Revelation
{22:6} And he said unto me, These sayings [are] faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
{22:7} Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
{22:8} And I John saw these things, and heard [them.] And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. {22:9} Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
{22:10} And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
{22:11} He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
{22:12} And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
{22:13} I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
{22:14} Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
{22:15} For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
{22:16} I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.
{22:17} And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
{22:18} For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: {22:19} And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
{22:20} He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
{22:21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen.
*
Rich with symbolism the book of Revelation is so important that we are given an admonition- if any man shall add to the prophecies God will add the plagues to him. If any man shall take away from the prophecies God will take them out of the book of life and as a result they will not be part of the holy city- God's kingdom.
Many delve into this book of the Bible an quickly give up trying to understand anything it has to say because the symbolism is so intense. There are many scholars who have dug deep into the book and have come up with their interpretations of the prophecies given. We have many theories, so many it's hard to choose which is right which isn't and as a result people flounder about and many just give up entirely leaving well enough alone. The only thing about leaving well enough alone is the fact people lose the blessings they can receive by reading this book.
Rev. {1:3} Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand.
We need to read, we need to hear, we need to keep all that is written in this book of Revelation, this book of prophecy predicting the future is important and while we might not understand everything within we have to trust in God that He will bring to our minds any understanding that we need to receive the blessings promised.
May God help us in all this, by His mercy and grace may we be found written in the book of life, may we not receive of the plagues, may we have a part in the holy city. By His love.
Amen.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Are we holy? Are we sinless? Are we perfect?
Hebrews {10:1} For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
The law having a shadow of good things to come.
When we think of the law of God we don't often think of the good things to come from it do we? The law to us in general subjects us to rules that we need to follow to please God, and they are for our own good. The law was a shadow of good things to come. The law tells us that we sin and we need an advocate, a way to be forgiven of those sins. The system given to Moses was but a shadow, an image of things. The system couldn't make anyone perfect.
{10:2} For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. {10:3} But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. {10:4} For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Moses was given the figure of what was to come, the image, but the figure isn't the true, the image not the real. The blood of animals could never completely take away the sins of the people, never.
{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.
The sacrifice of animals was done away with because it was just an image, just a figure of what was to come. Jesus said He came to do God's will. He came to take away the first so the He could establish the second. He came to do away with the old imperfect system, a system that pointed to the perfect system to come.
{10:10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all.]
{10:11} And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
{10:12} But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God
{10:13} From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
{10:14} For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
{10:15} [Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
{10:16} This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
{10:17} And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
{10:18} Now where remission of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin.
We are made holy through the offering of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, after He died for our sins sat down on the right hand of God.
By His offering He gave a perfect sacrifice! No lamb, no doves, no heifers, no animal sacrificed was a perfect sacrifice. They were a substitute for the actual until the time that the perfect sacrifice could be made and that perfect sacrifice was and is Jesus. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice able to make us holy in Him taking away our sinfulness, something no animal could ever do.
God's laws are in our hearts and minds He puts them there, those who wish to serve Him, to love Him, to accept His sacrifice for them.
Our sins are forgiven by Christ the ultimate sacrifice.
Are we holy? Are we sinless? Are we perfect? No, no, no. Christ is and we have the promise from Christ Himself that He will forgive us and send us the Holy Spirit, that Christ will dwell in us and us in Him and He in the Father. We will be one in love, a pure love that is holy, right, and good. It is Christ's righteousness which saves us now and forever no righteousness of our own, not a wit. By the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
The law having a shadow of good things to come.
When we think of the law of God we don't often think of the good things to come from it do we? The law to us in general subjects us to rules that we need to follow to please God, and they are for our own good. The law was a shadow of good things to come. The law tells us that we sin and we need an advocate, a way to be forgiven of those sins. The system given to Moses was but a shadow, an image of things. The system couldn't make anyone perfect.
{10:2} For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. {10:3} But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. {10:4} For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Moses was given the figure of what was to come, the image, but the figure isn't the true, the image not the real. The blood of animals could never completely take away the sins of the people, never.
{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.
The sacrifice of animals was done away with because it was just an image, just a figure of what was to come. Jesus said He came to do God's will. He came to take away the first so the He could establish the second. He came to do away with the old imperfect system, a system that pointed to the perfect system to come.
{10:10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all.]
{10:11} And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
{10:12} But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God
{10:13} From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
{10:14} For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
{10:15} [Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
{10:16} This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
{10:17} And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
{10:18} Now where remission of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin.
We are made holy through the offering of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, after He died for our sins sat down on the right hand of God.
By His offering He gave a perfect sacrifice! No lamb, no doves, no heifers, no animal sacrificed was a perfect sacrifice. They were a substitute for the actual until the time that the perfect sacrifice could be made and that perfect sacrifice was and is Jesus. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice able to make us holy in Him taking away our sinfulness, something no animal could ever do.
God's laws are in our hearts and minds He puts them there, those who wish to serve Him, to love Him, to accept His sacrifice for them.
Our sins are forgiven by Christ the ultimate sacrifice.
Are we holy? Are we sinless? Are we perfect? No, no, no. Christ is and we have the promise from Christ Himself that He will forgive us and send us the Holy Spirit, that Christ will dwell in us and us in Him and He in the Father. We will be one in love, a pure love that is holy, right, and good. It is Christ's righteousness which saves us now and forever no righteousness of our own, not a wit. By the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
When they are finally convinced it will be too late.
Jesus on prophecy-
John 14:29 'And now I have told you before it
come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might
believe.'
Told something before it happens- prophesizing.
So when it happens- you believe.
Watch- things will come to pass.
We have a wealth of prophecies that we've been allowed to realize beyond a doubt were written before they came to pass and a wealth of historical facts to prove the prophecies to be true. Many things were written so that we might believe.
Jesus prophesized of His death and resurrection before they happened and those that heard believed once it came to pass.
Prophecy is given to us allowing us to realize truly that God is in control. Skeptics reign in our world and they always will reign until Jesus returns. Unfortunately for those who choose not to believe in God's prophectic gift to mankind, for those who lack faith when they are finally convinced it will be too late.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him.
People cry out for concrete proof and ignore the fact they live and in that fact is proof alone. With scientist picking apart the human being and reducing them to cells that they can reproduce they claim to be able to play God in creating another human being but the fact remains no matter what scientists only use what has already been created and exists they have not brought into existence anything from nothing. They do not hold out their hand and in that hand appears that tiny bit of matter with which life begins. Anything they manipulate was already there in existence to be manipulated by them. The very fact they cannot produce something from absolutely nothing says one thing, they are not creators. They take from the already created and their so called new creations are merely manipulations. They are manipulators not creators. They don't create cures, they don't create disease they manipulate matter in existence and that manipulation brings forth various things for good or bad. They invent, they don't create. Even us ordinary men and women who reproduce we only do so with things created within us that we had no control over creating, all we've done is brought the two bits of matter together and from there the creating takes place not through any creating of our own but once again through us manipulating what is already there. We are not creators, we will never be creators. We can take a lump of clay and mold it into a gorgeous statue and people will call us the creator of that piece of work but the truth remains we only manipulated the clay we didn't bring the clay into existence, for that matter we didn't bring ourselves into existence. We are not creators. We take what exists and work with that. If we take two things and make something different a third thing that appears to be new that's all well and good but the fact remains we did not create those two things brought together to form that third. Ultimately when you break things down to their smallest component there was a Creator who brought into existence that smallest component. To assume that smallest component just popped into existence from no where is illogical because why aren't we still being bombarded with things just popping into existence? Why aren't we even seeing things popping into existence sparsely let alone being bombarded? These are all logic questions. When was the last time you heard of something that just appeared out of nowhere forming something brand new? What scientist has conjured from thin air, or rather from no where because yes they like to manipulate air too making it thin or thick- seriously they do manipulate air so that analogy falls short. What scientist had conjured something from nothing at all? I mean it. Nothing. What human being has just stood there and thought into existence anything at all? We have all sorts of fantasy movies and books about special people with powers able to do just that but those people are ficticious and in no way real. The fact remains there doesn't exist a single creator upon earth.
Satan, whose desire to be God overwhelmed him into believing he could be a creator- and yet he was a creation of God's. Creatures longing to be creators it hasn't ended not since Satan's pride reared up and spilled over into mankind.
We creatures have been blessed by our Creator and given so much by Him so that we might make that leap of faith. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we have that faith and as one man cried out- Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. May we too cry out the same. God will help our unbelief, because in asking for His help we are believing He is and He is able.
By His mercy! All power and glory, all praise to our God, our Lord, our Savior! By the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
John 14:29 'And now I have told you before it
come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might
believe.'
Told something before it happens- prophesizing.
So when it happens- you believe.
Watch- things will come to pass.
We have a wealth of prophecies that we've been allowed to realize beyond a doubt were written before they came to pass and a wealth of historical facts to prove the prophecies to be true. Many things were written so that we might believe.
Jesus prophesized of His death and resurrection before they happened and those that heard believed once it came to pass.
Prophecy is given to us allowing us to realize truly that God is in control. Skeptics reign in our world and they always will reign until Jesus returns. Unfortunately for those who choose not to believe in God's prophectic gift to mankind, for those who lack faith when they are finally convinced it will be too late.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him.
People cry out for concrete proof and ignore the fact they live and in that fact is proof alone. With scientist picking apart the human being and reducing them to cells that they can reproduce they claim to be able to play God in creating another human being but the fact remains no matter what scientists only use what has already been created and exists they have not brought into existence anything from nothing. They do not hold out their hand and in that hand appears that tiny bit of matter with which life begins. Anything they manipulate was already there in existence to be manipulated by them. The very fact they cannot produce something from absolutely nothing says one thing, they are not creators. They take from the already created and their so called new creations are merely manipulations. They are manipulators not creators. They don't create cures, they don't create disease they manipulate matter in existence and that manipulation brings forth various things for good or bad. They invent, they don't create. Even us ordinary men and women who reproduce we only do so with things created within us that we had no control over creating, all we've done is brought the two bits of matter together and from there the creating takes place not through any creating of our own but once again through us manipulating what is already there. We are not creators, we will never be creators. We can take a lump of clay and mold it into a gorgeous statue and people will call us the creator of that piece of work but the truth remains we only manipulated the clay we didn't bring the clay into existence, for that matter we didn't bring ourselves into existence. We are not creators. We take what exists and work with that. If we take two things and make something different a third thing that appears to be new that's all well and good but the fact remains we did not create those two things brought together to form that third. Ultimately when you break things down to their smallest component there was a Creator who brought into existence that smallest component. To assume that smallest component just popped into existence from no where is illogical because why aren't we still being bombarded with things just popping into existence? Why aren't we even seeing things popping into existence sparsely let alone being bombarded? These are all logic questions. When was the last time you heard of something that just appeared out of nowhere forming something brand new? What scientist has conjured from thin air, or rather from no where because yes they like to manipulate air too making it thin or thick- seriously they do manipulate air so that analogy falls short. What scientist had conjured something from nothing at all? I mean it. Nothing. What human being has just stood there and thought into existence anything at all? We have all sorts of fantasy movies and books about special people with powers able to do just that but those people are ficticious and in no way real. The fact remains there doesn't exist a single creator upon earth.
Satan, whose desire to be God overwhelmed him into believing he could be a creator- and yet he was a creation of God's. Creatures longing to be creators it hasn't ended not since Satan's pride reared up and spilled over into mankind.
We creatures have been blessed by our Creator and given so much by Him so that we might make that leap of faith. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we have that faith and as one man cried out- Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. May we too cry out the same. God will help our unbelief, because in asking for His help we are believing He is and He is able.
By His mercy! All power and glory, all praise to our God, our Lord, our Savior! By the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Lord's Supper
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.
{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.
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.
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