Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Being born of flesh we are caught up in the flesh- letting tribulations, letting distress, letting persecution, famines, nakedness, peril and swords separate us from God. This is our tendency. To let LIFE come before God. To let this life and all of it's horrible upsets and disappointments, all of it's heartache and pain keep us from the ultimate life in Christ is the goal of the flesh and all those who are living in the flesh and the flesh only. We have to live in the Spirit. To live in the Spirit we must be born again into the Spirit, through the love of Christ.
Honestly we are counted as sheep for the slaughter, we are. Being counted as sheep for the slaughter means what?
Psa 44:22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
We are God's to do with as He pleases. Seriously, it's as simple as that. If it is the will of God that we do suffer persecution even unto being martyred then that's what must be. This life here that we live is His and we have to allow it to be His to do His will. We have to know that as long as we are living in the Spirit and not just the flesh, that we are safe eternally. Not safe here temporarily, but in eternity. Our treasure is truly in heaven and this is living in the Spirit.
We need to be born of the water and of the Spirit, born not of corruptible seed but incorruptible seed, by the word of God, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
May God Bless us all as we seek to let the Spirit lead us in all we do. The flesh will try to corrupt us and we will cry out with Paul about how wretched we are, but Christ has overcome and we need to cling to Him and His righteousness to overcome in Him.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord.
Amen.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Spiritually Minded
Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Rom 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Rom 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
AMEN!
Rom 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Rom 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
AMEN!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Spiritual Hunger
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him: Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (DRB)
Joh 3:8 The Spirit breatheth where he will and thou hearest his voice: but thou knowest not whence he cometh and whither he goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. (DRB)
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God who liveth and remaineth for ever
1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him. And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1Jn 4:7 Dearly beloved, let us love one another: for charity is of God. And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.
1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory which overcameth the world: Our faith.
1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him and the wicked one toucheth him not.
*******
Born Again. Born of water and of the Spirit. Born of the spirit is spirit. Born of the Spirit. Born again. Born of God. Is born of God.
Birth. Most of us know what that means. New life. The birth of anything is new life coming into being, right? Some of us have experienced giving birth, others have watched a birthing, we all were at one time birthed from our own mothers. We all had our own beginnings, our new life. We were a new life created, a new life born into the world. It doesn't matter if we were wanted or not, I'm not going to say that you were a new life that was hoped for because often that's not the case. You could have been a new life abandoned to strangers, or a new life abused by unloving care givers. The only true fact for us all is that we were all once a new life, we were all at one time born and took our first breath of air, giving our first cry. Helpless at birth if left to our own devices we would die quickly. Dependent upon caregivers for many years, the first few being the most dependent- knowing that in some poor, third world countries and such that children at 3, 4, and 5 years are already out there on the streets begging food and such, if they weren't cared for in some manner for the first couple years of their lives they would have died. This is our human birth, our human new life, born of the flesh. We have no control over being born. We can't stop ourselves from being born in any way. There isn't a single thing we as the unborn can prevent being born consciously or unconciously, the only thing that could prevent us from being born is our mother, or outside forces beyond the control of our mother whether health or injury by another. We have no power over our own birthing, over becoming a new life.
How does all this relate to being born again, born of God, born of the Spirit, born of water and of the Spirit? It's a new life anything newly born is a new life. If all that was meant was a continuing of living there would be no need to be born again, to put it that way in so many instances.
Nicodemus asked the question we all would have asked- What do you mean, born again? We can't go into our mother a second time to be born.
So true. This being born again had to be an entirely different sort of birth. This new birth wouldn't be out of our control. This new birth would be an acknowledgement of a new parentage and that parentage wouldn't be from an earthly source such as we know parents. Our new parents would be God, would be the Spirit of God. When you are adopted and given new parents in the flesh, you enter into a new relationship with those new parents- it wouldn't be the same as the relationship you experienced with your old parents, foster parents, orphanage care givers as substitute parents, other guardians as parents- this would be a new relationship. When we are born again of the Spirit, born of God, we are given new parentage, a new relationship.
If left to our own without ever being born again to God through the Spirit, we never enter a new life, a new relationship with God. Is it any wonder that we MUST be born again to God in order to be counted as His? We have to as knowing adults or mature children understand that we are acknowledging the need of a new life with God as our Father. We have control over this new birth, it's not thrust upon us without our consent. No one will be able to say they were forced to be born again unto God. Sure, they could be forced to go through the motions of being born again, but unless they are of their own free will with an open mind and heart unto Jesus voluntarily accepting of the new birth it won't mean anything.
Our new birth through Christ is amazing and often times people who first enter this new life being born of the Spirit feel a certain amount of excitement. Then after the new birth and the new life continues on and we begin to grow we have to realize that this new life, with our new parentage isn't something we'll ever grow up and away from. You see we are trained in our modern world that when we grow up we move off and start our own lives- often to the neglect of our parents, and often by their encouragement. It's not a wrong thing to want our children to mature and become able to care for themselves, provide for themselves and their family they'll have as they continue with the unending way of life- procreating. However, the *ideal* family does not mean never having contact again, in fact it means a continued care of family, of children looking after older parents and so on- something that has been lost a lot to modernism. A life is a continued process of aging and maturing endlessly until death. A new life born in Christ, born of God, born of the Spirit must be a life that is nurtured endlessly until death. The newness might wear off, but the way of the new life in Christ is outlined for us.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
A mature human beings of the flesh we have daily needs. A maturing spiritual beings in Christ we have daily needs. We tend to forget this because as fleshy beings the pangs in our belly tells us of our need for food, and the dry mouth tells us we thirst. Spiritually it is a lot easier to ignore the pangs of hunger for the Word of God. We haven't been taught to recognize that sort of hunger, but rather taught to explain it away.
A new life in Christ is necessary for us all, and a continuing maturing life in Christ is essential if we are to keep the spiritual life alive. A spiritual life can die just as a fleshly life can die. And just as we can become ill in the flesh, we can become ill in the Spirit.
May God grant us all recognition of our spiritual hunger and thrist that can only be sated in Him through the love and grace, the mercy of Jesus Christ. May we learn to feed our Spiritual self and nuture it in Christ through the Spirit so that we don't become Spiritually ill. Please Lord, bless and keep us now and forever in You, in a real, living-breathing relationship not by our worthiness, but by the worthiness of Your Son who died for us.
Amen.
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (DRB)
Joh 3:8 The Spirit breatheth where he will and thou hearest his voice: but thou knowest not whence he cometh and whither he goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. (DRB)
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God who liveth and remaineth for ever
1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him. And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1Jn 4:7 Dearly beloved, let us love one another: for charity is of God. And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.
1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory which overcameth the world: Our faith.
1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him and the wicked one toucheth him not.
*******
Born Again. Born of water and of the Spirit. Born of the spirit is spirit. Born of the Spirit. Born again. Born of God. Is born of God.
Birth. Most of us know what that means. New life. The birth of anything is new life coming into being, right? Some of us have experienced giving birth, others have watched a birthing, we all were at one time birthed from our own mothers. We all had our own beginnings, our new life. We were a new life created, a new life born into the world. It doesn't matter if we were wanted or not, I'm not going to say that you were a new life that was hoped for because often that's not the case. You could have been a new life abandoned to strangers, or a new life abused by unloving care givers. The only true fact for us all is that we were all once a new life, we were all at one time born and took our first breath of air, giving our first cry. Helpless at birth if left to our own devices we would die quickly. Dependent upon caregivers for many years, the first few being the most dependent- knowing that in some poor, third world countries and such that children at 3, 4, and 5 years are already out there on the streets begging food and such, if they weren't cared for in some manner for the first couple years of their lives they would have died. This is our human birth, our human new life, born of the flesh. We have no control over being born. We can't stop ourselves from being born in any way. There isn't a single thing we as the unborn can prevent being born consciously or unconciously, the only thing that could prevent us from being born is our mother, or outside forces beyond the control of our mother whether health or injury by another. We have no power over our own birthing, over becoming a new life.
How does all this relate to being born again, born of God, born of the Spirit, born of water and of the Spirit? It's a new life anything newly born is a new life. If all that was meant was a continuing of living there would be no need to be born again, to put it that way in so many instances.
Nicodemus asked the question we all would have asked- What do you mean, born again? We can't go into our mother a second time to be born.
So true. This being born again had to be an entirely different sort of birth. This new birth wouldn't be out of our control. This new birth would be an acknowledgement of a new parentage and that parentage wouldn't be from an earthly source such as we know parents. Our new parents would be God, would be the Spirit of God. When you are adopted and given new parents in the flesh, you enter into a new relationship with those new parents- it wouldn't be the same as the relationship you experienced with your old parents, foster parents, orphanage care givers as substitute parents, other guardians as parents- this would be a new relationship. When we are born again of the Spirit, born of God, we are given new parentage, a new relationship.
If left to our own without ever being born again to God through the Spirit, we never enter a new life, a new relationship with God. Is it any wonder that we MUST be born again to God in order to be counted as His? We have to as knowing adults or mature children understand that we are acknowledging the need of a new life with God as our Father. We have control over this new birth, it's not thrust upon us without our consent. No one will be able to say they were forced to be born again unto God. Sure, they could be forced to go through the motions of being born again, but unless they are of their own free will with an open mind and heart unto Jesus voluntarily accepting of the new birth it won't mean anything.
Our new birth through Christ is amazing and often times people who first enter this new life being born of the Spirit feel a certain amount of excitement. Then after the new birth and the new life continues on and we begin to grow we have to realize that this new life, with our new parentage isn't something we'll ever grow up and away from. You see we are trained in our modern world that when we grow up we move off and start our own lives- often to the neglect of our parents, and often by their encouragement. It's not a wrong thing to want our children to mature and become able to care for themselves, provide for themselves and their family they'll have as they continue with the unending way of life- procreating. However, the *ideal* family does not mean never having contact again, in fact it means a continued care of family, of children looking after older parents and so on- something that has been lost a lot to modernism. A life is a continued process of aging and maturing endlessly until death. A new life born in Christ, born of God, born of the Spirit must be a life that is nurtured endlessly until death. The newness might wear off, but the way of the new life in Christ is outlined for us.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
A mature human beings of the flesh we have daily needs. A maturing spiritual beings in Christ we have daily needs. We tend to forget this because as fleshy beings the pangs in our belly tells us of our need for food, and the dry mouth tells us we thirst. Spiritually it is a lot easier to ignore the pangs of hunger for the Word of God. We haven't been taught to recognize that sort of hunger, but rather taught to explain it away.
A new life in Christ is necessary for us all, and a continuing maturing life in Christ is essential if we are to keep the spiritual life alive. A spiritual life can die just as a fleshly life can die. And just as we can become ill in the flesh, we can become ill in the Spirit.
May God grant us all recognition of our spiritual hunger and thrist that can only be sated in Him through the love and grace, the mercy of Jesus Christ. May we learn to feed our Spiritual self and nuture it in Christ through the Spirit so that we don't become Spiritually ill. Please Lord, bless and keep us now and forever in You, in a real, living-breathing relationship not by our worthiness, but by the worthiness of Your Son who died for us.
Amen.
Friday, December 4, 2009
No Night There...
Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
The Holy City Jerusalem- the heavenly Holy City descending down to earth, what a marvelous sight, what a marvelous city! And there we are, the redeemed after a thousand years in heaven returning to earth in such grandeur. There is no night there- no need of a candle, or even....get this...no need of the sun light! Now we can understand on some level that okay, we'll have permanent day perhaps and that means permanent sunlight to us in one respect yet we are told here that we won't need sunlight. No night, no candle, no sunlight- the Lord God will give us light.
No, we won't be wandering about with infrared vision such as we imagine it- we will have the light given to us by God and that's all the light we'll need in this new existence on earth in that Holy City that has no night.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Lord God giveth them light.
The light is Christ! The Lamb of God! We are given this light even here on earth we don't have to dwell in darkness in a figurative sense. We can be filled with the Light of Christ's love and forgiveness and it doesn't matter what our circumstances are at all whatsoever.
Easy to say when things are going smooth, but who has a life like that? I don't know anyone that doesn't struggle in one way or another, or have worries that can consume them if they let them.
Christ told us this...
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
We have to be careful that we don't let our worries overcharge our hearts. Satan might not get us with drunkeness or surfeiting
(sur·feit·ed, sur·feit·ing, sur·feits verb, transitive to feed or supply to excess, satiety, or disgust.)
...but many times our hearts are overcharged with the cares of life aren't they? We get wrapped up in the life we have here and now to the exclusion of God and the life everlasting that awaits us.
Having the light of Jesus' love in us now is as essential as it will be to have the light of the Lamb illuminating us in the New Jerusalem, the Holy City come down from Heaven.
May God remind us often as the cares of this life overwhelm us that all these cares are temporary even if they have effects that result in death or destitution here on earth now. We must live for Christ and that living is focused on laying up treasures in heaven and trusting in God completely- not for an easy life, but for a life that will allow us to live for Him no matter what.
By the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever, all glory, praise, and honor to Him!
Amen.
The Holy City Jerusalem- the heavenly Holy City descending down to earth, what a marvelous sight, what a marvelous city! And there we are, the redeemed after a thousand years in heaven returning to earth in such grandeur. There is no night there- no need of a candle, or even....get this...no need of the sun light! Now we can understand on some level that okay, we'll have permanent day perhaps and that means permanent sunlight to us in one respect yet we are told here that we won't need sunlight. No night, no candle, no sunlight- the Lord God will give us light.
No, we won't be wandering about with infrared vision such as we imagine it- we will have the light given to us by God and that's all the light we'll need in this new existence on earth in that Holy City that has no night.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Lord God giveth them light.
The light is Christ! The Lamb of God! We are given this light even here on earth we don't have to dwell in darkness in a figurative sense. We can be filled with the Light of Christ's love and forgiveness and it doesn't matter what our circumstances are at all whatsoever.
Easy to say when things are going smooth, but who has a life like that? I don't know anyone that doesn't struggle in one way or another, or have worries that can consume them if they let them.
Christ told us this...
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
We have to be careful that we don't let our worries overcharge our hearts. Satan might not get us with drunkeness or surfeiting
(sur·feit·ed, sur·feit·ing, sur·feits verb, transitive to feed or supply to excess, satiety, or disgust.)
...but many times our hearts are overcharged with the cares of life aren't they? We get wrapped up in the life we have here and now to the exclusion of God and the life everlasting that awaits us.
Having the light of Jesus' love in us now is as essential as it will be to have the light of the Lamb illuminating us in the New Jerusalem, the Holy City come down from Heaven.
May God remind us often as the cares of this life overwhelm us that all these cares are temporary even if they have effects that result in death or destitution here on earth now. We must live for Christ and that living is focused on laying up treasures in heaven and trusting in God completely- not for an easy life, but for a life that will allow us to live for Him no matter what.
By the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever, all glory, praise, and honor to Him!
Amen.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
No More Curse
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse...
The curse-
Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse...
Pro 3:33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse...
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned
Life without being cursed, we don't know what that is like at all whatsoever. Only Adam and Eve would have that memory and they are long dead. We've lived under the curse brought on by sinning- disobeying God- and we can only imagine what life would be like without sin. Jesus lived without sinning surrounded and fully tempted to sin by all the depravity Satan could throw His way. Jesus overcame by the will of God and died to offer us His grace so that we too might one day know what it will be like to live without sin, without the curse hanging over us.
What hope there is to be found in that truth, the truth of God's pure love knowing that one day there will be no more curse.
May God bless and keep us always in Him by His unending all loving mercy in Christ our Savior and Lord forever.
Amen.
The curse-
Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse...
Pro 3:33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse...
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned
Life without being cursed, we don't know what that is like at all whatsoever. Only Adam and Eve would have that memory and they are long dead. We've lived under the curse brought on by sinning- disobeying God- and we can only imagine what life would be like without sin. Jesus lived without sinning surrounded and fully tempted to sin by all the depravity Satan could throw His way. Jesus overcame by the will of God and died to offer us His grace so that we too might one day know what it will be like to live without sin, without the curse hanging over us.
What hope there is to be found in that truth, the truth of God's pure love knowing that one day there will be no more curse.
May God bless and keep us always in Him by His unending all loving mercy in Christ our Savior and Lord forever.
Amen.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Written in the Lamb's Book of Life
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
*
a·bom·i·na·tion (e-bòm´e-nâ¹shen) noun
1. Abhorrence; disgust.
2. A cause of abhorrence or disgust.
*
ab·hor·rence (àb-hôr¹ens, -hòr¹-) noun
1. One that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent.
2. A feeling of repugnance or loathing.
Working something disgusting, something loathsome, repellent... repugnant. What's more loathsome than sin?
Sin...
Something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.
Working abomination, defiling -
1. To make filthy or dirty; pollute: defile a river with sewage.
2. To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt: a country landscape that was defiled by urban sprawl.
3. To profane or sully (a good name, for example).
4. To make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate: defile a temple.
5. To violate the chastity of.
Lying-
1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.
2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.
ANYTHING that defiles, works abomination, or lies will not enter God's Holy City.
We tend to immediately shake our heads and say no way, we wouldn't defile anything, we wouldn't work any abominations, and we wouldn't lie. We're not among the evil. These are all good things, realizing that we're not those who will be kept out of God's glorious Holy City. There is one more prerequisite though, our name has to be written in the book of life.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 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.
We are told when we are born again we will see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
When we are born again it's logical to assume we are written into the Lamb's Book of Life. No, this isn't advocating 'once saved always saved' because you can have your name taken out of the Book of Life.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Our names can be blotted out.
Rev 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.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ may we have our names written in the Book of Life and never blotted out. By His righteousness, by His love may we find life everlasting.
Amen.
*
a·bom·i·na·tion (e-bòm´e-nâ¹shen) noun
1. Abhorrence; disgust.
2. A cause of abhorrence or disgust.
*
ab·hor·rence (àb-hôr¹ens, -hòr¹-) noun
1. One that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent.
2. A feeling of repugnance or loathing.
Working something disgusting, something loathsome, repellent... repugnant. What's more loathsome than sin?
Sin...
Something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.
Working abomination, defiling -
1. To make filthy or dirty; pollute: defile a river with sewage.
2. To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt: a country landscape that was defiled by urban sprawl.
3. To profane or sully (a good name, for example).
4. To make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate: defile a temple.
5. To violate the chastity of.
Lying-
1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.
2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.
ANYTHING that defiles, works abomination, or lies will not enter God's Holy City.
We tend to immediately shake our heads and say no way, we wouldn't defile anything, we wouldn't work any abominations, and we wouldn't lie. We're not among the evil. These are all good things, realizing that we're not those who will be kept out of God's glorious Holy City. There is one more prerequisite though, our name has to be written in the book of life.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 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.
We are told when we are born again we will see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
When we are born again it's logical to assume we are written into the Lamb's Book of Life. No, this isn't advocating 'once saved always saved' because you can have your name taken out of the Book of Life.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Our names can be blotted out.
Rev 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.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ may we have our names written in the Book of Life and never blotted out. By His righteousness, by His love may we find life everlasting.
Amen.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Victory...Even Our Faith
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Believe.
God is love, this is true and we are told that the greatest thing is love. Without love having faith would mean nothing. It's because love exists in God that we can have faith in Him, believe in that love, the all consuming, all meaningful love that brings life everlasting.
Believing means nothing in and of itself, it's the belief in love- in God that matters.
If we ever hope to overcome life and all its agonies great and small, all its imperfections, all its sin induced pain it's not through anything of this world we overcome with- but through God. We have to be born of God and hope in the overcoming that is fully realized in the inheritance that awaits us in Christ. We need to be God's and we can be God's through belief in His love manifested in His Gift to the world, His Son Jesus Christ.
If we choose not to believe in the love of God and accept His Gift- we are condemned. You don't have to be a worldly evil person to be evil in God's eyes. You could be sweet and never harm a fly and still reject the Son of God, the love of God. You could be an amazing atheist someone who is outstanding and peaceful in all ways and yet without the belief in God, in His Son, it means nothing. If you have this wonderful life and attribute it to just being good in and of yourself you are claiming you have no Creator deserving of your love, you have no redeemer deserving of your love. Men love darkness because their deeds are evil. The light does away with the darkness and men who want darkness can't abide the light. Embracing the Light means illuminating the evil in us which reveals our need for a Savior. We need God and Satan would have us believe we have no need of God that we can live well enough in our temporary lives without God. Darkness and light war with each other and the Light will forever and ultimately expel the darkness.
By the grace and mercy of God may we be found welcoming the Light into our lives revealing the darkness, the evils within us, and by that grace and mercy may we find salvation and inherit all that entails in Christ, the fulness of His love forever in us.
Amen.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Believe.
God is love, this is true and we are told that the greatest thing is love. Without love having faith would mean nothing. It's because love exists in God that we can have faith in Him, believe in that love, the all consuming, all meaningful love that brings life everlasting.
Believing means nothing in and of itself, it's the belief in love- in God that matters.
If we ever hope to overcome life and all its agonies great and small, all its imperfections, all its sin induced pain it's not through anything of this world we overcome with- but through God. We have to be born of God and hope in the overcoming that is fully realized in the inheritance that awaits us in Christ. We need to be God's and we can be God's through belief in His love manifested in His Gift to the world, His Son Jesus Christ.
If we choose not to believe in the love of God and accept His Gift- we are condemned. You don't have to be a worldly evil person to be evil in God's eyes. You could be sweet and never harm a fly and still reject the Son of God, the love of God. You could be an amazing atheist someone who is outstanding and peaceful in all ways and yet without the belief in God, in His Son, it means nothing. If you have this wonderful life and attribute it to just being good in and of yourself you are claiming you have no Creator deserving of your love, you have no redeemer deserving of your love. Men love darkness because their deeds are evil. The light does away with the darkness and men who want darkness can't abide the light. Embracing the Light means illuminating the evil in us which reveals our need for a Savior. We need God and Satan would have us believe we have no need of God that we can live well enough in our temporary lives without God. Darkness and light war with each other and the Light will forever and ultimately expel the darkness.
By the grace and mercy of God may we be found welcoming the Light into our lives revealing the darkness, the evils within us, and by that grace and mercy may we find salvation and inherit all that entails in Christ, the fulness of His love forever in us.
Amen.
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