Romans
{11:25} For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
{11:26} And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob
{11:27} For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
{11:28} As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
{11:29} For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.
{11:30} For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief
{11:31} Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
{11:32} For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
***
We know the times of the Gentiles was fulfilled in 1980 when Jerusalem became the captial of Israel. This says-- 'that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.'
Israel was to be blinded in part from the time of Jesus until 1980, a long, long time. What was it all about? God gave His chosen many, many chances to be His people fully. They rejected Him over and over. Their ultimate rejection of God happened when Christ came and they rejected the Son of God. From then on the Word was given over to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were given a chance to come to God. God would not have any lost to Him. All that would come to Him He wants them to come.
He doesn't want the Gentiles thinking that He has forsaken Israel, His chosen. He hasn't forsaken them. Their eyes were allowed to see once more after 1980 when the Times of the Gentiles was fulfilled.
Perhaps that is where Messianic Judaism comes into true opportunity for God's chosen.
That passage reads- 'And so Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.'
When the blind are made to see the truth enters in and has saving power to those that will hear it, seeking understanding of the truth.
No, God wasn't willing that any should be lost but all have a way to come to Him. Jews, Gentiles, none are forsaken a way has been made for all.
Yes, time is growing shorter and shorter and soon it will be-
Rev. {22:11} He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. {22:12} And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be
Even so, come Lord Jesus, by Your mercy and grace come and find us Yours.
Amen.Romans
{11:25} For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
{11:26} And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob
{11:27} For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
{11:28} As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
{11:29} For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.
{11:30} For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief
{11:31} Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
{11:32} For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
***
We know the times of the Gentiles was fulfilled in 1980 when Jerusalem became the captial of Israel. This says-- 'that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.'
Israel was to be blinded in part from the time of Jesus until 1980, a long, long time. What was it all about? God gave His chosen many, many chances to be His people fully. They rejected Him over and over. Their ultimate rejection of God happened when Christ came and they rejected the Son of God. From then on the Word was given over to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were given a chance to come to God. God would not have any lost to Him. All that would come to Him He wants them to come.
He doesn't want the Gentiles thinking that He has forsaken Israel, His chosen. He hasn't forsaken them. Their eyes were allowed to see once more after 1980 when the Times of the Gentiles was fulfilled.
Perhaps that is where Messianic Judaism comes into true opportunity for God's chosen.
That passage reads- 'And so Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.'
When the blind are made to see the truth enters in and has saving power to those that will hear it, seeking understanding of the truth.
No, God wasn't willing that any should be lost but all have a way to come to Him. Jews, Gentiles, none are forsaken a way has been made for all.
Yes, time is growing shorter and shorter and soon it will be-
Rev. {22:11} He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. {22:12} And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be
Even so, come Lord Jesus, by Your mercy and grace come and find us Yours.
Amen.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Opposing the World
Romans
{12:1} I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
{12:2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
The will of God is good.
The will of God is acceptable.
The will of God is perfect.
Proving what the will of God is, is allowing our minds to be renewed and as our minds are renewed we are transformed. We are told not to be conformed to this world. We are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice- holy, acceptable to God. We are encouranged by the mercy of God to do this, and it's all reasonable.
Alone we can't present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. Only by the mercy of God can we do so. Only through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior.
We are told not to be conformed to the world.
What does it mean to be conformed to the world?
Dictionary Definition:
Conform -
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply. See synonyms at agree.
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes. See synonyms at adapt.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
When we conform to the world we are similar to all those in the world. We act in accord, in agreement with the world, complying to the world's ways. We act in accordance with current customs or modes.
Do we do this? Do we conform to the world?
Are you different than those who conform? Are you a stranger to them? Do you stand out as opposed to worldly ways?
We are taught from a young age to conform to the world we live in. It doesn't matter what country you're from. Each country has it's own customs, it's own ways and they are worldy ways. There isn't a single country that isn't worldly unto itself. The world's ways dominate. Godly ways are the miniority making those who follow them strangers to the world.
We want to conform though, it's just easier, it's just right to us to fit in and not stand out.
Do you conform?
We need to ask ourselves this question. How much like the world are we? How much to we keep of the world and shun of God? Where does God fit in our lives. We cry out we have to conform to live and yet deep down inside do we believe that?
We are in the world, but we aren't to be of the world.
Jesus prayed to His Father, to God-
John
{17:15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
{17:16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
We aren't to be taken out of the world.
We are to be kept from evil.
We aren't to be of the world.
Even as Christ wasn't of the world.
Be not conformed to this world.
By the Grace and Mercy of Christ we need to be His. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Him, through the Holy Spirit.
Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Only in Christ. When we try to conform on our own, when we attempt the renewing of our own minds, we fight a battle that is impossible and the weight of it overwhelms us completely bringing on despair. We need to grow ever closer to Christ. We need to grasp hold of His love, His mercy, ever laying hold of His mercy, seeking always to be closer to Him and his love.
We can't allow ourselves to forget that Jesus is our Savior, if we take our eyes off Jesus there is no hope.
When it might seem impossible to walk in the way of Christ we have to just remember He died for us! He lives for us and He will return for us, these are truths, these are facts and not fancy.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, we need to cry out to Jesus, cry out we believe, help our unbelief! We believe we would be His by His mercy and grace through the Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us Lord! Mercy.
Amen.
{12:1} I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
{12:2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
The will of God is good.
The will of God is acceptable.
The will of God is perfect.
Proving what the will of God is, is allowing our minds to be renewed and as our minds are renewed we are transformed. We are told not to be conformed to this world. We are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice- holy, acceptable to God. We are encouranged by the mercy of God to do this, and it's all reasonable.
Alone we can't present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. Only by the mercy of God can we do so. Only through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior.
We are told not to be conformed to the world.
What does it mean to be conformed to the world?
Dictionary Definition:
Conform -
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply. See synonyms at agree.
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes. See synonyms at adapt.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
When we conform to the world we are similar to all those in the world. We act in accord, in agreement with the world, complying to the world's ways. We act in accordance with current customs or modes.
Do we do this? Do we conform to the world?
Are you different than those who conform? Are you a stranger to them? Do you stand out as opposed to worldly ways?
We are taught from a young age to conform to the world we live in. It doesn't matter what country you're from. Each country has it's own customs, it's own ways and they are worldy ways. There isn't a single country that isn't worldly unto itself. The world's ways dominate. Godly ways are the miniority making those who follow them strangers to the world.
We want to conform though, it's just easier, it's just right to us to fit in and not stand out.
Do you conform?
We need to ask ourselves this question. How much like the world are we? How much to we keep of the world and shun of God? Where does God fit in our lives. We cry out we have to conform to live and yet deep down inside do we believe that?
We are in the world, but we aren't to be of the world.
Jesus prayed to His Father, to God-
John
{17:15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
{17:16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
We aren't to be taken out of the world.
We are to be kept from evil.
We aren't to be of the world.
Even as Christ wasn't of the world.
Be not conformed to this world.
By the Grace and Mercy of Christ we need to be His. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Him, through the Holy Spirit.
Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Only in Christ. When we try to conform on our own, when we attempt the renewing of our own minds, we fight a battle that is impossible and the weight of it overwhelms us completely bringing on despair. We need to grow ever closer to Christ. We need to grasp hold of His love, His mercy, ever laying hold of His mercy, seeking always to be closer to Him and his love.
We can't allow ourselves to forget that Jesus is our Savior, if we take our eyes off Jesus there is no hope.
When it might seem impossible to walk in the way of Christ we have to just remember He died for us! He lives for us and He will return for us, these are truths, these are facts and not fancy.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, we need to cry out to Jesus, cry out we believe, help our unbelief! We believe we would be His by His mercy and grace through the Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us Lord! Mercy.
Amen.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Nothing Can Separate Us From God's Love
Romans
{8:38} For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come
{8:39} Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Neither death.
Nor life.
Nor angels.
Nor principalities.
Nor powers.
Nor things present.
Nor things to come.
Nor height.
Nor depth.
Nor any other creature.
Not death.
Not life.
Not angels.
Not principalities.
Not powers.
Not things present.
Not things to come.
Not height.
Not depth.
Not any other creature.
Nothing! Not a single thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not a single thing except- our choice.
We can separate ourselves but nothing ouside of us can, nothing.
We tend to think it's very easy to get rid of God's love. That God will desert us in our greatest time of need, that He's made everything so hard that it's near impossible to be with Him. We want to believe that so we can somehow absolve ourselves of responsibility and place it all on God. He's the bad guy, we're innocent, we can't help that we are sinners we were born this way. The trouble with all that is it's not true. Our warped perceptions come because it's easier for us to blame someone else, much easier than feeling the weight of sin on ourselves.
God's love transcends death. We may die but He will raise us again immortal one day because of His love.
God's love transcends life. We may live our lives day to day struggling to get by and in all our lives- in our happiness, our disappointments, our heartaches, and our joys God's love is there. God's love doesn't disappear it lives.
God's love transcends angels. Angels can't take God's love from us, of course only evil angels would try.
God's love transcends principalities. There is no authority at all that can stop God's love.
God's love transcends powers. Not a single power can usurp God's love.
God's love transcends things present. God's love goes beyond the now.
God's love transcends things to come. Nothing can take God'd love from us, nothing at all.
God's love transcends all heights, all depths, all creatures!
God's love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This amazing love is a spiritual love and our carnal selves cannot understand such a thing. We have to let the part in us that is spiritual connect to the Spirit of God.
We have to be persuaded that there is NOTHING that can separated from God. NOTHING, because it's true.
God's love is amazing. It goes beyond feelings which are temporal. It's factual, it's real, it is the Great I Am.
We have to believe, we have to have hope that goes beyond everything, every thought we have has to be tempered with the truth of God's everlasting love in Jesus.
May God have mercy on us, may His grace fill us now and forever!
Amen
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”- 2 Corinthians 5:21
{8:38} For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come
{8:39} Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Neither death.
Nor life.
Nor angels.
Nor principalities.
Nor powers.
Nor things present.
Nor things to come.
Nor height.
Nor depth.
Nor any other creature.
Not death.
Not life.
Not angels.
Not principalities.
Not powers.
Not things present.
Not things to come.
Not height.
Not depth.
Not any other creature.
Nothing! Not a single thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not a single thing except- our choice.
We can separate ourselves but nothing ouside of us can, nothing.
We tend to think it's very easy to get rid of God's love. That God will desert us in our greatest time of need, that He's made everything so hard that it's near impossible to be with Him. We want to believe that so we can somehow absolve ourselves of responsibility and place it all on God. He's the bad guy, we're innocent, we can't help that we are sinners we were born this way. The trouble with all that is it's not true. Our warped perceptions come because it's easier for us to blame someone else, much easier than feeling the weight of sin on ourselves.
God's love transcends death. We may die but He will raise us again immortal one day because of His love.
God's love transcends life. We may live our lives day to day struggling to get by and in all our lives- in our happiness, our disappointments, our heartaches, and our joys God's love is there. God's love doesn't disappear it lives.
God's love transcends angels. Angels can't take God's love from us, of course only evil angels would try.
God's love transcends principalities. There is no authority at all that can stop God's love.
God's love transcends powers. Not a single power can usurp God's love.
God's love transcends things present. God's love goes beyond the now.
God's love transcends things to come. Nothing can take God'd love from us, nothing at all.
God's love transcends all heights, all depths, all creatures!
God's love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This amazing love is a spiritual love and our carnal selves cannot understand such a thing. We have to let the part in us that is spiritual connect to the Spirit of God.
We have to be persuaded that there is NOTHING that can separated from God. NOTHING, because it's true.
God's love is amazing. It goes beyond feelings which are temporal. It's factual, it's real, it is the Great I Am.
We have to believe, we have to have hope that goes beyond everything, every thought we have has to be tempered with the truth of God's everlasting love in Jesus.
May God have mercy on us, may His grace fill us now and forever!
Amen
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”- 2 Corinthians 5:21
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sin Shifting
Sin Shifter - Are You a Sin Shifter?
Pushing sins around- sweeping some under the rug, others into a corner, others still into a dustpan where they're dumped into a trash can.
Dirt pushed under a rug can work its way to the outer edges of the rug until it's visible once more. The rug could be turned over sending dirt flying everywhere. A little bit of a wind can take the dirt out of a corner spreading it every which way. Sin shifting is like trying to hide dirt rather than getting rid of it entirely, it's something people do to ease their conscience. Hide a bit of sin for awhile maybe turning the focus onto another sin for awhile. Of course shifting things around whether it's dirt or sin does nothing at all to get rid of them does it? You can shift dirt all around a floor and it's not going to make the dirt disppear. You could even spread the dirt so eveningly about it seems like hardly nothing spread out, rather than a big pile when all pushed together. Shift it anyway you like. Divide it into halves, quarters, eights, sixteenths go on, divide it into hundredths and you're still going to have just as much dirt as before. Sin is like that too. We can shuffle our sin about, shift it this way and that. We can let it dominate or be submissive but it's still there, still in our lives.
Sin no more.
What words! What amazing words!
Who said them? Jesus said them.
John {5:14} '...sin no more...'
John {8:11} '...go, and sin no more.'
Does it often feel like our very existence is sin itself? That we wake up in the morning and as we climb from our beds we are already sinning?
Sin we know is the transgression of the law. 1 John {3:4} Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The law is-
Deut. {5:6} I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
{5:7} Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
{5:8} Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
{5:9} Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me
{5:10} And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
{5:11} Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. {5:12} Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
{5:13} Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work
{5:14} But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
{5:15} And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
{5:16} Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
{5:17} Thou shalt not kill.
{5:18} Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
{5:19} Neither shalt thou steal.
{5:20} Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
{5:21} Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
{5:22} These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
The law is-
Mark {12:28} And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
{12:29} And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
{12:30} And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
{12:31} And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
{12:32} And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: {12:33} And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength. Maybe we love Him just a little bit, not entirely. Maybe we've giving most of our heart, our soul, our understanding, our strength to loving ourselves, putting ourselves first.
1 John {5:1} Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
{5:2} By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
{5:3} For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
{5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
{5:5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John {4:7} Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
{4:8} He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
{4:9} In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
{4:10} Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
{4:11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
{4:12} No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
{4:13} Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
{4:14} And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
{4:15} Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
{4:16} And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
{4:17} Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. {4:18} There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
{4:19} We love him, because he first loved us.
{4:20} If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
{4:21} And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
I say again- perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength.
Shifting sin around will not get rid of sin.
Being told to go and 'sin no more' seems in impossible feat.
Are we alone in this belief? That it's impossible not to sin?
No.
Romans {7:7} What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
{7:8} But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
{7:9} For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
{7:10} And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
{7:11} For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
{7:12} Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
{7:13} Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
{7:14} For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
{7:15} For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
{7:16} If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
{7:17} Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:18} For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
{7:19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
{7:20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
{7:22} For I delight in the law of God after the inward man
{7:23} But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
{7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
{7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
{8:1} There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:2} For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
{8:3} For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh
{8:4} That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
{8:7} Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
{8:8} So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
{8:9} But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
{8:10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
{8:11} But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
{8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
{8:14} For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
{8:15} For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
{8:16} The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God
{8:17} And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
*mortify (môr´te-fì´) verb
mortified, mortifying, mortifies verb, transitive
1. To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride; humiliate.
2. To discipline (one's body and physical appetites) by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
If we rise up out of bed determined to live carnally we are taking on sin and all its evil.
If we rise up out of bed and determined to live after the Spirit we are trusting in Christ to forgive our sins.
We aren't just shifting our sins about putting on a light sin one day and a heavier, warmer sin the next day. We aren't shifting sin under the bed or the dresser, we are bringing our sins boldly into the light and that light is Jesus! The Light of the World, the forgiver of sin!
No, it's not at all simple or easy to choose to live Spiritually rather than carnally, but we must. Until we determine to walk a Spiritual walk we will forever be doomed to walk carnally. Our flesh is weak and if we look to our flesh for sinlessness we'll never find it there. We must look to the Spirit of Christ and walk after the Spirit, looking to Jesus.
Mortifying the deeds of the body-
Dictionary definition states that mortifying means to discipline one's body and physical appetites by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
How many of us understand this mortifying business?
We are used to gratifying our desires, our wants, our lust, our appetites. We are not used mortifying anything, it's an alien concept to us. We live in a world that tells us gratifying our desires is our life-long goal. Having enough money, enough time, enough energy to gratify our desires is paramount or what the heck is life worth living for? If we can't satisfy our desires, our seemingly harmless desires then what's the point to it all? Really, what is the point of being alive if we can't get pleasure from living. If we can't push aside everything and do what we want to do, is there a point? We work hard so we deserve to give ourselves a break, right? We work hard to afford all that we want out of life. We work hard to get the nice car, that nice dress, those nice shoes, that nice expensive fish, new furniture, the big tv, the amazing laptop, the newest video game, the list is endless. We live without sacrifice, we live without knowing mortifying- and this isn't a temporary mortification demanded by circumstances. This mortification is that which you do when you don't have to do it, but rather choose to do it because you know, you realize that gratifying all your senses and desires is selfish and draws your mind back to yourself and only to yourself and away from God. We live carnally, and in living carnally how do we ever supposed to live spiritually? When circumstances demand that we no longer have the means to live carnally and we are forced to live spiritually it'll be too late then because we will be too busy mourning the carnal things we've had taken from us to care about anything spiritual. We'll look upon our losses as deprivations forced upon us against our wills and woe to us. Like Lot's wife we will turn back and long for that which has been taken from us, we'll have no choice but to do so because we have no real spiritual connection and things spiritual will seem wrong some how and be the enemy of us because they've taken our carnal desires away. When we're stripped of things carnal we will mourn, not celebrate. Mortifying- self-denial, self-inflicted privation. It's a choice to deny yourself.
Romans {8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
If we live after our flesh we will die.
But if we THROUGH the SPIRIT deny ourselves, inflict privations upon ourselves, those deeds of the body the carnal desires we shall live!
Romans {8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
We have to ask ourselves which we are... are we carnally minded? Or are we spiritually minded?
People claim Jesus came and died for us, forgiving us and giving us eternal life and asked nothing of us. He asked a lot of us, He asked the hardest thing of all from us, the one thing that most will find impossible to do. Give up self.
He didn't ask us to do it on our own but through the Holy Spirit. By drawing ever closer to God it will be possible. But to think that you don't have to suffer a thing, that you don't have to deny yourself is a falsehood that will trap many. People have labeled self-sacrifice as works, saying we're working to get ourselves to heaven, we're trying to work out our own salvation. It's a perfect scheme of Satan and it works on many, many people. As long as people believe they don't have to mortify the deeds of the body, they're safe from a true Spiritual life. As long as we believe we are saved no matter what we do, Satan has us. He'll let us believe our strong delusions. He'll dance a little jig of happiness as we go about our lives satisfying our desires, our wants without once thinking that maybe, just maybe we really do need to deny ourselves something.
Yes, you could give up everything and live a life full of self-denial and it won't get you salvation.
You have to give up things and live a life full of self-denial in the SPIRIT, not seeking salvation by the acts, but seeking a closer connection to Christ. Choosing God first, not self.
You can deny yourself and still do it selfishly and that is what is meant by trying to work your way to salvation.
Ultimately it's the reason behind your actions that matters.
Jesus needs to matter most.
Not I, but Christ.
There is song called just that-
Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.
Not I, but Christ, to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ, to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear.
Christ, only Christ! no idle words e’er falling,
Christ, only Christ; no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ; no self important bearing;
Christ, only Christ; no trace of “I” be found.
Not I, but Christ, my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ, my strength and health to be;
Not I, but Christ, for body, soul, and spirit,
Christ, only Christ, here and eternally.
By the Grace and Mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we come to Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins. May we stop shifting about our sins and lay them at the foot of the cross. May the light shine in the darkness of our lives revealing the sins we try to hide or ignore. May the grace of God shine on us, the mercy of Christ fill us, the blood of the Lamb cleanse us from all unrighteousness, now and forever.
Amen.
Pushing sins around- sweeping some under the rug, others into a corner, others still into a dustpan where they're dumped into a trash can.
Dirt pushed under a rug can work its way to the outer edges of the rug until it's visible once more. The rug could be turned over sending dirt flying everywhere. A little bit of a wind can take the dirt out of a corner spreading it every which way. Sin shifting is like trying to hide dirt rather than getting rid of it entirely, it's something people do to ease their conscience. Hide a bit of sin for awhile maybe turning the focus onto another sin for awhile. Of course shifting things around whether it's dirt or sin does nothing at all to get rid of them does it? You can shift dirt all around a floor and it's not going to make the dirt disppear. You could even spread the dirt so eveningly about it seems like hardly nothing spread out, rather than a big pile when all pushed together. Shift it anyway you like. Divide it into halves, quarters, eights, sixteenths go on, divide it into hundredths and you're still going to have just as much dirt as before. Sin is like that too. We can shuffle our sin about, shift it this way and that. We can let it dominate or be submissive but it's still there, still in our lives.
Sin no more.
What words! What amazing words!
Who said them? Jesus said them.
John {5:14} '...sin no more...'
John {8:11} '...go, and sin no more.'
Does it often feel like our very existence is sin itself? That we wake up in the morning and as we climb from our beds we are already sinning?
Sin we know is the transgression of the law. 1 John {3:4} Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The law is-
Deut. {5:6} I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
{5:7} Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
{5:8} Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
{5:9} Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me
{5:10} And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
{5:11} Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. {5:12} Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
{5:13} Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work
{5:14} But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
{5:15} And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
{5:16} Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
{5:17} Thou shalt not kill.
{5:18} Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
{5:19} Neither shalt thou steal.
{5:20} Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
{5:21} Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
{5:22} These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
The law is-
Mark {12:28} And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
{12:29} And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
{12:30} And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
{12:31} And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
{12:32} And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: {12:33} And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength. Maybe we love Him just a little bit, not entirely. Maybe we've giving most of our heart, our soul, our understanding, our strength to loving ourselves, putting ourselves first.
1 John {5:1} Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
{5:2} By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
{5:3} For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
{5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
{5:5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John {4:7} Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
{4:8} He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
{4:9} In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
{4:10} Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
{4:11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
{4:12} No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
{4:13} Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
{4:14} And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
{4:15} Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
{4:16} And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
{4:17} Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. {4:18} There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
{4:19} We love him, because he first loved us.
{4:20} If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
{4:21} And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
I say again- perhaps we feel the weight of sin weighing upon us so heavily because God isn't first in our lives. We aren't loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength.
Shifting sin around will not get rid of sin.
Being told to go and 'sin no more' seems in impossible feat.
Are we alone in this belief? That it's impossible not to sin?
No.
Romans {7:7} What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
{7:8} But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
{7:9} For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
{7:10} And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
{7:11} For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
{7:12} Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
{7:13} Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
{7:14} For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
{7:15} For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
{7:16} If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
{7:17} Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:18} For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
{7:19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
{7:20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
{7:21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
{7:22} For I delight in the law of God after the inward man
{7:23} But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
{7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
{7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
{8:1} There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:2} For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
{8:3} For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh
{8:4} That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
{8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
{8:7} Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
{8:8} So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
{8:9} But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
{8:10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
{8:11} But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
{8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
{8:14} For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
{8:15} For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
{8:16} The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God
{8:17} And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
*mortify (môr´te-fì´) verb
mortified, mortifying, mortifies verb, transitive
1. To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride; humiliate.
2. To discipline (one's body and physical appetites) by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
If we rise up out of bed determined to live carnally we are taking on sin and all its evil.
If we rise up out of bed and determined to live after the Spirit we are trusting in Christ to forgive our sins.
We aren't just shifting our sins about putting on a light sin one day and a heavier, warmer sin the next day. We aren't shifting sin under the bed or the dresser, we are bringing our sins boldly into the light and that light is Jesus! The Light of the World, the forgiver of sin!
No, it's not at all simple or easy to choose to live Spiritually rather than carnally, but we must. Until we determine to walk a Spiritual walk we will forever be doomed to walk carnally. Our flesh is weak and if we look to our flesh for sinlessness we'll never find it there. We must look to the Spirit of Christ and walk after the Spirit, looking to Jesus.
Mortifying the deeds of the body-
Dictionary definition states that mortifying means to discipline one's body and physical appetites by self-denial or self-inflicted privation.
How many of us understand this mortifying business?
We are used to gratifying our desires, our wants, our lust, our appetites. We are not used mortifying anything, it's an alien concept to us. We live in a world that tells us gratifying our desires is our life-long goal. Having enough money, enough time, enough energy to gratify our desires is paramount or what the heck is life worth living for? If we can't satisfy our desires, our seemingly harmless desires then what's the point to it all? Really, what is the point of being alive if we can't get pleasure from living. If we can't push aside everything and do what we want to do, is there a point? We work hard so we deserve to give ourselves a break, right? We work hard to afford all that we want out of life. We work hard to get the nice car, that nice dress, those nice shoes, that nice expensive fish, new furniture, the big tv, the amazing laptop, the newest video game, the list is endless. We live without sacrifice, we live without knowing mortifying- and this isn't a temporary mortification demanded by circumstances. This mortification is that which you do when you don't have to do it, but rather choose to do it because you know, you realize that gratifying all your senses and desires is selfish and draws your mind back to yourself and only to yourself and away from God. We live carnally, and in living carnally how do we ever supposed to live spiritually? When circumstances demand that we no longer have the means to live carnally and we are forced to live spiritually it'll be too late then because we will be too busy mourning the carnal things we've had taken from us to care about anything spiritual. We'll look upon our losses as deprivations forced upon us against our wills and woe to us. Like Lot's wife we will turn back and long for that which has been taken from us, we'll have no choice but to do so because we have no real spiritual connection and things spiritual will seem wrong some how and be the enemy of us because they've taken our carnal desires away. When we're stripped of things carnal we will mourn, not celebrate. Mortifying- self-denial, self-inflicted privation. It's a choice to deny yourself.
Romans {8:12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
{8:13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify* the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
If we live after our flesh we will die.
But if we THROUGH the SPIRIT deny ourselves, inflict privations upon ourselves, those deeds of the body the carnal desires we shall live!
Romans {8:5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {8:6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
We have to ask ourselves which we are... are we carnally minded? Or are we spiritually minded?
People claim Jesus came and died for us, forgiving us and giving us eternal life and asked nothing of us. He asked a lot of us, He asked the hardest thing of all from us, the one thing that most will find impossible to do. Give up self.
He didn't ask us to do it on our own but through the Holy Spirit. By drawing ever closer to God it will be possible. But to think that you don't have to suffer a thing, that you don't have to deny yourself is a falsehood that will trap many. People have labeled self-sacrifice as works, saying we're working to get ourselves to heaven, we're trying to work out our own salvation. It's a perfect scheme of Satan and it works on many, many people. As long as people believe they don't have to mortify the deeds of the body, they're safe from a true Spiritual life. As long as we believe we are saved no matter what we do, Satan has us. He'll let us believe our strong delusions. He'll dance a little jig of happiness as we go about our lives satisfying our desires, our wants without once thinking that maybe, just maybe we really do need to deny ourselves something.
Yes, you could give up everything and live a life full of self-denial and it won't get you salvation.
You have to give up things and live a life full of self-denial in the SPIRIT, not seeking salvation by the acts, but seeking a closer connection to Christ. Choosing God first, not self.
You can deny yourself and still do it selfishly and that is what is meant by trying to work your way to salvation.
Ultimately it's the reason behind your actions that matters.
Jesus needs to matter most.
Not I, but Christ.
There is song called just that-
Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.
Not I, but Christ, to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ, to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear.
Christ, only Christ! no idle words e’er falling,
Christ, only Christ; no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ; no self important bearing;
Christ, only Christ; no trace of “I” be found.
Not I, but Christ, my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ, my strength and health to be;
Not I, but Christ, for body, soul, and spirit,
Christ, only Christ, here and eternally.
By the Grace and Mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we come to Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins. May we stop shifting about our sins and lay them at the foot of the cross. May the light shine in the darkness of our lives revealing the sins we try to hide or ignore. May the grace of God shine on us, the mercy of Christ fill us, the blood of the Lamb cleanse us from all unrighteousness, now and forever.
Amen.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The world hateth you.
John
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
We don't want to be hated.
If the world hates us then we're doing something wrong aren't we?
When the world is against you then you sure aren't conforming to the world and maybe thta's the whole point. We can't conform to the world. We can't expect to be able to conform to the world and walk as Jesus walked.
We want to walk with Jesus and we want to walk with the world. Having it both ways is always good right? To our modern way of thinking it is. Or who knows, maybe it's always been the way man has tended to think. If they can lead a good life with just enough mischief to balance it out it's called complete.
We see religious groups that adhere to strict ways of dressing, eating, convorting with the world and we shake our heads calling it extremism. We rouse up and cry out, Jesus died to do away with all that strict stuff. We want to believe that Jesus died so we would no longer have to act certain ways and such not because it draws us closer to Him but because it makes our lives less strict and well, conforming to the world is a whole lot easier when we tear down walls of separation.
I'm not saying those groups have it all right, but I am saying the world sure does tend towards hating them while the world looks at us and sees what? Good people with a few little quirks but for the most part a nice sort of people that aren't too different, aren't too strange. There's still enough world in us so that we can get along with just about any one without them hating us.
Everything inside us cries out not to be hated by the world. No? You could careless if the world hates you? What about if your friends hate you? What about if your loved one hate you? Do you use your loved ones as an excuse to keep one foot in the door of the world? We don't want to be hated. Can you stop right now and imagine all your loved ones hating you? Not all your loved ones being disappointed with you, but all your loved ones truly HATING you. If you're lucky then you are surrounded by those who love Jesus as much as you do, but that's not how it is for everyone.
Chosen out of the world.
It'd be nice if all the world stopped at a certain time and messages came from above so that all could see and know, messages saying, 'I have chosen you, Dorene; I have chosen you, Debbie; I have chosen you Diane; I have chosen you, Shirley; I have chosen you, Matthew; I have chosen you, Beth.' Wouldn't it be nice to hear that and have everyone around us hear it too so that we could just stop feeling compelled to conform to the world. We would then be expected to be different, right? We've had a personal communication from God that we are His and we are no longer to be 'of' the world. Also, it's okay for the world to hate us because we would be different from them, we were chosen.
Unfortunately things don't work that way. Unfortunately for us, not for God. He wants us of our own free will to choose Him over worldly conformity. He wants our love for Him to be greater than the love of the world. He wants us to step outside the norm and be different if only because growing closer to Him will naturally do that, naturally change us.
John
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Jesus they will persecute us.
That sounds so cultish doesn't it?
Some wild-eyed preacher calling out to his congregation- If they persecute Jesus they will persecute you!
We can picture it as being okay back in Jesus' day and we comfort ourselves by saying, people just don't persecute like they used to. This is a modern, advanced society and well you can believe whatever you want to and you won't be persecuted. We'll tolerate your kind especially if you aren't so different from the way we are.
There is so much to think about, so much to contemplate and ultimately, choices to be made. We make choices daily. We make descisions and while the decision to turn on the tv or to read a book might not seem like big decisions in the end they just might be.
May the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior have mercy upon us. We are so weak and so full of sin. We know it's not meant to be easy here and now, we know we'd much rather be taken out of the situation we are in and put in another that would aid our walks with Christ and yet we have the lives we have and there seems to be nothing we can do to change them- nothing that seems rational and keeps us with our loved ones, nothing that seems rational and keeps us living the way we are used to living. Lord, we need your help desperately we are weak, we are sinners, we are the lowest of the low.
Lord, please help us!
By your mercy Lord!
Amen.
“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”- Psalm 62:7
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
We don't want to be hated.
If the world hates us then we're doing something wrong aren't we?
When the world is against you then you sure aren't conforming to the world and maybe thta's the whole point. We can't conform to the world. We can't expect to be able to conform to the world and walk as Jesus walked.
We want to walk with Jesus and we want to walk with the world. Having it both ways is always good right? To our modern way of thinking it is. Or who knows, maybe it's always been the way man has tended to think. If they can lead a good life with just enough mischief to balance it out it's called complete.
We see religious groups that adhere to strict ways of dressing, eating, convorting with the world and we shake our heads calling it extremism. We rouse up and cry out, Jesus died to do away with all that strict stuff. We want to believe that Jesus died so we would no longer have to act certain ways and such not because it draws us closer to Him but because it makes our lives less strict and well, conforming to the world is a whole lot easier when we tear down walls of separation.
I'm not saying those groups have it all right, but I am saying the world sure does tend towards hating them while the world looks at us and sees what? Good people with a few little quirks but for the most part a nice sort of people that aren't too different, aren't too strange. There's still enough world in us so that we can get along with just about any one without them hating us.
Everything inside us cries out not to be hated by the world. No? You could careless if the world hates you? What about if your friends hate you? What about if your loved one hate you? Do you use your loved ones as an excuse to keep one foot in the door of the world? We don't want to be hated. Can you stop right now and imagine all your loved ones hating you? Not all your loved ones being disappointed with you, but all your loved ones truly HATING you. If you're lucky then you are surrounded by those who love Jesus as much as you do, but that's not how it is for everyone.
Chosen out of the world.
It'd be nice if all the world stopped at a certain time and messages came from above so that all could see and know, messages saying, 'I have chosen you, Dorene; I have chosen you, Debbie; I have chosen you Diane; I have chosen you, Shirley; I have chosen you, Matthew; I have chosen you, Beth.' Wouldn't it be nice to hear that and have everyone around us hear it too so that we could just stop feeling compelled to conform to the world. We would then be expected to be different, right? We've had a personal communication from God that we are His and we are no longer to be 'of' the world. Also, it's okay for the world to hate us because we would be different from them, we were chosen.
Unfortunately things don't work that way. Unfortunately for us, not for God. He wants us of our own free will to choose Him over worldly conformity. He wants our love for Him to be greater than the love of the world. He wants us to step outside the norm and be different if only because growing closer to Him will naturally do that, naturally change us.
John
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Jesus they will persecute us.
That sounds so cultish doesn't it?
Some wild-eyed preacher calling out to his congregation- If they persecute Jesus they will persecute you!
We can picture it as being okay back in Jesus' day and we comfort ourselves by saying, people just don't persecute like they used to. This is a modern, advanced society and well you can believe whatever you want to and you won't be persecuted. We'll tolerate your kind especially if you aren't so different from the way we are.
There is so much to think about, so much to contemplate and ultimately, choices to be made. We make choices daily. We make descisions and while the decision to turn on the tv or to read a book might not seem like big decisions in the end they just might be.
May the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior have mercy upon us. We are so weak and so full of sin. We know it's not meant to be easy here and now, we know we'd much rather be taken out of the situation we are in and put in another that would aid our walks with Christ and yet we have the lives we have and there seems to be nothing we can do to change them- nothing that seems rational and keeps us with our loved ones, nothing that seems rational and keeps us living the way we are used to living. Lord, we need your help desperately we are weak, we are sinners, we are the lowest of the low.
Lord, please help us!
By your mercy Lord!
Amen.
“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”- Psalm 62:7
Thursday, March 26, 2009
These things I command you, that ye love one another
John
{15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you.
We are chosen.
We are ordained.
Chosen and ordained for what? To go and bring forth fruit.
We've been talking about fruit for a bit now and it's true, we need to be productive. Our lives have to grow in Christ. We have to bring forth good fruit through Jesus. We've learned and are learning that our connection to Christ is crucial. Yes, crucial. We cannot live outside of Christ. We are to bring forth fruit and we are told how to do so. The Husbandman will tend to us, and we must stay attached to the Vine. The conditions outside of those two things are beyond our control. If we make sure we are connected with Christ in all we do we will produce the fruit that only a branch connected to the Vine can do.
Jesus commands us...
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Love one another.
If you don't know what sort of fruit you might be producing through Christ this is a wonderful indication. How much do you love others. And by love I mean--
1 Corinthians
{13:4} Charity suffereth long
and is kind
charity envieth not
charity vaunteth not itself
is not puffed up
{13:5} Doth not behave itself unseemly
seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
{13:6} Rejoiceth not in iniquity,
but rejoiceth in the truth
{13:7} Beareth all things,
believeth all things
hopeth all things
endureth all things.
{13:8} Charity never faileth
{5:22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, {5:23}
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Do you see how they both go together these lists, one of love and one of the fruit of the Spirit.
You really can't have one without the other.
If you do manage to be a good person and to produce these attributes they'd be nothing but counterfiets, because without Jesus they are hollow.
The source of our love is Jesus and it's only through Jesus that real fruit, real love can grow.
Again, if you wonder if your life is producing the fruit and if you have the love Jesus commands, reread those attributes of Spiritual fruit and of love. If you fall far short of being this sort of person then growing closer to Christ is the only answer.
We all need to grow closer to Christ, all of us and as we do... Jesus has this to say--
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
More on that tomorrow :)
May the Lord bless and keep us in His love, by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Amen.
{15:16} Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you.
We are chosen.
We are ordained.
Chosen and ordained for what? To go and bring forth fruit.
We've been talking about fruit for a bit now and it's true, we need to be productive. Our lives have to grow in Christ. We have to bring forth good fruit through Jesus. We've learned and are learning that our connection to Christ is crucial. Yes, crucial. We cannot live outside of Christ. We are to bring forth fruit and we are told how to do so. The Husbandman will tend to us, and we must stay attached to the Vine. The conditions outside of those two things are beyond our control. If we make sure we are connected with Christ in all we do we will produce the fruit that only a branch connected to the Vine can do.
Jesus commands us...
{15:17} These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Love one another.
If you don't know what sort of fruit you might be producing through Christ this is a wonderful indication. How much do you love others. And by love I mean--
1 Corinthians
{13:4} Charity suffereth long
and is kind
charity envieth not
charity vaunteth not itself
is not puffed up
{13:5} Doth not behave itself unseemly
seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
{13:6} Rejoiceth not in iniquity,
but rejoiceth in the truth
{13:7} Beareth all things,
believeth all things
hopeth all things
endureth all things.
{13:8} Charity never faileth
{5:22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, {5:23}
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Do you see how they both go together these lists, one of love and one of the fruit of the Spirit.
You really can't have one without the other.
If you do manage to be a good person and to produce these attributes they'd be nothing but counterfiets, because without Jesus they are hollow.
The source of our love is Jesus and it's only through Jesus that real fruit, real love can grow.
Again, if you wonder if your life is producing the fruit and if you have the love Jesus commands, reread those attributes of Spiritual fruit and of love. If you fall far short of being this sort of person then growing closer to Christ is the only answer.
We all need to grow closer to Christ, all of us and as we do... Jesus has this to say--
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
{15:19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
{15:20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
More on that tomorrow :)
May the Lord bless and keep us in His love, by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Amen.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Cast them into the fire
John
{15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
{15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
*******
We know that God is the Husbandman, that Jesus is the vine, and that we are the branches.
We know that we need to bear fruit as a result of this connection.
We know that we will be purged so that we bring forth more fruit.
These things are important to remember lest we believe we can produce fruit on our own. Of ourselves we are nothing. NOTHING.
John
{15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
We are clean through the word Jesus speaks to us. We have to listen to the words of Jesus. It is through listening that we learn from the Vine, and all things coming from the Vine only do so through the will of the husbandman.
{15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Jesus says- abide in me and I in you.
We have to abide- to live in Jesus. Our lives are not our own. We can give our lives to Jesus and live in Him and He will live in us. It's a choice we make. Just as it's a choice you make where you abide physically, it's a choice you make as to where you will abide spiritually.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.
You can cut off a branch from a vine and watch it and what will happen? It will wither and die. It will no longer bear any fruit at all. When we choose to separate ourselves from Jesus and go off on our own or attach ourselves to other evil vines, we will not bear the fruit of the Spirit. Any fruit we bear will be poison even if it's exterior has it looking like the perfect piece of fruit.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
He tell us how we produce fruit. We don't strive to produce fruit, we strive to be in Him and the fruit will come from that abiding.
{15:5} I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Jesus says- I am the vine, ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing.
He says it so perfectly. There can be no mistaking what He's saying. Without Jesus we can do nothing. People will scoff at that and go about doing all sorts of things, mocking God and saying 'See! I can to do all sorts of things without you! I don't need you!' And yet what they don't realize is that all those things they are doing are not good things. Again they shout, 'See all the good things I can do without you!' And yet they don't understand that the very fact they lay claim to what they do negates any goodness it holds. The very breath they breath is from God. The very body they have is from God. They would not exist without Him and to live as if that doesn't matter, as if they manage somehow to breathe breath into their own bodies and keep their own hearts beating. We can lay no claim, no glory to anything we do without first acknowledging it is by the Grace and Mercy of God that we are able to do anything. When we abide in Jesus and realize this truth then yes, much fruit can come from us through Him, only through Him.
{15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned
Yes, any branch not abiding in the Vine, not attached to the Vine and living as a result of that bond will die and will be burned away to nothing. It's true and so few realize how true it is.
We need this connection!
We need this abiding!
We need this relationship with our Lord and Savior, a relationship that is as viable as that of a plant with a vine and branches. A living growing, producing relationship.
May God our heavenly Father, be realized as the source of all life.
May Jesus our Lord and Savior, be realized as the Vine that is given life by the Husbandman and in turn gives us life.
May we in Christ produce the fruit of the Spirit, good fruit, much fruit.
By His Grace, by His Mercy.
In Christ,
Amen.
{15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
{15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
*******
We know that God is the Husbandman, that Jesus is the vine, and that we are the branches.
We know that we need to bear fruit as a result of this connection.
We know that we will be purged so that we bring forth more fruit.
These things are important to remember lest we believe we can produce fruit on our own. Of ourselves we are nothing. NOTHING.
John
{15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
We are clean through the word Jesus speaks to us. We have to listen to the words of Jesus. It is through listening that we learn from the Vine, and all things coming from the Vine only do so through the will of the husbandman.
{15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Jesus says- abide in me and I in you.
We have to abide- to live in Jesus. Our lives are not our own. We can give our lives to Jesus and live in Him and He will live in us. It's a choice we make. Just as it's a choice you make where you abide physically, it's a choice you make as to where you will abide spiritually.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.
You can cut off a branch from a vine and watch it and what will happen? It will wither and die. It will no longer bear any fruit at all. When we choose to separate ourselves from Jesus and go off on our own or attach ourselves to other evil vines, we will not bear the fruit of the Spirit. Any fruit we bear will be poison even if it's exterior has it looking like the perfect piece of fruit.
Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
He tell us how we produce fruit. We don't strive to produce fruit, we strive to be in Him and the fruit will come from that abiding.
{15:5} I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Jesus says- I am the vine, ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing.
He says it so perfectly. There can be no mistaking what He's saying. Without Jesus we can do nothing. People will scoff at that and go about doing all sorts of things, mocking God and saying 'See! I can to do all sorts of things without you! I don't need you!' And yet what they don't realize is that all those things they are doing are not good things. Again they shout, 'See all the good things I can do without you!' And yet they don't understand that the very fact they lay claim to what they do negates any goodness it holds. The very breath they breath is from God. The very body they have is from God. They would not exist without Him and to live as if that doesn't matter, as if they manage somehow to breathe breath into their own bodies and keep their own hearts beating. We can lay no claim, no glory to anything we do without first acknowledging it is by the Grace and Mercy of God that we are able to do anything. When we abide in Jesus and realize this truth then yes, much fruit can come from us through Him, only through Him.
{15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned
Yes, any branch not abiding in the Vine, not attached to the Vine and living as a result of that bond will die and will be burned away to nothing. It's true and so few realize how true it is.
We need this connection!
We need this abiding!
We need this relationship with our Lord and Savior, a relationship that is as viable as that of a plant with a vine and branches. A living growing, producing relationship.
May God our heavenly Father, be realized as the source of all life.
May Jesus our Lord and Savior, be realized as the Vine that is given life by the Husbandman and in turn gives us life.
May we in Christ produce the fruit of the Spirit, good fruit, much fruit.
By His Grace, by His Mercy.
In Christ,
Amen.
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