2Co 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
What treasure? What treasure lies within us? Can we cut our bodies open and have a treasure of silver fall out? Is blood liquid gold? Are bones made of diamonds? Is our heart formed of rubies? No, no, no, and no. The treasure we possess in our earthen vessels is knowledge of SALVATION, the Gospel of the KINGDOM, our Lord, our Savior!
We are taught to believe that treasure is something spectacularly corporeal. From our youth we are taught to acquire possessions and if we don't have them then to long for them especially if others around us have them. Of course there could be situations where parents raise their children to not want things, but doesn't that often in turn somehow end up making them want them anyway? I'd like to think there are places where children are raised to appreciate true treasures not those that are physical. I imagine there are those places, maybe scattered here and there. Once we are raised with the belief that treasures are possessions we can buy, possessions we can touch, possessions we claim as belonging to us and only we have the liberty of letting others use them, once this belief is instilled in us it's hard to truly imagine those earthly treasures as being worthless. So many people work hard and some have the claim to working hard all their lives to possess the things they do and therefore they're entitled to those possessions- their blood, sweat, and yes, their tears give them that right. What about those who work hard all their lives and in the end possess nothing physical? A old homeless man without much more than the clothes on his back dies and is given a pauper's funeral all the while the pity for man abounds because he died without anything, he died homeless, he died possession-of course some might not pity him because their disgust at his state of being overwhelms any pity. Then we have a rich man who dies with many possessions and people aren't pitying him but rather wishing they had part of the inheritance he left behind. Very few pity or feel disgust over a rich man dying old having had a full life.
Jesus died homeless, penniless, possession-less.
A very rich man can die without any treasure within him. A very poor man can die having great treasure within him.
When we die where do we want our treasure to have been? Within or without?
God forbid we have no treasure within no matter where we fit in on the treasures without- abundant, mediocre, or sparse.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The ONLY way to get treasure within is by the POWER OF GOD! We cannot put the treasure within us by ourselves. We cannot buy this treasure with all the money in the world- not all the dollars, not all the euros, not all the yen, not all the francs, not all the… well you get the picture. No earthly wealth can give anyone the treasure within, this priceless, wondrous treasure. You also can't work for this treasure, you can't demand the treasure, you can't steal the treasure, you have to be GIVEN the treasure by God!
Truly - give us this day our daily bread!
Reading on is it any wonder we need this treasure within us- given to us by the all powerful, wondrous, praiseworthy God! If we try to manufacture this treasure within it would be powerless and we need the power of God if we are to live for Him.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
By the grace of our Lord may we receive the gift of eternal life through the power and majesty, the glory of His love towards us. May we be earthen vessels filled with the treasure of all He is all through His excellent power!
In His Love!
Amen.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Moses' Treasure in Heaven
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Greater than the treasures in Egypt.
Today we know for a fact that the treasures of Egypt are immense, priceless, unfathomable. The sheer value of that treasure today is enormous. When Egypt was - what we call today - a 'super power' back in the days of Moses the wealth they possessed was fantastic. Moses was born not into that wealth but adopted into it all. He knew when he grew older that he was really a Hebrew and not an Egyptian, that he was adopted not born into the position he held.
It's somewhat easy to comprehend how a person feels towards their *natural* heritage isn't it? That kinship to a natural connection as opposed to an adopted one. That's not to say there aren't many adopted people who absolutely love their adopted families and even to the exclusion of their natural family. Yet there is a tremendous desire for adopted people to find their natural families and it's understandable, it really is.
Moses had an amazingly pampered life as part of Egyptian royalty yet he felt this pull towards his natural heritage. Could it be that Moses was witness to a lot of abuse towards those of his heritage? Seriously. Could one isolated incident really have set him off? Are abuses of masters towards slaves rare? Absolutely not. Moses grew up watching the Hebrew slaves being abused at the whims of their masters.
Read this...
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Can you tell me with all certainty that Moses went one day to look at the Hebrew slaves in the field- obviously out to wherever it was they were working whether it was in fields or on masonry projects- and because he saw an Egyptian abusing a Hebrew slave - one of his kind, one of his blood, his heritage- he just decided it'd be a good idea to kill the Egyptian? I can't fathom that. There was more to this than we realize fully, more that logic declares had to be going on.
Moses was an adopted Egyptian, given the luxurious life of an Egyptian, witness to the hard life of the Hebrew slaves. He knew that to choose the side of the Hebrews over the Egyptians would mean a complete life altering change and he didn't choose that, but he had to have had thoughts. These thoughts culminated in the choice he made that day as he witnessed the abuse of the Hebrew slave. He had to avenge his helpless brother. But still he didn't impulsively rush to the slave's aid. It says this…
'he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man,'
He looked to see if anyone was around! He didn't want to be seen helping the Hebrew slave! He wanted to help him but he didn't want to get caught doing so. Getting caught would mean HE would be in trouble and he knew this before going to help. Moses realized the ramification of his actions should he be seen and he didn't want to be seen. This wasn't some grand statement he was trying to make for his people. He wasn't making a spectacle of his act at all whatsoever.
After looking about making sure no one was there Moses killed the Egyptian and then…
'he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. ' Hid him in the sand. He hid the body. Moses definitely did NOT want anyone to know what he'd done.
So here we have Moses changing his life irrevocably. He made a decision in that moment to SAVE a Hebrew from an Egyptian. It's fair to say that the Egyptian was in the wrong here and that the smiting he was doing was very severe otherwise Moses wouldn't have interfered. He knew enough to be able to determine that what he was witnessing in this particular beating wasn't a minor incident. It wasn't a little reprimand. Moses knew the slave would die at the hands of the Egyptian if he didn't interfere and even though he didn't want to be found out, he wanted to save the Hebrew slave, he DID save the Hebrew slave. He made a choice and he had time to realize that what he was doing meant making a choice. He turned his back on his adopted family, the family who raised him to believe they were superior to ALL slaves, that slaves could be beaten and even murdered and it didn't matter. That action of Moses' was culmination of things. No, it wasn't a preplanned murder but it was a spontaneous killing as a result of the 'right or wrong' Moses had been witnessing throughout his life. A decision was made in those few moments that reflected Moses' decision to stand up for those being wronged. He was choosing right over wrong and in doing so he was choosing to abandon the Egyptian life.
When we read this…
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Now read this again…
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Compare the two-
When he was come to years
When Moses was grown
Compare the two-
Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God
That he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens
Yes, Moses had been in the process of making a decision for awhile.
We have to remember that Moses was raised for quite some time by his *real* Hebrew mother, among his *real* Hebrew family. Then when he was older he was sent to live as the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. From his youngest impressions he was raised to know Hebrew love, God's love. He witnessed first hand the love of God in this family and it was something He couldn't shake no matter what he was given as an adopted Egyptian prince. Take his youngest years and mingle it with the horrors committed against people he'd known to be loving as he grew to manhood and Moses was in a unique position to understand that there WAS a difference - there was the real love of God in His chosen people and there was real horror and hatred among those who were godless.
Moses CHOSE to suffer affliction rather than enjoy the sin, the pleasures, the life of ease he knew so well.
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Moses understood that it was better to suffer for God and endure all the hatred that God-hater's could give him than accept the TREASURES in Egypt. Why? Because he knew- he had respect to the recompence of the true reward found only in the salvation of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Where was Moses' treasure???
HEAVEN!
Moses is the PRIME example of a keeping treasures in heaven. Moses is a prime example of choosing God over earthly treasures. We think it's hard to give up our lives for God, to give up our selfishness, to give up our pleasures and lives of ease, and you know what… it is hard no one is saying it isn't. We know it's hard and every single one of us will have to make the choice. We have treasures but WHAT we consider treasures and where those treasures are kept is the choices we make. If we choose to keep our treasures in heaven- our salvation in our most heavenly Savior - then we choose not to have treasure here on earth. We choose NOT to have any treasure that would keep us from our heavenly treasure.
Only by the grace of God is this possible. If we think we can do this on our own then we don't know a thing about the salvation God offers us in Christ Jesus, the kingdom of heaven.
In His love!
Amen.
Greater than the treasures in Egypt.
Today we know for a fact that the treasures of Egypt are immense, priceless, unfathomable. The sheer value of that treasure today is enormous. When Egypt was - what we call today - a 'super power' back in the days of Moses the wealth they possessed was fantastic. Moses was born not into that wealth but adopted into it all. He knew when he grew older that he was really a Hebrew and not an Egyptian, that he was adopted not born into the position he held.
It's somewhat easy to comprehend how a person feels towards their *natural* heritage isn't it? That kinship to a natural connection as opposed to an adopted one. That's not to say there aren't many adopted people who absolutely love their adopted families and even to the exclusion of their natural family. Yet there is a tremendous desire for adopted people to find their natural families and it's understandable, it really is.
Moses had an amazingly pampered life as part of Egyptian royalty yet he felt this pull towards his natural heritage. Could it be that Moses was witness to a lot of abuse towards those of his heritage? Seriously. Could one isolated incident really have set him off? Are abuses of masters towards slaves rare? Absolutely not. Moses grew up watching the Hebrew slaves being abused at the whims of their masters.
Read this...
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Can you tell me with all certainty that Moses went one day to look at the Hebrew slaves in the field- obviously out to wherever it was they were working whether it was in fields or on masonry projects- and because he saw an Egyptian abusing a Hebrew slave - one of his kind, one of his blood, his heritage- he just decided it'd be a good idea to kill the Egyptian? I can't fathom that. There was more to this than we realize fully, more that logic declares had to be going on.
Moses was an adopted Egyptian, given the luxurious life of an Egyptian, witness to the hard life of the Hebrew slaves. He knew that to choose the side of the Hebrews over the Egyptians would mean a complete life altering change and he didn't choose that, but he had to have had thoughts. These thoughts culminated in the choice he made that day as he witnessed the abuse of the Hebrew slave. He had to avenge his helpless brother. But still he didn't impulsively rush to the slave's aid. It says this…
'he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man,'
He looked to see if anyone was around! He didn't want to be seen helping the Hebrew slave! He wanted to help him but he didn't want to get caught doing so. Getting caught would mean HE would be in trouble and he knew this before going to help. Moses realized the ramification of his actions should he be seen and he didn't want to be seen. This wasn't some grand statement he was trying to make for his people. He wasn't making a spectacle of his act at all whatsoever.
After looking about making sure no one was there Moses killed the Egyptian and then…
'he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. ' Hid him in the sand. He hid the body. Moses definitely did NOT want anyone to know what he'd done.
So here we have Moses changing his life irrevocably. He made a decision in that moment to SAVE a Hebrew from an Egyptian. It's fair to say that the Egyptian was in the wrong here and that the smiting he was doing was very severe otherwise Moses wouldn't have interfered. He knew enough to be able to determine that what he was witnessing in this particular beating wasn't a minor incident. It wasn't a little reprimand. Moses knew the slave would die at the hands of the Egyptian if he didn't interfere and even though he didn't want to be found out, he wanted to save the Hebrew slave, he DID save the Hebrew slave. He made a choice and he had time to realize that what he was doing meant making a choice. He turned his back on his adopted family, the family who raised him to believe they were superior to ALL slaves, that slaves could be beaten and even murdered and it didn't matter. That action of Moses' was culmination of things. No, it wasn't a preplanned murder but it was a spontaneous killing as a result of the 'right or wrong' Moses had been witnessing throughout his life. A decision was made in those few moments that reflected Moses' decision to stand up for those being wronged. He was choosing right over wrong and in doing so he was choosing to abandon the Egyptian life.
When we read this…
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Now read this again…
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Compare the two-
When he was come to years
When Moses was grown
Compare the two-
Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God
That he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens
Yes, Moses had been in the process of making a decision for awhile.
We have to remember that Moses was raised for quite some time by his *real* Hebrew mother, among his *real* Hebrew family. Then when he was older he was sent to live as the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. From his youngest impressions he was raised to know Hebrew love, God's love. He witnessed first hand the love of God in this family and it was something He couldn't shake no matter what he was given as an adopted Egyptian prince. Take his youngest years and mingle it with the horrors committed against people he'd known to be loving as he grew to manhood and Moses was in a unique position to understand that there WAS a difference - there was the real love of God in His chosen people and there was real horror and hatred among those who were godless.
Moses CHOSE to suffer affliction rather than enjoy the sin, the pleasures, the life of ease he knew so well.
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Moses understood that it was better to suffer for God and endure all the hatred that God-hater's could give him than accept the TREASURES in Egypt. Why? Because he knew- he had respect to the recompence of the true reward found only in the salvation of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Where was Moses' treasure???
HEAVEN!
Moses is the PRIME example of a keeping treasures in heaven. Moses is a prime example of choosing God over earthly treasures. We think it's hard to give up our lives for God, to give up our selfishness, to give up our pleasures and lives of ease, and you know what… it is hard no one is saying it isn't. We know it's hard and every single one of us will have to make the choice. We have treasures but WHAT we consider treasures and where those treasures are kept is the choices we make. If we choose to keep our treasures in heaven- our salvation in our most heavenly Savior - then we choose not to have treasure here on earth. We choose NOT to have any treasure that would keep us from our heavenly treasure.
Only by the grace of God is this possible. If we think we can do this on our own then we don't know a thing about the salvation God offers us in Christ Jesus, the kingdom of heaven.
In His love!
Amen.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
What is the measure of our covetousness?
There are more verses on treasure I'd like to touch on today.
Yesterday we began by studying these verses from Matthew-
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Today let's read this verse-
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
The measure of thy covetousness.
What other reason is there to collect earthly treasures than covetousness?
Seriously. Look around you (assuming you are at home) what sort of things do you possess? What among them do you call necessities- that are truly necessities? What among those necessities are what you would label simple necessities rather than luxurious necessities, because make no mistake our covetousness will lead us to buy luxurious necessities and we console ourselves by say they are only necessities- not really anything special.
For example- a bed. Who doesn't want a nice comfortable bed? There is nothing wrong with wanting a bed that is conducive towards a good night's rest. But if we get the most fancy bed we can afford so that it's very pleasing to our eyes, what does that mean? Aren't we supposed to want stuff that is pleasing to our senses? To what point do we indulge our senses? When do our senses become perverted? How likely are we to have our senses indulged and in the process we let Satan creep into our lives using a deceptive manner to do so.
What is the measure of our covetousness? Are we abundant in treasures? Who decides?
To my way of thinking I have very little *treasure*. To another who has absolutely nothing I have the grandest treasures they can only dream about. So how do we know what abundant treasures really are? To the very rich who indulge in their whims they have treasures far, far beyond anything I can imagine. But is it only the rich who are abundant in treasures? I don't think so. A poor person can covet something greatly, couldn't they? If a poor person has but one thing and they covet it above God, above salvation through our Savior, if they keep their treasure here on earth and not in the kingdom of heaven then where is their heart? Their heart is not with God, their heart is not in the kingdom. If our hearts are not in the kingdom then we will NOT inherit the kingdom.
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
This verse must make us think about the measure of our covetousness. We have to ask ourselves the question facing our own potential to covet, our own potential to keep our treasures right here on earth- within reach or close by with easy access.
After recognizing the measure of our own covetousness we have to pray and ask our Savior to help us, to forgive us, to guide us, to reveal the sin in our lives that we need to confess and then to help us repent. It is by HIS righteousness alone we are saved and by HIS righteousness alone we live, we hope, we love.
What is the measure of our covetousness?
How abundant are our treasures?
We can't make the mistake of thinking just because we aren't millionaires or billionaires rolling in money that we don't have the potential to covet, that what we have all around us aren't treasures. Like I wrote above- we can be poor and still have treasures here on earth not in heaven. Yes, the more money we have the harder it is to *not* gather earthly treasures- coveting the best we can afford, so yes- the rich will find it a lot harder to not covet, to not keep their treasures here on earth. By the grace of God we will keep our treasures where they belong- with our Savior, in the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.
Yesterday we began by studying these verses from Matthew-
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Today let's read this verse-
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
The measure of thy covetousness.
What other reason is there to collect earthly treasures than covetousness?
Seriously. Look around you (assuming you are at home) what sort of things do you possess? What among them do you call necessities- that are truly necessities? What among those necessities are what you would label simple necessities rather than luxurious necessities, because make no mistake our covetousness will lead us to buy luxurious necessities and we console ourselves by say they are only necessities- not really anything special.
For example- a bed. Who doesn't want a nice comfortable bed? There is nothing wrong with wanting a bed that is conducive towards a good night's rest. But if we get the most fancy bed we can afford so that it's very pleasing to our eyes, what does that mean? Aren't we supposed to want stuff that is pleasing to our senses? To what point do we indulge our senses? When do our senses become perverted? How likely are we to have our senses indulged and in the process we let Satan creep into our lives using a deceptive manner to do so.
What is the measure of our covetousness? Are we abundant in treasures? Who decides?
To my way of thinking I have very little *treasure*. To another who has absolutely nothing I have the grandest treasures they can only dream about. So how do we know what abundant treasures really are? To the very rich who indulge in their whims they have treasures far, far beyond anything I can imagine. But is it only the rich who are abundant in treasures? I don't think so. A poor person can covet something greatly, couldn't they? If a poor person has but one thing and they covet it above God, above salvation through our Savior, if they keep their treasure here on earth and not in the kingdom of heaven then where is their heart? Their heart is not with God, their heart is not in the kingdom. If our hearts are not in the kingdom then we will NOT inherit the kingdom.
Jer 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
This verse must make us think about the measure of our covetousness. We have to ask ourselves the question facing our own potential to covet, our own potential to keep our treasures right here on earth- within reach or close by with easy access.
After recognizing the measure of our own covetousness we have to pray and ask our Savior to help us, to forgive us, to guide us, to reveal the sin in our lives that we need to confess and then to help us repent. It is by HIS righteousness alone we are saved and by HIS righteousness alone we live, we hope, we love.
What is the measure of our covetousness?
How abundant are our treasures?
We can't make the mistake of thinking just because we aren't millionaires or billionaires rolling in money that we don't have the potential to covet, that what we have all around us aren't treasures. Like I wrote above- we can be poor and still have treasures here on earth not in heaven. Yes, the more money we have the harder it is to *not* gather earthly treasures- coveting the best we can afford, so yes- the rich will find it a lot harder to not covet, to not keep their treasures here on earth. By the grace of God we will keep our treasures where they belong- with our Savior, in the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Could you walk away from everything?
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Could you walk away from EVERYTHING you own right this minute?
Christ did NOT tell us to not have homes to live in. Christ visited homes to lodge with people and eat meals with them. He didn't go into those homes and tell the occupants that to have a place in the kingdom with Him they had to give up their homes and all their possessions and go about preaching the gospel to others. Taking things out of context can make a person want to *give up* on being a Christian because they can't fathom how they'll ever be able to do it when they can't seem to be all they perceive a Christian should be.
Are some people truly called to give up all they possess and go preach the gospel? Yes. I fully believe some people are called to that way of life. I believe others are called to be humble in the little they do possess and to preach the gospel as they are called. I also believe others are called to be stewards of much and how they deal with that wealth has to be in the manner the Lord directs them- unselfishly - as they too are to preach the gospel.
So when people get all up in arms and say we are to have nothing, we have to be realistic and ask ourselves if the Bible… if our God actually tells everyone of us to simply be preaching wanderers. It doesn't tell us that at all. Every one of the apostles spent many a night as they traveled, in a home of fellow believers without telling those believers to pack up their goods and take to the road as they were doing.
Did Christ preach the gathering of earthly treasures. No. In fact we are not to desire to hold on to ANYTHING over the desire of having Christ in our lives. We are to put NOTHING before God. We are to worship ONLY our Savior.
So asking you if you'd give up everything you own right this minute has to be followed with- if that is your calling.
Seriously. We are called and each of us are called to a different walk, a personal walk between us and our Savior. You can't judge my walk and I can't judge yours. We can accept each other has a personal walk with God and help each other in any way the help is needed.
None of our *REAL* treasures should be on earth. Our hearts must be in the heavenly kingdom not stuck in any single thing on this earth- not in any person, place, or thing here. A treasure is something we cherish. Do I have treasures? Yes. But I like to believe that none of the *thing* I consider treasures would keep me from choosing my Savior over them. If I lost everything I own in a fire my life would not be over. Would I be incredibly sad over losing what I consider family heirlooms? Yes. Would I hate the fact that many costly things would be gone. We think of pictures taken over the years. We think of books that are irreplaceable because they are personally marked. We think of toys we may have had as children. We think of costly computers, costly electronics, our clothes, you ALL know what I'm talking about-- things.
Anything that could be stolen from us, anything that can be destroyed we must not treasure over our God, and that's people included. We might lay down our lives for a loved one, or even a stranger if we are called to do so. We cannot even treasure our selves above God but be willing to lay down our lives for Him.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we be fully His as we seek to keep our true treasures, treasures that mean more than anything to us in heaven- the priceless treasure of the love of our Savior.
In His Love!
Amen.
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Could you walk away from EVERYTHING you own right this minute?
Christ did NOT tell us to not have homes to live in. Christ visited homes to lodge with people and eat meals with them. He didn't go into those homes and tell the occupants that to have a place in the kingdom with Him they had to give up their homes and all their possessions and go about preaching the gospel to others. Taking things out of context can make a person want to *give up* on being a Christian because they can't fathom how they'll ever be able to do it when they can't seem to be all they perceive a Christian should be.
Are some people truly called to give up all they possess and go preach the gospel? Yes. I fully believe some people are called to that way of life. I believe others are called to be humble in the little they do possess and to preach the gospel as they are called. I also believe others are called to be stewards of much and how they deal with that wealth has to be in the manner the Lord directs them- unselfishly - as they too are to preach the gospel.
So when people get all up in arms and say we are to have nothing, we have to be realistic and ask ourselves if the Bible… if our God actually tells everyone of us to simply be preaching wanderers. It doesn't tell us that at all. Every one of the apostles spent many a night as they traveled, in a home of fellow believers without telling those believers to pack up their goods and take to the road as they were doing.
Did Christ preach the gathering of earthly treasures. No. In fact we are not to desire to hold on to ANYTHING over the desire of having Christ in our lives. We are to put NOTHING before God. We are to worship ONLY our Savior.
So asking you if you'd give up everything you own right this minute has to be followed with- if that is your calling.
Seriously. We are called and each of us are called to a different walk, a personal walk between us and our Savior. You can't judge my walk and I can't judge yours. We can accept each other has a personal walk with God and help each other in any way the help is needed.
None of our *REAL* treasures should be on earth. Our hearts must be in the heavenly kingdom not stuck in any single thing on this earth- not in any person, place, or thing here. A treasure is something we cherish. Do I have treasures? Yes. But I like to believe that none of the *thing* I consider treasures would keep me from choosing my Savior over them. If I lost everything I own in a fire my life would not be over. Would I be incredibly sad over losing what I consider family heirlooms? Yes. Would I hate the fact that many costly things would be gone. We think of pictures taken over the years. We think of books that are irreplaceable because they are personally marked. We think of toys we may have had as children. We think of costly computers, costly electronics, our clothes, you ALL know what I'm talking about-- things.
Anything that could be stolen from us, anything that can be destroyed we must not treasure over our God, and that's people included. We might lay down our lives for a loved one, or even a stranger if we are called to do so. We cannot even treasure our selves above God but be willing to lay down our lives for Him.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we be fully His as we seek to keep our true treasures, treasures that mean more than anything to us in heaven- the priceless treasure of the love of our Savior.
In His Love!
Amen.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Be not as the hypocrites
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites...
Hypocrites.
Jesus didn't, and doesn't, like hypocrites.
Let's read through these verses, we have time- this is after all - Bible study, right? We need to catch the big picture here about Jesus' view on hypocrites because He doesn't want us to be they are.
*******
Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Mat 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luk 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Luk 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luk 13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
*******
Webster's definition of a hypocrite is this--
Hypocrite
HYP'OCRITE, n.
1. One who feigns to be what he is not; one who has the form of godliness without the power, or who assumes an appearance of piety and virtue, when he is destitute of true religion.
2. A dissembler; one who assumes a false appearance.
An online dictionary defines it this way--
hyp·o·crite
[hip-uh-krit]
Show IPA
–noun
1.
a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2.
a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
Pasted from
*******
Pretending to be something you're not. How often do people pretend to be something they're not? How often do people smile on the outside but inside they're full of disdain for those they are smiling at. People might put on a happy face and feel sad, but that's not the kind of pretending we're talking about. Hypocrites - those who assume a false appearance of virtue when they have no true virtue in them. The deceitful. Those who harm others - not necessarily in a physical manner- and not necessarily with the others even realizing they're being harmed. A liar. Yes, being a hypocrite is being a liar. Often hypocrites are able to fool many people with their false demeanor. In fact there are people who are hypocrites all their lives - making a living that way and never being discovered.
Not a single hypocrite exists that can hide from the knowing of our God.
Jesus saw through hypocrite after hypocrite as He lived upon earth and He wasn't afraid to let them know that He knew them for what they really were.
Do you believe you have ever been a hypocrite? Seriously. I ask this because as we struggle in our day to day lives to be followers of our Savior and we come up short sometimes it's very easy to believe we are being hypocrites rather than those struggling against principalities and powers, fighting the good fight. Satan wants us to believe we are hypocrites so that we are filled with self-loathing and give up. In fact some people might turn around and call us hypocrites because our walk with Christ doesn't fulfill their imagined scenario of a Christian life. Just recently someone questioned my life with Christ in the context of my not doing *enough*, not *giving my all*. This person who did this obviously doesn't realize that even if a person does a tiny bit outwardly it's not up to them to judge another's walk with Christ based on their own experience. When we start judging others, when we start trying to hold up examples as to how a *real* Christian would be, then we put ourselves somewhere we are never meant to go. Many who are Christians outwardly, many who hold up the image of an amazing Christian - studying, helping the poor, praying, witnessing- you name it they're doing it, many of those are the very same hypocrites our Savior is talking about. Even a person who is caught up in a life of outward sin might have a closer walk with our Savior than one who seems to be living their life perfectly. That person struggling with sin may be genuinely fighting the fight they've been given to fight so that when all is said and done they'll be in the kingdom with our Savior. The point being… we need to love, not condemn. We need to live that love not be hypocritical even with ourselves.
Jesus said this--
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites...
Jesus doesn't want us to be as hypocrites are and He goes on to tell us more.
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Don't put on an outward show of piety. We are not doing ourselves any favors by *pretending*. We can put on the appearance of a pious person and it will fool people- it will, but God knows.
We are to live our lives without pretense knowing that no matter how we look it's what's inside our hearts before God that matters. The pretenders, the hypocrites, the liars have their reward. God wants us to be rewarded openly by Him because He knows the good we do in secret doing that good for no outward reward.
So what if people look at you and don't ever imagine you have a life as they imagine you should have. You're not living your life to be rewarded by another's acknowledgement that you fit their idea of a follower of Christ. You're living your life to be acknowledged by our Savior and our Savior only.
By the grace of our Savior may we be His and His alone in all we do. If we are being hypocritical may we have this revealed to us so that we can beg for forgiveness and be truly God's. In His love!
Amen.
Hypocrites.
Jesus didn't, and doesn't, like hypocrites.
Let's read through these verses, we have time- this is after all - Bible study, right? We need to catch the big picture here about Jesus' view on hypocrites because He doesn't want us to be they are.
*******
Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Mat 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luk 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Luk 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luk 13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
*******
Webster's definition of a hypocrite is this--
Hypocrite
HYP'OCRITE, n.
1. One who feigns to be what he is not; one who has the form of godliness without the power, or who assumes an appearance of piety and virtue, when he is destitute of true religion.
2. A dissembler; one who assumes a false appearance.
An online dictionary defines it this way--
hyp·o·crite
[hip-uh-krit]
Show IPA
–noun
1.
a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2.
a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
Pasted from
*******
Pretending to be something you're not. How often do people pretend to be something they're not? How often do people smile on the outside but inside they're full of disdain for those they are smiling at. People might put on a happy face and feel sad, but that's not the kind of pretending we're talking about. Hypocrites - those who assume a false appearance of virtue when they have no true virtue in them. The deceitful. Those who harm others - not necessarily in a physical manner- and not necessarily with the others even realizing they're being harmed. A liar. Yes, being a hypocrite is being a liar. Often hypocrites are able to fool many people with their false demeanor. In fact there are people who are hypocrites all their lives - making a living that way and never being discovered.
Not a single hypocrite exists that can hide from the knowing of our God.
Jesus saw through hypocrite after hypocrite as He lived upon earth and He wasn't afraid to let them know that He knew them for what they really were.
Do you believe you have ever been a hypocrite? Seriously. I ask this because as we struggle in our day to day lives to be followers of our Savior and we come up short sometimes it's very easy to believe we are being hypocrites rather than those struggling against principalities and powers, fighting the good fight. Satan wants us to believe we are hypocrites so that we are filled with self-loathing and give up. In fact some people might turn around and call us hypocrites because our walk with Christ doesn't fulfill their imagined scenario of a Christian life. Just recently someone questioned my life with Christ in the context of my not doing *enough*, not *giving my all*. This person who did this obviously doesn't realize that even if a person does a tiny bit outwardly it's not up to them to judge another's walk with Christ based on their own experience. When we start judging others, when we start trying to hold up examples as to how a *real* Christian would be, then we put ourselves somewhere we are never meant to go. Many who are Christians outwardly, many who hold up the image of an amazing Christian - studying, helping the poor, praying, witnessing- you name it they're doing it, many of those are the very same hypocrites our Savior is talking about. Even a person who is caught up in a life of outward sin might have a closer walk with our Savior than one who seems to be living their life perfectly. That person struggling with sin may be genuinely fighting the fight they've been given to fight so that when all is said and done they'll be in the kingdom with our Savior. The point being… we need to love, not condemn. We need to live that love not be hypocritical even with ourselves.
Jesus said this--
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites...
Jesus doesn't want us to be as hypocrites are and He goes on to tell us more.
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Don't put on an outward show of piety. We are not doing ourselves any favors by *pretending*. We can put on the appearance of a pious person and it will fool people- it will, but God knows.
We are to live our lives without pretense knowing that no matter how we look it's what's inside our hearts before God that matters. The pretenders, the hypocrites, the liars have their reward. God wants us to be rewarded openly by Him because He knows the good we do in secret doing that good for no outward reward.
So what if people look at you and don't ever imagine you have a life as they imagine you should have. You're not living your life to be rewarded by another's acknowledgement that you fit their idea of a follower of Christ. You're living your life to be acknowledged by our Savior and our Savior only.
By the grace of our Savior may we be His and His alone in all we do. If we are being hypocritical may we have this revealed to us so that we can beg for forgiveness and be truly God's. In His love!
Amen.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Become forgiving
Right after Jesus says 'amen' as He gives us the manner in which we are to pray He says this--
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Remember back in the prayer where He said this--
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Obviously He felt a need to emphasize this part a bit.
If WE forgive others their trespasses- our heavenly Father will forgive us. We need to be forgiven don't we? We've talked about it before but obviously it's something we can't stop talking about. We can't afford to ever forget that we need to forgive others, as much as we need to be forgiven. Forgiving others for…
What exactly are we to forgive others for? When is the last time anyone did something to hurt you? I'm not talking seriously hurt you, but when is the last time someone was perhaps a touch thoughtless in their words, or lack thereof? When is the last time you felt the least bit slighted? Maybe it was a stranger giving you a strange glare. Or maybe it was a friend forgetting to call you. Possibly it was loved one who just didn't listen when you wanted them to. The thing we need to remember is just as we are to pray daily and to use the manner of praying Jesus teaches us, we need to understand that forgiveness is an ongoing EVERYDAY concern. Also, forgiveness isn't something as simple as forgiving once and then it's done. The simplest of slights we take offense at, the tiniest of hurts might need to be forgiven over and over again and that's NO joke. You might think it's easy to forgive the little things and harder to forgive the huge betrayals but that's not always the case. No, I'm not saying the huge betrayals are easy to forgive, what I'm saying is the little betrayals, the little hurts aren't often easy to forgive. We might detest the fact that we have to forgive someone over and over again. We might believe that it means we can't forgive them because we can't forget what's been done. We might be waiting for some sort of apology, or appeasement and even then that real heart felt forgiveness might elude us.
Daily we forgive. Daily, hourly, minutely we forgive. We have to be in a state of perpetual forgiving of others because in truth, don't we need to be in a perpetual state of forgiveness by God?
No, I'm not saying that our every waking moment has to be spent forgiving, but we need to be ever ready to forgive. Seriously. Is there ever a time we shouldn't forgive? Not according to our Savior.
Being ready to forgive is understanding that constantly we will be put in the position to choose to forgive or not to forgive. As we feel the pain of the slights we face in our day to day lives we really do need to become forgiving.
Others will hurt us make no mistake about it. It could be as simple as ingratitude when you go out of your way to do something for someone. It could be a selfishness revealed as a last roll you reach for is snatched away be someone else. You could catch a glimpse of someone seeming to disdain you. You can see the disgust cross the face of someone you ask to help you with something and know in that look it's the last thing they want to be doing. No one I know lives in a world where all things are picture perfect. Everyone I know lives in a world filled with selfish beings that find it easy to hurt and hard to forgive.
By the grace of God we will learn to become forgiving because He says…
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If we don't become forgiving we cannot be forgiven and we need to be forgiven because we fall far short of being as God would have us be. We need to be forgiven by our wonderful Savior, He wants to forgive us and He will forgive us.
Forgiveness for the teeny tiny things is more important than we really realize.
Forgiveness is no longer holding a person accountable for the sin, the wrong, the slight they've committed against us. Forgiveness is Jesus forgiving us for all the sins, all the wrongs, all the slights we've committed against Him. We need forgiveness, we need it desperately because our selfishness pulls us away from God, our self-centeredness pushes God out. We see this in so much we do when we think of ourselves before others in so many ways.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we become forgiving. May His words become real to us as we pray our daily prayers seeking to be forgiving knowing by the grace of God we are forgiven.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
In His amazing Love as we seek to be with Him in the kingdom!
Amen.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Remember back in the prayer where He said this--
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Obviously He felt a need to emphasize this part a bit.
If WE forgive others their trespasses- our heavenly Father will forgive us. We need to be forgiven don't we? We've talked about it before but obviously it's something we can't stop talking about. We can't afford to ever forget that we need to forgive others, as much as we need to be forgiven. Forgiving others for…
What exactly are we to forgive others for? When is the last time anyone did something to hurt you? I'm not talking seriously hurt you, but when is the last time someone was perhaps a touch thoughtless in their words, or lack thereof? When is the last time you felt the least bit slighted? Maybe it was a stranger giving you a strange glare. Or maybe it was a friend forgetting to call you. Possibly it was loved one who just didn't listen when you wanted them to. The thing we need to remember is just as we are to pray daily and to use the manner of praying Jesus teaches us, we need to understand that forgiveness is an ongoing EVERYDAY concern. Also, forgiveness isn't something as simple as forgiving once and then it's done. The simplest of slights we take offense at, the tiniest of hurts might need to be forgiven over and over again and that's NO joke. You might think it's easy to forgive the little things and harder to forgive the huge betrayals but that's not always the case. No, I'm not saying the huge betrayals are easy to forgive, what I'm saying is the little betrayals, the little hurts aren't often easy to forgive. We might detest the fact that we have to forgive someone over and over again. We might believe that it means we can't forgive them because we can't forget what's been done. We might be waiting for some sort of apology, or appeasement and even then that real heart felt forgiveness might elude us.
Daily we forgive. Daily, hourly, minutely we forgive. We have to be in a state of perpetual forgiving of others because in truth, don't we need to be in a perpetual state of forgiveness by God?
No, I'm not saying that our every waking moment has to be spent forgiving, but we need to be ever ready to forgive. Seriously. Is there ever a time we shouldn't forgive? Not according to our Savior.
Being ready to forgive is understanding that constantly we will be put in the position to choose to forgive or not to forgive. As we feel the pain of the slights we face in our day to day lives we really do need to become forgiving.
Others will hurt us make no mistake about it. It could be as simple as ingratitude when you go out of your way to do something for someone. It could be a selfishness revealed as a last roll you reach for is snatched away be someone else. You could catch a glimpse of someone seeming to disdain you. You can see the disgust cross the face of someone you ask to help you with something and know in that look it's the last thing they want to be doing. No one I know lives in a world where all things are picture perfect. Everyone I know lives in a world filled with selfish beings that find it easy to hurt and hard to forgive.
By the grace of God we will learn to become forgiving because He says…
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If we don't become forgiving we cannot be forgiven and we need to be forgiven because we fall far short of being as God would have us be. We need to be forgiven by our wonderful Savior, He wants to forgive us and He will forgive us.
Forgiveness for the teeny tiny things is more important than we really realize.
Forgiveness is no longer holding a person accountable for the sin, the wrong, the slight they've committed against us. Forgiveness is Jesus forgiving us for all the sins, all the wrongs, all the slights we've committed against Him. We need forgiveness, we need it desperately because our selfishness pulls us away from God, our self-centeredness pushes God out. We see this in so much we do when we think of ourselves before others in so many ways.
By the grace of our Lord and Savior may we become forgiving. May His words become real to us as we pray our daily prayers seeking to be forgiving knowing by the grace of God we are forgiven.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
In His amazing Love as we seek to be with Him in the kingdom!
Amen.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The power and the glory
Our Father which art in heaven
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
We'd be very remiss if we didn't study this last sentence a bit more closely. Having focused on the kingdom (and rightly so) for so long it would be easy to just round off there but we can't. Jesus had more to say. Jesus said to pray in this manner- including at the very end of the prayer an acknowledgement of God the Father's forever power, and glory.
The Greek word for 'power' defined-
G1411
δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Force- literally or figuratively. Specifically miraculous power. Ability, abundance, meaning, might. Worker of miracles. Power, strength, violence, mighty work.
Thine is …the power. God our Father in heaven has this power, this all encompassing power of the miraculous, we cannot believe otherwise. By His power all things exist. By His power salvation exists. By His power hope exists. By His power we exist. He is all powerful beyond anything we can fully imagine.
Let's read a few of the many verses on power-
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy
Glorious in power!
2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
God is MY…power!
1Ch 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Amen!
Psa 21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
Psa 145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Psa 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
Psa 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Psa 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psa 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Psa 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Psa 145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Praise God!
Jer 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion
Jer 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Jer 51:15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
The earth exists by His power!
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
The kingdom of God … in power!
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
His mighty power!
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Thy great power!
Amazing!
Now let's look at the word glory for a moment.
The Greek definition-
G1391
δόξα
doxa
dox'-ah
From the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship.
Dignity, glorious, honor, praise, worship.
Exo 24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
The Hebrew definition for the word glory is this-
H3519
×›ּבד ×›ּבוד
kâbôd kâbôd
kaw-bode', kaw-bode'
From H3513; properly weight; but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness: - glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).
Properly weight. Figuratively- splendor, glorious, honor.
The glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai- is it safe to say that God honored mankind with His presence there on mount Sinai? I think it is. The glory, the splendor we cannot even begin to fully fathom was there.
Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Like devouring FIRE! Anyone that has ever been exposed to the power of fire witnessing the flame's power can understand this. Like fire- powerful like fire is powerful and yet that bush the LORD revealed Himself to Moses in was not destroyed, and the mount the children of Israel gazed at was not destroyed by this image of a fire without devouring power. A fire contained, power controlled. Think of it, a fire that doesn't destroy how miraculous a sight that has to be. Could you imagine starting a campfire and the fire burning brightly but the logs you put on that fire not being consumed, not being charred, not a speck of burned bark upon in? Wouldn't that just amaze you to no end? A fire that has plenty to burn yet not burning a thing. What glory! What amazing glory is that!
1Ch 16:27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Psa 8:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Psa 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psa 57:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power
Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11 To him be glory and dominion 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.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Again these are just a few verses of the many. The glory of God is unimaginable, it's wondrous, it's indescribable really.
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
Truly we are to never forget the power and glory of our Father in heaven. Every prayer we utter is done so by the power and glory of God, it is by His kingdom- through Salvation, through our Savior.
It's all too easy for us here on earth to choose to blind ourselves to the wonders of God. We choose not to see God's glory all around us, we choose to forget God's working in our history, we choose to be blind and deaf and we do this because Satan would have it so. The evil one doesn't want us dwelling on God's glory or His power. Caught up in self we are all too happy to keep the blinders on because the true revelation of the glory and power of God through the kingdom to come, by the grace and mercy of our Savior is something that demands our recognition as creatures, created by another for His glory. Selflessness, true selflessness is true love and that selflessness is found in our Savior, our Creator.
Yes, 'Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.'
Acknowledgment.
Mat 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
Amen.
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
We'd be very remiss if we didn't study this last sentence a bit more closely. Having focused on the kingdom (and rightly so) for so long it would be easy to just round off there but we can't. Jesus had more to say. Jesus said to pray in this manner- including at the very end of the prayer an acknowledgement of God the Father's forever power, and glory.
The Greek word for 'power' defined-
G1411
δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Force- literally or figuratively. Specifically miraculous power. Ability, abundance, meaning, might. Worker of miracles. Power, strength, violence, mighty work.
Thine is …the power. God our Father in heaven has this power, this all encompassing power of the miraculous, we cannot believe otherwise. By His power all things exist. By His power salvation exists. By His power hope exists. By His power we exist. He is all powerful beyond anything we can fully imagine.
Let's read a few of the many verses on power-
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy
Glorious in power!
2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
God is MY…power!
1Ch 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Amen!
Psa 21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
Psa 145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Psa 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
Psa 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Psa 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psa 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Psa 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Psa 145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Praise God!
Jer 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion
Jer 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Jer 51:15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
The earth exists by His power!
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
The kingdom of God … in power!
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
His mighty power!
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Thy great power!
Amazing!
Now let's look at the word glory for a moment.
The Greek definition-
G1391
δόξα
doxa
dox'-ah
From the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship.
Dignity, glorious, honor, praise, worship.
Exo 24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
The Hebrew definition for the word glory is this-
H3519
×›ּבד ×›ּבוד
kâbôd kâbôd
kaw-bode', kaw-bode'
From H3513; properly weight; but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness: - glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).
Properly weight. Figuratively- splendor, glorious, honor.
The glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai- is it safe to say that God honored mankind with His presence there on mount Sinai? I think it is. The glory, the splendor we cannot even begin to fully fathom was there.
Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Like devouring FIRE! Anyone that has ever been exposed to the power of fire witnessing the flame's power can understand this. Like fire- powerful like fire is powerful and yet that bush the LORD revealed Himself to Moses in was not destroyed, and the mount the children of Israel gazed at was not destroyed by this image of a fire without devouring power. A fire contained, power controlled. Think of it, a fire that doesn't destroy how miraculous a sight that has to be. Could you imagine starting a campfire and the fire burning brightly but the logs you put on that fire not being consumed, not being charred, not a speck of burned bark upon in? Wouldn't that just amaze you to no end? A fire that has plenty to burn yet not burning a thing. What glory! What amazing glory is that!
1Ch 16:27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Psa 8:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Psa 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psa 57:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power
Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works
Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11 To him be glory and dominion 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.
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Again these are just a few verses of the many. The glory of God is unimaginable, it's wondrous, it's indescribable really.
Mat 6:13 ... thine is… the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
Truly we are to never forget the power and glory of our Father in heaven. Every prayer we utter is done so by the power and glory of God, it is by His kingdom- through Salvation, through our Savior.
It's all too easy for us here on earth to choose to blind ourselves to the wonders of God. We choose not to see God's glory all around us, we choose to forget God's working in our history, we choose to be blind and deaf and we do this because Satan would have it so. The evil one doesn't want us dwelling on God's glory or His power. Caught up in self we are all too happy to keep the blinders on because the true revelation of the glory and power of God through the kingdom to come, by the grace and mercy of our Savior is something that demands our recognition as creatures, created by another for His glory. Selflessness, true selflessness is true love and that selflessness is found in our Savior, our Creator.
Yes, 'Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.'
Acknowledgment.
Mat 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
Amen.
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