Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
You and I are called by God, we are those who are 'afar off'.
We need to Repent.
We need to be baptized everyone one of us in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins.
We want to receive the Holy Ghost and we do when we listen to the Word of God.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
May we who are 'afar off' listen to the call of God and receive the promise, may we walk after the Spirit.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior now and forever!
Amen
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Married to Christ
The law does not save. Jesus saves. We have to die to the belief that we can work our way to heaven. The law- keeping the law in and of itself does not save, cannot save.
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren,
ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that ye should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
We become dead to the law- we agree the law cannot save us, but Christ saves us. 'We should be married to another' married to Christ. The law, the belief we can save ourselves by acting in accordance with the law must die. Touting our godliness, touting our goodness, holding up our actions, holding fast to the belief that we can behave and be saved is all wrong. Christ saves us. Christ raised from the dead and we find life in Him. The fruit we bring forth- our actions that will naturally be in accordance with the commandments of God- are brought forth through the love of God, the love of our Savior. We have to die to self and the belief we can save ourselves through the law. Love needs to reign through our Savior. Our flesh is weak and if we rely on ourselves we are relying on the flesh and we are lost. We must rely on the Lord.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior now and forever! In His righteousness.
Amen.
*******
Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren,
(for I speak to them that know the law,)
how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Rom 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth;
but if the husband be dead,
she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Rom 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth,
she be married to another man,
she shall be called an adulteress:
but if her husband be dead,
she is free from that law;
so that she is no adulteress,
though she be married to another man.
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren,
ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that ye should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sins,
which were by the law,
did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law,
that being dead wherein we were held;
that we should serve in newness of spirit,
and not in the oldness of the letter.
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then?
Is the law sin?
God forbid.
Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law
for I had not known lust
except the law had said,
Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
wrought in me all manner of concupiscence.
For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once
but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment,
which was ordained to life,
I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin,
taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy
and the commandment holy,
and just, and good.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me?
God forbid.
But sin,
that it might appear sin,
working death in me by that which is good
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual
but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not
for what I would,
that do I not;
but what I hate,
that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not
I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it
but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing
for to will is present with me
but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not
but the evil which I would not,
that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it,
but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law,
that, when I would do good,
evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am!
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God;
but with the flesh the law of sin.
*******
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren,
ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that ye should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
We become dead to the law- we agree the law cannot save us, but Christ saves us. 'We should be married to another' married to Christ. The law, the belief we can save ourselves by acting in accordance with the law must die. Touting our godliness, touting our goodness, holding up our actions, holding fast to the belief that we can behave and be saved is all wrong. Christ saves us. Christ raised from the dead and we find life in Him. The fruit we bring forth- our actions that will naturally be in accordance with the commandments of God- are brought forth through the love of God, the love of our Savior. We have to die to self and the belief we can save ourselves through the law. Love needs to reign through our Savior. Our flesh is weak and if we rely on ourselves we are relying on the flesh and we are lost. We must rely on the Lord.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior now and forever! In His righteousness.
Amen.
*******
Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren,
(for I speak to them that know the law,)
how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Rom 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth;
but if the husband be dead,
she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Rom 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth,
she be married to another man,
she shall be called an adulteress:
but if her husband be dead,
she is free from that law;
so that she is no adulteress,
though she be married to another man.
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren,
ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that ye should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sins,
which were by the law,
did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law,
that being dead wherein we were held;
that we should serve in newness of spirit,
and not in the oldness of the letter.
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then?
Is the law sin?
God forbid.
Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law
for I had not known lust
except the law had said,
Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
wrought in me all manner of concupiscence.
For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once
but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment,
which was ordained to life,
I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin,
taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy
and the commandment holy,
and just, and good.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me?
God forbid.
But sin,
that it might appear sin,
working death in me by that which is good
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual
but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not
for what I would,
that do I not;
but what I hate,
that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not
I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it
but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing
for to will is present with me
but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not
but the evil which I would not,
that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it,
but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law,
that, when I would do good,
evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am!
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God;
but with the flesh the law of sin.
*******
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
God Enlighten My Darkness
Psa 18:21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Psa 18:22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
Psa 18:23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Psa 18:24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Psa 18:25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
Psa 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
Psa 18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
Psa 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
By Your Grace Lord, by Your Grace. I can only hide my face in shame. I can only plead for Your mercy upon me. I can only lay at Your feet surrendered to You, to Your will, my will is no good. I am wretched, so wretched. Thank you God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior. Your righteousness, not mine, Your ways, not mine. You, not me. Anything righteous, anything clean, anything pure, anything upright, any iniquity I keep from all is through You and Your righteousness, Your power. By You Lord, by You Savior, now and forever! You light my candle, You Lord my God enlighten my darkness.
In Your Love Always!
Amen.
Psa 18:22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
Psa 18:23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Psa 18:24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Psa 18:25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
Psa 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
Psa 18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
Psa 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
By Your Grace Lord, by Your Grace. I can only hide my face in shame. I can only plead for Your mercy upon me. I can only lay at Your feet surrendered to You, to Your will, my will is no good. I am wretched, so wretched. Thank you God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior. Your righteousness, not mine, Your ways, not mine. You, not me. Anything righteous, anything clean, anything pure, anything upright, any iniquity I keep from all is through You and Your righteousness, Your power. By You Lord, by You Savior, now and forever! You light my candle, You Lord my God enlighten my darkness.
In Your Love Always!
Amen.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Psa 16:1 '...Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.'
Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
We can't preserve ourselves. We can make choices, in fact we make choices every single day of our lives. We make choices in big things and in little things. We choose our own steps. Even those who work under an exacting boss choose to work for that boss. All but slaves- those held captive by another- have choices and even slave have choices but they are very hard to make especially when being killed for disobedience is one of the choices. In the end we can't keep ourselves, the world is too wicked. We have to ask God to preserve us. We have to trust that God will preserve us. Our prayer needs to be 'Preserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust.'
With David, a beloved of God, we need to be satisfied when we wake in our Lord's likeness meaning... nothing on earth is going to be truly satisfying, nothing. Our satisfaction needs to come from the eternal and after we sleep in death we will wake in the likeness of our Savior upon His return for us. Right now as David sleeps the sleep of death he will be satisfied when he is raised from the dead with His Savior's likeness. And in truth we are raised incorruptible as our Lord is incorruptible. We are changed instantly and brought to a new life and that satisfaction is all any of us needs- life eternal in Christ our Lord and Savior, our God.
Can we say that... can we say we'll be satisfied when we wake with Christ's likeness? We are told to seek first the kingdom of God, and we truly need to do that...seek FIRST, not second, not third, not as an afterthought or once a week, but we need to seek first the kingdom of God and that kingdom is our Savior and His righteousness.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
We can't preserve ourselves. We can make choices, in fact we make choices every single day of our lives. We make choices in big things and in little things. We choose our own steps. Even those who work under an exacting boss choose to work for that boss. All but slaves- those held captive by another- have choices and even slave have choices but they are very hard to make especially when being killed for disobedience is one of the choices. In the end we can't keep ourselves, the world is too wicked. We have to ask God to preserve us. We have to trust that God will preserve us. Our prayer needs to be 'Preserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust.'
With David, a beloved of God, we need to be satisfied when we wake in our Lord's likeness meaning... nothing on earth is going to be truly satisfying, nothing. Our satisfaction needs to come from the eternal and after we sleep in death we will wake in the likeness of our Savior upon His return for us. Right now as David sleeps the sleep of death he will be satisfied when he is raised from the dead with His Savior's likeness. And in truth we are raised incorruptible as our Lord is incorruptible. We are changed instantly and brought to a new life and that satisfaction is all any of us needs- life eternal in Christ our Lord and Savior, our God.
Can we say that... can we say we'll be satisfied when we wake with Christ's likeness? We are told to seek first the kingdom of God, and we truly need to do that...seek FIRST, not second, not third, not as an afterthought or once a week, but we need to seek first the kingdom of God and that kingdom is our Savior and His righteousness.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Your Righteousness
Psa 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Psa 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Psa 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
Psa 6:3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
Psa 6:4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
Psa 6:9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
Psa 7:9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
Psa 7:17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
Psa 9:8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
Psa 10:17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear
Lord, I trust in Your righteousness. Lord, I look up to You, my prayers are to You always. Have mercy on me, Lord, I am so very, very weak. Heal me. Heal my soul, deliver my soul, save me by Your mercy. Hear my cries, receive my prayer. Let Your righteousness try our hearts, our lives. All praise to you Lord in Your righteousness. Judge the world by Your righteousness for there is no righteousness without You. Prepare my heart, hear me oh Lord my Savior, my God, the Almighty, the Righteous One.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Thy will be done Lord, Thy will. By Thy grace and Thy mercy now and forever, on earth as in heaven.
Amen.
Psa 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Psa 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
Psa 6:3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
Psa 6:4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
Psa 6:9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
Psa 7:9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
Psa 7:17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
Psa 9:8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
Psa 10:17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear
Lord, I trust in Your righteousness. Lord, I look up to You, my prayers are to You always. Have mercy on me, Lord, I am so very, very weak. Heal me. Heal my soul, deliver my soul, save me by Your mercy. Hear my cries, receive my prayer. Let Your righteousness try our hearts, our lives. All praise to you Lord in Your righteousness. Judge the world by Your righteousness for there is no righteousness without You. Prepare my heart, hear me oh Lord my Savior, my God, the Almighty, the Righteous One.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Thy will be done Lord, Thy will. By Thy grace and Thy mercy now and forever, on earth as in heaven.
Amen.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Pursue Peace
Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Pursue peace.
We pursue a lot of things in life. We are filled with wants and desires, filled with things we believe we need. We pursue people we believe we want to have a part of our lives, we pursue jobs we want to have, we pursue educations, we pursue activities that inspire us and give us enjoyment. Today you could be pursuing a nice quiet evening striving to make all the distractions of our life disappear. Our lives are full of pursuits some that are short lived and others that take years to fulfill. There are some pursuits that are life long. Pursuing peace is a life long pursuit. Our world strives for world peace and yet knows that it is all but impossible with all the on going conflicts. Does believing it is impossible stop the pursuit? No. In our lives we need to pursue peace. God wants us to depart from evil, to do good, to seek peace, and pursue it. If we're pursuing peace we are keeping ourselves from seeking contension, from arguing, from being disruptive.
May God help us all to pursue peace in our lives and let it extend to those all around us. As Satan strives to cause upsets in any way He can we need to pursue peace, remember the armor of God-- feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of PEACE.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we pursue His peace.
In Christ's love now and forever.
Amen.
Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Pursue peace.
We pursue a lot of things in life. We are filled with wants and desires, filled with things we believe we need. We pursue people we believe we want to have a part of our lives, we pursue jobs we want to have, we pursue educations, we pursue activities that inspire us and give us enjoyment. Today you could be pursuing a nice quiet evening striving to make all the distractions of our life disappear. Our lives are full of pursuits some that are short lived and others that take years to fulfill. There are some pursuits that are life long. Pursuing peace is a life long pursuit. Our world strives for world peace and yet knows that it is all but impossible with all the on going conflicts. Does believing it is impossible stop the pursuit? No. In our lives we need to pursue peace. God wants us to depart from evil, to do good, to seek peace, and pursue it. If we're pursuing peace we are keeping ourselves from seeking contension, from arguing, from being disruptive.
May God help us all to pursue peace in our lives and let it extend to those all around us. As Satan strives to cause upsets in any way He can we need to pursue peace, remember the armor of God-- feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of PEACE.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we pursue His peace.
In Christ's love now and forever.
Amen.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Die to Self, Live to God
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Gen 18:27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes
Job 13:12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
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.
*******
We are dust. We are clay. Animated by the breath of God. Brought to life we live as long as we have the breath of God in us. When that breath is gone we slowly turn back into the dust we were created from. Death is inevitable for us, that return to dust is inevitable. When Job spoke in response to God's reprimand-
Job 42:1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Job 42:3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
Job 42:4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job abhorred himself. This should be a lesson for us all. In the face of the glory of God we are nothing, we are animated dust by His will alone. We cannot understand Him with our limited ability to comprehend the greatness of God. We need to die to self and realize we live by His will, by His grace, by His love and not by anything we do. We need to repent of our arrogance in dust and ashes. We need to be dead to sins and alive to His righteousness.
Every Sabbath day we are called to remember our Creator. Every Sabbath is a reminder we are to die to self and live to God. Asked to cease from our own labors we are asked to realize that of ourselves we are nothing. We cease from our workings to realize that it is only by God's love that we exist at all. We bow down to His will, acknowledging Him as Lord, as Savior. We help others, we realize God made the Sabbath for us to bring us into a constant remembrance of Him as our God. Doing good on the Sabbath knowing it is by His grace we can do anything at all. All glory goes to Him.
People get baptized- signifying a death of the old life, a dying and a rebirth, a new life in Christ. Every Sabbath we have the opportunity for the same experience. A death to self absorbence, a death to self indulgences, a death to self and a new life to Christ, an honoring of our Creator. One day a week to set aside selfish pursuits and focus on our Lord.
Lord please help me to die to self and live to You. By Your righteousness, by Your grace, by Your mercy, in Your love now and always.
Amen.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Gen 18:27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes
Job 13:12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
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.
*******
We are dust. We are clay. Animated by the breath of God. Brought to life we live as long as we have the breath of God in us. When that breath is gone we slowly turn back into the dust we were created from. Death is inevitable for us, that return to dust is inevitable. When Job spoke in response to God's reprimand-
Job 42:1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Job 42:3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
Job 42:4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job abhorred himself. This should be a lesson for us all. In the face of the glory of God we are nothing, we are animated dust by His will alone. We cannot understand Him with our limited ability to comprehend the greatness of God. We need to die to self and realize we live by His will, by His grace, by His love and not by anything we do. We need to repent of our arrogance in dust and ashes. We need to be dead to sins and alive to His righteousness.
Every Sabbath day we are called to remember our Creator. Every Sabbath is a reminder we are to die to self and live to God. Asked to cease from our own labors we are asked to realize that of ourselves we are nothing. We cease from our workings to realize that it is only by God's love that we exist at all. We bow down to His will, acknowledging Him as Lord, as Savior. We help others, we realize God made the Sabbath for us to bring us into a constant remembrance of Him as our God. Doing good on the Sabbath knowing it is by His grace we can do anything at all. All glory goes to Him.
People get baptized- signifying a death of the old life, a dying and a rebirth, a new life in Christ. Every Sabbath we have the opportunity for the same experience. A death to self absorbence, a death to self indulgences, a death to self and a new life to Christ, an honoring of our Creator. One day a week to set aside selfish pursuits and focus on our Lord.
Lord please help me to die to self and live to You. By Your righteousness, by Your grace, by Your mercy, in Your love now and always.
Amen.
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