Proactive.
Now there's a word you hear a lot of these days, proactive. Just what does that word conjure up in your thoughts when you hear it? To me it means I'm going to actively do something rather than sit around hoping someone else might do it. If I take a proactive stance it's one that is advocating action towards something rather than inaction. Proactive is basically taking steps, taking action hoping to be ahead of the game so to speak, to perhaps even ward off something undesirable in the future. If I take a proactive step against insects invading my house I might lay down poison outside to prevent them from getting in. I might even get a few of those electronic pest control devices, I might also have on hand spray cans of insect control poison so I can be ready just in case they breach all my barriers I've set up. I might not wait until they've invaded to act but rather be prepared before they do and stay ready for what some might consider inevitable here in Southwest Florida. If I slack off and forget to renew the outside poison and the rain and wind along with the hot sun wear it away then I'm at a great risk for insect invasion. If my proactive steps cease then I'm setting myself up for disaster of the creepy crawly kind.
There is a lot to say for being proactive. I believe all of God's probation officers need to be proactive. You can't be one who forewarns of the impending end of probation if you're not doing the warning part. If the whole of the earths occupants are on probation and probation is almost up and your fate is to be decided based on your actions during probation, it's not time to fall asleep and grow lackadaisical. If those all around you risk their probation period coming to an end at any moment don't they need to know that they are on probation?
What? You think everyone automatically knows? Well, a lot of people do and surely most adults realize that they're eventually going to die and then their fate is decided, but most are under the impression that they'll be okay one way or another. Even those that proudly announce they're going to hell so to speak- going to the grave and they aren't going to be with Jesus in heaven when he returns- even they somehow think things will work out for them and life or rather life after life won't be such a bad thing. Some even truly believe they are living in life after death right now and it's as bad as things will ever get for them. More than a few understand that things won't be pleasant for them later on and so they are trying to make the best of things right here and now- the best of things meaning have as much fun and self-indulgance as possible because this is as good as it's gonna get for them. Cease the moment and live in it without thoughts for consequences. So yeah, a lot of people understand that there are choices to make and a lot want to put it off until later or just don't want to bother at all for one reason or another. Life's probation is real and we that believe in the reality of it are duty bound to be witnesses to that fact.
Jesus' entire ministry was spent preaching about eternal life in Him, by His grace and love. People came up to Him asking what they had to do to be saved, to have this eternal life He talked of and Jesus told them. Love God, love others. Jesus died preaching eternity in Him and His love.
1 John {1:1} That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
life; {1:2} (For the life was manifested, and we have seen
[it,] and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
{1:3} That which we have seen and heard declare we unto
you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus
Christ. {1:4} And these things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full.
Witnesses! Proactive declarer-s of Jesus' life and in Him life eternal.
1 John {5:5} Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
{5:6} This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus
Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is
the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
{5:7} For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are
one. {5:8} And there are three that bear witness in earth, the
spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in
one. {5:9} If we receive the witness of men, the witness of
God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath
testified of his Son. {5:10} He that believeth on the Son of
God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God
hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son. {5:11} And this is the record, that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
{5:12} He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not
the Son of God hath not life. {5:13} These things have I
written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye
may believe on the name of the Son of God. {5:14} And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask
any thing according to his will, he heareth us: {5:15} And if
we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that
we have the petitions that we desired of him.
3 John {1:5} Beloved, thou doest faithfully
whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
{1:6} Which have borne witness of thy charity before the
church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a
godly sort, thou shalt do well: {1:7} Because that for his
name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
{1:8} We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be
fellowhelpers to the truth.
Fellowhelpers to the truth! Witnesses!
Rev. {1:4} John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace
[be] unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which
was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits
which are before his throne; {1:5} And from Jesus Christ,
[who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the
dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood
Jesus Christ the faithful witness! He alone has been the perfect witness of life in God, of life everlasting in the Father.
Rev. {3:14} And unto the angel of the church of the
Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful
and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God
The faithful and true witness! Jesus!
Rev. {20:4} And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of
them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their
foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years.
Beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God.
Killed witnessing of Jesus, killed for witnessing the word of God.
Is probation a serious thing? Things don't get more serious than probation and realizing that life now is our probation and life soon will be when probation is over and our fates decided. May our fates be such that we are declared witnesses of Jesus, faithful witnesses, even if that means death because we hold fast to that witness and never cease.
May the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be ours now and forever as we seek to witness of Him, for Him, in Him as probation for the world quickly runs out. May we through the Holy Spirit remain stedfast in Christ's love no matter what we are called to endure whether it's something life threatening or whether it is to remain stedfast as a witness to those who are around us who say they love us. No matter what road we are called to travel let it be forever the road that leads to the cross, to eternal life in our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Amen.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
We all have a choice, every single one of us.
John {5:24} Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. {5:25} Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. {5:26} For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; {5:27} And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. {5:28} Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, {5:29} And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. {5:30} I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
If we hear Jesus' words and if we believe in God who sent Him, we will have everlasting life. We won't be condemned. We will pass from death to life. There will come a time and in fact even now when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
Think about it, we are all dead in our sins. Death is promised to all of us if we do absolutely nothing it is ours. Only when we accept Christ are we given the chance to live without death's promise hanging over us.
Eph. {2:5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
We are brought to life, true life only in Christ through His grace and mercy.
John {5:28} Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, {5:29} And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation
Picture it.
There have been enough zombie movies to picture it with a bit of detail, of course our idea of things isn't God's idea of things. Still we've seen people coming up out of graves. Just imagine this scene- ALL that are in the graves -- ALL will hear the voice of Jesus. When all hear they come forth from those graves. Everyone who has ever lived and everyone who has ever died will come forth from their graves and some of them will come forth to life and others to damnation. Those who have done good to life, those who have done evil to damnation.
We've heard this tale over and over, the good go to heaven the bad suffer. We see try to emulate that in our own lives. We want the bad to be punished and the good to be rewarded. All too often the bad are rewarded while the good suffer and it seems so wrong to us that it should be that way. Our societies are founded with the hope of good prevailing but more often than not those governing our societies turn out to be corrupted. When we are told that those who have done good will live and yet we find ourselves filled with evil ways we despair of ever living eternally, we have to realize that the only good thing we can do is accept Christ and His righteousness.
All that are in the graves will hear and that day is soon arriving.
1 Thess. {4:16} For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: {4:17} Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. {4:18} Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
When Christ Himself comes down from heaven with a shout... the dead in Christ shall rise first.
The day is coming. Not all of us will be dead but when Christ comes our fate will have been decided. Only those IN CHRIST will live. The dead in Christ will live. Those alive in Christ will live. No one who doesn't have Christ in their lives, no one who is not IN Christ will live because it's only in Him we can live. Life is in Christ and only in Christ and while many will tell you differently and try to convince you of many, many things we can't believe them, we can't turn to man for the answers but only Christ. Mankind will fill our heads with all sorts of amazing and believable things to convince us of why we shouldn't live our lives in Christ. When Christ returns and calls His people to Him there will be many who won't be In Him, many who will have chosen to live for themselves and not Christ.
We all have a choice, every single one of us.
John {5:30} I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Jesus of Himself does nothing. His judgment is just. He doesn't seek His ownself. Jesus seeks the will of His Father who sent Him.
If Jesus does nothing of Himself and He is our example, we can do nothing for ourselves, nothing of ourselves all we do is to be one through Him, by Him. Our Heavenly Father we live for Him to do His will. We must give ourselves to Him, now and forever.
By the Grace and Mercy of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen.
If we hear Jesus' words and if we believe in God who sent Him, we will have everlasting life. We won't be condemned. We will pass from death to life. There will come a time and in fact even now when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
Think about it, we are all dead in our sins. Death is promised to all of us if we do absolutely nothing it is ours. Only when we accept Christ are we given the chance to live without death's promise hanging over us.
Eph. {2:5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
We are brought to life, true life only in Christ through His grace and mercy.
John {5:28} Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, {5:29} And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation
Picture it.
There have been enough zombie movies to picture it with a bit of detail, of course our idea of things isn't God's idea of things. Still we've seen people coming up out of graves. Just imagine this scene- ALL that are in the graves -- ALL will hear the voice of Jesus. When all hear they come forth from those graves. Everyone who has ever lived and everyone who has ever died will come forth from their graves and some of them will come forth to life and others to damnation. Those who have done good to life, those who have done evil to damnation.
We've heard this tale over and over, the good go to heaven the bad suffer. We see try to emulate that in our own lives. We want the bad to be punished and the good to be rewarded. All too often the bad are rewarded while the good suffer and it seems so wrong to us that it should be that way. Our societies are founded with the hope of good prevailing but more often than not those governing our societies turn out to be corrupted. When we are told that those who have done good will live and yet we find ourselves filled with evil ways we despair of ever living eternally, we have to realize that the only good thing we can do is accept Christ and His righteousness.
All that are in the graves will hear and that day is soon arriving.
1 Thess. {4:16} For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: {4:17} Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. {4:18} Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
When Christ Himself comes down from heaven with a shout... the dead in Christ shall rise first.
The day is coming. Not all of us will be dead but when Christ comes our fate will have been decided. Only those IN CHRIST will live. The dead in Christ will live. Those alive in Christ will live. No one who doesn't have Christ in their lives, no one who is not IN Christ will live because it's only in Him we can live. Life is in Christ and only in Christ and while many will tell you differently and try to convince you of many, many things we can't believe them, we can't turn to man for the answers but only Christ. Mankind will fill our heads with all sorts of amazing and believable things to convince us of why we shouldn't live our lives in Christ. When Christ returns and calls His people to Him there will be many who won't be In Him, many who will have chosen to live for themselves and not Christ.
We all have a choice, every single one of us.
John {5:30} I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Jesus of Himself does nothing. His judgment is just. He doesn't seek His ownself. Jesus seeks the will of His Father who sent Him.
If Jesus does nothing of Himself and He is our example, we can do nothing for ourselves, nothing of ourselves all we do is to be one through Him, by Him. Our Heavenly Father we live for Him to do His will. We must give ourselves to Him, now and forever.
By the Grace and Mercy of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A World On Probation
A World On Probation.
In any prison system you will find a few things to be universally true. One of those things is all the prisoners have been convicted of a crime. Another truth is not all are guilty of that crime for which they are convicted but the majority of them are. You'll find those who are very deserving of their sentence and those who aren't as deserving. You will even find some completely innocent - at least of the crime for which they are in prison for. You'll find some who are evil through and through in their actions and given half a chance they'd do over everything exactly as they did before. You'll find others who are just biding their time and are planning on being much more careful in their criminal life later on should they get out. You'll also find those who are truly remorseful for what they've done and they swear they would never ever commit that crime again, never. One thing is certain many criminals serve their time and when they are released regardless of their remorse or lack thereof, they are put on probation. They are let out of prison and into society once more and told to behave because they're being watched. At anytime their probation officer can show up and demand certain things from them in order to prove they're behaving. They live under probation for a set period of time and it's basically set up so that the caretakers of society can watch them and determine if it was the right thing to do, releasing them from prison. They hope it's the right thing because making a mistake is very costly. Often you'll hear of some atrocity committed by some criminal who was let out on probation, some criminal that had they never been released would never have committed the second crime. Yet on the opposite side of things you have those who are released and go on to become upstanding members of the community. It's a gamble when the criminal is released because there is no guarantee on the outcome of their lives. A trust is placed in them to not return to a life of crime, and yet it's a trust that is easily broken and yet we don't end the system of probation even though the trust has been broken over and over and over and most would say the system is very broken. We continue the system of probation because we really need to hope that it works in most cases and we can't deprive people of that opportunity to show they've reformed, that they won't continue down a path of crime. If we kept every criminal in jail forever we might find he majority of the population would be in there, or at least such a vast part of it that we'd need a system other than us building prisons and tending to them.
In the beginning God created a perfect world. A twist of fate created the first criminal, the first abberation, the first sin. God is God knowing all there is to know. Knowing right from wrong, knowing good from evil.
To keep all evil from ruling God created creatures that could choose one or the other. Because a great evil exists in creating creatures without choice. There is a hollow emptiness that is void of true love when there is no choice. Take what we call love between a man and a woman, a husband and wife. When a marriage is prearranged and no choice given to either party it is entered out of duty and because the choice isn't there it is just one more aspect of life that holds very little emotional value- it is in reality another job in life. When a person is allowed to choose the one they marry there is joy involved that isn't there when the marriage isn't made out of choice.
Being allowed to choose the different paths we take in life is enriching in many ways. Being a slave without any choice in the path our lives take is what we call inhumane and we call it that because choice is so amazingly important a part of being the creatures that we are. Slavery is horrific and abolished by law around the world- of course that doesn't mean it doesn't exist because it does in astounding numbers. Taking away choice is an evil, allowing to choose is freedom. One is good, one is bad.
A God of love could never create an intelligent being and strip them of the freedom of choice without being evil. Our God of love created beings with choice knowing that the creatures created might choose to embrace evil. Because our God knew this was possible and because He knew that Good is triumphant over Evil, He not only created one very intelligence sort of creation, He created another.
When the first sort of creation became corrupted God knew that things would have to unfold to the point beyond any doubt that the corrupted things must be done away with if any of the creations were to survive and not be obliterated out of existence entirely. When the first creation corrupted the second creation it was even more important that this entire scene unfold so that the power of choice could remain intact while ridding all of creation of the evil that had been brought into it. Once the choice was made the good should rule over evil the choice had to extend to ALL of the created beings and when given a choice there comes a time of choosing. First there is a time of revelation- where all beings are allowed to witness the outcomes of their choices by understanding what exist before them right then.
Good verses Evil.
Choices to make.
You have that choice, I have that choice and we live in a world on probation with probation quickly winding down to a point where once probation is up the world will be made new with those who have decided to choose good over evil. When a criminal's probation is up it is up by one of a few ways- it's up because they've chosen to remain good and are free to live without probation hanging over them any longer, or it is up because they've been put back into prison because they've chosen not to remain acceptable to society, they've chosen not to remain good; or they've died which has taken away any choice at all. Those are three ways probation is over. When the world's probation is up there will be those who have chosen the path of goodness found only in the salvation and mercy, the rightousness of Jesus Christ; or there will be those who have chosen the path of evil found in Satan and the many disguises He uses to keep us from salvation in Christ. Also, when the world's probation is up there will be those who are dead and they will be either dead in Christ, or dead without Christ.
Make no mistake about the world's probation coming to a close. We've been given a very reliable testament to its closing. The timetable given to us is unfolding faster and faster as we were told it would. We don't know when the last bell will sound, but we are given plenty of warning bells before hand. The bells are ringing faster and faster now and soon the world's probation will be over, all choices made.
Revelation {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.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
May the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever!
In any prison system you will find a few things to be universally true. One of those things is all the prisoners have been convicted of a crime. Another truth is not all are guilty of that crime for which they are convicted but the majority of them are. You'll find those who are very deserving of their sentence and those who aren't as deserving. You will even find some completely innocent - at least of the crime for which they are in prison for. You'll find some who are evil through and through in their actions and given half a chance they'd do over everything exactly as they did before. You'll find others who are just biding their time and are planning on being much more careful in their criminal life later on should they get out. You'll also find those who are truly remorseful for what they've done and they swear they would never ever commit that crime again, never. One thing is certain many criminals serve their time and when they are released regardless of their remorse or lack thereof, they are put on probation. They are let out of prison and into society once more and told to behave because they're being watched. At anytime their probation officer can show up and demand certain things from them in order to prove they're behaving. They live under probation for a set period of time and it's basically set up so that the caretakers of society can watch them and determine if it was the right thing to do, releasing them from prison. They hope it's the right thing because making a mistake is very costly. Often you'll hear of some atrocity committed by some criminal who was let out on probation, some criminal that had they never been released would never have committed the second crime. Yet on the opposite side of things you have those who are released and go on to become upstanding members of the community. It's a gamble when the criminal is released because there is no guarantee on the outcome of their lives. A trust is placed in them to not return to a life of crime, and yet it's a trust that is easily broken and yet we don't end the system of probation even though the trust has been broken over and over and over and most would say the system is very broken. We continue the system of probation because we really need to hope that it works in most cases and we can't deprive people of that opportunity to show they've reformed, that they won't continue down a path of crime. If we kept every criminal in jail forever we might find he majority of the population would be in there, or at least such a vast part of it that we'd need a system other than us building prisons and tending to them.
In the beginning God created a perfect world. A twist of fate created the first criminal, the first abberation, the first sin. God is God knowing all there is to know. Knowing right from wrong, knowing good from evil.
To keep all evil from ruling God created creatures that could choose one or the other. Because a great evil exists in creating creatures without choice. There is a hollow emptiness that is void of true love when there is no choice. Take what we call love between a man and a woman, a husband and wife. When a marriage is prearranged and no choice given to either party it is entered out of duty and because the choice isn't there it is just one more aspect of life that holds very little emotional value- it is in reality another job in life. When a person is allowed to choose the one they marry there is joy involved that isn't there when the marriage isn't made out of choice.
Being allowed to choose the different paths we take in life is enriching in many ways. Being a slave without any choice in the path our lives take is what we call inhumane and we call it that because choice is so amazingly important a part of being the creatures that we are. Slavery is horrific and abolished by law around the world- of course that doesn't mean it doesn't exist because it does in astounding numbers. Taking away choice is an evil, allowing to choose is freedom. One is good, one is bad.
A God of love could never create an intelligent being and strip them of the freedom of choice without being evil. Our God of love created beings with choice knowing that the creatures created might choose to embrace evil. Because our God knew this was possible and because He knew that Good is triumphant over Evil, He not only created one very intelligence sort of creation, He created another.
When the first sort of creation became corrupted God knew that things would have to unfold to the point beyond any doubt that the corrupted things must be done away with if any of the creations were to survive and not be obliterated out of existence entirely. When the first creation corrupted the second creation it was even more important that this entire scene unfold so that the power of choice could remain intact while ridding all of creation of the evil that had been brought into it. Once the choice was made the good should rule over evil the choice had to extend to ALL of the created beings and when given a choice there comes a time of choosing. First there is a time of revelation- where all beings are allowed to witness the outcomes of their choices by understanding what exist before them right then.
Good verses Evil.
Choices to make.
You have that choice, I have that choice and we live in a world on probation with probation quickly winding down to a point where once probation is up the world will be made new with those who have decided to choose good over evil. When a criminal's probation is up it is up by one of a few ways- it's up because they've chosen to remain good and are free to live without probation hanging over them any longer, or it is up because they've been put back into prison because they've chosen not to remain acceptable to society, they've chosen not to remain good; or they've died which has taken away any choice at all. Those are three ways probation is over. When the world's probation is up there will be those who have chosen the path of goodness found only in the salvation and mercy, the rightousness of Jesus Christ; or there will be those who have chosen the path of evil found in Satan and the many disguises He uses to keep us from salvation in Christ. Also, when the world's probation is up there will be those who are dead and they will be either dead in Christ, or dead without Christ.
Make no mistake about the world's probation coming to a close. We've been given a very reliable testament to its closing. The timetable given to us is unfolding faster and faster as we were told it would. We don't know when the last bell will sound, but we are given plenty of warning bells before hand. The bells are ringing faster and faster now and soon the world's probation will be over, all choices made.
Revelation {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.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
May the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Probation Officers
Philippians
{2:19} But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. {2:20} For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
{2:21} For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
{2:22} But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
{2:23} Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
{2:24} But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
{2:25} Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
{2:26} For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
{2:27} For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
{2:28} I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
{2:29} Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation
{2:30} Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me
My brother, companion in labour, and fellow soldier...messenger, minister
Fellow soldier.
We who are Christ's are His people, His children, we are laborers together, we are soldiers.
Soldiers-
soldier (sol´jer) noun
1. One who serves in an army.
2. An enlisted person or a noncommissioned officer.
3. a. An active, loyal, and militant follower: a soldier in the environmental coalition. b. A trusted follower of an organized crime leader.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
An active, loyal, militant follower. A trusted follower of Jesus.
When a person joins the army they swear to serve their country, their loyalty is to their government. They pledge to obey, to follow the leaders of their country, if they don't then they are traitors. It's easy to define a loyal soldier of the world, easy to know when one is a traitor and when one is loyal. They either defend their country or they oppose it.
As soldiers for Christ we either defend Him or we don't. What exactly are we defending when we are a soldier of Christ's? When we serve Christ? We are loyal to Him and the message He brought to share with the world, a timeless message that will last until He returns because that is His message. Eternal life is real. It was real to Jesus and His followers when He first preached it and it is still real today. The timeless message will last for eternity. Christ came and lived a very powerful, if short life and suffered a horrific death preaching His message the entire time a message His followers were to share with others. Eternity in Christ. We today are soldiers for Christ bringing His message to others. Every soldier has the duty to protect that message, to share it, to pass it on.
The message is that probation is closing for everyone. Probation is closing for us as individuals.
Each of us are on probation from the moment we are aware of the choice we have to believe we are on probation. There is no minimum age limit, or maximum, probation is something we are born into.
What is probation?
probation (pro-bâ´shen) noun
1. A process or period in which a person's fitness, as for membership in a working or social group, is tested.
2. a. Law. The act of suspending the sentence of a person convicted of a criminal offense and granting that person provisional freedom on the promise of good behavior. b. A discharge for a person from commitment as an insane person on condition of continued sanity and of being recommitted upon the reappearance of insanity.
3. A trial period in which a student is given time to try to redeem failing grades or bad conduct.
4. The status of a person on probation.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
We live in probationary time. A time in which we are able to be redeemed through Christ.
If someone says probation is over then they mean the time to find redemption is over- by that point you are either redeemed in Christ or lost to Him.
We have criminals on probation- and that means they are watched, their actions are watched, they are accountable for their behavior during a set period of time and if they break that probation with unacceptable behavior they can be sent to jail. If they are good and behave appropriately during their probationary period then when their probation is up they are free and clear- no jail, no more probation.
We as Christians live in a time of probation and it's call life. This life we have the opportunity to be acceptable in Christ by choosing to follow Him and live for Him and no other- not self, not Satan. Our probation because it is our life means that it is up automatically when we die. We have endless, or rather a lifetime of opportunity to choose Christ- a whole lifetime. Of course we don't know how long we'll live, some have very short lives others very long lives.
When Christ preached His message He preached it loud and clear and that message was of finding eternal life in Him, salvation in Him, reconciliation with the Father in heaven in Him. That message was just and true and will come to pass. When Christ returns there will be people alive, a very few will be alive in Him while the majority will have chosen not to believe in Him. Before Christ returns probation will be closed. There will be a people alive who live when probation that gift of time in which to choose to live for Christ is over and the decision we made before probation closed is the decision we live with.
Just as we don't know when we will die, we don't know when Christ will return exactly but we are given signs. Some people are even given signs of their impending death. Christ will return there is no doubt, and another certainty in life is death- in fact some people say it's the only certainty. We know we will die and at that time we know our probation is up. We have to be ready ALWAYS during this period of probation to have Christ in our lives, believing in Christ accepting His salvation, His forgiveness, His love. We don't know when probation is up and so we need to be ready always and we have to tell others the same. We also have to tell them that time is growing shorter, Christ will return soon and impending death isn't the only end to probation for those living right before Christ returns.
Ready always!
1 Pet. {3:15} But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
Ready always!
We are soldiers for Christ that have to preach that we live in probation, that we all are subject to this probation. We are all guilty, we are all criminals in the eyes of God, all of us sinners and the only way we can survive to live for eternity is during our probation we accept Christ as our Savior daily!
When probation is over whether by death or by Christ's return everyone will have made their choice, no one is exempt from choosing, no one.
As soldiers with Christ we in essence are Christ's probation officers. We have and continue to accept Christ and it is our duty to bring this opportunity to others, our duty.
I thought about this the other day when something I was listening to hit me just right. When I was young I started college with the hope of being a probation officer. That hope wasn't realized for various reasons but God in His wisdom, with a personal irony for me, has made me His probation officer. So maybe I didn't become what I wanted to become in my own way, but Christ in His way gave me exactly what I wanted. So amazing.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior may my daily choice forever be the choice to be His follower and as His follower, His soldier and as His soldier, His probation officer. Give me the voice I need Lord to point to You and only You and Your love and grace, Your mercy, Your forgiveness, life in you forever!
Amen.
{2:19} But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. {2:20} For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
{2:21} For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
{2:22} But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
{2:23} Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
{2:24} But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
{2:25} Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
{2:26} For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
{2:27} For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
{2:28} I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
{2:29} Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation
{2:30} Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me
My brother, companion in labour, and fellow soldier...messenger, minister
Fellow soldier.
We who are Christ's are His people, His children, we are laborers together, we are soldiers.
Soldiers-
soldier (sol´jer) noun
1. One who serves in an army.
2. An enlisted person or a noncommissioned officer.
3. a. An active, loyal, and militant follower: a soldier in the environmental coalition. b. A trusted follower of an organized crime leader.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
An active, loyal, militant follower. A trusted follower of Jesus.
When a person joins the army they swear to serve their country, their loyalty is to their government. They pledge to obey, to follow the leaders of their country, if they don't then they are traitors. It's easy to define a loyal soldier of the world, easy to know when one is a traitor and when one is loyal. They either defend their country or they oppose it.
As soldiers for Christ we either defend Him or we don't. What exactly are we defending when we are a soldier of Christ's? When we serve Christ? We are loyal to Him and the message He brought to share with the world, a timeless message that will last until He returns because that is His message. Eternal life is real. It was real to Jesus and His followers when He first preached it and it is still real today. The timeless message will last for eternity. Christ came and lived a very powerful, if short life and suffered a horrific death preaching His message the entire time a message His followers were to share with others. Eternity in Christ. We today are soldiers for Christ bringing His message to others. Every soldier has the duty to protect that message, to share it, to pass it on.
The message is that probation is closing for everyone. Probation is closing for us as individuals.
Each of us are on probation from the moment we are aware of the choice we have to believe we are on probation. There is no minimum age limit, or maximum, probation is something we are born into.
What is probation?
probation (pro-bâ´shen) noun
1. A process or period in which a person's fitness, as for membership in a working or social group, is tested.
2. a. Law. The act of suspending the sentence of a person convicted of a criminal offense and granting that person provisional freedom on the promise of good behavior. b. A discharge for a person from commitment as an insane person on condition of continued sanity and of being recommitted upon the reappearance of insanity.
3. A trial period in which a student is given time to try to redeem failing grades or bad conduct.
4. The status of a person on probation.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
We live in probationary time. A time in which we are able to be redeemed through Christ.
If someone says probation is over then they mean the time to find redemption is over- by that point you are either redeemed in Christ or lost to Him.
We have criminals on probation- and that means they are watched, their actions are watched, they are accountable for their behavior during a set period of time and if they break that probation with unacceptable behavior they can be sent to jail. If they are good and behave appropriately during their probationary period then when their probation is up they are free and clear- no jail, no more probation.
We as Christians live in a time of probation and it's call life. This life we have the opportunity to be acceptable in Christ by choosing to follow Him and live for Him and no other- not self, not Satan. Our probation because it is our life means that it is up automatically when we die. We have endless, or rather a lifetime of opportunity to choose Christ- a whole lifetime. Of course we don't know how long we'll live, some have very short lives others very long lives.
When Christ preached His message He preached it loud and clear and that message was of finding eternal life in Him, salvation in Him, reconciliation with the Father in heaven in Him. That message was just and true and will come to pass. When Christ returns there will be people alive, a very few will be alive in Him while the majority will have chosen not to believe in Him. Before Christ returns probation will be closed. There will be a people alive who live when probation that gift of time in which to choose to live for Christ is over and the decision we made before probation closed is the decision we live with.
Just as we don't know when we will die, we don't know when Christ will return exactly but we are given signs. Some people are even given signs of their impending death. Christ will return there is no doubt, and another certainty in life is death- in fact some people say it's the only certainty. We know we will die and at that time we know our probation is up. We have to be ready ALWAYS during this period of probation to have Christ in our lives, believing in Christ accepting His salvation, His forgiveness, His love. We don't know when probation is up and so we need to be ready always and we have to tell others the same. We also have to tell them that time is growing shorter, Christ will return soon and impending death isn't the only end to probation for those living right before Christ returns.
Ready always!
1 Pet. {3:15} But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
Ready always!
We are soldiers for Christ that have to preach that we live in probation, that we all are subject to this probation. We are all guilty, we are all criminals in the eyes of God, all of us sinners and the only way we can survive to live for eternity is during our probation we accept Christ as our Savior daily!
When probation is over whether by death or by Christ's return everyone will have made their choice, no one is exempt from choosing, no one.
As soldiers with Christ we in essence are Christ's probation officers. We have and continue to accept Christ and it is our duty to bring this opportunity to others, our duty.
I thought about this the other day when something I was listening to hit me just right. When I was young I started college with the hope of being a probation officer. That hope wasn't realized for various reasons but God in His wisdom, with a personal irony for me, has made me His probation officer. So maybe I didn't become what I wanted to become in my own way, but Christ in His way gave me exactly what I wanted. So amazing.
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior may my daily choice forever be the choice to be His follower and as His follower, His soldier and as His soldier, His probation officer. Give me the voice I need Lord to point to You and only You and Your love and grace, Your mercy, Your forgiveness, life in you forever!
Amen.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Blessed are they that do his commandments
Rev. {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.
Blessed are they that do His commandments.
Are we supposed to automatically be able to *do* the commandments? If something is automatic do we really need to be told to do it? If it is part of our life, if it all comes natural to us we really wouldn't have to be told to do it, right? When we're raising our children we instruct them in the ways of life. Things don't come natural to them. Oh, we'd like to think a child would automatically potty train themselves but in reality they don't, they are taught where to go once their bowels muscles are under their control, or they watch and imitate what others are doing- the point being they have to learn to do it. The same for many, many things, children don't just naturally eat neatly. They are taught to wipe their mouths, taught to wash their hands, taught to brush their teeth. Life as a child is spent learning how to be a proper adult and with good instruction aren't ALL taught and learn? Not necessarily. You could be the best teacher and still have a naturally unruly child, a bad seed so to speak. Then there are all different in-betweens the good and the bad. We as human beings have been given an opportunity to learn from the greatest teacher ever- our Heavenly Father.
God is very loving and He's set up our very lives to reveal His own. Parents and children and even if you've never been a parent you can witness the parents around you and guess what, no one escapes being a child and having a parent- no one. Don't even go to the orphans and such, they all still have a parental figure who might not necessarily be a good parental figure. All children are exposed to adults and as such they have a figure to look to. Some have the best parents ever, loving and kind and others have a mere caregiver who only cares if the child stays out of their way and does what they are told. And yes, there are many abusive parents and no, they aren't good examples of a loving father but they sure teach the abused child the horrors of life and I'm not saying that's a good thing. The only point I'm trying to make is the type of Father/Child exists and there are several combinations that can exist. Good/Good, Good/Bad, Bad/Good, Bad/Bad and many inbetween, such as partially good etc. We have only one example in our Heavenly Father- He will always be Good. Will He be exacting? Yes. Will He punish? Yes. Will He get angry? Yes. But His ways are just and true.
Rev. 15:3 '...God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.'
Our heavenly Father gives us instructions in life that will...yes, go against our naturally corrupt inclinations. We are given an opportunity to choose over and over and over again, daily we are given opportunities to make the choices. Our lives are made up of making choices and even if we're not faced with outright choices that we recognize as such- content to just live our lives as we want, that in itself is a choice. Any day we don't recognize God as our Heavenly Father, any day we don't cling to Christ asking for forgiveness, asking for salvation, asking for His righteousness in place of our own is a day we are choosing to walk our own path on our own steam thinking we exist in our good lives on our own steam. We don't. We exist because the Lord has given us life and then offered us through all our hardships and whatnot a way to the true path of life eternal. We are all offered this life eternal. We are all given an opportunity to do as God wills.
As stated above, if we all are automatically able to do something it isn't something we are told to do. If we automatically breathe we aren't told to breathe- it comes automatically, right?
Rev. {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.
We have a choice to do God's commandments or not and if we think they come automatically- that we can keep them without making the choice to do so then we are setting ourselves up to fail. If we get caught up in the whole you're thinking by doing that you'll be saved, so you just don't do that thing or shouldn't be compelled to do it, then it's another trap altogether. We have to choose to do His commandments. We have a choice to make and we make it all the time. Just because you choose to do something won't save you, but certainly choosing not to will condemn you outright.
We are given commands. A command is something we are given and expected to follow or suffer the consequences of that action. There comes a point where we really do have to trust that God will take our actions and by the grace and mercy of Christ make them acceptable to Him. But we do have to commit to the action of doing.
When that verse from the Bible says- Blessed are they that do his commandments- does it mean blessed are they that don't choose but automatically do the commandments? No. There is no automatic about it all. Blessed are they that do his commandments. Meaning blessed are those that choose to do His commandments. Blessed are they that do his commandments why? That they might have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. Obviously those that choose not to do his commandments won't have that right, and they won't enter through the gate.
Choose and trust in God to make the choice acceptable. Don't choose purposely NOT to do His commandments under the false pretense of not wanting to be bless by your own works. Choose to do His commandments and trust in God to work in and on our hearts to make our choice acceptable. The devil would have us think we are trying to *work* our way to heaven, but that's just another trap of His. He wants us to choose not to do God's commandments for whatever reason suits us personally. He'll use any means he can to keep us from doing God's commandments. He'll set up obstacles all along the way for us at every step.
Something that just occurred to me- there are a few of the Ten Commandments that we find all but impossible to keep- those that involve the thinking- the coveting (even in little things), the lying (little white lies) and that being so-- shouldn't we strive to do all the Commandments that we don't necessarily find emotionally, mentally trying? What I mean is-- most of us don't have a problem with killing so keeping/doing that commandment is fairly easy, the same for stealing, adultery, worshipping pagan gods. We generally don't fail at those commandments we do them. And then there is the Sabbath commandment, another that should be fairly easy to keep and yet for many it's extremely hard. Some purposely don't even try to keep the Sabbath because they get caught up in the whole bit about if my spirit isn't right doing it- if I'm reluctant then I'm not really keeping it so why bother. I say bother, because if you put yourself in the position you can give your heart to God and ask Him to make it right, but if you never put yourself in the position of doing His commandment then you will never give Him a chance to make your heart right.
Anyways, we have to choose to do His commandments. Don't think for one moment that they are automatically done. It's by the grace of our Lord that we can do His commandments. If we choose to do them, Christ will make our choices acceptable to the Father. By His amazing, unfathomable mercy and love, now and forever.
Amen.
Rev. {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.
Come. I say Come!
I'm thirsty, Lord. So thirsty, please give to me the water of life freely, the water found in Christ, through Christ only and always.
Blessed are they that do His commandments.
Are we supposed to automatically be able to *do* the commandments? If something is automatic do we really need to be told to do it? If it is part of our life, if it all comes natural to us we really wouldn't have to be told to do it, right? When we're raising our children we instruct them in the ways of life. Things don't come natural to them. Oh, we'd like to think a child would automatically potty train themselves but in reality they don't, they are taught where to go once their bowels muscles are under their control, or they watch and imitate what others are doing- the point being they have to learn to do it. The same for many, many things, children don't just naturally eat neatly. They are taught to wipe their mouths, taught to wash their hands, taught to brush their teeth. Life as a child is spent learning how to be a proper adult and with good instruction aren't ALL taught and learn? Not necessarily. You could be the best teacher and still have a naturally unruly child, a bad seed so to speak. Then there are all different in-betweens the good and the bad. We as human beings have been given an opportunity to learn from the greatest teacher ever- our Heavenly Father.
God is very loving and He's set up our very lives to reveal His own. Parents and children and even if you've never been a parent you can witness the parents around you and guess what, no one escapes being a child and having a parent- no one. Don't even go to the orphans and such, they all still have a parental figure who might not necessarily be a good parental figure. All children are exposed to adults and as such they have a figure to look to. Some have the best parents ever, loving and kind and others have a mere caregiver who only cares if the child stays out of their way and does what they are told. And yes, there are many abusive parents and no, they aren't good examples of a loving father but they sure teach the abused child the horrors of life and I'm not saying that's a good thing. The only point I'm trying to make is the type of Father/Child exists and there are several combinations that can exist. Good/Good, Good/Bad, Bad/Good, Bad/Bad and many inbetween, such as partially good etc. We have only one example in our Heavenly Father- He will always be Good. Will He be exacting? Yes. Will He punish? Yes. Will He get angry? Yes. But His ways are just and true.
Rev. 15:3 '...God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.'
Our heavenly Father gives us instructions in life that will...yes, go against our naturally corrupt inclinations. We are given an opportunity to choose over and over and over again, daily we are given opportunities to make the choices. Our lives are made up of making choices and even if we're not faced with outright choices that we recognize as such- content to just live our lives as we want, that in itself is a choice. Any day we don't recognize God as our Heavenly Father, any day we don't cling to Christ asking for forgiveness, asking for salvation, asking for His righteousness in place of our own is a day we are choosing to walk our own path on our own steam thinking we exist in our good lives on our own steam. We don't. We exist because the Lord has given us life and then offered us through all our hardships and whatnot a way to the true path of life eternal. We are all offered this life eternal. We are all given an opportunity to do as God wills.
As stated above, if we all are automatically able to do something it isn't something we are told to do. If we automatically breathe we aren't told to breathe- it comes automatically, right?
Rev. {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.
We have a choice to do God's commandments or not and if we think they come automatically- that we can keep them without making the choice to do so then we are setting ourselves up to fail. If we get caught up in the whole you're thinking by doing that you'll be saved, so you just don't do that thing or shouldn't be compelled to do it, then it's another trap altogether. We have to choose to do His commandments. We have a choice to make and we make it all the time. Just because you choose to do something won't save you, but certainly choosing not to will condemn you outright.
We are given commands. A command is something we are given and expected to follow or suffer the consequences of that action. There comes a point where we really do have to trust that God will take our actions and by the grace and mercy of Christ make them acceptable to Him. But we do have to commit to the action of doing.
When that verse from the Bible says- Blessed are they that do his commandments- does it mean blessed are they that don't choose but automatically do the commandments? No. There is no automatic about it all. Blessed are they that do his commandments. Meaning blessed are those that choose to do His commandments. Blessed are they that do his commandments why? That they might have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. Obviously those that choose not to do his commandments won't have that right, and they won't enter through the gate.
Choose and trust in God to make the choice acceptable. Don't choose purposely NOT to do His commandments under the false pretense of not wanting to be bless by your own works. Choose to do His commandments and trust in God to work in and on our hearts to make our choice acceptable. The devil would have us think we are trying to *work* our way to heaven, but that's just another trap of His. He wants us to choose not to do God's commandments for whatever reason suits us personally. He'll use any means he can to keep us from doing God's commandments. He'll set up obstacles all along the way for us at every step.
Something that just occurred to me- there are a few of the Ten Commandments that we find all but impossible to keep- those that involve the thinking- the coveting (even in little things), the lying (little white lies) and that being so-- shouldn't we strive to do all the Commandments that we don't necessarily find emotionally, mentally trying? What I mean is-- most of us don't have a problem with killing so keeping/doing that commandment is fairly easy, the same for stealing, adultery, worshipping pagan gods. We generally don't fail at those commandments we do them. And then there is the Sabbath commandment, another that should be fairly easy to keep and yet for many it's extremely hard. Some purposely don't even try to keep the Sabbath because they get caught up in the whole bit about if my spirit isn't right doing it- if I'm reluctant then I'm not really keeping it so why bother. I say bother, because if you put yourself in the position you can give your heart to God and ask Him to make it right, but if you never put yourself in the position of doing His commandment then you will never give Him a chance to make your heart right.
Anyways, we have to choose to do His commandments. Don't think for one moment that they are automatically done. It's by the grace of our Lord that we can do His commandments. If we choose to do them, Christ will make our choices acceptable to the Father. By His amazing, unfathomable mercy and love, now and forever.
Amen.
Rev. {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.
Come. I say Come!
I'm thirsty, Lord. So thirsty, please give to me the water of life freely, the water found in Christ, through Christ only and always.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Striving
Col.
{1:19} For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell
{1:20} And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say,] whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.
{1:21} And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
{1:22} In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
{1:23} If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister
{1:24} Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church
{1:25} Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
{1:26} [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints
{1:27} To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
{1:28} Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus
{1:29} Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Paul labors...strives according to the work of Jesus Christ, a work that works even in him.
Striving is important. People tend to equate striving with trying to work their way to heaven and we all know that works mean nothing, we're saved by faith. The striving is to minister the word of Christ's salvation being offered to all.
Preaching- warning- teaching all wisdom and that wisdom is Christ, in Christ, and we must have Christ in our lives.
We need to continue in the faith grounded and settled- when you're grounded and settled in something it's part of your life. If hope becomes part of our lives we can't lose it can we? The hope is Christ and Him crucified for us. Christ suffered and died for us and it's something we can't forget. We can't forget that Christ lives for us. We live because He lives. Every breath we take we take for Him.
Our minds have us committing wicked works which cause alienation between us and Christ. We can be reconciled to Christ because Christ came for that purpose and that purpose only. Only through Christ do we live. Accepting what Christ had done for us is what we need to do, relying solely on Him and not upon ourselves at all. We need to spread this same hope to all, to let all others know that they too can have that hope, the hope that is found in Christ, the only hope that truly matters.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we find our hope only in Him, striving, labouring, ministering, preaching as He would have us do.
Amen.
{1:19} For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell
{1:20} And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say,] whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.
{1:21} And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
{1:22} In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
{1:23} If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister
{1:24} Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church
{1:25} Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
{1:26} [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints
{1:27} To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
{1:28} Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus
{1:29} Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Paul labors...strives according to the work of Jesus Christ, a work that works even in him.
Striving is important. People tend to equate striving with trying to work their way to heaven and we all know that works mean nothing, we're saved by faith. The striving is to minister the word of Christ's salvation being offered to all.
Preaching- warning- teaching all wisdom and that wisdom is Christ, in Christ, and we must have Christ in our lives.
We need to continue in the faith grounded and settled- when you're grounded and settled in something it's part of your life. If hope becomes part of our lives we can't lose it can we? The hope is Christ and Him crucified for us. Christ suffered and died for us and it's something we can't forget. We can't forget that Christ lives for us. We live because He lives. Every breath we take we take for Him.
Our minds have us committing wicked works which cause alienation between us and Christ. We can be reconciled to Christ because Christ came for that purpose and that purpose only. Only through Christ do we live. Accepting what Christ had done for us is what we need to do, relying solely on Him and not upon ourselves at all. We need to spread this same hope to all, to let all others know that they too can have that hope, the hope that is found in Christ, the only hope that truly matters.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we find our hope only in Him, striving, labouring, ministering, preaching as He would have us do.
Amen.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Do you believe Jesus died?
1 Thess.
{5:1} But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
{5:2} For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
{5:3} For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
{5:4} But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
{5:5} Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
{5:6} Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
{5:7} For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
{5:8} But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. {5:9} For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
{5:10} Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
{5:11} Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Matthew
{24:36} But of that day and hour knoweth no [man,] no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
{24:37} But as the days of Noe [were,] so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
{24:38} For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark
{24:39} And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
{24:40} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
{24:41} Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
{24:42} Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
{24:43} But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
{24:44} Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Rev.
{1:5} And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
{1:6} And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
{1:7} Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Matthew
{24:22} And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be
shortened.
{24:23} Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.
{24:24} For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were]
possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
{24:25} Behold, I have told you before.
{24:26} Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, [he is] in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.
{24:27} For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
1 Thess.
{4:14} For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
{4:15} For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
{4:16} For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first
{4:17} Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
{4:18} Wherefore comfort one another with these words
1 Cor.
{15:51} Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
{15:52} In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
{15:53} For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.
{15:54} So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
{15:55} O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?
It's true. Christ is coming again. Christ is coming because He promised He would come and there would be a people waiting for Him. Not only would there be a people waiting for Him, but the dead in Christ would rise to meet Him.
Do you believe Jesus died?
Do you believe that Jesus rose again?
Are you one of millions who celebrate the resurrection of your Savior from the dead?
Then you have to believe that the breath of life that returns to God who gave it, when a person dies, will once more return to those who have died -fallen asleep in Christ. That breath of life will return to themand they will rise first before any of those still alive when Christ returns. Those dead in Christ will rise first and meet the Lord in the air, and then we who are alive will join them.
The dead will be raised incorruptible.
We will all be changed into these marvelous new beings of which Christ was the first.
Every eye shall see Him when He comes and how this is done only the Lord Himself knows. Every eye shall see Him. And when He comes it will be too late to prepare for the journey we are to take with Him. When you are going on a trip somewhere you prepare for it, you pack your suitcase, duffle bag, you make sure you have all the things you'll need for that journey. Rarely, and unless someone is running from the law, for their life, or are mentally/emotionally unstable do they just up and leave. For a trip of a lifetime you plan don't you? Well, we know we are to undertake a journey- our final one and that is to be with Christ. Those of us alive must be ready to meet Him. So many won't be. They'll be so many just too caught up in the here and now, too caught up in the cares of this life whether they be happy cares or sad ones, they'll be tied to this earth by their own lack of faith in a life everlasting. We have the promise of a life eternal and that life isn't here on earth. Right now here on earth we are travailing as a woman in labor travails and the birth of new life will be when Christ comes again. Yes, there will be one taken and one left, but everyone will see it happening and know why- it will not be a secret because every eye will see Christ when He returns, when the dead and those alive in Him are called to meet Him in the air. It'll be sudden, it'll be unexpected, it will be as a thief because no one knows when a thief will strike. Christ will come and only those who are looking for Him will be ready. By the time He's in the air calling His to Him it will be too late to suddenly decide to take the journey. We have so much given to us to prepare us, so much to help us and the only one to blame in that day if we aren't among those meeting Christ in the air, is ourselves.
By faith, by love, by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ; through His mercy and grace by His sacrifice and forgiveness may we all be found ready in Him.
May the Holy Spirit guide us to Him and through all the travailing of this world around us.
Amen.
{5:1} But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
{5:2} For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
{5:3} For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
{5:4} But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
{5:5} Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
{5:6} Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
{5:7} For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
{5:8} But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. {5:9} For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
{5:10} Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
{5:11} Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Matthew
{24:36} But of that day and hour knoweth no [man,] no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
{24:37} But as the days of Noe [were,] so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
{24:38} For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark
{24:39} And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
{24:40} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
{24:41} Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
{24:42} Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
{24:43} But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
{24:44} Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Rev.
{1:5} And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
{1:6} And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
{1:7} Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Matthew
{24:22} And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be
shortened.
{24:23} Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.
{24:24} For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were]
possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
{24:25} Behold, I have told you before.
{24:26} Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, [he is] in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.
{24:27} For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
1 Thess.
{4:14} For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
{4:15} For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
{4:16} For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first
{4:17} Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
{4:18} Wherefore comfort one another with these words
1 Cor.
{15:51} Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
{15:52} In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
{15:53} For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.
{15:54} So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
{15:55} O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?
It's true. Christ is coming again. Christ is coming because He promised He would come and there would be a people waiting for Him. Not only would there be a people waiting for Him, but the dead in Christ would rise to meet Him.
Do you believe Jesus died?
Do you believe that Jesus rose again?
Are you one of millions who celebrate the resurrection of your Savior from the dead?
Then you have to believe that the breath of life that returns to God who gave it, when a person dies, will once more return to those who have died -fallen asleep in Christ. That breath of life will return to themand they will rise first before any of those still alive when Christ returns. Those dead in Christ will rise first and meet the Lord in the air, and then we who are alive will join them.
The dead will be raised incorruptible.
We will all be changed into these marvelous new beings of which Christ was the first.
Every eye shall see Him when He comes and how this is done only the Lord Himself knows. Every eye shall see Him. And when He comes it will be too late to prepare for the journey we are to take with Him. When you are going on a trip somewhere you prepare for it, you pack your suitcase, duffle bag, you make sure you have all the things you'll need for that journey. Rarely, and unless someone is running from the law, for their life, or are mentally/emotionally unstable do they just up and leave. For a trip of a lifetime you plan don't you? Well, we know we are to undertake a journey- our final one and that is to be with Christ. Those of us alive must be ready to meet Him. So many won't be. They'll be so many just too caught up in the here and now, too caught up in the cares of this life whether they be happy cares or sad ones, they'll be tied to this earth by their own lack of faith in a life everlasting. We have the promise of a life eternal and that life isn't here on earth. Right now here on earth we are travailing as a woman in labor travails and the birth of new life will be when Christ comes again. Yes, there will be one taken and one left, but everyone will see it happening and know why- it will not be a secret because every eye will see Christ when He returns, when the dead and those alive in Him are called to meet Him in the air. It'll be sudden, it'll be unexpected, it will be as a thief because no one knows when a thief will strike. Christ will come and only those who are looking for Him will be ready. By the time He's in the air calling His to Him it will be too late to suddenly decide to take the journey. We have so much given to us to prepare us, so much to help us and the only one to blame in that day if we aren't among those meeting Christ in the air, is ourselves.
By faith, by love, by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ; through His mercy and grace by His sacrifice and forgiveness may we all be found ready in Him.
May the Holy Spirit guide us to Him and through all the travailing of this world around us.
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)