Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
His ways PAST finding out. God's ways PAST finding out. We are so demanding, so selfish, we feel that we have the right to know everything. We don't want anything hidden from us. If we don't have proof we don't fall for things, right? We want to search out God's judgments, we want to find out God's ways. When we speak of faith we automatically mean that we won't have tangible proof. Faith the evidence of things NOT seen, the substance of things HOPED for.
With God we have to have faith, we have to believe without knowing his way, his judgments. Faith.
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Of Him...
Through Him...
To Him...
...are ALL things!
All things are God's and we cannot begin to understand the way He works. He knows all the ins and out and everything in between. We see a tiny picture, He sees the entire picture. He knows how things fit together, He sees far beyond any consequences for actions that we can imagine. Something could happen twenty years ago that impacts the future and while we are in the dark He is not. We have to understand that it is only by His grace we live. Some may detest that fact when their lives are filled with horrific pain and anguish and that's understandable- look at Job. We can't understand fully we can only hope and pray that in our lives God's will will be done, not ours. We have to hope that we choose Him first and foremost not forsaking Him no matter what comes our way. Is it all easy? No. But the trials and tribulations work to refine us for Him and that's what we have to hope that His will always is done whether we understand it or like it.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior who said His Father's will be done, may we live with Him one day fully knowing and known by Him. God's will be done always.
Amen.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Take heed lest he also spare not thee
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
I can't help but think of step children when I think of this passage. You've all probably heard about people adopting a child and then a short while later having a child by natural means. Usually it happens accidentally. A couple try and try to no avail and then when they finally stop trying because they've adopted a child that's when they realize that long sought dream of having their own. What happens when this occurs? The ideal situation is the couple love the children equally, raise them equally and all is well. Unfortunately it's natural for parents to lean towards their own blood child, the fruit of their own loins. People will say blood is stronger always and in a lot of ways it's true. We feel more affection, more loyalty towards our blood relatives.
God chose Israel to be His people then because they turned on God- because they chose not to follow His ways God had to separate Himself from them- they were broken off. We have to live by faith. We cannot not be presumptuous as children of God by faith, grafted in, not natural children but adopted. The Bible tells us not to be highminded- we can't take on airs at all. We need to fear God in a way that no other feared Him knowing that God is an exacting God and won't spare us any more than He spared Israel. Truly we have to live by pure faith and live it to the fullest in Christ trusting in Christ for salvation through His grace, through His righteousness.
Let's ever keep before us the fear of God in reverence and in awe, in the knowledge of His all consuming love and all that entails fully.
By His mercy, His grace.
Amen.
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
I can't help but think of step children when I think of this passage. You've all probably heard about people adopting a child and then a short while later having a child by natural means. Usually it happens accidentally. A couple try and try to no avail and then when they finally stop trying because they've adopted a child that's when they realize that long sought dream of having their own. What happens when this occurs? The ideal situation is the couple love the children equally, raise them equally and all is well. Unfortunately it's natural for parents to lean towards their own blood child, the fruit of their own loins. People will say blood is stronger always and in a lot of ways it's true. We feel more affection, more loyalty towards our blood relatives.
God chose Israel to be His people then because they turned on God- because they chose not to follow His ways God had to separate Himself from them- they were broken off. We have to live by faith. We cannot not be presumptuous as children of God by faith, grafted in, not natural children but adopted. The Bible tells us not to be highminded- we can't take on airs at all. We need to fear God in a way that no other feared Him knowing that God is an exacting God and won't spare us any more than He spared Israel. Truly we have to live by pure faith and live it to the fullest in Christ trusting in Christ for salvation through His grace, through His righteousness.
Let's ever keep before us the fear of God in reverence and in awe, in the knowledge of His all consuming love and all that entails fully.
By His mercy, His grace.
Amen.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Do you know someone that is 'godly', someone who is 'religious', someone who you might label a 'Jesus freak'? I'm not going to super extremes here, or maybe I am. Do you know anyone you can point to and say they're a 'God-fearing' person? No matter their passion whether it's great or small? There are plenty of people the media presents we can point to and say they're 'God-fearing', in fact there are famous 'God-fearing' people and not all of them are evangelists, or preachers, or leaders of some religious television show.
Do you believe that where there is something real there can be something unreal? Where there is a genuine there can be a counterfiet?
This Bible verse above states- 'For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.' People can have a ZEAL of God but it won't necessarily mean they have that zeal according to knowledge. That zeal could be based on one or two feel-good verses in the Bible while the exacting verses revealing God's true nature are ignored. It's not atypical for people to pick out the supposed good bits - bits they approve of and like - and then leave the undesireable bits alone forming their own religion and not God's but using God's name just the same. Unless the zeal we have for God is based on knowledge, based on ALL the truth of the Bible then our zeal means very little to God.
The verses above go on to say this --
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Being ignorant of God's righteousness. Our righteousness means nothing and when we point to ourselves and the things we've done *FOR* God we are pointing in the wrong direction. It's so easy to tell others to look at us and see this is how it's all supposed to be done. We like to point people to our righteousness when in truth the only way we should be pointing is towards Christ and Christ alone. Yes, we have our part in the grand scheme of things and that part is to surrender to Christ, repent and accept His forgiveness, accept His righteousness for us. There is such a real danger of getting caught up in self-righteousness that we can't be too careful. We have to fully submit ourselves to the righteousness of God admitting that Jesus Christ is ultimately the One the law of God was made upon. Jesus broke none of God's law when He walked as a human among us, none. It's because of this we can cling to Him and His righteousness. He embraced all of the laws God intended to be eternal and not simply sacrificial or ceremonial but kept every law as God commanded. The whole law was summed up in two- love God and love your neighbor. And while we can keep the laws until we die they won't save us, it's claiming Christ's righteousness- not ours, claiming His ability to perfectly keep the law- not our ability to keep it perfectly, that will save us.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and all marvelous, wondrous Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Do you know someone that is 'godly', someone who is 'religious', someone who you might label a 'Jesus freak'? I'm not going to super extremes here, or maybe I am. Do you know anyone you can point to and say they're a 'God-fearing' person? No matter their passion whether it's great or small? There are plenty of people the media presents we can point to and say they're 'God-fearing', in fact there are famous 'God-fearing' people and not all of them are evangelists, or preachers, or leaders of some religious television show.
Do you believe that where there is something real there can be something unreal? Where there is a genuine there can be a counterfiet?
This Bible verse above states- 'For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.' People can have a ZEAL of God but it won't necessarily mean they have that zeal according to knowledge. That zeal could be based on one or two feel-good verses in the Bible while the exacting verses revealing God's true nature are ignored. It's not atypical for people to pick out the supposed good bits - bits they approve of and like - and then leave the undesireable bits alone forming their own religion and not God's but using God's name just the same. Unless the zeal we have for God is based on knowledge, based on ALL the truth of the Bible then our zeal means very little to God.
The verses above go on to say this --
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Being ignorant of God's righteousness. Our righteousness means nothing and when we point to ourselves and the things we've done *FOR* God we are pointing in the wrong direction. It's so easy to tell others to look at us and see this is how it's all supposed to be done. We like to point people to our righteousness when in truth the only way we should be pointing is towards Christ and Christ alone. Yes, we have our part in the grand scheme of things and that part is to surrender to Christ, repent and accept His forgiveness, accept His righteousness for us. There is such a real danger of getting caught up in self-righteousness that we can't be too careful. We have to fully submit ourselves to the righteousness of God admitting that Jesus Christ is ultimately the One the law of God was made upon. Jesus broke none of God's law when He walked as a human among us, none. It's because of this we can cling to Him and His righteousness. He embraced all of the laws God intended to be eternal and not simply sacrificial or ceremonial but kept every law as God commanded. The whole law was summed up in two- love God and love your neighbor. And while we can keep the laws until we die they won't save us, it's claiming Christ's righteousness- not ours, claiming His ability to perfectly keep the law- not our ability to keep it perfectly, that will save us.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and all marvelous, wondrous Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Other Things Which Jesus Did
Joh 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
The world itself could not contain the books that should be written about Jesus and the things He did. Think about it, take a moment and really think. We can't imagine anything so numerous can we? Something in such great amount the world cannot contain it. Think about how huge the oceans are, how numerous the grains of sand, there isn't anything we can fully realize that the world cannot contain, perhaps our imagines can stretch to realize planets that are bigger than earth so the earth could not contain such a thing, but can we really imagine something so numerous the earth could not contain it? Books in such a number that the WHOLE earth could not hold them?
We've many autobiographies, in fact we all could write one couldn't we? We could tell our tales and in that autobiographer we would highlight the special events that made up our life. We wouldn't put down every detail most likely because we couldn't remember them. Some people right in journals daily giving such details of their lives and yet those details wouldn't even begin to fill up enough books so the earth couldn't contain them.
Jesus was a man of many actions, a man of many deeds. We read of only a snippet of the things He did, the miracles He performed, the life He led, the people He affected.
The precious insights we are given are to be cherished, they are to be studied, they are to be committed to our hearts and memories. May God bless us as we read His Holy Word, as we learn of Jesus, of the plan of salvation for one and all. May we keep His love and mercy ever before us as we seek forgiveness, repenting of our sins and grasping hold of Jesus' grace and righteousness.
Amen.
The world itself could not contain the books that should be written about Jesus and the things He did. Think about it, take a moment and really think. We can't imagine anything so numerous can we? Something in such great amount the world cannot contain it. Think about how huge the oceans are, how numerous the grains of sand, there isn't anything we can fully realize that the world cannot contain, perhaps our imagines can stretch to realize planets that are bigger than earth so the earth could not contain such a thing, but can we really imagine something so numerous the earth could not contain it? Books in such a number that the WHOLE earth could not hold them?
We've many autobiographies, in fact we all could write one couldn't we? We could tell our tales and in that autobiographer we would highlight the special events that made up our life. We wouldn't put down every detail most likely because we couldn't remember them. Some people right in journals daily giving such details of their lives and yet those details wouldn't even begin to fill up enough books so the earth couldn't contain them.
Jesus was a man of many actions, a man of many deeds. We read of only a snippet of the things He did, the miracles He performed, the life He led, the people He affected.
The precious insights we are given are to be cherished, they are to be studied, they are to be committed to our hearts and memories. May God bless us as we read His Holy Word, as we learn of Jesus, of the plan of salvation for one and all. May we keep His love and mercy ever before us as we seek forgiveness, repenting of our sins and grasping hold of Jesus' grace and righteousness.
Amen.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
God's Will Be Done
Mar 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened
The miracle of loaves. This miracle produce enough food to feed 5000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish. Imagine it for a moment. You were there you witness the miracle first hand you see the food coming and coming and coming and you know that it's an impossibility yet it's happening. Truly it was a miracle of loaves. And yet the disciples weren't considering the miracle they'd just seen when they were being tossed about by the wind out at sea in the middle of the night and they saw something coming towards them. Why? Why didn't they realize they'd just witness one miracle and this could be yet another? Why were they afraid if they believed their lives were being lived under the loving care of the Messiah? Their hearts were hardened. What does it mean to have a hardened heart? When we tell someone that so and so has hardened their heart we mean they aren't receptive to whatever it is we're talking about. They are dead set against something. A soft, open heart is a heart willing to entertain ideas, a person with a hardened heart won't entertain any ideas. But here the disciples were having not long before partaken in a miracle, for they passed out those miracle loaves and fish themselves and yet the very idea that this strange happening that night was another such miracle was incomprehensible to them. They shut off that part of themselves that was open and receptive to miracles. We might say that's to be expected, Jesus wasn't in the ship with them He'd stayed behind to pray in solitude. As long as Jesus was right there running things so they could see and hear Him as the miracles were done it'd be fine and yet isn't it true that we need to have that faith in Jesus that miracles can happen even thousands of years later after He's long since gone to heaven to minister there? We do need that faith and we need to recognize the miracles of Jesus, the big ones and the small ones.
Just a week ago my husband was sent to the ICU with a sepsis infection which weakened his already weak heart, shut down his kidneys and affected His already surgery compromised lungs and damaged his colon. The doctors were talking about the possibility of never regaining kidney function, about having to intubate him with the possibility of that compromising him for life and maybe not ever coming off intubation, on top of that they mentioned surgery on his colon which would most likely have left him with a colostomy bag- if he lived through the surgery which because of his condition was unlikely. They painted a very, very grim picture for us and needless to say we were shocked by it all and heartsick. Today my husband, a week later, has recovered full use of his kidneys without any lasting problems, he never had to be intubated the special Bi-pap mask he had to wear was able to do the necessary job for his lungs (though he's still on oxygen through a nose tube), his blood pressure has returned to normal, and the surgeon just today told him that his colon is fine and they wouldn't need to see him again. MIRACLES!
Sure, I'll get people telling me that it's not a miracle but I know it is.
Life throws many faith trying obstacles at us. We suspected my husband had lung cancer and then after a biopsy that was negative we were thrilled that it wasn't and claimed it a miracle and yet it still turned out to be lung cancer. The testing and trying of faith is a real thing. It would be easy to blame God for not *really* performing a miracle and it not be cancer, but that's succumbing to doubt in God and maybe it wasn't the miracle we thought it would be, but the lung cancer has been removed along with two lobes of his right lung and He's a good candidate for not needing further treatment. That's another blessing- originally we were told he would probably need a course of chemotherapy as well, but now they are saying that he most likely won't need even that. Blessings. Miracles.
God is amazing and while again it would be so easy to blame Him, especially when people die instead of get well, we have to know that God is with us no matter what. We don't have to like how things turn out, we just have to have faith that no matter what happens it's in His hands. My daughter said to me as it was all going on, 'God's will be done.' She's right, in all-- God's will be done and by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we not harden our hearts. May we consider all the miracles Jesus has performed and expect more miracles, loving Him no matter what comes our way.
Amen.
The miracle of loaves. This miracle produce enough food to feed 5000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish. Imagine it for a moment. You were there you witness the miracle first hand you see the food coming and coming and coming and you know that it's an impossibility yet it's happening. Truly it was a miracle of loaves. And yet the disciples weren't considering the miracle they'd just seen when they were being tossed about by the wind out at sea in the middle of the night and they saw something coming towards them. Why? Why didn't they realize they'd just witness one miracle and this could be yet another? Why were they afraid if they believed their lives were being lived under the loving care of the Messiah? Their hearts were hardened. What does it mean to have a hardened heart? When we tell someone that so and so has hardened their heart we mean they aren't receptive to whatever it is we're talking about. They are dead set against something. A soft, open heart is a heart willing to entertain ideas, a person with a hardened heart won't entertain any ideas. But here the disciples were having not long before partaken in a miracle, for they passed out those miracle loaves and fish themselves and yet the very idea that this strange happening that night was another such miracle was incomprehensible to them. They shut off that part of themselves that was open and receptive to miracles. We might say that's to be expected, Jesus wasn't in the ship with them He'd stayed behind to pray in solitude. As long as Jesus was right there running things so they could see and hear Him as the miracles were done it'd be fine and yet isn't it true that we need to have that faith in Jesus that miracles can happen even thousands of years later after He's long since gone to heaven to minister there? We do need that faith and we need to recognize the miracles of Jesus, the big ones and the small ones.
Just a week ago my husband was sent to the ICU with a sepsis infection which weakened his already weak heart, shut down his kidneys and affected His already surgery compromised lungs and damaged his colon. The doctors were talking about the possibility of never regaining kidney function, about having to intubate him with the possibility of that compromising him for life and maybe not ever coming off intubation, on top of that they mentioned surgery on his colon which would most likely have left him with a colostomy bag- if he lived through the surgery which because of his condition was unlikely. They painted a very, very grim picture for us and needless to say we were shocked by it all and heartsick. Today my husband, a week later, has recovered full use of his kidneys without any lasting problems, he never had to be intubated the special Bi-pap mask he had to wear was able to do the necessary job for his lungs (though he's still on oxygen through a nose tube), his blood pressure has returned to normal, and the surgeon just today told him that his colon is fine and they wouldn't need to see him again. MIRACLES!
Sure, I'll get people telling me that it's not a miracle but I know it is.
Life throws many faith trying obstacles at us. We suspected my husband had lung cancer and then after a biopsy that was negative we were thrilled that it wasn't and claimed it a miracle and yet it still turned out to be lung cancer. The testing and trying of faith is a real thing. It would be easy to blame God for not *really* performing a miracle and it not be cancer, but that's succumbing to doubt in God and maybe it wasn't the miracle we thought it would be, but the lung cancer has been removed along with two lobes of his right lung and He's a good candidate for not needing further treatment. That's another blessing- originally we were told he would probably need a course of chemotherapy as well, but now they are saying that he most likely won't need even that. Blessings. Miracles.
God is amazing and while again it would be so easy to blame Him, especially when people die instead of get well, we have to know that God is with us no matter what. We don't have to like how things turn out, we just have to have faith that no matter what happens it's in His hands. My daughter said to me as it was all going on, 'God's will be done.' She's right, in all-- God's will be done and by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we not harden our hearts. May we consider all the miracles Jesus has performed and expect more miracles, loving Him no matter what comes our way.
Amen.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The smallest drop in the bucket of eternity
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Everything thing we see is temporary. Some might argue that certain landmarks are forever but they'd be wrong. The earth itself is constantly changing, shifting, moving, altering. Natural disasters can alter the entire landscape of a mountain we might think untouchable. Temporary. Everything is temporary. Even we are here right now on earth only temporary.
temporary (tèm´pe-rèr´ê) adjective
Abbr. temp.
Lasting, used, serving, or enjoyed for a limited time.
...for a limited time.
We are all only here for a limited time and there is no telling how long that time might be. Do we really live like our lives are temporary or do we make plans that would have us fooling ourselves that we are going to be around forever? I'd like to think most people are aware of their temporary existence and understand that eventually their time will be up. People don't really like to talk about death and dying though, especially not their own. It's considered morbid to dwell on death and yet we only have hope for eternal life by thinking about death- the death of Jesus Christ. Accepting His sacrifice and believing in His resurrection to eternal life is our only real hope at all in life.
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Things that are not seen.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Faith isn't seen.
God isn't seen.
The things God has prepared for us are not seen.
Those are eternal things and yet we cannot see them. People want to shun God because He's not seen. They'd rather believe this temporary life is all there is.
Our lives here and now are but the smallest drop in the bucket of eternity.
If we could TRULY understand that all that happens now is supposed to be preparation of our spirits for a life of eternity in love with God, we'd live differently wouldn't we? We'd live as if this life here and now on earth was truly temporary and NOTHING on this earth, NOTHING in this life right now is worth losing life eternal in Christ Jesus.
Cultivating the love God gives to us, sharing the love God gives to us with others, this is what we need to do. Share the good news of the gospel, share the love eternal found in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, this is our duty.
Love God. Love each other.
Love.
May God bless and keep us as we seek to live the temporary existence we have here on earth right now in Him now and one day may we share His eternity.
By the mercy and grace, the love of Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever.
Amen.
Everything thing we see is temporary. Some might argue that certain landmarks are forever but they'd be wrong. The earth itself is constantly changing, shifting, moving, altering. Natural disasters can alter the entire landscape of a mountain we might think untouchable. Temporary. Everything is temporary. Even we are here right now on earth only temporary.
temporary (tèm´pe-rèr´ê) adjective
Abbr. temp.
Lasting, used, serving, or enjoyed for a limited time.
...for a limited time.
We are all only here for a limited time and there is no telling how long that time might be. Do we really live like our lives are temporary or do we make plans that would have us fooling ourselves that we are going to be around forever? I'd like to think most people are aware of their temporary existence and understand that eventually their time will be up. People don't really like to talk about death and dying though, especially not their own. It's considered morbid to dwell on death and yet we only have hope for eternal life by thinking about death- the death of Jesus Christ. Accepting His sacrifice and believing in His resurrection to eternal life is our only real hope at all in life.
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Things that are not seen.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Faith isn't seen.
God isn't seen.
The things God has prepared for us are not seen.
Those are eternal things and yet we cannot see them. People want to shun God because He's not seen. They'd rather believe this temporary life is all there is.
Our lives here and now are but the smallest drop in the bucket of eternity.
If we could TRULY understand that all that happens now is supposed to be preparation of our spirits for a life of eternity in love with God, we'd live differently wouldn't we? We'd live as if this life here and now on earth was truly temporary and NOTHING on this earth, NOTHING in this life right now is worth losing life eternal in Christ Jesus.
Cultivating the love God gives to us, sharing the love God gives to us with others, this is what we need to do. Share the good news of the gospel, share the love eternal found in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, this is our duty.
Love God. Love each other.
Love.
May God bless and keep us as we seek to live the temporary existence we have here on earth right now in Him now and one day may we share His eternity.
By the mercy and grace, the love of Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever.
Amen.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The gospel is hid to them that are lost
2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
*******
The gospel is HID to them that are lost. That makes sense doesn't it? To truly understand the gospel, to have the gospel be a reality to us is to have it reveal Christ and Him crucified to save us from our sins. Understanding the magnitude of that magnificent sacrfice can't help but affect a person's life. When the gospel doesn't have any affect on a person it truly is hidden. The gospel like so much in life can be known but not understood and applied. You can know of something but never experience that something. I can know what it is to drive a car but until I'm behind the wheel driving it I'm not experiencing driving. You can know that Christ died for you, that His blood was shed to cover your sins so that you might one day reunite with Him upon His return, but until you confess with a sincere heart and repent of your sins- accepting Christ's sacrifice- the gospel is hidden to you.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world...
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world- Jesus said that He is not of the world just as we are not to be of the world. The god of this world is Satan, make no mistake about it, Satan tempted Jesus this way--
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Worldly things are of Satan. Our treasure should be in heaven not earth. So when we read the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not we have to realize that Satan is blinding the minds of people who choose not to believe. If we do not believe in God there is only one other recourse though many think there are a lot of different gods, religions, and what not to believe in there aren't, not in truth.
There is God and Satan. Satan in all his deceptive power is able to blind the minds of those who choose not to believe in God and those people believe something other than the one true God, our Creator and Redeemer, are deceived. They can dress that *other* up any way they choose but if it's not God ... it's Satan wearing a grand disguise. And yes, even possibly a disguise so deceptive people can't help but believe that it is a good thing believing as they do.
May the gospel be reveal in our lives to the fullest and not be hidden from us.
May 'the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,... shine' upon us!
May the Holy Spirit guide us fully into the fulness of Christ.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever.
Amen.
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
*******
The gospel is HID to them that are lost. That makes sense doesn't it? To truly understand the gospel, to have the gospel be a reality to us is to have it reveal Christ and Him crucified to save us from our sins. Understanding the magnitude of that magnificent sacrfice can't help but affect a person's life. When the gospel doesn't have any affect on a person it truly is hidden. The gospel like so much in life can be known but not understood and applied. You can know of something but never experience that something. I can know what it is to drive a car but until I'm behind the wheel driving it I'm not experiencing driving. You can know that Christ died for you, that His blood was shed to cover your sins so that you might one day reunite with Him upon His return, but until you confess with a sincere heart and repent of your sins- accepting Christ's sacrifice- the gospel is hidden to you.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world...
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The gospel is hid to them that are lost.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
The god of this world- Jesus said that He is not of the world just as we are not to be of the world. The god of this world is Satan, make no mistake about it, Satan tempted Jesus this way--
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Worldly things are of Satan. Our treasure should be in heaven not earth. So when we read the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not we have to realize that Satan is blinding the minds of people who choose not to believe. If we do not believe in God there is only one other recourse though many think there are a lot of different gods, religions, and what not to believe in there aren't, not in truth.
There is God and Satan. Satan in all his deceptive power is able to blind the minds of those who choose not to believe in God and those people believe something other than the one true God, our Creator and Redeemer, are deceived. They can dress that *other* up any way they choose but if it's not God ... it's Satan wearing a grand disguise. And yes, even possibly a disguise so deceptive people can't help but believe that it is a good thing believing as they do.
May the gospel be reveal in our lives to the fullest and not be hidden from us.
May 'the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,... shine' upon us!
May the Holy Spirit guide us fully into the fulness of Christ.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever.
Amen.
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