Happiness in Being God's

Spiritual War.

Yesterday I wrote this…

'We WILL be wounded in this war, there is no escaping that. This is HAND to HAND spiritual combat. Yes, they are spiritual hands and we fight the spiritual fight, but it is REAL if not corporeal. '

Real war.

Yet we expect to laugh and have fun, to be happy and pain free. We do, we expect these things. We go to great lengths to not be bothered by many things. We drug ourselves, we drink away our problems, we fill our lives with past times that have nothing to do with God at all. We seek our pleasure in many, many ways and because we are seeking the pleasure in ways we deem good we feel it's  okay.  Maybe it is okay, but anything put in place of God isn't good. 

Does this mean we need to be unhappy  to be God's, no. But it does mean we need to find our happiness in being God's.  Our treasures are heavenly treasures, right?

We need to live soberly- truly. We need to do this, but the harder we try the more frustrated we're going to become as we fail over and over again. So what do we do?

Ecc_12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Joh_14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Joh_14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh_15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

So HOW DO WE KEEP OUR SAVIOR'S COMMANDMENTS?

How do we GO and sin NO MORE?

We MUST LOOK at Paul, seriously, we have to -

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Rom 8:12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

TRUTH!

More indepth study on this tomorrow by the GRACE OF GOD! 

Wretched men...we are saved by Jesus Christ!

Amen!

Living Soberly

Living soberly.

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Tit_2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world

(Soberly-Adverb from G4998; with sound mind, that is, moderately: - soberly.)

Yes, when we talk about living soberly in this day and age we associate that with not drinking or doing drugs.  Living soberly is much more than that. It's a way of life in all things. You can abuse many things that aren't drugs or alcohol. You can abuse power, authority, dominance, humility- yes, you can abuse being humble. You can twist anything and everything into something warped if you aren't living your life for God through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  The sweetest person in existence if sweet to their own glory is not living soberly, but for self exaltation. Even the private glory is found out by God, He knows the hearts. Our hearts must be God's.  We are NOT perfect! We struggle, we ARE AT WAR!  We are SOLDIERS in a WAR! And any soldier of a physical war will tell you just how awful war can be. In war there are wounded soldiers, and there are fallen soldiers, there are deserters, there are heroes, there are those who do their duty to no fanfare and get by unscathed. We know in this spiritual war we are in grave spiritual danger all the time. We CANNOT hide from this enemy! We CANNOT run from this enemy! We CANNOT sit on the sidelines! We may be deserters, but we are still in the war, and deserting only lets our enemy win us.

We WILL be wounded in this war, there is no escaping that. This is HAND to HAND spiritual combat. Yes, they are spiritual hands and we fight the spiritual fight, but it is REAL if not corporeal.

More tomorrow on this, by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR, Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Amen. 

Give up self serving

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world

We are to deny self because to focus upon ourselves is not loving God and loving others. Putting self first is to be alone and God did not create us to be loners. We are NOT gods and to put ourselves before God is to believe we are gods. We are to deny self because self is of evil. We are to deny ungodliness because ungodliness is of evil. We are to deny worldly lusts because they are of evil.  To deny these things means living SOBERLY, living RIGHTEOUSLY, living GODLY. 

We can only do this through GOD.

We are NOT to do any of this to our own glory!  We do NOT succeed, God succeeds in us!

Seriously, some may read this and think I'm crazy, but this is truth. We don't want to believe it because we want to be self serving, everything in us cries out to be self serving, to seek our own happiness, and if not happiness our own balance of sorts. We don't want to be disturbed. We need, by the grace and mercy of our Lord through the Holy Spirit's power, to truly give up self serving. 

We are told to pray always and there is a reason for that…  being in constant contact with our HOPE found in Christ Jesus, this is truth, this is life, this is love, this is hope.

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

SEEK the LORD.

FORSAKE OUR WAYS.

FORSAKE OUR THOUGHTS.
RETURN TO THE LORD.

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

CHANGED into the same image from glory to glory- BY the SPIRIT OF THE LORD.

1Ti 1:1  ...by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope

CHRIST OUR HOPE.

Rom 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

The POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST.

Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

SAVED from wrath through HIM.

Deny Ourselves, Truly, Deny Ourselves

Luk_9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

DENY OURSELVES if we would follow our SAVIOR.

I've studied this before and I'll study it again and again, and again. Why? Because I need to.

Just today I had a bit of a self-revelation. My selfishness is WORSE than I ever imagined.  I grew up self focused in a bad way. Maybe a lot of us do. We tend to take the stings of bullying to the heart as children and because we are too young to make sense of things as an adult can we internalize this and it shapes our self-view. We, as children, tend to believe what the bullies say- even it it's not true. And the bullies don't have to be strangers- some of us have family members who bully us, people who are supposed to love us and watch out for us. Anyway, I 'm not going to talk about bullying or make excuses, I'm just trying to comprehend the origin of my extreme selfishness or at least the part of it I was enlightened about today.  I focus on myself and my appearance way too much. And while you might say we all do, I say… you could be right, I don't know I just know me- a little bit anyway. I let my appearance govern my life. I don't want attention from anyone because I believe the attention will be negative, because I see only negative.  So, I look at myself and concentrate on myself and my flaws and they consume me. THIS IS SELFISHNESS. I am self focused! Far from denying myself- I look at myself and hold myself up to the standards of the world.  I am flawed, extremely flawed. I live my life constantly wanting to fix some of these flaws so much so it's a daily desire and a daily failing, and when it's not a daily failing it's a daily self chastisement for the self congratulating for not failing. Such a vicious circle and it revolves around me which it shouldn't. 

As Christ followers we are to DENY OURSELVES- and we are to LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS, not develop some warped self-love that we justify by saying something like we can't love others unless we love ourselves. The truth is, we are to TREAT  others- LOVE others- as WE DESIRE to be loved.  We are not to love ourselves in the way so many think we should. We are lovable ONLY through CHRIST'S love not some love we manufacture.

We truly do need to deny ourselves and ALL that means. We can't keep focusing on ourselves- our feelings, our looks, our everything and start FOCUSING on GOD and OTHERS. The time we spend wrapped up in self goes beyond being stingy with our money, or our time, or our services.  Please God, help me to deny myself DAILY and put YOU FIRST, and put OTHERS FIRST. Please, LORD through the HOLY SPIRIT and by the grace and mercy of Your Son, Jesus Christ our LORD now and forever.

Amen.

War a Good Warfare

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

The weapons of our warfare.

Weapons- not physical.

Weapons- mighty through God- mighty enough to pull down strong holds.

Weapons- not physical.

Weapons- that can cast down imaginations.

Weapons- that can cast down every high that that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Weapons- that can bring into captivity EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ.

2Co 6:7  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left

Armor of righteousness.

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Yield unto God.

Instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Armor of light.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Breastplate of FAITH and LOVE.

Helmet the HOPE of SALVATION.

1Ti 1:18  This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare

War a good warfare.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are - EARTHERN VESSELS.

The POWER is GOD'S NOT US.

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

I can't tell you how faith stands- I have NO wisdom to do so. It's in God's power that faith stands not ours.

1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

1Pe 1:25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Obeying the TRUTH THROUGH the SPIRIT- to UNFEIGNED LOVE of others.

Born again by the WORD of GOD.

Man withers away, God is forever and only though God do we have hope found in the gospel of truth.

Truly we do NOT war after the flesh.  The spiritual warfare is the true fight.

May God bless us and keep us IN HIM as we war!

Help us, keep us, know us!

By YOUR GRACE!

There are sacrifices to be made

Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 

Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Psa 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 

Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 

Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 

Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 

Psa 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 

Psa 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 

Psa 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 

Psa 51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

*******

Mar 12:33  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

*******

There ARE sacrifices to be made… BY US.

This is truth!

Our bodies are a LIVING sacrifice. We are NOT to be conformed to the world. Our minds are to be RENEWED.

We are to DO GOOD.

We are to COMMUNICATE.

These are SACRIFICES we are to make.

SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES.

When we are told that sacrifices ended with Christ's, blood sacrifices did end.  Blood sacrifices are NOT what our God wants.

God wants us to sacrifice SELFISHNESS!

How do we do this?

Speaking from personal experience my own selfishness is a HUGE, GIGANTIC obstacle, a demon clinging to me that I can't seem to shed. Every time I turn around there it is shaming me.  So how we do this I'm not entirely sure. I need to study and pray more about this because as I submit this to Christ and ask Him to do for me what I cannot, I can ONLY HOPE this is what I need to do.  There is a song with lyrics that say 'rid me of myself' and this is my prayer, rid me of myself!

More tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ our Righteousness now and forever! He is all we cannot be!

Amen.

Our Journey to an Earth Made New

Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

We are strangers and pilgrims here upon the Earth. We may have been born upon the Earth, but our home is heavenly. The Earth upon which we all have been born, all except Adam and Eve, is a corrupt Earth. This world is twisted and stained by sin.

Most of all we see was NOT how God intended things to be. The workings of man, plant, animal, minerals etc are all touched by the sin that entered the world. There was a ripple of change through all the earth when sin was first committed. The light of God's righteousness that clothed the first human pair was removed but that wasn't the only change.   Just as instantaneously the world and all that in it was called into being over the course of six days, things were instantaneously altered to accommodate the corrupt world.

We have to realize that we went from beings formed to live eternally, to beings given a life span- a beginning and an end. The world around the first sinners was completely changed.  The lion we read about in the above verse was not created to eat flesh, but was changed.  While it's extremely hard for us to imagine a world where a lion was never a predator, we have to realize the truth that the lion was NOT created a predator but changed as a result of man's sinning. The lion will again one day not be a predator, just as every single creature that is known to be deadly or pain inducing by any means will have that changed about them and they will once again be changed to the creatures they were intended to be.

Sin's evidence is all around us in many ways. In every instance of selfishness whether it is being expressed through anger, tears, joy, ecstasy  and the entire spectrum between the two-is evidence of sin. Every single pain we feel whether the pain of childbirth, or the pain of torture, or the tiny prick of a pin- they are all a result of sin. We were not meant to feel pain.  Every anxious thought, every worry, every bit of confusion we experience is a result of sin's entrance into our world. Sin is the origin of all the evil on Earth.

When we fail to recognize that this world is sin sickened and we live among all the sin sickness we fail to comprehend that there is something MUCH better promised to us! We are promised a sin-free world, a NEW EARTH!

In science fiction movies we've seen people set out on a mission to find a better planet to live upon as earth dies and all its people are in jeopardy- there quite a few of these types of movies.  The truth is we are all on a JOURNEY- not out into outer space on a space ship, but on this sin sick earth. We are journeying towards an earth made new! We aren't searching the dark depths of outer space for a worthy planet, but rather we are searching this dark earth for a Savior and the good news is- He's been found! We are now awaiting His return, trusting that the many, many years we have been here waiting for His return have been for a perfect reason, in His perfect plan, and one day we will comprehend it all.  So while we are stuck on this ship orbiting the perfect planet, awaiting the command to descend, we must live our lives as the Savior has instructed us to do so.

There are those who would have us give up all hope. There are those who call us fools for our beliefs. There are those who believe they have a better plan to follow.  There are well intentioned, very wonderful, very kind-hearted people who would have us believe that good is evil and evil is good. We must hold fast to the truth found in the Creator, the Redeemer- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit's- word to us.  The truth revealed to us as God's laws are written upon our hearts!

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people

People will hardened their hearts and God will allow this as their right to choose. People will desire blindness and God will allow this as well. People will not want to hear and God will allow them to be deaf.  Choosing self over God we choose to allow ourselves to be led astray by any means necessary to that end. 

Please Father in heaven, please write Your laws upon my heart. Please, let me forever and always choose You over myself. Please Father, I would inherit the new earth promised all through the hope I have in Your Son, Jesus Christ who died so I could live and have that hope.  Please Father, know me and let me know You as You will. Forgive me and help me to forgive others as You would have be forgive them- as You forgive. Guide me every day, Father, please, let Your will be done in our lives. And tonight Father, I ask a special blessing upon Kurt and His family as they mourn the loss of their beloved father, Sal. Please Father, lead them to You and help them to be held by You. Please Father, a special, special blessing for Norma during all of this as she suffers her own torments on top of this tragedy.

Thank you, Father!   In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord!

Amen!