Luke
Jesus said-
{12:31} But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luke
Jesus said-
{11:20} But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Luke
Jesus said-
{11:2} And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Luke
Jesus said-
{10:9} And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. {10:10} But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, {10:11} Even the very dust of your city, which
cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
{12:32} Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
SEEK the the kingdom of God.
Jesus is the kingdom of God.
We need to seek Jesus and if we seek Jesus, if we truly seek Jesus all things will be added unto us, things that matter to enternity not this life.
Seeking Jesus.
If we've lost something we search for it.
If we are seeking knowledge we study for it.
If we seek to find something precious to us don't we sometimes even tear the house apart to find it?
Don't some people go to rack and ruin trying to search for things- buried treasures? Archeology is a whole field of searching for things buried in the past. Researchers seek answers to whatever their research may be. We have scientist searching for cures to diseases. The list of those who seek is really endless.
We seek our pleasure, our contentment. When we are young we often are thrill seekers looking for the next bit of pleasure life can give us. The youthful are prone to experimenting with all sorts of things to find their treasures of pleasure. As they mature most find that having contentment is more important than thrills.
We seek to find contentment, we seek to find self-peace. A lot of what we do is geared for just getting by without anything rocking our boats.
We need to SEEK the kingdom of God.
We need to Seek Jesus.
Jesus is not a person we can find and say, 'Here He is! Found Him, time to stop looking.'
Like a knowledge seeker, people who seek Jesus will never get to a point they know all there is to know and there is no more to learn. When someone seeking knowledge on a particular subject searches and searches and perhaps exhausts all written media, all visual media, all auditory media they can find on that subject they'll often be able to branch off from that subject to another and then it starts all over again constant searching.
This is a way of life and this is something that fulfills the need people have or can have as they find a satisfaction in the searching and finding. We need to seek the kingdom of God, we need to seek Jesus. We can't find Jesus in the same way would could find another person, we need to seek Jesus and God, we need to seek the kingdom and it's a seeking we need to begin knowing that it will go on right into eternity.
By the grace of God, by the mercy of Jesus Christ we can seek the kingdom, seek the knowledge of life everlasting through Jesus, by the will of our God we seek to know Love and the author, the Creator of life, of love.
Amen.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
By the grace of God may we choose holiness
1 Thess. {4:7} For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness{4:8} He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
Is it true? Can it be true? Do we despise God? I think it is true. I think we sometimes rail against God in many ways. We rebel against Him, we reject Him and why? Really, why do we despise God? Do we blame Him for getting us into this fix that we call life? It's easy to do, blame God for everything and you know He is the Creator so who better to despise, right? If you were never created you would never be in the situation you are in now and therefore never have to despise God. So, yes you could despise God for all and even in despising man you are despising what God has created.
God has given to us his holy Spirit. God has given us all we need to be holy, sanctified made holy for Him. We are called to be holy. We have to make every conscious effort to do that which Jesus would have us to do, to do any less would mean we aren't living up to our potential. And before you get all up in arms about that statement, only God knows what that potential is and I don't presume to know what it is at all. I only know that God knows and if crying out to Him for help is the limit of your potential while you consistently backslide into sin then He knows that too. We can't hold ones potential up for another, we each have our own and God alone can help us, and keep us in Him, sanctifying us to His holiness. All holiness and all sanctification comes through the grace and mercy of our Savior Jesus Christ.
God has called us to holiness. We despise God and yet God has given us His Holy Spirit, God has given us every gift, every help we need to be His should we choose to be His.
By the grace of God may we choose holiness, not despising God, accepting His Holy Spirit now and forever.
All Glory to God!
Amen.
Is it true? Can it be true? Do we despise God? I think it is true. I think we sometimes rail against God in many ways. We rebel against Him, we reject Him and why? Really, why do we despise God? Do we blame Him for getting us into this fix that we call life? It's easy to do, blame God for everything and you know He is the Creator so who better to despise, right? If you were never created you would never be in the situation you are in now and therefore never have to despise God. So, yes you could despise God for all and even in despising man you are despising what God has created.
God has given to us his holy Spirit. God has given us all we need to be holy, sanctified made holy for Him. We are called to be holy. We have to make every conscious effort to do that which Jesus would have us to do, to do any less would mean we aren't living up to our potential. And before you get all up in arms about that statement, only God knows what that potential is and I don't presume to know what it is at all. I only know that God knows and if crying out to Him for help is the limit of your potential while you consistently backslide into sin then He knows that too. We can't hold ones potential up for another, we each have our own and God alone can help us, and keep us in Him, sanctifying us to His holiness. All holiness and all sanctification comes through the grace and mercy of our Savior Jesus Christ.
God has called us to holiness. We despise God and yet God has given us His Holy Spirit, God has given us every gift, every help we need to be His should we choose to be His.
By the grace of God may we choose holiness, not despising God, accepting His Holy Spirit now and forever.
All Glory to God!
Amen.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands
Isa. {49:1} Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. {49:2} And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; {49:3} And said unto me, Thou [art] my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. {49:4} Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: [yet] surely my judgment [is] with the LORD, and my work with my God. {49:5} And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb [to be] his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
'Listen...'
'The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.'
Do we have any doubt really that from the moment of conception there is a living being inside a woman? Really? Any doubt at all? We shouldn't.
'And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant...'
'The Lord that formed me from the womb.'
Who form him from the womb? The Lord.
Ps. {22:9} But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. {22:10} I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
'THOU ART MY GOD FROM MY MOTHER'S BELLY'
Ps. {71:4} Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. {71:5} For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my youth. {71:6} By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee. {71:7} I am as a wonder unto many; but thou [art] my strong refuge. {71:8} Let my mouth be filled [with] thy praise [and with] thy honour all the day. {71:9} Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. {71:10} For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.
'By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee'
'BY THEE HAVE I BEEN HOLDEN UP FROM THE WOMB'
Ps. {139:13} For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. {139:14} I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. {139:15} My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. {139:16} Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.
{139:17} How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! {139:18} [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
'THOU HAST COVERED ME IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB'
'MY SUBSTANCE WAS NOT HID FROM THEE WHEN I WAS MADE IN SECRET'
'THINE EYES DID SEE MY SUBSTANCE YET BEING UNPERFECT AND IN THY BOOK ALL MY MEMBERS WERE WRITTEN WHICH IN CONTINUANCE WERE FASHIONED WHEN AS YET THERE WAS NONE OF THEM.'
Eccl. {11:5} As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, [nor] how the bones [do grow] in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
'HOW THE BONES DO GROW IN THE WOMB OF HER THAT IS WITH CHILD EVEN SO THOU KNOWEST NOT THE WORKS OF GOD WHO MAKETH ALL'
Isa. {44:1} Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: {44:2} Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
'THUS SAITH THE LORD THAT MADE THEE AND FORMED THEE FROM THE WOMB'
Isa. {44:24} Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things;] that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself
Isa. {46:3} Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the belly, which are carried from the womb: {46:4} And [even] to [your] old age I [am] he; and [even] to hoar hairs will I carry [you:] I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver [you.
Isa. {49:15} Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. {49:16} Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are] continually before me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yes, unfortunately, yes.
Can a woman not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they forget all the time.
We may forget, God will NEVER forget us. He has graven us on the palms of his hands.
GOD WILL NEVER FORGET US HE HAD GRAVEN US UPON THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS.
He forms us in the womb and we are never far from His thoughts, never. We can forget Him, He'll never forget us.
All glory and praise, all honor and worship unto our God, unto our Creator, our Savior, our Redeemer! By His mercy and His grace now and forever and ever!
AMEN.
'Listen...'
'The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.'
Do we have any doubt really that from the moment of conception there is a living being inside a woman? Really? Any doubt at all? We shouldn't.
'And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant...'
'The Lord that formed me from the womb.'
Who form him from the womb? The Lord.
Ps. {22:9} But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. {22:10} I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
'THOU ART MY GOD FROM MY MOTHER'S BELLY'
Ps. {71:4} Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. {71:5} For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my youth. {71:6} By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee. {71:7} I am as a wonder unto many; but thou [art] my strong refuge. {71:8} Let my mouth be filled [with] thy praise [and with] thy honour all the day. {71:9} Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. {71:10} For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.
'By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee'
'BY THEE HAVE I BEEN HOLDEN UP FROM THE WOMB'
Ps. {139:13} For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. {139:14} I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. {139:15} My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. {139:16} Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.
{139:17} How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! {139:18} [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
'THOU HAST COVERED ME IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB'
'MY SUBSTANCE WAS NOT HID FROM THEE WHEN I WAS MADE IN SECRET'
'THINE EYES DID SEE MY SUBSTANCE YET BEING UNPERFECT AND IN THY BOOK ALL MY MEMBERS WERE WRITTEN WHICH IN CONTINUANCE WERE FASHIONED WHEN AS YET THERE WAS NONE OF THEM.'
Eccl. {11:5} As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, [nor] how the bones [do grow] in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
'HOW THE BONES DO GROW IN THE WOMB OF HER THAT IS WITH CHILD EVEN SO THOU KNOWEST NOT THE WORKS OF GOD WHO MAKETH ALL'
Isa. {44:1} Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: {44:2} Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
'THUS SAITH THE LORD THAT MADE THEE AND FORMED THEE FROM THE WOMB'
Isa. {44:24} Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things;] that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself
Isa. {46:3} Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the belly, which are carried from the womb: {46:4} And [even] to [your] old age I [am] he; and [even] to hoar hairs will I carry [you:] I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver [you.
Isa. {49:15} Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. {49:16} Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are] continually before me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yes, unfortunately, yes.
Can a woman not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they forget all the time.
We may forget, God will NEVER forget us. He has graven us on the palms of his hands.
GOD WILL NEVER FORGET US HE HAD GRAVEN US UPON THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS.
He forms us in the womb and we are never far from His thoughts, never. We can forget Him, He'll never forget us.
All glory and praise, all honor and worship unto our God, unto our Creator, our Savior, our Redeemer! By His mercy and His grace now and forever and ever!
AMEN.
Friday, April 24, 2009
When We Pray
Matt. {6:7} But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. {6:8} Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Praying just to pray is in vain.
Having a set prayer is not good. Maybe a set prayer time is all fine and good, the Israelites would have morning and evening prayers, others were known to pray three times a day. Some were praying often. We are even told to pray always.
Eph. {6:18} Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
The times of praying can be set without consequence I believe, but having a formal set prayer you pray over and over and over by rote we are told isn't good.
'But when ye pray, use NOT vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.'
Much speaking, if you speak long enough you'll be heard isn't true. A whispered prayer spoken once can be heard sooner than a prayer that is spoken loudly over and over. God knows our needs, and it's not that we don't have to pray and ask Him for things, petition Him as it were, but He knows our needs and no amount of pleading and begging, no amount of repetition will matter.
Either by praying by rote - which is something done and not felt, or praying and asking something over and over - being annoying and showing lack of faith, neither one of them are much good and if we get caught up in the trap thinking that we are pious by our much praying and repetitive praying we're not praying as God would have us pray.
Jesus says do not use vain repetitions, do not believe that such praying is the answer. We don't have a deaf God like all the heathen do. We have a living God and He hears us, He knows us. Our God, our Heavenly Father knows us and what we need. We are praying to a living God, the one and only true God. Our prayers must come from the heart.
Jesus goes on to tell us how to pray-- read the Lord's prayer, it's a famous prayer in fact it's one we learn by heart and pray as a prayer just in the manner Jesus tells us not to. 'But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions.' That doesn't just mean saying the same thing over and over and over, it means praying without making that connection we need to make to our living God, the connection that tells us that He hears us, He knows us, He loves us.
No, I'm not saying we shouldn't say the Lord's Prayer, it was given us for an example and as such we should pray it, use it to guide us, but above all- not use it in vain repetition.
May the Lord bless us and keep us, helping us to seek Him as He would be sought. By His will, by the grace and mercy of our Lord and our Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Praying just to pray is in vain.
Having a set prayer is not good. Maybe a set prayer time is all fine and good, the Israelites would have morning and evening prayers, others were known to pray three times a day. Some were praying often. We are even told to pray always.
Eph. {6:18} Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
The times of praying can be set without consequence I believe, but having a formal set prayer you pray over and over and over by rote we are told isn't good.
'But when ye pray, use NOT vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.'
Much speaking, if you speak long enough you'll be heard isn't true. A whispered prayer spoken once can be heard sooner than a prayer that is spoken loudly over and over. God knows our needs, and it's not that we don't have to pray and ask Him for things, petition Him as it were, but He knows our needs and no amount of pleading and begging, no amount of repetition will matter.
Either by praying by rote - which is something done and not felt, or praying and asking something over and over - being annoying and showing lack of faith, neither one of them are much good and if we get caught up in the trap thinking that we are pious by our much praying and repetitive praying we're not praying as God would have us pray.
Jesus says do not use vain repetitions, do not believe that such praying is the answer. We don't have a deaf God like all the heathen do. We have a living God and He hears us, He knows us. Our God, our Heavenly Father knows us and what we need. We are praying to a living God, the one and only true God. Our prayers must come from the heart.
Jesus goes on to tell us how to pray-- read the Lord's prayer, it's a famous prayer in fact it's one we learn by heart and pray as a prayer just in the manner Jesus tells us not to. 'But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions.' That doesn't just mean saying the same thing over and over and over, it means praying without making that connection we need to make to our living God, the connection that tells us that He hears us, He knows us, He loves us.
No, I'm not saying we shouldn't say the Lord's Prayer, it was given us for an example and as such we should pray it, use it to guide us, but above all- not use it in vain repetition.
May the Lord bless us and keep us, helping us to seek Him as He would be sought. By His will, by the grace and mercy of our Lord and our Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
'Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom'
Proerbs {2:10} When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; {2:11} Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: {2:12} To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things.
Job {28:12} But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? {28:13} Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
Job {28:20} Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? {28:21} Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
Job {28:23} God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. {28:24} For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven.
Job {28:28} And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Prov. {1:7} The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov. {2:6} For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
We need to understand, we need knowledge more now than ever before, we need to fear the Lord.
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary describes fear this way- 'Fear- a feeling of reverance, awe, and respect, or an unpleasant emotion caused by a sense of danger. (page 379)
To Fear the Lord we should show reverance, awe, and respect to God.
Nelson's Dictionary again to show the meaning of 'Reverance'- a feeling of profound awe and respect. Because of His majesty and holiness, God arouses a feeling of reverance in those who worship and serve Him.' (page 916)
Heb. {12:28} Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
**
James {1:5} If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. {1:6} But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Exodus {28:1} And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. {28:2} And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. {28:3} And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
'Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom'
Please Lord... fill me with the spirit of wisdom. Please Lord, I'm asking in faith- believing and trusting in you to help my unbelief.
By Your Mercy.
Amen.
Job {28:12} But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? {28:13} Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
Job {28:20} Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? {28:21} Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
Job {28:23} God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. {28:24} For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven.
Job {28:28} And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Prov. {1:7} The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov. {2:6} For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
We need to understand, we need knowledge more now than ever before, we need to fear the Lord.
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary describes fear this way- 'Fear- a feeling of reverance, awe, and respect, or an unpleasant emotion caused by a sense of danger. (page 379)
To Fear the Lord we should show reverance, awe, and respect to God.
Nelson's Dictionary again to show the meaning of 'Reverance'- a feeling of profound awe and respect. Because of His majesty and holiness, God arouses a feeling of reverance in those who worship and serve Him.' (page 916)
Heb. {12:28} Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
**
James {1:5} If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. {1:6} But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Exodus {28:1} And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. {28:2} And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. {28:3} And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
'Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom'
Please Lord... fill me with the spirit of wisdom. Please Lord, I'm asking in faith- believing and trusting in you to help my unbelief.
By Your Mercy.
Amen.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thy Will Be Done
Ps. {40:8} I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.
Ps. {143:10} Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Matt. {6:10} Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven
Matt. {26:42} He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Luke {11:2} And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Heb. {10:5} Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: {10:6} In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure. {10:7} Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. {10:8} Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein;] which are offered by the law; {10:9} Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. {10:10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all. ]
*******
I delight to do thy will oh my God, yea thy law is withing my heart.
Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God they spirit is good lead me into the land of the uprightness.
He went away again the second time and prayed saying oh my Father if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be done.
When ye pray...Our Father which art in heave hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as in heaven so in earth.
Jesus came to do God's will, delighting in His Father's will.
Jesus became the sacrifice for us so that we would no longer have to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
The greatest sacrifice of all was made and nothing could compare to the ultimate sacrifice.
Every single sacrifice made was pointing to the ultimate sacrifice. When a person sinned and brought an offering to be sacrificed, a death to be made on their behalf it was of an animal and symbolic of the fact sinning warrants death and there is no getting around that, none. You sin, you deserve death unless you confess and repent offering a death in your place. The offering of an animal's death was sufficent only because God accepted it but it wasn't enough, it represented the ultimate sacrifice He made when His son took on humanity and offered himself, His death was made for all of us.
Maybe we'd think twice before sinning if we had to kill an animal. Or maybe it would be just a way of life to us so that the animal's death wouldn't be so bad- not like we might consider it today, or some of us. There are hunters today that think nothing of killing rabbit, deer, quail, duck, squirrels etc. It's sport to them. Then there are butchers who slaughter animals for us to eat, there are farmers who grow livestock knowing it's all for food. More animal death that means little, it's done as a matter of fact and an every day occurance. So maybe if someone told those who have no ick factor in killing animals that all they had to do was kill an animal every time they sinned and confess their sins, repenting, it wouldn't be all that hard for them to do. But for a lot of us it wouldn't be a way of life and we might realize more the weight of our sin causing death.
Now while a lot of various people in various professions and hobbies kill animals it's safe to say the majority do not kill people.
Those who do kill people are those in the army on active duty, police officers in the line of duty, murderers, and all those who accidentally kill another. Of all those only the murderers do so without the remorse, or at least we'd like to think that. Not that we want those who kill in the line of duty to be consumed by guilt, but it's nice to at least believe there is a twinge of remorse for their hands being forced into killing in the line of duty.
Sinning warrants sacrifice.
Sinners were given the greatest sacrifice in Jesus. Jesus wouldn't have had to die if we didn't sin. We killed Him. Our sin killed Him.
If we had to nail Jesus to the cross ourselves would we feel the true weight of our sins?
If we had to look upon His broken and bruised, His bloody body, witness to His agony and then add to that pain until He was killed by us, would it make a difference?
God's will be done.
Our will is so caught up in selfishness, by the very words- our will - we esteem ourselves, our finite, sin-filled selves to have a will greater than God's.
In all our lives it must be prayed, and it must be believed- 'Thy will be done.' It must be prayed and without clauses such as, Thy will be done but let me understand how Your will works, why this, that, and the other thing has to be so Your will is done. We can't expect to understand but we have to take that leap of faith and believe that God's will is truly best and beyond our comprehension.
God- Thy will be done now and forever and any tears I cry because I cannot understand the will of Yours that allows for so much pain please Lord they are not shed because I don't want Your will to be done, but simply because the pain now even temporarily is so real. You see the end from the beginning and I place my trust in You Lord because I see only now, I live only now with hopes for life eternal in You. In an existence that has expelled sin from the world and there is no more pain- physical, mental, or emotional.
Thy will be done.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, forgive me.
Amen.
Ps. {143:10} Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Matt. {6:10} Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven
Matt. {26:42} He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Luke {11:2} And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Heb. {10:5} Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: {10:6} In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure. {10:7} Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. {10:8} Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein;] which are offered by the law; {10:9} Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. {10:10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all. ]
*******
I delight to do thy will oh my God, yea thy law is withing my heart.
Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God they spirit is good lead me into the land of the uprightness.
He went away again the second time and prayed saying oh my Father if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be done.
When ye pray...Our Father which art in heave hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as in heaven so in earth.
Jesus came to do God's will, delighting in His Father's will.
Jesus became the sacrifice for us so that we would no longer have to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
The greatest sacrifice of all was made and nothing could compare to the ultimate sacrifice.
Every single sacrifice made was pointing to the ultimate sacrifice. When a person sinned and brought an offering to be sacrificed, a death to be made on their behalf it was of an animal and symbolic of the fact sinning warrants death and there is no getting around that, none. You sin, you deserve death unless you confess and repent offering a death in your place. The offering of an animal's death was sufficent only because God accepted it but it wasn't enough, it represented the ultimate sacrifice He made when His son took on humanity and offered himself, His death was made for all of us.
Maybe we'd think twice before sinning if we had to kill an animal. Or maybe it would be just a way of life to us so that the animal's death wouldn't be so bad- not like we might consider it today, or some of us. There are hunters today that think nothing of killing rabbit, deer, quail, duck, squirrels etc. It's sport to them. Then there are butchers who slaughter animals for us to eat, there are farmers who grow livestock knowing it's all for food. More animal death that means little, it's done as a matter of fact and an every day occurance. So maybe if someone told those who have no ick factor in killing animals that all they had to do was kill an animal every time they sinned and confess their sins, repenting, it wouldn't be all that hard for them to do. But for a lot of us it wouldn't be a way of life and we might realize more the weight of our sin causing death.
Now while a lot of various people in various professions and hobbies kill animals it's safe to say the majority do not kill people.
Those who do kill people are those in the army on active duty, police officers in the line of duty, murderers, and all those who accidentally kill another. Of all those only the murderers do so without the remorse, or at least we'd like to think that. Not that we want those who kill in the line of duty to be consumed by guilt, but it's nice to at least believe there is a twinge of remorse for their hands being forced into killing in the line of duty.
Sinning warrants sacrifice.
Sinners were given the greatest sacrifice in Jesus. Jesus wouldn't have had to die if we didn't sin. We killed Him. Our sin killed Him.
If we had to nail Jesus to the cross ourselves would we feel the true weight of our sins?
If we had to look upon His broken and bruised, His bloody body, witness to His agony and then add to that pain until He was killed by us, would it make a difference?
God's will be done.
Our will is so caught up in selfishness, by the very words- our will - we esteem ourselves, our finite, sin-filled selves to have a will greater than God's.
In all our lives it must be prayed, and it must be believed- 'Thy will be done.' It must be prayed and without clauses such as, Thy will be done but let me understand how Your will works, why this, that, and the other thing has to be so Your will is done. We can't expect to understand but we have to take that leap of faith and believe that God's will is truly best and beyond our comprehension.
God- Thy will be done now and forever and any tears I cry because I cannot understand the will of Yours that allows for so much pain please Lord they are not shed because I don't want Your will to be done, but simply because the pain now even temporarily is so real. You see the end from the beginning and I place my trust in You Lord because I see only now, I live only now with hopes for life eternal in You. In an existence that has expelled sin from the world and there is no more pain- physical, mental, or emotional.
Thy will be done.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, forgive me.
Amen.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A man should rejoice in his own works
Eccl. {3:22} Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better,
than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is
his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be
after him?
Rejoicing in your work.
Solomon, the wisest of the wise professed that there is nothing better than rejoicing in your own works. No wonder so many people aren't very happy. How many have jobs they can rejoice in? Or is it being able to rejoice no matter what that work is? And even if we aren't talking strictly about what we consider work these days, the 8 hour, 5 days a week position we are in to earn money to afford to live, but rather our lives in general. Our day to day existence is what we have, it's all we have, it is our portion. We won't see what is to come after us. We can't worry about tomorrow so to speak. We have to rejoice in the here and now. We have to rejoice in the life we have. If we sit about wishing we were in a different life- constantly wishing for things to be different in such a way that they are impossible to change, what good is there in that? If you can change something in your life to make it better, do it. If you can't you need to learn to rejoice in what you do have in your life. To do otherwise, to not rejoice in your portion, your works is to live unhappily and that's not good for anyone.
'Nothing better than a man should rejoice in his own works for that is his portion.'
We all have our portion in life. Some have longer portions, some have portions we perceive are much better than our own, and still others have portions that are much worse. Regardless of what anyone else has, we all have our own existence. We don't know what sort of lives our furture generations will have. If we're lucky we watch our children grow up and lead happy lives. We might see our grandchildren do the same and then we might even get to see our great grandchildren begin their own lives of happiness but seldom does it stretch far beyond that for any of us, not that it can't but it grows more rare as time passes that you will see your great, great grandchildren become adults, and even less so great, great, great grandchildren. So while you might get to see glimpses of the future generations, there comes a time in every person's life without exception where death will be their portion. Death- a return to the dust we've come from as God takes back the breath He gave to us. Death, not another life to sit back and watch all that goes on with the living. Death, not an existence that gives us a whole new portion to rejoice in. No. Death isn't another form of life in any way at all. Death is a sleep as Lazarus- one brought back from the dead knew. Death is a sleep from which there is no waking until Christ returns. If people live their lives now not rejoicing in their works, in their portion given to them and pin their hopes on life after death, there is no real hope at all. Life is just that... life. And death is just that...death.
We need to live and rejoice now as we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to raise us from the death sleep when He returns and we are changed and brought to live new lives without any sort of pain and heartache, grief and sorrow this life affords us stealing the rejoicing from us that there is nothing better than a man doing.
Contentment in our lives, rejoicing in the portion given to us. May God help us find this place that Solomon speaks of, may we cling to Jesus Christ our Savior and place our hope in Him as we live today as He would have us live.
In His ever merciful name.
Amen.
than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is
his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be
after him?
Rejoicing in your work.
Solomon, the wisest of the wise professed that there is nothing better than rejoicing in your own works. No wonder so many people aren't very happy. How many have jobs they can rejoice in? Or is it being able to rejoice no matter what that work is? And even if we aren't talking strictly about what we consider work these days, the 8 hour, 5 days a week position we are in to earn money to afford to live, but rather our lives in general. Our day to day existence is what we have, it's all we have, it is our portion. We won't see what is to come after us. We can't worry about tomorrow so to speak. We have to rejoice in the here and now. We have to rejoice in the life we have. If we sit about wishing we were in a different life- constantly wishing for things to be different in such a way that they are impossible to change, what good is there in that? If you can change something in your life to make it better, do it. If you can't you need to learn to rejoice in what you do have in your life. To do otherwise, to not rejoice in your portion, your works is to live unhappily and that's not good for anyone.
'Nothing better than a man should rejoice in his own works for that is his portion.'
We all have our portion in life. Some have longer portions, some have portions we perceive are much better than our own, and still others have portions that are much worse. Regardless of what anyone else has, we all have our own existence. We don't know what sort of lives our furture generations will have. If we're lucky we watch our children grow up and lead happy lives. We might see our grandchildren do the same and then we might even get to see our great grandchildren begin their own lives of happiness but seldom does it stretch far beyond that for any of us, not that it can't but it grows more rare as time passes that you will see your great, great grandchildren become adults, and even less so great, great, great grandchildren. So while you might get to see glimpses of the future generations, there comes a time in every person's life without exception where death will be their portion. Death- a return to the dust we've come from as God takes back the breath He gave to us. Death, not another life to sit back and watch all that goes on with the living. Death, not an existence that gives us a whole new portion to rejoice in. No. Death isn't another form of life in any way at all. Death is a sleep as Lazarus- one brought back from the dead knew. Death is a sleep from which there is no waking until Christ returns. If people live their lives now not rejoicing in their works, in their portion given to them and pin their hopes on life after death, there is no real hope at all. Life is just that... life. And death is just that...death.
We need to live and rejoice now as we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to raise us from the death sleep when He returns and we are changed and brought to live new lives without any sort of pain and heartache, grief and sorrow this life affords us stealing the rejoicing from us that there is nothing better than a man doing.
Contentment in our lives, rejoicing in the portion given to us. May God help us find this place that Solomon speaks of, may we cling to Jesus Christ our Savior and place our hope in Him as we live today as He would have us live.
In His ever merciful name.
Amen.
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