Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled
Exercised by chastening.
Our biggest hope as parents is that our children learn from their mistakes and sometimes even learn from the mistakes we've made so they don't have to go through the pain that making mistakes can bring. We need to learn from any chastening the Lord sends our way. If we don't learn then we will reap the rewards of not taking the lessons given to us by God. Being chastened by God isn't pleasant, it's a horrible experience, an experience that rips at our hearts and souls sending us into many a tailspin. The chastening is grievous and we can relate to that because we know what it feels like to be chastened by our parents or caregivers as we do wrong and need the chastening. Can you think of at least one incident of chastening in your life that you learned from? Sometimes we have a moment when we do something and we know in that moment of reckoning we vow to never do that thing again so that we don't have to experience the pain of being chastened. God wants us to learn from our mistakes. God wants to chasten us so that we learn and from that learning we will experience the peace of Christ's righteousness. We HAVE to open our hearts to God's chastening. Our first instinct is to run, to hide, to bury the pain, to do anything to get the horrible pain of chastening out of our lives. However sometimes we embrace the chastening to readily letting ourselves wallow in the pain of the chastening without learning from it. We get caught up in the wallowing and live our lives right there in the despair and pain without being exercised by it at all. We cry out why me?! And we keep crying that out daily. Christ cried out for God to take the cup from Him, but did so by saying not His own will be done, but God's. Our will isn't to suffer, but sometimes the suffering is for a reason beyond our comprehension and we have to let go and let God work His will in us and by His grace and guidance pray that we can be exercised by the chastening we suffer.
We have to lift up our hands when all they want to do is hang low and wallow. We have to take our feeble knees and lift them up high when all we want to do is fall down upon them and yes...wallow in our misery. We have to make a straight path for our feet and that path is Christ's path and keep on that path so that we will be healed. If we don't keep on God's path our entire lives will be lame, useless, the wallowing will consume us fully.
We must have peace with ALL men.
We must have holiness with ALL men.
We have to look and not just glance but really look hard for Christ in our lives so that we don't fail of the grace of God.
We have to make sure NO bitterness fills us and it will try, it will try very hard to consume us. Bitterness is an enemy of God it overshadows hope, it kills faith. We can't let bitterness take over our lives and it will try very hard to do so. Depression is a form of hopelessness and can lead to bitterness, we have to lift up our hands and knees, we have to make our paths straight, we have to follow peace and holiness with all others and we will see God because it's through God this is possible.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we cling to Christ even when we don't understand any of what is going on in our lives, even when the horrors of live assail us. By the Holy Spirit may we live grasping hold of Christ's righteousness now and forever.
Amen.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Finisher of Our Faith
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Lay aside every weight.
Lay aside the sin that easily besets us.
Run with patience the race before us.
Look to Jesus the author of our faith.
Look to Jesus the finisher of our faith.
Jesus whose joy before Him was the result of His sacrifice- eternal life for all those who would believe in Him.
Jesus who endured the cross- the suffering, the pain.
Jesus who despised the shame.
Jesus who is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We are to lay aside how much weight? EVERY.
We are to lay aside what that easily besets us? SIN.
We are to RUN with PATIENCE the race before us.
We are to look to JESUS the AUTHOR of our FAITH.
We are to look to JESUS the FINISHER of our FAITH.
It's not easy to lay aside the weight, the problems that upset us and weigh us down. We like to cling to the problems and worry over them, we want to mull over them and get all the mileage off them we can. We want sympathy, we want justice, we want a lot of things but just setting aside the problems and worries that bother us isn't something easy to do. The sins that easily capture our attention and take over us aren't sins we want to give up readily or they wouldn't be sins that were easily besetting us. Laying aside these things that would keep us from running the race before us, and running it with patience isn't something we can do on our own. We need Jesus, we need to LOOK to Jesus. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and look to Jesus. Jesus is the author of our faith. Jesus created our faith and Jesus will be there at the end of our faith when the substance of things hoped for are realized in Jesus.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we look ever to Him and not to ourselves.
Amen.
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Lay aside every weight.
Lay aside the sin that easily besets us.
Run with patience the race before us.
Look to Jesus the author of our faith.
Look to Jesus the finisher of our faith.
Jesus whose joy before Him was the result of His sacrifice- eternal life for all those who would believe in Him.
Jesus who endured the cross- the suffering, the pain.
Jesus who despised the shame.
Jesus who is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We are to lay aside how much weight? EVERY.
We are to lay aside what that easily besets us? SIN.
We are to RUN with PATIENCE the race before us.
We are to look to JESUS the AUTHOR of our FAITH.
We are to look to JESUS the FINISHER of our FAITH.
It's not easy to lay aside the weight, the problems that upset us and weigh us down. We like to cling to the problems and worry over them, we want to mull over them and get all the mileage off them we can. We want sympathy, we want justice, we want a lot of things but just setting aside the problems and worries that bother us isn't something easy to do. The sins that easily capture our attention and take over us aren't sins we want to give up readily or they wouldn't be sins that were easily besetting us. Laying aside these things that would keep us from running the race before us, and running it with patience isn't something we can do on our own. We need Jesus, we need to LOOK to Jesus. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and look to Jesus. Jesus is the author of our faith. Jesus created our faith and Jesus will be there at the end of our faith when the substance of things hoped for are realized in Jesus.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we look ever to Him and not to ourselves.
Amen.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Boldness to enter into the holiest
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh
In the Old Testament before the Messiah came the sanctuary service was the only way a person could find their way to God.
Psa 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
God who is to be first and foremost in the lives of everyone (Deu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul), set up the sanctuary service so that when a man disobeyed God and sinned he had a way to find forgiveness and be made one with God again. No man was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place. The only person allowed into the Most Holy Place was the High Priest and then only one time a year. The Most Holy Place where God's presence was on earth. The full way to God was denied to the common man because no animal sacrifice could ever fully atone for the sins against God. Jesus came made it possible for us to have complete atonement in Him.
A veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and Jesus' flesh, Jesus' death gave us a new way to God all in Him and through Him. Such a miracle! Such an amazing miracle was wrought for us. The blessing we have to be alive knowing that a way to God has been made for us is something so awesome and yet so many take it for granted. We need to boldly come before God, with the blood of Jesus forever before us knowing that it's only through His sacrifice that we can do so, only through the righteousness of our Lord and Savior.
May God bless us, may the Holy Spirit guide us before Him by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, forever and ever.
Amen.
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh
In the Old Testament before the Messiah came the sanctuary service was the only way a person could find their way to God.
Psa 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
God who is to be first and foremost in the lives of everyone (Deu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul), set up the sanctuary service so that when a man disobeyed God and sinned he had a way to find forgiveness and be made one with God again. No man was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place. The only person allowed into the Most Holy Place was the High Priest and then only one time a year. The Most Holy Place where God's presence was on earth. The full way to God was denied to the common man because no animal sacrifice could ever fully atone for the sins against God. Jesus came made it possible for us to have complete atonement in Him.
A veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and Jesus' flesh, Jesus' death gave us a new way to God all in Him and through Him. Such a miracle! Such an amazing miracle was wrought for us. The blessing we have to be alive knowing that a way to God has been made for us is something so awesome and yet so many take it for granted. We need to boldly come before God, with the blood of Jesus forever before us knowing that it's only through His sacrifice that we can do so, only through the righteousness of our Lord and Savior.
May God bless us, may the Holy Spirit guide us before Him by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, forever and ever.
Amen.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Who have you provoked today?
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works
Who have you provoked today?
We tend to think of provoking as a bad thing, just look at the dictionary definition.
provoke (pre-vok´) verb, transitive
provoked, provoking, provokes
1. To incite to anger or resentment.
2. To stir to action or feeling.
3. To give rise to; evoke: provoke laughter.
4. To bring about deliberately; induce: provoke a fight.
The first meaning given is 'to incite anger or resentment'. However let's look at the subsequent meanings. 'To stir to action or feeling', that's not so bad, right? Neither is this meaning, 'to give rise to, evoke: provoke laughter.' Then again this one isn't so inspiriing in a positive way, 'to bring about deliberately; induce: provoke a fight.' When the Bible tells us this- 'provoke unto love and to good works' this is a very good thing. How are we to help each other? Provoking each other to love and good works is an amazing thing. Inciting good, stirring up good works, giving rise to love, deliberately inducing love and good works these are amazing thing and how many of us do this? How many of us provoke another person to love and good works? It's easy to provoke mischief. A simple cross word from us can incite dissent and bad feelings, can a simple loving word do the opposite? Do loving words come easy to us or do criticizing words slip more readily from our tongues? Provoking unto love and to good works. What would happen if we determined to provoke someone to love and good works today, tomorrow, everyday we live? It's a thought isn't it? The next time a cross word spills from our lips let's instantly remember this verse and see if we can't provoke love before we provoke anything else.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior we can learn to provoke to love and good works. May the love of God fill us fully, may the forgiveness of Jesus wash over us all creating clean hearts within us. May the righteousness of Christ fill our hearts, our minds, all of us so that we may be His fully and that His will may be done within us now and always.
Amen.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works
Who have you provoked today?
We tend to think of provoking as a bad thing, just look at the dictionary definition.
provoke (pre-vok´) verb, transitive
provoked, provoking, provokes
1. To incite to anger or resentment.
2. To stir to action or feeling.
3. To give rise to; evoke: provoke laughter.
4. To bring about deliberately; induce: provoke a fight.
The first meaning given is 'to incite anger or resentment'. However let's look at the subsequent meanings. 'To stir to action or feeling', that's not so bad, right? Neither is this meaning, 'to give rise to, evoke: provoke laughter.' Then again this one isn't so inspiriing in a positive way, 'to bring about deliberately; induce: provoke a fight.' When the Bible tells us this- 'provoke unto love and to good works' this is a very good thing. How are we to help each other? Provoking each other to love and good works is an amazing thing. Inciting good, stirring up good works, giving rise to love, deliberately inducing love and good works these are amazing thing and how many of us do this? How many of us provoke another person to love and good works? It's easy to provoke mischief. A simple cross word from us can incite dissent and bad feelings, can a simple loving word do the opposite? Do loving words come easy to us or do criticizing words slip more readily from our tongues? Provoking unto love and to good works. What would happen if we determined to provoke someone to love and good works today, tomorrow, everyday we live? It's a thought isn't it? The next time a cross word spills from our lips let's instantly remember this verse and see if we can't provoke love before we provoke anything else.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior we can learn to provoke to love and good works. May the love of God fill us fully, may the forgiveness of Jesus wash over us all creating clean hearts within us. May the righteousness of Christ fill our hearts, our minds, all of us so that we may be His fully and that His will may be done within us now and always.
Amen.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Unto them that look for him shall he appear
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Unto them that look for him.
Are you looking for Jesus Christ? What do you do when you look for someone? Looking is an active pursuit not passive. You can't say you are looking for someone with your eyes closed, everyone would know that you're lying. You can't see with your eyes closed. Telling someone to look for something they can't see is a fool's game, right? It's like telling someone to look for the very breath they are breathing. We are to look for a very real Jesus Christ to return and for those of us who are looking we will see him again because He will appear to us and when He appears it will be without the sin He took upon Himself for us because the atonement will be complete. The heavenly sanctuary service will have been fulfilled.
We can't take our minds off Christ's appearing it needs to be ever before us. Our lives must be lived under the constant assurance that Christ will appear to us again as long as we look for Him.
When we fear retribution we often hide from the source of that retribution. Our looking for Jesus is like looking for love, true love that is beyond anything we can ever imagine. We can't fear the coming of the Lord, we have to live daily in hope of His return.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we look for His return, look for Him in a very real way to appear to us. Let us keep Him ever before us.
Amen.
Unto them that look for him.
Are you looking for Jesus Christ? What do you do when you look for someone? Looking is an active pursuit not passive. You can't say you are looking for someone with your eyes closed, everyone would know that you're lying. You can't see with your eyes closed. Telling someone to look for something they can't see is a fool's game, right? It's like telling someone to look for the very breath they are breathing. We are to look for a very real Jesus Christ to return and for those of us who are looking we will see him again because He will appear to us and when He appears it will be without the sin He took upon Himself for us because the atonement will be complete. The heavenly sanctuary service will have been fulfilled.
We can't take our minds off Christ's appearing it needs to be ever before us. Our lives must be lived under the constant assurance that Christ will appear to us again as long as we look for Him.
When we fear retribution we often hide from the source of that retribution. Our looking for Jesus is like looking for love, true love that is beyond anything we can ever imagine. We can't fear the coming of the Lord, we have to live daily in hope of His return.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we look for His return, look for Him in a very real way to appear to us. Let us keep Him ever before us.
Amen.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Do you have God's law in your heart?
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Do you have God's laws in your mind? Do you have God's law in your heart? Is God, your only God? Do all around you know the Lord? I'm not talking know Him as a personal Savior for the answer to that would be instantly, no. Do most people you know, know God, know of Him and His mercy? With the publicity that is in our world today it's hard to imagine anyone not knowing the name 'God', in fact many are blasphemers of that holy name, making themselves as gods. They know what it means to be God, the one and only true God, even if their teaching has been through ridicule of Him or abuse of Him in horror games, movies and such. There are very few people you could stop that would look at you like you're insane if you ask them who God is. They might want to give some philosphical, or mythical idea of an answer, or even say they don't believe in God, but they know the original that has been perverted in many ways to suit the warped, sinfilled people today. God is merciful to our unrighteousness and if we repent and ask for forgiveness our sins are remembered no more. The new covenant is found in the blood of Christ not the blood of innocent animals, the new covenant will live forever and ever never to wax old or vanish away. The laws of God remain always, the way to forgiveness for breaking the laws has changed. We live with a new covenant, we live with God's laws in our minds and on our hearts. God is part of our very life. God's ways are our ways. We are blessed under the new covenant and one day sin will be no more, may that day come soon, very, very soon. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we be God's under His new covenant forever living in Him with His laws in our hearts and minds.
Amen.
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Do you have God's laws in your mind? Do you have God's law in your heart? Is God, your only God? Do all around you know the Lord? I'm not talking know Him as a personal Savior for the answer to that would be instantly, no. Do most people you know, know God, know of Him and His mercy? With the publicity that is in our world today it's hard to imagine anyone not knowing the name 'God', in fact many are blasphemers of that holy name, making themselves as gods. They know what it means to be God, the one and only true God, even if their teaching has been through ridicule of Him or abuse of Him in horror games, movies and such. There are very few people you could stop that would look at you like you're insane if you ask them who God is. They might want to give some philosphical, or mythical idea of an answer, or even say they don't believe in God, but they know the original that has been perverted in many ways to suit the warped, sinfilled people today. God is merciful to our unrighteousness and if we repent and ask for forgiveness our sins are remembered no more. The new covenant is found in the blood of Christ not the blood of innocent animals, the new covenant will live forever and ever never to wax old or vanish away. The laws of God remain always, the way to forgiveness for breaking the laws has changed. We live with a new covenant, we live with God's laws in our minds and on our hearts. God is part of our very life. God's ways are our ways. We are blessed under the new covenant and one day sin will be no more, may that day come soon, very, very soon. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may we be God's under His new covenant forever living in Him with His laws in our hearts and minds.
Amen.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous
One test after another and they come from such unexpected places and in such unexpected ways. A simple look at the wrong moment and doubt floods us fully, doubts about each other, doubts about life, doubts about ourselves and our Christian walk. Sure we are told we will face many obstacles, we are told our faith will be tried in the fire, yes we are told that suffering is the lot of those who will take up the cross and we believe it, we do and then it begins. Yes, it begins and the trials and tribulations start and Satan will go all out as his reigns are loosed to pound at us. We imagine ourselves strong and ready for the battle that's until a dagger is thrust into our hearts from the most unexpected source- from a loved one. The dagger thrust not once but over and over again, and not all at once but just when we think the wound is healed it's reopened again viciously.
Everyone without exception is to be tried and we're not all going to face the same tests because our lives are all so different. A high profiled person will face tests that fit their life, just as a person in poverty will face their own individual tests. Some might say the poverty alone is the test and others will agree that the life of a rich person has their tests with wealth. Jesus said it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven and it's true- how many rich people abandon their wealth for God?
Everyone is to be tried without exception and the trying is a personal thing individually crafted to bring us closer to God, closer to the full belief that God is everything while our lives are nothing- our lives are to be sacrificed to Him, living sacrifices.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Our hearts can bleed through the suffering we endure and as they bleed we are--
Rom 8:36 ... killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Psa 44:22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Psa 44:23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
Psa 44:24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
Psa 44:25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
Psa 44:26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.
We can't pick and choose how we are chastened, the chastening comes from completely unexpected places, we can only hope and pray that we will recognize the chastening for what it is and cling to Christ as the pain washes over us time and again and we don't know where our lives are going. As one security after another is ripped from us and we flail about in despair wondering just how will survive may God become ever more real to us. As some tell us we should abandon God because He's abandoned us, let us by the grace of God tell them that no matter what God would never abandon us, we abandon Him. Will our lives be easy for that admission? No. Will the pain lessen or the trials cease? No. One trial might end only for another to begin. By the grace of God may we holdfast to the One with the power to save us from ourselves. Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior now and forever.
In Christ.
Amen.
Everyone without exception is to be tried and we're not all going to face the same tests because our lives are all so different. A high profiled person will face tests that fit their life, just as a person in poverty will face their own individual tests. Some might say the poverty alone is the test and others will agree that the life of a rich person has their tests with wealth. Jesus said it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven and it's true- how many rich people abandon their wealth for God?
Everyone is to be tried without exception and the trying is a personal thing individually crafted to bring us closer to God, closer to the full belief that God is everything while our lives are nothing- our lives are to be sacrificed to Him, living sacrifices.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Our hearts can bleed through the suffering we endure and as they bleed we are--
Rom 8:36 ... killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Psa 44:22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Psa 44:23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
Psa 44:24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
Psa 44:25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
Psa 44:26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.
We can't pick and choose how we are chastened, the chastening comes from completely unexpected places, we can only hope and pray that we will recognize the chastening for what it is and cling to Christ as the pain washes over us time and again and we don't know where our lives are going. As one security after another is ripped from us and we flail about in despair wondering just how will survive may God become ever more real to us. As some tell us we should abandon God because He's abandoned us, let us by the grace of God tell them that no matter what God would never abandon us, we abandon Him. Will our lives be easy for that admission? No. Will the pain lessen or the trials cease? No. One trial might end only for another to begin. By the grace of God may we holdfast to the One with the power to save us from ourselves. Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior now and forever.
In Christ.
Amen.
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