We Suffer

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.

Too many believe that if you are a child of Christ's that you shouldn't suffer, yet how can that be true if what we read in the above verses is truth?

'We are troubled on every side.'  Does this sound like not suffering?

'We are perplexed.' Does this sound like not suffering?

'Persecuted, cast down, bearing about the dying of the Lord Jesus' Does all that sound like not suffering?

Yet in ALL suffering we who have Christ as our GOD- should not be 'distressed', not be 'in despair', not 'forsaken', not 'destroyed'.

So why are we so very often in distress? Why are we in despair? Why do we feel forsaken and destroyed? 

We need to learn to trust in our God.

We need to comprehend the same treatment of our Lord is the treatment we will very likely meet if we walk the walk of Christ.  Yet we shirk from ever doing anything that will bring us distress, despair, suffering of any sort. 

God, please help us. We are so incredibly weak. I am weak! I am a very poor example of what we need to be! Forgive me! Please, Lord, forgive me!

For Your sake we endure suffering, the same suffering You endured.  You did not come and settle yourself to fit into the crowd, you stood out from the crowd. You endured the ridicule heaped upon You for being different, for standing up for all You believe- the truth.

Forgive me, please, forgive me.

For the Truth's Sake, for the Gospel's Sake- We Preach Jesus Christ!

2Jn 1:2  For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.

For the TRUTH SAKE- Truth which dwells IN US, will be with us FOREVER.

What truth dwells in us?

Joh_17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

The Father is in the Son Jesus Christ,  the Son Jesus Christ is in the Father- and we are all supposed to be one in both of them.   All agreeing as one. This is the truth that dwells in us, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the FATHER GOD living in us, it is THEIR truth that dwells in us.

1Co 9:23  And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

The truth's sake- the gospel's sake- the gospel is TRUTH.

2Co 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

We preach Christ Jesus our LORD.

We preach truth.

Joh_14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is The WAY, Jesus is The TRUTH, and Jesus is The LIFE.  The only way to that oneship with the Father is through the Son. 

The gospel is the gospel of the kingdom.

The gospel is the gospel of the true world beyond this temporary world we live in now, this testing ground, this war zone of a world, this place we are but pilgrims upon as we search for our final home, as we seek a new world.  Jesus' gospel was the gospel of the KINGDOM!  Jesus came so we could have access to His kingdom, access to that better world. Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom as a VERY REAL place, it was the Hope of our SAVIOR that we would choose to be with Him in the kingdom He came to preach to us.

We live here and now, but we do NOT have to live for here and now, we can live for the kingdom just as our Savior preached and this is truth- that there is life, everlasting life in the kingdom of God for all who would believe in the Savior, the truth.

Please, Father, please heavenly Father we long for Your kingdom to come, we need Your will to be done in our lives! Please, bless us in You! Please forgive us our sins, there are so many of them and so many we must forgive, help us to do this as we seek to live in YOU, for YOU and Your truth! Give us ALL we need to live daily- spiritually and physically, please!  All glory, praise, and honor unto YOU my KING, my SAVIOR, my LORD, my TRUTH!

Amen!

We are not ignorant of Satan's devices

2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Are we ignorant of Satan's devices? If we are whose fault is it?  We shouldn't be ignorant of his devices.  He LIES. He's the Father of lies. He's the source of ALL EVIL.  He is the one who uses every thing he can to get us to be as He is.  Satan would have us all SELF ABSORBED in as many ways as possible. Truly the WORLD, we believe, should revolve around us. And when the world does NOT revolve around us we feel cheated, we feel abused by others, we feel taken advantage of and the resentment that rises within us is evil. We don't want to call it evil because we have convinced ourselves the things which are evil are good, and good things are evil.  We say it is evil to tell someone they are self-absorbed when they are really being taken advantage of. We say it is evil to not want pity from others for the way they use and abuse us, we deserve the pity.  The truth is, we do NOT. The world doesn't resolve around us, ever. It revolves around our Savior, it revolves around our God, it revolves around the Holy Spirit, they are who created us and all the things we see.  They are the all in all, They are from everlasting to everlasting. They are EVERYTHING and we live for them, not for ourselves. And in living for them we live for every other person first, before ourselves.  If only we could truly comprehend this truth. If we could understand this truth we would live as we should live - for God and for others, and NOT for ourselves, not ever.

Please Lord, we know that Satan's devices are to get us to focus on ourselves above all and that most of all our problems come from this awful device of his to get us to keep our minds selfish, our lives lived mainly for us and not others, or for others but only as they live to help us live for ourselves.

Forgive us, Father! Forgive us for our selfishness! Please, Lord, we need You! Let the Holy Spirit live in us transforming us, renewing our minds to focus for YOU, not for ourselves. Help us, love us, keep us forever in You.

Amen.

Faith- believing without tangible proof

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

We must believe!

It's easy for us to believe in what we can see, touch, taste, isn't it?

I can believe in my mother because I can touch her, I can see her, I can hear her,  she's real to me.

I can believe in the air because I know what it is like to not get air, but I can't see.

I can believe in love because I have been shown love by the sacrifice of my Savior, He is love. His sacrifice has occurred, it's what is called a done deal.

Yet there are those who will tell us we have no way to prove the reality of a God taking on flesh.

There are skeptics that will tear apart what you believe by telling you that you have to be able to see it, touch it, hear it, taste it, smell it for it to be real.

Yet, those same skeptics cannot ever truly believe in love- no matter what they say or do, because God is love, and they can't believe in God. They'll make up something and call it love, but it won't ever be true love.

We can only know true love through God. People can say whatever they want.  Those who do not believe in God cannot love.  I know many people will rail against this. They'll tell me their atheist friend is the most loving person in the world, so I'm dead wrong.  They'll tell me those who believe in other gods will tell me the same. Those who believe in pagan lore,      etc.  will have the same thing to say and they'll mean it with all their hearts. I have people who I call friends who do not believe in God, they are good people, but the truth is GOD IS LOVE, what they have is not real LOVE it's a love of their own devising and that love of their own devising can mimic what people want to believe love is, and not what it really is. However having said ALL that, I truly believe that our Savior draws people to Him and a lot of those who say they do Not believe in Him are having their hearts drawn to Him and one day they will recognize God's love.  NONE of those who don't believe are going to be judged by me that is for God and God alone to decide their hearts truth. I will LOVE with God's love by HIS grace, His power not mine!  I will love as He enables me to love. All in HIM ALWAYS!

Let us believe!

Jesus prays for us if we believe on Him!

Rom_10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

With the heart men believe unto righteousness.

Can you obtain Christ's righteousness without belief? No.

Heb_11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

We must believe.

Do you believe?

Mar_9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Believing! We must believe!

Joh_1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name

We must believe on His Name!

Joh 9:35  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

Joh 9:36  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

Joh 9:37  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

Joh 9:38  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

Truth! We must believe and WORSHIP HIM.

We must believe!

Joh_17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word

JESUS PRAYS FOR US IF WE BELIEVE ON HIM!

All glory to GOD, all glory to GOD in the HIGHEST!

Help us believe, help us to believe in You fully and forever!

All in YOUR LOVE, all in YOUR NAME, WE BELIEVE!

Amen!

By His grace may we love Him

2Co_5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him

Our Creator, the One made Flesh, the God made Flesh was MADE SIN for us. Do we comprehend this?  When He took on our Flesh He took on our fallen flesh, the flesh that CAN be tempted to sin, the flesh that can sin.  He was TEMPTED, but He never consented to sin, sin was NEVER conceived in Him.

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Jas 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Jesus never sinned.  He was MADE sin for us when He took on OUR sins. He knew NO sin, but He HAD to take OUR sins so we would be free of them! He had to suffer the penalty of sin which is DEATH.

Only the ONE who would not sin, who could sin, but did not sin could save those who do sin. 

He became sin for US.

And He did that so we could be MADE the righteousness of God IN Him!

Jesus was made forever flesh. Jesus was God - and God is a spirit- Jesus God took on Flesh and would no longer be a spirit. I know we talked about that yesterday but  it's just so incredibly amazing that I have to say it again. 

Our Savior gave up SO MUCH! 

As He was called forth from the grave it was in His flesh. No spirit form lifted out of his flesh body because that NEVER HAPPENS TO ANYONE, EVER! He rose from the tomb, His Father raising Him up from the second death, a death that separated Him completely from   His Father, a separation that was final and complete until three days later the Father brought Him back to life.  Jesus did NOT bring Himself back to life.  God the Father raised Him from death to life because He was worthy, He sinned not, He did NOTHING to warrant sin's penalty - separation from the Father.  He suffered in OUR place, all so we could have HIS righteousness- HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

By His grace may we LOVE Him, may we believe in HIM, may we be HIS.

Please, Lord, let us be YOURS now and forever! Not because we are worthy because we are not, but because YOU died so we could LIVE, Your love for us is sooooo overwhelming, so unfathomable to us who love so little, who love so wrongly, who love so incompetently. Please, Lord, please we would be YOURS!

Amen.

Forever Flesh

2Co_5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him

TRUTH!

Christ was made sin and knew no sin all so WE could be given HIS righteousness, the righteousness we wait for through faith.

Sin- the transgressing of the law of God.  Jesus was made a transgressor without transgressing. 

Sin separates us from God. Jesus was separated from the Father God without cause. 

Just imagine the oneness in agreement that Jesus- the begotten Son had with God the Father.  They are both everlasting, both the Beginning and the End, both existing always and ever existing, God with God.  Such closeness! Then One became the declared Son, and the Other the declared Father. There was never a time ever that they were not two agreeing as one.  Then… the Son divested Himself of His Spirit form and took on flesh- and there was now forever a distinct difference in the Father and the begotten Son.  One God remain fully Spirit, the other God put His Spirit form into a body of Flesh- a very DISTINCT difference from a Spirit form taking on the guise of flesh. 

Remember this-

Gen 18:1  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Gen 18:2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

Gen 18:8  And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Gen 18:9  And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

Gen 18:10  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Gen 18:16  And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

Gen 18:20  And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

Gen 18:21  I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Gen 18:22  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

Abraham stood in the presence of the Lord .  The Lord in the guise of a man who took part in a meal.  Yet, He was NOT flesh, nor were the other two with Him, they were angels.

Gen 19:1  And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

Gen 19:2  And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

Two angels, the same two that had continued towards Sodom.  Angels that Lot offered a place to stay, and to wash their feet.  Angels in the guise of men, yet they were NOT flesh.

When Jesus became flesh, when He took on our flesh it wasn't in a guise of flesh but He EMPTIED Himself of that ability to put on a guise of human flesh and entered into real flesh as a babe formed within a womb.  The mysteries of how this happened are for God, but we know the Holy Spirit made it possible.

Forever flesh. Jesus divested Himself of so much! Instead of being able to use His Godhood as a God of Spirit He limited Himself by putting on our flesh. He became dependent upon God the Father, able to do nothing without God the Father. He who created the world and all that is in it, was now fully dependent upon God the Father. When He healed He healed using the power of God.

Joh_5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

The Son can do NOTHING of himself.

More on this tomorrow by the grace and mercy of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!