Dan 12:1-3
And at that time shall Michael stand up
the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people
Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God
Christ sat down and Christ will stand up.
When Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father He did so with the hope His sacrifice would be accepted by the people He made the sacrifice for.
As with any sacrifice to God- it was made to bridge that gap sin created between God and man. It wasn't a mistake that God gave a sacrificial service to those who lived before Christ died. God wanted people to understand that this ULTIMATE sacrifice- not of a perfect lamb without blemish, not a perfect bullock, not a perfect animal of any sort- but rather the sinless, perfect Lamb of God- was there to step in and do what none of the animal sacrifices could ever do.
Sacrificed once- Christ as the ultimate Sacrifice uses the blood of that Most Holy Sacrifice to atone for our sins. Just as on the yearly DAY of Atonement, there was an end to the sacrificial ceremony performed- there will also be an end to the Atonement Christ died to make for us. The end of the Atonement is when Christ finishes the work He began so long ago and the very last person that will accept His sacrifice, accepts it, and there are no more. Then Christ will stand up. Those who accepted His sacrifice will be at-one- with God once more as mankind was intended to be. Those who chose not to accept His sacrifice will be kept out of the kingdom of heaven. Those who chose not to accept His sacrifice will face eternal death and eventually will cease to exist altogether.
There will come a day whether we want to believe it or not, when it will all be finished. If we believe Christ will come a second time to take us with Him to heaven then we HAVE to believe there will be an end. There will have to be a moment in time when it is decided that ALL has been done that could be done for mankind. Probation for mankind will be over. Time will be up.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Our names in the book of life. At some point all the names that will ever be in that book will have been written in there. All that needed to be blotted out will have been blotted out and Christ will come!
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Do we really understand that there ISN'T a forever probation. Life will not continue always as it does now. There is no instantaneous life right after our body dies which gives people the illusion that they live forever, merely exchanging one existence for another. Our Savior will return and those who have died and have their names in the Book of Life will rise up from their graves and meet Him in the air.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
God's word- not mine. God's truth- not mine. Truth that we need to believe. Christ will stand up. Probation will end.
And at that time shall Michael stand up
the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people
and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be found written in the book.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament
and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Luk 13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
Luk 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
He will RISE UP.
He will SHUT the door.
People will knock at that shut door thinking they have every right to enter, but He won't let them in because He knows they are workers of iniquity. Apparently they don't believe they are workers of iniquity, but they are. By the grace of God may we NOT be found among them! By the righteousness of our Savior may be where He is at and not left without Him.
Amen.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Believing ye shall receive
Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Is this the truth? It has to be true there is no doubt about it whatsoever. So, why haven't mountains been moved- cast right into the sea? Are there NONE who have faith? Our Lord speaks so much in parables and we know this to be true don't we? We have to know this. Jesus didn't expect all his Apostles, and disciples then and now to test their faith by pushing mountains into the sea. If this was what was meant then there would at least have been several mountains pushed into the sea and I have a feeling we would have heard something written about that by the disciples. The point here is Jesus revealed power, Jesus gave a lesson. The fig tree was unproductive. There was an expectation of produce on that tree and none was found. The tree didn't produce and Jesus desires production, Jesus desires fruit to be produced not only in trees but in all of us. So what did Jesus mean by telling the apostles they could do the same? They could take something unproductive and rebuke it, cause it to wither? The power was there to reveal the truth of a matter. Couldn't Jesus have just as readily caused the tree to produce figs? Yes. The point our Savior wanted to make was that WHATSOEVER we SHALL ASK in prayer, BELIEVING, we will receive.
If ALL is to the glory of God then what we ask will be for HIS will to be done, not ours and if we believe that His will- will be done- it will be done.
That's why we cannot pray for OUR will to be done. We can't pray selfishly, we have to pray for God and His will and when we ask anything according to HIS will and believe, then it will be done.
If it is God's will that a mountain be removed into the sea, then it will be done.
Do we need a mountain to move into the sea? I know I don't right now but if someday I do, I know that if I pray for God's will to be done that a mountain be moved into the sea and it really is GOD'S will for this- it WILL happen! We get into so much trouble when we want our own will to be done. We pray for things we will and expect them to be answered because God said they would be if we believe.
People love to throw this up into the faces of Christians, this verse…
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Saying- didn't we ask for such and such to be healed? Didn't we believe? Didn't we have faith? Obviously we didn't have the faith we needed, or… God's word isn't true. This is how some people believe and they would have us doubt ourselves and God because what we want, and what we really pray for believing, doesn't happen.
Ultimately it has to be God's will we pray for and believe in Him knowing that HE sees the eternal picture. He knows whether or not healing someone we love will be best in the grand scheme of eternal life. I've said it before and I'm going to keep on saying it because it's pure TRUTH in our Savior.
When we read these verses…
Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
We do so knowing that He's already taught us to pray- 'Thy will be done'.
Jesus even prayed that way…
Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Jesus wanted the cup He had to drink from to be removed- the cup being His brutalization and death at the hands of His accusers. He wanted not to have to endure torture and a horrific death but did His Father will that? No. Why? Because God the Father KNEW that the sacrifice had to be made, God knew this was the plan of salvation that had to be followed, a plan that the WORD who became flesh agreed upon before the world began should man sin… and man sinned. This was the way things had to be. God's will had to be done then and it has to be done NOW, and it must be done FOREVER.
So when Jesus told us that we could move mountains if we believe, that whatsoever we asked in prayer and believe we would receive, it was with the understanding that in prayer we would ask for God's will to be done, NOT OURS! We have to ask and believe that God's will IS being done even when what we *want* isn't done, but God's will *IS* done- it's this we must believe - fully, wholly in God!
When we are in doubt, when we pray for someone we love to be healed, to live, to feel no pain, to stay safe, to find love, to find happiness…all these things no matter what they may be and no matter HOW pure and righteous our request may seem… have to be prayed first and foremost that God's will be done. We have to believe in God, not our ability to pray so wonderfully, so beautifully that God can't help but hear and answer us. Our faith has to be IN God and God alone! Jesus wants us to pray, Jesus wants us to ask for things so we can receive them as God's will now and throughout our lives here and forever.
God's will now and always!!!
In His LOVE!
Amen.
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Is this the truth? It has to be true there is no doubt about it whatsoever. So, why haven't mountains been moved- cast right into the sea? Are there NONE who have faith? Our Lord speaks so much in parables and we know this to be true don't we? We have to know this. Jesus didn't expect all his Apostles, and disciples then and now to test their faith by pushing mountains into the sea. If this was what was meant then there would at least have been several mountains pushed into the sea and I have a feeling we would have heard something written about that by the disciples. The point here is Jesus revealed power, Jesus gave a lesson. The fig tree was unproductive. There was an expectation of produce on that tree and none was found. The tree didn't produce and Jesus desires production, Jesus desires fruit to be produced not only in trees but in all of us. So what did Jesus mean by telling the apostles they could do the same? They could take something unproductive and rebuke it, cause it to wither? The power was there to reveal the truth of a matter. Couldn't Jesus have just as readily caused the tree to produce figs? Yes. The point our Savior wanted to make was that WHATSOEVER we SHALL ASK in prayer, BELIEVING, we will receive.
If ALL is to the glory of God then what we ask will be for HIS will to be done, not ours and if we believe that His will- will be done- it will be done.
That's why we cannot pray for OUR will to be done. We can't pray selfishly, we have to pray for God and His will and when we ask anything according to HIS will and believe, then it will be done.
If it is God's will that a mountain be removed into the sea, then it will be done.
Do we need a mountain to move into the sea? I know I don't right now but if someday I do, I know that if I pray for God's will to be done that a mountain be moved into the sea and it really is GOD'S will for this- it WILL happen! We get into so much trouble when we want our own will to be done. We pray for things we will and expect them to be answered because God said they would be if we believe.
People love to throw this up into the faces of Christians, this verse…
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Saying- didn't we ask for such and such to be healed? Didn't we believe? Didn't we have faith? Obviously we didn't have the faith we needed, or… God's word isn't true. This is how some people believe and they would have us doubt ourselves and God because what we want, and what we really pray for believing, doesn't happen.
Ultimately it has to be God's will we pray for and believe in Him knowing that HE sees the eternal picture. He knows whether or not healing someone we love will be best in the grand scheme of eternal life. I've said it before and I'm going to keep on saying it because it's pure TRUTH in our Savior.
When we read these verses…
Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
We do so knowing that He's already taught us to pray- 'Thy will be done'.
Jesus even prayed that way…
Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Jesus wanted the cup He had to drink from to be removed- the cup being His brutalization and death at the hands of His accusers. He wanted not to have to endure torture and a horrific death but did His Father will that? No. Why? Because God the Father KNEW that the sacrifice had to be made, God knew this was the plan of salvation that had to be followed, a plan that the WORD who became flesh agreed upon before the world began should man sin… and man sinned. This was the way things had to be. God's will had to be done then and it has to be done NOW, and it must be done FOREVER.
So when Jesus told us that we could move mountains if we believe, that whatsoever we asked in prayer and believe we would receive, it was with the understanding that in prayer we would ask for God's will to be done, NOT OURS! We have to ask and believe that God's will IS being done even when what we *want* isn't done, but God's will *IS* done- it's this we must believe - fully, wholly in God!
When we are in doubt, when we pray for someone we love to be healed, to live, to feel no pain, to stay safe, to find love, to find happiness…all these things no matter what they may be and no matter HOW pure and righteous our request may seem… have to be prayed first and foremost that God's will be done. We have to believe in God, not our ability to pray so wonderfully, so beautifully that God can't help but hear and answer us. Our faith has to be IN God and God alone! Jesus wants us to pray, Jesus wants us to ask for things so we can receive them as God's will now and throughout our lives here and forever.
God's will now and always!!!
In His LOVE!
Amen.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Ask Seek Knock
Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
How simple that sounds, doesn't it? Seriously, it sounds amazingly simple. Ask and receive. Seek and find. Knock and the door is open. Simple.
Ask and it SHALL be given you.
Seek and ye SHALL find.
Knock and it SHALL be opened unto you.
And everyone that does this will have the same results. It doesn't get more simple than that, right?
How lovely it would be if all life was this way- if all that we asked for we received, if all we sought we found, and every time we knocked the door was opened. But I don't believe there is a single person who hasn't experienced asking and not receiving, seeking and not finding, knocking and not getting that door to open. We live with this throughout our lives. So what exactly does Jesus mean by telling us that everyone who asks, everyone who seeks, everyone who knocks- SHALL get what they 're wanting to get?
We need to remember what Jesus' message is for us-- preaching the Kingdom of Heaven.
What is Jesus teaching us?
How to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus' life was all about this message, the gospel, salvation in Him, salvation from evil and reward in eternity. This is what Jesus was all about and NOTHING else! This is the love of our God, saving us. There is NO greater love, none! Being saved when we do not deserve saving- this is LOVE! If anyone tries to tell you differently they'd be steering you in the wrong direction.
Knowing this, we have to read this teaching message of our Savior with His message, His mission, in mind.
For seekers of Eternal Life in Jesus Christ-
Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Ask- acknowledge that you need to ask.
Seek-acknowledge that you need to seek.
Knock- acknowledge that you need to knock.
We are NOT given eternal life automatically.
We ARE given the choice to choose eternal life or not choose it.
We must ASK to be forgiven, we must ASK to be saved. We need to seek God, we need to seek life in Christ, we need to seek a relationship with our God. We need to knock and knocking is requesting entrance and we need to request entrance into the kingdom of heaven through our Savior, it is our Savior who OPENS that door we are knocking on.
This message to us is incredibly important, more than a simple directive. More than using this as a formula to try and wheedle our desires from God. So much more than us begging for material things in our lives, or our desires. It's a lot more than praying for things even very important things to us. There is nothing more genuine than a person praying for a sick loved one whether that loved one is a newborn babe or an elderly parent, and even this is more important than those genuine hearts desires. Nothing is more important than loving our God because it is FROM Him we have any ability to love whatsoever. Without God we do not have a real love to give others, it's just not possible. The love we might think we possess isn't the love that is true and pure because that love can ONLY come from God. It is by the grace of our Savior we can have this love through HIM.
It is NO mistake, no slip of our Savior's tongue when He told us this--
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Not a mistake at all! This is life advice, eternal life advice, the advice of love unfathomable love!
By the grace and mercy of our Lord may we come to understand this message fully all in Him!
Amen.
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
How simple that sounds, doesn't it? Seriously, it sounds amazingly simple. Ask and receive. Seek and find. Knock and the door is open. Simple.
Ask and it SHALL be given you.
Seek and ye SHALL find.
Knock and it SHALL be opened unto you.
And everyone that does this will have the same results. It doesn't get more simple than that, right?
How lovely it would be if all life was this way- if all that we asked for we received, if all we sought we found, and every time we knocked the door was opened. But I don't believe there is a single person who hasn't experienced asking and not receiving, seeking and not finding, knocking and not getting that door to open. We live with this throughout our lives. So what exactly does Jesus mean by telling us that everyone who asks, everyone who seeks, everyone who knocks- SHALL get what they 're wanting to get?
We need to remember what Jesus' message is for us-- preaching the Kingdom of Heaven.
What is Jesus teaching us?
How to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus' life was all about this message, the gospel, salvation in Him, salvation from evil and reward in eternity. This is what Jesus was all about and NOTHING else! This is the love of our God, saving us. There is NO greater love, none! Being saved when we do not deserve saving- this is LOVE! If anyone tries to tell you differently they'd be steering you in the wrong direction.
Knowing this, we have to read this teaching message of our Savior with His message, His mission, in mind.
For seekers of Eternal Life in Jesus Christ-
Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Ask- acknowledge that you need to ask.
Seek-acknowledge that you need to seek.
Knock- acknowledge that you need to knock.
We are NOT given eternal life automatically.
We ARE given the choice to choose eternal life or not choose it.
We must ASK to be forgiven, we must ASK to be saved. We need to seek God, we need to seek life in Christ, we need to seek a relationship with our God. We need to knock and knocking is requesting entrance and we need to request entrance into the kingdom of heaven through our Savior, it is our Savior who OPENS that door we are knocking on.
This message to us is incredibly important, more than a simple directive. More than using this as a formula to try and wheedle our desires from God. So much more than us begging for material things in our lives, or our desires. It's a lot more than praying for things even very important things to us. There is nothing more genuine than a person praying for a sick loved one whether that loved one is a newborn babe or an elderly parent, and even this is more important than those genuine hearts desires. Nothing is more important than loving our God because it is FROM Him we have any ability to love whatsoever. Without God we do not have a real love to give others, it's just not possible. The love we might think we possess isn't the love that is true and pure because that love can ONLY come from God. It is by the grace of our Savior we can have this love through HIM.
It is NO mistake, no slip of our Savior's tongue when He told us this--
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Not a mistake at all! This is life advice, eternal life advice, the advice of love unfathomable love!
By the grace and mercy of our Lord may we come to understand this message fully all in Him!
Amen.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Dogs and Swine
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Let's look at a few other verses on dogs-
Php 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
We are not being told to beware of CANINES, but of men who are likened unto dogs- evil workers. Dogs as a creature beneath a human being, a lower creature.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Dogs-sorcerers-whoremongers-murderers-idolaters, all of which are HUMAN being references, not canine. A human creature that acts more like an animal than a human.
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
A dog's behavior is far below that of a human being's behavior. A dog will eat it's own vomit, but a human would not. A freshly cleaned pig would just as soon be dirty- not having the intelligence to desire cleanliness over dirtiness.
We read these references and we have to use them to help us understand--
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
What do dogs do to people? Not all dogs, but wild dogs and sadly some tame dogs who go feral for one reason or another. They attack people. You can train a dog to attack people. I've seen shows on television that have trained attack dogs go after people dressed up in protective gear and those dogs can be vicious. It's not unheard of for dogs to kill people. More recently Pit Bulls and Rottweilers have received a reputation for being attack dogs brutally attacking and yes, sometimes killing people. Wild dogs that run in packs are very ferocious, and when you hear of them attacking and rending a person into pieces you know exactly how to visualize it. Dogs as our pets don't seem to be dangerous at all, but underneath all their docile ways there is an animal that can bite and do so to inflict great harm, even death.
This verse here is talking about people. People who act like untamed, uncontrolled animals who are letting their base nature take over and not at all encouraging their spiritual connections with God. These people have actually severed themselves from God, choosing to deny Him, choosing to debase Him, choosing to let their flesh nature have full control and we know who is really in control when we choose not to accept God as our Lord and Savior. Satan will take control and when he is in control men begin to act like animals in many, many ways.
We are not to give that which is holy unto dogs- lest they turn again and rend us.
Dogs- those who are completely unreceptive to our Lord and His word, His message of the Kingdom, are not going to listen. How do we tell when someone is unreceptive? I'm sure most of you reading this have had an opportunity to want to share the good news of salvation with others and have faced opposition. Maybe you haven't been ridiculed, or bodily harmed, but even having someone tell you they don't want to hear it is opposition. When opposition is encountered we are NOT to ever force ourselves, our message on others, not ever! Jesus never, not once forced His message on anyone at all whatsoever. Time and time again He riled up a crowd full of opposition and He left, He didn't fight them, he didn't force His will on any. Why people sometimes think they need to try and force their message on people is something I cannot fathom. Forcing ANYONE to listen under any sort of duress is wrong on many levels. The history of Christianity is filled with crusades and campaigns, tortures and inquisitions all in the name of God as people fought against non-Christians wanting them to become Christians as they are Christians. Jesus would be the LAST to approve of any sort of torture in His name! Jesus would be the LAST to advocate any sort of forced message. The choice that needs to be made needs to be made freely without any coercion whatsoever. So when we face *dogs* we cannot force the holy message of the Kingdom of Heaven upon them. Yes, it's awful to imagine people as *dogs*. We don't want to think of family members and friends as *dogs*. Calling someone a dog is very derogatory. No one likes to be called or thought of as a dog. When we call someone a dog we aren't calling them a fluffy, friendly pet. We are calling them a dog in a term that is most offensive.
This isn't about calling anyone a dog though, this is about how we are to react to dogs. Even as I write I don't like to think about people as dogs, it goes against everything I was raised to believe and that is to NOT believe the worst of people, not to judge them. Remember that bit about not judging? Well, we HAVE to be able to judge situations and this is one of those situations.
We are not to give that which is holy unto dogs- lest they turn again and rend us.
We are not to cast our pearls before swine- lest they trample us underfoot.
Wild swine, like wild dogs are both very dangerous and can inflict great harm upon human beings, even death- this is something that is undisputable.
Neither dogs nor swine are worthy of the message of the kingdom, especially when the dogs and swine CHOOSE to be dogs and swine. Unlike the animals- dogs and swine, people who are dogs and swine were at least at one time able to choose between right and wrong. I word it that way because sometimes when we make the choice to be blind we can no longer see. Not everyone is given chance after chance because they've hardened their hearts, they refuse to see, in their heart of hearts they reject salvation from God. It seems impossible to me, but people reject salvation, they do.
Can we really judge who is a dog or a pig? We have to be able to judge when NOT to give that which is holy to them. We have to be able to judge when NOT to cast our pearls before swine. You see the danger is… being HURT by them if we don't listen to our Savior. These are our Savior's words! We can be HURT by these people. We're not invincible. Our spiritual lives can be in danger as well and Jesus wants to protect our spiritual lives more than anything, right? Our bodies can be forfeit for Christ but our spiritual life is never forfeit, never. Our Savior wants to protect our spiritual lives and He is teaching us to do this. We put ourselves in DANGER when we choose to try and give the message of the kingdom of heaven to those who do not want to hear it. Those who are not receptive to the gospel of Christ are likely to turn around and try to destroy our belief in our Savior. They will! Don't for one moment think that the *dogs* and the *swine* won't try, they will trample and rend us every opportunity they get because they are being controlled by Satan.
This isn't an idle half-hearted message given to us by Christ, it's much, much more and we need to take it to heart.
By the grace of our Savior we will be able to tell the dogs and the swine from those who genuinely need and want to hear His word. While we cannot judge any person's eternal life ever, we have to be able to judge actions and by judging actions we can judge responses. When we judge responses we need to pray that the Holy Spirit guides us to discern when we are to speak and when we are not to speak, keeping us protected by His love, His grace, His mercy, His righteousness.
Amen.
Let's look at a few other verses on dogs-
Php 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
We are not being told to beware of CANINES, but of men who are likened unto dogs- evil workers. Dogs as a creature beneath a human being, a lower creature.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Dogs-sorcerers-whoremongers-murderers-idolaters, all of which are HUMAN being references, not canine. A human creature that acts more like an animal than a human.
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
A dog's behavior is far below that of a human being's behavior. A dog will eat it's own vomit, but a human would not. A freshly cleaned pig would just as soon be dirty- not having the intelligence to desire cleanliness over dirtiness.
We read these references and we have to use them to help us understand--
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
What do dogs do to people? Not all dogs, but wild dogs and sadly some tame dogs who go feral for one reason or another. They attack people. You can train a dog to attack people. I've seen shows on television that have trained attack dogs go after people dressed up in protective gear and those dogs can be vicious. It's not unheard of for dogs to kill people. More recently Pit Bulls and Rottweilers have received a reputation for being attack dogs brutally attacking and yes, sometimes killing people. Wild dogs that run in packs are very ferocious, and when you hear of them attacking and rending a person into pieces you know exactly how to visualize it. Dogs as our pets don't seem to be dangerous at all, but underneath all their docile ways there is an animal that can bite and do so to inflict great harm, even death.
This verse here is talking about people. People who act like untamed, uncontrolled animals who are letting their base nature take over and not at all encouraging their spiritual connections with God. These people have actually severed themselves from God, choosing to deny Him, choosing to debase Him, choosing to let their flesh nature have full control and we know who is really in control when we choose not to accept God as our Lord and Savior. Satan will take control and when he is in control men begin to act like animals in many, many ways.
We are not to give that which is holy unto dogs- lest they turn again and rend us.
Dogs- those who are completely unreceptive to our Lord and His word, His message of the Kingdom, are not going to listen. How do we tell when someone is unreceptive? I'm sure most of you reading this have had an opportunity to want to share the good news of salvation with others and have faced opposition. Maybe you haven't been ridiculed, or bodily harmed, but even having someone tell you they don't want to hear it is opposition. When opposition is encountered we are NOT to ever force ourselves, our message on others, not ever! Jesus never, not once forced His message on anyone at all whatsoever. Time and time again He riled up a crowd full of opposition and He left, He didn't fight them, he didn't force His will on any. Why people sometimes think they need to try and force their message on people is something I cannot fathom. Forcing ANYONE to listen under any sort of duress is wrong on many levels. The history of Christianity is filled with crusades and campaigns, tortures and inquisitions all in the name of God as people fought against non-Christians wanting them to become Christians as they are Christians. Jesus would be the LAST to approve of any sort of torture in His name! Jesus would be the LAST to advocate any sort of forced message. The choice that needs to be made needs to be made freely without any coercion whatsoever. So when we face *dogs* we cannot force the holy message of the Kingdom of Heaven upon them. Yes, it's awful to imagine people as *dogs*. We don't want to think of family members and friends as *dogs*. Calling someone a dog is very derogatory. No one likes to be called or thought of as a dog. When we call someone a dog we aren't calling them a fluffy, friendly pet. We are calling them a dog in a term that is most offensive.
This isn't about calling anyone a dog though, this is about how we are to react to dogs. Even as I write I don't like to think about people as dogs, it goes against everything I was raised to believe and that is to NOT believe the worst of people, not to judge them. Remember that bit about not judging? Well, we HAVE to be able to judge situations and this is one of those situations.
We are not to give that which is holy unto dogs- lest they turn again and rend us.
We are not to cast our pearls before swine- lest they trample us underfoot.
Wild swine, like wild dogs are both very dangerous and can inflict great harm upon human beings, even death- this is something that is undisputable.
Neither dogs nor swine are worthy of the message of the kingdom, especially when the dogs and swine CHOOSE to be dogs and swine. Unlike the animals- dogs and swine, people who are dogs and swine were at least at one time able to choose between right and wrong. I word it that way because sometimes when we make the choice to be blind we can no longer see. Not everyone is given chance after chance because they've hardened their hearts, they refuse to see, in their heart of hearts they reject salvation from God. It seems impossible to me, but people reject salvation, they do.
Can we really judge who is a dog or a pig? We have to be able to judge when NOT to give that which is holy to them. We have to be able to judge when NOT to cast our pearls before swine. You see the danger is… being HURT by them if we don't listen to our Savior. These are our Savior's words! We can be HURT by these people. We're not invincible. Our spiritual lives can be in danger as well and Jesus wants to protect our spiritual lives more than anything, right? Our bodies can be forfeit for Christ but our spiritual life is never forfeit, never. Our Savior wants to protect our spiritual lives and He is teaching us to do this. We put ourselves in DANGER when we choose to try and give the message of the kingdom of heaven to those who do not want to hear it. Those who are not receptive to the gospel of Christ are likely to turn around and try to destroy our belief in our Savior. They will! Don't for one moment think that the *dogs* and the *swine* won't try, they will trample and rend us every opportunity they get because they are being controlled by Satan.
This isn't an idle half-hearted message given to us by Christ, it's much, much more and we need to take it to heart.
By the grace of our Savior we will be able to tell the dogs and the swine from those who genuinely need and want to hear His word. While we cannot judge any person's eternal life ever, we have to be able to judge actions and by judging actions we can judge responses. When we judge responses we need to pray that the Holy Spirit guides us to discern when we are to speak and when we are not to speak, keeping us protected by His love, His grace, His mercy, His righteousness.
Amen.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Clear Eyes
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
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.
Seeing the faults in others is easy, isn't it? We are so full of self that we can't help but look at others through our own selfish eyes. They are selfish eyes, aren't they? Or maybe it's just me who has selfish eyes, but somehow I doubt it. Do I like having selfish eyes? God forbid! I pray that all my selfishness is refined in the Holy Fire of the Holy Spirit so that I'm purged of it all. I need to have my eyes opened to see the beam in my own eyes. It's so easy to close our eyes to our own failings. Of course, there are those who love to dwell on their own failings, but they do so ironically enough, selfishly. There is a line and I'm not sure how fine a line it is, between realizing our selfish faults and dwelling on our selfish faults making that in itself a fault. Only by the grace of God can we ever hope to be saved and this is the most important lesson we have to learn. Recognizing our selfishness and all the faults that stem from that is important to realizing our dependence upon God.
Is it any wonder that we are told to stop looking for the FAULTS in others and start looking at the FAULTS in ourselves? How dare we presume to *FIX* others. Seriously. We think we are being helpful when we reveal to others where we think they could improve but it's more counterproductive than anything else. UNLESS a person is seeking help, UNLESS a person is receptive to being helped- when we presume to help them all they see is our arrogance. Come on, you know what I'm talking about. Surely you've been in the situation before- someone offering to *help* you and you resent it. If you've not been in that situation you're a better person than I am by far. Also, I've been in the opposite situation. I've tried to help and been unable to help, and even if I say the words that I think people believe are almost magical, 'I'm only trying to help.' I could tell there was resentment there for my trying to help. I've had it thrown in my face on several occasions that 'just because I'm perfect…' which you know right away that the help is being resented and any help will do no good. Of course I'd counter with I'm not perfect, but that does about as much good as 'I'm only trying to help.' does.
Is there a conundrum then? Wanting to help but unable to help? I believe we should forever be *ready* to help anyone in anyway we can, but at the same time know better than to try and force our help upon anyone. We really HAVE to be humble and genuinely humble, not forced humble, not falsely humble. Christ has to be working in us, all glory has to go to God.
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
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.
First we HAVE to look to ourselves but NOT selfishly, but to NOTE our selfishness, to note our intentions, to note that we are fully dependent upon our Savior. What good would it do for us take any beams or motes out of anyone's eyes if our own are filled with them? We need to see clearly, we need to see selflessly if we want to help anyone else. As long as we have our eyes filled- clouded by the faults we possess- we cannot help anyone. No, this doesn't mean when we are called on to help someone we shouldn't do so, but we need to do so praying for the grace of God to help us help only in ways that will be for His glory and in no other way. We can't actively strive to help another imposingly, ever.
By the grace of God may we do His will and only His will, not our own! May we be filled with the Holy Spirit able to get the beams out of our eyes so that we may help others as He wills.
In His love always!
Amen.
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
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.
Seeing the faults in others is easy, isn't it? We are so full of self that we can't help but look at others through our own selfish eyes. They are selfish eyes, aren't they? Or maybe it's just me who has selfish eyes, but somehow I doubt it. Do I like having selfish eyes? God forbid! I pray that all my selfishness is refined in the Holy Fire of the Holy Spirit so that I'm purged of it all. I need to have my eyes opened to see the beam in my own eyes. It's so easy to close our eyes to our own failings. Of course, there are those who love to dwell on their own failings, but they do so ironically enough, selfishly. There is a line and I'm not sure how fine a line it is, between realizing our selfish faults and dwelling on our selfish faults making that in itself a fault. Only by the grace of God can we ever hope to be saved and this is the most important lesson we have to learn. Recognizing our selfishness and all the faults that stem from that is important to realizing our dependence upon God.
Is it any wonder that we are told to stop looking for the FAULTS in others and start looking at the FAULTS in ourselves? How dare we presume to *FIX* others. Seriously. We think we are being helpful when we reveal to others where we think they could improve but it's more counterproductive than anything else. UNLESS a person is seeking help, UNLESS a person is receptive to being helped- when we presume to help them all they see is our arrogance. Come on, you know what I'm talking about. Surely you've been in the situation before- someone offering to *help* you and you resent it. If you've not been in that situation you're a better person than I am by far. Also, I've been in the opposite situation. I've tried to help and been unable to help, and even if I say the words that I think people believe are almost magical, 'I'm only trying to help.' I could tell there was resentment there for my trying to help. I've had it thrown in my face on several occasions that 'just because I'm perfect…' which you know right away that the help is being resented and any help will do no good. Of course I'd counter with I'm not perfect, but that does about as much good as 'I'm only trying to help.' does.
Is there a conundrum then? Wanting to help but unable to help? I believe we should forever be *ready* to help anyone in anyway we can, but at the same time know better than to try and force our help upon anyone. We really HAVE to be humble and genuinely humble, not forced humble, not falsely humble. Christ has to be working in us, all glory has to go to God.
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
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.
First we HAVE to look to ourselves but NOT selfishly, but to NOTE our selfishness, to note our intentions, to note that we are fully dependent upon our Savior. What good would it do for us take any beams or motes out of anyone's eyes if our own are filled with them? We need to see clearly, we need to see selflessly if we want to help anyone else. As long as we have our eyes filled- clouded by the faults we possess- we cannot help anyone. No, this doesn't mean when we are called on to help someone we shouldn't do so, but we need to do so praying for the grace of God to help us help only in ways that will be for His glory and in no other way. We can't actively strive to help another imposingly, ever.
By the grace of God may we do His will and only His will, not our own! May we be filled with the Holy Spirit able to get the beams out of our eyes so that we may help others as He wills.
In His love always!
Amen.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Judge not
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again
Judge-
G2919
κρίνω
krinō
kree'-no
Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: - avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
Condemn not. Punish not. Avenge not. Conclude not. Damn not. Decree not. Determine not. Esteem not. Sue not. Ordain not. Question not. Sentence not. Think not.
We are to judge not, why? So that we are not judged.
Too many people assess themselves with higher praise than they dare give another. Judging others is something we are brought up doing. We judge when we determine a person is beneath us. We judge when we determine a person is above us. We judge when we choose to over look undesirable sorts and take up with those who conform more closely to our own selves. We call this HUMAN nature- this sort of judging. Even as children we begin this sort of behavior- sensing something just isn't quite right about a peer and thus begins the quest to keep away from the one that isn't quite right and not only that, the distinguishing between what is perceived right and not quite right is begun. The not quite right will fall into a few categories- those who are just a little off, and those who are a bit more off, and those who are way off. While a child might shun one who is a little off, and another who is a bit more off, they very seldom shun those who are way off- these become the targets of ridicule which takes on many forms. The purpose of that ridicule is for the child who perceives himself as being 'right' to elevate and secure that position for himself while assuring the way off child who is perceived to be far from right is kept in that position which then only makes the right child feel even more right about themselves.
No, this isn't a sociology lecture- far from it. We talk about judging and might be quick to say we don't 'judge' but the truth is we 'judge' a lot! It's just not called judging. We condemn others all the time and in many ways. Again, I can hear the echo of 'it's just human nature'. Yes, sinful human nature, not the nature God would have us embrace and promote.
Children will learn judging from their parents and from each other in an endless cycle of human nature.
When we judge we are setting ourselves up to be judged by the same measure we are judging.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again
If we are quick to judge, we will be quick to be judged. If we judge harshly we will be judged harshly. We can't escape this though many believe they do.
As children groups are formed and labeled.
There is the 'IN' crowd, the 'NOT SO IN' crowd, and there is the 'OUT' crowd. The in crowd is usually made up of very harsh judges who determine where the others fit in. The not so in crowd are left neither harshly judged nor completely free from judgment. The out crowd are judged very harshly. You know what I'm talking about and we can run it around in our heads forever and make a million excuses for the position of certain people but NONE of it makes it right.
Jesus wasn't part of the 'IN' crowd. The 'IN' crowd was made up of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Priests, the workers in the temple. For awhile it looked as if Jesus were ushering in a NEW in crowd, but the current in crowd didn't allow that to happen.
Jesus advocated for those in the out crowds as He revealed why they more than any others needed kindness, not condemnation. While Jesus associated with those sinners in the out crowd He was doing so to reveal to us that we are NOT to play judge! We take a great risk when we make decisions regarding who is worthy of us. ALL are worthy of us, just as all are worthy to receive Jesus. The WORST of sinners is worthy to receive Jesus' love, Jesus' forgiveness. We have NO right whatsoever to condemn those that Jesus would never condemn.
I've written before on the difference between judging eternal life and judging right from wrong and it still holds true. We can judge NO ONE's eternal life no matter how horrific they might be. We can judge that the actions they are committing are wrong, and therefore we can choose not to participate in them, but we can't judge the outcome of those actions on an eternal level. As soon as we judge another we are being judge by the same measure we are judging. We lose the right to a compassionate judge when we judge without compassion.
It goes along the same lines as forgiving others as we want to be forgiven. In this case we judge as we want to be judged. And if we're smart we'll recognize that we need to be judged by One filled with compassion and ready to forgive us our sinful ways-- every little tiny sinful way. We don’t have to be HUGE sinners to warrant condemnation, and this is something people love to forget about or choose to never really contemplate.
Those children growing up- you know the ones in the in, not so in, and out crowds- they all become adults and often as adults the mindset will continue. The child who learned to judge other children harshly will become adults judging harshly and so on. Does this happen ALL the time? No. We grow up and some who are out now make it their goal to become IN, and once they are in some will choose to forget what it was like to be in the out crowd and they'll go along with the adult IN crowd against the adult out crowd. Do you really think that all that judging simply disappears as we grow up? I used to think so. Many people love to tell children who are in the out crowd that it won't always be that way, things will be different when they're older. Yes, sometimes that's true, but often we escape one setting for another. The outside of things might have changed but the underlying process of HUMAN nature is still at play on another level. Not to be unfair, some of those who are in will become out and sometimes they'll get a taste of being judged with the same judgment they judged- hopefully it's enough for them to repent and take up the words of our Savior to--
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
By the grace of God we need to live this temporary life as one truly seeking life eternal with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When we live understanding just how temporary this life is, judging others takes on a whole new context. We don't have to worry about being 'IN', not in this life not ever because the only One who is truly 'IN' is our Savior and it's Him we must live for- not for others and not for ourselves, but for HIM. Everything else is counted as loss when we live for a better life promised to us.
We will ALL be judged and at that time our Judge will know how we have judged.
By the grace of God may we leave the judging up to Him as we seek to only reveal the love of Christ to ALL others.
Amen.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again
Judge-
G2919
κρίνω
krinō
kree'-no
Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: - avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
Condemn not. Punish not. Avenge not. Conclude not. Damn not. Decree not. Determine not. Esteem not. Sue not. Ordain not. Question not. Sentence not. Think not.
We are to judge not, why? So that we are not judged.
Too many people assess themselves with higher praise than they dare give another. Judging others is something we are brought up doing. We judge when we determine a person is beneath us. We judge when we determine a person is above us. We judge when we choose to over look undesirable sorts and take up with those who conform more closely to our own selves. We call this HUMAN nature- this sort of judging. Even as children we begin this sort of behavior- sensing something just isn't quite right about a peer and thus begins the quest to keep away from the one that isn't quite right and not only that, the distinguishing between what is perceived right and not quite right is begun. The not quite right will fall into a few categories- those who are just a little off, and those who are a bit more off, and those who are way off. While a child might shun one who is a little off, and another who is a bit more off, they very seldom shun those who are way off- these become the targets of ridicule which takes on many forms. The purpose of that ridicule is for the child who perceives himself as being 'right' to elevate and secure that position for himself while assuring the way off child who is perceived to be far from right is kept in that position which then only makes the right child feel even more right about themselves.
No, this isn't a sociology lecture- far from it. We talk about judging and might be quick to say we don't 'judge' but the truth is we 'judge' a lot! It's just not called judging. We condemn others all the time and in many ways. Again, I can hear the echo of 'it's just human nature'. Yes, sinful human nature, not the nature God would have us embrace and promote.
Children will learn judging from their parents and from each other in an endless cycle of human nature.
When we judge we are setting ourselves up to be judged by the same measure we are judging.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again
If we are quick to judge, we will be quick to be judged. If we judge harshly we will be judged harshly. We can't escape this though many believe they do.
As children groups are formed and labeled.
There is the 'IN' crowd, the 'NOT SO IN' crowd, and there is the 'OUT' crowd. The in crowd is usually made up of very harsh judges who determine where the others fit in. The not so in crowd are left neither harshly judged nor completely free from judgment. The out crowd are judged very harshly. You know what I'm talking about and we can run it around in our heads forever and make a million excuses for the position of certain people but NONE of it makes it right.
Jesus wasn't part of the 'IN' crowd. The 'IN' crowd was made up of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Priests, the workers in the temple. For awhile it looked as if Jesus were ushering in a NEW in crowd, but the current in crowd didn't allow that to happen.
Jesus advocated for those in the out crowds as He revealed why they more than any others needed kindness, not condemnation. While Jesus associated with those sinners in the out crowd He was doing so to reveal to us that we are NOT to play judge! We take a great risk when we make decisions regarding who is worthy of us. ALL are worthy of us, just as all are worthy to receive Jesus. The WORST of sinners is worthy to receive Jesus' love, Jesus' forgiveness. We have NO right whatsoever to condemn those that Jesus would never condemn.
I've written before on the difference between judging eternal life and judging right from wrong and it still holds true. We can judge NO ONE's eternal life no matter how horrific they might be. We can judge that the actions they are committing are wrong, and therefore we can choose not to participate in them, but we can't judge the outcome of those actions on an eternal level. As soon as we judge another we are being judge by the same measure we are judging. We lose the right to a compassionate judge when we judge without compassion.
It goes along the same lines as forgiving others as we want to be forgiven. In this case we judge as we want to be judged. And if we're smart we'll recognize that we need to be judged by One filled with compassion and ready to forgive us our sinful ways-- every little tiny sinful way. We don’t have to be HUGE sinners to warrant condemnation, and this is something people love to forget about or choose to never really contemplate.
Those children growing up- you know the ones in the in, not so in, and out crowds- they all become adults and often as adults the mindset will continue. The child who learned to judge other children harshly will become adults judging harshly and so on. Does this happen ALL the time? No. We grow up and some who are out now make it their goal to become IN, and once they are in some will choose to forget what it was like to be in the out crowd and they'll go along with the adult IN crowd against the adult out crowd. Do you really think that all that judging simply disappears as we grow up? I used to think so. Many people love to tell children who are in the out crowd that it won't always be that way, things will be different when they're older. Yes, sometimes that's true, but often we escape one setting for another. The outside of things might have changed but the underlying process of HUMAN nature is still at play on another level. Not to be unfair, some of those who are in will become out and sometimes they'll get a taste of being judged with the same judgment they judged- hopefully it's enough for them to repent and take up the words of our Savior to--
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
By the grace of God we need to live this temporary life as one truly seeking life eternal with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When we live understanding just how temporary this life is, judging others takes on a whole new context. We don't have to worry about being 'IN', not in this life not ever because the only One who is truly 'IN' is our Savior and it's Him we must live for- not for others and not for ourselves, but for HIM. Everything else is counted as loss when we live for a better life promised to us.
We will ALL be judged and at that time our Judge will know how we have judged.
By the grace of God may we leave the judging up to Him as we seek to only reveal the love of Christ to ALL others.
Amen.
Friday, May 6, 2011
O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth
2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you
IT IS a righteous thing with GOD to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. Did that say - it is a righteous thing with YOU to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you? No, it did not. In fact read more...
2Th 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Recompense comes when?
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.
Why isn't this enough for us? We feel as if we have this inbred, instinctive, primal need to retaliate. People will even quote the Bible saying- an eye for an eye, and they justify that thing inside them that wants someone to pay for the hurt they've caused us or caused a loved one, or even caused strangers. If we feel an injustice has been done we want justice. If we feel slighted we want to slight. If we've been wronged we want to wrong- all in the name of justice. And justice- meaning it was wrong what was done and it shouldn’t have been done but now that it's been done we want acknowledgment that it was wrong and that acknowledgment means the wrong doer at the very least acknowledges they were wrong. But all the seeking of what we believe justice to be only creates in us something dark. The darkness of revenge fills us, and even if it isn't active revenge, a passive revenge inside of us is just as poisonous as the most active seeking of vengeance.
There IS a passive desire for revenge. In fact we sometimes cloak it in a such a pretty coating of self-justification that we can hardly tell it's passive revenge at all. We aren't out there trying to hurt the one who hurt us, we aren't out there slandering the pain giver, we aren't desiring others to hurt them for us- we are simply living with a darkness inside us that won't go away. Satan wants us to hang onto all those little dark places within us because he loves to use them as it suits his purpose to have us take our eyes off our Savior and put them right back where he wants them- on ourselves.
People think it strange when someone actually, really does TURN the other cheek. They'll sometimes even applaud it, as long as it's on a small scale. With an active darkness in us that wants us to get revenge (active or passive) it's not easy to turn any cheeks.
We can see it so much in just our own lives let alone in the lives of others. We find ourselves snapping at someone when we know we shouldn't, and then we berated ourselves for not turning the other cheek which we want to be natural to us. We want so much to be as Jesus would have us to be. And we need to realize that it's a NEVER ending process. We are being REFINED. And anything worth something isn't refined easily.
Do we want revenge when we are betrayed by a friend?
Do we want revenge when we are lied to by a loved one?
Do we want revenge when we read about a child being beaten?
Do we want revenge when we hear on the news that a whole family was slaughter by a disgruntled relative?
Do we want revenge when we think about masked gunmen killing innocent teenagers in a school?
Do we want revenge when a mad man uses his money to arrange the murder of thousands?
Do we want revenge when our car is deliberately scratched?
Do we want revenge when an innocent animal is tortured?
Do we want revenge when someone we love leaves us?
Do we want revenge when… I'm sure you could fill in the blank over and over.
It's not that desiring justice is wrong, not at all. Vengeance has a time and place and is best left to the ONE who really knows the end from the beginning, the One who knows us all inside and out.
If we all sought revenge for ALL wrongs done to us, no one would be left alive.
Being the sinfilled, flesh-natured creatures that we are, constantly wronging each other (maybe not in big ways but often in tiny ways) we need to ask forgiveness when we wrong any one in even the smallest manner. We can't make others ask forgiveness when they wrong us- well, we can try but making someone ask for forgiveness negates the genuine repentance, the genuine sorrow for the wrong doing.
We as individuals need to understand that vengeance belongs to God and God alone and that darkness in us that Satan has twisted to become acceptable to the masses CANNOT be acceptable in us!
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Psa 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
Psa 94:2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
Psa 94:3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
Psa 94:4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
Psa 94:5 They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.
Psa 94:6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
Psa 94:7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
Psa 94:8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
Psa 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
Psa 94:10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
Psa 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Psa 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
Psa 94:13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
Psa 94:14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
Psa 94:15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
Psa 94:16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
Psa 94:17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
Psa 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.
Psa 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
Psa 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
Psa 94:21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
Psa 94:22 But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
Psa 94:23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.
Nah 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Nah 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Nah 1:4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
Nah 1:5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Nah 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
Nah 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Nah 1:8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
Nah 1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
There will come a day when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return, of this there is NO doubt. Those who are His will be forgiven- our Savior having paid the price for us. Those who are not His won't be forgiven- our Savior having paid the price though not being accepted by them. All those who are not forgiven will pay for their own sins- they will fall into the hands of the living God and He will know exactly what the penalty for those sins will be. Make no mistake- God's vengeance will be JUST, there is no other way it could be. The unrepentant, unforgiven evil doers will not be able to escape and every bit of revenge another believed they should have if it is truly warranted it will be given. The evil are getting away with NOTHING when we don't exact our revenge upon them. What they will suffer will be exact justice unlike we could ever give them and then- eternal death - non-existence. So while Satan wants us to worry that people all over the world are not getting what they deserve, we by faith, know they will get everything they deserve. However, how much better would it be for them to repent and come to know and be known of our Lord and Savior?! If only that were possible! Satan is doing everything in his power to see that it isn't possible, in fact he's doing everything he can so well that all but God's very elect will be his.
Rather than let ourselves be consumed by the evil in the world- the tiniest evil or the greatest they- all have one single penalty- death; let us resolve to surrender all we are to our Savior. Let us welcome the Great Refiner's fire as we are purged of the evil within us- evil the world calls good and acceptable.
~~
Like a few other people lately - I'm disturbed by the recent government sanctioned murder, for a number of reasons and this study reflects that a bit. It disturbs me that so many are so very accepting of this out and out murder. I know I'm in the minority and in my heart there is nothing but sadness for the majority who are deceived by Satan into thinking murder is acceptable at a certain level, under certain conditions. I'm not talking about killing, I'm talking about murder- premeditated murder. This is the very commandment we have from God- Thou shalt not kill. He was talking about murder without a doubt. And as people around the world celebrate murder calling it justice it breaks my heart. There were NO clauses in the commandment- no, murder is acceptable if this or that condition is met. Murder is acceptable if it's a monster with money to promote monstrous acts. I can't find that in the Bible! Murder is okay if you're murdering a murderer. Nope, can't find that in the Bible either! Murder is okay if it's just going to cause a big political stink to keep the person alive. Search, you won't find that in the Bible, either! Justifying murder, what a horrifically sad day we've all been witness to.
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ know us, forgive us, save us so that we may be in the kingdom of heaven with Him as He returns to take us there with Him. By His Grace, His righteousness, His love! May the eyes of the many be opened before it's too late, please Lord, open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf! Thy will be done, Lord, Thy will!
Amen.
IT IS a righteous thing with GOD to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. Did that say - it is a righteous thing with YOU to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you? No, it did not. In fact read more...
2Th 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Recompense comes when?
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.
Why isn't this enough for us? We feel as if we have this inbred, instinctive, primal need to retaliate. People will even quote the Bible saying- an eye for an eye, and they justify that thing inside them that wants someone to pay for the hurt they've caused us or caused a loved one, or even caused strangers. If we feel an injustice has been done we want justice. If we feel slighted we want to slight. If we've been wronged we want to wrong- all in the name of justice. And justice- meaning it was wrong what was done and it shouldn’t have been done but now that it's been done we want acknowledgment that it was wrong and that acknowledgment means the wrong doer at the very least acknowledges they were wrong. But all the seeking of what we believe justice to be only creates in us something dark. The darkness of revenge fills us, and even if it isn't active revenge, a passive revenge inside of us is just as poisonous as the most active seeking of vengeance.
There IS a passive desire for revenge. In fact we sometimes cloak it in a such a pretty coating of self-justification that we can hardly tell it's passive revenge at all. We aren't out there trying to hurt the one who hurt us, we aren't out there slandering the pain giver, we aren't desiring others to hurt them for us- we are simply living with a darkness inside us that won't go away. Satan wants us to hang onto all those little dark places within us because he loves to use them as it suits his purpose to have us take our eyes off our Savior and put them right back where he wants them- on ourselves.
People think it strange when someone actually, really does TURN the other cheek. They'll sometimes even applaud it, as long as it's on a small scale. With an active darkness in us that wants us to get revenge (active or passive) it's not easy to turn any cheeks.
We can see it so much in just our own lives let alone in the lives of others. We find ourselves snapping at someone when we know we shouldn't, and then we berated ourselves for not turning the other cheek which we want to be natural to us. We want so much to be as Jesus would have us to be. And we need to realize that it's a NEVER ending process. We are being REFINED. And anything worth something isn't refined easily.
Do we want revenge when we are betrayed by a friend?
Do we want revenge when we are lied to by a loved one?
Do we want revenge when we read about a child being beaten?
Do we want revenge when we hear on the news that a whole family was slaughter by a disgruntled relative?
Do we want revenge when we think about masked gunmen killing innocent teenagers in a school?
Do we want revenge when a mad man uses his money to arrange the murder of thousands?
Do we want revenge when our car is deliberately scratched?
Do we want revenge when an innocent animal is tortured?
Do we want revenge when someone we love leaves us?
Do we want revenge when… I'm sure you could fill in the blank over and over.
It's not that desiring justice is wrong, not at all. Vengeance has a time and place and is best left to the ONE who really knows the end from the beginning, the One who knows us all inside and out.
If we all sought revenge for ALL wrongs done to us, no one would be left alive.
Being the sinfilled, flesh-natured creatures that we are, constantly wronging each other (maybe not in big ways but often in tiny ways) we need to ask forgiveness when we wrong any one in even the smallest manner. We can't make others ask forgiveness when they wrong us- well, we can try but making someone ask for forgiveness negates the genuine repentance, the genuine sorrow for the wrong doing.
We as individuals need to understand that vengeance belongs to God and God alone and that darkness in us that Satan has twisted to become acceptable to the masses CANNOT be acceptable in us!
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Psa 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
Psa 94:2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
Psa 94:3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
Psa 94:4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
Psa 94:5 They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.
Psa 94:6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
Psa 94:7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
Psa 94:8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
Psa 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
Psa 94:10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
Psa 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Psa 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
Psa 94:13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
Psa 94:14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
Psa 94:15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
Psa 94:16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
Psa 94:17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
Psa 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.
Psa 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
Psa 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
Psa 94:21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
Psa 94:22 But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
Psa 94:23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.
Nah 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Nah 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Nah 1:4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
Nah 1:5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Nah 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
Nah 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Nah 1:8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
Nah 1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
There will come a day when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return, of this there is NO doubt. Those who are His will be forgiven- our Savior having paid the price for us. Those who are not His won't be forgiven- our Savior having paid the price though not being accepted by them. All those who are not forgiven will pay for their own sins- they will fall into the hands of the living God and He will know exactly what the penalty for those sins will be. Make no mistake- God's vengeance will be JUST, there is no other way it could be. The unrepentant, unforgiven evil doers will not be able to escape and every bit of revenge another believed they should have if it is truly warranted it will be given. The evil are getting away with NOTHING when we don't exact our revenge upon them. What they will suffer will be exact justice unlike we could ever give them and then- eternal death - non-existence. So while Satan wants us to worry that people all over the world are not getting what they deserve, we by faith, know they will get everything they deserve. However, how much better would it be for them to repent and come to know and be known of our Lord and Savior?! If only that were possible! Satan is doing everything in his power to see that it isn't possible, in fact he's doing everything he can so well that all but God's very elect will be his.
Rather than let ourselves be consumed by the evil in the world- the tiniest evil or the greatest they- all have one single penalty- death; let us resolve to surrender all we are to our Savior. Let us welcome the Great Refiner's fire as we are purged of the evil within us- evil the world calls good and acceptable.
~~
Like a few other people lately - I'm disturbed by the recent government sanctioned murder, for a number of reasons and this study reflects that a bit. It disturbs me that so many are so very accepting of this out and out murder. I know I'm in the minority and in my heart there is nothing but sadness for the majority who are deceived by Satan into thinking murder is acceptable at a certain level, under certain conditions. I'm not talking about killing, I'm talking about murder- premeditated murder. This is the very commandment we have from God- Thou shalt not kill. He was talking about murder without a doubt. And as people around the world celebrate murder calling it justice it breaks my heart. There were NO clauses in the commandment- no, murder is acceptable if this or that condition is met. Murder is acceptable if it's a monster with money to promote monstrous acts. I can't find that in the Bible! Murder is okay if you're murdering a murderer. Nope, can't find that in the Bible either! Murder is okay if it's just going to cause a big political stink to keep the person alive. Search, you won't find that in the Bible, either! Justifying murder, what a horrifically sad day we've all been witness to.
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ know us, forgive us, save us so that we may be in the kingdom of heaven with Him as He returns to take us there with Him. By His Grace, His righteousness, His love! May the eyes of the many be opened before it's too late, please Lord, open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf! Thy will be done, Lord, Thy will!
Amen.
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