we believe our sins are harmless and hurt no one, least of all God then we're fine.
We have to wake up and realize before it's too late that it is our sins that if left un-confessed and un-repented of that will ultimately kill us eternally. That it is our sins that are an admission of being in defiance of God. We can proclaim our Christianity until the day we die, but unless we realize that on a personal level each sin we commit is a strike against God, we are only fooling ourselves and letting ourselves be lulled into a false sense of security.
May God open our hearts and minds to the truth of His word. May we seek to understand and believe the truth that our sins are hurtful to God - big or small. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we seek forgiveness so that we may be at one with God through Him and not fighting against Him and His love.
Amen.
'When you sin what are you saying?
I don't want to do His will, His law.
But the law is the basis of His government.
The sinning is trying to pull down the government of God. Right?
Sin is trying to destroy, pull down the government God has set up.
Sin is the will to destroy God.'
We don't like to think about sin that way. We think of it more as a harmless little hurt, a pinprick that God barely feels. He's God, right? Nothing can hurt Him. Nothing can destroy Him. When I sin I don't imagine I'm trying to destroy God that's just ludicrous. Why is sin so abhorrent to God then? In our own lives we sometimes acquire enemies. No, not everyone can say they have someone out there wanting to destroy them, but most people do find people in their lives that are less than happy to watch them succeed. As children it's very common to get on the wrong side of a school yard bully- it could be something as simple as a cross-eyed look at a bully and you're in their sites. When we're young it doesn't seem to matter what might set things off so much. Once a bully gets you in their sites they want to push you about, call you names, take you to the school yard and put you in your place. As we grow up sometimes that sort of thing continues on into high school but not so often as the childishness of things begins to give way to adulthood. The destroying of another that we perceive as a threat when we're older comes about in other ways. We use the law sometimes, other times we break the law to get back at another. Mostly we just learn to live with someone were not fond of and merely talk badly about them to prove to others how bad that person is so they don't befriend them. In some circles someone business men are at each others throats corporately trying to tear one another down in order to succeed. Corporate spies are common place and they're set in motion to gain information that can be used to hurt a company while benefitting another. Not all of the will to destroy another is fictional, though we do see some of it glorified in movies and books. Even on a grand scale- nation against nation - there is the *good guys* and the *bad guys* and of course it depends on which side you're on as to who is who. Certainly to our perceived bad guys we are the bad ones. We have wars going on right now and yes, killing going on right now, as we try to destroy an enemies whose values or lack there of are detrimental to ours. Kill or be killed they say. Destroy or be destroyed.
How many people out there actively try to destroy God? Impossible you say, He's not a *REAL* person. No one can point a gun at God and end His life. You're right and yet people actively hurt God more often than they even realize because they don't equate their actions with anything to do with God. Yet God is our creator and has an active interest in all we do, good or bad.
God is a spirit incapable of dying. Angels are spirits that under normal circumstance do not die, yet can be killed by God in the long run as a result of their rebellion. Satan is one such angel who has led a multitude of angels to defy God, to turn from God's ways seeking to destroy God and all He stands for.
We DON'T want to make that a reality in our minds, in our lives. We want that to be a fictional story. As long as God and Satan and the war between them is a fiction tale then we don't have to realize our own part in it all. When we realize that it isn't a tall tale but real life we have to realize that it is because of Satan seducing Eve into sin that we are all a part of this battle between God and Satan. We know who has won, but that doesn't stop the loser from wanting to take as many of us down with Him as He can- hurting God until the very last moment it's possible for Him to do so. God on the other hand is long suffering wanting as many as will to come to Him. He's set a time in the grand scale of things when it will all be decided one way or another and when that time comes we will either be on God's side or Satan's. So you see, it's very, very important for us to realize that our sins are our futile attempt to destroy God, to defy Him, to make His government, His laws, His ways of none effect. OUR SINS. Is it no wonder our sins caused the death of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus became lowly human flesh in order to save us- proving once and for all that God's law, God's government, God's ways on earth are just.
'Sin is the will to destroy God.' Again, I have to emphasize, we don't believe that our sins, our petty little wrong doings and such are truly us trying to destroy God. Sin is the transgression of God's law. When we sin we are hurting God, we are hurting our fellow man and God's law says to honor and worship Him and to have respect to our fellow man- love God and love man- this is the whole law.
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Our sins great or small break one of these two laws, or both. We don't want to believe that but it's true. We call our sins harmless and yet isn't that just what Satan wants? As long as we believe our sins are harmless and hurt no one, least of all God then we're fine.
We have to wake up and realize before it's too late that it is our sins that if left un-confessed and un-repented of that will ultimately kill us eternally. That it is our sins that are an admission of being in defiance of God. We can proclaim our Christianity until the day we die, but unless we realize that on a personal level each sin we commit is a strike against God, we are only fooling ourselves and letting ourselves be lulled into a false sense of security.
May God open our hearts and minds to the truth of His word. May we seek to understand and believe the truth that our sins are hurtful to God - big or small. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior may we seek forgiveness so that we may be at one with God through Him and not fighting against Him and His love.
Amen.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Obeying the Truth Through the Spirit
1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
*
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
What is a man's work? Is it what he does as a job? Or is it the whole of his life's actions?
The word 'work' -
ergon
er'-gon
From ?????? ergo? (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labour, work.
'by implication an act- deed, doing, labour.'
Our lives are judged, our actions are judged and that includes our jobs- our occupational work. Without any respect to who it is, God will judge all by the same criteria. All of us will be judged by our actions. The most important action being what? Believing in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and loving Him with all our hearts and minds. From there all the rest of our actions in life are judged. Do we live in accordance to God's will? Is it important to us to put God first? To worship God? People stomp their feet and cry out Jesus did away with all that stuff, we are only to love! But do we love? Even Jesus commended the rich young ruler when he said that he followed the law of God. Wouldn't have Jesus taken that prime opportunity to tell the young man that he no longer had to follow the laws if that's what He intended of us? Loving God and loving our fellowman this our duty.
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
In those commandments our love is manifested, God's love is manifested.
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Being judged by our actions is necessary because it is an action- a work- to believe, to have faith, to worship God first and foremost.
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
We do sojourn here on earth don't we? This isn't our final home and it wasn't intended to be, not this sin-filled, corrupted world. Jesus said in His Father's house are many mansions. Jesus also spoke of coming again to bring us to Him incorruptible, immortal. There was talk of a new heaven and a new earth. This isn't our final home and truly we only sojourn here for however long our lives may be it is only temporary that we dwell on this earth this way. So being told 'pass the time of your sojourning here in fear' it is a wise saying isn't it? We need to have a healthy fear of losing our eternal life because we holdfast to things that are corruptible, because we worship things and each other more than God.
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot
We're not redeemed from this life, from earth by things that are corruptible themselves. Money won't save us, traditions won't save us, only the precious blood of Christ- a pure, unblemished sacrifical lamb- saves us. Our lives, our works, our actions are to believe in the saving grace of Christ and the blood He shed for us and to love Him with all our hearts.
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Purified your souls in OBEYING THE TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT UNTO UNFEIGNED LOVE...
BORN AGAIN....BY THE WORD OF GOD
We have to believe and out of our beliefs we live, our actions are committed. We have to purify our souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit and in that we will have the unfeigned love for God and others that we need. We have to be born again through God, by the Word of God.
Living in a world that is so fully corrupted that everywhere we turn the corruption is widespread, it isn't easy to hold fast to the love of God, the truth of God. When so many things cry out to be worshipped by us over any worship of God, it's hard to truly believe the truth. Solomon talked of 'all' being vanity and he wasn't far off was He? We focus on ourselves first so much. Even in giving of ourselves we focus on the fact we give as if that is a gold star in our favor- vanity. By the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit may we find the truth in the Word of God and live in truth, in love now and forever.
Amen.
1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
*
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
What is a man's work? Is it what he does as a job? Or is it the whole of his life's actions?
The word 'work' -
ergon
er'-gon
From ?????? ergo? (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labour, work.
'by implication an act- deed, doing, labour.'
Our lives are judged, our actions are judged and that includes our jobs- our occupational work. Without any respect to who it is, God will judge all by the same criteria. All of us will be judged by our actions. The most important action being what? Believing in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and loving Him with all our hearts and minds. From there all the rest of our actions in life are judged. Do we live in accordance to God's will? Is it important to us to put God first? To worship God? People stomp their feet and cry out Jesus did away with all that stuff, we are only to love! But do we love? Even Jesus commended the rich young ruler when he said that he followed the law of God. Wouldn't have Jesus taken that prime opportunity to tell the young man that he no longer had to follow the laws if that's what He intended of us? Loving God and loving our fellowman this our duty.
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
In those commandments our love is manifested, God's love is manifested.
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Being judged by our actions is necessary because it is an action- a work- to believe, to have faith, to worship God first and foremost.
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
We do sojourn here on earth don't we? This isn't our final home and it wasn't intended to be, not this sin-filled, corrupted world. Jesus said in His Father's house are many mansions. Jesus also spoke of coming again to bring us to Him incorruptible, immortal. There was talk of a new heaven and a new earth. This isn't our final home and truly we only sojourn here for however long our lives may be it is only temporary that we dwell on this earth this way. So being told 'pass the time of your sojourning here in fear' it is a wise saying isn't it? We need to have a healthy fear of losing our eternal life because we holdfast to things that are corruptible, because we worship things and each other more than God.
1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot
We're not redeemed from this life, from earth by things that are corruptible themselves. Money won't save us, traditions won't save us, only the precious blood of Christ- a pure, unblemished sacrifical lamb- saves us. Our lives, our works, our actions are to believe in the saving grace of Christ and the blood He shed for us and to love Him with all our hearts.
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Purified your souls in OBEYING THE TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT UNTO UNFEIGNED LOVE...
BORN AGAIN....BY THE WORD OF GOD
We have to believe and out of our beliefs we live, our actions are committed. We have to purify our souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit and in that we will have the unfeigned love for God and others that we need. We have to be born again through God, by the Word of God.
Living in a world that is so fully corrupted that everywhere we turn the corruption is widespread, it isn't easy to hold fast to the love of God, the truth of God. When so many things cry out to be worshipped by us over any worship of God, it's hard to truly believe the truth. Solomon talked of 'all' being vanity and he wasn't far off was He? We focus on ourselves first so much. Even in giving of ourselves we focus on the fact we give as if that is a gold star in our favor- vanity. By the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit may we find the truth in the Word of God and live in truth, in love now and forever.
Amen.
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