1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
*******
Suffering wrongfully. Would you say that you've suffered wrongfully? Would you declare that you've suffered unfairly? Would you say that in your life you've been made to suffer without cause? Do you believe that your suffering has been wrong, that you did nothing to deserve the suffering? Has God allowed things in your life to occur that make you angry at Him because you think you didn't deserve those things? I could say simply you're a sinner and you deserve every bad thing allowed to happen to you and it'd be true, right? We don't get to pick and choose what comes our way as a result of our sinning. You turn your life around and give it over to Christ your slate is clean you're walking the straight and narrow way and the worst agony you've every felt is allowed to befall you for no apparant good reason. You've been forgiven, you've suffered and Christ has suffered for you so why, why are you being allowed to suffer so much more than you ever suffered when you were lost in sin's strong, deadly grasp? Instantly you begin to believe that if you're going to suffer so much as God's when you've denied yourself so much to follow Him, you might as well stick to being a blatant sinner because you suffer no matter what and you might as well suffer for something you know you're doing wrong rather than for no good reason. What good is following God if we are called to suffer? What good is it if we devote our lives to Christ and then when we seemingly need His help the most it's gone? He's gone. Bottom line- we don't want to suffer anything. We don't want to be face with a temptation that calls for our suffering to over come, we want supernatural power to resist the temptation. When we find out all our lives we've suffered and lived a life full of compromise and then we see the life we SHOULD have had, a life with real love and no suffering, a life that should have been ours but is NOW out of our grasp because of the path we've walked down, it's painful and it's horrific and it's a slap in the face to have to deny ourselves something that should be ours. We rail against God for what we perceive as injustice. We cry out that we need help to overcome the temptation to sin and when we don't find that help and the sin overwhelms us we blame God for not giving us what we needed to beat the temptation. We spend our lives blaming God for allowing the unjust pain to occur, we blame God for not saving us from ourselves, we blame God for our weaknesses and in truth God has done all He had to do, all He could do to save us. Every day, every hour, every minute we have to believe that everything that comes our way- every temptation, every injustice, every pain, every heartache we suffer is NOTHING compared to the suffering of Jesus, innocent Jesus who took on our humanity setting aside the divinity that would keep Him from death. He had NO special power to use, not if He wanted to save us. He USED no power to keep Himself from the agonies of life, the temptations. We get it twisted in our thoughts that He was special and it was EASY for Him to live as He did and die as He did. We choose not to grasp the magnitude of what He suffered because if we keep from really comprehending it as far as we are able then we allow ourselves to believe we suffer more somehow because we aren't special as He was special and had the power to overcome- special power. The truth is He only had the same power we have right now today- God. He relied on His Father for all things and didn't trust things to His own power.
Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Jesus suffered in ways we'll never be called to suffered because we know we are sinners, He never was. And even after we come to Christ and devote our lives to Him fully, seeking and obtaining forgiveness for our sin filled lives, and we think suddenly we are entitled to some special power that will keep us from feeling temptation and pain, a special power that will make us feel as if God is always with us and not abandoning us. Didn't Jesus cry out...
Mar 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Did God forsake Him? NO! He was resurrected but Jesus certainly felt as if God had left Him didn't He? So why should we even begin to think that we should have some special treatment that will afford us the feeling that God never leaves us on our own, suffering? We do though. We stomp our feet and rail our fists in the air and we scream at God for His lack of being there for us when we need Him the most. We suffer and we expect something special, to be treated better than God's own sinless Son.
We are CALLED to suffer and to suffer unjustly. God won't leave us, though it may feel as if He has abandoned us and left us to Satan's devices. We blame God and our lives go on and we continue to suffer and we console ourselves with worldly evils telling ourselves that it's just as well because God isn't really who He says He is and nothing is as it should be and when I loved Him the most He left me.
1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
God forgive us! GOD FORGIVE US! Because we are so weak. We give in when we suffer, we blame God for the suffering, we are so incredibly weak and lack so much in faith. Please God, please forgive us...forgive us for presuming to know Your ways and to accuse You of wrong. Forgive us God, forgive us and please Lord, please...restore us to you. We know our sins are many and willful and we've shunned You and turned our backs on You, we've blamed You and cursed You time and again, please Lord! For Jesus' forgive us, for Love forgive us and bring us to You fully once more knowing that anything and everything we are to endure will somehow work out for Your glory. Please Lord, we don't even know for what we should pray or how to pray, let the Holy Spirit intercede for us with You. We are so unworthy and only You are worthy. Lord we believe, help our unbelief! Please Lord! Help our unbelief! By Your perfect mercy, Your perfect grace, Your perfect rightousness in Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior now and forever!
Amen.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Inner Storms
When we think of crisis coming to us sometimes I think we look outside ourselves for those crisis. We wonder what's going to come our way, what's going to interfere with our lives in a negative way. What might we have to handle. Unfortunately not all crisis come at us that way. Sometimes the upsets come from within ourselves and we are that crisis. Seriously. Self-doubt can be embroiled in so much and it eats away at us. Confidence isn't something that is always easy, or rather a lot of times it isn't easy. Our thoughts can start us on a downward spiril of doubt and anguish. We can look at our lives and realize so much isn't the way we'd have it be in so many ways and it can cause us to slip down into despair.
Despair-
ya?'ash
yaw-ash'
A primitive root; to desist, that is, (figuratively) to despond: - (cause to) despair, one that is desperate, be no hope.
Despair-
exaporeomai
ex-ap-or-eh'-om-ahee
Middle voice from G1537 and G639; to be utterly at a loss, that is, despond: - (in) despair.
In despair we lose hope and that's something we really can't afford to lose hope.
When we have no hope...
Jer 18:12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
...there is a tendency to just go crazy in sin. We stop affording sin the deadliness it holds and we embrace the sins because without hope we feel there is no reason to seek God or His ways. When we get to that point we have no hope at all, we despair. Facing the inward upsets that eat away at our hope is a treacherous thing. We have to remember that it isn't always the outside forces that assail us and put us in harm's way. The storms in our lives can come in many ways, the slippery ground, the sinking sand can be found within us. We have to really set ourselves on the solid Rock of Christ and His ways during ALL crisis, internal and external without neglecting one or the other. With emotional turmoil and many things that can cause it we really need to place ourselves on the Rock and hold fast throughout all storms.
May God bless and keep us in Him, in the hope of Him so that we don't give in to despair and succumb to the evil within our hearts, evils we all have and evils we need God to create in us a clean heart from, renewing a right spirit within. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever.
Amen.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Despair-
ya?'ash
yaw-ash'
A primitive root; to desist, that is, (figuratively) to despond: - (cause to) despair, one that is desperate, be no hope.
Despair-
exaporeomai
ex-ap-or-eh'-om-ahee
Middle voice from G1537 and G639; to be utterly at a loss, that is, despond: - (in) despair.
In despair we lose hope and that's something we really can't afford to lose hope.
When we have no hope...
Jer 18:12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
...there is a tendency to just go crazy in sin. We stop affording sin the deadliness it holds and we embrace the sins because without hope we feel there is no reason to seek God or His ways. When we get to that point we have no hope at all, we despair. Facing the inward upsets that eat away at our hope is a treacherous thing. We have to remember that it isn't always the outside forces that assail us and put us in harm's way. The storms in our lives can come in many ways, the slippery ground, the sinking sand can be found within us. We have to really set ourselves on the solid Rock of Christ and His ways during ALL crisis, internal and external without neglecting one or the other. With emotional turmoil and many things that can cause it we really need to place ourselves on the Rock and hold fast throughout all storms.
May God bless and keep us in Him, in the hope of Him so that we don't give in to despair and succumb to the evil within our hearts, evils we all have and evils we need God to create in us a clean heart from, renewing a right spirit within. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever.
Amen.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Strangers
Heb 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Do we forget to entertain strangers? How many of us would even consider such a thing, seriously? Strangers? We are taught to be wary of strangers. We are taught to think the worst of them. Be on our guard where strangers are concerned.
Isn't is true that we are all strangers to each other? I read in a place of business once a sign that said, 'There are no strangers here just friends who haven't met.' I really liked that saying. It holds the spirit of what God means when we are told not to be forgetful to entertain strangers. No one is a stranger really, we are all just human beings in this huge world of ours and we all share a common bond by having life alone. When we meet a fellow human being we aren't familar with, yes, they are a stranger to us and if we treat them with respect and the love of Jesus Christ we are doing all we can do. Not every stranger will end up a friend regardless of what that saying I like says. Opening our hearts with kindness to those we don't know is all Jesus asks of us. The fact that we might be entertaining angels unaware is just another blessing given us.
Instead of turning a wary eye upon the strangers we meet in our life we need to turn a loving heart upon them, the love of Christ who asks us to trust in Him for all things and that includes being safe when a stranger does enter our lives. No, it doesn't mean all strangers are good and it doesn't mean that we won't be hurt by a stranger, but it means we trust in God that all things will work together for good for us because we love Him. We don't have to understand, we just have to embrace the love of Christ and love God first and our fellow man second. The commandment isn't to love God and love our family and friends, the commandment is to love God and love our fellow man, our neighbors and our neighbors are any and all we meet in our lives.
May God bless us with His pure love for human kind, may we embrace any and all opportunities to entertain strangers in our lives and by that may we offer them any comfort we can, even if it's a kind word or a simple smile. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever. In Christ's love.
Amen.
Do we forget to entertain strangers? How many of us would even consider such a thing, seriously? Strangers? We are taught to be wary of strangers. We are taught to think the worst of them. Be on our guard where strangers are concerned.
Isn't is true that we are all strangers to each other? I read in a place of business once a sign that said, 'There are no strangers here just friends who haven't met.' I really liked that saying. It holds the spirit of what God means when we are told not to be forgetful to entertain strangers. No one is a stranger really, we are all just human beings in this huge world of ours and we all share a common bond by having life alone. When we meet a fellow human being we aren't familar with, yes, they are a stranger to us and if we treat them with respect and the love of Jesus Christ we are doing all we can do. Not every stranger will end up a friend regardless of what that saying I like says. Opening our hearts with kindness to those we don't know is all Jesus asks of us. The fact that we might be entertaining angels unaware is just another blessing given us.
Instead of turning a wary eye upon the strangers we meet in our life we need to turn a loving heart upon them, the love of Christ who asks us to trust in Him for all things and that includes being safe when a stranger does enter our lives. No, it doesn't mean all strangers are good and it doesn't mean that we won't be hurt by a stranger, but it means we trust in God that all things will work together for good for us because we love Him. We don't have to understand, we just have to embrace the love of Christ and love God first and our fellow man second. The commandment isn't to love God and love our family and friends, the commandment is to love God and love our fellow man, our neighbors and our neighbors are any and all we meet in our lives.
May God bless us with His pure love for human kind, may we embrace any and all opportunities to entertain strangers in our lives and by that may we offer them any comfort we can, even if it's a kind word or a simple smile. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, now and forever. In Christ's love.
Amen.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Through the waters and fires
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Everyday I try to read a little book that has daily Bible inspirations. Sometimes I'll read it early, sometimes I won't read it till late at night. If I forget to read it one day I'll read two the next, or try to. Yesterday I didn't get to it until later at night and I had to smile. Sometimes God arranges things so we see His hand at work clearly even if we're not exactly sure what lesson we are being taught. More often than not it'll be a lesson that we'll need for the future. I'm sure God is showing me something, not sure exactly where it will apply but yesterday my study was on Matthew 7:24-27 where we are taught by Jesus about being wise and building our houses upon the Rock and not upon the sand where the wind and waters and such can knock us down. Later that day I did something very spontaneously, I took our car to the car wash for the first time (on my own, that I can remember) the automatic car wash. Why? Well it was looking awfully dirty and my hubby who usually keeps up with its washing is recovering from surgery and infections so he isn't out and about like he usually is and well I just thought I'd get it cleaned up. Now there isn't anything remarkable about taking a car through a car wash and it was over and done with, I didn't think about it again until later that night when I picked up the daily bible booklet and had to laugh as I read a little story about going through a car wash! It was amazing that here I took our car through the car wash out of the blue and that very night I'd read about 'going through the waters'. The analogy was about going through life's rough waters and how God will be with us when that happens.
So here we have it- 3 things. 1st my study on building our houses on the Rock so the rains of life don't beat us down, 2nd the car washing, and 3rd the analogy to match that car washing. God is trying to show me something so I'm going to study a bit more on this and hope and pray I learn the lesson I'm going to need as His wisdom has reveals.
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Waters, rivers, fire and flame all natural elements. Water and fire to opposing elements and yet both in their own right are deadly as well as life sustaining. Water is necessary for so much and fire is as well. Life and death the seemingly neverending cycle that is our lot. Only it's not life and death, it's life, death, and life again. With God our lives don't have to end in death eternal unless we choose that path. We can have life eternal it is a gift offered to us all through Jesus Christ and His righteousness, His grace, His mercy, His love.
All through life we will have those two opposing yet necessary forces in our lives. We will pass through waters that will assail us trying to drown us and steal our lives and we will pass through fires that will try to burn us and keep us from a life in Christ. We know we will have trials and tribulations, we know that we will have many obstacles to face and that's not something we can ever get out of, we can't expect to have a life trouble free because that doesn't exist. What we can count on is God being with us through it all. We have to burn into our minds this verse-
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
We might feel like we're drowning in a sea of despair, we might be sure we are being burned alive and all hope is being stripped from us as life's heartaches assail us unendingly. When the pain is upon us, either mentally or physically, or even emotionally we instinctively seem to want to blame God for allowing the pain, we question Him, we question life and it's so easy to believe God has abandoned us by allowing the horrific trials of life to beat at us. He never leaves us- we leave Him. We have to trust Him beyond everything else. We have to have faith in Him that He will see us through the deepest of waters and the mose wicked of storms, that He will protect our eternal life as we are seemingly being burned alive with the fiery trials of life. We can't believe God is leaving us, or has left us when life hurts we have to trust that He that knows the end from the beginning knows what is what and that His will is better than our own will even if we can't even see the first hint of understanding dawning as to why the trials and tribulations come to us. The more they come the closer to God we need to be not further away.
By the grace and mercy of God may we hold fast to Him through all storms that come our way even when they come one after another so violent that our very hearts feel as if they are being torn from our chests. In Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, by His love and through the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Amen.
Everyday I try to read a little book that has daily Bible inspirations. Sometimes I'll read it early, sometimes I won't read it till late at night. If I forget to read it one day I'll read two the next, or try to. Yesterday I didn't get to it until later at night and I had to smile. Sometimes God arranges things so we see His hand at work clearly even if we're not exactly sure what lesson we are being taught. More often than not it'll be a lesson that we'll need for the future. I'm sure God is showing me something, not sure exactly where it will apply but yesterday my study was on Matthew 7:24-27 where we are taught by Jesus about being wise and building our houses upon the Rock and not upon the sand where the wind and waters and such can knock us down. Later that day I did something very spontaneously, I took our car to the car wash for the first time (on my own, that I can remember) the automatic car wash. Why? Well it was looking awfully dirty and my hubby who usually keeps up with its washing is recovering from surgery and infections so he isn't out and about like he usually is and well I just thought I'd get it cleaned up. Now there isn't anything remarkable about taking a car through a car wash and it was over and done with, I didn't think about it again until later that night when I picked up the daily bible booklet and had to laugh as I read a little story about going through a car wash! It was amazing that here I took our car through the car wash out of the blue and that very night I'd read about 'going through the waters'. The analogy was about going through life's rough waters and how God will be with us when that happens.
So here we have it- 3 things. 1st my study on building our houses on the Rock so the rains of life don't beat us down, 2nd the car washing, and 3rd the analogy to match that car washing. God is trying to show me something so I'm going to study a bit more on this and hope and pray I learn the lesson I'm going to need as His wisdom has reveals.
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Waters, rivers, fire and flame all natural elements. Water and fire to opposing elements and yet both in their own right are deadly as well as life sustaining. Water is necessary for so much and fire is as well. Life and death the seemingly neverending cycle that is our lot. Only it's not life and death, it's life, death, and life again. With God our lives don't have to end in death eternal unless we choose that path. We can have life eternal it is a gift offered to us all through Jesus Christ and His righteousness, His grace, His mercy, His love.
All through life we will have those two opposing yet necessary forces in our lives. We will pass through waters that will assail us trying to drown us and steal our lives and we will pass through fires that will try to burn us and keep us from a life in Christ. We know we will have trials and tribulations, we know that we will have many obstacles to face and that's not something we can ever get out of, we can't expect to have a life trouble free because that doesn't exist. What we can count on is God being with us through it all. We have to burn into our minds this verse-
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
We might feel like we're drowning in a sea of despair, we might be sure we are being burned alive and all hope is being stripped from us as life's heartaches assail us unendingly. When the pain is upon us, either mentally or physically, or even emotionally we instinctively seem to want to blame God for allowing the pain, we question Him, we question life and it's so easy to believe God has abandoned us by allowing the horrific trials of life to beat at us. He never leaves us- we leave Him. We have to trust Him beyond everything else. We have to have faith in Him that He will see us through the deepest of waters and the mose wicked of storms, that He will protect our eternal life as we are seemingly being burned alive with the fiery trials of life. We can't believe God is leaving us, or has left us when life hurts we have to trust that He that knows the end from the beginning knows what is what and that His will is better than our own will even if we can't even see the first hint of understanding dawning as to why the trials and tribulations come to us. The more they come the closer to God we need to be not further away.
By the grace and mercy of God may we hold fast to Him through all storms that come our way even when they come one after another so violent that our very hearts feel as if they are being torn from our chests. In Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, by His love and through the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Amen.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Are we living upon the Rock?
Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it
*******
Life sends us a lot of rain doesn't it? Everyone has a few floods in their lives, and that wind, the wind is probably more common than either the rain or floods. Sometimes we get a combination of it all, we get hurricanes in our lives. Yes, I'm talking figuratively because that's what this is all about, it's not a lesson in literal construction but a lesson to teach us about life's many hardships. No one lives in sunshine all the time, no one lives without problems in their lives. We can anticipate some of life's problems but most of them take us by surprise and try to knock us off our feet. What would we do if we could anticipate life's problems? If we were given a blueprint of our lives and told at this point a hurricane was going to hit our lives and try to knock us off our foundation- which is Jesus Christ. We would try to batten down our hatches so to speak, we'd put those shutters up on our windows, we'd lay a good supply of life's essentials around us and we'd wait hoping we were well prepared. See, we don't know when a sudden blow to our faith is going to hit us. We aren't given early warning signs, or are we? Perhaps our warning signs can come in the form of our faith and what we do to keep it strong. If we keep our house in tip top condition we've prepared in the best way we can for any sudden storm, right? If we hear the sayings of Jesus and do them, we are like a wise man who has built his house upon a rock.
In life people don't often live in a single house. Some live in several houses over their lifetime. In the figurative sense we can move from house to house as well- and sometimes our new house isn't built upon the rock of Christ. We take up a new abode and raise it upon sinking sand and we wonder why life is so horrible and we wonder why we aren't strong in Christ but weak in our own righteousness. We have to take stock of ourselves and take stock daily. Are we living upon the Rock today? Are we in the process of moving to a new house not built upon the rock? Do we suddenly find that we've moved in our sleep and we wake up in a sinking house? The good thing about the figurative building is that we can move instantly by the grace of God and we need to move instantly as soon as we recognize the house we are in is falling down from the assaults of life. If we recognize the house we are in is built upon the sand and don't make any effort to move to a house upon the rocks we have no one to blame but ourselves when life's problems overwhelm us completely and drown us, leaving us homeless and flailing about for shelter.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, by His righteousness may we seek Him and His ways often and always so that we may live protected by Him and His amazing, unfathomable love.
Amen.
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it
*******
Life sends us a lot of rain doesn't it? Everyone has a few floods in their lives, and that wind, the wind is probably more common than either the rain or floods. Sometimes we get a combination of it all, we get hurricanes in our lives. Yes, I'm talking figuratively because that's what this is all about, it's not a lesson in literal construction but a lesson to teach us about life's many hardships. No one lives in sunshine all the time, no one lives without problems in their lives. We can anticipate some of life's problems but most of them take us by surprise and try to knock us off our feet. What would we do if we could anticipate life's problems? If we were given a blueprint of our lives and told at this point a hurricane was going to hit our lives and try to knock us off our foundation- which is Jesus Christ. We would try to batten down our hatches so to speak, we'd put those shutters up on our windows, we'd lay a good supply of life's essentials around us and we'd wait hoping we were well prepared. See, we don't know when a sudden blow to our faith is going to hit us. We aren't given early warning signs, or are we? Perhaps our warning signs can come in the form of our faith and what we do to keep it strong. If we keep our house in tip top condition we've prepared in the best way we can for any sudden storm, right? If we hear the sayings of Jesus and do them, we are like a wise man who has built his house upon a rock.
In life people don't often live in a single house. Some live in several houses over their lifetime. In the figurative sense we can move from house to house as well- and sometimes our new house isn't built upon the rock of Christ. We take up a new abode and raise it upon sinking sand and we wonder why life is so horrible and we wonder why we aren't strong in Christ but weak in our own righteousness. We have to take stock of ourselves and take stock daily. Are we living upon the Rock today? Are we in the process of moving to a new house not built upon the rock? Do we suddenly find that we've moved in our sleep and we wake up in a sinking house? The good thing about the figurative building is that we can move instantly by the grace of God and we need to move instantly as soon as we recognize the house we are in is falling down from the assaults of life. If we recognize the house we are in is built upon the sand and don't make any effort to move to a house upon the rocks we have no one to blame but ourselves when life's problems overwhelm us completely and drown us, leaving us homeless and flailing about for shelter.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, by His righteousness may we seek Him and His ways often and always so that we may live protected by Him and His amazing, unfathomable love.
Amen.
Monday, February 15, 2010
To God's Honor
2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
The Lord knoweth them that are his.
How amazing is this, how comforting. Combine that with this--
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
-- and we can see how important it is that God knows us, that we are known by Him. Doing *works* isn't what it is all about because preceeding that last verse is this--
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
If people are prophesying in the Lord's name and if they are casting out devils, and doing many wonderful works they ARE going to believe they are doing the Lord's work so it will be a shock to them when He says He doesn't know them.
2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. If we claim Christ as ours, if we claim Christ in our life, if we claim to have Christ in our actions doing these marvelous things then we can't sin at the same time, rather we can't sin willingly, knowingly.
That verse above goes on to say that in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but of wood and earth, some to honor and some to dishonor. Our lives have to be to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our lives have to be dedicated to Him fully for His honor. We can't sin willingly, knowingly, wantingly and expect Christ to know us. We will be Christians among others that claim they are Christians and not all of us will be preachers, prophets, healers, and such, but we are all Christ's. Some preachers, prophets, and healers won't be to Christ's honor, they will be to His dishonor, it will be those that He professes 'I never knew you, depart from me, yet hat work iniquity.' We have to examine our lives, our hearts and surrender all to God for His honor willing to let Him work in us the righteousness of Christ because we have none of our own. We have to live for Christ in all that we do and while the world with Satan at it's helm pulls out all the stops to get us to dishonor God, we have to cling to Christ all that much more and pray for an indwelling of the Holy Spirit living in us to will and to do of God's good pleasure now and forever, this is my prayer.
Amen.
2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
The Lord knoweth them that are his.
How amazing is this, how comforting. Combine that with this--
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
-- and we can see how important it is that God knows us, that we are known by Him. Doing *works* isn't what it is all about because preceeding that last verse is this--
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
If people are prophesying in the Lord's name and if they are casting out devils, and doing many wonderful works they ARE going to believe they are doing the Lord's work so it will be a shock to them when He says He doesn't know them.
2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. If we claim Christ as ours, if we claim Christ in our life, if we claim to have Christ in our actions doing these marvelous things then we can't sin at the same time, rather we can't sin willingly, knowingly.
That verse above goes on to say that in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but of wood and earth, some to honor and some to dishonor. Our lives have to be to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our lives have to be dedicated to Him fully for His honor. We can't sin willingly, knowingly, wantingly and expect Christ to know us. We will be Christians among others that claim they are Christians and not all of us will be preachers, prophets, healers, and such, but we are all Christ's. Some preachers, prophets, and healers won't be to Christ's honor, they will be to His dishonor, it will be those that He professes 'I never knew you, depart from me, yet hat work iniquity.' We have to examine our lives, our hearts and surrender all to God for His honor willing to let Him work in us the righteousness of Christ because we have none of our own. We have to live for Christ in all that we do and while the world with Satan at it's helm pulls out all the stops to get us to dishonor God, we have to cling to Christ all that much more and pray for an indwelling of the Holy Spirit living in us to will and to do of God's good pleasure now and forever, this is my prayer.
Amen.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
We don't want to be deceived.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Satan gives this kingdom(ruling power) it's power, it's life. People will be worshipping Satan by worshipping the power he controls. The power will be unique in that there aren't any other powers fully like this power that Satan controls. No one would dare make war with this power at this time. The power will speak great things, the power will blaspheme against God - but remember this is a power that is worshipped so the blaspheme isn't going to be something readily seen. This power continued for many years and continues to blasphemy God, God's name, and God's tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven. We know that God's tabernacle is with man and that tabernacle is Jesus and Jesus dwells in heaven. This power will have twisted things so much that it is true blaspheme against God in many ways and yet it will be worshipped. People don't like to imagine they're worshipping any power that is against God, a power that has been in existence for a long, long time. People believe that they are too smart to be duped and this power is Godly, but it's not, it only seems to be. This power makes war against God's true people - the saints. This power influenced greatly all kindreds, tongues, and nations. This power is going to have worship from ALL whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. We have to realize that deception is an art form with Satan and He has perfected that deception to the point that out of the multitude only very few will have their names written in the book of life. The Bible tells us this...
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
It's an eye opening revelation to be sure that the majority of people are going to be deceived by Satan. And it is deception because the art of deception is fooling someone without their knowing it. God tells us this will happen, and also tells us this...
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
We must know the commandments of God fully if we are to be among the saints- those not deceived. We must know the faith of Jesus fully. Do you know and follow the commandments of God? Do you know what the faith of Jesus is and do you have the faith of Jesus in your life? We have to study.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
May God bless us as we seek to study His word, to rightly divide His word to know the truth of His commandments and the faith of Jesus. We don't want to be deceived as the many will be. Open our hearts and our minds by the Holy Spirit's power guide us to You fully so that we may know You and be known by You in Your love.
Amen.
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Satan gives this kingdom(ruling power) it's power, it's life. People will be worshipping Satan by worshipping the power he controls. The power will be unique in that there aren't any other powers fully like this power that Satan controls. No one would dare make war with this power at this time. The power will speak great things, the power will blaspheme against God - but remember this is a power that is worshipped so the blaspheme isn't going to be something readily seen. This power continued for many years and continues to blasphemy God, God's name, and God's tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven. We know that God's tabernacle is with man and that tabernacle is Jesus and Jesus dwells in heaven. This power will have twisted things so much that it is true blaspheme against God in many ways and yet it will be worshipped. People don't like to imagine they're worshipping any power that is against God, a power that has been in existence for a long, long time. People believe that they are too smart to be duped and this power is Godly, but it's not, it only seems to be. This power makes war against God's true people - the saints. This power influenced greatly all kindreds, tongues, and nations. This power is going to have worship from ALL whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. We have to realize that deception is an art form with Satan and He has perfected that deception to the point that out of the multitude only very few will have their names written in the book of life. The Bible tells us this...
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
It's an eye opening revelation to be sure that the majority of people are going to be deceived by Satan. And it is deception because the art of deception is fooling someone without their knowing it. God tells us this will happen, and also tells us this...
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
We must know the commandments of God fully if we are to be among the saints- those not deceived. We must know the faith of Jesus fully. Do you know and follow the commandments of God? Do you know what the faith of Jesus is and do you have the faith of Jesus in your life? We have to study.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
May God bless us as we seek to study His word, to rightly divide His word to know the truth of His commandments and the faith of Jesus. We don't want to be deceived as the many will be. Open our hearts and our minds by the Holy Spirit's power guide us to You fully so that we may know You and be known by You in Your love.
Amen.
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