2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you
IT IS a righteous thing with GOD to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. Did that say - it is a righteous thing with YOU to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you? No, it did not. In fact read more...
2Th 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Recompense comes when?
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.
Why isn't this enough for us? We feel as if we have this inbred, instinctive, primal need to retaliate. People will even quote the Bible saying- an eye for an eye, and they justify that thing inside them that wants someone to pay for the hurt they've caused us or caused a loved one, or even caused strangers. If we feel an injustice has been done we want justice. If we feel slighted we want to slight. If we've been wronged we want to wrong- all in the name of justice. And justice- meaning it was wrong what was done and it shouldn’t have been done but now that it's been done we want acknowledgment that it was wrong and that acknowledgment means the wrong doer at the very least acknowledges they were wrong. But all the seeking of what we believe justice to be only creates in us something dark. The darkness of revenge fills us, and even if it isn't active revenge, a passive revenge inside of us is just as poisonous as the most active seeking of vengeance.
There IS a passive desire for revenge. In fact we sometimes cloak it in a such a pretty coating of self-justification that we can hardly tell it's passive revenge at all. We aren't out there trying to hurt the one who hurt us, we aren't out there slandering the pain giver, we aren't desiring others to hurt them for us- we are simply living with a darkness inside us that won't go away. Satan wants us to hang onto all those little dark places within us because he loves to use them as it suits his purpose to have us take our eyes off our Savior and put them right back where he wants them- on ourselves.
People think it strange when someone actually, really does TURN the other cheek. They'll sometimes even applaud it, as long as it's on a small scale. With an active darkness in us that wants us to get revenge (active or passive) it's not easy to turn any cheeks.
We can see it so much in just our own lives let alone in the lives of others. We find ourselves snapping at someone when we know we shouldn't, and then we berated ourselves for not turning the other cheek which we want to be natural to us. We want so much to be as Jesus would have us to be. And we need to realize that it's a NEVER ending process. We are being REFINED. And anything worth something isn't refined easily.
Do we want revenge when we are betrayed by a friend?
Do we want revenge when we are lied to by a loved one?
Do we want revenge when we read about a child being beaten?
Do we want revenge when we hear on the news that a whole family was slaughter by a disgruntled relative?
Do we want revenge when we think about masked gunmen killing innocent teenagers in a school?
Do we want revenge when a mad man uses his money to arrange the murder of thousands?
Do we want revenge when our car is deliberately scratched?
Do we want revenge when an innocent animal is tortured?
Do we want revenge when someone we love leaves us?
Do we want revenge when… I'm sure you could fill in the blank over and over.
It's not that desiring justice is wrong, not at all. Vengeance has a time and place and is best left to the ONE who really knows the end from the beginning, the One who knows us all inside and out.
If we all sought revenge for ALL wrongs done to us, no one would be left alive.
Being the sinfilled, flesh-natured creatures that we are, constantly wronging each other (maybe not in big ways but often in tiny ways) we need to ask forgiveness when we wrong any one in even the smallest manner. We can't make others ask forgiveness when they wrong us- well, we can try but making someone ask for forgiveness negates the genuine repentance, the genuine sorrow for the wrong doing.
We as individuals need to understand that vengeance belongs to God and God alone and that darkness in us that Satan has twisted to become acceptable to the masses CANNOT be acceptable in us!
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Psa 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
Psa 94:2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
Psa 94:3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
Psa 94:4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
Psa 94:5 They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.
Psa 94:6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
Psa 94:7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
Psa 94:8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
Psa 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
Psa 94:10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
Psa 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Psa 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
Psa 94:13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
Psa 94:14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
Psa 94:15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
Psa 94:16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
Psa 94:17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
Psa 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.
Psa 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
Psa 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
Psa 94:21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
Psa 94:22 But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
Psa 94:23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.
Nah 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Nah 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Nah 1:4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
Nah 1:5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Nah 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
Nah 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Nah 1:8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
Nah 1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
There will come a day when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return, of this there is NO doubt. Those who are His will be forgiven- our Savior having paid the price for us. Those who are not His won't be forgiven- our Savior having paid the price though not being accepted by them. All those who are not forgiven will pay for their own sins- they will fall into the hands of the living God and He will know exactly what the penalty for those sins will be. Make no mistake- God's vengeance will be JUST, there is no other way it could be. The unrepentant, unforgiven evil doers will not be able to escape and every bit of revenge another believed they should have if it is truly warranted it will be given. The evil are getting away with NOTHING when we don't exact our revenge upon them. What they will suffer will be exact justice unlike we could ever give them and then- eternal death - non-existence. So while Satan wants us to worry that people all over the world are not getting what they deserve, we by faith, know they will get everything they deserve. However, how much better would it be for them to repent and come to know and be known of our Lord and Savior?! If only that were possible! Satan is doing everything in his power to see that it isn't possible, in fact he's doing everything he can so well that all but God's very elect will be his.
Rather than let ourselves be consumed by the evil in the world- the tiniest evil or the greatest they- all have one single penalty- death; let us resolve to surrender all we are to our Savior. Let us welcome the Great Refiner's fire as we are purged of the evil within us- evil the world calls good and acceptable.
~~
Like a few other people lately - I'm disturbed by the recent government sanctioned murder, for a number of reasons and this study reflects that a bit. It disturbs me that so many are so very accepting of this out and out murder. I know I'm in the minority and in my heart there is nothing but sadness for the majority who are deceived by Satan into thinking murder is acceptable at a certain level, under certain conditions. I'm not talking about killing, I'm talking about murder- premeditated murder. This is the very commandment we have from God- Thou shalt not kill. He was talking about murder without a doubt. And as people around the world celebrate murder calling it justice it breaks my heart. There were NO clauses in the commandment- no, murder is acceptable if this or that condition is met. Murder is acceptable if it's a monster with money to promote monstrous acts. I can't find that in the Bible! Murder is okay if you're murdering a murderer. Nope, can't find that in the Bible either! Murder is okay if it's just going to cause a big political stink to keep the person alive. Search, you won't find that in the Bible, either! Justifying murder, what a horrifically sad day we've all been witness to.
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ know us, forgive us, save us so that we may be in the kingdom of heaven with Him as He returns to take us there with Him. By His Grace, His righteousness, His love! May the eyes of the many be opened before it's too late, please Lord, open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf! Thy will be done, Lord, Thy will!
Amen.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Losing today to tomorrow
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.
Is it possible that while we are busy worrying about tomorrow that we neglect the things of today?
You've heard the saying- tomorrow never comes, right? A lot of people would dispute this, but it's true. Events you are waiting for come and go, but when that event comes - there is still another tomorrow. It's events we worry about, future events. Do you think some future events warrant worrying over? A loved one ill? A test to be taken? A court hearing to attend to? Test results to get? Bills that need paying? All of those sound like pretty good things to be worrying about if you're going to worry but you've also had to have heard the saying- worrying changes nothing. That's true too, isn't it? What does worrying accomplish? Does it really help us? It sure doesn't ease our minds because it's our minds that are churning as we worry. We say we can't help but worry and as a BORN worrier, I've sure said that exact thing a number of times myself. I was born that way and that sure seems to be the case. Born that way or not, we are not supposed to be 'born' worriers. We aren't supposed to worry at all. We DO neglect the HERE and NOW when we focus on the worries of tomorrow. Right here and now we have NO control over tomorrow. We don't even know for certain we'll wake up tomorrow, do we? When we do wake up there are a lot of things that remain out of our control. We can't control another's thoughts, we can't control another's feelings. We can let our imagination run wild and IMAGINE all sorts of things others might think or do, or even feel, but the bottom line is our imaginative thoughts are NOT factual.
Do we have to provide for our future? Are there certain things we should do for our futures? Is it wise to lay up goods for winter? It used to be more so before we had grocery stores to go to year round that provide for us. We need to save money for future necessities, right? We need to save money to pay our bills, yes? To a certain point we do have to do these things but never to an obsessive point that proves more than anything else that we are looking to the future as if we know it's ours to have and we are providing for ourselves- without God's hand being involved at all. While we do strive to provide as God provides for us to do so, it should never be done worrying the entire time, should it? No. If the day comes and we have no food then we have to ask that God's will be done in our lives. If the day comes when we lose the home we have for one reason or another, we still need to ask that God's will be done in our lives. We have NO clue what the results of the hardships will be in our lives. We have no idea what sadness will contribute to our ability to show compassion later. The thing is we have to admit we are NOT in control of our lives as much as we like to believe we are.
God is in control of our lives as we surrender to Him and no matter what befalls us God's overall plan for our lives leading us towards the kingdom of heaven will be done. As we suffer through this temporary existence - mentally, physically, emotionally- we must have FAITH that God's will is done and all our worrying helps nothing- but only reveals that our faith needs to grow.
Every bit of worry is another opportunity for a leap of faith. We can choose to embrace the worry and all that means for us, or choose to acknowledge the potential we have to worry and then take that leap of faith by choosing not to indulge in the worrying. Every time we find ourselves being drawn back towards the thing begging us to be worried over we have to pray for the faith to leave it to God- because we know our worry accomplishes NOTHING.
Back to this…
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.
Is it possible that while we are busy worrying about tomorrow that we neglect the things of today?
It is VERY possible that we do NOT live for today even while we are living that day and HOW much is missed of the day spent engrossed in worry over tomorrow? If we are constantly living in worry for tomorrow we lose all our today's to worry. It's no wonder that Jesus felt the need to teach us that we are not to dwell on tomorrow because today has enough in it to be concerned about. Why should we worry about losing salvation tomorrow and neglect the idea that we could lose it today?
We are taught to pray for DAILY bread, not weekly bread, not monthly bread, not yearly bread- but DAILY bread- this goes hand in hand with taking notice of TODAY, not tomorrow.
May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ forgive us of our worrying and help us to give the day we are living more attention than tomorrow.
By His GRACE, by HIS LOVE.
Through His righteousness forever!
Amen.
Is it possible that while we are busy worrying about tomorrow that we neglect the things of today?
You've heard the saying- tomorrow never comes, right? A lot of people would dispute this, but it's true. Events you are waiting for come and go, but when that event comes - there is still another tomorrow. It's events we worry about, future events. Do you think some future events warrant worrying over? A loved one ill? A test to be taken? A court hearing to attend to? Test results to get? Bills that need paying? All of those sound like pretty good things to be worrying about if you're going to worry but you've also had to have heard the saying- worrying changes nothing. That's true too, isn't it? What does worrying accomplish? Does it really help us? It sure doesn't ease our minds because it's our minds that are churning as we worry. We say we can't help but worry and as a BORN worrier, I've sure said that exact thing a number of times myself. I was born that way and that sure seems to be the case. Born that way or not, we are not supposed to be 'born' worriers. We aren't supposed to worry at all. We DO neglect the HERE and NOW when we focus on the worries of tomorrow. Right here and now we have NO control over tomorrow. We don't even know for certain we'll wake up tomorrow, do we? When we do wake up there are a lot of things that remain out of our control. We can't control another's thoughts, we can't control another's feelings. We can let our imagination run wild and IMAGINE all sorts of things others might think or do, or even feel, but the bottom line is our imaginative thoughts are NOT factual.
Do we have to provide for our future? Are there certain things we should do for our futures? Is it wise to lay up goods for winter? It used to be more so before we had grocery stores to go to year round that provide for us. We need to save money for future necessities, right? We need to save money to pay our bills, yes? To a certain point we do have to do these things but never to an obsessive point that proves more than anything else that we are looking to the future as if we know it's ours to have and we are providing for ourselves- without God's hand being involved at all. While we do strive to provide as God provides for us to do so, it should never be done worrying the entire time, should it? No. If the day comes and we have no food then we have to ask that God's will be done in our lives. If the day comes when we lose the home we have for one reason or another, we still need to ask that God's will be done in our lives. We have NO clue what the results of the hardships will be in our lives. We have no idea what sadness will contribute to our ability to show compassion later. The thing is we have to admit we are NOT in control of our lives as much as we like to believe we are.
God is in control of our lives as we surrender to Him and no matter what befalls us God's overall plan for our lives leading us towards the kingdom of heaven will be done. As we suffer through this temporary existence - mentally, physically, emotionally- we must have FAITH that God's will is done and all our worrying helps nothing- but only reveals that our faith needs to grow.
Every bit of worry is another opportunity for a leap of faith. We can choose to embrace the worry and all that means for us, or choose to acknowledge the potential we have to worry and then take that leap of faith by choosing not to indulge in the worrying. Every time we find ourselves being drawn back towards the thing begging us to be worried over we have to pray for the faith to leave it to God- because we know our worry accomplishes NOTHING.
Back to this…
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.
Is it possible that while we are busy worrying about tomorrow that we neglect the things of today?
It is VERY possible that we do NOT live for today even while we are living that day and HOW much is missed of the day spent engrossed in worry over tomorrow? If we are constantly living in worry for tomorrow we lose all our today's to worry. It's no wonder that Jesus felt the need to teach us that we are not to dwell on tomorrow because today has enough in it to be concerned about. Why should we worry about losing salvation tomorrow and neglect the idea that we could lose it today?
We are taught to pray for DAILY bread, not weekly bread, not monthly bread, not yearly bread- but DAILY bread- this goes hand in hand with taking notice of TODAY, not tomorrow.
May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ forgive us of our worrying and help us to give the day we are living more attention than tomorrow.
By His GRACE, by HIS LOVE.
Through His righteousness forever!
Amen.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Seek FIRST...
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
First, not second, not third, not fourth, not fifth…not last…but FIRST! Nothing comes before FIRST. If you are first in line then there is NO ONE in front of you. If you are first on a list, no one tops you. If you are first in thought, there is no thought before that thought. If you are seeking the KINGDOM of GOD and GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS first you are NOT seeking other things FIRST.
2Ch 31:20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
2Ch 31:21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Hezekiah- to seek his God, he did it with ALL his heart.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
The kingdom of God is…. RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, JOY - in the Holy Ghost!
2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
That you might be counted worthy of the kingdom of God- for which ye also SUFFER.
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
HUNGER and THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
We might think we are giving up a lot when we compare our lives to the lives of those who don't live with the kingdom of God first in their thoughts, but what can truly compare to everlasting life with our God?
We do suffer, I'm not saying that people who desire the kingdom don't suffer- but all that suffering is worth it, isn't it? At the time when the pain is fresh, the agony is raw and new, we HAVE to understand that it is TEMPORARY. All the heartache, all the pain, all the suffering, all the sacrifice is TEMPORARY. If we live to 100 years old and each day is filled with sacrifice, each day is filled with pain, heartache… we can know it is ONLY TEMPORARY.
No one wants to suffer! No one wants bad things to befall them! No one wants life to throw them for a loop! No one wants to suffer INJUSTICE, and there is SO MUCH INJUSTICE IN THIS WORLD! We don't want heartache and pain, who would???? All that occurs in our lives- all the bad, all the good, and all the in-between them both is what we are called to endure and keep GOD FIRST, remember our reward isn't anything at all in this life, it just isn't. We seek for earthly treasure here and sometimes we find a bit of treasure and we are happy, we get caught up in the earthly treasure. We seek for earthly treasure and sometimes we fine A LOT of earthly treasure and we are very happy. The trouble with seeking earthly treasure is it keeps us from seeking heavenly treasure. Our heart needs to be in heaven, always!
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Seek FIRST the kingdom of GOD and HIS righteousness!
Not -seek first our pleasure.
Not- seek first our happiness.
Not -seek first our peace.
Not -seek first justice.
Not -seek first life.
Not -seek first ANYTHING.
But seek FIRST the kingdom of GOD!
Then… seek other things. It isn't that we are to ignore the other things in life but first and foremost has to come God! When we put God anywhere else all those other things don't matter a single bit no matter how wonderful they might seem to be. It's true. It's truth. This is something taught by our Savior Himself. WE NEED TO LEARN at the feet of our SAVIOR!
In His love! In His grace! In His righteousness!
Amen!
The KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
First, not second, not third, not fourth, not fifth…not last…but FIRST! Nothing comes before FIRST. If you are first in line then there is NO ONE in front of you. If you are first on a list, no one tops you. If you are first in thought, there is no thought before that thought. If you are seeking the KINGDOM of GOD and GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS first you are NOT seeking other things FIRST.
2Ch 31:20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
2Ch 31:21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Hezekiah- to seek his God, he did it with ALL his heart.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
The kingdom of God is…. RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, JOY - in the Holy Ghost!
2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
That you might be counted worthy of the kingdom of God- for which ye also SUFFER.
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
HUNGER and THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
We might think we are giving up a lot when we compare our lives to the lives of those who don't live with the kingdom of God first in their thoughts, but what can truly compare to everlasting life with our God?
We do suffer, I'm not saying that people who desire the kingdom don't suffer- but all that suffering is worth it, isn't it? At the time when the pain is fresh, the agony is raw and new, we HAVE to understand that it is TEMPORARY. All the heartache, all the pain, all the suffering, all the sacrifice is TEMPORARY. If we live to 100 years old and each day is filled with sacrifice, each day is filled with pain, heartache… we can know it is ONLY TEMPORARY.
No one wants to suffer! No one wants bad things to befall them! No one wants life to throw them for a loop! No one wants to suffer INJUSTICE, and there is SO MUCH INJUSTICE IN THIS WORLD! We don't want heartache and pain, who would???? All that occurs in our lives- all the bad, all the good, and all the in-between them both is what we are called to endure and keep GOD FIRST, remember our reward isn't anything at all in this life, it just isn't. We seek for earthly treasure here and sometimes we find a bit of treasure and we are happy, we get caught up in the earthly treasure. We seek for earthly treasure and sometimes we fine A LOT of earthly treasure and we are very happy. The trouble with seeking earthly treasure is it keeps us from seeking heavenly treasure. Our heart needs to be in heaven, always!
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Seek FIRST the kingdom of GOD and HIS righteousness!
Not -seek first our pleasure.
Not- seek first our happiness.
Not -seek first our peace.
Not -seek first justice.
Not -seek first life.
Not -seek first ANYTHING.
But seek FIRST the kingdom of GOD!
Then… seek other things. It isn't that we are to ignore the other things in life but first and foremost has to come God! When we put God anywhere else all those other things don't matter a single bit no matter how wonderful they might seem to be. It's true. It's truth. This is something taught by our Savior Himself. WE NEED TO LEARN at the feet of our SAVIOR!
In His love! In His grace! In His righteousness!
Amen!
Our Heavenly Father knows
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.
We are much better than birds there is no question there. Better in the respect that we are made in the image of God. We are given an intellect far beyond that of a bird. Can a bird sin? No. Birds have no awareness of sin- no awareness of right from wrong. There is no higher thinking in a bird. Birds are taken care of by God. Birds depend upon God to take care of them. If God takes care of a creature that was not made in his image how much more will He take care of one who has been created in His image? Seriously. We go to great lengths to *take care of ourselves*. We take credit to ourselves for *taking care of ourselves*. In truth, we HAVE to give God the glory for making it possible for us to do the things it takes to claim that we take care of ourselves. We HAVE to give God the glory not take it to ourselves. We have to recognize ALL the times God has taken care of us. Even when times are extremely hard and we're on the verge of … well, death… it does happen. God knows the overall picture and if we give God the glory we know that if our death is part of that overall picture for His will to be done in our lives and the lives around us- then that is for the best. God takes care of us.
We can't *think* ourselves taller- this is a fact that cannot be disputed. You can think about being taller until you die and if you live 1000 years, a 1,000,000 years you still will not be able to add a single smidgen to your height.
Why do we *worry* about clothing? God clothed all His creation and did so in ways much grander than we ever could or can no matter how hard we try and we DO try a lot! Fashion to a lot of people is a huge deal. God clothes His flowers beautiful, flowers that will wither and fade and die away. We have to believe God will take care of us, maybe not by giving us the latest pair of hip jeans on the market, or the star approved footwear, or the latest style of shoes or tennis shoes, but He will take care of us.
We have to have our thoughts on things eternal, trusting God to provide for us our necessities.
Can we get caught up in things like food and clothing? Yes. In fact we can get caught up in just about anything if we don't put our trust in our Savior.
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.
The gentiles- those not in a true, real relationship with our God are gentiles. Those who have no real relationship with God will get caught up on the material world, they will get caught up in things not eternal.
Our heavenly Father KNOWS. We have to TRUST. We have to BELIEVE. Is it easy? No. Satan will use every trick he has to get us caught up in this world. If one tactic doesn't work he'll use another and if that doesn't work he'll try YET another and another and another, he has nothing but time on his hands and that time is growing short and the shorter it gets the harder he'll use that time to keep after God's people. He won't bother with his people because he has them and that's that. He abuses those who are God's and will slip in using any weakness in us he can spy. Wholly God's, that's what we have to be. We have to trust in God like we trust in no one else.
Needs. He knows our needs. A lot of time we call our wants our needs but God knows the truth even if we don't. When we aren't receiving something we believe we need, maybe, just maybe we NEED to take a step back and ask ourselves if it truly is a need. In the grand scheme of things… the next verse we'll study really sums it up for us.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
More on this tomorrow by the grace of God.
In His love always!!!
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.
We are much better than birds there is no question there. Better in the respect that we are made in the image of God. We are given an intellect far beyond that of a bird. Can a bird sin? No. Birds have no awareness of sin- no awareness of right from wrong. There is no higher thinking in a bird. Birds are taken care of by God. Birds depend upon God to take care of them. If God takes care of a creature that was not made in his image how much more will He take care of one who has been created in His image? Seriously. We go to great lengths to *take care of ourselves*. We take credit to ourselves for *taking care of ourselves*. In truth, we HAVE to give God the glory for making it possible for us to do the things it takes to claim that we take care of ourselves. We HAVE to give God the glory not take it to ourselves. We have to recognize ALL the times God has taken care of us. Even when times are extremely hard and we're on the verge of … well, death… it does happen. God knows the overall picture and if we give God the glory we know that if our death is part of that overall picture for His will to be done in our lives and the lives around us- then that is for the best. God takes care of us.
We can't *think* ourselves taller- this is a fact that cannot be disputed. You can think about being taller until you die and if you live 1000 years, a 1,000,000 years you still will not be able to add a single smidgen to your height.
Why do we *worry* about clothing? God clothed all His creation and did so in ways much grander than we ever could or can no matter how hard we try and we DO try a lot! Fashion to a lot of people is a huge deal. God clothes His flowers beautiful, flowers that will wither and fade and die away. We have to believe God will take care of us, maybe not by giving us the latest pair of hip jeans on the market, or the star approved footwear, or the latest style of shoes or tennis shoes, but He will take care of us.
We have to have our thoughts on things eternal, trusting God to provide for us our necessities.
Can we get caught up in things like food and clothing? Yes. In fact we can get caught up in just about anything if we don't put our trust in our Savior.
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.
The gentiles- those not in a true, real relationship with our God are gentiles. Those who have no real relationship with God will get caught up on the material world, they will get caught up in things not eternal.
Our heavenly Father KNOWS. We have to TRUST. We have to BELIEVE. Is it easy? No. Satan will use every trick he has to get us caught up in this world. If one tactic doesn't work he'll use another and if that doesn't work he'll try YET another and another and another, he has nothing but time on his hands and that time is growing short and the shorter it gets the harder he'll use that time to keep after God's people. He won't bother with his people because he has them and that's that. He abuses those who are God's and will slip in using any weakness in us he can spy. Wholly God's, that's what we have to be. We have to trust in God like we trust in no one else.
Needs. He knows our needs. A lot of time we call our wants our needs but God knows the truth even if we don't. When we aren't receiving something we believe we need, maybe, just maybe we NEED to take a step back and ask ourselves if it truly is a need. In the grand scheme of things… the next verse we'll study really sums it up for us.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
More on this tomorrow by the grace of God.
In His love always!!!
Monday, May 2, 2011
No man can serve two masters
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Two masters. We're not talking about two masters who agree, but two masters that have opposing beliefs.
There is NO reason to hate two in agreement, right? What would you hate? Sure you could bring personal nuances into play and like one for superficial reason more than the other, but as a master who directs you as a servant in the same manner- what would there be to dislike? In fact aren't there in reality plenty of servants who serve more than one master in a household. Don't they have to answer to each of those they work for? A household of seven having one servant, that servant would be required to tend to all seven. The meaning of not serving two masters is truly meant in -NOT- serving two masters who are opposed to one another. We've seen it time and time again a person with two masters- and it's usually so the person can spy on one for another, right?
The master or if you will- a leader of one gang would not want one of his members serving a leader of another gang. A leader of one army would not want one of his soldiers serving the leader of another army- we call those soldiers traitors, don't we? We are talking about beliefs here, differing beliefs. We are talking about right and wrong beliefs.
We cannot serve God and mammon, and mammon is avarice… and avarice is by dictionary definition-
insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.
Two masters one opposed to the other- one selfless, the other selfish.
We know who the two masters are. If one is God then the other is Satan. Satan encourages the love of riches. Satan wants to encourage greed. Satan wants us to be very selfish, all selfish. Satan is a master who promises a lot of material things, but that's not all he promises. He makes his promises and then is eager to strip away those promises so that blame is placed upon God. He's deceitful above all and his job is complete when he gets us to be selfish. I'm not talking selfish in the same way people imagine selfishness to be. You'll get tons of people denying they're selfish because they do share things, they do think of others, but the truth is even those who share things and think of others can be extremely selfish. To deceive a person about their own selfishness is a ruse the devil uses all the time. What better deception is there than fooling someone into thinking they are just fine when in truth they are far from it?
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
People fool themselves all the time- with their mouths they claim to love God but their actions tell a whole other story.
Jesus wants us to realize that we CAN'T serve two. We can't serve Him and Satan. We can't serve Him and our selfish desires.
Take this small test, try very hard over the next week to recognize every time you use the word 'I'.
'I don't want…' 'I think…' 'I know…' 'I am…' 'I want…' 'I have…'
Seriously, take the time to recognize how much you use that little word.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
If we HOLD to one, and DESPISE the other does this necessarily mean it's an outward loathing? No. Why? Because we love self-deception!!! Don't shake your head, we do, we LOVE self-deception. If we can be deceived then we believe that we're not accountable for our actions, we do so love saying-' It's not my fault.' Putting the blame on another person is something we do rather well.
Only by the grace of God will we be able to love only Him, just as it is through Him we find salvation, just as we will only be in the kingdom of Heaven with Him by His love and His righteousness not by any power of our own.
We can't despair when we recognize how self-centered we really are and as a result how selfish. Satan uses despair as another trap wanting us to feel hopeless so that we don't trust in God to save us.
We need to constantly give ourselves over to our master, our God and not to self. It can't be a sporadic action but a constant one. A constant surrender of self. A constant putting our lives in the hands of the one with all the power and glory all through faith.
By His LOVE!
Amen!
Two masters. We're not talking about two masters who agree, but two masters that have opposing beliefs.
There is NO reason to hate two in agreement, right? What would you hate? Sure you could bring personal nuances into play and like one for superficial reason more than the other, but as a master who directs you as a servant in the same manner- what would there be to dislike? In fact aren't there in reality plenty of servants who serve more than one master in a household. Don't they have to answer to each of those they work for? A household of seven having one servant, that servant would be required to tend to all seven. The meaning of not serving two masters is truly meant in -NOT- serving two masters who are opposed to one another. We've seen it time and time again a person with two masters- and it's usually so the person can spy on one for another, right?
The master or if you will- a leader of one gang would not want one of his members serving a leader of another gang. A leader of one army would not want one of his soldiers serving the leader of another army- we call those soldiers traitors, don't we? We are talking about beliefs here, differing beliefs. We are talking about right and wrong beliefs.
We cannot serve God and mammon, and mammon is avarice… and avarice is by dictionary definition-
insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.
Two masters one opposed to the other- one selfless, the other selfish.
We know who the two masters are. If one is God then the other is Satan. Satan encourages the love of riches. Satan wants to encourage greed. Satan wants us to be very selfish, all selfish. Satan is a master who promises a lot of material things, but that's not all he promises. He makes his promises and then is eager to strip away those promises so that blame is placed upon God. He's deceitful above all and his job is complete when he gets us to be selfish. I'm not talking selfish in the same way people imagine selfishness to be. You'll get tons of people denying they're selfish because they do share things, they do think of others, but the truth is even those who share things and think of others can be extremely selfish. To deceive a person about their own selfishness is a ruse the devil uses all the time. What better deception is there than fooling someone into thinking they are just fine when in truth they are far from it?
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
People fool themselves all the time- with their mouths they claim to love God but their actions tell a whole other story.
Jesus wants us to realize that we CAN'T serve two. We can't serve Him and Satan. We can't serve Him and our selfish desires.
Take this small test, try very hard over the next week to recognize every time you use the word 'I'.
'I don't want…' 'I think…' 'I know…' 'I am…' 'I want…' 'I have…'
Seriously, take the time to recognize how much you use that little word.
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
If we HOLD to one, and DESPISE the other does this necessarily mean it's an outward loathing? No. Why? Because we love self-deception!!! Don't shake your head, we do, we LOVE self-deception. If we can be deceived then we believe that we're not accountable for our actions, we do so love saying-' It's not my fault.' Putting the blame on another person is something we do rather well.
Only by the grace of God will we be able to love only Him, just as it is through Him we find salvation, just as we will only be in the kingdom of Heaven with Him by His love and His righteousness not by any power of our own.
We can't despair when we recognize how self-centered we really are and as a result how selfish. Satan uses despair as another trap wanting us to feel hopeless so that we don't trust in God to save us.
We need to constantly give ourselves over to our master, our God and not to self. It can't be a sporadic action but a constant one. A constant surrender of self. A constant putting our lives in the hands of the one with all the power and glory all through faith.
By His LOVE!
Amen!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The light of the body
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
The light of the body is the eye.
Spiritual sight.
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
People never sit in darkness on a constant basis, just sitting in the dark. This is talking about spiritual darkness and yes, people can live in complete spiritual darkness if they choose. When these people which were lost in the spiritual darkness saw the great light…Jesus, those that were without hope in the shadow of death had a light spring up in them. The truth. Jesus.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In Him, in our Savior is life and that life was the light of men.
Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Joh 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Joh 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
Joh 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
Joh 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Jesus lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Jesus the true LIGHT.
If the light of the body is the eye- then our spiritual sight has to be focused on the True LIGHT, not on anything dark. We have to be focused on the truth in Jesus, because the truth in Jesus is our light. When we take our eyes off Jesus, when we focus on falsehood, when we look elsewhere for truth we are no longer seeing the light. Satan doesn't want us to recognize when our sight is altered, he doesn't want us to understand that we may be in the spiritual darkness and he'll even go as far as creating a false light, a false truth so that he can deceive us.
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
If our eye is single we'll be filled with light.
If our eye isn't single then it is evil and we'll be filled with darkness.
If the light that is in us IS darkness how GREAT is that darkness. Because if the light in us is really darkness we are greatly deceived.
If our spiritual eye is single then our spiritual vision is clear.
Single-
G573
ἁπλοῦÏ‚
haplous
hap-looce'
Probably from G1 (as a particle of union) and the base of G4120; properly folded together, that is, single (figuratively clear): - single.
Figuratively clear. Having spiritual clarity. When we have spiritual clarity then we know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We understand that life is only found in our Savior and NO WHERE else. There is salvation in no other. We can't save ourselves, others can't save us, only Jesus can give us eternal life. When we don't have this spiritual clarity we fill our lives with lies, with untruths, and people who genuinely fill their lives with untruths believe they have great light but that light is ONLY darkness, great darkness filled with deception.
We can fill our minds with all sorts of things that aren't of the kingdom of heaven and tell ourselves we are still fill with light, but when ANYTHING takes the gospel from us, when anything takes the Light from our lives we are in great trouble.
Is it any wonder we are told to seek the kingdom of heaven FIRST. The kingdom of heaven is salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Keeping our spiritual sight clearly focused on Jesus and the gift He offers us through His love is most important.
By the grace of God we won't ever fill our minds with things that make us believe we are in the light when we are really in darkness. May God forever be first and foremost in our minds and anything else come as a result of His being first and foremost in our lives.
By His most amazing Love!
Amen.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
The light of the body is the eye.
Spiritual sight.
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
People never sit in darkness on a constant basis, just sitting in the dark. This is talking about spiritual darkness and yes, people can live in complete spiritual darkness if they choose. When these people which were lost in the spiritual darkness saw the great light…Jesus, those that were without hope in the shadow of death had a light spring up in them. The truth. Jesus.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In Him, in our Savior is life and that life was the light of men.
Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Joh 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Joh 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
Joh 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
Joh 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Jesus lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Jesus the true LIGHT.
If the light of the body is the eye- then our spiritual sight has to be focused on the True LIGHT, not on anything dark. We have to be focused on the truth in Jesus, because the truth in Jesus is our light. When we take our eyes off Jesus, when we focus on falsehood, when we look elsewhere for truth we are no longer seeing the light. Satan doesn't want us to recognize when our sight is altered, he doesn't want us to understand that we may be in the spiritual darkness and he'll even go as far as creating a false light, a false truth so that he can deceive us.
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
If our eye is single we'll be filled with light.
If our eye isn't single then it is evil and we'll be filled with darkness.
If the light that is in us IS darkness how GREAT is that darkness. Because if the light in us is really darkness we are greatly deceived.
If our spiritual eye is single then our spiritual vision is clear.
Single-
G573
ἁπλοῦÏ‚
haplous
hap-looce'
Probably from G1 (as a particle of union) and the base of G4120; properly folded together, that is, single (figuratively clear): - single.
Figuratively clear. Having spiritual clarity. When we have spiritual clarity then we know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We understand that life is only found in our Savior and NO WHERE else. There is salvation in no other. We can't save ourselves, others can't save us, only Jesus can give us eternal life. When we don't have this spiritual clarity we fill our lives with lies, with untruths, and people who genuinely fill their lives with untruths believe they have great light but that light is ONLY darkness, great darkness filled with deception.
We can fill our minds with all sorts of things that aren't of the kingdom of heaven and tell ourselves we are still fill with light, but when ANYTHING takes the gospel from us, when anything takes the Light from our lives we are in great trouble.
Is it any wonder we are told to seek the kingdom of heaven FIRST. The kingdom of heaven is salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Keeping our spiritual sight clearly focused on Jesus and the gift He offers us through His love is most important.
By the grace of God we won't ever fill our minds with things that make us believe we are in the light when we are really in darkness. May God forever be first and foremost in our minds and anything else come as a result of His being first and foremost in our lives.
By His most amazing Love!
Amen.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The power is God's.
Exo 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
Show God's power. God's name would be declared throughout all the earth. Just imagine the scene before us here. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Joseph and subsequently the God of those of all the Hebrew people formed from the family of Abraham was a seemingly powerless God that allowed His people to become enslaved for 400 years. Abraham had journeyed through Egypt and when he did, he lied telling those in charge that his wife was his sister because he didn't want anything to happen to him because the Pharaoh of the time was known for killing husbands to get their wives. When Pharaoh took Sarai, Abraham's wife and wanted to make her part of his harem of wives the Pharaoh and his household become sick and remained so until it was uncovered that the GOD of Abraham was displeased with the situation. To remedy the situation Pharaoh had to LET Sarai go. The Pharaoh knew that there was a powerful God working there, the God of the man Abraham.
The God of Abraham was known to the Egyptians but by the time Joseph entered the picture as a slave and made his way up to the second in command of Egypt the God of Abraham was past history and not on the minds of the Egyptians at all. When Joseph brought His God into the picture again…
Gen 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
Gen 39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Gen 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Gen 40:8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
Gen 41:16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Gen 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
When Joseph brought His God into the picture again and from the verses above we can see that He did just that, the Pharaoh of the time wasn't objecting to Joseph or His God. He embrace Joseph and allowed Joseph to worship the God of Abraham. Then… Joseph died and time passed and the Hebrews fell out of favor with the Egyptians because they forgot Joseph and all he'd done for them.
Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
And this is what happened…
Exo 1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Exo 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Exo 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
And we know what happened after that, they became slaves and stayed the slaves of the Egyptians for a long, long time and during that time the power of the God of Abraham and subsequently all His descendants were forgotten. Why wouldn't He be forgotten by the Egyptians- His people were their slaves.
Then...
Exo 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
God raised Moses up to SHOW him HIS power, so that God's name would be declared throughout ALL the earth.
The power of God.
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Glorious in power.
Deu 9:29 Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.
Thy mighty power.
2Ki 17:36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
With great power.
None has the power of God. None has the power of our God, none, period. We talk about power and then we imagine what should be done with that power. We try to play God imagining what God should be doing with His power and in our finite, powerless way we think we are special and have enough knowledge to do so. We have NO power of our own, none.
Remember this verse from yesterday's study--
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The excellency of the power… may be of GOD and NOT of us.
Remember this…
Mat 6:13 ...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
God is the power.
We need to really understand this. It's something that is easy to say but believing it might be another story altogether. We're prone to believe we have our own power.
Jesus said...
Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me
Jesus emptied Himself of His power so that He could rely totally upon God's power as we are called to do. It's true. We have to rely on God's power!
Our Father which art in heaven… THINE is the power. We relinquish any power we think we might possess and rely upon God's.
Does this mean we sit about like lumps expecting God to walk us about like puppets? No. God has given us abilities to walk ourselves. God has given us the power of life itself, but that power is His to give and take away. We don't have to understand, in fact we can't understand the whys and wherefores. We may believe a lot of times that God's ways are unfair but He sees the picture of life from a perspective we can't. He sees how every single event in our lives affects another. By His grace we must give ourselves fully to Him understanding that we are given salvation by His power through Christ's sacrifice, through Christ's righteousness forever!
In His love.
Amen.
Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
Show God's power. God's name would be declared throughout all the earth. Just imagine the scene before us here. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Joseph and subsequently the God of those of all the Hebrew people formed from the family of Abraham was a seemingly powerless God that allowed His people to become enslaved for 400 years. Abraham had journeyed through Egypt and when he did, he lied telling those in charge that his wife was his sister because he didn't want anything to happen to him because the Pharaoh of the time was known for killing husbands to get their wives. When Pharaoh took Sarai, Abraham's wife and wanted to make her part of his harem of wives the Pharaoh and his household become sick and remained so until it was uncovered that the GOD of Abraham was displeased with the situation. To remedy the situation Pharaoh had to LET Sarai go. The Pharaoh knew that there was a powerful God working there, the God of the man Abraham.
The God of Abraham was known to the Egyptians but by the time Joseph entered the picture as a slave and made his way up to the second in command of Egypt the God of Abraham was past history and not on the minds of the Egyptians at all. When Joseph brought His God into the picture again…
Gen 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
Gen 39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Gen 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Gen 40:8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
Gen 41:16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Gen 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
When Joseph brought His God into the picture again and from the verses above we can see that He did just that, the Pharaoh of the time wasn't objecting to Joseph or His God. He embrace Joseph and allowed Joseph to worship the God of Abraham. Then… Joseph died and time passed and the Hebrews fell out of favor with the Egyptians because they forgot Joseph and all he'd done for them.
Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
And this is what happened…
Exo 1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Exo 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Exo 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
And we know what happened after that, they became slaves and stayed the slaves of the Egyptians for a long, long time and during that time the power of the God of Abraham and subsequently all His descendants were forgotten. Why wouldn't He be forgotten by the Egyptians- His people were their slaves.
Then...
Exo 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
God raised Moses up to SHOW him HIS power, so that God's name would be declared throughout ALL the earth.
The power of God.
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Glorious in power.
Deu 9:29 Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.
Thy mighty power.
2Ki 17:36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
With great power.
None has the power of God. None has the power of our God, none, period. We talk about power and then we imagine what should be done with that power. We try to play God imagining what God should be doing with His power and in our finite, powerless way we think we are special and have enough knowledge to do so. We have NO power of our own, none.
Remember this verse from yesterday's study--
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The excellency of the power… may be of GOD and NOT of us.
Remember this…
Mat 6:13 ...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
God is the power.
We need to really understand this. It's something that is easy to say but believing it might be another story altogether. We're prone to believe we have our own power.
Jesus said...
Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me
Jesus emptied Himself of His power so that He could rely totally upon God's power as we are called to do. It's true. We have to rely on God's power!
Our Father which art in heaven… THINE is the power. We relinquish any power we think we might possess and rely upon God's.
Does this mean we sit about like lumps expecting God to walk us about like puppets? No. God has given us abilities to walk ourselves. God has given us the power of life itself, but that power is His to give and take away. We don't have to understand, in fact we can't understand the whys and wherefores. We may believe a lot of times that God's ways are unfair but He sees the picture of life from a perspective we can't. He sees how every single event in our lives affects another. By His grace we must give ourselves fully to Him understanding that we are given salvation by His power through Christ's sacrifice, through Christ's righteousness forever!
In His love.
Amen.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Treasure in earthen vessels
2Co 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
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.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
What treasure? What treasure lies within us? Can we cut our bodies open and have a treasure of silver fall out? Is blood liquid gold? Are bones made of diamonds? Is our heart formed of rubies? No, no, no, and no. The treasure we possess in our earthen vessels is knowledge of SALVATION, the Gospel of the KINGDOM, our Lord, our Savior!
We are taught to believe that treasure is something spectacularly corporeal. From our youth we are taught to acquire possessions and if we don't have them then to long for them especially if others around us have them. Of course there could be situations where parents raise their children to not want things, but doesn't that often in turn somehow end up making them want them anyway? I'd like to think there are places where children are raised to appreciate true treasures not those that are physical. I imagine there are those places, maybe scattered here and there. Once we are raised with the belief that treasures are possessions we can buy, possessions we can touch, possessions we claim as belonging to us and only we have the liberty of letting others use them, once this belief is instilled in us it's hard to truly imagine those earthly treasures as being worthless. So many people work hard and some have the claim to working hard all their lives to possess the things they do and therefore they're entitled to those possessions- their blood, sweat, and yes, their tears give them that right. What about those who work hard all their lives and in the end possess nothing physical? A old homeless man without much more than the clothes on his back dies and is given a pauper's funeral all the while the pity for man abounds because he died without anything, he died homeless, he died possession-of course some might not pity him because their disgust at his state of being overwhelms any pity. Then we have a rich man who dies with many possessions and people aren't pitying him but rather wishing they had part of the inheritance he left behind. Very few pity or feel disgust over a rich man dying old having had a full life.
Jesus died homeless, penniless, possession-less.
A very rich man can die without any treasure within him. A very poor man can die having great treasure within him.
When we die where do we want our treasure to have been? Within or without?
God forbid we have no treasure within no matter where we fit in on the treasures without- abundant, mediocre, or sparse.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The ONLY way to get treasure within is by the POWER OF GOD! We cannot put the treasure within us by ourselves. We cannot buy this treasure with all the money in the world- not all the dollars, not all the euros, not all the yen, not all the francs, not all the… well you get the picture. No earthly wealth can give anyone the treasure within, this priceless, wondrous treasure. You also can't work for this treasure, you can't demand the treasure, you can't steal the treasure, you have to be GIVEN the treasure by God!
Truly - give us this day our daily bread!
Reading on is it any wonder we need this treasure within us- given to us by the all powerful, wondrous, praiseworthy God! If we try to manufacture this treasure within it would be powerless and we need the power of God if we are to live for Him.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
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.
By the grace of our Lord may we receive the gift of eternal life through the power and majesty, the glory of His love towards us. May we be earthen vessels filled with the treasure of all He is all through His excellent power!
In His Love!
Amen.
2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
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.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
What treasure? What treasure lies within us? Can we cut our bodies open and have a treasure of silver fall out? Is blood liquid gold? Are bones made of diamonds? Is our heart formed of rubies? No, no, no, and no. The treasure we possess in our earthen vessels is knowledge of SALVATION, the Gospel of the KINGDOM, our Lord, our Savior!
We are taught to believe that treasure is something spectacularly corporeal. From our youth we are taught to acquire possessions and if we don't have them then to long for them especially if others around us have them. Of course there could be situations where parents raise their children to not want things, but doesn't that often in turn somehow end up making them want them anyway? I'd like to think there are places where children are raised to appreciate true treasures not those that are physical. I imagine there are those places, maybe scattered here and there. Once we are raised with the belief that treasures are possessions we can buy, possessions we can touch, possessions we claim as belonging to us and only we have the liberty of letting others use them, once this belief is instilled in us it's hard to truly imagine those earthly treasures as being worthless. So many people work hard and some have the claim to working hard all their lives to possess the things they do and therefore they're entitled to those possessions- their blood, sweat, and yes, their tears give them that right. What about those who work hard all their lives and in the end possess nothing physical? A old homeless man without much more than the clothes on his back dies and is given a pauper's funeral all the while the pity for man abounds because he died without anything, he died homeless, he died possession-of course some might not pity him because their disgust at his state of being overwhelms any pity. Then we have a rich man who dies with many possessions and people aren't pitying him but rather wishing they had part of the inheritance he left behind. Very few pity or feel disgust over a rich man dying old having had a full life.
Jesus died homeless, penniless, possession-less.
A very rich man can die without any treasure within him. A very poor man can die having great treasure within him.
When we die where do we want our treasure to have been? Within or without?
God forbid we have no treasure within no matter where we fit in on the treasures without- abundant, mediocre, or sparse.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The ONLY way to get treasure within is by the POWER OF GOD! We cannot put the treasure within us by ourselves. We cannot buy this treasure with all the money in the world- not all the dollars, not all the euros, not all the yen, not all the francs, not all the… well you get the picture. No earthly wealth can give anyone the treasure within, this priceless, wondrous treasure. You also can't work for this treasure, you can't demand the treasure, you can't steal the treasure, you have to be GIVEN the treasure by God!
Truly - give us this day our daily bread!
Reading on is it any wonder we need this treasure within us- given to us by the all powerful, wondrous, praiseworthy God! If we try to manufacture this treasure within it would be powerless and we need the power of God if we are to live for Him.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
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.
By the grace of our Lord may we receive the gift of eternal life through the power and majesty, the glory of His love towards us. May we be earthen vessels filled with the treasure of all He is all through His excellent power!
In His Love!
Amen.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Moses' Treasure in Heaven
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Greater than the treasures in Egypt.
Today we know for a fact that the treasures of Egypt are immense, priceless, unfathomable. The sheer value of that treasure today is enormous. When Egypt was - what we call today - a 'super power' back in the days of Moses the wealth they possessed was fantastic. Moses was born not into that wealth but adopted into it all. He knew when he grew older that he was really a Hebrew and not an Egyptian, that he was adopted not born into the position he held.
It's somewhat easy to comprehend how a person feels towards their *natural* heritage isn't it? That kinship to a natural connection as opposed to an adopted one. That's not to say there aren't many adopted people who absolutely love their adopted families and even to the exclusion of their natural family. Yet there is a tremendous desire for adopted people to find their natural families and it's understandable, it really is.
Moses had an amazingly pampered life as part of Egyptian royalty yet he felt this pull towards his natural heritage. Could it be that Moses was witness to a lot of abuse towards those of his heritage? Seriously. Could one isolated incident really have set him off? Are abuses of masters towards slaves rare? Absolutely not. Moses grew up watching the Hebrew slaves being abused at the whims of their masters.
Read this...
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Can you tell me with all certainty that Moses went one day to look at the Hebrew slaves in the field- obviously out to wherever it was they were working whether it was in fields or on masonry projects- and because he saw an Egyptian abusing a Hebrew slave - one of his kind, one of his blood, his heritage- he just decided it'd be a good idea to kill the Egyptian? I can't fathom that. There was more to this than we realize fully, more that logic declares had to be going on.
Moses was an adopted Egyptian, given the luxurious life of an Egyptian, witness to the hard life of the Hebrew slaves. He knew that to choose the side of the Hebrews over the Egyptians would mean a complete life altering change and he didn't choose that, but he had to have had thoughts. These thoughts culminated in the choice he made that day as he witnessed the abuse of the Hebrew slave. He had to avenge his helpless brother. But still he didn't impulsively rush to the slave's aid. It says this…
'he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man,'
He looked to see if anyone was around! He didn't want to be seen helping the Hebrew slave! He wanted to help him but he didn't want to get caught doing so. Getting caught would mean HE would be in trouble and he knew this before going to help. Moses realized the ramification of his actions should he be seen and he didn't want to be seen. This wasn't some grand statement he was trying to make for his people. He wasn't making a spectacle of his act at all whatsoever.
After looking about making sure no one was there Moses killed the Egyptian and then…
'he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. ' Hid him in the sand. He hid the body. Moses definitely did NOT want anyone to know what he'd done.
So here we have Moses changing his life irrevocably. He made a decision in that moment to SAVE a Hebrew from an Egyptian. It's fair to say that the Egyptian was in the wrong here and that the smiting he was doing was very severe otherwise Moses wouldn't have interfered. He knew enough to be able to determine that what he was witnessing in this particular beating wasn't a minor incident. It wasn't a little reprimand. Moses knew the slave would die at the hands of the Egyptian if he didn't interfere and even though he didn't want to be found out, he wanted to save the Hebrew slave, he DID save the Hebrew slave. He made a choice and he had time to realize that what he was doing meant making a choice. He turned his back on his adopted family, the family who raised him to believe they were superior to ALL slaves, that slaves could be beaten and even murdered and it didn't matter. That action of Moses' was culmination of things. No, it wasn't a preplanned murder but it was a spontaneous killing as a result of the 'right or wrong' Moses had been witnessing throughout his life. A decision was made in those few moments that reflected Moses' decision to stand up for those being wronged. He was choosing right over wrong and in doing so he was choosing to abandon the Egyptian life.
When we read this…
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Now read this again…
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Compare the two-
When he was come to years
When Moses was grown
Compare the two-
Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God
That he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens
Yes, Moses had been in the process of making a decision for awhile.
We have to remember that Moses was raised for quite some time by his *real* Hebrew mother, among his *real* Hebrew family. Then when he was older he was sent to live as the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. From his youngest impressions he was raised to know Hebrew love, God's love. He witnessed first hand the love of God in this family and it was something He couldn't shake no matter what he was given as an adopted Egyptian prince. Take his youngest years and mingle it with the horrors committed against people he'd known to be loving as he grew to manhood and Moses was in a unique position to understand that there WAS a difference - there was the real love of God in His chosen people and there was real horror and hatred among those who were godless.
Moses CHOSE to suffer affliction rather than enjoy the sin, the pleasures, the life of ease he knew so well.
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Moses understood that it was better to suffer for God and endure all the hatred that God-hater's could give him than accept the TREASURES in Egypt. Why? Because he knew- he had respect to the recompence of the true reward found only in the salvation of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Where was Moses' treasure???
HEAVEN!
Moses is the PRIME example of a keeping treasures in heaven. Moses is a prime example of choosing God over earthly treasures. We think it's hard to give up our lives for God, to give up our selfishness, to give up our pleasures and lives of ease, and you know what… it is hard no one is saying it isn't. We know it's hard and every single one of us will have to make the choice. We have treasures but WHAT we consider treasures and where those treasures are kept is the choices we make. If we choose to keep our treasures in heaven- our salvation in our most heavenly Savior - then we choose not to have treasure here on earth. We choose NOT to have any treasure that would keep us from our heavenly treasure.
Only by the grace of God is this possible. If we think we can do this on our own then we don't know a thing about the salvation God offers us in Christ Jesus, the kingdom of heaven.
In His love!
Amen.
Greater than the treasures in Egypt.
Today we know for a fact that the treasures of Egypt are immense, priceless, unfathomable. The sheer value of that treasure today is enormous. When Egypt was - what we call today - a 'super power' back in the days of Moses the wealth they possessed was fantastic. Moses was born not into that wealth but adopted into it all. He knew when he grew older that he was really a Hebrew and not an Egyptian, that he was adopted not born into the position he held.
It's somewhat easy to comprehend how a person feels towards their *natural* heritage isn't it? That kinship to a natural connection as opposed to an adopted one. That's not to say there aren't many adopted people who absolutely love their adopted families and even to the exclusion of their natural family. Yet there is a tremendous desire for adopted people to find their natural families and it's understandable, it really is.
Moses had an amazingly pampered life as part of Egyptian royalty yet he felt this pull towards his natural heritage. Could it be that Moses was witness to a lot of abuse towards those of his heritage? Seriously. Could one isolated incident really have set him off? Are abuses of masters towards slaves rare? Absolutely not. Moses grew up watching the Hebrew slaves being abused at the whims of their masters.
Read this...
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Can you tell me with all certainty that Moses went one day to look at the Hebrew slaves in the field- obviously out to wherever it was they were working whether it was in fields or on masonry projects- and because he saw an Egyptian abusing a Hebrew slave - one of his kind, one of his blood, his heritage- he just decided it'd be a good idea to kill the Egyptian? I can't fathom that. There was more to this than we realize fully, more that logic declares had to be going on.
Moses was an adopted Egyptian, given the luxurious life of an Egyptian, witness to the hard life of the Hebrew slaves. He knew that to choose the side of the Hebrews over the Egyptians would mean a complete life altering change and he didn't choose that, but he had to have had thoughts. These thoughts culminated in the choice he made that day as he witnessed the abuse of the Hebrew slave. He had to avenge his helpless brother. But still he didn't impulsively rush to the slave's aid. It says this…
'he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man,'
He looked to see if anyone was around! He didn't want to be seen helping the Hebrew slave! He wanted to help him but he didn't want to get caught doing so. Getting caught would mean HE would be in trouble and he knew this before going to help. Moses realized the ramification of his actions should he be seen and he didn't want to be seen. This wasn't some grand statement he was trying to make for his people. He wasn't making a spectacle of his act at all whatsoever.
After looking about making sure no one was there Moses killed the Egyptian and then…
'he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. ' Hid him in the sand. He hid the body. Moses definitely did NOT want anyone to know what he'd done.
So here we have Moses changing his life irrevocably. He made a decision in that moment to SAVE a Hebrew from an Egyptian. It's fair to say that the Egyptian was in the wrong here and that the smiting he was doing was very severe otherwise Moses wouldn't have interfered. He knew enough to be able to determine that what he was witnessing in this particular beating wasn't a minor incident. It wasn't a little reprimand. Moses knew the slave would die at the hands of the Egyptian if he didn't interfere and even though he didn't want to be found out, he wanted to save the Hebrew slave, he DID save the Hebrew slave. He made a choice and he had time to realize that what he was doing meant making a choice. He turned his back on his adopted family, the family who raised him to believe they were superior to ALL slaves, that slaves could be beaten and even murdered and it didn't matter. That action of Moses' was culmination of things. No, it wasn't a preplanned murder but it was a spontaneous killing as a result of the 'right or wrong' Moses had been witnessing throughout his life. A decision was made in those few moments that reflected Moses' decision to stand up for those being wronged. He was choosing right over wrong and in doing so he was choosing to abandon the Egyptian life.
When we read this…
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Now read this again…
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Compare the two-
When he was come to years
When Moses was grown
Compare the two-
Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God
That he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens
Yes, Moses had been in the process of making a decision for awhile.
We have to remember that Moses was raised for quite some time by his *real* Hebrew mother, among his *real* Hebrew family. Then when he was older he was sent to live as the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. From his youngest impressions he was raised to know Hebrew love, God's love. He witnessed first hand the love of God in this family and it was something He couldn't shake no matter what he was given as an adopted Egyptian prince. Take his youngest years and mingle it with the horrors committed against people he'd known to be loving as he grew to manhood and Moses was in a unique position to understand that there WAS a difference - there was the real love of God in His chosen people and there was real horror and hatred among those who were godless.
Moses CHOSE to suffer affliction rather than enjoy the sin, the pleasures, the life of ease he knew so well.
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Moses understood that it was better to suffer for God and endure all the hatred that God-hater's could give him than accept the TREASURES in Egypt. Why? Because he knew- he had respect to the recompence of the true reward found only in the salvation of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Where was Moses' treasure???
HEAVEN!
Moses is the PRIME example of a keeping treasures in heaven. Moses is a prime example of choosing God over earthly treasures. We think it's hard to give up our lives for God, to give up our selfishness, to give up our pleasures and lives of ease, and you know what… it is hard no one is saying it isn't. We know it's hard and every single one of us will have to make the choice. We have treasures but WHAT we consider treasures and where those treasures are kept is the choices we make. If we choose to keep our treasures in heaven- our salvation in our most heavenly Savior - then we choose not to have treasure here on earth. We choose NOT to have any treasure that would keep us from our heavenly treasure.
Only by the grace of God is this possible. If we think we can do this on our own then we don't know a thing about the salvation God offers us in Christ Jesus, the kingdom of heaven.
In His love!
Amen.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
What is the measure of our covetousness?
There are more verses on treasure I'd like to touch on today.
Yesterday we began by studying these verses from Matthew-
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Today let's read this verse-
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
The measure of thy covetousness.
What other reason is there to collect earthly treasures than covetousness?
Seriously. Look around you (assuming you are at home) what sort of things do you possess? What among them do you call necessities- that are truly necessities? What among those necessities are what you would label simple necessities rather than luxurious necessities, because make no mistake our covetousness will lead us to buy luxurious necessities and we console ourselves by say they are only necessities- not really anything special.
For example- a bed. Who doesn't want a nice comfortable bed? There is nothing wrong with wanting a bed that is conducive towards a good night's rest. But if we get the most fancy bed we can afford so that it's very pleasing to our eyes, what does that mean? Aren't we supposed to want stuff that is pleasing to our senses? To what point do we indulge our senses? When do our senses become perverted? How likely are we to have our senses indulged and in the process we let Satan creep into our lives using a deceptive manner to do so.
What is the measure of our covetousness? Are we abundant in treasures? Who decides?
To my way of thinking I have very little *treasure*. To another who has absolutely nothing I have the grandest treasures they can only dream about. So how do we know what abundant treasures really are? To the very rich who indulge in their whims they have treasures far, far beyond anything I can imagine. But is it only the rich who are abundant in treasures? I don't think so. A poor person can covet something greatly, couldn't they? If a poor person has but one thing and they covet it above God, above salvation through our Savior, if they keep their treasure here on earth and not in the kingdom of heaven then where is their heart? Their heart is not with God, their heart is not in the kingdom. If our hearts are not in the kingdom then we will NOT inherit the kingdom.
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
This verse must make us think about the measure of our covetousness. We have to ask ourselves the question facing our own potential to covet, our own potential to keep our treasures right here on earth- within reach or close by with easy access.
After recognizing the measure of our own covetousness we have to pray and ask our Savior to help us, to forgive us, to guide us, to reveal the sin in our lives that we need to confess and then to help us repent. It is by HIS righteousness alone we are saved and by HIS righteousness alone we live, we hope, we love.
What is the measure of our covetousness?
How abundant are our treasures?
We can't make the mistake of thinking just because we aren't millionaires or billionaires rolling in money that we don't have the potential to covet, that what we have all around us aren't treasures. Like I wrote above- we can be poor and still have treasures here on earth not in heaven. Yes, the more money we have the harder it is to *not* gather earthly treasures- coveting the best we can afford, so yes- the rich will find it a lot harder to not covet, to not keep their treasures here on earth. By the grace of God we will keep our treasures where they belong- with our Savior, in the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.
Yesterday we began by studying these verses from Matthew-
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Today let's read this verse-
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
The measure of thy covetousness.
What other reason is there to collect earthly treasures than covetousness?
Seriously. Look around you (assuming you are at home) what sort of things do you possess? What among them do you call necessities- that are truly necessities? What among those necessities are what you would label simple necessities rather than luxurious necessities, because make no mistake our covetousness will lead us to buy luxurious necessities and we console ourselves by say they are only necessities- not really anything special.
For example- a bed. Who doesn't want a nice comfortable bed? There is nothing wrong with wanting a bed that is conducive towards a good night's rest. But if we get the most fancy bed we can afford so that it's very pleasing to our eyes, what does that mean? Aren't we supposed to want stuff that is pleasing to our senses? To what point do we indulge our senses? When do our senses become perverted? How likely are we to have our senses indulged and in the process we let Satan creep into our lives using a deceptive manner to do so.
What is the measure of our covetousness? Are we abundant in treasures? Who decides?
To my way of thinking I have very little *treasure*. To another who has absolutely nothing I have the grandest treasures they can only dream about. So how do we know what abundant treasures really are? To the very rich who indulge in their whims they have treasures far, far beyond anything I can imagine. But is it only the rich who are abundant in treasures? I don't think so. A poor person can covet something greatly, couldn't they? If a poor person has but one thing and they covet it above God, above salvation through our Savior, if they keep their treasure here on earth and not in the kingdom of heaven then where is their heart? Their heart is not with God, their heart is not in the kingdom. If our hearts are not in the kingdom then we will NOT inherit the kingdom.
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
This verse must make us think about the measure of our covetousness. We have to ask ourselves the question facing our own potential to covet, our own potential to keep our treasures right here on earth- within reach or close by with easy access.
After recognizing the measure of our own covetousness we have to pray and ask our Savior to help us, to forgive us, to guide us, to reveal the sin in our lives that we need to confess and then to help us repent. It is by HIS righteousness alone we are saved and by HIS righteousness alone we live, we hope, we love.
What is the measure of our covetousness?
How abundant are our treasures?
We can't make the mistake of thinking just because we aren't millionaires or billionaires rolling in money that we don't have the potential to covet, that what we have all around us aren't treasures. Like I wrote above- we can be poor and still have treasures here on earth not in heaven. Yes, the more money we have the harder it is to *not* gather earthly treasures- coveting the best we can afford, so yes- the rich will find it a lot harder to not covet, to not keep their treasures here on earth. By the grace of God we will keep our treasures where they belong- with our Savior, in the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Could you walk away from everything?
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Could you walk away from EVERYTHING you own right this minute?
Christ did NOT tell us to not have homes to live in. Christ visited homes to lodge with people and eat meals with them. He didn't go into those homes and tell the occupants that to have a place in the kingdom with Him they had to give up their homes and all their possessions and go about preaching the gospel to others. Taking things out of context can make a person want to *give up* on being a Christian because they can't fathom how they'll ever be able to do it when they can't seem to be all they perceive a Christian should be.
Are some people truly called to give up all they possess and go preach the gospel? Yes. I fully believe some people are called to that way of life. I believe others are called to be humble in the little they do possess and to preach the gospel as they are called. I also believe others are called to be stewards of much and how they deal with that wealth has to be in the manner the Lord directs them- unselfishly - as they too are to preach the gospel.
So when people get all up in arms and say we are to have nothing, we have to be realistic and ask ourselves if the Bible… if our God actually tells everyone of us to simply be preaching wanderers. It doesn't tell us that at all. Every one of the apostles spent many a night as they traveled, in a home of fellow believers without telling those believers to pack up their goods and take to the road as they were doing.
Did Christ preach the gathering of earthly treasures. No. In fact we are not to desire to hold on to ANYTHING over the desire of having Christ in our lives. We are to put NOTHING before God. We are to worship ONLY our Savior.
So asking you if you'd give up everything you own right this minute has to be followed with- if that is your calling.
Seriously. We are called and each of us are called to a different walk, a personal walk between us and our Savior. You can't judge my walk and I can't judge yours. We can accept each other has a personal walk with God and help each other in any way the help is needed.
None of our *REAL* treasures should be on earth. Our hearts must be in the heavenly kingdom not stuck in any single thing on this earth- not in any person, place, or thing here. A treasure is something we cherish. Do I have treasures? Yes. But I like to believe that none of the *thing* I consider treasures would keep me from choosing my Savior over them. If I lost everything I own in a fire my life would not be over. Would I be incredibly sad over losing what I consider family heirlooms? Yes. Would I hate the fact that many costly things would be gone. We think of pictures taken over the years. We think of books that are irreplaceable because they are personally marked. We think of toys we may have had as children. We think of costly computers, costly electronics, our clothes, you ALL know what I'm talking about-- things.
Anything that could be stolen from us, anything that can be destroyed we must not treasure over our God, and that's people included. We might lay down our lives for a loved one, or even a stranger if we are called to do so. We cannot even treasure our selves above God but be willing to lay down our lives for Him.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we be fully His as we seek to keep our true treasures, treasures that mean more than anything to us in heaven- the priceless treasure of the love of our Savior.
In His Love!
Amen.
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Could you walk away from EVERYTHING you own right this minute?
Christ did NOT tell us to not have homes to live in. Christ visited homes to lodge with people and eat meals with them. He didn't go into those homes and tell the occupants that to have a place in the kingdom with Him they had to give up their homes and all their possessions and go about preaching the gospel to others. Taking things out of context can make a person want to *give up* on being a Christian because they can't fathom how they'll ever be able to do it when they can't seem to be all they perceive a Christian should be.
Are some people truly called to give up all they possess and go preach the gospel? Yes. I fully believe some people are called to that way of life. I believe others are called to be humble in the little they do possess and to preach the gospel as they are called. I also believe others are called to be stewards of much and how they deal with that wealth has to be in the manner the Lord directs them- unselfishly - as they too are to preach the gospel.
So when people get all up in arms and say we are to have nothing, we have to be realistic and ask ourselves if the Bible… if our God actually tells everyone of us to simply be preaching wanderers. It doesn't tell us that at all. Every one of the apostles spent many a night as they traveled, in a home of fellow believers without telling those believers to pack up their goods and take to the road as they were doing.
Did Christ preach the gathering of earthly treasures. No. In fact we are not to desire to hold on to ANYTHING over the desire of having Christ in our lives. We are to put NOTHING before God. We are to worship ONLY our Savior.
So asking you if you'd give up everything you own right this minute has to be followed with- if that is your calling.
Seriously. We are called and each of us are called to a different walk, a personal walk between us and our Savior. You can't judge my walk and I can't judge yours. We can accept each other has a personal walk with God and help each other in any way the help is needed.
None of our *REAL* treasures should be on earth. Our hearts must be in the heavenly kingdom not stuck in any single thing on this earth- not in any person, place, or thing here. A treasure is something we cherish. Do I have treasures? Yes. But I like to believe that none of the *thing* I consider treasures would keep me from choosing my Savior over them. If I lost everything I own in a fire my life would not be over. Would I be incredibly sad over losing what I consider family heirlooms? Yes. Would I hate the fact that many costly things would be gone. We think of pictures taken over the years. We think of books that are irreplaceable because they are personally marked. We think of toys we may have had as children. We think of costly computers, costly electronics, our clothes, you ALL know what I'm talking about-- things.
Anything that could be stolen from us, anything that can be destroyed we must not treasure over our God, and that's people included. We might lay down our lives for a loved one, or even a stranger if we are called to do so. We cannot even treasure our selves above God but be willing to lay down our lives for Him.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we be fully His as we seek to keep our true treasures, treasures that mean more than anything to us in heaven- the priceless treasure of the love of our Savior.
In His Love!
Amen.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Be not as the hypocrites
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites...
Hypocrites.
Jesus didn't, and doesn't, like hypocrites.
Let's read through these verses, we have time- this is after all - Bible study, right? We need to catch the big picture here about Jesus' view on hypocrites because He doesn't want us to be they are.
*******
Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Mat 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luk 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Luk 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luk 13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
*******
Webster's definition of a hypocrite is this--
Hypocrite
HYP'OCRITE, n.
1. One who feigns to be what he is not; one who has the form of godliness without the power, or who assumes an appearance of piety and virtue, when he is destitute of true religion.
2. A dissembler; one who assumes a false appearance.
An online dictionary defines it this way--
hyp·o·crite
[hip-uh-krit]
Show IPA
–noun
1.
a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2.
a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
Pasted from
*******
Pretending to be something you're not. How often do people pretend to be something they're not? How often do people smile on the outside but inside they're full of disdain for those they are smiling at. People might put on a happy face and feel sad, but that's not the kind of pretending we're talking about. Hypocrites - those who assume a false appearance of virtue when they have no true virtue in them. The deceitful. Those who harm others - not necessarily in a physical manner- and not necessarily with the others even realizing they're being harmed. A liar. Yes, being a hypocrite is being a liar. Often hypocrites are able to fool many people with their false demeanor. In fact there are people who are hypocrites all their lives - making a living that way and never being discovered.
Not a single hypocrite exists that can hide from the knowing of our God.
Jesus saw through hypocrite after hypocrite as He lived upon earth and He wasn't afraid to let them know that He knew them for what they really were.
Do you believe you have ever been a hypocrite? Seriously. I ask this because as we struggle in our day to day lives to be followers of our Savior and we come up short sometimes it's very easy to believe we are being hypocrites rather than those struggling against principalities and powers, fighting the good fight. Satan wants us to believe we are hypocrites so that we are filled with self-loathing and give up. In fact some people might turn around and call us hypocrites because our walk with Christ doesn't fulfill their imagined scenario of a Christian life. Just recently someone questioned my life with Christ in the context of my not doing *enough*, not *giving my all*. This person who did this obviously doesn't realize that even if a person does a tiny bit outwardly it's not up to them to judge another's walk with Christ based on their own experience. When we start judging others, when we start trying to hold up examples as to how a *real* Christian would be, then we put ourselves somewhere we are never meant to go. Many who are Christians outwardly, many who hold up the image of an amazing Christian - studying, helping the poor, praying, witnessing- you name it they're doing it, many of those are the very same hypocrites our Savior is talking about. Even a person who is caught up in a life of outward sin might have a closer walk with our Savior than one who seems to be living their life perfectly. That person struggling with sin may be genuinely fighting the fight they've been given to fight so that when all is said and done they'll be in the kingdom with our Savior. The point being… we need to love, not condemn. We need to live that love not be hypocritical even with ourselves.
Jesus said this--
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites...
Jesus doesn't want us to be as hypocrites are and He goes on to tell us more.
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Don't put on an outward show of piety. We are not doing ourselves any favors by *pretending*. We can put on the appearance of a pious person and it will fool people- it will, but God knows.
We are to live our lives without pretense knowing that no matter how we look it's what's inside our hearts before God that matters. The pretenders, the hypocrites, the liars have their reward. God wants us to be rewarded openly by Him because He knows the good we do in secret doing that good for no outward reward.
So what if people look at you and don't ever imagine you have a life as they imagine you should have. You're not living your life to be rewarded by another's acknowledgement that you fit their idea of a follower of Christ. You're living your life to be acknowledged by our Savior and our Savior only.
By the grace of our Savior may we be His and His alone in all we do. If we are being hypocritical may we have this revealed to us so that we can beg for forgiveness and be truly God's. In His love!
Amen.
Hypocrites.
Jesus didn't, and doesn't, like hypocrites.
Let's read through these verses, we have time- this is after all - Bible study, right? We need to catch the big picture here about Jesus' view on hypocrites because He doesn't want us to be they are.
*******
Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Mat 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luk 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Luk 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luk 13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
*******
Webster's definition of a hypocrite is this--
Hypocrite
HYP'OCRITE, n.
1. One who feigns to be what he is not; one who has the form of godliness without the power, or who assumes an appearance of piety and virtue, when he is destitute of true religion.
2. A dissembler; one who assumes a false appearance.
An online dictionary defines it this way--
hyp·o·crite
[hip-uh-krit]
Show IPA
–noun
1.
a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2.
a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
Pasted from
*******
Pretending to be something you're not. How often do people pretend to be something they're not? How often do people smile on the outside but inside they're full of disdain for those they are smiling at. People might put on a happy face and feel sad, but that's not the kind of pretending we're talking about. Hypocrites - those who assume a false appearance of virtue when they have no true virtue in them. The deceitful. Those who harm others - not necessarily in a physical manner- and not necessarily with the others even realizing they're being harmed. A liar. Yes, being a hypocrite is being a liar. Often hypocrites are able to fool many people with their false demeanor. In fact there are people who are hypocrites all their lives - making a living that way and never being discovered.
Not a single hypocrite exists that can hide from the knowing of our God.
Jesus saw through hypocrite after hypocrite as He lived upon earth and He wasn't afraid to let them know that He knew them for what they really were.
Do you believe you have ever been a hypocrite? Seriously. I ask this because as we struggle in our day to day lives to be followers of our Savior and we come up short sometimes it's very easy to believe we are being hypocrites rather than those struggling against principalities and powers, fighting the good fight. Satan wants us to believe we are hypocrites so that we are filled with self-loathing and give up. In fact some people might turn around and call us hypocrites because our walk with Christ doesn't fulfill their imagined scenario of a Christian life. Just recently someone questioned my life with Christ in the context of my not doing *enough*, not *giving my all*. This person who did this obviously doesn't realize that even if a person does a tiny bit outwardly it's not up to them to judge another's walk with Christ based on their own experience. When we start judging others, when we start trying to hold up examples as to how a *real* Christian would be, then we put ourselves somewhere we are never meant to go. Many who are Christians outwardly, many who hold up the image of an amazing Christian - studying, helping the poor, praying, witnessing- you name it they're doing it, many of those are the very same hypocrites our Savior is talking about. Even a person who is caught up in a life of outward sin might have a closer walk with our Savior than one who seems to be living their life perfectly. That person struggling with sin may be genuinely fighting the fight they've been given to fight so that when all is said and done they'll be in the kingdom with our Savior. The point being… we need to love, not condemn. We need to live that love not be hypocritical even with ourselves.
Jesus said this--
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites...
Jesus doesn't want us to be as hypocrites are and He goes on to tell us more.
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Don't put on an outward show of piety. We are not doing ourselves any favors by *pretending*. We can put on the appearance of a pious person and it will fool people- it will, but God knows.
We are to live our lives without pretense knowing that no matter how we look it's what's inside our hearts before God that matters. The pretenders, the hypocrites, the liars have their reward. God wants us to be rewarded openly by Him because He knows the good we do in secret doing that good for no outward reward.
So what if people look at you and don't ever imagine you have a life as they imagine you should have. You're not living your life to be rewarded by another's acknowledgement that you fit their idea of a follower of Christ. You're living your life to be acknowledged by our Savior and our Savior only.
By the grace of our Savior may we be His and His alone in all we do. If we are being hypocritical may we have this revealed to us so that we can beg for forgiveness and be truly God's. In His love!
Amen.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Become forgiving
Right after Jesus says 'amen' as He gives us the manner in which we are to pray He says this--
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Remember back in the prayer where He said this--
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Obviously He felt a need to emphasize this part a bit.
If WE forgive others their trespasses- our heavenly Father will forgive us. We need to be forgiven don't we? We've talked about it before but obviously it's something we can't stop talking about. We can't afford to ever forget that we need to forgive others, as much as we need to be forgiven. Forgiving others for…
What exactly are we to forgive others for? When is the last time anyone did something to hurt you? I'm not talking seriously hurt you, but when is the last time someone was perhaps a touch thoughtless in their words, or lack thereof? When is the last time you felt the least bit slighted? Maybe it was a stranger giving you a strange glare. Or maybe it was a friend forgetting to call you. Possibly it was loved one who just didn't listen when you wanted them to. The thing we need to remember is just as we are to pray daily and to use the manner of praying Jesus teaches us, we need to understand that forgiveness is an ongoing EVERYDAY concern. Also, forgiveness isn't something as simple as forgiving once and then it's done. The simplest of slights we take offense at, the tiniest of hurts might need to be forgiven over and over again and that's NO joke. You might think it's easy to forgive the little things and harder to forgive the huge betrayals but that's not always the case. No, I'm not saying the huge betrayals are easy to forgive, what I'm saying is the little betrayals, the little hurts aren't often easy to forgive. We might detest the fact that we have to forgive someone over and over again. We might believe that it means we can't forgive them because we can't forget what's been done. We might be waiting for some sort of apology, or appeasement and even then that real heart felt forgiveness might elude us.
Daily we forgive. Daily, hourly, minutely we forgive. We have to be in a state of perpetual forgiving of others because in truth, don't we need to be in a perpetual state of forgiveness by God?
No, I'm not saying that our every waking moment has to be spent forgiving, but we need to be ever ready to forgive. Seriously. Is there ever a time we shouldn't forgive? Not according to our Savior.
Being ready to forgive is understanding that constantly we will be put in the position to choose to forgive or not to forgive. As we feel the pain of the slights we face in our day to day lives we really do need to become forgiving.
Others will hurt us make no mistake about it. It could be as simple as ingratitude when you go out of your way to do something for someone. It could be a selfishness revealed as a last roll you reach for is snatched away be someone else. You could catch a glimpse of someone seeming to disdain you. You can see the disgust cross the face of someone you ask to help you with something and know in that look it's the last thing they want to be doing. No one I know lives in a world where all things are picture perfect. Everyone I know lives in a world filled with selfish beings that find it easy to hurt and hard to forgive.
By the grace of God we will learn to become forgiving because He says…
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If we don't become forgiving we cannot be forgiven and we need to be forgiven because we fall far short of being as God would have us be. We need to be forgiven by our wonderful Savior, He wants to forgive us and He will forgive us.
Forgiveness for the teeny tiny things is more important than we really realize.
Forgiveness is no longer holding a person accountable for the sin, the wrong, the slight they've committed against us. Forgiveness is Jesus forgiving us for all the sins, all the wrongs, all the slights we've committed against Him. We need forgiveness, we need it desperately because our selfishness pulls us away from God, our self-centeredness pushes God out. We see this in so much we do when we think of ourselves before others in so many ways.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we become forgiving. May His words become real to us as we pray our daily prayers seeking to be forgiving knowing by the grace of God we are forgiven.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
In His amazing Love as we seek to be with Him in the kingdom!
Amen.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Remember back in the prayer where He said this--
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Obviously He felt a need to emphasize this part a bit.
If WE forgive others their trespasses- our heavenly Father will forgive us. We need to be forgiven don't we? We've talked about it before but obviously it's something we can't stop talking about. We can't afford to ever forget that we need to forgive others, as much as we need to be forgiven. Forgiving others for…
What exactly are we to forgive others for? When is the last time anyone did something to hurt you? I'm not talking seriously hurt you, but when is the last time someone was perhaps a touch thoughtless in their words, or lack thereof? When is the last time you felt the least bit slighted? Maybe it was a stranger giving you a strange glare. Or maybe it was a friend forgetting to call you. Possibly it was loved one who just didn't listen when you wanted them to. The thing we need to remember is just as we are to pray daily and to use the manner of praying Jesus teaches us, we need to understand that forgiveness is an ongoing EVERYDAY concern. Also, forgiveness isn't something as simple as forgiving once and then it's done. The simplest of slights we take offense at, the tiniest of hurts might need to be forgiven over and over again and that's NO joke. You might think it's easy to forgive the little things and harder to forgive the huge betrayals but that's not always the case. No, I'm not saying the huge betrayals are easy to forgive, what I'm saying is the little betrayals, the little hurts aren't often easy to forgive. We might detest the fact that we have to forgive someone over and over again. We might believe that it means we can't forgive them because we can't forget what's been done. We might be waiting for some sort of apology, or appeasement and even then that real heart felt forgiveness might elude us.
Daily we forgive. Daily, hourly, minutely we forgive. We have to be in a state of perpetual forgiving of others because in truth, don't we need to be in a perpetual state of forgiveness by God?
No, I'm not saying that our every waking moment has to be spent forgiving, but we need to be ever ready to forgive. Seriously. Is there ever a time we shouldn't forgive? Not according to our Savior.
Being ready to forgive is understanding that constantly we will be put in the position to choose to forgive or not to forgive. As we feel the pain of the slights we face in our day to day lives we really do need to become forgiving.
Others will hurt us make no mistake about it. It could be as simple as ingratitude when you go out of your way to do something for someone. It could be a selfishness revealed as a last roll you reach for is snatched away be someone else. You could catch a glimpse of someone seeming to disdain you. You can see the disgust cross the face of someone you ask to help you with something and know in that look it's the last thing they want to be doing. No one I know lives in a world where all things are picture perfect. Everyone I know lives in a world filled with selfish beings that find it easy to hurt and hard to forgive.
By the grace of God we will learn to become forgiving because He says…
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If we don't become forgiving we cannot be forgiven and we need to be forgiven because we fall far short of being as God would have us be. We need to be forgiven by our wonderful Savior, He wants to forgive us and He will forgive us.
Forgiveness for the teeny tiny things is more important than we really realize.
Forgiveness is no longer holding a person accountable for the sin, the wrong, the slight they've committed against us. Forgiveness is Jesus forgiving us for all the sins, all the wrongs, all the slights we've committed against Him. We need forgiveness, we need it desperately because our selfishness pulls us away from God, our self-centeredness pushes God out. We see this in so much we do when we think of ourselves before others in so many ways.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we become forgiving. May His words become real to us as we pray our daily prayers seeking to be forgiving knowing by the grace of God we are forgiven.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
In His amazing Love as we seek to be with Him in the kingdom!
Amen.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The power and the glory
Our Father which art in heaven
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
We'd be very remiss if we didn't study this last sentence a bit more closely. Having focused on the kingdom (and rightly so) for so long it would be easy to just round off there but we can't. Jesus had more to say. Jesus said to pray in this manner- including at the very end of the prayer an acknowledgement of God the Father's forever power, and glory.
The Greek word for 'power' defined-
G1411
δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Force- literally or figuratively. Specifically miraculous power. Ability, abundance, meaning, might. Worker of miracles. Power, strength, violence, mighty work.
Thine is …the power. God our Father in heaven has this power, this all encompassing power of the miraculous, we cannot believe otherwise. By His power all things exist. By His power salvation exists. By His power hope exists. By His power we exist. He is all powerful beyond anything we can fully imagine.
Let's read a few of the many verses on power-
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy
Glorious in power!
2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
God is MY…power!
1Ch 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Amen!
Psa 21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
Psa 145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Psa 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
Psa 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Psa 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psa 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Psa 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Psa 145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Praise God!
Jer 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion
Jer 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Jer 51:15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
The earth exists by His power!
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
The kingdom of God … in power!
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
His mighty power!
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Thy great power!
Amazing!
Now let's look at the word glory for a moment.
The Greek definition-
G1391
δόξα
doxa
dox'-ah
From the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship.
Dignity, glorious, honor, praise, worship.
Exo 24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
The Hebrew definition for the word glory is this-
H3519
×›ּבד ×›ּבוד
kâbôd kâbôd
kaw-bode', kaw-bode'
From H3513; properly weight; but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness: - glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).
Properly weight. Figuratively- splendor, glorious, honor.
The glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai- is it safe to say that God honored mankind with His presence there on mount Sinai? I think it is. The glory, the splendor we cannot even begin to fully fathom was there.
Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Like devouring FIRE! Anyone that has ever been exposed to the power of fire witnessing the flame's power can understand this. Like fire- powerful like fire is powerful and yet that bush the LORD revealed Himself to Moses in was not destroyed, and the mount the children of Israel gazed at was not destroyed by this image of a fire without devouring power. A fire contained, power controlled. Think of it, a fire that doesn't destroy how miraculous a sight that has to be. Could you imagine starting a campfire and the fire burning brightly but the logs you put on that fire not being consumed, not being charred, not a speck of burned bark upon in? Wouldn't that just amaze you to no end? A fire that has plenty to burn yet not burning a thing. What glory! What amazing glory is that!
1Ch 16:27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Psa 8:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Psa 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psa 57:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power
Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
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.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Again these are just a few verses of the many. The glory of God is unimaginable, it's wondrous, it's indescribable really.
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
Truly we are to never forget the power and glory of our Father in heaven. Every prayer we utter is done so by the power and glory of God, it is by His kingdom- through Salvation, through our Savior.
It's all too easy for us here on earth to choose to blind ourselves to the wonders of God. We choose not to see God's glory all around us, we choose to forget God's working in our history, we choose to be blind and deaf and we do this because Satan would have it so. The evil one doesn't want us dwelling on God's glory or His power. Caught up in self we are all too happy to keep the blinders on because the true revelation of the glory and power of God through the kingdom to come, by the grace and mercy of our Savior is something that demands our recognition as creatures, created by another for His glory. Selflessness, true selflessness is true love and that selflessness is found in our Savior, our Creator.
Yes, 'Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.'
Acknowledgment.
Mat 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
Amen.
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
We'd be very remiss if we didn't study this last sentence a bit more closely. Having focused on the kingdom (and rightly so) for so long it would be easy to just round off there but we can't. Jesus had more to say. Jesus said to pray in this manner- including at the very end of the prayer an acknowledgement of God the Father's forever power, and glory.
The Greek word for 'power' defined-
G1411
δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Force- literally or figuratively. Specifically miraculous power. Ability, abundance, meaning, might. Worker of miracles. Power, strength, violence, mighty work.
Thine is …the power. God our Father in heaven has this power, this all encompassing power of the miraculous, we cannot believe otherwise. By His power all things exist. By His power salvation exists. By His power hope exists. By His power we exist. He is all powerful beyond anything we can fully imagine.
Let's read a few of the many verses on power-
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy
Glorious in power!
2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
God is MY…power!
1Ch 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Amen!
Psa 21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
Psa 145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Psa 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
Psa 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Psa 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psa 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Psa 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Psa 145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Praise God!
Jer 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion
Jer 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Jer 51:15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
The earth exists by His power!
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
The kingdom of God … in power!
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
His mighty power!
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Thy great power!
Amazing!
Now let's look at the word glory for a moment.
The Greek definition-
G1391
δόξα
doxa
dox'-ah
From the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship.
Dignity, glorious, honor, praise, worship.
Exo 24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
The Hebrew definition for the word glory is this-
H3519
×›ּבד ×›ּבוד
kâbôd kâbôd
kaw-bode', kaw-bode'
From H3513; properly weight; but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness: - glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).
Properly weight. Figuratively- splendor, glorious, honor.
The glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai- is it safe to say that God honored mankind with His presence there on mount Sinai? I think it is. The glory, the splendor we cannot even begin to fully fathom was there.
Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Like devouring FIRE! Anyone that has ever been exposed to the power of fire witnessing the flame's power can understand this. Like fire- powerful like fire is powerful and yet that bush the LORD revealed Himself to Moses in was not destroyed, and the mount the children of Israel gazed at was not destroyed by this image of a fire without devouring power. A fire contained, power controlled. Think of it, a fire that doesn't destroy how miraculous a sight that has to be. Could you imagine starting a campfire and the fire burning brightly but the logs you put on that fire not being consumed, not being charred, not a speck of burned bark upon in? Wouldn't that just amaze you to no end? A fire that has plenty to burn yet not burning a thing. What glory! What amazing glory is that!
1Ch 16:27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Psa 8:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Psa 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psa 57:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power
Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
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.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Again these are just a few verses of the many. The glory of God is unimaginable, it's wondrous, it's indescribable really.
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
Truly we are to never forget the power and glory of our Father in heaven. Every prayer we utter is done so by the power and glory of God, it is by His kingdom- through Salvation, through our Savior.
It's all too easy for us here on earth to choose to blind ourselves to the wonders of God. We choose not to see God's glory all around us, we choose to forget God's working in our history, we choose to be blind and deaf and we do this because Satan would have it so. The evil one doesn't want us dwelling on God's glory or His power. Caught up in self we are all too happy to keep the blinders on because the true revelation of the glory and power of God through the kingdom to come, by the grace and mercy of our Savior is something that demands our recognition as creatures, created by another for His glory. Selflessness, true selflessness is true love and that selflessness is found in our Savior, our Creator.
Yes, 'Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.'
Acknowledgment.
Mat 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
Amen.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thy kingdom come, thine is the kingdom
Mat 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
The study of the 'kingdom' began when we were studying Matthew 6:9-13 where Jesus said this- 'After this manner therefore pray ye…' and then He began to teach us the manner of praying. We realized that twice Jesus mentions the kingdom. The importance of understanding the kingdom is something we couldn't, and can't overlook. The kingdom coming, and the kingdom that is the Father's, we need a real understanding of the kingdom and I believe we've begun a little to comprehend such a wondrous subject.
Jesus came to preach the kingdom of God to man, this gospel message is all about the kingdom to come, the kingdom found only in our Savior.
We read these words- 'United Kingdom' and what do we think of? Britain, right? Here's the Wiki definition in part--
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It spans an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Irish Sea.
This is the United Kingdom that exists in our world today and when we think of the UK as it's known, we think of territory, we think of a place. Just as if I were say - United States, instantly you think of a place in our world. If I were to say the Kingdom of God you would be inclined to think of heaven, and rightly so because we know God's dwelling place is in heaven. So when we pray 'Thy kingdom come' are we praying for heaven on earth? We are, aren't we? Are we praying for God's kingdom to come and do away with all other kingdom's on earth? We are, yes? We are wanting God's kingdom to rule the entire earth and no other kingdom to be on earth whatsoever. Right now our earth seems to broken up into many 'kingdoms doesn't it? But the truth is it's still one kingdom here on earth in respect to who owns the kingdom on earth. Man likes to believe he owns bits and parts of the earth- Canadians live in Canada and own their bits of Canadian earth, Mexican's living in Mexico own their bits of Mexico earth- we've labeled our bits of earth and parceled it out to people who claim ownership, who claim rulership. In a dictatorship one man claims rulership. In a democracy it's touted everybody in that kingdom of democracy has a bit of rulership. But we have another who claims rulership over kingdom earth, someone who has power to take from any human in existence - any king, any dictator, any president, pauper, person alive. That *other* is Satan. You remember this, we've studied it several times and I think just recently as well.
Mat 4:8,9 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; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Were men on earth at this time? Yes. Was there a ruler in Rome at this time? Yes. Were there rulers elsewhere around the globe at this time? Yes. But at this same time the devil claimed ownership of all the kingdoms of the world. Two rulers? Dual rulership? No. The devil didn't say he had to check with the ruler of Rome over whether or not he could give Jesus Rome, did he? No. The devil had complete authority over ALL the kingdoms of the world.
Did Jesus take all the kingdoms of the world from the devil? No. Why? Because they came with a price. Satan was selling them, not giving them away freely. The price of that sale was worship. Worship! People don't think WHO they worship is important, well guess what, it's eternally important. Jesus could have bought all the kingdoms of the world from the owner of those kingdoms but He wasn't willing to pay the asking price for them. To pay that price would be to deny God's natural right to all the kingdom's of the world. The only reason the devil had all the kingdoms of the world was because he took them from Adam and Eve, He took ownership when Adam and Eve sinned putting themselves first over God, allowing temptation to fill their hearts, succumbing to that temptation that the devil put before them. They chose to follow Satan's will rather than God's will. The earth that had been given to them by God they gave to Satan- choosing him over God. Satan took hold of the rulership of the kingdoms of the world and has never let go. So while mankind believes in their own manner that they own bits and pieces of the kingdoms of this world in truth ALL the kingdoms of this world are the devil's.
All the kingdoms of the world will remain Satan's until- God's kingdom comes. Jesus wants us to pray to the Father who is in heaven, whose name is hallowed- 'Thy kingdom come, thine is the kingdom.'
Thine is the kingdom. The kingdom is God's. Jesus died so that the kingdom of God would come. Jesus preached the kingdom of heaven, Jesus preached the kingdom of God, Jesus brought this gospel to all He could. The kingdom of God WILL come to earth and no longer will Satan have all the kingdoms of the world to offer because they will no longer be his to offer. His power will be gone. Is Satan's power gone right now? Has Satan power to deceive and to destroy been taken away? Is there any evil in the world still? We know these answers, we do. Evil still exists, and evil will NEVER exist in God's kingdom. Satan has been defeated he knows that his ownership of all the kingdoms of the world is temporary. God's kingdom WILL come of this there is absolutely NO doubt.
When we pray 'thy kingdom come' we are praying for the end of the kingdoms ruled by the devil, we are praying for salvation in Jesus Christ so that we may be a part of the kingdom that is to come. Remember the good seed- the wheat, and the bad seed- the tares, will dwell together until the harvest- the end of the world as we know it. The good seed will be gathered up to the kingdom of God, the bad seed will be burned to non-existence. We want to be gathered into the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God.
God's kingdom will come- the kingdom we are to pray for every single day. We are to live for the kingdom of God, the kingdom Jesus preached, the kingdom Jesus died for so we could become part of, the kingdom Jesus brought and bought for us, the kingdom we are to born again into all by His grace, His mercy, His righteousness- in His perfect love!
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
The study of the 'kingdom' began when we were studying Matthew 6:9-13 where Jesus said this- 'After this manner therefore pray ye…' and then He began to teach us the manner of praying. We realized that twice Jesus mentions the kingdom. The importance of understanding the kingdom is something we couldn't, and can't overlook. The kingdom coming, and the kingdom that is the Father's, we need a real understanding of the kingdom and I believe we've begun a little to comprehend such a wondrous subject.
Jesus came to preach the kingdom of God to man, this gospel message is all about the kingdom to come, the kingdom found only in our Savior.
We read these words- 'United Kingdom' and what do we think of? Britain, right? Here's the Wiki definition in part--
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It spans an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Irish Sea.
This is the United Kingdom that exists in our world today and when we think of the UK as it's known, we think of territory, we think of a place. Just as if I were say - United States, instantly you think of a place in our world. If I were to say the Kingdom of God you would be inclined to think of heaven, and rightly so because we know God's dwelling place is in heaven. So when we pray 'Thy kingdom come' are we praying for heaven on earth? We are, aren't we? Are we praying for God's kingdom to come and do away with all other kingdom's on earth? We are, yes? We are wanting God's kingdom to rule the entire earth and no other kingdom to be on earth whatsoever. Right now our earth seems to broken up into many 'kingdoms doesn't it? But the truth is it's still one kingdom here on earth in respect to who owns the kingdom on earth. Man likes to believe he owns bits and parts of the earth- Canadians live in Canada and own their bits of Canadian earth, Mexican's living in Mexico own their bits of Mexico earth- we've labeled our bits of earth and parceled it out to people who claim ownership, who claim rulership. In a dictatorship one man claims rulership. In a democracy it's touted everybody in that kingdom of democracy has a bit of rulership. But we have another who claims rulership over kingdom earth, someone who has power to take from any human in existence - any king, any dictator, any president, pauper, person alive. That *other* is Satan. You remember this, we've studied it several times and I think just recently as well.
Mat 4:8,9 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; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Were men on earth at this time? Yes. Was there a ruler in Rome at this time? Yes. Were there rulers elsewhere around the globe at this time? Yes. But at this same time the devil claimed ownership of all the kingdoms of the world. Two rulers? Dual rulership? No. The devil didn't say he had to check with the ruler of Rome over whether or not he could give Jesus Rome, did he? No. The devil had complete authority over ALL the kingdoms of the world.
Did Jesus take all the kingdoms of the world from the devil? No. Why? Because they came with a price. Satan was selling them, not giving them away freely. The price of that sale was worship. Worship! People don't think WHO they worship is important, well guess what, it's eternally important. Jesus could have bought all the kingdoms of the world from the owner of those kingdoms but He wasn't willing to pay the asking price for them. To pay that price would be to deny God's natural right to all the kingdom's of the world. The only reason the devil had all the kingdoms of the world was because he took them from Adam and Eve, He took ownership when Adam and Eve sinned putting themselves first over God, allowing temptation to fill their hearts, succumbing to that temptation that the devil put before them. They chose to follow Satan's will rather than God's will. The earth that had been given to them by God they gave to Satan- choosing him over God. Satan took hold of the rulership of the kingdoms of the world and has never let go. So while mankind believes in their own manner that they own bits and pieces of the kingdoms of this world in truth ALL the kingdoms of this world are the devil's.
All the kingdoms of the world will remain Satan's until- God's kingdom comes. Jesus wants us to pray to the Father who is in heaven, whose name is hallowed- 'Thy kingdom come, thine is the kingdom.'
Thine is the kingdom. The kingdom is God's. Jesus died so that the kingdom of God would come. Jesus preached the kingdom of heaven, Jesus preached the kingdom of God, Jesus brought this gospel to all He could. The kingdom of God WILL come to earth and no longer will Satan have all the kingdoms of the world to offer because they will no longer be his to offer. His power will be gone. Is Satan's power gone right now? Has Satan power to deceive and to destroy been taken away? Is there any evil in the world still? We know these answers, we do. Evil still exists, and evil will NEVER exist in God's kingdom. Satan has been defeated he knows that his ownership of all the kingdoms of the world is temporary. God's kingdom WILL come of this there is absolutely NO doubt.
When we pray 'thy kingdom come' we are praying for the end of the kingdoms ruled by the devil, we are praying for salvation in Jesus Christ so that we may be a part of the kingdom that is to come. Remember the good seed- the wheat, and the bad seed- the tares, will dwell together until the harvest- the end of the world as we know it. The good seed will be gathered up to the kingdom of God, the bad seed will be burned to non-existence. We want to be gathered into the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God.
God's kingdom will come- the kingdom we are to pray for every single day. We are to live for the kingdom of God, the kingdom Jesus preached, the kingdom Jesus died for so we could become part of, the kingdom Jesus brought and bought for us, the kingdom we are to born again into all by His grace, His mercy, His righteousness- in His perfect love!
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen
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