1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Allowing the Savior to live in us means living as He lived.
How many would lay down their lives for their brethren? We barely lay down our attitudes towards our brothers. We find so much that is offensive in the people around us, the strangers in our lives. Those who are agreeable to us are only those who *agree* with us. Finding compassion for those we don't agree with is truly a test. When we are reviled we want to revile right back. We feel a personal injury, a personal insult and as we embrace that insult we feel the rise of justification in us for our own actions, our own thoughts that are filled with upset. We take so much to a personal level and when we are told to give up self and live for Christ we forget to apply that to the fact when we are being reviled it is NOT us being reviled at all, not really, but Christ in us. As the enemy strives to capture us, yes, us- you and I- he stops at nothing. You can scoff all you want and tell yourself you're not important to the devil, that he has much bigger fish to fry than you, but it's not true. YOU in a simple faith, in a true faith, in love with the Savior are so abhorrent to Satan that he can't help but want to crush you! He wants to crush everything about you and will use EVERY single trick in his evil book to do so. He hates you like no other can hate you and his hate is a very real force in your life trying to snuff out your binding love to Jesus. So when we are reviled the FIRST thing we have to do is understand this… it is CHRIST in us being reviled. If we held no love of our Savior and from that love a desire to do His will, then we wouldn't be reviled. As we do His will- whatever that is for us individually and collectively- we know that Satan will attack. We cannot be surprised at the attacks, we cannot grow weary as we are attacked, we can only in the deepest of humility pray that the love of our Savior is revealed even in our sadness, even through any reaction we might have to our enemies.
We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren and this isn't just in the ultimate act of death, but in all ways of our life too. Jesus laid down His life in all ways serving only the Father's will to reveal the Father's love to us. Jesus LIVED His life for US, never for Himself. Even as He went off to pray alone it wasn't to serve His own selfish desire to be alone, but rather He knew that He needed to connect to His Father without distraction in order to keep serving- it was a selfless act - even His need to sleep. You've heard this, or said it to someone yourself, 'You've got to take care of yourself so you can help others.' And it's so true. Those who are filled with a sense of martyrdom as they exhaustedly work themselves sick for others are doing NO favors for the others. They are desiring a selfish acknowledgment for their ceaseless serving but that in itself is not serving. Jesus taught us by example in all things and we need to constantly get to know Him, because if we lived to a 1000 years old we still would never know all there is to know of His amazing love.
We HAVE to lay down our lives.
We HAVE to give up self.
We HAVE to surrender to Jesus everything we are, living in Him, living for Him now and always!
Amen.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Call the sabbath a delight
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Turn THY foot away from the sabbath, from doing THY pleasure on my holy day.
Now we know that God made the sabbath FOR US. We know God made the sabbath day HOLY, that He BLESSED the sabbath day. The Sabbath is God's holy, blessed day of rest and it's a rest for us- physically and spiritually.
The thing is- God made this day of rest as a sign. God did NOT make this day of rest as a day of recreation. God made this day as a covenant sign between Him and mankind. God made this day as a day our thoughts are to turn away from self completely and turn to Him and to others. God made this day to be a blessing for man. When we turn from our own pleasures (our own pursuits) and find delight in the Lord we are blessed.
Too many look upon the sabbath day as just any other day. Too many look upon the sabbath day in disregard. Too many look upon the sabbath day as a day to selfishly do nothing but what they desire not caring about what God may desire of them.
When we are told this--
'Turn THY foot away from the sabbath, from doing THY pleasure on my holy day. '
We are being told to PUT God first in all we do on the Sabbath day and ourselves second. This day should be God-centered, not self-centered. It's not that we are not to have any DELIGHT (pleasure) but rather our delight, our pleasure should be God's pleasure, pleasing to God.
God knew that we couldn't devote ALL our time to Him. God knew that because we had minds of our own and free will with those minds, that our thoughts would not be solely upon Him. When one man became two people right then God knew that the thoughts of mankind would turn to each other as well as to self. God knew that as man tended the garden and the animals that it would be easy for man to watch a seedling grow and take pride in having been part of bring that new life into being. To keep man from FORGETTING his origins, God arranged man's life so that they would be constantly reminded of the source of ALL life, the source of THEIR life. To keep man from thinking they themselves were creators, were gods, there was a reminder put in place that was put in place PERMANENTLY. This reminder wasn't to be grievous and painful, this reminder was a call to put aside everything and have everything ready so that there would be no distractions and the entire day could be devoted to worshipping the One who created them and all they see. A willingness to set aside EVERYTHING and give glory to the Creator. We give glory to God when we do the will of God. When Jesus healed on the sabbath day He was doing the will of God. When Jesus taught that picking tiny bits of corn to appease hunger on the sabbath was okay, He was teaching that we CAN'T allow what we believe are restrictions to pull our thoughts from God and place them on self. A belly going hungry is distracting for sure! The disciples didn't set about making a gruel from the corn, they merely plucked what was there already and while they were walking snacked on the food- keeping their minds off their hunger and on what Jesus was teaching them.
In the beginning, God created the sabbath for mankind to celebrate in the Garden of Eden, from week to week. After sin entered and they were no longer in the Garden of Eden man was to still keep the sabbath every week. As the children were led from Egypt they were taught by the miracle of manna that God still expected them to keep the sabbath day. Placing the covenant command in His ten commandments, written by His own finger etched upon stone, God revealed the importance of keeping the seventh day holy and set aside for Him. Jesus kept the sabbath- teaching in synagogues as was His custom, pointing us ever to God. There was never any contention over whether or not the sabbath should be kept, never. The only contention came when the Pharisees question HOW Jesus was keeping the sabbath. The Pharisees knew Jesus was keeping the sabbath as were all his disciples- they never accused them of NOT keeping the sabbath but only that the things they were doing were profaning the sabbath they were keeping. Jesus rested in the grave on the sabbath.
From the very beginning the sabbath was instituted and mankind has been told to keep the sabbath. From our first parents to us we are to keep the sabbath. Do you imagine it to be something impossible to do as God would have you do it? Would God create the sabbath and make it impossible to keep? No. Satan would like us to believe it is impossible to keep the sabbath and he will stop at nothing to make it very hard for us to keep the sabbath.
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Call the sabbath a delight.
Call the sabbath the holy of the LORD.
Call the sabbath honorable.
Honor God on the sabbath.
Spending one whole day with God first in all thing- not doing our own ways, not seeking our own pleasure, not speaking so that our conversations are without thought of God, but only on self.
Delighting ourselves in the LORD.
I read this in the Webster Bible Dictionary-
'Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.'
When we love God we are loving perfectly. We can delight ourselves in the LORD- having that deep sense of pleasure, of love in a God whose promises are sure and everlasting. We can find this deep sense of pleasure in keeping the sabbath day holy, keeping the sabbath day special, keeping the sabbath day and honoring God our Creator, our Redeemer.
By His amazing grace may we find our delight to be in the LORD, honoring the sabbath as He would have us do so, now and forever.
Amen.
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Turn THY foot away from the sabbath, from doing THY pleasure on my holy day.
Now we know that God made the sabbath FOR US. We know God made the sabbath day HOLY, that He BLESSED the sabbath day. The Sabbath is God's holy, blessed day of rest and it's a rest for us- physically and spiritually.
The thing is- God made this day of rest as a sign. God did NOT make this day of rest as a day of recreation. God made this day as a covenant sign between Him and mankind. God made this day as a day our thoughts are to turn away from self completely and turn to Him and to others. God made this day to be a blessing for man. When we turn from our own pleasures (our own pursuits) and find delight in the Lord we are blessed.
Too many look upon the sabbath day as just any other day. Too many look upon the sabbath day in disregard. Too many look upon the sabbath day as a day to selfishly do nothing but what they desire not caring about what God may desire of them.
When we are told this--
'Turn THY foot away from the sabbath, from doing THY pleasure on my holy day. '
We are being told to PUT God first in all we do on the Sabbath day and ourselves second. This day should be God-centered, not self-centered. It's not that we are not to have any DELIGHT (pleasure) but rather our delight, our pleasure should be God's pleasure, pleasing to God.
God knew that we couldn't devote ALL our time to Him. God knew that because we had minds of our own and free will with those minds, that our thoughts would not be solely upon Him. When one man became two people right then God knew that the thoughts of mankind would turn to each other as well as to self. God knew that as man tended the garden and the animals that it would be easy for man to watch a seedling grow and take pride in having been part of bring that new life into being. To keep man from FORGETTING his origins, God arranged man's life so that they would be constantly reminded of the source of ALL life, the source of THEIR life. To keep man from thinking they themselves were creators, were gods, there was a reminder put in place that was put in place PERMANENTLY. This reminder wasn't to be grievous and painful, this reminder was a call to put aside everything and have everything ready so that there would be no distractions and the entire day could be devoted to worshipping the One who created them and all they see. A willingness to set aside EVERYTHING and give glory to the Creator. We give glory to God when we do the will of God. When Jesus healed on the sabbath day He was doing the will of God. When Jesus taught that picking tiny bits of corn to appease hunger on the sabbath was okay, He was teaching that we CAN'T allow what we believe are restrictions to pull our thoughts from God and place them on self. A belly going hungry is distracting for sure! The disciples didn't set about making a gruel from the corn, they merely plucked what was there already and while they were walking snacked on the food- keeping their minds off their hunger and on what Jesus was teaching them.
In the beginning, God created the sabbath for mankind to celebrate in the Garden of Eden, from week to week. After sin entered and they were no longer in the Garden of Eden man was to still keep the sabbath every week. As the children were led from Egypt they were taught by the miracle of manna that God still expected them to keep the sabbath day. Placing the covenant command in His ten commandments, written by His own finger etched upon stone, God revealed the importance of keeping the seventh day holy and set aside for Him. Jesus kept the sabbath- teaching in synagogues as was His custom, pointing us ever to God. There was never any contention over whether or not the sabbath should be kept, never. The only contention came when the Pharisees question HOW Jesus was keeping the sabbath. The Pharisees knew Jesus was keeping the sabbath as were all his disciples- they never accused them of NOT keeping the sabbath but only that the things they were doing were profaning the sabbath they were keeping. Jesus rested in the grave on the sabbath.
From the very beginning the sabbath was instituted and mankind has been told to keep the sabbath. From our first parents to us we are to keep the sabbath. Do you imagine it to be something impossible to do as God would have you do it? Would God create the sabbath and make it impossible to keep? No. Satan would like us to believe it is impossible to keep the sabbath and he will stop at nothing to make it very hard for us to keep the sabbath.
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Call the sabbath a delight.
Call the sabbath the holy of the LORD.
Call the sabbath honorable.
Honor God on the sabbath.
Spending one whole day with God first in all thing- not doing our own ways, not seeking our own pleasure, not speaking so that our conversations are without thought of God, but only on self.
Delighting ourselves in the LORD.
I read this in the Webster Bible Dictionary-
'Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.'
When we love God we are loving perfectly. We can delight ourselves in the LORD- having that deep sense of pleasure, of love in a God whose promises are sure and everlasting. We can find this deep sense of pleasure in keeping the sabbath day holy, keeping the sabbath day special, keeping the sabbath day and honoring God our Creator, our Redeemer.
By His amazing grace may we find our delight to be in the LORD, honoring the sabbath as He would have us do so, now and forever.
Amen.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Hate wisdom and you love death
Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
We must WATCH daily at the gates of INSTRUCTION.
We must WAIT at the posts of INSTRUCTION'S doors.
When we find INSTRUCTION we find life, and favor of the LORD.
When we sin against INSTRUCTION we wrong ourselves.
If we hate INSTRUCTION we love death.
It is WISE to hear instruction.
It is WISE not to refuse instruction.
It is WISE to watch and wait for instruction.
WISDOM tells us through instruction we find life and favor of the LORD.
WISDOM tells us that if we sin against instruction we are wronging ourselves.
WISDOM says all that hate instruction - love death.
We are to-
Watch daily at the gates of WISDOM.
Wait at the posts of WISDOM'S doors.
Find WISDOM- finding life, and favor of the LORD.
We are told-
He that sins against WISDOM wrongs himself.
All that hate WISDOM love death.
Definition of Wisdom-- the right use or exercise of knowledge. The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.
Definition of Instruction-- a. Imparted knowledge. b. An imparted or acquired item of knowledge; a lesson.
If we do not want knowledge we want death.
It's true.
The Lord is forever teaching us through His word, through life around us, through the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus was going about His 3 year ministry He spent the majority of that time imparting knowledge. He even told us that after He was gone He would send another to continue to teach us.
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.
Teach you all things.
What happens when we stop hearing instruction? We stop allowing ourselves to be taught. It is only through INSTRUCTION that we learn. Whether that instruction comes from another person, a book, a video, a movie, whatever the source of instruction- we are being given knowledge - we are being taught. When we STOP wanting to be taught we are choosing to refuse instruction, and if we refuse instruction we wrong ourselves, we are choosing death eternal over life eternal.
DAILY we must learn.
DAILY we must wait and watch for wisdom, for the instruction, for the teaching the LORD will give to us. Throughout life we learn and it's a shame that through a lot of formalized education the children are taught NOT to enjoy learning, to NOT want to be instructed. The Devil has insinuated himself well into the world and when he destroys the desire for instruction, for learning, for obtaining knowledge- he destroys a source of life because when we hate wisdom- when we hate knowledge - we love death. Without the knowledge, the wisdom, the instruction in the Salvation of our Savior we cannot be saved. Having destroyed the love of learning, the Devil destroys knowledge of salvation.
In all we do, we must never cease to learn, never cease to love and desire instruction, never stop desiring wisdom as God would have us possess. As we go about our lives even those who teach must constantly learn, never believing their knowledge is complete. In all we do we are to point to salvation. If we are called to any one profession in life- our love of Jesus and the salvation He offers must be paramount. By the grace of God we will be able to do as He bids us do, and may we never take glory to ourselves, never presuming to know it all. What we learn we are to share, knowing that it's not in our power to give people a love of instruction, that love they must obtain on their own- by God's merciful grace. As Jesus made His teachings available to all that would and will listen, we who want to reveal that amazing love of God's Son must make the knowledge available. Jesus never forced understanding on someone, never. His condemnation fell upon the wicked, the unrepentant as only HE has the discernment to know. Jesus lamented over the hard hearted refusing unbelievers-
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
By the grace of our Savior may we forever seek knowledge of Him, loving the wisdom He longs to give to us, hearing instruction- refusing it not.
Amen
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
We must WATCH daily at the gates of INSTRUCTION.
We must WAIT at the posts of INSTRUCTION'S doors.
When we find INSTRUCTION we find life, and favor of the LORD.
When we sin against INSTRUCTION we wrong ourselves.
If we hate INSTRUCTION we love death.
It is WISE to hear instruction.
It is WISE not to refuse instruction.
It is WISE to watch and wait for instruction.
WISDOM tells us through instruction we find life and favor of the LORD.
WISDOM tells us that if we sin against instruction we are wronging ourselves.
WISDOM says all that hate instruction - love death.
We are to-
Watch daily at the gates of WISDOM.
Wait at the posts of WISDOM'S doors.
Find WISDOM- finding life, and favor of the LORD.
We are told-
He that sins against WISDOM wrongs himself.
All that hate WISDOM love death.
Definition of Wisdom-- the right use or exercise of knowledge. The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.
Definition of Instruction-- a. Imparted knowledge. b. An imparted or acquired item of knowledge; a lesson.
If we do not want knowledge we want death.
It's true.
The Lord is forever teaching us through His word, through life around us, through the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus was going about His 3 year ministry He spent the majority of that time imparting knowledge. He even told us that after He was gone He would send another to continue to teach us.
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.
Teach you all things.
What happens when we stop hearing instruction? We stop allowing ourselves to be taught. It is only through INSTRUCTION that we learn. Whether that instruction comes from another person, a book, a video, a movie, whatever the source of instruction- we are being given knowledge - we are being taught. When we STOP wanting to be taught we are choosing to refuse instruction, and if we refuse instruction we wrong ourselves, we are choosing death eternal over life eternal.
DAILY we must learn.
DAILY we must wait and watch for wisdom, for the instruction, for the teaching the LORD will give to us. Throughout life we learn and it's a shame that through a lot of formalized education the children are taught NOT to enjoy learning, to NOT want to be instructed. The Devil has insinuated himself well into the world and when he destroys the desire for instruction, for learning, for obtaining knowledge- he destroys a source of life because when we hate wisdom- when we hate knowledge - we love death. Without the knowledge, the wisdom, the instruction in the Salvation of our Savior we cannot be saved. Having destroyed the love of learning, the Devil destroys knowledge of salvation.
In all we do, we must never cease to learn, never cease to love and desire instruction, never stop desiring wisdom as God would have us possess. As we go about our lives even those who teach must constantly learn, never believing their knowledge is complete. In all we do we are to point to salvation. If we are called to any one profession in life- our love of Jesus and the salvation He offers must be paramount. By the grace of God we will be able to do as He bids us do, and may we never take glory to ourselves, never presuming to know it all. What we learn we are to share, knowing that it's not in our power to give people a love of instruction, that love they must obtain on their own- by God's merciful grace. As Jesus made His teachings available to all that would and will listen, we who want to reveal that amazing love of God's Son must make the knowledge available. Jesus never forced understanding on someone, never. His condemnation fell upon the wicked, the unrepentant as only HE has the discernment to know. Jesus lamented over the hard hearted refusing unbelievers-
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
By the grace of our Savior may we forever seek knowledge of Him, loving the wisdom He longs to give to us, hearing instruction- refusing it not.
Amen
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Hear Instruction
Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
All glory to God.
All through my recent respiratory infection (of which I'm still recovering from - praise God) I lamented the fact I couldn't do this study. I barely feel up to it now, my arms are weak and shaking, my neck hurts and I just want to go back into bed and lie down. Truth be told this won't be a long study for those reasons. I know I'm healing, praise God, but it's gonna take a little more time until I'm back to *normal*.
These are the verses that have been being impressed upon me during my illness.
Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
If we hate instruction- we love death.
We can't refuse instruction and expect life.
Until the day we die, or until our Lord and Savior returns for us, we must HEAR instruction. We must be willing to be instructed constantly, learning without ceasing. And in learning we must apply the truths we learn.
Instruction isn't always easy- some instruction we receive we want to refute, we want to ignore, we don't like it because it's contrary to our flesh nature which desires predominance.
We must not refuse to be instructed by God on how we are to live our lives.
By His grace may we constantly be instructed, willing to receive the instruction, willing to embrace it.
In His love.
Amen.
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
All glory to God.
All through my recent respiratory infection (of which I'm still recovering from - praise God) I lamented the fact I couldn't do this study. I barely feel up to it now, my arms are weak and shaking, my neck hurts and I just want to go back into bed and lie down. Truth be told this won't be a long study for those reasons. I know I'm healing, praise God, but it's gonna take a little more time until I'm back to *normal*.
These are the verses that have been being impressed upon me during my illness.
Pro 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
If we hate instruction- we love death.
We can't refuse instruction and expect life.
Until the day we die, or until our Lord and Savior returns for us, we must HEAR instruction. We must be willing to be instructed constantly, learning without ceasing. And in learning we must apply the truths we learn.
Instruction isn't always easy- some instruction we receive we want to refute, we want to ignore, we don't like it because it's contrary to our flesh nature which desires predominance.
We must not refuse to be instructed by God on how we are to live our lives.
By His grace may we constantly be instructed, willing to receive the instruction, willing to embrace it.
In His love.
Amen.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Proverbs 8:34-36
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
God willing I'll be more recovered from this flu to actually study better.
By His grace and mercy.
In His love!
.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
God willing I'll be more recovered from this flu to actually study better.
By His grace and mercy.
In His love!
.
Friday, February 4, 2011
They profess they know God, but...
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
They profess they KNOW God- but in works they deny Him.
Just this past week the President of the United States addressed a prayer breakfast- at this prayer breakfast he gave a speech and oh, how he professed to know God. Now I cannot judge this man's eternal life, I can judge no man's eternal life, but I can judge right from wrong, I can judge actions of people and His actions- his works- deny God. This man advocates abortion staunchly. There is NOTHING godly about murdering the unborn, nothing godly about promoting death of the innocent, the helpless. Talking a 'good game' does so very little in the grand scheme of things. There are MANY people we come to find out- TALK about knowing God- but their works end up revealing the truth, they really deny God. When actions deny God all the talk in the world means little.
Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men
Draw near with their mouth and their lips honor God, but they've removed their heart far from Him. Does God want lip service? No. God wants heart service.
Eze 33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
They hear, but will not do. Their mouths show MUCH love, but their hearts go after covetousness. Oh how our mouths can profess to love God, but is our heart professing that same love of God? Or do our hearts profess SELF - LOVE above all? What does your heart profess?!
Rom 2:18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
Rom 2:19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
Rom 2:20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Rom 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Teaching others- do you not teach yourself?
Preaching do not steal- do you steal?
Saying not to commit adultery- do you commit adultery?
Abhorring idols- do you worship them?
Boasting of the law even while you break it- DISHONORING GOD!
Our tongues are wicked members- so very wicked.
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Jas 3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
The tongue professes God; that evil, wicked, poisonous little member boasts, it defiles, it speaks wonderful soothing words all the while the heart is pure evil. By the words spoken there isn't a clue as to the wickedness inside. Not many boast of their evil ways- many go to great lengths to hide their evil. The deception people practice is unbelievable. We live in a world with many great boasters, with many loud people professing their knowledge of God, with a multitude of silver-tongued people speaking of God and yet inside they are heartless, inside they are hollow, inside they are pure lovers of self without any love of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
May God help us not to deceive ourselves!
May our profession of the knowledge of God be filled with the works of God in us.
By Your grace my Savior, by Your grace.
Amen.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
They profess they KNOW God- but in works they deny Him.
Just this past week the President of the United States addressed a prayer breakfast- at this prayer breakfast he gave a speech and oh, how he professed to know God. Now I cannot judge this man's eternal life, I can judge no man's eternal life, but I can judge right from wrong, I can judge actions of people and His actions- his works- deny God. This man advocates abortion staunchly. There is NOTHING godly about murdering the unborn, nothing godly about promoting death of the innocent, the helpless. Talking a 'good game' does so very little in the grand scheme of things. There are MANY people we come to find out- TALK about knowing God- but their works end up revealing the truth, they really deny God. When actions deny God all the talk in the world means little.
Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men
Draw near with their mouth and their lips honor God, but they've removed their heart far from Him. Does God want lip service? No. God wants heart service.
Eze 33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
They hear, but will not do. Their mouths show MUCH love, but their hearts go after covetousness. Oh how our mouths can profess to love God, but is our heart professing that same love of God? Or do our hearts profess SELF - LOVE above all? What does your heart profess?!
Rom 2:18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
Rom 2:19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
Rom 2:20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Rom 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Teaching others- do you not teach yourself?
Preaching do not steal- do you steal?
Saying not to commit adultery- do you commit adultery?
Abhorring idols- do you worship them?
Boasting of the law even while you break it- DISHONORING GOD!
Our tongues are wicked members- so very wicked.
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Jas 3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
The tongue professes God; that evil, wicked, poisonous little member boasts, it defiles, it speaks wonderful soothing words all the while the heart is pure evil. By the words spoken there isn't a clue as to the wickedness inside. Not many boast of their evil ways- many go to great lengths to hide their evil. The deception people practice is unbelievable. We live in a world with many great boasters, with many loud people professing their knowledge of God, with a multitude of silver-tongued people speaking of God and yet inside they are heartless, inside they are hollow, inside they are pure lovers of self without any love of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
May God help us not to deceive ourselves!
May our profession of the knowledge of God be filled with the works of God in us.
By Your grace my Savior, by Your grace.
Amen.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Sound Doctrine
Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Holding fast of the faithful word.
The faithful word is the word spoken to us by God.
The faithful word is every word that came from Jesus.
Sound doctrine is the doctrines of our God, our Savior.
Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine-
The doctrine of Jesus (Matthew 5:3-7:27) People were astonished at the doctrine of Jesus. People were being TAUGHT by Jesus. The disciples were being taught by Jesus- the message they would carry with them always. Do we study it enough? Do we study the doctrine of our Savior enough? Do we know the doctrine of our Savior so that we can exhort and convince the gainsayers- those that would contradict the word of God, those that would deny the word of God?
The message of salvation is paramount in all the teachings of our Savior- yet our Lord had so much more to say and at the end of His long discourse He said this…
Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
If we hear and do we will be wise.
If we hear and do not do we will be foolish.
People complain all the time that they don't know how God would have them live and yet we are given this counsel from the Lord Himself. The sound doctrine of Jesus is the sound doctrine we are to have. It's not OUR word, it is not OUR doctrines that can do anything at all- it is the doctrine of our Lord and Savior.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
The apostle' doctrine was the doctrine Jesus gave to them.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
How true is this. People don't want to endure sound doctrine- people want to go after their own lusts.
Sound doctrine.
Jesus alone gives us sound doctrine. We don't have apostles today going about preaching the Lord's sound doctrine. We do have the words of our Savior that we can study for ourselves. The apostles wrote down the words they were given. The sound doctrine of Christ was written for our learning. We can't expect to understand or to accept sound doctrine if we don't learn it. Not just read, but learn it. Not just those that HEAR but those that HEAR AND DO the words of Christ will be wise.
We need to study the sound doctrines and make them a part of our lives.
We need Christ in our lives, we need to live as Christ would have us live in Him.
There is no guess work involved here- there is TRUTH.
People don't want to endure TRUTH, it doesn't satisfy their own desires.
We can follow all the unsound doctrine we like and it will allow us to satisfy our lusts, but following the sound doctrine of our Savior will war against our natural desires. One will give us life eternal the other death eternal-- we choose.
May God help us to follow only SOUND doctrine, Christ's doctrine, by His grace.
Holding fast of the faithful word.
The faithful word is the word spoken to us by God.
The faithful word is every word that came from Jesus.
Sound doctrine is the doctrines of our God, our Savior.
Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine-
The doctrine of Jesus (Matthew 5:3-7:27) People were astonished at the doctrine of Jesus. People were being TAUGHT by Jesus. The disciples were being taught by Jesus- the message they would carry with them always. Do we study it enough? Do we study the doctrine of our Savior enough? Do we know the doctrine of our Savior so that we can exhort and convince the gainsayers- those that would contradict the word of God, those that would deny the word of God?
The message of salvation is paramount in all the teachings of our Savior- yet our Lord had so much more to say and at the end of His long discourse He said this…
Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
If we hear and do we will be wise.
If we hear and do not do we will be foolish.
People complain all the time that they don't know how God would have them live and yet we are given this counsel from the Lord Himself. The sound doctrine of Jesus is the sound doctrine we are to have. It's not OUR word, it is not OUR doctrines that can do anything at all- it is the doctrine of our Lord and Savior.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
The apostle' doctrine was the doctrine Jesus gave to them.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
How true is this. People don't want to endure sound doctrine- people want to go after their own lusts.
Sound doctrine.
Jesus alone gives us sound doctrine. We don't have apostles today going about preaching the Lord's sound doctrine. We do have the words of our Savior that we can study for ourselves. The apostles wrote down the words they were given. The sound doctrine of Christ was written for our learning. We can't expect to understand or to accept sound doctrine if we don't learn it. Not just read, but learn it. Not just those that HEAR but those that HEAR AND DO the words of Christ will be wise.
We need to study the sound doctrines and make them a part of our lives.
We need Christ in our lives, we need to live as Christ would have us live in Him.
There is no guess work involved here- there is TRUTH.
People don't want to endure TRUTH, it doesn't satisfy their own desires.
We can follow all the unsound doctrine we like and it will allow us to satisfy our lusts, but following the sound doctrine of our Savior will war against our natural desires. One will give us life eternal the other death eternal-- we choose.
May God help us to follow only SOUND doctrine, Christ's doctrine, by His grace.
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