Pro 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
Happy is the man that feareth alway…
We are told not to fear but this isn't the fear of being frightened of something but rather fear of God - reverencing Him, respecting His power as our Creator, our Sustainer, our Redeemer. Standing in awe of God.
Do we do this? How do we do this? We come before God and when we do it's in our thoughts, in our mind, it's spiritually- not physically. We don't stand in the presence of God as we would stand in the presence of an earthly king. How many people have stood in the presence of someone and been awed by it, awed by another human being? I can well imagine the star struck feel that awe of being in the presence of someone important, someone popular, someone in demand, how that can make a person feel. You see it all the time on television, you hear about it in the papers, on the news online, it's everywhere. Opportunities to meet your favorite person. You're considered a VIP when you get to meet a famous person face to face, you are given an honor and you acknowledge that honor in various ways, even if one of those ways is by standing there completely speechless. People have various reactions to meeting people they consider famous. Some people faint, some cry, some scream, some jump up and down, others just can't stop smiling, some bow down, some immediately feel the power of the other person and in response feel subservient to that powerful being. The reactions vary but there is no denying that when you hold someone in awe you react when meeting them with that awestruck sense of wonder. You might even have tough guys joking about it as if it doesn't faze them at all, but you can tell it really does by the way they brag about the encounter.
We are told that we are happy if we fear always. Happy if we forever hold God in awe before us. Happy if we forever respect the power of the Lord. We can't allow ourselves to become *used* to God in such a way that we lose that sense of awe for Him. He is our friend, yes, but He is our King, He is our Creator, He is our Savior and deserving more of aw e than any other living thing in existence. He is our Heavenly Father, and is it no wonder the Bible in one of the sacred commandments states we are to honor our mother and father? Respect, honor, awe, reverence-- fear. So many people think it's wonderful when adult children and even younger children get on so well with their parents they're more like friends than ….parents. No matter our ages we should NEVER lose the sense of honor and respect due to our fathers, never! We should never revel in the fact we are friends with our parents over the fact that we should be honoring them and thinking of them more highly than ourselves. Our Heavenly Father will forever and ever be deserving of our fear, forever! Even though we are adopted and beloved as children of His, that does not negate the respect, the reverence due to Him.
Pro 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
When we harden our hearts we become immune to that sense of awe. When we close our hearts off and stop believing that God deserves our reverence, our awe. When we adopt the attitude that there is no reason to reverence our Heavenly Father we will fall in mischief. When we no longer feel the need to honor God with our lives- our lives become pointless, meaningless and anything goes. When we stop reverencing God the Devil steps right in and begins His work on us- mischief and all it's many wiles takes over.
Once we lose respect for God it's very hard to regain it again. While some parents with their many evils and faults may seemingly lose their right to being respected, God will NEVER lose His right for our respect, never. I could argue no parent will either, but I know many people have grown up being abused mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically- and they would probably disagree with me no matter what my argument might be. Some people might believe God has abused them as well, in fact many do blame Him for all sorts of things and they fully believe they are justified in their accusations of Him. Satan uses any and ALL means to keep us from the love of God, we have to step out on faith and believe in God fully, reverencing Him always!
May God bless us and keep us in fear of Him always and forever! May we never come to a place where we believe God no longer deserves to be reverenced, never! By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, by the righteousness of our Redeemer, in His all encompassing Love now and forever!
Amen.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Reproof
Reproof
Let's study reproof for a bit. The meaning of reproof is …
re·proof
[ri-proof]
Show IPA
–noun
1.
the act of reproving, censuring, or rebuking.
2.
an expression of censure or rebuke.
Pasted from
The Bible has this to say about reproof…
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my REPROOF
Pro 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my REPROOF
Pro 5:12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised REPROOF
Pro 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth REPROOF erreth.
Pro 12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth REPROOF is brutish
Pro 13:18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth REPROOF shall be honoured.
Pro 15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth REPROOF is prudent.
Pro 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth REPROOF shall die.
Pro 15:31 The ear that heareth the REPROOF of life abideth among the wise.
Pro 15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth REPROOF getteth understanding.
Pro 17:10 A REPROOF entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Pro 29:15 The rod and REPROOF give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
Clearly the Bible promotes reproof, especially the reproof of God towards His children as He tries to teach them the way to live. We are erring children and when we err God is eager to show us where we've gone wrong. God doesn't leave us to wonder where we've erred. The Bible doesn't hold back when it talks of how we should be as God's children. There are many instructions in the Bible, the Ten Commandments most notably in both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament declared the Ten Commandments and the New Testament reestablished them in our Savior.
Let's read something I found very interesting...
'The rebellion in Heaven was prompted by the same spirit which inspires rebellion on earth.
Satan has continued with men the same policy which he pursued with the angels.
His spirit now reigns in the children of disobedience.
There is a constant hatred of reproof, and a disposition to rebel against it.
When God sends to wrong-doers a message of warning or correction, Satan leads them to justify
themselves, and to seek the sympathy of others.
Instead of changing their wrong course, they manifest great indignation against the reprover, as if he were the sole cause of difficulty.
From the days of righteous Abel to our own time, such is the spirit which has been displayed toward those who dare to condemn sin.'
GC - E.G.W. pg 281
There truly is a constant hatred of reproof. Do you like to be reproved? Seriously? The last time someone reproved you, were you grateful? Maybe you were, but I know I wasn't. To me being reproved for something means I was wrong about something and I don't like being wrong about things. Am I saying that I'm delusional and think I'm never going to be wrong? No! I just don't like being wrong and when I am I don't enjoy having it pointed out to me. Maybe if it were God Himself reproving me I'd feel differently, but that's not how it's always done. Sure we can find a lot to reprove us in God's word but that isn't nearly as bad as having another person tell us where we've gone wrong. Whose business is it of theirs? Do they think they're perfect? They have no right to point out my faults that's between me and God. Of course that kind of thinking goes against God's will for us. We are to accept reproof and learn from it. The source of that reproof shouldn't matter! Neither should the way the reproof is given to us matter. When we are reproved-
re·prove
[ri-proov]
Show IPA verb, -proved, -prov·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1.
to criticize or correct, esp. gently: to reprove a pupil for making a mistake.
2.
to disapprove of strongly; censure: to reprove a bad decision.
3.
Obsolete . to disprove or refute.
Pasted from
When we are reproved we are corrected, we are criticized, we are disapproved of strongly, we are censured. When our wrong doing is revealed we have to take stock in what is being said. Is the one reproving us speaking the truth? Is pride in the way of us truly seeing the truth? Do we instantly go on the defensive when rebuked? What happens if the one reproving us is wrong? What then? Satan likes nothing better than disputing- setting people at odds with one another. So what if the one reproving you is wrong, the Bible tells us to turn the other cheek, right? The Bible tells us we will be despised and accused falsely. The thing here is to really listen to what's being said and instead of outright dismissing the reproof, give it consideration. The person giving the reproof - even if they are not one we'd considered godly- might be a vessel being used of God to give us a message, to wake us up to an undesirable state we might be in. Even Judas was given power to heal. Read Matthew 10:1-4
'When God sends to wrong-doers a message of warning or correction, Satan leads them to justify
themselves, and to seek the sympathy of others. '
We do that… the try to justify ourselves it's almost instinctive, but what I'm saying is 'almost instinctive' is in fact Satan's handiwork being revealed. He's ingrained in us so much through the many, many years of sin and He starts at us when we are very young so that we'll grow up with many cherished defects he hopes we'll never surrender to Christ.
That bit about seeking the sympathy of others is true as well. We go to other people and can't wait to tell them the awful stuff that was said to us so that we can be reassured that we're just fine and the one reproving us was at fault and clearly very wrong. We get our sympathy and it helps us along to ignore the reproof.
Yes, instead of changing our wrong ways we do get indignant at those pointing them out. We know we have faults but there is NO reason to point them out, right? Yes, there is a reason, a big reason especially if God is trying to open our eyes to things that we need to pray about and seek the victory over.
From the days of ABEL till now, it's the same way. Sin is sin is sin is sin! We can't justify sin. We can't hide sin. We can't make sin good. We can try to call evil good and we are told many will do just that, but evil is evil is evil and bottom line there is no changing sin. We can be forgiven sin, but we won't ever be told it's okay to sin…not ever! We will never be told sin is not evil, not and be told the truth.
*******
Here's a snippet from C.S. Lewis--
'There is either a warning or an encouragement here for every one of us. If you are a nice person-if virtue comes easily to you beware! Much is expected from those to whom much is given. If you mistake for your own merits what are really God's gifts to you through nature, and if you are
contented with simply being nice, you are still a rebel: and all those gifts will only make your fall more terrible, your corruption more complicated, your bad example more disastrous. The Devil was an archangel once; his natural gifts were as far above yours as yours are above those of a
chimpanzee.
But if you are a poor creature-poisoned by a wretched upbringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels-saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion-nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best
friends-do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day (perhaps in another world, but perhaps far sooner than that) he will fling it on the scrap-heap and give you a new one.
And then you may astonish us all-not least yourself: for you have learned your driving in a hard school. (Some of the last will be first and some of the first will be last.)'
Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
How does that fit into the message of reproof? Well, Jesus does know what a 'wretched machine' we are trying to drive. Jesus knows that we often forget where anything good in us comes from. We are known for what we are. We can't ever get to a place that we believe we are undeserving of reproof- whether we are at our best or at our worst. God sees every defect in our characters, every single one. God knows us better than we'll ever know ourselves and we have to trust in Him to give us the reproof we need and by His grace and mercy we'll accept that reproof and go to Him begging forgiveness and seeking a clean heart.
The next time someone reproves you try not to react on the offensive, try to react as if they might be truly trying to help with their rebuking even if it's hurtful in its delivery. We are told this…
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
If God's word is that powerful, it stands to reason His reproof of us will be powerful and painful.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Chastened and scourged-- Pain!
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rebuked and chastened-- Pain!
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.
Grievious--Pain!
We won't like the chastening, we won't like the reproof, we won't be joyous during our learning but by the grace of God may we learn and afterward have the peaceable fruit of Christ's righteousness.
In His love! In His mercy! By His grace! All honor and praise to our wonderful Creator and Redeemer now and forever!
Amen.
Let's study reproof for a bit. The meaning of reproof is …
re·proof
[ri-proof]
Show IPA
–noun
1.
the act of reproving, censuring, or rebuking.
2.
an expression of censure or rebuke.
Pasted from
The Bible has this to say about reproof…
Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my REPROOF
Pro 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my REPROOF
Pro 5:12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised REPROOF
Pro 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth REPROOF erreth.
Pro 12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth REPROOF is brutish
Pro 13:18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth REPROOF shall be honoured.
Pro 15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth REPROOF is prudent.
Pro 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth REPROOF shall die.
Pro 15:31 The ear that heareth the REPROOF of life abideth among the wise.
Pro 15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth REPROOF getteth understanding.
Pro 17:10 A REPROOF entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Pro 29:15 The rod and REPROOF give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
Clearly the Bible promotes reproof, especially the reproof of God towards His children as He tries to teach them the way to live. We are erring children and when we err God is eager to show us where we've gone wrong. God doesn't leave us to wonder where we've erred. The Bible doesn't hold back when it talks of how we should be as God's children. There are many instructions in the Bible, the Ten Commandments most notably in both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament declared the Ten Commandments and the New Testament reestablished them in our Savior.
Let's read something I found very interesting...
'The rebellion in Heaven was prompted by the same spirit which inspires rebellion on earth.
Satan has continued with men the same policy which he pursued with the angels.
His spirit now reigns in the children of disobedience.
There is a constant hatred of reproof, and a disposition to rebel against it.
When God sends to wrong-doers a message of warning or correction, Satan leads them to justify
themselves, and to seek the sympathy of others.
Instead of changing their wrong course, they manifest great indignation against the reprover, as if he were the sole cause of difficulty.
From the days of righteous Abel to our own time, such is the spirit which has been displayed toward those who dare to condemn sin.'
GC - E.G.W. pg 281
There truly is a constant hatred of reproof. Do you like to be reproved? Seriously? The last time someone reproved you, were you grateful? Maybe you were, but I know I wasn't. To me being reproved for something means I was wrong about something and I don't like being wrong about things. Am I saying that I'm delusional and think I'm never going to be wrong? No! I just don't like being wrong and when I am I don't enjoy having it pointed out to me. Maybe if it were God Himself reproving me I'd feel differently, but that's not how it's always done. Sure we can find a lot to reprove us in God's word but that isn't nearly as bad as having another person tell us where we've gone wrong. Whose business is it of theirs? Do they think they're perfect? They have no right to point out my faults that's between me and God. Of course that kind of thinking goes against God's will for us. We are to accept reproof and learn from it. The source of that reproof shouldn't matter! Neither should the way the reproof is given to us matter. When we are reproved-
re·prove
[ri-proov]
Show IPA verb, -proved, -prov·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1.
to criticize or correct, esp. gently: to reprove a pupil for making a mistake.
2.
to disapprove of strongly; censure: to reprove a bad decision.
3.
Obsolete . to disprove or refute.
Pasted from
When we are reproved we are corrected, we are criticized, we are disapproved of strongly, we are censured. When our wrong doing is revealed we have to take stock in what is being said. Is the one reproving us speaking the truth? Is pride in the way of us truly seeing the truth? Do we instantly go on the defensive when rebuked? What happens if the one reproving us is wrong? What then? Satan likes nothing better than disputing- setting people at odds with one another. So what if the one reproving you is wrong, the Bible tells us to turn the other cheek, right? The Bible tells us we will be despised and accused falsely. The thing here is to really listen to what's being said and instead of outright dismissing the reproof, give it consideration. The person giving the reproof - even if they are not one we'd considered godly- might be a vessel being used of God to give us a message, to wake us up to an undesirable state we might be in. Even Judas was given power to heal. Read Matthew 10:1-4
'When God sends to wrong-doers a message of warning or correction, Satan leads them to justify
themselves, and to seek the sympathy of others. '
We do that… the try to justify ourselves it's almost instinctive, but what I'm saying is 'almost instinctive' is in fact Satan's handiwork being revealed. He's ingrained in us so much through the many, many years of sin and He starts at us when we are very young so that we'll grow up with many cherished defects he hopes we'll never surrender to Christ.
That bit about seeking the sympathy of others is true as well. We go to other people and can't wait to tell them the awful stuff that was said to us so that we can be reassured that we're just fine and the one reproving us was at fault and clearly very wrong. We get our sympathy and it helps us along to ignore the reproof.
Yes, instead of changing our wrong ways we do get indignant at those pointing them out. We know we have faults but there is NO reason to point them out, right? Yes, there is a reason, a big reason especially if God is trying to open our eyes to things that we need to pray about and seek the victory over.
From the days of ABEL till now, it's the same way. Sin is sin is sin is sin! We can't justify sin. We can't hide sin. We can't make sin good. We can try to call evil good and we are told many will do just that, but evil is evil is evil and bottom line there is no changing sin. We can be forgiven sin, but we won't ever be told it's okay to sin…not ever! We will never be told sin is not evil, not and be told the truth.
*******
Here's a snippet from C.S. Lewis--
'There is either a warning or an encouragement here for every one of us. If you are a nice person-if virtue comes easily to you beware! Much is expected from those to whom much is given. If you mistake for your own merits what are really God's gifts to you through nature, and if you are
contented with simply being nice, you are still a rebel: and all those gifts will only make your fall more terrible, your corruption more complicated, your bad example more disastrous. The Devil was an archangel once; his natural gifts were as far above yours as yours are above those of a
chimpanzee.
But if you are a poor creature-poisoned by a wretched upbringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels-saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion-nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best
friends-do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day (perhaps in another world, but perhaps far sooner than that) he will fling it on the scrap-heap and give you a new one.
And then you may astonish us all-not least yourself: for you have learned your driving in a hard school. (Some of the last will be first and some of the first will be last.)'
Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
How does that fit into the message of reproof? Well, Jesus does know what a 'wretched machine' we are trying to drive. Jesus knows that we often forget where anything good in us comes from. We are known for what we are. We can't ever get to a place that we believe we are undeserving of reproof- whether we are at our best or at our worst. God sees every defect in our characters, every single one. God knows us better than we'll ever know ourselves and we have to trust in Him to give us the reproof we need and by His grace and mercy we'll accept that reproof and go to Him begging forgiveness and seeking a clean heart.
The next time someone reproves you try not to react on the offensive, try to react as if they might be truly trying to help with their rebuking even if it's hurtful in its delivery. We are told this…
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
If God's word is that powerful, it stands to reason His reproof of us will be powerful and painful.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Chastened and scourged-- Pain!
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rebuked and chastened-- Pain!
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.
Grievious--Pain!
We won't like the chastening, we won't like the reproof, we won't be joyous during our learning but by the grace of God may we learn and afterward have the peaceable fruit of Christ's righteousness.
In His love! In His mercy! By His grace! All honor and praise to our wonderful Creator and Redeemer now and forever!
Amen.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Hear Counsel
Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
Pro 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
The counsel of the Lord shall stand.
Counsel - Hebrew definition--
H6098
???
?e^tsa^h
ay-tsaw'
From H3289; advice; by implication plan; also prudence: - advice, advisement, counsel ([-lor]), purpose.
Listen to the Lord. If we receive instruction and counsel from the Lord we will be wise in our latter end. Advice from the Lord. The Bible offers us God's advice, God's counsel. The purpose of the Lord is revealed in His word. We know that God created man in His own image. We know that God is Love. We know that God's mercy has kept us alive, God's grace has made it so we can be as we were intended without sin's corruption in us. When the Bible tells us there are many devices in a man's heart it is sooooo true! We have so many things going on in our heart of hearts, things we don't even like take place. We can clearly see our own wickedness.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
How sad a state we can find ourselves in when our own heart seems to betray us. We know what we SHOULD be about, but our hearts betray us by leading us elsewhere. There are MANY devices in a man's heart- NEVERTHELESS the counsel of the Lord …that SHALL STAND. We can't know our own hearts, but we can know they are wicked. What we can know is that God' s counsels will stand true and we can trust in God's counsels, not our own. God is true even when we are not. Is it that we don't want to be true? No, because sometimes we desperately want to be true to God, but what we want isn't what we do. We have to trust in God fully leaving no room for doubt at all. If we think we can stand on our own we have already fallen and are only deluded into thinking we are still standing. We have to hear the counsels of the Lord. We have to search His word daily for those counsels. Will searching save us? No. Only Christ can save us. We have to place ourselves where God can reach us, where He can teach us, where He can speak to us. If we wish to be counseled by the Lord we have to go to where the counsel is given. The living word of God will counsel us. The living word of God will be a sword for us and why do we need swords? To protect ourselves from that which would kill us. The sword of the Spirit of the Word of God kills anything that would destroy us spiritually. We have to have the Word of God in our hearts.
Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
Pro 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
The counsel of the LORD that shall stand! Anything we devise will falter, but the Lord's counsels will stand. May we seek the counsel of the Lord now and always so that we may be protected even from our own hearts. God's will be done in us by His grace, through His mercy, in the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever!
Amen.
Pro 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
The counsel of the Lord shall stand.
Counsel - Hebrew definition--
H6098
???
?e^tsa^h
ay-tsaw'
From H3289; advice; by implication plan; also prudence: - advice, advisement, counsel ([-lor]), purpose.
Listen to the Lord. If we receive instruction and counsel from the Lord we will be wise in our latter end. Advice from the Lord. The Bible offers us God's advice, God's counsel. The purpose of the Lord is revealed in His word. We know that God created man in His own image. We know that God is Love. We know that God's mercy has kept us alive, God's grace has made it so we can be as we were intended without sin's corruption in us. When the Bible tells us there are many devices in a man's heart it is sooooo true! We have so many things going on in our heart of hearts, things we don't even like take place. We can clearly see our own wickedness.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
How sad a state we can find ourselves in when our own heart seems to betray us. We know what we SHOULD be about, but our hearts betray us by leading us elsewhere. There are MANY devices in a man's heart- NEVERTHELESS the counsel of the Lord …that SHALL STAND. We can't know our own hearts, but we can know they are wicked. What we can know is that God' s counsels will stand true and we can trust in God's counsels, not our own. God is true even when we are not. Is it that we don't want to be true? No, because sometimes we desperately want to be true to God, but what we want isn't what we do. We have to trust in God fully leaving no room for doubt at all. If we think we can stand on our own we have already fallen and are only deluded into thinking we are still standing. We have to hear the counsels of the Lord. We have to search His word daily for those counsels. Will searching save us? No. Only Christ can save us. We have to place ourselves where God can reach us, where He can teach us, where He can speak to us. If we wish to be counseled by the Lord we have to go to where the counsel is given. The living word of God will counsel us. The living word of God will be a sword for us and why do we need swords? To protect ourselves from that which would kill us. The sword of the Spirit of the Word of God kills anything that would destroy us spiritually. We have to have the Word of God in our hearts.
Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Pro 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
Pro 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
The counsel of the LORD that shall stand! Anything we devise will falter, but the Lord's counsels will stand. May we seek the counsel of the Lord now and always so that we may be protected even from our own hearts. God's will be done in us by His grace, through His mercy, in the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever!
Amen.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Mind Repair
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
And be not conformed to this world
con·form
[kuhn-fawrm]
Show IPA
–verb (used without object)
1.
to act in accordance or harmony; comply
2.
to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group
3.
to be or become similar in form, nature, or character.
We are not to be conformed- we are not to be in harmony, we are not to be in accord, we are not to be similar, we are not to be conformed to THIS world.
Do we really realize the significance of what this is telling us? When we grow up being told to conform every step of the way or else face ridicule and worse, do we really understand? Conform-- be like others, fit in, don't make a spectacle of yourself, behave, act normal. Most people conform so they don't stand out in a crowd. Fitting in is something we take pride in. Those who fit in are considered normal, those who don't are abnormal. Those who don't fit in are rebellious, oddballs, strange.
And be not conformed to this world
If we fit in this world, if we are not square pegs trying to fit in round holes, perhaps we need to look long and hard at ourselves. Alarm bells may be sounding already, those internal bells warning you that not fitting in is wrong. Being rebellious is wrong, right? Rebellion isn't proper. Did Jesus rebel? Did Jesus conform? Did Jesus act in harmony with society? Did Jesus become similar to those of His day in form, nature, or character? The answer to the first is yes, Jesus did rebel according to those in authority in His day. Jesus didn't conform to those wanting Him to conform. Jesus didn't act in harmony with society, but the thing here to really note is Jesus for the most part didn't use violence in his non-conformity. Jesus used love. Jesus wasn't similar to those in His day- He was amazingly different, He was unique, He was our great EXAMPLE.
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
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Rom 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Transformed! We are to be transformed! We are not to be part of this world, but we are to be transformed and in being transformed our minds are renewed and that will prove what is good, what is acceptable and perfect…. WILL OF GOD! It is the will of God that we be transformed and not conformed.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
The renewing of our minds.
The renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Renewing--
G342
a??a?a?´??s??
anakaino¯sis
an-ak-ah'ee-no-sis
From G341; renovation: - renewing.
Renovate--
ren·o·vate
[ren-uh-veyt]
Show IPA verb, -vat·ed, -vat·ing, adjective
–verb (used with object)
1.
to restore to good condition; make new or as if new again; repair.
2.
to reinvigorate; refresh; revive.
Pasted from
Transformed by the renovation of our minds- transformed by the restoration of our minds, our minds made new, our minds repaired.
Oh to have my mind repaired! It is only through such renewing our transformation will take place and we will not be conformed to this world. By the grace and mercy of our wonderful Lord and Savior may we be renewed! His WILL be done!
In His love now and forever! All praise and glory to our Creator and Redeemer!
Amen.
And be not conformed to this world
con·form
[kuhn-fawrm]
Show IPA
–verb (used without object)
1.
to act in accordance or harmony; comply
2.
to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group
3.
to be or become similar in form, nature, or character.
We are not to be conformed- we are not to be in harmony, we are not to be in accord, we are not to be similar, we are not to be conformed to THIS world.
Do we really realize the significance of what this is telling us? When we grow up being told to conform every step of the way or else face ridicule and worse, do we really understand? Conform-- be like others, fit in, don't make a spectacle of yourself, behave, act normal. Most people conform so they don't stand out in a crowd. Fitting in is something we take pride in. Those who fit in are considered normal, those who don't are abnormal. Those who don't fit in are rebellious, oddballs, strange.
And be not conformed to this world
If we fit in this world, if we are not square pegs trying to fit in round holes, perhaps we need to look long and hard at ourselves. Alarm bells may be sounding already, those internal bells warning you that not fitting in is wrong. Being rebellious is wrong, right? Rebellion isn't proper. Did Jesus rebel? Did Jesus conform? Did Jesus act in harmony with society? Did Jesus become similar to those of His day in form, nature, or character? The answer to the first is yes, Jesus did rebel according to those in authority in His day. Jesus didn't conform to those wanting Him to conform. Jesus didn't act in harmony with society, but the thing here to really note is Jesus for the most part didn't use violence in his non-conformity. Jesus used love. Jesus wasn't similar to those in His day- He was amazingly different, He was unique, He was our great EXAMPLE.
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
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Rom 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Transformed! We are to be transformed! We are not to be part of this world, but we are to be transformed and in being transformed our minds are renewed and that will prove what is good, what is acceptable and perfect…. WILL OF GOD! It is the will of God that we be transformed and not conformed.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
The renewing of our minds.
The renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Renewing--
G342
a??a?a?´??s??
anakaino¯sis
an-ak-ah'ee-no-sis
From G341; renovation: - renewing.
Renovate--
ren·o·vate
[ren-uh-veyt]
Show IPA verb, -vat·ed, -vat·ing, adjective
–verb (used with object)
1.
to restore to good condition; make new or as if new again; repair.
2.
to reinvigorate; refresh; revive.
Pasted from
Transformed by the renovation of our minds- transformed by the restoration of our minds, our minds made new, our minds repaired.
Oh to have my mind repaired! It is only through such renewing our transformation will take place and we will not be conformed to this world. By the grace and mercy of our wonderful Lord and Savior may we be renewed! His WILL be done!
In His love now and forever! All praise and glory to our Creator and Redeemer!
Amen.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
We Will Remember the Name of the LORD
Psa 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
This is so true. We trust in THINGS. People trust in things and people feel betrayed with things fail them, sometimes they take it as a personal affront. Things. Chariots…cars. Horses…cars. Think about it. If you're trusting in your chariot and your horses in David's day you were trusting in the things that transported you from place to place. Trusting in the thing not trusting in the name of the Lord. Whether it's a horse or a car, no matter the object if we place our trust in things we will ALWAYS end up disappointed sooner or later. Even the most reliable thing can fail us eventually, but God never ever fails us.
Oh yes, you'll have people who say that God lets us down more than any thing ever could but those people don't know God the way they should. Those people want a fairy god father not God our Heavenly Father.
We need to trust in the name of the LORD our God. When our trust is solely in God we will understand that things can fail us and will fail us, but never God, never.
May the name of the LORD our God be forever before us as we remember that He is trustworthy beyond all else! Many things in our lives will fail us, but not God. As our cars break down, as our houses show their age, as even our own bodies fail us in various ways, we need to remember that God will forever be One to trust. Failing things exists all around us and by the grace of God may we see their failure and use them as a reminder of God's unfailing love.
By the mercy of our Lord, in His righteousness now and forever!
Amen.
This is so true. We trust in THINGS. People trust in things and people feel betrayed with things fail them, sometimes they take it as a personal affront. Things. Chariots…cars. Horses…cars. Think about it. If you're trusting in your chariot and your horses in David's day you were trusting in the things that transported you from place to place. Trusting in the thing not trusting in the name of the Lord. Whether it's a horse or a car, no matter the object if we place our trust in things we will ALWAYS end up disappointed sooner or later. Even the most reliable thing can fail us eventually, but God never ever fails us.
Oh yes, you'll have people who say that God lets us down more than any thing ever could but those people don't know God the way they should. Those people want a fairy god father not God our Heavenly Father.
We need to trust in the name of the LORD our God. When our trust is solely in God we will understand that things can fail us and will fail us, but never God, never.
May the name of the LORD our God be forever before us as we remember that He is trustworthy beyond all else! Many things in our lives will fail us, but not God. As our cars break down, as our houses show their age, as even our own bodies fail us in various ways, we need to remember that God will forever be One to trust. Failing things exists all around us and by the grace of God may we see their failure and use them as a reminder of God's unfailing love.
By the mercy of our Lord, in His righteousness now and forever!
Amen.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Beautiful Judgments!
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
How beautiful. There can be a conversion of the soul, the simple can be made wise. These are beautiful things, these things offer hope to us, great hope. To know that the law of the Lord is perfect is amazing. So many try to do away with the law as if it's something defective, something archaic. How can something that is declared perfect then be turned into something imperfect?
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Perfect. I don't know about any one else but I want my soul to be converted, I want my simple-ness to be wise for the Lord.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Truth! The statutes of the Lord are right- rejoicing the heart!
The commandment of the Lord is pure- enlightening the eyes!
We can find so much in the law of the Lord, so much beauty. Where people see only restrictions there is pure love of God for His people.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Beautiful judgments! Wonderful judgments! We are so caught up in dreading judgments that we forget their wonder, and we certainly forget that we are to desire more than gold, fine gold and that they're sweeter than honey AND the honeycomb. We've been trained to fear, to reject, to want to hide or run from judgments. We don't want to be judge. We want to be forgiven. Yet to be forgiven we have to be determined in need of forgiveness. To be in need of forgiveness we have to be judged to be in need.
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous!
Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins… let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Oh such words!!!! Take them to heart! We really need to take them to heart. LORD, please please keep thy servant from PRESUMPTUOUS sins! We sin so much, and we try to excuse our sinning but there is NO excuse for it, none. Please Lord keep us from presumptuous sins don't let them rule over us please! We need so much to be innocent from the great transgression.
Please we pray to you oh Lord, please, let our words, let our hearts be acceptable to You. You are our strength, you are our Redeemer!
By Your grace oh Lord! By Your mercy! Through Your love, Your righteousness now and forever!!!!
Amen.
How beautiful. There can be a conversion of the soul, the simple can be made wise. These are beautiful things, these things offer hope to us, great hope. To know that the law of the Lord is perfect is amazing. So many try to do away with the law as if it's something defective, something archaic. How can something that is declared perfect then be turned into something imperfect?
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Perfect. I don't know about any one else but I want my soul to be converted, I want my simple-ness to be wise for the Lord.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Truth! The statutes of the Lord are right- rejoicing the heart!
The commandment of the Lord is pure- enlightening the eyes!
We can find so much in the law of the Lord, so much beauty. Where people see only restrictions there is pure love of God for His people.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Beautiful judgments! Wonderful judgments! We are so caught up in dreading judgments that we forget their wonder, and we certainly forget that we are to desire more than gold, fine gold and that they're sweeter than honey AND the honeycomb. We've been trained to fear, to reject, to want to hide or run from judgments. We don't want to be judge. We want to be forgiven. Yet to be forgiven we have to be determined in need of forgiveness. To be in need of forgiveness we have to be judged to be in need.
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous!
Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins… let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Oh such words!!!! Take them to heart! We really need to take them to heart. LORD, please please keep thy servant from PRESUMPTUOUS sins! We sin so much, and we try to excuse our sinning but there is NO excuse for it, none. Please Lord keep us from presumptuous sins don't let them rule over us please! We need so much to be innocent from the great transgression.
Please we pray to you oh Lord, please, let our words, let our hearts be acceptable to You. You are our strength, you are our Redeemer!
By Your grace oh Lord! By Your mercy! Through Your love, Your righteousness now and forever!!!!
Amen.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Hast thou not known....
Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
God is beyond anything we can fully comprehend. God truly does watch over us all the time and yes, that is everyone, and yes, that is all the time. People like to jump in just about now and go on about how horrible a God He must be to watch all the pain and suffering and do nothing. They like to imagine that if THEY were God they wouldn't have any pain or suffering going on at all, they'd be the best god ever. Of course to do that they'd have to become a dictator god doing away with free will, because to get everyone in order, especially after people chose to sin, would mean taking away that free will and getting a bunch of automatons in return. People that choose to do no harm, people that are all loving all the time because they were forced to be, they would be the result of any of us trying to play god.
There will be a day when life is without pain and fear. Only that beautiful day will be that way because of free will, because of choices made willingly for people to live that way- in the love of God. Through God's love, by His love, choosing love over all else, understanding that LOVE IS GOD and to take it outside of God destroys it completely warping it into something we imagine to be love, but is not really love at all.
We can't search God's understanding, it's beyond our comprehension. Until Christ returns and sin is destroyed once and forever we will live with limited understanding. Faith has to come in, faith in the belief that there is something much better, faith that there is more, that this is NOT the world we are supposed to be in, that there is a better world for us all.
Hast thou not known?
Hast thou not heard?
The everlasting God.
The Lord.
The Creator of the ends of the earth…
Fainteth not.
Neither is weary.
There is NO searching of his understanding.
God was, God is, God will always be.
We get to choose whether or not we will believe in God, if we will have faith in God. We are all free to choose and may God have mercy upon us as we fall before Him seeking the grace of our Savior living in His righteousness now and forever.
In the love of our God.
Amen.
God is beyond anything we can fully comprehend. God truly does watch over us all the time and yes, that is everyone, and yes, that is all the time. People like to jump in just about now and go on about how horrible a God He must be to watch all the pain and suffering and do nothing. They like to imagine that if THEY were God they wouldn't have any pain or suffering going on at all, they'd be the best god ever. Of course to do that they'd have to become a dictator god doing away with free will, because to get everyone in order, especially after people chose to sin, would mean taking away that free will and getting a bunch of automatons in return. People that choose to do no harm, people that are all loving all the time because they were forced to be, they would be the result of any of us trying to play god.
There will be a day when life is without pain and fear. Only that beautiful day will be that way because of free will, because of choices made willingly for people to live that way- in the love of God. Through God's love, by His love, choosing love over all else, understanding that LOVE IS GOD and to take it outside of God destroys it completely warping it into something we imagine to be love, but is not really love at all.
We can't search God's understanding, it's beyond our comprehension. Until Christ returns and sin is destroyed once and forever we will live with limited understanding. Faith has to come in, faith in the belief that there is something much better, faith that there is more, that this is NOT the world we are supposed to be in, that there is a better world for us all.
Hast thou not known?
Hast thou not heard?
The everlasting God.
The Lord.
The Creator of the ends of the earth…
Fainteth not.
Neither is weary.
There is NO searching of his understanding.
God was, God is, God will always be.
We get to choose whether or not we will believe in God, if we will have faith in God. We are all free to choose and may God have mercy upon us as we fall before Him seeking the grace of our Savior living in His righteousness now and forever.
In the love of our God.
Amen.
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