I just had to go back to these two verses, the last in the book of Jude.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
We really need to remember this-live this- breathe this-
HIM that is able to keep you from FALLING.
HIM that is able to present you FAULTLESS.
We don't keep ourselves from falling, and no one around us keeps us from falling, there is only ONE that can keep us from falling.
We can't present ourselves faultless, our friends can't present us faultless, there is only ONE that can present us faultless.
We try so incredibly hard - we really do and that's not altogether a bad thing. We are to strive against sin, we are to sin no more, we do have our part to play but that's just it- it's a part of submission. Our striving, our sinning no more is a work of submission to the ONE that can keep us from falling. Our egos fueled by our flesh, encouraged by Satan and His minions, demands that WE keep in control of all aspects of our lives, that we submit to no one and if we do submit it's because it serves our egos to do so. We are to submit those egos to our Savior. Our desires are NOT to be paramount. Our needs are NOT to be first and foremost.
Here's something to think about- are you rich? I can imagine the majority will answer no to this question. We have some idealistic, perverted idea of what being rich is. Yet by whose standards are we rich or not- the world's or God's?
What is God's standard of being rich? Is it the same as ours? In my country I'm considered to be living at poverty level. But this exact same poverty level given to another in a poorer country would be considered RICH. Seriously, we don't often think about being rich in this manner. We look at man's standards forgetting God has much different standards. The Bible tells us that it is easier for a camel to fit through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven and why is that? Why did Jesus tell the rich man to go and sell all he had and follow Him? What do our possessions do to us that keeps us from following our Savior? They serve self. They allow us to have comfort and ease, they entrap us in selfishness and they feed our egos. I'm not talking on the scale of Donald Trump, you can be rich and not possess any where near the fortune of Donald Trump or Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs, or mega movie stars and famous athletes. Our idea of rich is seriously skewed and Satan loves that because as long as we don't consider ourselves rich we don't sense the possible danger we might be in. When our possessions however meager we consider them to be keep us caught up in them- then we are in great danger. We consider people CRAZY who give away their possessions, their fortunes. CRAZY we call them, and yes, with capital letters. It frightens us to even imagine having to give up our possessions. We tell ourselves God would not want that. God doesn't want a bunch of destitute people. God provides and He's provided all this for me so He must want me to have it all. Jesus isn't around today to follow about here and there, having Him provide food for us miraculously so there is NO way Jesus would tell us today to sell all we have and follow Him. Hey, we don't even use camels for transport today so we don't have to worry about any needle for that camel to go through. Jesus didn't say it's easier for a Mercedes to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven, things change you know.
I do know. I know that ANYTHING that keeps of us from living in Christ, from living selflessly, will keep us from heaven. If we cherish one possession more than we cherish our Savior, if we cherish even one person more than we cherish our Savior then we put ourselves at risk.
Of course now the thought creeps in- there is NO way I can do all that is required of me, no way at all. And then a sense of depression raises it's ugly little head and despair is right behind that inkling of depression ready to pounce and devour. But you know what, no matter what place we are in - rich or poor, we need to SUBMIT to Christ. Maybe we aren't to be called to give up all we have- Christ didn't tell Nicodemus ( a very rich man) to give up all his wealth. We are called to submit to Christ, that wherever we find ourselves, in whatever state, we are to KNOW, to BELIEVE, to have FAITH only in Christ for salvation! You could give away everything you have to the poor and become a homeless, poor person yourself and still be caught up in selfishness, still believing that YOUR actions will save you, that you've saved yourself by becoming poor so now it will be easy for you to get into heaven. It's Christ's actions that save us. It's our submitting to Christ that saves us. What does Christ ask us to do?
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
1Jn 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
2Jn 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
2Jn 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
We need to OBEY our Savior fully, unconditionally obey Him.
The rich man kept all the commandments but lacked one thing- obedience to the Savior. Anything the Savior asks of us we must be willing to do. No, Christ isn't walking upon the earth today giving us direction but we have His word and we have the Holy Spirit that will guide us into all truth.
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Our hope, our trust, our faith, our EVERYTHING must be in Christ!
If you are at a crossroad in life, if you have something you are conflicted about, if you feel the conviction of something weighing upon you the pray, pray…pray asking for Christ to keep you from falling, asking for Christ to present you faultless before Him, ask Him to deliver you from every evil work and preserve you to his heavenly kingdom and keep trusting in Him.
REMEMBER…
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
Our eyes have to be upon Jesus, not upon ourselves.
All to Jesus we must surrender.
By His amazing LOVE!
In His mercy, by His grace, through HIS righteousness!
Amen.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Jude 20-25 Compassion and Fear
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
We are to have COMPASSION.
Our compassion will make a difference in the eternal life of others. This is something we don't fully understand. Compassion.
[[[[Webster-
COMPASSION, n.
1. A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. Compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it. Extreme distress of an enemy even changes enmity into at least temporary affection.
He being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. Psa 78.
His father had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15.
COMPASSION, v.t. To pity.]]]
Of SOME we are to have compassion- and that compassion will make a difference in deciding eternity for some. Seriously. We have to understand just how important we are to others. It's not just a pastor or preacher, a minister or priest who preaches to a congregation- big or small- who affects peoples lives in regards to their place in the eternal realm. The message of our Savior is given to all and for all to give. And the compassion we show towards others as they struggle in this evil world may make a difference to them- the difference between deciding to accept the love of Jesus into their hearts and lives and deciding not to.
Ultimately we are each responsible for our own decision in regards to salvation, but those who have compassion on others which makes a difference are actual laborers with Christ. Christ wanted His followers to share the good news with others.
Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Act 5:19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Act 5:20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
Christ wants us to be laborers with Him.
1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
1Co 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Compassion - making a difference. A difference how? Some will be saved by our compassion- saved because we have labored to bring Christ to them through our compassion. Our pity, our suffering with them, our sympathy, our commiseration, our love will truly save others. We don't want to believe that because then that makes us accountable for others. We'd much rather just be concerned with ourselves and our own salvation. We pat ourselves on the back and soothe ourselves by saying we have NO power to save therefore we are NOT responsible for anyone whatsoever. We cry out at the top of our lungs that ONLY Jesus can save, and then we turn our backs on others hoping and praying they'll find the love of Jesus but not doing anything whatsoever to help them. If EVERYONE was responsible only to themselves then why was it so important to our Savior for us to preach to others? Why was it so important for Him to send the apostles out, to train disciples to go out to others? Why did He give them powers?
Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not
Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand
And as ye go- PREACH.
Go to others and HEAL them- COMPASSION.
And as ye go- PREACH.
Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
WITNESSES UNTO JESUS everywhere!
Jesus taught first and foremost- COMPASSION on others, this is truly loving others when you have compassion on them- deserving or not. When we reveal compassion first that is a revelation of our Savior. Some will be saved by compassion that we reveal…others...
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Others are saved by fear.
You've heard of the old fire and brimstone preaching, and there is merit for that.
The Greek word for fear here is --
[[[[Strong's-
G5401
φόβος
phobos
fob'-os
From a primary φέβομαι phebomai (to be put in fear); alarm or fright: - be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror.]]]
Alarm, fright, be afraid, exceeding fear, terror.
Some will be saved by fear! We will pull them out of the fire, we will hate the flesh nature surrounding them, the fleshy sin-filled nature they have clinging to them, covering their lives. And we will pull them from the fire- pull them from destruction using fear to make them understand that their path leads to eternal death. We need to have compassion and we need to preach the unvarnished truth of the two paths we can take, not trying to pretty up the gospel to suit anyone's desire to hear soothing things.
The truth must be the only thing that passes our lips - in compassion and fear- whatever it takes to reveal the love of our Savior and the desire He has that all would come to Him and be saved. We have a part to play in life and maybe it's not to become an evangelist, or a teacher, or do anything on a grand scale but we need to reveal the love of our Savior in our everyday lives.
By the grace of God!
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
We are to have COMPASSION.
Our compassion will make a difference in the eternal life of others. This is something we don't fully understand. Compassion.
[[[[Webster-
COMPASSION, n.
1. A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. Compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it. Extreme distress of an enemy even changes enmity into at least temporary affection.
He being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. Psa 78.
His father had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15.
COMPASSION, v.t. To pity.]]]
Of SOME we are to have compassion- and that compassion will make a difference in deciding eternity for some. Seriously. We have to understand just how important we are to others. It's not just a pastor or preacher, a minister or priest who preaches to a congregation- big or small- who affects peoples lives in regards to their place in the eternal realm. The message of our Savior is given to all and for all to give. And the compassion we show towards others as they struggle in this evil world may make a difference to them- the difference between deciding to accept the love of Jesus into their hearts and lives and deciding not to.
Ultimately we are each responsible for our own decision in regards to salvation, but those who have compassion on others which makes a difference are actual laborers with Christ. Christ wanted His followers to share the good news with others.
Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Act 5:19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Act 5:20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
Christ wants us to be laborers with Him.
1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
1Co 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Compassion - making a difference. A difference how? Some will be saved by our compassion- saved because we have labored to bring Christ to them through our compassion. Our pity, our suffering with them, our sympathy, our commiseration, our love will truly save others. We don't want to believe that because then that makes us accountable for others. We'd much rather just be concerned with ourselves and our own salvation. We pat ourselves on the back and soothe ourselves by saying we have NO power to save therefore we are NOT responsible for anyone whatsoever. We cry out at the top of our lungs that ONLY Jesus can save, and then we turn our backs on others hoping and praying they'll find the love of Jesus but not doing anything whatsoever to help them. If EVERYONE was responsible only to themselves then why was it so important to our Savior for us to preach to others? Why was it so important for Him to send the apostles out, to train disciples to go out to others? Why did He give them powers?
Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not
Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand
And as ye go- PREACH.
Go to others and HEAL them- COMPASSION.
And as ye go- PREACH.
Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
WITNESSES UNTO JESUS everywhere!
Jesus taught first and foremost- COMPASSION on others, this is truly loving others when you have compassion on them- deserving or not. When we reveal compassion first that is a revelation of our Savior. Some will be saved by compassion that we reveal…others...
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Others are saved by fear.
You've heard of the old fire and brimstone preaching, and there is merit for that.
The Greek word for fear here is --
[[[[Strong's-
G5401
φόβος
phobos
fob'-os
From a primary φέβομαι phebomai (to be put in fear); alarm or fright: - be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror.]]]
Alarm, fright, be afraid, exceeding fear, terror.
Some will be saved by fear! We will pull them out of the fire, we will hate the flesh nature surrounding them, the fleshy sin-filled nature they have clinging to them, covering their lives. And we will pull them from the fire- pull them from destruction using fear to make them understand that their path leads to eternal death. We need to have compassion and we need to preach the unvarnished truth of the two paths we can take, not trying to pretty up the gospel to suit anyone's desire to hear soothing things.
The truth must be the only thing that passes our lips - in compassion and fear- whatever it takes to reveal the love of our Savior and the desire He has that all would come to Him and be saved. We have a part to play in life and maybe it's not to become an evangelist, or a teacher, or do anything on a grand scale but we need to reveal the love of our Savior in our everyday lives.
By the grace of God!
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Jude 14-21 Judgment
Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Execute judgment upon ALL.
All that are ungodly will be convinced of their ungodly actions they've committed, and everything they've spoken against the Lord.
This is going to happen!!!
Ignore it if you want but it will happen!!!
Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Murmurers
Complainers
Selfish
Arrogant
Opportunists
Do you know anyone like that?
Are you like this?
The world is FILLED with these people, filled! Only by the grace of God can we escape being numbered among the murmurers, the complainers, the selfish, the arrogant, the opportunists.
We need to listen, we need to understand the reality here. Judgment is coming, and if that means being a freak who yells out the truth and others believe that I'm crazy, so be it. Judgment is coming for all. We WILL all be judged. You live right now and believe that you have years before you are judged yet you have to realize that you might not have tomorrow. We live right now by the grace of God. We live right now with the opportunity to make a choice - to choose our Savior and live or live to ourselves and die eternally.
Jud 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Jud 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Jud 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Mockers in the last time.
Those who walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Those who separate themselves.
Those who are sensual.
Those who HAVE NOT the Spirit.
They exist now! Everywhere! May God keep us in Him! We live in frightful times, we live in ungodly times, we live surrounded by evil on every side. Please Lord SAVE US!
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Amen!
We must BUILD UP ourselves on our MOST holy FAITH!
Praying in the Holy Ghost!
We must KEEP ourselves in the love of God!
We must look for the MERCY of our Lord Jesus Christ all unto ETERNAL LIFE!
AMEN!
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Execute judgment upon ALL.
All that are ungodly will be convinced of their ungodly actions they've committed, and everything they've spoken against the Lord.
This is going to happen!!!
Ignore it if you want but it will happen!!!
Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Murmurers
Complainers
Selfish
Arrogant
Opportunists
Do you know anyone like that?
Are you like this?
The world is FILLED with these people, filled! Only by the grace of God can we escape being numbered among the murmurers, the complainers, the selfish, the arrogant, the opportunists.
We need to listen, we need to understand the reality here. Judgment is coming, and if that means being a freak who yells out the truth and others believe that I'm crazy, so be it. Judgment is coming for all. We WILL all be judged. You live right now and believe that you have years before you are judged yet you have to realize that you might not have tomorrow. We live right now by the grace of God. We live right now with the opportunity to make a choice - to choose our Savior and live or live to ourselves and die eternally.
Jud 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Jud 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Jud 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Mockers in the last time.
Those who walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Those who separate themselves.
Those who are sensual.
Those who HAVE NOT the Spirit.
They exist now! Everywhere! May God keep us in Him! We live in frightful times, we live in ungodly times, we live surrounded by evil on every side. Please Lord SAVE US!
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Amen!
We must BUILD UP ourselves on our MOST holy FAITH!
Praying in the Holy Ghost!
We must KEEP ourselves in the love of God!
We must look for the MERCY of our Lord Jesus Christ all unto ETERNAL LIFE!
AMEN!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jude 9-13
Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Michael and the Devil in a dispute. Their dispute was over the body of Moses.
This is what we know of Moses' death-
Deu 34:5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
Deu 34:6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.
Deu 34:7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
The LORD buried Moses.
No MAN knows where He was buried.
Moses' death was unnatural. He didn't die of old age, he didn't die naturally. God brought death to Him and we don't know exactly how this was done, but the One who gives the breath of life can take that breath away. The giver of life can take that life. He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep when He created Eve - taking one of Adam's ribs to do so. God who can cause a deep sleep can surely - painlessly- take the breath of life from someone in order to bring death to them that isn't a death caused naturally. However it was done, God BURIED Moses after He died and He buried him in such a way that NO man who looked for Moses would find him.
However, the Devil is not a man. The Devil knew where Moses was buried. The Devil who has dominion over the earth (Just read this-
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The devil showed Jesus ALL the kingdom of the world and then… he said this… ALL these will I give thee. All those kingdoms belonged to who? Whose were they to give? The devil's. Jesus didn't reply- No, these kingdoms already belong to me… Jesus answered by telling the devil this…
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Satan wanted Jesus to worship him and then he'd give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world! They are satan's to give! Jesus answered that He would ONLY worship and serve God. Jesus didn't want the kingdoms of the world, He wanted what His Father wanted and that was ALL He wanted.
So here we have the devil, the ruler of the whole world, the king over the world having dominion over the world and He KNOWS where God buried Moses. He KNOWS! And for some reason this happens--
Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
There is a dispute about Moses' body. For whatever reason this dispute has Michael the archangel NOT bringing a railing accusation against the devil, but rather His defense was 'The Lord rebuke thee'. If ever anyone could be accused of wrong doing it would be the devil, he is the epitome of evil and wrongness, he is the father of lies. All evil stems from the devil's influence. Yet no accusation was going to be brought against the devil by the archangel - it was enough to say, 'The Lord rebuke thee.'
Remember we are talking about all this--
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jud 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
We are talking about the EVIL people of which Sodom and Gomorrha are a prime example of those who will suffer eternal extinction. Those who are filthy dreamers defiling the flesh, those who despise dominion, those who speak evil of dignities.
The speak evil of dignities- honor, nobleness of mind, propriety, truth, justice, opposition to sin.
They love to rail, they love to speak evil of any they can, but speaking evil of others is NOT what God would have us do- no matter how deserving, as Satan is endlessly deserving of railing, but it is NOT God's way.
Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Evil people speak evil and corrupt themselves!
Jud 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Evil people go in the way of Cain- which is the way contrary to God. No one can dispute the fact Cain was contrary to God and all those who follow in Cain's way- seeking their own will above God's are going the exact same path.
The way of Core being this--
G2879
Κορέ
Kore
Thayer Definition:
Korah = “baldness”
1) a man who, with others, rebelled against Moses
Those who with others rebel. Rebelling against God's way- once again this is the path those who are not with God take. They might believe they are harmlessly just doing their own thing, proud in their suppose superior intellect but in truth they are rebels against their Creator, against their Savior.
Jud 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Jud 1:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
READ THOSE WORDS AGAIN!
They live and breath among us and will until Jesus comes to redeem us to Himself. We cannot fully separate ourselves from them.
Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Mat 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
The wheat and the tares together until the harvest.
God's children, Satan's children together until the end of the world.
We mustn't delude ourselves into believing that we even CAN live among others and all be God's children. It's not up to us to EVER determine another person's eternal life- that's for God and God alone. But we have to be discerning and follow God as we are told in His word and that will mean being a stranger in and among others- a stranger that the world will try to convince to change our ways to be as they are- to conform, to become part of the family of Satan. No, they won't say those words but that's exactly what it amounts to. If you are not a child of God's you can only be a child of the wicked one.
We get so confused, and the devil enjoys our confusion. We must live and exist in a world where the tares outnumber the wheat greatly so that there is hardly any wheat left. We live in a world where wheat can turn into a tare and a tare into wheat. We must choose to never change, to never become a tare knowing that we must do our very best to allow God to work through us to by HIS grace and HIS grace alone have tares become wheat.
All glory to God in the Highest!
All praise and honor to our King!
May we be found in Him, His now and His always!
Amen.
Michael and the Devil in a dispute. Their dispute was over the body of Moses.
This is what we know of Moses' death-
Deu 34:5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
Deu 34:6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.
Deu 34:7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
The LORD buried Moses.
No MAN knows where He was buried.
Moses' death was unnatural. He didn't die of old age, he didn't die naturally. God brought death to Him and we don't know exactly how this was done, but the One who gives the breath of life can take that breath away. The giver of life can take that life. He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep when He created Eve - taking one of Adam's ribs to do so. God who can cause a deep sleep can surely - painlessly- take the breath of life from someone in order to bring death to them that isn't a death caused naturally. However it was done, God BURIED Moses after He died and He buried him in such a way that NO man who looked for Moses would find him.
However, the Devil is not a man. The Devil knew where Moses was buried. The Devil who has dominion over the earth (Just read this-
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The devil showed Jesus ALL the kingdom of the world and then… he said this… ALL these will I give thee. All those kingdoms belonged to who? Whose were they to give? The devil's. Jesus didn't reply- No, these kingdoms already belong to me… Jesus answered by telling the devil this…
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Satan wanted Jesus to worship him and then he'd give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world! They are satan's to give! Jesus answered that He would ONLY worship and serve God. Jesus didn't want the kingdoms of the world, He wanted what His Father wanted and that was ALL He wanted.
So here we have the devil, the ruler of the whole world, the king over the world having dominion over the world and He KNOWS where God buried Moses. He KNOWS! And for some reason this happens--
Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
There is a dispute about Moses' body. For whatever reason this dispute has Michael the archangel NOT bringing a railing accusation against the devil, but rather His defense was 'The Lord rebuke thee'. If ever anyone could be accused of wrong doing it would be the devil, he is the epitome of evil and wrongness, he is the father of lies. All evil stems from the devil's influence. Yet no accusation was going to be brought against the devil by the archangel - it was enough to say, 'The Lord rebuke thee.'
Remember we are talking about all this--
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jud 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
We are talking about the EVIL people of which Sodom and Gomorrha are a prime example of those who will suffer eternal extinction. Those who are filthy dreamers defiling the flesh, those who despise dominion, those who speak evil of dignities.
The speak evil of dignities- honor, nobleness of mind, propriety, truth, justice, opposition to sin.
They love to rail, they love to speak evil of any they can, but speaking evil of others is NOT what God would have us do- no matter how deserving, as Satan is endlessly deserving of railing, but it is NOT God's way.
Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Evil people speak evil and corrupt themselves!
Jud 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Evil people go in the way of Cain- which is the way contrary to God. No one can dispute the fact Cain was contrary to God and all those who follow in Cain's way- seeking their own will above God's are going the exact same path.
The way of Core being this--
G2879
Κορέ
Kore
Thayer Definition:
Korah = “baldness”
1) a man who, with others, rebelled against Moses
Those who with others rebel. Rebelling against God's way- once again this is the path those who are not with God take. They might believe they are harmlessly just doing their own thing, proud in their suppose superior intellect but in truth they are rebels against their Creator, against their Savior.
Jud 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Jud 1:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
READ THOSE WORDS AGAIN!
They live and breath among us and will until Jesus comes to redeem us to Himself. We cannot fully separate ourselves from them.
Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Mat 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
The wheat and the tares together until the harvest.
God's children, Satan's children together until the end of the world.
We mustn't delude ourselves into believing that we even CAN live among others and all be God's children. It's not up to us to EVER determine another person's eternal life- that's for God and God alone. But we have to be discerning and follow God as we are told in His word and that will mean being a stranger in and among others- a stranger that the world will try to convince to change our ways to be as they are- to conform, to become part of the family of Satan. No, they won't say those words but that's exactly what it amounts to. If you are not a child of God's you can only be a child of the wicked one.
We get so confused, and the devil enjoys our confusion. We must live and exist in a world where the tares outnumber the wheat greatly so that there is hardly any wheat left. We live in a world where wheat can turn into a tare and a tare into wheat. We must choose to never change, to never become a tare knowing that we must do our very best to allow God to work through us to by HIS grace and HIS grace alone have tares become wheat.
All glory to God in the Highest!
All praise and honor to our King!
May we be found in Him, His now and His always!
Amen.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
More Jude
Jud 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jud 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
God's pure goodness demands that evil be destroyed. Allowing evil to exist, allowing suffering to continue would be cruel. Only a sadist enjoys given pain to others and God is not a sadist. Enjoying evil and pain is wrong. God does not enjoy evil, it is an aberration.
We know that free choice brings with it the ability to choose between things and allowing freedom of choice is the revelation of one not wishing to dominate, not wishing to subdue, not wishing to be a master to forced slaves, but rather a father to children, a teacher to pupils.
Angels were created beings not of flesh but of spirit.
Angels were created with the ability to choose.
Angels were created with the ability to love, with the ability to reason, with feelings.
Angels could keep their first estate, or they could leave it. They could keep their own habitation or leave it. Some of the angels chose NOT to keep their first estate and left. Some chose to leave their own habitation. When they did that it was completely unacceptable- it was a wrong action.
First Estate, habitation- When you leave your first estate, when you leave your habitation you are effectively leaving a way of life. You are leaving more than a location. A rich man leaving his riches behind to live the life of a poor- begins to live an entire new way of life. When you leave one country to go to another you have new laws to follow. It isn't like leaving one house for another of similar conditions. There weren't two first estates to hop back and forth between. Choosing to leave a habitation that held God and all that God represents was choosing to leave all that is good, all that is love.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The people crept in UNAWARE- UNGODLY men.
Jud 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jud 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Those who even NOW, in our day, live in a manner like those of Sodom and Gomorrha will be PUNISHED. These people exist and it's not hard to notice them, not today, not in a world where all you have to do is watch the news, look on an internet news site , read a newspaper, listen to news radio and you will hear all about the people who exist today that are likened to those living in Sodom and Gomorrha.
These filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, speak evil of dignitaries and more….
Yes, I'm going to continue to talk about this kind of stuff right now because the Bible talks of this and warns us and we need to heed the warnings not hide behind a heavy blanket of love and sweetness refusing to believe there is love in the warnings, love in leaving the soft, sweetness and recognizing God's love in so much more.
May God continue to bless us, to forgive us, to love us as we continue to study, to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance into all truth.
In our Savior's love, by His mercy, through His righteousness and grace.
More tomorrow, God willing.
Amen.
Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jud 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
God's pure goodness demands that evil be destroyed. Allowing evil to exist, allowing suffering to continue would be cruel. Only a sadist enjoys given pain to others and God is not a sadist. Enjoying evil and pain is wrong. God does not enjoy evil, it is an aberration.
We know that free choice brings with it the ability to choose between things and allowing freedom of choice is the revelation of one not wishing to dominate, not wishing to subdue, not wishing to be a master to forced slaves, but rather a father to children, a teacher to pupils.
Angels were created beings not of flesh but of spirit.
Angels were created with the ability to choose.
Angels were created with the ability to love, with the ability to reason, with feelings.
Angels could keep their first estate, or they could leave it. They could keep their own habitation or leave it. Some of the angels chose NOT to keep their first estate and left. Some chose to leave their own habitation. When they did that it was completely unacceptable- it was a wrong action.
First Estate, habitation- When you leave your first estate, when you leave your habitation you are effectively leaving a way of life. You are leaving more than a location. A rich man leaving his riches behind to live the life of a poor- begins to live an entire new way of life. When you leave one country to go to another you have new laws to follow. It isn't like leaving one house for another of similar conditions. There weren't two first estates to hop back and forth between. Choosing to leave a habitation that held God and all that God represents was choosing to leave all that is good, all that is love.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The people crept in UNAWARE- UNGODLY men.
Jud 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jud 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Those who even NOW, in our day, live in a manner like those of Sodom and Gomorrha will be PUNISHED. These people exist and it's not hard to notice them, not today, not in a world where all you have to do is watch the news, look on an internet news site , read a newspaper, listen to news radio and you will hear all about the people who exist today that are likened to those living in Sodom and Gomorrha.
These filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, speak evil of dignitaries and more….
Yes, I'm going to continue to talk about this kind of stuff right now because the Bible talks of this and warns us and we need to heed the warnings not hide behind a heavy blanket of love and sweetness refusing to believe there is love in the warnings, love in leaving the soft, sweetness and recognizing God's love in so much more.
May God continue to bless us, to forgive us, to love us as we continue to study, to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance into all truth.
In our Savior's love, by His mercy, through His righteousness and grace.
More tomorrow, God willing.
Amen.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jude 1:1-5
Jud 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called
To them that are sanctified by God the Father.
To them that are preserved in Jesus Christ.
To them that are called.
Made holy by God the Father
Preserved by God the Son
Called.
We ALL need to be made holy by God the Father, don't we? Is there any one at all that doesn't need this? We cannot make ourselves holy it's impossible. We can submit to God and He will make us holy. Jesus Christ will preserve us. We need preservation, don't we? How great would it be if we could be preserved say- like something frozen. Frozen in Christ, made holy by God the Father never changing, forever kept holy by God, forever preserved by Christ. It sounds so wonderful and it really is the only way. We can't make ourselves holy and we can't preserve ourselves- we can't save ourselves. We can only choose to be saved. People make choices every day- many who are ill make choices that affect whether or not their lives are prolonged. A person with a damaged heart can op to allow a surgeon to repair their heart- or they can choose not to allow that surgeon to do surgery. That choice may determine whether they live or die. They choose. We choose often - making decisions that affect our lives, the quality of our lives- our eternal life.
I want to be among THEM who are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
Jud 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called
Jud 1:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
EARNESTLY contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
We need to do this- contend for the faith. Fight for the faith, struggle for the faith. Living in the world we live in today even more so we need to contend for the faith that was GIVEN to the saints. Satan works diligently , untiringly using any and all he can.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jud 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
We CANNOT forget that the people God saved--- were destroyed later for unbelief!
The Lord saved people from slavery to the Egyptians, He freed them from bondage. The Lord saves us from bondage to sin. Just as a lot of those who benefitted from being freed by God from Slavery were later DESTROYED because they chose not to believe in the God that saved them, all those who are freed from the bondage of sin and are given salvation and then go on to believe no longer will be destroyed.
People don’t want to hear that! People don't want to be alarmed, people don't want to listen to those they consider doomsayers. Yet, all through the Bible there are warnings, many, many warnings so is it any wonder we are to pay attention to these warnings, that we are to HEAR and TALK about these warnings? With the warnings comes the hope. The doomsayers are only proclaiming the doom in the hope of avoiding it, of having others avoid the doom. We must not forget those God freed were LATER destroyed because they lacked faith.
May God help us to heed the words He's given to us! May we learn and take His words to heart, trusting in Him to guide us, having faith forever in Him, always, only in Him!
Amen
To them that are sanctified by God the Father.
To them that are preserved in Jesus Christ.
To them that are called.
Made holy by God the Father
Preserved by God the Son
Called.
We ALL need to be made holy by God the Father, don't we? Is there any one at all that doesn't need this? We cannot make ourselves holy it's impossible. We can submit to God and He will make us holy. Jesus Christ will preserve us. We need preservation, don't we? How great would it be if we could be preserved say- like something frozen. Frozen in Christ, made holy by God the Father never changing, forever kept holy by God, forever preserved by Christ. It sounds so wonderful and it really is the only way. We can't make ourselves holy and we can't preserve ourselves- we can't save ourselves. We can only choose to be saved. People make choices every day- many who are ill make choices that affect whether or not their lives are prolonged. A person with a damaged heart can op to allow a surgeon to repair their heart- or they can choose not to allow that surgeon to do surgery. That choice may determine whether they live or die. They choose. We choose often - making decisions that affect our lives, the quality of our lives- our eternal life.
I want to be among THEM who are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
Jud 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called
Jud 1:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
EARNESTLY contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
We need to do this- contend for the faith. Fight for the faith, struggle for the faith. Living in the world we live in today even more so we need to contend for the faith that was GIVEN to the saints. Satan works diligently , untiringly using any and all he can.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jud 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
We CANNOT forget that the people God saved--- were destroyed later for unbelief!
The Lord saved people from slavery to the Egyptians, He freed them from bondage. The Lord saves us from bondage to sin. Just as a lot of those who benefitted from being freed by God from Slavery were later DESTROYED because they chose not to believe in the God that saved them, all those who are freed from the bondage of sin and are given salvation and then go on to believe no longer will be destroyed.
People don’t want to hear that! People don't want to be alarmed, people don't want to listen to those they consider doomsayers. Yet, all through the Bible there are warnings, many, many warnings so is it any wonder we are to pay attention to these warnings, that we are to HEAR and TALK about these warnings? With the warnings comes the hope. The doomsayers are only proclaiming the doom in the hope of avoiding it, of having others avoid the doom. We must not forget those God freed were LATER destroyed because they lacked faith.
May God help us to heed the words He's given to us! May we learn and take His words to heart, trusting in Him to guide us, having faith forever in Him, always, only in Him!
Amen
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Are you deluded?
2Th 2:10 ... because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
They received NOT the love of the truth.
Do you LOVE the truth?
The truth saves us. Not indifference to the truth, not denial of the truth, not disdain for the truth, and certainly not hatred for the truth.
To love is to make a choice to believe in love. If you don't believe love exists then you can't love, can you?
So much has been touted about love, being IN love, falling IN love and yet at the end of the day when you've BEEN in love for a long while, when you've HIT rock bottom in that fall you took into love, when you FEEL none of the emotions of what people have made love out to be- what then?
Loving something isn't being infatuated with something- it isn't a faze with something. We've skewed the word love up so badly when we talk about loving the truth we instantly begin to question our relationship with God. We question whether or not we have that so-called 'love' feeling towards the truth. Do we FEEL the love. We treat love as an emotion, but the Bible tells us plainly that - God is love.
1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
God is the source of LOVE. God is the source of our ability to love. God CHOOSES to love us. God made the CHOICE to love us. Did making that choice to love us mean God would have tender feelings for us always? Did making that choice mean God would never punish us? God loves us with a perfect love. But God's love is IN God's law. The two are inseparable.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love is the fulfilling of the law.
If God is love and fulfilling of the law is love - we need to KNOW God and to KNOW the law to know love.
God was REVEALED to us by His Son.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Joh 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Joh 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 14:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Beautiful!
If we have a love for the truth, we have a love for God. If we have a love for God, we have a love for the truth. If God is love, and if keeping God's law is love then for us to LOVE God we must want to OBEY Him.
Love isn't purely an emotion that we need to feel, but love is obeying God no matter what we feel.
We've WARPED love into meaning that true love- is UNCONDITIONAL love- that it is loving NO MATTER what and that's not true.
Jesus loves us and forgives us the worst of sins, yet that forgiveness must be something we desire along with a repentance of the sin. We are NOT forgiven if we do not desire that forgiveness, if we do not desire to repent and sin no more. So to say it's and UNCONDITIONAL love would be a distortion of facts. We don't deserve the love, we are loved and forgiven without deserving any of it and we cannot save ourselves in any way, shape, or form- but we MUST accept salvation. WE WILL NOT BE SAVED IN SPITE OF OURSELVES. NO one who chooses NOT to be saved, will be saved. There is NO forced salvation. There is NO forced love of the truth.
We make the choice for Salvation. We make the choice to love God- and that means OBEYING God, because we are told IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. We are told LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW. If we choose to KEEP God's commandments we would find ourselves loving our fellow man, we would find ourselves loving God, we would find ourselves loving truth and knowing we love God, knowing we love our fellowman, knowing we love the truth- NOT because of some misguided emotional responses we feel, but because of the knowledge of what love truly is.
Not all of us are able to be overly affectionate people. Not all of us can be overly sweet to others. It's a fact that we all have different dispositions and some are naturally more sour than others but does this mean a person whose disposition is pessimistic, or depressive, or even reclusive doesn't LOVE others? They might not FEEL that FEELING we are taught to believe is love, but their ACTIONS will speak louder than any feeling ever could.
2Th 2:10 ... because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The love of the truth is the love of God and only the love of God can save us.
If we CHOOSE not to receive God's love, God will not force Himself upon us, in fact God will allow you to live with that choice and you will reap the consequences of that choice. You will believe STRONG DELUSIONS believing lies, because you choose not to believe truth. Yes, EVERYONE that chooses NOT to receive the love of the truth will be damned. Everyone who chooses unrighteousness will be damned. Making the choice to not receive the love of the truth is something the majority of people will do- and that's not to say they will all be atheists, devil worshippers, or those who do not believe Jesus is the Son of God. Many who do not receive the love of the TRUTH, will be those who believe they are worshipping God- only they are worshipping a manufactured God, not the One True God who makes it more than clear that if we love Him we will keep His commandments- ALL of His commandments.
Do you have a love for the truth that you might be saved? Or are you deluded, believing lies?
May God give us all a LOVE for the TRUTH that we might be saved. May we not rather have delusions that will feed our egos nurturing self-love. May our eyes be opened fully, may all deception that would keep us from loving God, from loving the truth- be wiped away.
We will be allowed delusions, given delusions make NO mistake about it at all. And delusions seem real to those who are captive to them, delusions appear as truth to them.
Please Lord help us not be given strong delusions to believe in lies! We want Your truth! Only Your truth! We want to receive the love of Your truth! By Your grace!
Amen.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
They received NOT the love of the truth.
Do you LOVE the truth?
The truth saves us. Not indifference to the truth, not denial of the truth, not disdain for the truth, and certainly not hatred for the truth.
To love is to make a choice to believe in love. If you don't believe love exists then you can't love, can you?
So much has been touted about love, being IN love, falling IN love and yet at the end of the day when you've BEEN in love for a long while, when you've HIT rock bottom in that fall you took into love, when you FEEL none of the emotions of what people have made love out to be- what then?
Loving something isn't being infatuated with something- it isn't a faze with something. We've skewed the word love up so badly when we talk about loving the truth we instantly begin to question our relationship with God. We question whether or not we have that so-called 'love' feeling towards the truth. Do we FEEL the love. We treat love as an emotion, but the Bible tells us plainly that - God is love.
1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
God is the source of LOVE. God is the source of our ability to love. God CHOOSES to love us. God made the CHOICE to love us. Did making that choice to love us mean God would have tender feelings for us always? Did making that choice mean God would never punish us? God loves us with a perfect love. But God's love is IN God's law. The two are inseparable.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love is the fulfilling of the law.
If God is love and fulfilling of the law is love - we need to KNOW God and to KNOW the law to know love.
God was REVEALED to us by His Son.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Joh 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Joh 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 14:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Beautiful!
If we have a love for the truth, we have a love for God. If we have a love for God, we have a love for the truth. If God is love, and if keeping God's law is love then for us to LOVE God we must want to OBEY Him.
Love isn't purely an emotion that we need to feel, but love is obeying God no matter what we feel.
We've WARPED love into meaning that true love- is UNCONDITIONAL love- that it is loving NO MATTER what and that's not true.
Jesus loves us and forgives us the worst of sins, yet that forgiveness must be something we desire along with a repentance of the sin. We are NOT forgiven if we do not desire that forgiveness, if we do not desire to repent and sin no more. So to say it's and UNCONDITIONAL love would be a distortion of facts. We don't deserve the love, we are loved and forgiven without deserving any of it and we cannot save ourselves in any way, shape, or form- but we MUST accept salvation. WE WILL NOT BE SAVED IN SPITE OF OURSELVES. NO one who chooses NOT to be saved, will be saved. There is NO forced salvation. There is NO forced love of the truth.
We make the choice for Salvation. We make the choice to love God- and that means OBEYING God, because we are told IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. We are told LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW. If we choose to KEEP God's commandments we would find ourselves loving our fellow man, we would find ourselves loving God, we would find ourselves loving truth and knowing we love God, knowing we love our fellowman, knowing we love the truth- NOT because of some misguided emotional responses we feel, but because of the knowledge of what love truly is.
Not all of us are able to be overly affectionate people. Not all of us can be overly sweet to others. It's a fact that we all have different dispositions and some are naturally more sour than others but does this mean a person whose disposition is pessimistic, or depressive, or even reclusive doesn't LOVE others? They might not FEEL that FEELING we are taught to believe is love, but their ACTIONS will speak louder than any feeling ever could.
2Th 2:10 ... because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The love of the truth is the love of God and only the love of God can save us.
If we CHOOSE not to receive God's love, God will not force Himself upon us, in fact God will allow you to live with that choice and you will reap the consequences of that choice. You will believe STRONG DELUSIONS believing lies, because you choose not to believe truth. Yes, EVERYONE that chooses NOT to receive the love of the truth will be damned. Everyone who chooses unrighteousness will be damned. Making the choice to not receive the love of the truth is something the majority of people will do- and that's not to say they will all be atheists, devil worshippers, or those who do not believe Jesus is the Son of God. Many who do not receive the love of the TRUTH, will be those who believe they are worshipping God- only they are worshipping a manufactured God, not the One True God who makes it more than clear that if we love Him we will keep His commandments- ALL of His commandments.
Do you have a love for the truth that you might be saved? Or are you deluded, believing lies?
May God give us all a LOVE for the TRUTH that we might be saved. May we not rather have delusions that will feed our egos nurturing self-love. May our eyes be opened fully, may all deception that would keep us from loving God, from loving the truth- be wiped away.
We will be allowed delusions, given delusions make NO mistake about it at all. And delusions seem real to those who are captive to them, delusions appear as truth to them.
Please Lord help us not be given strong delusions to believe in lies! We want Your truth! Only Your truth! We want to receive the love of Your truth! By Your grace!
Amen.
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