Anxieties of this life.

I'm revisiting a couple verses I studied a few days back because they are still on my heart to study.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Be careful for nothing--

Mar_4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Luk_21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

The cares of this world and the cares of this life are obviously to be shunned. The cares of this world can choke the word of God and it becomes unfruitful. The cares of this life can make it so we are unaware of our Savior's return. Two horrific outcomes from 'caring'.  I'm so obviously not talking about having compassion- that sort of caring. 

Mar 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 

(CEV)  But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.

(Contemporary English Version)

(EMTV)  and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things coming in choke out the word, and it becomes fruitless. (English Majority Version)

(ISV)  but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can't produce a crop. (International Standard Version)

(YLT)  and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.  (1898 Young's Literal Translation)

Anxieties of life, worries of life-  cares of life.

If we are to be careful for nothing we are truly being told we aren't to WORRYING or have ANXIETY about anything.

To know this as a truth I have to say I really do understand my fascination with these verses, with this message because I worry, I have anxieties and I know I shouldn't.  I tell myself it's my nature, it's just who I am, it's a part of me.  Yet, God's word tells me something different.

My husband is NOT a worrier as a rule and has very little- next to no anxiety. I see him in situations that would have me freaking out, panicking and he is as calm as could be. He literally sees no reason to worry about things he has no control over. 

My mother is another non-worrier, at least overtly.  I've read some of her journals and now realize that she did have worries and concerns but she never let on about them, they didn't consume her.

Being told to be careful for nothing is a message of great magnitude for me.  Instead of worrying and having anxiety I should--PRAY.

Pray. 

Is my prayer life ineffective when I pray and still worry? Am I NOT trusting God? If the peace that passes ALL understanding doesn't keep my heart and mind is it because I am not believing in Jesus Christ who gives that peace?

After that initial instruction we are told the following--

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

A list of things we are to THINK about.

Think about-

True things.

Honest things.

Just things.

Pure things.

Lovely things.

Good reported things.

Virtuous things.

Praiseworthy things.

More on this tomorrow by the grace, the mercy, the will of GOD.

I need more.

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever!

Amen!

When we rise to meet the Lord in the air.

Living with God always - now and forever.  Imagine it.  Imagine the day arrives and our Savior sounds the last trump and by HIS amazing grace we begin to rise off the ground and our body changes in the moment it takes to blink an eye, we have been REDEEMED!  We are rising to meet our Lord, our savior in the air!

Now stop and think- when we rise and we change- what exactly is changing in us. We have to KNOW we have been redeemed, right? But the CARNAL/FLESH nature in us is GONE. We are JOINING our Savior in a new world, a new existence. We are leaving behind ALL that is of the carnal nature but our relationship with Christ, with God the Father, with the Holy Spirit will FOLLOW still be a part of us.

There will be no sorrow as we rise into the air, but joy!

We are taking the final step into our being completely at ONE with the three Gods that long for us to be one with them in total agreement, living in pure love.

God will know us and we will know God.

Our relationship right now with our Savior matters.  How much time do we spend with God now? Seriously.  Is He really in our mind as we live?

We have been studying from the book - A Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee and doing so with our Bible in hand. We want to be spiritual men and women- children of God, followers of Jesus Christ. 

The more we read the further is seems that we will ever be how we know our Lord would have us be. We need to recognize our completely inability to do anything without God, without our Savior, without the Holy Spirit. 

Joh_8:28  Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Jesus did nothing of Himself, though to read of Him He did a lot, yes? We constantly talk about all our Savior did and does for us. Yet we have to realize that He did nothing without God, the declared Father as His power when He took on human flesh.  We in our human flesh can do nothing without God, the declared Father, the Savior Son, and the Holy Spirit.   Unlike Jesus who was Emmanuel - God with us, we are pure human flesh and need the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as our spiritual power.

Mat_1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

We have no power of our own, we need to submit to God fully and pray that we live in Him and His will is done in us always.  Recognizing our dependence we rest wholly on Christ for all things.

Please, Lord as we seek to be Yours- to be spiritual men and women in You, bless us and keep us Yours! We long to hear the sound of the last trump and rise into the air to meet You. Please Lord, we would e Yours now and forever!

Acknowledging God.

Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Ceasing from our own works.

Is it possible at all in any way that perhaps God created the Seventh Day Sabbath so we would have an opportunity to learn to cease from our own workings and trust Him?

Remember this---

Lev 16:29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 

Lev 16:30  For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 

Lev 16:31  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 

The Day of Atonement was a special SABBATH. People were to 'afflict' their souls and 'do no work at all'.

There is a very important lesson we need to learn about God's RESTING. 

We are to do NO WORK.

Read this--

Exo 16:14  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 

Exo 16:15  And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. 

Exo 16:16  This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 

Exo 16:17  And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 

Exo 16:18  And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 

Exo 16:19  And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 

Exo 16:20  Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. 

Exo 16:21  And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 

Exo 16:22  And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 

Exo 16:23  And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 

Exo 16:24  And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 

Exo 16:25  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 

Exo 16:26  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 

Exo 16:27  And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 

Exo 16:28  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 

Exo 16:29  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day th

e bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 

Exo 16:30  So the people rested on the seventh day. 

These people were journeying in the wilderness and needed rest.  They needed spiritual rest as well as physical. The spiritual rest goes back to creation- God created the seventh day as a rest day. To teach the people God gave them manna in the verses above you know what happens.

God- needs us to rest.

God needs us to CEASE from our work.

God worked and rested, man was to follow suit, even in the garden before the fall.  Setting aside SPECIAL time for God is a must. When we OBEY the Sabbath rest we are SUBMITTING to God fully, our whole being, all of us. Admitting we need to submit on such a strict level is admitting God should be first in all things.  We can go about our lives- having our soul-self submit to our spirit-self and we are TAUGHT this on a grand level in the Sabbath.

Can we rest in God as the Sabbath rest every single day? No. We weren't intended to make every day the Sabbath. The closest a person comes to keeping the Sabbath rest every day would be if they became a preacher- but that still would NOT ever be the seventh-day rest day. We were to live our lives in God always with the spirit first, not the soul, our WORK was to be done in the spirit with God, but in working our minds would NOT be focused fully on God. In the Garden as Adam and Eve went about tending it daily  they were not RESTING in God.  They were one with God, but the time with God renewed in a very special way. The Sabbath is GOD'S command to give up ALL of ourselves to him. When we do this, when we give up ourselves to Him for that seventh day rest we are acknowledging Him as our God in a very unique way.

If we can't give ourselves up to God for the seventh day rest day - acknowledging Him wholly as our God, can we expect to give ourselves up to Him throughout all our days?

More on this tomorrow- by the GRACE and WILL of our GOD, now and forever!

In the Lord, Jesus Christ our Savior.

Amen.

Is it possible...

'As God’s Word is implanted we receive its new nature into us and are thus enabled to bear fruit. We obtain the life of the Word from the Word of life. Although the organs of the soul still remain, these organs no longer function through its power; rather, they operate by the power of God’s Word. This is “the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1.9).

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Human nerves are rather sensitive and are easily stirred by outside stimuli. Words, manners, environments and feelings greatly affect us. Our mind engages in so many thoughts, plans and imaginations that it is a world of confusion. Our will is agitated to perform many acts according to our sundry delights. None of the organs of our soul can bring us into peace. Singly or collectively, they disturb, they confuse, they shift us around. But when our soul is in the spirit’s hand we can be released from such disturbances. The Lord Jesus implores us: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11.29). If we are favorably inclined to yield to the Lord, to take up His yoke, and to follow Him, our soul shall not be aroused inordinately. If we learn of Him by seeing how He, when despised by men, continued to follow God’s will and not His Own, our soul shall return to tranquility. The reason for our hurt feelings lies in the fact that we are not amenable to being treated as our Lord was and are loathe to submit ourselves to the will and ordering of God.'

Excerpt from - The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Jer 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 

Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Ceasing from our own works.

Is it possible at all in any way that perhaps God created the Seventh Day Sabbath so we would have an opportunity to learn to cease from our own workings and trust Him?

More on this tomorrow by the grace of God!

We need to let God-the Holy Spirit work in us.

Angels desire to comprehend our lives, why? Because we are given the Holy Spirit. We are given the Holy Spirit when we accept the Lord as our Savior seeking to live in Him. We can grieve the Holy Spirit and quench the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a God and He chooses to be our comforter, our helper, our convicting Spirit who will go to great lengths to teach us even if it means teaching us through many hardships and much suffering.   We need to be taught to trust wholly in Christ.  We need to be taught of God's love. We need to be rid of our selfishness. Our faith needs to be tried so it is purified. We need to LET the Holy Spirit work in us, He will NOT force Himself on us, not ever.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 

1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 

'Our souls under the reins of the spirit.'

'Believers should seek to experience oneness of spirit and soul. Were we to allow the cross and the Holy Spirit to operate thoroughly in us we would discover that what the soul has relinquished is scarcely a fraction of what it ultimately gains: the dead has now come into fruition, the lost is now kept for eternal life. When our soul is brought under the reins of the spirit it undergoes an immense change. Beforehand it seems to be useless and lost to God because it is employed for self and often moves independently; afterwards God gains our soul, though to man it may appear to be crushed. We become as “those who have faith and keep their souls” (Heb. 10.39). This is much more profound than what we commonly term “saved,” because it points especially to life.'  Watchman Nee- The Spiritual Man

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 

Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 

Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 

Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. 

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 

1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 

More in-depth study on all this tomorrow, by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Ask for the Holy Spirit.

Do you REALLY want a truly spiritual walk with Christ?

We need in-depth Bible studying as opposed to superficial Bible studying. Instead of sipping the milk we are seeking the full meat of the Word of God. Milk goes down easily, meat needs to be chewed thoroughly.  Milk is given to babies, you'd never give a baby meat for sustenance. While older children can have meat often it is cut into small pieces for them so they don't choke. Older children can cut meat and eat it for themselves. If we forever drink the milk of the word of God we will never grow to our spiritual full potential but be weak and poorly. You'd never only give milk to a person as they grow. What is perfectly fine for a child - drinking milk only for a couple years even- if that is all that is available, beyond those couple of years or so you would need to give them more. Sometimes we even give young babies a few months old something more solid than simple milk (mother's milk or formula).

We need SOLID spiritual food as adults in Christ. We need food that must be cut into pieces and chewed very, very well.   The metaphor here is reading the word of God and studying it, truly studying - praying for full comprehension. We must take even a familiar verse and read it seeking full spiritual sustenance.  May we continue on with our study of GOD'S word first and foremost in relation to the book- The Spiritual Man, by Watchman Nee.  May we be blessed with a full meal of spiritual meat to create in us a well-nourished, healthy spiritual life.

*

 The Spiritual Man - Watchman Nee - 'These are the conditions which we on our side must fulfill. The Holy Spirit requires our cooperation.'

Luk_11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

We must ASK for the Holy Spirit.

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

We can GRIEVE the Holy Spirit.

Act 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 

We can RESIST the Holy Spirit.

We resist the Holy Spirit when we do NOT heed His teachings, but stick to our traditions, and things that are pleasing to our ears. 

1Th 5:12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 

1Th 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, WARN them that are unruly, COMFORT the feebleminded, SUPPORT the weak, BE PATIENT toward all men. 

1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever FOLLOW THAT WHICH IS GOOD, both among yourselves, and to all men. 

1Th 5:16  REJOICE evermore. 

1Th 5:17  PRAY without ceasing. 

1Th 5:18  In every thing GIVE THANKS: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit. 

1Th 5:20  Despise not prophesyings. 

1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 

1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil. 

1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit. 

We can QUENCH the Holy Spirit.

We quench the Holy Spirit by refusing to cooperate with Him in allowing Him to live in us to enable us to - comfort, support, be patient towards others, to rejoice, to pray and give thanks.  The Holy Spirit in us will guide us towards this end if we do not QUENCH the Holy Spirit.

Act 5:3  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 

Act 5:4  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 

We can LIE to the Holy Spirit.

 Lying to the Holy Spirit- Lying to GOD the Holy SPIRIT- one of the three God's who are one in agreement- is worthy of death. When we lie to God the Holy Spirit, we are in truth seeking to live in Satan. We are choosing a path of evil. Please LORD, please, we would NOT lie to the Holy Spirit! Please! Cleanse our wicked, wicked hearts!