Dust

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Before man was created- he did NOT exist. Before the dust was formed into man- he did NOT exist! The dust was formed and then the BREATH of God was given to man so he would live, the dust would come to life.  Man would return to dust, the breath would go back to God.  

God did NOT take a spirit being and put it inside a body.  No spirit body will live after the body returns to dust. No intelligent being was put into the body made of dust. The body was given the ability to live and it is that life that gives it the intelligence. Once dead the intelligence is gone.

Psa 146:4  His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Psa 104:29  Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Job 14:10  But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

gâva‛

gaw-vah'

A primitive root; to breathe out, that is, (by implication) expire: - die, be dead, give up the ghost, perish.

NOT GHOST as we imagine ghost to be- but BREATH -  giving UP our breath.

Job 17:1  My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

Job 27:3  All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils

Ecc 12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Job 7:21  And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

So much points to there being a finality of thought, of communication, of living in any way remotely as we do now- able to speak, to know, to do anything at all after we die.  The spirit part of us is the spirit God gives to us and Jesus living in us through that spirit, it isn't us stripped of our flesh and filled with knowledge able to communicate and live on and on and on without end ever.

We fool ourselves when we choose to believe our intelligence lives on after death when so much tells us otherwise.  We know evil spirits (angels) can portray human beings to others. We know evil people will try to bring these evil spirits (angels) to convince others that their dead loved ones are alive just in another form.

Where is the penalty in sin if disobeying God simply means being stripped of our flesh and living as a spirit being? How many people would prefer that life to this?  How many would think God only blessing us when He allows us to die as young as possible? Death is a punishment, it is that way throughout the Bible. Death is something Job begged for to be released from his suffering because he knew he would be fleshless and without all ability to think and know anything in death. The solace death offers is an end to our thoughts entirely on every level there is. Death is a SLEEP.  By the grace of God, death is just a sleep!  God is able to restore to the dead their bodies made incorruptible and their ability to know things, their intelligence, their spirit the part of Him He has given them restored but ONLY in the last day, after the last trump sounds then and ONLY then will the dead in Christ rise and be given new bodies, new flesh unable to deteriorate. 

Death is a punishment because as soon as we die any opportunity we have for eternal life has been decided and we've NO more opportunity to choose to be saved by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Death is a punishment because we leave behind all those who love us to keep on living but without us.

Death is a punishment because there are two deaths.

Rev_2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev_20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Rev_20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

The second death is the death that all the wicked who have died in sin, who have died unrepentant, who have died without God, who had died unforgiven because they sought no forgiveness, these all will die the final death from which there is no resurrection because it will be as if they never ever existed.

Sin and all sorrow will be wiped away after the second death.

What harm is believing we shed our flesh and go on to live intelligently with all our memories and the supernatural ability to view our relatives and friends still in their flesh on? It lulls us into believing the first lie ever told to mankind- 'you shall not surely die'

Gen_3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die

Did she die?

Yes.

Did she die right then?

No.

Satan would have us believe that because Eve did not die instantaneously that what he said was true.  And Satan goes a step further and wants us to believe that death is no punishment at all, but simply a new way of living. 

I've talked about it before but I cannot stop talking about it, not ever, because people are deceived. People are caught up in the lies that are far from harmless.

Our loved ones are sleeping and they will awake either to life everlasting or death forever, to non-existence.  Their sleep is peaceful because we know all their thoughts cease. 

Their ultimate fate is in God's hands and we who remain can only hope and pray they are God's, that they've chosen to be His and God has saved them through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Jesus knew

Joh 7:14  Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

Joh 7:15  And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Joh 7:16  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Joh 7:17  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Joh 7:18  He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Our Savior was NOT a scholar according to man's way of learning. Our Savior had NO formal education. Our Savior was NOT sent away to study. Our Savior did NOT study in the synagogues as one interested in becoming a teacher.

We know this--

Luk 2:42  And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

Luk 2:43  And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.

Luk 2:44  But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

Luk 2:45  And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

Luk 2:46  And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

Luk 2:47  And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

Luk 2:48  And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

Luk 2:49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Luk 2:50  And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

At twelve years of age Jesus went into the temple at Jerusalem and sat among the doctors - men of great learning- and He listened to them and answered the questions they had of Him.  These men of learning were ASTONISHED at the understanding Jesus possessed. They were ATONISHED by the answers He gave them.  Learned men astonished by Jesus at twelve years old. And yet Jesus had not been given any education into the things they talked about.  It wasn't COMMON for a boy of twelve to have the understanding and answers Jesus had. And Jesus had no real reason for His knowledge, no earthly reason. No one could understand, no one could comprehend this strange occurrence yet Jesus Himself understood. Jesus knew. And we know…

Joh 7:15  And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Joh 7:16  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me

Jesus' truth, Jesus' teachings ALL came from His Father, God in Heaven. God, who by decree sent God who became the Son in flesh to earth. Jesus' knowledge was given to Him supernaturally.  Those who had the opportunity to hear Jesus speak were amazed and some believed, but more found excuses NOT to believe.

Joh 8:47  He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Joh 8:48  Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Joh 8:49  Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

People will NOT hear, they will claim Jesus a devil and all things in between. And what I mean by that is, people will choose not to believe at all, they will choose to believe in a Jesus they make up - giving him attributes that please them attributes they can live with, without having to give up their cherished sins, they coveted self.

Jesus had knowledge He had NO EARTHLY right in knowing!  There was NO LOGICAL way for Jesus at twelve or thirty to know the things He knew! Logic, man's LOGIC means NOTHING in the face of GOD!

All of mankind can talk about logic, about sense, about intelligence, about science all they want to and it ALL means NOTHING, truly nothing without GOD.  God CREATED them! God created those men of logic, of sense, of intelligence, of science! And what do those men do? They deny God even exists.

Joh 7:18  He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

People heap glory upon themselves when they choose to believe their ideas, their thoughts, their beliefs are superior to God. 

Please Father God, please keep us in YOU, keep us seeking YOUR glory! PLEASE!

 In the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, now and forever and ever, AMEN!

No more curse

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Rev 22:3  And there shall be NO MORE CURSE: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Rev 22:4  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

Rev 22:5  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

The future.

No more curse.

What curse?

Gen 2:16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Gen 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

(Curse- eat this and die.)

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

(Satan's form cursed (snake) ).

(Satan told that between him and God's people there would be an enmity, also between the seed of God's people (JESUS) who would KILL Satan by bruising his head, even though Satan would be allowed to bruise Jesus' heel (crucify Him).

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

(Cursed- sorrow in conception, sorrow in bringing forth children, and a husband would rule over the wife.)

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Gen 3:18  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

(Cursed- man because he listened to his wife and NOT God. The ground would be cursed- in sorrow man would eat of the produce the ground would give- work, hard work to live.  Cursed in dying- returning to dust.)

Deu 27:26  Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen

God gave LAWS to follow and those who don't follow are cursed.

Deu 11:26  Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

Deu 11:27  A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:

Deu 11:28  And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

Deu 29:20  The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

Jer 11:3  And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

Jer 11:4  Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God

Gal 3:10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Gal 3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

When we read this --

Rev 22:3  And there shall be NO MORE CURSE

We comprehend that until the New Heaven and New Earth come into existence, the curse still exists.  Until the very last unrepentant sinner is gone, and Satan and all his evil angels gone with them, the curse exists.  The curse disappears when sin and all sinners are gone.  Sin is gone when there is NO one left to break the laws of God which are written in the hearts and minds of His people.  

The choice will have been made by all and those who choose salvation through Jesus Christ, will have made a permanent choice. 

We all know what a permanent choice is, we make them all the time. A choice you cannot make over again, the consequences of it are irreversible. Sometimes these choices are wonderful, amazing choices and we'd never want to reverse our choice. And sometimes we make the wrong choices and  we wish we could reverse our decision, our choice.

There will be a permanent choice made by all of us at some point in our lives before we die, or before our Savior returns. That choice will either be for eternal life through Christ, or for eternal death, eternal nothingness, eternal never being.

There will be NO more curse, PRAISE GOD! May we live in that time, in that new world in Jesus Christ!

By HIS grace always!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, now and FOREVER!

Amen.

We need to recognize our self-serving.

1Ki 21:20  And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

1Ki 21:21  Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22  And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

1Ki 21:23  And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

1Ki 21:24  Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

1Ki 21:25  But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

1Ki 21:26  And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

1Ki 21:27  And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

1Ki 21:28  And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

1Ki 21:29  Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Working evil.

To work evil is to work contrary to the love of God- which is loving Him and loving Others.  So many live simply to serve self. In the above passage Ahab a king of Israel desired a vineyard that someone else owned. He told the man to give it to him in exchange for money or another vineyard, but the man refused him and this upset the king who wanted it for a garden because it was next to his palace.  Telling all this to his wife, the wife decided that through deceit, false accusation, and murder of the vineyard owner that her husband the king would have this vineyard.

All this was the work of EVIL. All this was the work of self- serving. Some might argue that the wife of the king was serving her king when she arranged the evil, but she was serving self not Him. By giving her husband something he desired she hoped to please him and in pleasing him she would heap accolades upon herself- the end of her evil was self-serving.

After all that evil unfolded (and so much more evil over the course of their lives), a prophet of God revealed to the king and his wife that PUNISHMENT would befall them for their evil. 

What did the king do upon hearing his fate from the prophet of God?

He rent his clothes, he put on sackcloth, he fasted, and he lay down in sackcloth and went softly. 

The king HUMBLED himself before God.

The king knew he was evil and didn't try to talk himself out of the punishment he so justly deserved. He didn't make excuses for his evil. He didn't continue in the evil. He HUMBLED himself.  He denied himself the luxuries of his position. He was a king with all the amenities of a king. He had the best clothes, the best food, the softest beds, and the authority to be as commanding as he desired ordering all those around him to do his bidding.  Instead of embracing all the things so readily available to him, he gave them up. He didn't wear his kingly robes, he didn't eat of his bounty, he didn't tout his authority- but rather he humbled himself before GOD be such self-denial.

Are we to humble ourselves before God?

Ahab the king humbled himself and for this God gave him more time, his punishment was not instantaneous, he was given a stay.  He would receive his pronounced punishment but not just then.  By humbling himself in TRUTH and SINCERITY, because any falsehood in his humbling would have been known of God, Ahab altered God's judgement upon him as  to WHEN the judgement would take place.  And WHO among us would not consider that a blessing, to receive a temporary stay of execution, no matter how truly the execution is deserved?

We are told by our SAVIOR-

Mat_18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat_23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

We are told by the HOLY SPIRIT-

Jas_4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Jas_4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1Pe_5:5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble

1Pe_5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time

Ahab humbled himself by DENYING himself, why do we imagine we don't need to deny ourselves anything? Why do we believe we deserve all we can get through work, gifts, or in any way and these things are our rights to exploit as we please? We tell ourselves it's crazy to deny ourselves things available to us.  We tell ourselves God would NOT want us to deny ourselves anything and we BELIEVE ourselves. We excuse away any reason for self-sacrifice, and we even tell ourselves we don't know how to humble ourselves. We don't comprehend how we are in modern times to array ourselves in sackcloth, to fast, to go softly. And truthfully, maybe we need to deny ourselves MODERN things.  To exalt ourselves in our THINGS, our possessions, to turn our heart only to ourselves is not humbling ourselves. 

Do we truly know any longer what self-denial is?  Do we imagine it is denying ourselves luxuries because we have to use our money for something that isn't a luxury? Do we believe it is not buying ourselves something we want and can afford?  Do we believe it is passing up a dessert? Do we believe when we allow another driver to move ahead of us, letting them out into traffic that we are humbling ourselves?

I'm NOT saying some of those things are NOT humbling ourselves because they can be. We need life changing humbling and by the grace of God He will teach us how we are to do this in our modern lives. We have to do this - we are told to HUMBLE OURSELVES, we are told Ahab humbled himself. We have to choose to be humble in a real way because any false humbling is known of God to be anything but humbling.

When we think that our life's pursuit is our OWN happiness, our OWN desires, our OWN self-serving, we have lost sight of GOD and God's love!  Yet in our world today this is exactly what we believe from our childhood on up, some might say from birth to the grave and they wouldn't be far off because sin will reign in all of us- self-serving will reign in all of us if we do not humble ourselves before God and seek forgiveness, repenting, and turning to God and God's ways.  Recognizing our self-serving in all its insidious ways and choosing to humble ourselves rather than serve self, this is what we need.  We can only hope and pray that we are able to sincerely humble ourselves and be used in God's service rather than our own.

All by the grace and mercy of our Savior may this be so.

In the name of our SAVIOR, Jesus Christ our Lord, now and FOREVER! Amen.

Creature or Creator?

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against- ALL ungodliness.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against- ALL unrighteousness (wrongs) of men.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against- ALL who hold (keep back) the truth in unrighteousness (wrongly)

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

If we keep back the truth we are shown by God we are accountable for that!  All who are given truth are accountable to the truth.  When we reject truth, when we hide truth we do so in unrighteousness.

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

We can understand so much of the invisible by the visible. From the very beginning of our world the invisible and visible were revealed. God spoke(invisible) and things existed(visible).  Truly we can comprehend the eternal power of the Godhead- of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and we have NO excuse for not comprehending God's existence, none.

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Yet even in this comprehension mankind could CHOOSE not to glorify God, because God did not force the comprehension. Mankind knowing God could choose not to be thankful to God. Mankind could choose to believe in their OWN imaginings rather than God's truth. Mankind could choose to believe they were the wise ones in their beliefs, in their imaginings, only be truly fools. Mankind could choose to believe that our UNCORRUPTIBLE God's glory could be on the same level as CORRUPTIBLE mankind. Mankind could choose to make birds, beasts, and creeping things their god. FOOLS!

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves

God will not FORCE those who choose to be fools who follow their OWN heart lusts, to believe in Him as their God.

God will not FORCE those who choose to dishonor themselves with each other, to believe in Him as their God.

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

God will NOT force love, God will NOT force worship, God will NOT force obedience, God will NOT force belief from all those who CHANGE the truth of God into a LIE- and choose rather to believe themselves more than their blessed forever Creator!

If a person wants to be forced to believe they lose the entire comprehension of believing in faith. It is EASY for mankind to put themselves on the pedestal of creation, believing that they evolved of their own accord into what they are with no outside help. It's easier to simply believe they are the highest and there is NO other over them, than to believe they have a CREATOR.  When mankind chooses to believe there is NO Creator then they are freed from obedience to a Creator and are allowed to do as they please, make up their own rules, their own ways.  When mankind chooses to give up on God, He will LET THEM, and HE will allow them to rule themselves and as a result there is NO limit to what they will do, there are NO boundaries any longer, none whatsoever and therefore they are FREE to call whatever they desire- good, even the worst of all evils should they choose to deem it such. They have NO standards, NO rules, NO boundaries, NO right and NO wrong and this is how they choose to live WITHOUT GOD, they rule themselves and there are consequences to all actions.

Rom 1:26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Mankind wishes to believe THEIR desires, THEIR lusts are their rights and just because they have them they are good. Mankind believing in Mankind. Mankind LOVING the CREATURE more than the CREATOR. A choice that is made when self is indulged and it doesn't matter the LUST they are ALL LUSTS, ALL self-serving over God-serving, believing SELF is greater than GOD.  A choice- SELF or GOD, we truly cannot have both!  We can serve self and tell ourselves we can have both, we can make ourselves believe this, God will LET us believe whatever we CHOOSE to believe. 

Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

SELF-seekers will allow all sorts of sin in their lives. Self-seekers can allow a single sin or a multitude, but as long as they cling to that sin- calling it good and allow themselves to serve self over truth for WHATEVER reason they choose to believe to pacify their choice, they are deserving of eternal death.

God FIRST, not self first.  God first in ALL things!

May we retain God in our KNOWLEDGE by HIS GRACE and MERCY!  May we choose GOD over SELF, no matter the sacrifice we are called to make.  PLEASE, may we CHOOSE GOD!

Please.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, now and forever and ever!

Amen!

Love works no ill towards others

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Rom 13:9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

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.

Rom 13:13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

*******

If we LOVE one another we do NOT live in sin, but in the law of LOVE!

LOVE-  it's a CHOICE.

LOVE is NOT a feeling, it's an ACTIVE CHOOSING to engage in behavior that YOU want to be GIVEN!

Not a warped desire, not a warped lust, not a self-consuming, self-pleasing, self-obsessed love that so many have claimed is love.

LOVE is meeting the NEEDS of others, the LIFE sustaining needs and the ETERNAL needs of others. 

LOVE isn't giving another person all their selfish desires.

Love works NO ill to others.

And it doesn't matter what that ILL is! Love is choosing NOT to work ill towards anyone for any reason.

We truly need to cast off our works of darkness- all the works not of love!

We truly need the armor of LIGHT.

We need to PUT on the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

We MUST not make PROVISION for our FLESHY LUSTS!

We do that, we make provisions for our lusts, and by the grace of God we have to keep from doing this.

We need to keep from all our SELFISH, SELF-SERVING deeds which are UNLOVING!

LORD, HELP US!

We hate being bound to our flesh, we hate SERVING the flesh!

We desire to serve GOD, through GOD!

PLEASE LORD, help us! HELP ME!

In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, now and forever!  Amen.

You are a living sacrifice

A LIVING SACRIFICE!

We aren't to kill an animal in sacrifice, we are to BE a LIVING SACRIFICE.

The offering animal sacrifice was to show that there is a PRICE to be paid for sin, and an INNOCENT animal had to pay that price for a person.  But no more, not since our SAVIOR paid the price for us ALL.

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.

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.

BY THE MERCIES OF GOD!

A LIVING SACRIFICE.

Psa_51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

God would have us- as living sacrifices- SACRIFICE SELF and SELFISHNESS and all that turns our minds inward and not outward towards others.  A broken spirit- we are not to be proud of ourselves, though this world the way it is would have us believe we have to be proud of ourselves.  A broken and contrite heart- we are taught NOT to desire broken and contrite hearts- we are told to want to feel good at all costs. We are taught to feel broken is wrong, yet we have to comprehend our worthlessness in righteousness, not worthlessness in God's eyes, how could we be worthless for Him to pay the ultimate price for us?  He LOVES us, but we must comprehend it is HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS not OURS in any way that saves us. Our broken hearts, our contrite hearts comprehend that it is GOD who is our everything, and ONLY GOD.

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.

LOVE Him with all the heart.

LOVE Him with all the understanding.

LOVE Him with all the soul.

LOVE Him with all the strength.

LOVE our neighbors as WE would be loved!

LOVE.

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

DO GOOD.

COMMUNICATE.

God would have us be HIS and our lives reflect this in all we do.

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.

1Pe 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

1Pe 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

1Pe 2:11  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1Pe 2:12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

ABSTAIN from FLESHLY LUST- which war against the soul.

Any flesh pursuit that would destroy our spirit needs to be abstained from!  We know what these things are, we know! We aren't stupid. We could be blind if we choose blindness and MANY, MANY DO. We can't believe we are beyond choosing blindness. We can't get cocky with our lives! We have to constantly seek truth in God.  We have to examine ourselves…

2Co_13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…

We can't coast through, never examining ourselves, never presenting ourselves as living sacrifices by the MERCIES of GOD.

Please FATHER, help us to present ourselves as living sacrifices by YOUR MERCY through the SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! May the HOLY SPIRIT guide ALL WE DO! PLEASE FATHER! PLEASE!

Amen.