1 Cor.
{11:17} Now in this that I declare [unto you] I praise [you] not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
{11:18} For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
{11:19} For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
{11:20} When ye come together therefore into one place, [this] is not to eat the Lord’s supper.
{11:21} For in eating every one taketh before [other] his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
{11:22} What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise [you] not.
{11:23} For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread:
{11:24} And when he had given thanks, he brake [it,] and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
{11:25} After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it,] in remembrance of me.
{11:26} For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink [this] cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
{11:27} Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord.
{11:28} But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup.
{11:29} For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
{11:30} For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
{11:31} For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
{11:32} But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
The sacredness of the Lord's supper is truly something we need to think about. It's not the casual dinner, it's a special supper. Christ did not sit down to eat the passover supper and announce at the beginning of it that the entire supper would be something to remember and do. They were celebrating a ceremony given to Moses back when God freed His people from the Egyptians and death took all the first born of those that didn't have the blood of a lamb on their door posts and over top the door. Jesus was celebrating this passover meal, this passover tradition. As they supped, meaning they were already into the meal when Jesus took the bread gave thanks to God for it and brake it- then he instructed His apostles to take it and eat it, do so and remember His body which He was to give for them. How could the bread symbolize Jesus? Think about it, the passover itself symbolized God's protection and saving of His people. The bread wasn't risen but it was unleavened to symbolize the haste of the coming exodus from Egypt. To institute a new tradition during the passover feast indicated that things were changing for God's people. The lamb that had been slain, whose blood was placed over and around the door to offer protection symbolized the blood that Jesus was going to shed for His people. Jesus was telling them what was to come and what they were to do after it happened. They were to remember because He wasn't going to be around to remind them. They were to remember what He was doing. He was instituting a new tradition, a new supper. The passover supper symbolized the freedom of God's people from the oppression of the Egyptians, it revealed God's power to act on behalf of those He considered His. The Lord's supper symbolizes Jesus' death- there in the verse it says -- For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. The symbolism of the Lord's supper is Jesus' sacrifice for us.
Just as preparation was made for the passover meals, there is a preparation we're to make before we take part in the Lord's supper. It's not something casual we do out of hunger or thirst, it's not the meal we are to eat to sate our normal, natural appetite. This supper of bread breaking and wine drinking symbolizes something much more important than any base needs we might have, it goes beyond our natural, fleshy appetites, it transcends them completely.
Before we take part in the Lord's supper we are cautioned to examine ourselves. If we don't examine ourselves we are guilty of killing Christ rather than Him dying for us, we are guilty of killing Him we rank among those who crucified Him, those that have no repentance in them for what they'd done, those who lived and died with the blood of Christ on their hands. We rank among those when we take part in the Lord's supper without examining ourselves, without asking for forgiveness for the sins we've committed, without true repentance in us for the sins we commit, sins that warrant death, sins that Christ lived and died to cover, rising again to live for us and offer us eternal life in Him.
So before we do as Christ instructed so long again to His very apostles, before we take part in the Lord's supper let each of us take a moment to examine ourselves so we are not guilty of killing Christ without being forgiven by Him. He asked that the guilty be forgiven- Luke {23:34} Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. We know what we do and if we don't seek forgivness in Christ before symbolically accepting His life and death for us, we mock Him and that makes us guilty.
I Cor. {11:29} For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
The Lord's body- the Lord's death is symbolically represented in the bread and wine, and if we don't take that symbolism to heart we are damning ourselves to being unforgiven. Christ died for us and we need to remember that daily, we need to remember that when we symbolically declare it with each other during the Lord's supper. We judge ourselves before we take part in the bread and wine, we judge ourselves and find ourselves guilty and we cling to the only source of forgiveness there is and that is Christ through His sacrifice.
May God bless and keep us, guiding us, chastizing us where needed, giving us the Holy Spirit in all truth. May the love and mercy of Jesus Christ fill our lives and hearts so that we live for Him now and forever.
Amen.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Our love is manifested in our lives.
John
{14:15} If ye love me, keep my commandments.
{14:16} And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever
{14:17} [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
{14:18} I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
{14:19} Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
{14:20} At that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
{14:21} He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
If you do this and as a result you do this, then I will do this and then he shall do this.
Sounds like a special deal doesn't it? A deal that we can make, a deal that we should make.
We should do that and as a result do that and then know that He will do that and that.
If we love Jesus we will keep His commandments. If we love Him and keep His commandments then Jesus will give another Comforter that will live with us forever. Forever.
Another comforter, another other than Him because He was going away to be with the Father. He was going away and yet He wasn't going to leave us without a comforter. The love of Jesus knows no bounds. He knew we'd need comfort, He knew that if we were comfortless we could not survive. We can't survive without Jesus, and He knew that. Jesus knew it because He couldn't survive without the Father. The Father in the Son, just like all of us that have loving parents carry part of them in us don't we? We hear it all the time- people owing their success to their parents, why? Because part of them is in them. The parents gave of themselves to their children molding and making them, instilling part of themselves into the children. No, it's not the exact same with God being in Jesus, the Father being in the Son, but in a very imperfect way it is an example to us.
When our children need us we do all we can to be there for them don't we? If we love them. Sometimes it's tough love, sometimes it doesn't have to be tough love, but our love for our children inspires us to help them. God's love for us inspires Him to help us. Jesus died for us. If we are worthy through Jesus of such a sacrifice then we are worthy to be counted as sons and daughters of God. God won't leave us comfortless.
The Spirit of truth... we can know the Spirit of truth because He lives within us. The world won't receive the Spirit of truth. The world doesn't recognize the need and will not receive the Comforter. We who know that we need the Comforter, we who know we need Jesus, we who know that if we love Him we will keep His commandments, it is us who know we need the Spirit of truth, who will receive Him into us.
Our love is manifested in our lives.
If you love someone it is manifested in your actions, in your live. If we love God it is the same. Love is a decision we make to act, it is not just an emotion. We choose to love, we choose our actions based on that love. May our love of God multiply, may our love for God guide all our actions, may our love of God have us choosing the right paths in Him. May we keep His commandments now and forever and ever by His grace and mercy with the Spirit of truth dwelling in us, comforting us in the way of the Lord.
Amen.
{14:15} If ye love me, keep my commandments.
{14:16} And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever
{14:17} [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
{14:18} I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
{14:19} Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
{14:20} At that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
{14:21} He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
If you do this and as a result you do this, then I will do this and then he shall do this.
Sounds like a special deal doesn't it? A deal that we can make, a deal that we should make.
We should do that and as a result do that and then know that He will do that and that.
If we love Jesus we will keep His commandments. If we love Him and keep His commandments then Jesus will give another Comforter that will live with us forever. Forever.
Another comforter, another other than Him because He was going away to be with the Father. He was going away and yet He wasn't going to leave us without a comforter. The love of Jesus knows no bounds. He knew we'd need comfort, He knew that if we were comfortless we could not survive. We can't survive without Jesus, and He knew that. Jesus knew it because He couldn't survive without the Father. The Father in the Son, just like all of us that have loving parents carry part of them in us don't we? We hear it all the time- people owing their success to their parents, why? Because part of them is in them. The parents gave of themselves to their children molding and making them, instilling part of themselves into the children. No, it's not the exact same with God being in Jesus, the Father being in the Son, but in a very imperfect way it is an example to us.
When our children need us we do all we can to be there for them don't we? If we love them. Sometimes it's tough love, sometimes it doesn't have to be tough love, but our love for our children inspires us to help them. God's love for us inspires Him to help us. Jesus died for us. If we are worthy through Jesus of such a sacrifice then we are worthy to be counted as sons and daughters of God. God won't leave us comfortless.
The Spirit of truth... we can know the Spirit of truth because He lives within us. The world won't receive the Spirit of truth. The world doesn't recognize the need and will not receive the Comforter. We who know that we need the Comforter, we who know we need Jesus, we who know that if we love Him we will keep His commandments, it is us who know we need the Spirit of truth, who will receive Him into us.
Our love is manifested in our lives.
If you love someone it is manifested in your actions, in your live. If we love God it is the same. Love is a decision we make to act, it is not just an emotion. We choose to love, we choose our actions based on that love. May our love of God multiply, may our love for God guide all our actions, may our love of God have us choosing the right paths in Him. May we keep His commandments now and forever and ever by His grace and mercy with the Spirit of truth dwelling in us, comforting us in the way of the Lord.
Amen.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Spiritual Feasting
Prov. {30:5} Every word of God [is] pure: he
[is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Luke {4:4} And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written,
That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
of God.
Eph. {6:17} And take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God
*******
The word of God is pure, the word of God is sustenance, the word of God is a sword. The word of God is powerful- protecting, sustaining, defending. To have such protection is something we'd all want, right? To have *magic* words of protection, words we could use to keep us safe, words we could use to ward off harm, words that could keep us alive as food might. Those are special words! We have such words and they aren't from a spell book of sorcery but true and holy- the word of God. Do we keep the word of God as holy? Do we revere the word of God as some might revere words of false gods? Do we protect the word of God as others might keep their special words under lock and key? God's words aren't to be muffled but shared and taken to heart by all. God is love! God doesn't want His words hid. The evil one would have his words hid- would have his evil words seemingly so powerful that only those that are special can invoke them. The words of God are powerful, truly powerful and they aren't hidden away and kept special for only those who are considered special enough to read them. The word of God is available to everyone! Everyone! Just as the love of God is available to everyone! Just as salvation is for everyone that believes in the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ- the word of God personified.
No wonder people would die for the word of God. No wonder people consider the Bible worth more than their own lives because in it is life. The words in the Bible are life giving words. The words are special and we can't even begin to fathom just how special. We are told how special and yet we disregard them.
Every word of God is pure. God is a shield, He gives us protection when we trust in Him. God protects our eternal life. We are to live by the word of God. Do you live by the word of God? What does it mean to live by the word of God? Do we feed on the word of God? Our bodies are fashioned in such a way that we need to put food in them to sustain them properly. We have built in sensors so to speak that tell us when we are hungry, when we are thirsty, and we know that we are to feed ourselves and get something to drink to ease the hungry and thirst. Food and drink won't give us full life. We might not be physically hungry or thirsty but there is a spiritual hunger in us that we need to feed. How often? If we are to live by every word of God we need to live by it at least as often as we live by food and drink, right? It makes sense. God does nothing without reason. God designed us in the way He did so that we couldn't forget to feed our spiritual self right along with our physical. We choose to forget. We choose to leave our spiritual selves starving. We feed our spiritual selves sparingly so that most people are stick thin spiritually without ever having to diet. This is one time that we should feast and feast and become fat in the word of God, become sated by the word of God because it is by the word of God we have our sword to fight off the unseen powers assailing us.
Just as we need to pick up food and put it into our mouths, just as we need to pour our drink and take it to our mouths we need to bring the word of God to our hearts, to our minds. We have to open the word, we have to read the word, we have to take the word of God into us make it real to us, feed ourselves with the word. There is a reason why Jesus blessed bread and wine, breaking the bread and telling His apostles to eat of it, and drinking the wine telling His apostles to drink. There is a reason He equated the bread and wine with Himself and it wasn't so we could become cannibals. He wanted us to realize the importance of what He was giving us. A spiritual recipe, a spiritual command to sustain ourselves on the Word of God, on Him who brought the word of God to life for us. The apostles went from house to house breaking bread and drinking wine, bringing Christ's message of salvation to all they could. Christ wanted His message brought to all, not reserved for a special few ordained by man. He wanted His word to spread far and wide, not remain hidden in the hearts of a select sect.
May God bless and keep us in His Word now and forever by His mercy and grace, by the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.
[is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Luke {4:4} And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written,
That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
of God.
Eph. {6:17} And take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God
*******
The word of God is pure, the word of God is sustenance, the word of God is a sword. The word of God is powerful- protecting, sustaining, defending. To have such protection is something we'd all want, right? To have *magic* words of protection, words we could use to keep us safe, words we could use to ward off harm, words that could keep us alive as food might. Those are special words! We have such words and they aren't from a spell book of sorcery but true and holy- the word of God. Do we keep the word of God as holy? Do we revere the word of God as some might revere words of false gods? Do we protect the word of God as others might keep their special words under lock and key? God's words aren't to be muffled but shared and taken to heart by all. God is love! God doesn't want His words hid. The evil one would have his words hid- would have his evil words seemingly so powerful that only those that are special can invoke them. The words of God are powerful, truly powerful and they aren't hidden away and kept special for only those who are considered special enough to read them. The word of God is available to everyone! Everyone! Just as the love of God is available to everyone! Just as salvation is for everyone that believes in the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ- the word of God personified.
No wonder people would die for the word of God. No wonder people consider the Bible worth more than their own lives because in it is life. The words in the Bible are life giving words. The words are special and we can't even begin to fathom just how special. We are told how special and yet we disregard them.
Every word of God is pure. God is a shield, He gives us protection when we trust in Him. God protects our eternal life. We are to live by the word of God. Do you live by the word of God? What does it mean to live by the word of God? Do we feed on the word of God? Our bodies are fashioned in such a way that we need to put food in them to sustain them properly. We have built in sensors so to speak that tell us when we are hungry, when we are thirsty, and we know that we are to feed ourselves and get something to drink to ease the hungry and thirst. Food and drink won't give us full life. We might not be physically hungry or thirsty but there is a spiritual hunger in us that we need to feed. How often? If we are to live by every word of God we need to live by it at least as often as we live by food and drink, right? It makes sense. God does nothing without reason. God designed us in the way He did so that we couldn't forget to feed our spiritual self right along with our physical. We choose to forget. We choose to leave our spiritual selves starving. We feed our spiritual selves sparingly so that most people are stick thin spiritually without ever having to diet. This is one time that we should feast and feast and become fat in the word of God, become sated by the word of God because it is by the word of God we have our sword to fight off the unseen powers assailing us.
Just as we need to pick up food and put it into our mouths, just as we need to pour our drink and take it to our mouths we need to bring the word of God to our hearts, to our minds. We have to open the word, we have to read the word, we have to take the word of God into us make it real to us, feed ourselves with the word. There is a reason why Jesus blessed bread and wine, breaking the bread and telling His apostles to eat of it, and drinking the wine telling His apostles to drink. There is a reason He equated the bread and wine with Himself and it wasn't so we could become cannibals. He wanted us to realize the importance of what He was giving us. A spiritual recipe, a spiritual command to sustain ourselves on the Word of God, on Him who brought the word of God to life for us. The apostles went from house to house breaking bread and drinking wine, bringing Christ's message of salvation to all they could. Christ wanted His message brought to all, not reserved for a special few ordained by man. He wanted His word to spread far and wide, not remain hidden in the hearts of a select sect.
May God bless and keep us in His Word now and forever by His mercy and grace, by the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Make us unblameable in His Holiness.
Heb. {13:21} Make you perfect in every good work to
do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his
sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and
ever. Amen.
God will make us perfect. Who? God? God will make us perfect. God will make us perfect in every good work to do his will. God will make us perfect to do His will. God will work in us that which pleases him. And He works in us through Jesus Christ. All glory to God forever.
We worry about making ourselves perfect when in truth we can't make ourselves perfect. Only in Christ can we be made perfect. Only by the grace of God.
1 Thess. {3:12} And
the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
toward another, and toward all [men,] even as we [do]
toward you: {3:13} To the end he may stablish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another towards all men. The Lord will establish our hearts, unblameable in holiness before God. Unblameable in holiness. Not unblameable in ourselves, but in holiness. Unblameable before God our Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ! Christ does this for us. We CAN'T do it ourselves.
Unless Christ is standing on our behalf we are blameable. All our sins our on are heads and the wages of our sins is death. Death. Unless Christ is there pleading for us, unless Christ stands in our place, unless Christ places our names in the Book of Life, we will die. We will have to pay for all our sins every single one of them even though it only takes one sin to kill us eternally.
We are made perfect, we are unblameable in His holiness before God.
Only the greatest fool would not grasp hold of Christ's righteousnes. Only the greatest fool would not accept his sacrifice for them. He came and died for us so that we may live.
John {8:36} If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John {8:32} And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free
Make us free.
Make us perfect.
Make us to increase in love.
Make us unblameable in His Holiness.
We get so caught up in trying to do for ourelves that we forget the power of the one who came and died for us has the same power to give us that life. He wouldn't have died for us if He weren't able to give us life. He wouldn't have sacrificed all for us if there were no way to lay claim to the promise He came to give us life eternal. It's all through Him, all in Him, in Christ now and forever.
Christ our Righteousness and through faith in Christ and His Righteousness we are saved by grace, His Grace!
All glory, all praise, all honor to God!
Amen.
do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his
sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and
ever. Amen.
God will make us perfect. Who? God? God will make us perfect. God will make us perfect in every good work to do his will. God will make us perfect to do His will. God will work in us that which pleases him. And He works in us through Jesus Christ. All glory to God forever.
We worry about making ourselves perfect when in truth we can't make ourselves perfect. Only in Christ can we be made perfect. Only by the grace of God.
1 Thess. {3:12} And
the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
toward another, and toward all [men,] even as we [do]
toward you: {3:13} To the end he may stablish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another towards all men. The Lord will establish our hearts, unblameable in holiness before God. Unblameable in holiness. Not unblameable in ourselves, but in holiness. Unblameable before God our Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ! Christ does this for us. We CAN'T do it ourselves.
Unless Christ is standing on our behalf we are blameable. All our sins our on are heads and the wages of our sins is death. Death. Unless Christ is there pleading for us, unless Christ stands in our place, unless Christ places our names in the Book of Life, we will die. We will have to pay for all our sins every single one of them even though it only takes one sin to kill us eternally.
We are made perfect, we are unblameable in His holiness before God.
Only the greatest fool would not grasp hold of Christ's righteousnes. Only the greatest fool would not accept his sacrifice for them. He came and died for us so that we may live.
John {8:36} If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John {8:32} And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free
Make us free.
Make us perfect.
Make us to increase in love.
Make us unblameable in His Holiness.
We get so caught up in trying to do for ourelves that we forget the power of the one who came and died for us has the same power to give us that life. He wouldn't have died for us if He weren't able to give us life. He wouldn't have sacrificed all for us if there were no way to lay claim to the promise He came to give us life eternal. It's all through Him, all in Him, in Christ now and forever.
Christ our Righteousness and through faith in Christ and His Righteousness we are saved by grace, His Grace!
All glory, all praise, all honor to God!
Amen.
Monday, June 22, 2009
God of ALL Grace
1 Peter {5:10} But the God of all grace, who hath called us
unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen,
settle [you. ]{5:11} To him [be] glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.
* God of all grace! God who has called us to HIS eternal glory by Christ Jesus! We might suffer a while and how long is a while- our lifetime in fact because this life is so conducive to suffering. We live in a world that promises suffering in one way or another. We live a life that offers us pain in so many ways. Yes, there are good things, happy thing, glorious things even, but most people would have to admit there is more pain than good, more evil than good. We are tormented not just by other people but by things we can't even see. We are assailed by wicked things constantly and the wicked things take pleasure in causing us all the hardship they can. Finding peace amidst the suffering is all we are allowed and that peace isn't from pain but peace that is in spite of the pain. A smile when tortured, a peace when tried, we are given that and able to find that only by the God of all Grace through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Is it easy? No. It's a knowledge, not a feeling. A knowing not an emotional happenstance. If we wait for a peace we equate with happiness we will wait in vain because peace is a knowing that the suffering now isn't for eternity. We suffer a while and made perfect, we're established, strengthened and settled in Christ. All gloyr and dominion to our God whose promises are sure and based on knowledge not slippery feelings that are wrought by the slightest wind of upset or joy.
May the Lord Bless and Keep us all in Him now and forever. May we know our suffering now is just for a while and for our own good in ways we cannot fathom. May we know that God, the God of ALL grace who calls each of us through Jesus Christ will keep us safe in Him, know it even if we don't feel it. By His mercy and grace, by His love beyond measure.
Amen.
unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen,
settle [you. ]{5:11} To him [be] glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.
* God of all grace! God who has called us to HIS eternal glory by Christ Jesus! We might suffer a while and how long is a while- our lifetime in fact because this life is so conducive to suffering. We live in a world that promises suffering in one way or another. We live a life that offers us pain in so many ways. Yes, there are good things, happy thing, glorious things even, but most people would have to admit there is more pain than good, more evil than good. We are tormented not just by other people but by things we can't even see. We are assailed by wicked things constantly and the wicked things take pleasure in causing us all the hardship they can. Finding peace amidst the suffering is all we are allowed and that peace isn't from pain but peace that is in spite of the pain. A smile when tortured, a peace when tried, we are given that and able to find that only by the God of all Grace through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Is it easy? No. It's a knowledge, not a feeling. A knowing not an emotional happenstance. If we wait for a peace we equate with happiness we will wait in vain because peace is a knowing that the suffering now isn't for eternity. We suffer a while and made perfect, we're established, strengthened and settled in Christ. All gloyr and dominion to our God whose promises are sure and based on knowledge not slippery feelings that are wrought by the slightest wind of upset or joy.
May the Lord Bless and Keep us all in Him now and forever. May we know our suffering now is just for a while and for our own good in ways we cannot fathom. May we know that God, the God of ALL grace who calls each of us through Jesus Christ will keep us safe in Him, know it even if we don't feel it. By His mercy and grace, by His love beyond measure.
Amen.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
He that overcomes.
Rev. {21:7} He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
He that overcomes.
Rev. {3:21} To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne
To him that overcomes.
Even as I also overcame.
Rev. {3:12} Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.
Him that overcomes.
Rev. {3:5} He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
He that overcomes.
Rev. {2:26} And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations
He that overcomes.
Rev. {2:17} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it.]
To him that overcomes.
Rev. {2:11} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
He that overcomes.
Rev. {2:7} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
To him that overcomes.
1 John {4:4} Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Have overcome them.
1 John {5:5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
He that overcomes.
1 John {5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.
Overcomes the world.
1 John {2:14} I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one
Overcome the wicked one.
Ro. {12:21} Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Overcome evil.
Dictonary-
overcome (o´ver-kùm´) verb
overcame (-kâm´) overcome, overcoming, overcomes verb, transitive
1. To defeat (another) in competition or conflict; conquer. See synonyms at defeat.
2. To prevail over; surmount: tried to overcome the obstacles of poverty.
3. To overpower, as with emotion; affect deeply.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
To prevail over.
Dictionary-
prevail (prî-vâl´) verb, intransitive
prevailed, prevailing, prevails
1.To be greater in strength or influence; triumph: prevailed against great odds.
2.To be or become effective; win out: hoped justice would prevail.
3.To be most common or frequent; be predominant: a region where snow and ice prevail.
4.To be in force, use, or effect; be current: an ancient tradition that still prevails.
5.To use persuasion or inducement successfully. Often used with on, upon, or with. See synonyms at persuade.
[Middle English prevailen, from Old French prevaloir, prevaill-, from Latin praevalêre, to be stronger : prae-, pre- + valêre, to be strong.]
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
To be greater in strength or influence; triumph: prevailed against great odds.
*******
To overcome, there has to be a fight, a situation to overcome in order to overcome, right? To prevail against someone or something there has to be something or someone to prevail over. We know who and what we are to prevail over, to overcome don't we?
Eph. {6:12} For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places.]
We are to overcome principalities, powers, rulers of darkness in the world, spiritual wickedness in high places. We are to overcome evil.
We are to overcome and it is our faith that has us overcoming. Our faith in God alone is our hope.
We are to overcome and the only way to overcome is through Christ, through faith in Christ. The life we live is full of hardship, full of pain and full of misery. If your life isn't like this and you're shaking your head saying that your life is fine, then you have to realize that the evil deception that is in Satan's power has to be overcome no matter the shape it takes in our lives. We have to search our hearts and pray like never before to overcome by faith. To overcome evil in way it comes into our lives. Are we selfish? Are we self-righteous? Are we greedy? Are we filled with angry and scorn? Do we struggle with sins of the flesh in a world that proclaims there are no such things as sins of the flesh that all is good and normal? Do we have the need to put ourselves first? Do we give to others so we can reap praise? Or does your pain come from others- those seeking to hurt you emotionally, physically? Do you live in a situation that has you living at the mercy of others whims. Are you constantly manipulated by others? Perhaps you live a life that is filled with goodness and you haven't faced the hardships yet. It's very possible because some live all their lives in a settled way only to have their world turn upside-down on them. There are so many scenarios that we call our lives and in each one we as individuals have to overcome through Christ. We have to overcome through faith in God. We need Christ in us. We need Christ's love in us.
To him that overcomes the promises are given and we only overcome through faith. There is no power of our own that we can overcome with, and if we look to oursevles then we'll fail. We have to ever look to Christ. In Christ alone there is hope, their is life.
May God help us to look to Him, may our faith in Him grow endlessly. Each day no matter what it brings- good or bad - may we give God the glory and praise, the thanksgiving and the love in faith that He alone deserves. By His grace, by His mercy. Through the Holy Spirit's comforting, guiding power.
Amen.
He that overcomes.
Rev. {3:21} To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne
To him that overcomes.
Even as I also overcame.
Rev. {3:12} Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.
Him that overcomes.
Rev. {3:5} He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
He that overcomes.
Rev. {2:26} And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations
He that overcomes.
Rev. {2:17} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it.]
To him that overcomes.
Rev. {2:11} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
He that overcomes.
Rev. {2:7} He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
To him that overcomes.
1 John {4:4} Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Have overcome them.
1 John {5:5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
He that overcomes.
1 John {5:4} For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.
Overcomes the world.
1 John {2:14} I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one
Overcome the wicked one.
Ro. {12:21} Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Overcome evil.
Dictonary-
overcome (o´ver-kùm´) verb
overcame (-kâm´) overcome, overcoming, overcomes verb, transitive
1. To defeat (another) in competition or conflict; conquer. See synonyms at defeat.
2. To prevail over; surmount: tried to overcome the obstacles of poverty.
3. To overpower, as with emotion; affect deeply.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
To prevail over.
Dictionary-
prevail (prî-vâl´) verb, intransitive
prevailed, prevailing, prevails
1.To be greater in strength or influence; triumph: prevailed against great odds.
2.To be or become effective; win out: hoped justice would prevail.
3.To be most common or frequent; be predominant: a region where snow and ice prevail.
4.To be in force, use, or effect; be current: an ancient tradition that still prevails.
5.To use persuasion or inducement successfully. Often used with on, upon, or with. See synonyms at persuade.
[Middle English prevailen, from Old French prevaloir, prevaill-, from Latin praevalêre, to be stronger : prae-, pre- + valêre, to be strong.]
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
To be greater in strength or influence; triumph: prevailed against great odds.
*******
To overcome, there has to be a fight, a situation to overcome in order to overcome, right? To prevail against someone or something there has to be something or someone to prevail over. We know who and what we are to prevail over, to overcome don't we?
Eph. {6:12} For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places.]
We are to overcome principalities, powers, rulers of darkness in the world, spiritual wickedness in high places. We are to overcome evil.
We are to overcome and it is our faith that has us overcoming. Our faith in God alone is our hope.
We are to overcome and the only way to overcome is through Christ, through faith in Christ. The life we live is full of hardship, full of pain and full of misery. If your life isn't like this and you're shaking your head saying that your life is fine, then you have to realize that the evil deception that is in Satan's power has to be overcome no matter the shape it takes in our lives. We have to search our hearts and pray like never before to overcome by faith. To overcome evil in way it comes into our lives. Are we selfish? Are we self-righteous? Are we greedy? Are we filled with angry and scorn? Do we struggle with sins of the flesh in a world that proclaims there are no such things as sins of the flesh that all is good and normal? Do we have the need to put ourselves first? Do we give to others so we can reap praise? Or does your pain come from others- those seeking to hurt you emotionally, physically? Do you live in a situation that has you living at the mercy of others whims. Are you constantly manipulated by others? Perhaps you live a life that is filled with goodness and you haven't faced the hardships yet. It's very possible because some live all their lives in a settled way only to have their world turn upside-down on them. There are so many scenarios that we call our lives and in each one we as individuals have to overcome through Christ. We have to overcome through faith in God. We need Christ in us. We need Christ's love in us.
To him that overcomes the promises are given and we only overcome through faith. There is no power of our own that we can overcome with, and if we look to oursevles then we'll fail. We have to ever look to Christ. In Christ alone there is hope, their is life.
May God help us to look to Him, may our faith in Him grow endlessly. Each day no matter what it brings- good or bad - may we give God the glory and praise, the thanksgiving and the love in faith that He alone deserves. By His grace, by His mercy. Through the Holy Spirit's comforting, guiding power.
Amen.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
John {16:33} These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have
peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world.
******* In Christ alone there is peace- no where else. As soon as we begin to believe that we have peace in any other way we'll be proven wrong. Maybe we won't be proven wrong in that first moment or even that first day or month, or even year but any peace built outside of Christ is temporary. When we are caught up in that peace we've manufactured outside of Christ it's deceptive and powerful in that deception because when it slips away whether gradually or in the space of mere moments, we are left despairing, our hearts aching and desolate and we turn around and blame the very one whose peace we are to cling to and not any of our own. Christ didn't lie, He couldn't lie. He told us we would have tribulation in the world.
Dict. tribulation (trîb´ye-lâ´shen) noun
1. Great affliction, trial, or distress; suffering: the tribulations of the persecuted. See synonyms at trial.
2. An experience that tests one's endurance, patience, or faith.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
He told us we'd have tribulation in the world- we'd have great afflictions, great trials, great distress, great suffering. That doesn't sound very pleasant does it? It sounds rather uninviting if you want to be truthful. Christ isn't trying to deceive us, He couldn't there is no deception in Him. It's Satan who likes us to blame God for life and it's many horrific hardships. Christ tells us that we will have these horrific hardships but we are to be of good cheer? Why? Because He overcame the world. Christ overcame Satan and the hardships and because He overcame we too will overcome through Him and Him alone. So while we may be buffetted about by all the heartache and pain the world has to offer, our only hope is found in Christ's overcoming- not ours but His and us through Him.
John {14:27} Peace I leave with
you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give
I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.
Christ's peace is left with us, not the peace of the world, but Christ's peace is given to us- it's only in Christ's peace that we can let our heart release the trouble in it, only in Christ's peace that we can let the fear in our hearts go.
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have
peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world.
******* In Christ alone there is peace- no where else. As soon as we begin to believe that we have peace in any other way we'll be proven wrong. Maybe we won't be proven wrong in that first moment or even that first day or month, or even year but any peace built outside of Christ is temporary. When we are caught up in that peace we've manufactured outside of Christ it's deceptive and powerful in that deception because when it slips away whether gradually or in the space of mere moments, we are left despairing, our hearts aching and desolate and we turn around and blame the very one whose peace we are to cling to and not any of our own. Christ didn't lie, He couldn't lie. He told us we would have tribulation in the world.
Dict. tribulation (trîb´ye-lâ´shen) noun
1. Great affliction, trial, or distress; suffering: the tribulations of the persecuted. See synonyms at trial.
2. An experience that tests one's endurance, patience, or faith.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
He told us we'd have tribulation in the world- we'd have great afflictions, great trials, great distress, great suffering. That doesn't sound very pleasant does it? It sounds rather uninviting if you want to be truthful. Christ isn't trying to deceive us, He couldn't there is no deception in Him. It's Satan who likes us to blame God for life and it's many horrific hardships. Christ tells us that we will have these horrific hardships but we are to be of good cheer? Why? Because He overcame the world. Christ overcame Satan and the hardships and because He overcame we too will overcome through Him and Him alone. So while we may be buffetted about by all the heartache and pain the world has to offer, our only hope is found in Christ's overcoming- not ours but His and us through Him.
John {14:27} Peace I leave with
you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give
I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.
Christ's peace is left with us, not the peace of the world, but Christ's peace is given to us- it's only in Christ's peace that we can let our heart release the trouble in it, only in Christ's peace that we can let the fear in our hearts go.
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