We Can't Hide From God.

Jer 23:23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? 

Jer 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

None can hide from God, none. We can try to hide but it won't work. The LORD can see us anywhere we are. Our God is ALL seeing and He knows us.

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 

Mat 6:27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 

Mat 6:28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 

Mat 6:29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof

Our Heavenly Father knows our every need.  So immediately some might think - then why doesn't he fulfill all our needs? We have to realize that we are to SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.  And we have to realize that our first need is to know God, if we don't know God then by His will He is prayerfully using all He can in life to guide us to know Him. Sometimes we have to go through awful things, near death things, painful, long lasting things in order for us to know Him and that's because WE are stubborn, we are hard-hearted, we are willfully blind. God would NEVER allow harm to befall us needlessly, never! Anyone that goes through horrific things is going through them for reasons beyond our full comprehension.

We have a new kingdom to look forward too, we have hope through Jesus Christ our Lord, for a future without any of the horrors of this world ruled by Satan. God knows us, God loves us, we need to know God and love Him. When we choose not to know God, He won't force us to know Him. While He knows us, He won't force us to know Him. Only when we choose to know Him can a relationship, a spiritual relationship begin. If we close ourselves off from our Savior, He won't know us spiritually at all.

God loves us, and eternal life given to us by His Son Jesus Christ our Lord is proof of that love.  This isn't our final home, this isn't all there is, we are pilgrims upon this earth and we are looking for a new world, a world to come that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David and many other of God's chosen have yet to attain. Right now they sleep death's sleep but when our Savior returns they will rise from their graves to meet Him in the air and prayerfully we will be among them!

All through the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ now and forever!!!!!!!  

The Comforter.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever 

We must love in DEEDS not WORDS. So is it any wonder that our Savior wants us to KEEP the commandments He gave to us? Our Savior wants us to love in DEED- KEEPING the commandments. We have to ask ourselves why Jesus would say 'If you Love me- keep my commandments', if He didn't care if we kept them or not. Not only did Jesus say- 'If you love me- keep my commandments' He also added- AND…. He said, AND.    How often have we done the exact same thing in different ways? Have you said to someone- 'Do that for me, AND I'll do this for you.'  If you do that, I'll do this, isn't that what the AND is implying?  'If you love me- keep my commandments and I will….'   If we love our Savior we should keep His commandments, yet our Savior wants to give us added incentive.  If we love Him and keep His commandments then He is going to pray to the Father, and the Father will give us another Comforter that will live with us forever.

IF we…  then He will…

I didn't write those words they are right there in God's word.  I suppose that having the Comforter the God will give us isn't something someone who is unwilling to keep Jesus' commandments would really want.  Loving Jesus- recognizing the debt He paid for us- of course we want to listen to Him and follow His commandments!  We don't want to keep the commandments to be saved, only Jesus can save us. We want to keep the commandments because the ONE who saves us desires us to keep them- they are special gifts given to us- instruction into the will of God. 
 

Who is the Comforter that Jesus promises to pray to the Father for us to have?

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you

The Comforter - the SPIRIT of truth.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit…

The HOLY SPIRIT!

The Holy Spirit will dwell with us, and will be IN us.

If we…then He…

Loving Jesus- our love is revealed in our actions, and those actions reveal to our Savior that we are in need of the Comforter and He gives us the Comforter to live IN US.

If LOVE results in living as our Savior commands, we are given a gift of God in us!

The Holy Spirit God.

Act 5:1  But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 

Act 5:2  And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 

Act 5:3  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 

Act 5:4  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 

Peter said- "… why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost…"  And then continued- "…thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

How amazing blessed we are to have the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter living with us and in us, all because we love our Savior and do His will, as He does the will of the Father.

Such love, such amazing love!

All through the LOVE, the GRACE, the MERCY, the SACRIFICE of our SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, now and forever!!!!!!!

Love In Deed.

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 

Our love means nothing if there are no acts of love. Speaking the words- I love you- mean nothing if they are followed by abusive words and actions. A person can say that they know soandso loves them even if they can't show it, but if it's not shown how is it love? We can show we love someone by our actions. My father wasn't an affectionately demonstrative man towards me or my siblings. I can say I knew my father loved me, but I don't remember the words coming from his lips- ever. His actions showed his love though. He cared for me basic needs- let me stay with a roof over my head up to 22 years old without asking for me to pay rent or otherwise. Along with that roof came food and clothing, as well as doctor appts. As a child I can remember a few stand out moments that revealed he loved me, but again, we didn't hug easily in my family or speak about loving each other. I'd like to be able to say my mother was different and made up for my dad's lack of physical/verbal affection, but she wasn't, not readily. As I grew older I could hug her, and tell her I loved her and she'd say it back but that was when I was much older. I knew she loved me, I knew my dad loved me, but they weren't loving me in words they were loving me in deeds.

God wants us to love in DEED, not in words.  God doesn't want us to tell people we love them and neglect to show them our love for them. God would rather we SHOW our love.

So how do we show our love for others?

Mat_5:42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

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. 

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 

Luk 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 

These are just a few verses instructing us on how we show our love for others. We think of THEM before ourselves. We give. We help.

Lord PLEASE help us to SHOW our love. Let our LOVE be in DEEDS not just in words!

All through YOUR power, all through the Holy Spirit, all by Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!!

Teach Us You.

If there has to be a bottom line in Christianity it would be- love.

What is love-

1Jn_4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn_4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

A few days ago we talked about those who do many wonderful things and the fact of the matter being, you can do amazingly wonderful, seemingly loving things and have no love at all in you.

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

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. 

Many wonderful works- yet Jesus doesn't know them because there was no real love in them.

God is love.

When Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan - He was describing an act of love.

Luk 10:25  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 

Luk 10:26  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 

Luk 10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 

Luk 10:28  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 

Luk 10:29  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

Luk 10:30  And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 

Luk 10:31  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 

Luk 10:32  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 

Luk 10:33  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 

Luk 10:34  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 

Luk 10:35  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 

Luk 10:36  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 

Luk 10:37  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 

Compassion, caregiving, feeding, tending to without EVER expecting anything in return.  That was done out of love. Sure, it could have been done out of self-serving- someone wanting others to notice their *love* but it wasn't, not in this parable.

Love. And it isn't self-love we need, though nowadays a lot of people would say I was crazy for saying that because there is a huge push for loving ourselves first before we can love others.

Some use this though--

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. 

Loving your neighbor as yourself…  is this telling us to love ourselves?

Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 

If we have no love for ourselves does this mean we can't love others? No, because we are loving others as WE desire to be loved. We are loving them as if they were US. We are treating them NOT how we are treated, but how we'd want to be treated. 

We do not have to love ourselves in the way we are encouraged to. We LOVE God and LOVE others, to the point we are willing to die for them, not preserve our lives above and beyond theirs. When we love others, we are loving ourselves, when we concentrate on loving ourselves we lose sight of others and we can never lose sight of others.

God forgive us, teach us love, teach us YOU.

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever!!!!!!!

The Royal Law

Jas 2:8  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well

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.

Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 

Rom 13:9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

1Ti 1:5  Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned

1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 

1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 

1Jn 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us. 

1Jn 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 

1Jn 4:21  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 

Jas 2:8  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well

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. 

Heb 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them

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.

Love.

Love is so incredibly important, seriously the most important thing there is. God's first commandment to His chosen is - to love God.

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. 

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. 

We HAVE to remember that the ONLY GREAT COMMANDMENTS the people had were the ten moral commandments.

Jesus KNEW that the first four commandments were all about LOVING GOD, and the last six commandments were all about loving our fellowman. JESUS KNEW because He was there when GOD gave the commandments, HE WAS THERE in agreement with the FATHER. Jesus wants US to know that those moral ten commandments were NOT being done away with! What reason would there ever be to get rid of commandments that are about LOVING HIM, LOVING the HEAVENLY FATHER- and LOVING EACH OTHER? There would be NO REASON. We deceive ourselves if we believe any of those ten commandments are not about loving God and our fellowman. 

Exo 20:1  And God spake all these words, saying, 

Exo 20:2  I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

Exo 20:3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

When we are told in Corinthians thirteen about love we are being told about God.

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

We are NOTHING without love.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 

NOTHING WITHOUT OUT LOVE!

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

Imagine… giving all you have to feed the poor,  imagine being willing to die and NOT HAVING LOVE.  We equate those acts with love, don't we? But the truth is, we can do acts of seeming love without any love at all! Its shocking, it's hard to comprehend, isn't it? Can you give up everything for the poor so they can eat, and not have love, how?! Maybe there is an underlying  element of self-serving there that no one can see, perhaps the person doesn't even realize it? We NEED LOVE above all!

1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 

1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 

1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Please, may we LOVE as God would have us LOVE!!!!!!!  All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!!

Children of Light

1Th 5:1  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 

1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 

1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 

1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 

Children of the light, children of the day- not children of the night, nor children of the dark.

Most of us in the western world who have had access to television for years and years, know all about various movies being made about the children of the dark. When we hear that sort of label we associate it with a dark, evil force and those who follow that evilness.  We've fictionalized evil so much it scarcely seems real, the supernatural evil, the principalities of evil. We recognize evil in the mass shooters, the terroristic armies, in rapists, child molesters, murderers, cop killers, cops who kill, sex traffickers, and the like. We leave out the evil behind all their actions. Not a single evil act is committed without the source of it being Satan, a supernatural being- a real fallen angel, a leader of an army of supernatural evil beings.  The children of darkness are real, as real as the children of light.  We have to acknowledge that if we are not children of light, children of the day- then we are children of the dark, of the night, of evil.

With so much evil in the world we sometimes forget the subtle evil.  We recognize right away the evil of bad people throughout our world, but we don't recognize evil in those who seem to be good. We tell ourselves it's not our place to know who is and who isn't evil, we can't judge, but truthfully we can judge between good and evil actions- we just can never judge another's eternal life, that is beyond our knowledge.

If there are going to be FEW who are God's when Jesus returns, then why are we so accepting of the evil called good all around us?  Evil called good has deceived the world, and all but God's very elect will choose deception. 

What a terribly sad world we live in.  Such a sad, awful world set up so perfectly by its ruler to deceive.

We can see a lot of beauty in the world, a lot of it, I'd be remiss if I didn't say there is beauty and a lot of loving people in our world. The thing is… how much of the beauty, and love is colored by our acceptance of  things not of God? So much… so much.  And I hear in my head that I'm being too judgmental, that I don't know what I'm talking about, that I don't have a right to say such a thing, I'm no authority on what is acceptable and what isn't, how dare I believe that the love I see in self-less acts is tainted by the world? I too want to believe that God will overlook so much and just see the good in us all, but my Bible tells me otherwise.  My Bible lays it plain for me to read….

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

Rom 1:26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 

Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 

Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 

Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 

Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 

Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 

Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

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. 

Maybe I am wrong.  By our fruits we are known and yet, how many are known for wonderful works, and Jesus is going to say He doesn't know them?  I know it's NOT for me to decide, praise GOD! But I can't let myself be blind to the truth either.

I fall so far short… so far… I have to trust that my GOD will do for me ALL I cannot do for myself.

Please, Lord, let us see as children of the LIGHT, Your truth! Let us live YOUR truth, through YOU by the Holy Spirit!

Please!

All in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!! 

Denying Ungodliness.

Tit 2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 

Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 

Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 

Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 

Tit 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 

Tit 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 

Tit 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. 

Tit 2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 

Tit 2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. 

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 

Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 

Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Denying ungodliness.

Denying worldly lusts.

Live soberly.

Live righteously.

Live godly.

Do we?

Or do we make excuses for living however we please?  What sort of excuses do we make so we can indulge our vices, so to speak? I'm not talking about the blatant vices, the big nasty vices. I'm talking about the everyday, very acceptable, not considered to be vices at all- vices. We know God's way and the world's way are at odds with one another and we try to marry them. Seriously, I mean, marry God's way with the world's way, not us marrying them, that's just crazy. We try to join God's way with the world's way and we do it all the time. Maybe we believe we'd have to shut ourselves completely off from the world in order not to be caught up in the mixing  and mingling of the two. That's ideal isn't it? Shut ourselves up in some monastery type place and shut the outside world away so we aren't tempted at all by its many worldly attractions. God doesn't want us to do that though--

Joh_17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

God didn't have any of the apostles taken out of the world. Jesus didn't tell the men He chose to hole up in a place that would keep them out of the world's temptations. Jesus, Himself, did not hide from the world. Yes, we can separate ourselves from others to pray and such, but our lives weren't meant to be lived away from others.

Remember these words of our Savior-

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 

Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

We are to LET others see any good works we do (by the GRACE of GOD) so they can glorify the Father in heaven.  Our lives are to be lived so that others can glorify God.  When we are caught up in the world is there any wonder that the men we are to shine before see the world in us more than they see the anything to glorify God?

When we join with the world, keeping enough of God in our life to please ourselves and ease our conscience, Satan is pleased.

We cannot join with the world, and desire the world's approval. The only approval that should ever matter to us is our God's, our Savior's- the Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our LORD.

More on all of this tomorrow by the grace of our LORD.

Keeping Yourselves in the Love of God.

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. 

Did you think of eternal life today?

If not, why not?

Maybe you said a morning prayer, and perhaps you recited the Lord's Prayer, and in that prayer are the words-  'Thy kingdom come', but did you stop and think about those words or were they said automatically without much thought at all? I ask because we ALL (ME INCLUDED) need to think much more about eternal life than we do.  Okay, if you're someone who does think of eternal life a lot, then clearly you don't have to think more about it, but I know personally I need to think more and more about it.  I get so caught up in THIS life I neglect to have serious and extensive thoughts about eternal life- the life I'm truly living for- not this world.

I need KEEP myself in the LOVE of GOD- LOOKING for the MERCY of our LORD JESUS CHRIST- all to ETERNAL LIFE.

Am I looking for the mercy? Am I keeping myself in the love of God? Is eternal life on my mind?

Back when the first century Christ followers lived, they had their "normal" everyday lives to live just like we do today. Yes, millions of things have changed since that time but one thing that hasn't changed is our need of a Savior.

They learned of Christ back then and some were just children when the wonderful news was shared with them and those children may have lived to be in their seventies, eighties, or nineties. The point I'm trying to make is they had to live out their years in their everyday life just like we do, they didn’t have it easier. In fact a lot of them had it much harder than we do- they were being persecuted there wasn’t a safe country for them to practice their beliefs. We have to believe with all our hearts and Jesus has to be a very real part of our lives, every single day!

Are we keeping ourselves in the love of God?

How many people today are being tortured for keeping themselves in the love of God? Right now, right this moment, how many are feeling pain because they refuse to give up their love of God through Jesus Christ? They REFUSE to give up the love of God.  God is so important to them they would rather DIE than give up their love of Him. Yet we are so petty we get mad at God when things don't go our way, when we feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders and God is allowing it so we get mad, and we aren't being TORTURED for our FAITH! Or maybe we don't get mad at God, maybe we are counting our tribulations joy. Maybe we are living with heaven on our minds daily. It's just so easy to be a fair-weather Christian, just as easy as it is to be a crisis Christian. A crisis Christian calls upon God a lot more when they face trouble and they barely think of Him when things are going good- the opposite of a fair-weather Christian.  The truth is, we need God in the wonderful times as well as the awful times. We never STOP needing God no matter what is happening in our lives!  We have to KEEP ourselves in the love of God! Because if we don't actively KEEP ourselves in the love of God, Satan will introduce all sorts of things to keep us away from Him.  

Let's keep the love of God with us as we have ordinary days, uniquely wonderful days, horrifically awful days, let there not be a single day no matter our circumstances that the love God isn't there with us. All through the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!

God, Who Created All Things By Jesus Christ.

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ

The Fellowship of the Mystery--

--from the beginning of the world has been hid in God-- who created ALL things by Jesus Christ.

Yesterday we talked a bit about our Savior being with God from the beginning, and about our Savior being with God throughout the entire Old Testament.  We talked about our Savior being a part of every decision made by God the Father. We recognize that when our Savior took on flesh and was the living embodiment of God on earth He was representing His Father, doing the will of the Father, a will HE agreed with in every way. We know that Jesus' death did away with the ceremonial laws and such that were put in place prior to His death which took away all that was there pointing to the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus expounded on the moral law that HE and HIS FATHER enacted on Mount Sinai. Jesus brought to the surface the LOVE in the LAW that had been stripped away for traditions of men. Keeping the law in every point wasn't enough- unless there is LOVE in the law you keep.  Jesus said this--

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 

The one who came to Jesus wanting eternal life asked what he could do and was told to keep the commandments- the MORAL LAW. The man asked which commandment and Jesus clearly told him the moral commandments. And the man replied that he'd kept that moral law from his youth until now, and he wanted to know what he lacked.  Jesus answered telling him to sell what he has and give to the poor, so the man's treasure would be in heaven, not on earth. And Jesus added- "come and follow me."

The love of the law- the first four are about loving God, the last six about loving our fellow man.  Loving our fellow man goes beyond not harming him and Jesus taught this because the people didn't realize how important it was to love each other and God. 

I could tell you all about my mother and her loving nature, but my words aren't guarantees you would understand the depths of her love, feel her love, comprehend her love wholly.  However, if you could have known my mother when she was still alive you would have been able to meet her, to know her, and understand her loving nature.  When Jesus came to us in flesh He allowed us to KNOW Him and His loving nature.  Jesus was with God in the BEGINNING - creating all things, Jesus with God always.

Knowing that Jesus was with God during each command to rise up and kill - has to make us realize that our God truly acted out of love, a love we can't comprehend in a mystery.

As I mentioned yesterday I believe that God will give eternal life to all innocent people- from the youngest to the oldest. God knows the hearts of all who die. If a pagan worshipping idols ignorant of the One True God and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, God knows. We look upon the lives lost as if the tragedy of death is horrific, and it can be. We hear of all sorts of tragic deaths, more and more lives taken in awful ways, and yet no matter how awful the death is, no matter how many mothers, fathers, children, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers are left behind after one of those tragic deaths, what remains is the truth. The truth of our Savior's love. The truth that death is but a sleep for those who are His. And we can have the HOPE that all of those who die- our loved ones, and strangers, as well as all in-between are God's because it is NOT our right to decide who belongs to Him and who doesn't. We can have HOPE, and our HOPE is in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, and eternal life through HIM who has been from everlasting to everlasting.

Jesus, From the Beginning.

1Co 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 

1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

The spiritual Rock FOLLOWED the people Moses led out of Egypt. Our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST followed the people through the parted sea and into the wilderness. Jesus followed them forty years as they wandered. People want to leave Christ OUT of the Old Testament, but they can't!  Jesus was there at the very beginning.

Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

So why do people take Jesus out of the Old Testament as if He didn't exist until the New Testament and His birth into humanity?  Jesus was there with the Heavenly Father all through the Old Testament, He wasn't hid in some heavenly room while the Father did all the work. He was right by His side! He knew everything being done, there wasn't a single thing at all whatsoever that Jesus didn't know. So, when we separate Jesus from the Old Testament happenings, we are doing Him and ourselves a grave disservice. Jesus took on flesh and eventually began His ministry. Jesus revealed in the flesh the LOVE that He and His Father forever had from the beginning. Jesus didn't condemn His Father's ways. Throughout all time Jesus and the Father's love was present. In what we perceive as horrific acts, the purpose was through love. We have NO way of knowing WHO will be in eternity. Of the thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands slain of women, children and men- we don't know who of them all would be with Christ in eternity when our Savior returns and that last trump is sounded and the dead in Christ rise.  Just because they were allowed to die for purposes beyond our full comprehension, doesn't mean they weren't God's. We are all allowed to die, every human being who has ever died, was allowed that death by God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. This life is a very temporary life.  And whether we are allowed one minute of life before death, or hundred years of life it is still temporary, and only God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, know who will live again in eternity.

Our Savior has been since always, just as the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

More tomorrow on this, all by the grace of our LORD, now and forever!

We Say We Know Him.

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

1Jn 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

1Jn 2:5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 

People love to say they know Jesus Christ, the propitiation for the sins of the world.  They do, they will say it loudly and proudly. They'll proclaim His holy name to all who will hear them. They'll hold their Bibles up and raise their hands in the air. They’ll sing praises to His name and worship Him happily. Yet, people will say they know Him and yet not keep His commandments at all. Their love for others stops at the mirror, and the reflection they see is one glorying in themselves for all their good will. Yes, they'll help others but they do so in order to have it look good on them, they wear their good deeds like an expensive garment proudly for the world to see, and they don't take it off in private. In private they wear this clothing pleased with themselves for all they do. Loving others…loving others… this is one of Jesus' commandments that encompasses six of the ten commandments. Jesus was THERE with Moses and the people led from the wilderness, we can't forget this!

Neh 9:12  Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. 

Neh 9:13  Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments

Neh 9:14  And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: 

Neh 9:15  And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. 

1Co 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 

1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior was there as the Ten Commandments were given, He and His Father are one in agreement, so HOW can anyone think the Lord Jesus doesn't want us to keep the Ten Moral Laws that were separated from ceremonial laws, and the many laws of the land? Jesus reaffirmed the moral law during His ministry more than once, yet people want to believe that He did away with the moral law as if it weren't approved by Him, as if it wasn't Him there with the people at Sinai. Jesus' new commandment was an expansion on the moral law expounded upon the LOVE in the law- the love for God and the love for our fellow man.

Love.

We who say we know Christ, do we really? Do we keep His commandments- all of them?!

All by HIS AMAZING GRACE, HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE, always!!!!!!!

Ministers of Reconciliation.

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 
2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.


The ministry of reconciliation.


To be reconciled-


rec·on·cile
verb
past tense: reconciled; past participle: reconciled RESTORE FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN. "she wanted to be reconciled with her father"
• CAUSE TO COEXIST IN HARMONY; MAKE OR SHOW TO BE COMPATIBLE.
  "a landscape in which inner and outer vision were reconciled"


From <https://www.google.com/search?q=reconciled+definition&oq=reconciled+definition&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.12797j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8>



We are to be MINISTERS of reconciliation.


God has reconciled US to Himself through our Savior and we need to be ministers of this reconciliation. We need to offer this reconciliation to others.


God IN Christ reconciled the WORLD to HIMSELF.
Our sins will NOT kill us!


Sin kills. Sin separates us from God, and God is life, eternal life. Without God there is NO eternal life. The only way our sins will not kill us is if they are forgiven. Reconciliation has to be made through our Savior. Every single sin needs to be forgiven and we have a Savior who DIED so He could forgive ALL our sins.

Without RECONCILIATION we will not have life.


No one will have eternal life without reconciliation. If we are reconciled to God through Christ, we must let others know they too have a chance for eternal life, they too can be reconciled to God through the Savior. 

Please, Lord, please help us to be reconciled to YOU and to be ministers of reconciliation as YOU will!!!!!!!!!

Joy In God.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 

When we were enemies.  Enemies of God.  What constitute being an enemy of God? We are all enemies of God until we are redeemed by Him because sin rules us and sin separates us from God, and that separation makes us enemies of God.  Redemption reconciles us with God. Redemption through the death of God's only begotten Son. We are SAVED by the life of our Savior- the fact He was born into humanity, raised to give His message to the world, and subjected Himself to dying on the cross so His Father could raise Him from the dead. Raised from the dead our Savior longs to redeem us from our sins, He longs to save us! Our Savior wants us to JOY IN GOD through HIM. Joy because we've received atonement, we are at one with God, no longer separated by sin, no longer enemies!

We must JOY IN GOD through our SAVIOR!

Redemption, salvation, reconciliation, and atonement ...all through Jesus Christ our Lord and we can JOY IN GOD through Him. 

We don’t joy in our lives except how we are saved, first and foremost. As we joy in the moment of the perfect sunset we can have that joy because we have a Savior. I know there are those who will quickly say that those who deny Christ will still find joy in a beautiful sunset, and they're right- they will have a joy but it is a joy grounded in the present not in eternity. Their joy is fleeting ours is the knowledge that the sunset we are finding joy in is amazing yet nothing compared to the joy of eternity with Jesus Christ.  Our joy is found in the wonder of our Heavenly Father!

All glory, praise and honor unto our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever!!!!!!!

Precious Blood.

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

Redeemed.

I think we're all familiar with the idea of redeeming coupons, yes? You clip a coupon from a paper, or you download the coupon on your phone and when you go to the checkout you give the coupon or input your phone info to get your savings. You give something and get something in return, that's how redeeming coupons work.

With our Savior, He gave His life and in return we get eternal life, we are redeemed.

A 25 cents off coupon saves me 25 cents, NOTHING compared to my Savior giving His life for my life.

A life for a life.

The precious blood of Christ was shed- a whipping tore apart His flesh and blood flowed. The crown of thorns was placed on His head and the thorns dug into His flesh and his blood flowed. Nails pierced his feet and hands, blood poured forth.  Our Savior's blood was spilled as He hung upon that cross bleeding down the wood that held Him up. That precious blood was shed to redeem us. How exceedingly precious was that blood of our Savior, that blood of Christ. Innocent blood, pure blood without any corruption at all whatsoever. Godly blood, the blood of God and mankind. Christ took on human form, a form filled with life blood. That blood was royal blood, the blood of God. The blood of the power of God.

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The power of our Savior's blood JUSTIFIES us!  We are SAVED through the blood of Jesus Christ! Such power! 

We are REDEEMED by the PRECIOUS BLOOD of CHRIST.

Nothing else redeems us, not a single thing!

You cannot be saved by anything else, nothing else exists that offers us eternal life, nothing.

Mat_26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Rom_3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God

Eph_1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace

Eph_2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ

Col_1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven