The Holy Spirit Given.

Suddenly a sound from heaven, a sound like that of a heavy, unexpected gust of wind filled the house where everyone was sitting. Out of thin air appeared a flame of fire split in two parts, not just one flame but as many as there were people in the house. The fiery flames touched each person and as they were touched they were instantly filled with the Holy Spirit and opened their mouths. What came out of their mouths though, wasn't their own language but that of other people, other lands. What glorious things they were speaking in the voice given them by the Spirit of God. Unable to contain themselves they continued to speak the words of God even as others surrounded them.  These others were Godly men, Jewish men, who had come to Jerusalem from all over the world where they had been born. Shocked to hear their own countries languages being spoken they couldn't believe these people of Galilee were able to do so, they never had been able to speak like this before! What made this miracle possible? For it was a miracle to be able to hear these words of God spoken by unlearned men and women in their native tongues. What was the meaning of the miracle?

The Apostle Peter stood up among the people, and the eleven other apostles stood with him. Peter called out loudly so all could hear..

'These men are NOT drunk.' 

Some had been laughing and chalking it all up to the people being drunk from new wine. Had they stopped for a moment and really thought logically about it, no amount of wine, new or old, consumed early or late in the day could cause anyone to know, let alone speak in another person's language. At best the drunk person might speak gibberish- which if truth be told, most languages you don't know do sound like a bunch of gibberish. The one whose language it is however, can comprehend every single word of the gibberish others hear and that person knows it's not a drunken babbling.

Peter continued speaking. "All of you listen to what I have to tell you! It's too early for anyone to be drunk. What you are witnessing is prophecy being fulfilled! The prophet Joel told us that in the last days God said He would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. He told us that sons and daughters would speak prophecies and young men would see visions, old men would dream dreams, servants and maidens would be filled with the Spirit and speak prophecy. Wonders from heaven above and signs in the earth below- blood, fire, smoke, and the sun turned dark, the moon blood and all this would occur before the great and notable day of the LORD comes.  And whoever would call upon the name of the LORD would be saved!

Read all this from God's word-

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 

Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

Act 2:5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 

Act 2:6  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 

Act 2:7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 

Act 2:8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 

Act 2:9  Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 

Act 2:10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 

Act 2:11  Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 

Act 2:12  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 

Act 2:13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 

Peter's Sermon at Pentecost

Act 2:14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 

Act 2:15  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 

Act 2:16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 

Act 2:17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 

Act 2:18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 

Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 

Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 

Act 2:21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

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

The Promised Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, the Comforter that Jesus promised.

Joh_14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever

Joh_14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh_15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me

Joh_16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you

A very REAL being sent by God to us.

Jesus said this after His resurrection-

Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 

The promised Holy Spirit of Truth, the Comforter would be given to the disciples of Jesus, they were told to WAIT in Jerusalem until it was given and they were filled with POWER from on high.

Act 1:1  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 

Act 1:2  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 

Act 1:3  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 

Act 1:4  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 

Act 1:5  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 

For some reason we mistakenly believe that spiritual things should be instantaneous, yet it isn't always the way. Often throughout all Scripture there are waiting periods for things. What is the waiting period for? Jesus told the disciples to tarry until they were given the Holy Spirit power, so why did He wait to give this to them?  We know already that He'd sent the Apostles about to enact various miracles, they had the power of miracles directly from Jesus and used it as they could and were taught how to use it even more effectively. The Holy Spirit wasn't in them as yet, but would be, He was promised to them.

But why the wait? Do you think they were impatient for this Holy Spirit baptism? Surely if Jesus before He left them and went to heaven many days after He'd risen from death, had promised this Spirit gifting it would be eagerly anticipated.  But why the wait?

The gift of the Holy Spirit was to be a forever gift.

Joh_14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever

Abide with us forever. Once given, the Holy Spirit would remain with God's people- working in them, through them continuously.

The waiting period led to a spectacular event, utilizing the historically occurring gathering of many people from many different countries, speaking many different languages, for a Jewish appointed special day. The initial gifting of the Holy Spirit was notable, not secretive, it was purposeful, not private. The day that the Comforter was given was powerful. The hundred and twenty or so followers of Jesus specifically touched by the Mighty Wind, and then flames of fire which did not burn them, were filled with the Holy Spirit. Their instantaneous reaction to the filling was for witnessing of the power of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. That power gave them the ability to speak the words of Jesus, of salvation, in different languages. 

The waiting was for a purpose, as each and every period of waiting is for. Waiting is an exercise in patience, a strengthening of faith, an attribute of being steadfast. We need to learn to wait. May God help us as we wait and watch.

We're going to read all of the second chapter of Acts now, and continue the study tomorrow by the grace of God.

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 

Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

Act 2:5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 

Act 2:6  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 

Act 2:7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 

Act 2:8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 

Act 2:9  Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 

Act 2:10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 

Act 2:11  Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 

Act 2:12  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 

Act 2:13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 

Act 2:14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 

Act 2:15  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 

Act 2:16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 

Act 2:17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 

Act 2:18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 

Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 

Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 

Act 2:21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

Act 2:22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 

Act 2:23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 

Act 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 

Act 2:25  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 

Act 2:26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 

Act 2:27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 

Act 2:28  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 

Act 2:29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 

Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 

Act 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 

Act 2:32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 

Act 2:33  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 

Act 2:34  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 

Act 2:35  Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 

Act 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 

Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

Act 2:40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 

Act 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 

Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Act 2:43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 

Act 2:44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 

Act 2:45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 

Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 

Act 2:47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. 

As A Thief In the Night, So Our Lord Will Return.

As a thief in the night.

Thieves like the cover of darkness, right? Nowadays it seems as if a lot of thieves don't wait for the cover of darkness, but do their evil in the broad daylight. For all that are they are getting bolder, a lot of crimes- thievery among them- are committed at night. It's always better to have a natural shroud covering actions you don't want any witness to. Many thieves will wear dark clothes in order to blend in with the night, and some will even put dark masks on, or cover their faces with dark make up.  A thief in the night is largely unseen especially in the days before motion sensor activated flood lights. Thieves adapt to their surroundings though and will case out places they want to rob. If they notice anti-theft devices set up they will prepare to take them out if the robbery warrants the pay off. Thieves in the night are stealthy and often go completely unnoticed. The only evidence of their having been there is the proof they leave behind by taking the belongings of the one they are robbing.

So, why all this talk of a thief in the night? Because just LIKE a thief in the night- unseen, unnoticed, shrouded in darkness- leaving the victim completely unaware of their working- we read this-

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 

You read that right. The DAY OF THE LORD COMES as a thief in the night.

That's a far cry from proclaiming 'every eye shall see Him' 'like lightening from the sky shining from east to west' 'with a loud cry, the trump shall sound', thieves do not trumpet their arrival, and they do not shine bright light anywhere. So what does it mean, this analogy? It means, people aren't PREPARED for thieves that sneak in and thwart all the cautious setups to deter them. When lo and behold you've been robbed it often comes as quite the shock because no one knows when a thief may strike. If you knew a robber was coming to your house you would not go to sleep that night, you'd stay awake and scare them off. You would NOT be taken off guard.

But just like a thief, the day of the Lord is going to arrive and the majority of people are going to be taken by surprised, being completely unprepared.

1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 

As long as our main focus is upon this world, we are not going to be prepared. It is going to be the person who lives and breathes the truth that the day of Lord is coming, who will NOT be taken by surprise. If we are taking comfort in the fact our lives are pretty much predictable- the sun will rise, we will wake up, our daily routine will begin and continue with the occasional unexpected interference, then the sun sets, but by and large we live in familiarity. When sudden destruction does occur, we aren't prepared. Women who are pregnant and nearing their due date, they are expecting the pangs of contractions to hit at any moment, and still when it happens they are unprepared completely- why? Because they don't KNOW exactly when it will happen. Not only that, once true labor begins there is no stopping it. Many a show on tv has depicted women in labor crying out that they aren't ready for it to happen, that they want it to stop, and so on and so forth because of the fear they are filled with. They'll say stuff like, 'I don't want to do this.'  All the while they know there is no stopping what's happening whether they want it to happen or not.

People who are not ready for the LORD to return at any moment, will be shocked, and unable to stop what is happening so they can prepare. It will happen and they will face their own destruction with the knowledge they had a chance to prepare but they chose not to.

1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 

Those waiting and watching for the Lord's return at any moment, they will not be surprised as if being robbed in the night.

1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 

We are children of God who know that Christ is returning, and we are waiting for His return. There will be no surprise for us. It will be a glorious event, long anticipated that finally happens and only pure joy will fill our hearts.

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 

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. 

Those of us who are aware of our Savior returning, and live our lives in that expectation must live accordingly. We have to have our lives filled with faith and love, with the hope of salvation.  When we live for here and now we will forever face a multitude of disappointments. When we live for the day of our Lord's return, we recognize the truth that the life we are intended for is in the future world, not this one.

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 

We are appointed to salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord who died for us. It won't matter if we die before our Savior returns if we die in the hope of His return. When Christ returns those who died in that faith will rise up from death and join those living in that faith- and we will all live with our Savior!

We need to COMFORT each other with these words. We need to build up the faith of each other constantly. We have to keep the hope before us always!

All through the grace and love, the will, the mercy of our God! All by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit sent to comfort us and keep us in the love of God, now and forever!

Amen.

To Please God.

How are we to live in the Lord? What is expected of us? What efforts are to be made?

Remember -

2Ti 3:14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 

2Ti 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

All scripture is profitable for DOCTRINE.

All scripture is profitable for REPROOF.

All scripture is profitable for CORRECTION.

All scripture is profitable for INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

If scripture isn't applicable to us today, then it's of no use whatsoever. I believe scripture is very applicable to us today. In the scriptures I have found proof beyond doubt of its authenticity, in prophetic writings logically unraveled so that they have come to pass fitting like the perfect garment tailor made to a specific form. If I gave you a letter stating what your future would hold in several key points for the next seventy years and after fifty of those years every single prophecy I made came to pass exactly as described, would you doubt that the prophecies I made for the next twenty years of your life would happen? No. You'd be foolish to discount them if all of the previous predications came to pass.  The Bible is like that, predictions were made thousands of years in advance, and one after another they've come to pass so I have NO doubt the rest will occur, and NO doubt about the authenticity of the word of God.

We are told this-

1Th 4:1  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 

How should we walk, how should we live in order to please God?

1Th 4:2  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 

We can read of the commandments the Lord gave and here the expounding on the will of God for us we read the following.

1Th 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 

For us to be made holy we need to keep from letting our lustful passions take control over us, as they are very prone to do, and decidedly keep from engaging in those lusts outside of their proper place.  JUST because we have passions, JUST because by nature we have desires that are a powerful force within us does not mean we should yield to them.  I can remember a very wise older woman once telling me that she understood what I was going through as I struggled with my passions, that she too had to deal with them.  It sort of shocked me because of the person I knew her to be I thought she'd never have had to war with her passions. All of us have to WAR with the natural passions inside of us. Whether it's lust or anger, greed or any other passion that arises it needs to be controlled. Just because you have a natural tendency towards thieving, does not make it okay to yield to that tendency. When we are told that we should abstain from fornication we are being told that fornication will be something that we have to deal with in our lives. Because fornication would be something common to all mankind throughout history, back 2000 years or so ago when this was written all the way to today, we need to hear the admonition to abstain. If fornication wasn't then and isn't now an issue of note, we would not need instruction about our behavior. The will of God for our being made holy is that we don't fornicate.

1Th 4:4  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 

1Th 4:5  Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God

Possessing our lives in holiness and honor is not given into our lusts, our very powerful lusts.  Our natural desires allowed to rule over our intellectual control is something promoted by those who do not know God. They do not realize or if they do, they choose not to accept as truth, that sin brought to us tendencies towards all sorts of things that we claim are inherited by nature and therefore acceptable. Throughout life we must hold in check many things that are not accepted as being good. When we live outside the boundaries of what society has determined to be acceptable then society punishes us for our actions. Man deciding what is acceptable and what isn't allows for many things God would not allow, and if we would live for God we have to live in the boundaries He has set for us- no matter what our natural inclinations.  Some of the things God has set boundaries on, society agrees with, but not all. The veering off course from what God has dictated comes about when man wants to indulge in what they presume to be harmless and natural pursuits.

There was a time in history and NOT too long ago, that sex outside of marriage- fornication, was considered very wrong. If a woman were to find herself pregnant and the otherwise secret knowledge of her wrong doing was known, she was shamed. Today over the last sixty or so years, it's become acceptable to fornicate and have babies outside of marriage, the shame has been removed. Does this make it acceptable to God? No, and it never will.

We are also told…

1Th 4:6  That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 

We are not to defraud anyone in any matter.  We are not to harm another in any way, it is the opposite of God's commandment for us to love one another.

1Th 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 

We are not called to live for our base passions. Those passions will want to live in us, they will want us to yield to them at every turn so that they have preeminence over us and our lives are centered around fulfilling the passions of our self-centeredness. We are called OUT of those natural inclinations we are told to recognize they exist in ourselves and to war against them at every opportunity. We can't sit back and expect our sinful nature to disappear. What a shocking surprise for anyone that does expect to no longer have lusts to war against, the war is unending until our Savior returns. Sanctification is a process of being made holy, it's not instantaneous. Salvation is instant upon accepting the Lord as our Savior, accepting His sacrifice for our sins, but sanctification is a lifelong yielding to the will of God over our own willfulness. A daily yielding. Yielding to God over each of our sometimes constant temptations towards fulfilling a sinful lust, no matter its origin, no matter its type.

May God help us all, and keep us from the evil of the world, from the evil of the natural sin resulted lusts that are unique to each of us in degree and kind. As we war in this spiritual battle, may the spirit have priority over the flesh.

All glory to God, all thanksgiving, praise and honor!

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

Undeserved Love.

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

Col 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 

Col 3:20  Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 

Col 3:21  Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 

Col 3:22  Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 

Col 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 

Col 3:24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 

Col 3:25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. 

Wives submit. Husbands love. Children obey. Husbands don't be bitter. Fathers provoke not anger. Servants obey. Whatever we do, do it for the Lord, not men.

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

Eph 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. 

Wives submit. Husbands love.

AS the church (the people who are God's) is subject to Christ….

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

How are the people of God subject to Christ? What is our relationship with Christ? The church depends upon Christ for salvation. The church lives for Christ and His will. Without Christ there is no church at all whatsoever and by church I mean people who belong wholly to God. Without Christ there is no hope. We are to rely on Christ. And when we are exhorted as wives to be subject to our husbands we are being told to depend on them, rely on them. Immediately so many things come to mind from this. What if the man is not a follower of Christ? What if the husband is undependable, abusive in any way, unreliable for all things? We know that Christ is and forever will be dependable, reliable, that He has secured salvation for those who would be subject to Him. There is no doubt involved in the knowledge that God's people are subject to Christ, no doubt at all. However, when comparing being subject to Christ and being subject to a husband all sorts of doubts can surface. Ultimately we cannot escape the Biblically, God revealed fact that women are to be subject to men, wives subject to husbands. As a woman I can either choose to accept this as fact or rebel against God's word. As we talked about yesterday, there were women leaders of men. There were women who were prophets, a judge of all Israel was a woman, God has revealed His love of women just as He has revealed His love for men, saving both. Being born a woman is not an automatic death sentence in the eyes of God. We are loved equally.

When men and women are used as examples of Christ and Christ followers there is a very real and very necessary relationship boundary there. Christ followers will NEVER be Christ, they can NEVER be Christ. And we know any who claim to be Christ are in truth followers of Satan. We know that becoming lifted up- prideful, and wanting to be a god ourselves is wrong, yet that doesn't stop many from wanting this very thing.  We know God would have a people who are His and belong to no other god. We recognize the example of giving honor, praise and glory to God and God alone, these are simple to comprehend. The subjection of women to men is meant to inform us in a tactile way of the relationship of God's people to God.

In the same passages where women are told to be subject to their husbands, husbands are given instructions as well. They are told to love their wives, not to be bitter against them. When husbands fail to love and are bitter towards their wives, then they have failed in their example and that will be something they will be accountable to God for, just as we all are accountable to God as individuals.

LOVING the seemingly unlovable-  this is what Christ does.

LOVING the undeserving - this is what Christ does.

The seemingly unlovable, and undeserving once loved by Christ and accepting of that love - become lovable and deserving through Christ.

There is so much context here in these passages and ultimately they all boil down to this-

LOVING God first and foremost as individuals. From that love we love each other. Whether you're a husband or a wife the love that calls for submission - which is all love- is the love we need to have for each other. As individuals we love with the love of Christ. We can't wait for the perfect husband before we submit through the love of Christ to our husbands. Husbands can't wait for perfect wives before they love their wives.  If we wait for others to deserve our Christ given love, we don't have a Christ given love in us at all.

WE are to live our lives towards others as if we were living our lives towards Christ, towards God because we ARE seeking to do all things in Christ, out of the love of God.

If we are living to seek anything for ourselves before we seek to live for God we are not God's.

God first. And God first demands we love OTHERS as God loves us, as we would be loved by God.

So yes, let us wives submit to our husbands- just as we would submit to Christ.

Don't wait for your husband to be deserving. Christ didn't wait for us to be deserving.

Submission.

We are to submit to God.

Jas_4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submit to God-Resist the Devil.

This is very comprehensible to those who recognize their Creator and Redeemer. Yielding our lives to God, surrendering all we are to God truly does mean we have to resist evil. We have to make real decisions to surrender and real decisions to resist. Ask yourself why we would be told to submit, if there were no action needed on our part? Submission is a choice God asks us to make, it is not forced, if it is ever forced or if you believe it is forced then you are not submitting to the true God but one of millions made up by Satan to confuse and deceive people.

We are told elsewhere in the word of God this…

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

Wives are to submit to their husbands.  NOT a very popular belief nowadays. We are living in an age that is calling for non-submission, but rather equality. We want husbands to submit to their wives equally. Yet God's word calls for a wife to submit, why?

Throughout God's word there are plenty of women submitted to God, used of God for wonderful purposes.

Jdg 4:4  And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 

Deborah was a judge, and a judge in Biblical times, before they desired a monarchy, was the military leading force used by God to guide His people.

A woman, a married woman.

God calls for submission of wives to husbands, God tells us women are to know their place, and all we get out of this is God is wrong, God is against women superiority, God is against women ruling, God is against equality between men and women. If this is your take on God, then you don't believe God is love. And, if you don't believe God is love then you don't believe in God at all.

Submission is not an admission of inferiority. Submission is a choice made through love. When we are told to submit to our husbands, we are being told to recognize God in our marriage. 

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

Eph 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. 

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

Col 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 

Col 3:20  Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 

Col 3:21  Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 

Col 3:22  Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 

Col 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 

Col 3:24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 

Col 3:25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. 

The BIG picture here is….  Christ and His love for Us. 

As Christ LOVES us-  husbands are to love their wives.

As we LOVE Christ- wives are to love their husbands.

The relationship of love is revealed in our actions.  All too often we may witness a married couple in bitter fighting, in one belittling the other, in one not loving the other and it is no surprise considering the spiritual war going on with each individual as God desires the love of each of us and Satan desires our hatred of God.

Can we as wives submit to our husbands?  You may say yes, as long as… and the list begins, the conditions upon which you will submit arise. If he loves me then I will submit to him, but if he doesn't love me then I won't.

Ultimately we live for who? Who are we living for if we choose to love God?

Whatever we do….do it heartily as to the LORD not to men.

When we choose to submit to our husbands we are submitting to the LORD's WILL.  If our husbands do not choose to love us as Christ loves us, that is on him, not for us to use as an excuse to keep from submitting to them.

We are submitting ourselves and resisting the part of us that Satan would use to rebel against our husbands. Satan wants us to resist our husbands at every turn, because this will cause strife.

This needs more studying, at least, I need to study this more.

These words…

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

As it is fit in the Lord - this tells us our submission to our husbands must remain in the bounds of the love of God.  Is a wife to steal because a husband ask her to? Is a wife to kill because her husband demands this of her? No, and no.  As it is fit in the Lord would negate a wife submitting to committing acts of sin because it is asked of her.

Yes, more study on this tomorrow by the GRACE and WILL of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

All in the love of God, now and forever- all praise, thanksgiving and honor, all glory to God!

Spiritual Protective Custody

Submission.

Jas_4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

SUBMIT', v.i. To surrender; to yield one's person to the power of another; to give up resistance.  (Webster's)

Yielding ourselves to others isn't always easy. The fact we need to be told to submit implies we will want to resist, doesn't it?

Yielding ourselves to God, giving ourselves to God is comprehensible, isn't it? Letting God's power rule over us is a blessing to us. We pray for God's will to be done in our lives, and then sometimes when bad things happen we despise that it was God's will that they happen. I may keep revisiting this theme but it's true that people blame God for allowing the bad to happen. They have this idea if they were in God's shoes they'd never let evil happen at all. They would never allow a single innocent being be hurt in any way. And truly this is the thing most people want, isn't it? A life of what we consider fairness. Yet if we boil that life of fairness right down to its core we'd find us all instantly deserving of death upon our first true intention towards sin and all of us would die very, very, very young. We are blessed beyond measure to have a God who has made it so we have the opportunity to be forgiven for our evil choices. Do you think Noah and his family were without sin? They weren't. Noah found GRACE in the eyes of God. (Gen.6:8). To find the grace implies a need of grace.

God allows everything that happens, and it all happens for a purpose. That we have HOPE is the blessing that cannot be overlooked even as we suffer unimaginably throughout our lives if many ways large and small.

Yielding ourselves to God, is the recognition of our position of submission to our Creator, our Redeemer.

To recognize our submission to God is to place ourselves in spiritual protective custody, in a place that cannot be touched by anything that can spiritually harm us.

We are told to submit- to give up our resistance to God, and then we are told to resist the devil. We are not to submit to the devil, we are NOT to give up our resistance to the devil in any way. 

The devil would have us resist God, he wants us to resist submitting ourselves to the complete and utter authority of our Creator. The devil will convince people that giving up resistance to God is placing ourselves in the hands of a being who enjoys the agonies of life. The devil will tell us not to submit to a being that does not stop the unfair evils from attacking us throughout our lives. The devil shouts how can you submit to God when He lets such horrors happen!? The devil doesn't say that the only alternative to submitting to God, is submitting to him. One or the other, no in between. And if our choice to submit is to the one who is evil incarnate, the one who causes the evil for evil sake and not to the One who ultimately will eradicate all evil, then that is our fatal choice.  The devil would have people believe that they can choose neither God nor, him- that they can live for themselves and do not need to submit to any authority, or even recognize there is an authority over them. Spiritual blindness is a deceptive tool the devil uses all the time.

More on this tomorrow, by the grace of God!

May we choose the spiritual protective custody of submitting ourselves to God and resisting the devil!

All through the love of our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!