Tribulation-Patience-Experience-Hope.

Tribulation.

I know very few people who aren't faced with daily tribulations. Yes, some face greater tribulations than others I won't ever say otherwise, yet we all have tribulations.

Why do we have tribulations?

Tribulations WORK patience.

We do not comprehend the reason behind our trials, our troubles, our hurts, our pains, our agonies, our tragedies.  We witness the kindest people suffering. We watch the innocent suffer horrifically. We hear of the horrors that people face, and other people commit. We can't fathom the depths of depravity this world holds. No sooner does one atrocity occur then another takes its place, worse than the last. We agonize over the lives we are called to live. Through all this we still find joy, we experience hope, we know there is love beyond the hate.  We can ONLY believe and have faith through our SAVIOR.  This world will seek to destroy any hope, any faith we have. Time and time again we will realize the tribulations have purpose.

As long as we holdfast to faith those tribulations truly will work patience in us. The comprehension that we are subject to God's time, not out own.

We need to glory in tribulation so our patience grows, our experience deepens, our hope lives and that hope is nothing to be ashamed of because of the LOVE of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit gifted to us. This is TRUTH.

It is WHEN we were sinners- CHRIST died for us, not when we were sinless.

Christ died for us, the UNGODLY.

Christ is our all in all, Christ is our HOPE. WE have to look to Christ in all things…. ALL THINGS!

PLEASE LORD, please help us to be YOURS whatever that means, however it is done, please do this work in us we surrender wholly to YOU, and we seek to allow our tribulations to only make us have the patience we need, the experience we must have, the HOPE that is found in our SAVIOR!

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

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

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

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

Righteousness Only By Faith.

After Jesus died and rose, and returned to heaven, the disciples and apostles continued the work through the Holy Spirit. Try as they might the people chosen by God as a group prior to Christ's arrival, the Jewish people, did NOT want to believe their Messiah had arrived- not as a corporate whole. Jesus even said this--

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 

Mat 23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 

Mat 23:39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

Their house was left unto them desolate.  Still, the apostles and disciples all tried to bring truth to them and when they were unsuccessful they did taketh gospel truth to the gentiles, the non-Jewish people. When they began to do this there was a big deal over whether or not the new comers to Christ, to God the Father, to the Holy Spirit should have to be circumcised in order to prove their commitment to Christ.

The Jewish religion made a HUGE deal over being circumcised, it was a HUGE part of their religion, so when we read the following, basically what is being asked is whether or not Abraham- the father of those who became God's chosen- had faith counted to him as righteousness before or after he was circumcised.

Rom 4:10  How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 

Rom 4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also

The TRUTH- BEFORE CIRCUMCISION. It wasn't circumcision that made Abraham righteous! 

And just as it wasn't circumcision that made Him righteous there is NO thing we do that makes us righteous other than FAITH IN CHRIST and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.  You can't follow rules and regulations and expect them to make you righteous. You are righteous ONLY by CHRIST and those rules and regulations, those commandments and all that you follow- you do so as a result of the righteousness you receive.

Rom 4:12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 

Rom 4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 

The promise was through FAITH the RIGHTEOUSNESS of FAITH.

Rom 4:14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 

Rom 4:15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 

Rom 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 

Rom 4:19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 

Rom 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 

Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 

Rom 4:22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 

Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

We too only have righteousness through Faith- believing in our Savior.

Please Lord, we would believe- HELP THOU OUR UNBELIEF! 

All in the name of our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ now and forever!!!!!!!

Righteousness By Faith.

Righteousness by faith.

Abraham believed in God - FIRST, before anything else. The works Abraham committed were all done through faith. Abraham didn't work and expect that to count towards his salvation. We cannot expect any of our works to ear us salvation.

Let's study more of this-- read the following verses, and we'll go more in-depth with them tomorrow by the will of God.

All in the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Rom 4:10  How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 

Rom 4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 

Rom 4:12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 

Rom 4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 

Rom 4:14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 

Rom 4:15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 

Rom 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 

Rom 4:19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 

Rom 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 

Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 

Rom 4:22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 

Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

Jesus Kept the Moral Law Perfectly.

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God

Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

Rom 3:27  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 

Rom 3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

Rom 3:29  Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 

Rom 3:30  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 

Rom 3:31  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. 

The law of faith.

Justified by faith not the law.

The moral law doesn't justify us.

The moral law didn't justify Eve or Adam.  They had the moral law in their hearts upon their creation. They had no need for justification because they were created just. They were one with God the Father, one with God the Son, one with God the Holy Spirit. The moral law is simply living one with God loving Him and loving mankind. People want to rip apart the moral laws to suit their perversions of truth. The law, as was mentioned already, does not justify us. We can keep the moral law- love God and love our fellowman, but that never clears away any sin we've already committed. Keeping the moral law doesn't make us forgiven. After Eve and Adam decided to no longer live under the moral law, putting themselves before God, desiring to be a God in their own right with the knowledge of a god- when they decided this they sinned and in sinning they needed redemption, salvation, forgiveness and no law could give them that.

Years later when the moral law was written down and ceremonial laws were given as an example of the people's need for forgiveness for their continued sinning, their continued separating themselves from God, people began to believe wrongly that they were justified by the law. They would do this, that, and the other law and as long as they did they were justified. Remember this…

Mar 10:17  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 

Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 

Mar 10:19  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 

Mar 10:20  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 

Mar 10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 

Mar 10:22  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 

Having kept all the moral law from his youth, the man asking Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life wasn’t justified by doing so. The man lacked something. The man lacked the real desire to truly love God and put Him first.  The man was keeping the letter of the law, but not the heart of the law.

The law does NOT save us by itself.

Rom 3:31  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. 

But we cannot make VOID the law through our faith. We can't ignore the moral law because we have faith. Jesus lived the law perfectly- this is what not sinning means. Faith in the One, the only One who could keep the moral law wholly. And through our Savior, we can keep the moral law, the HEART and LETTER of the law as was intended from creation.  Remember, the law will be written on our hearts and in our minds.

Please, Father God, please we would have Your law written on our hearts and minds! We would be Yours! All through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!

The Forbearance of God.

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God

Truly we only have redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Sin is the transgression of the law.

1Jn_3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law

The law- the moral law of God is what we transgress against.  

Eve did NOT put God first, but herself and her desire to have more knowledge and be like God. Eve transgressed the moral law- the very first sin by human kind could only be a breaking of a moral law. There is no sin without a law.  You've heard tell people saying- 'There's no law against it…'  Whatever 'it' they are referring to is something they wish to do that is questionable. They are basically saying they can do the questionable act because there is no law saying it is wrong.  There is no sin unless there is something to sin against.  Eve didn't have the moral law written in stone, but it was in her heart upon her creation. Just as the angels in heaven have the moral law within them. And just as they had/have the moral law in their hearts we too will have the law in our hearts, kept to the letter through the grace and mercy of God's forgiveness.

All have sinned- all have transgressed the moral law of God, and come short of His glory.

We can ONLY be justified, made right in His sight, by the redemption our Savior, Christ Jesus offers. God has made it possible for us to no longer fall short of His glory.

Jesus did NOT fall short of God's glory. Jesus took on HUMAN flesh with all its ability to be tempted to sin. Jesus felt temptation, but never succumbed to the temptations.  Jesus did NOT use any special power to shield Himself from temptation. Jesus DID rely upon His Father to keep from falling to temptation- just as we are capable of-  THROUGH HIM.

As soon as Eve sinned, God put into action the contingency plan that had been created--

 (2Ti_1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

Tit_1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began)

The angels had chosen to sin- and when God, and God- the declared Son Jesus Christ- decided to create human kind they put a plan into place should they choose to succumb to temptation. So, as soon as Eve sinned, God put into action this plan and Jesus would be One to redeem us.

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. 

An enmity would be put between Satan and God's people, and that enmity would destroy Satan, even as Satan would be allowed to hurt the enmity.

We have to comprehend that our ONLY hope is in Christ, in recognizing our need of salvation, in recognizing the glory of God and His righteousness as the true love, as true life. 

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE and WILL of our LORD and SAVIOR. May our hearts and minds be open to His guidance, His enlightenment, His love now and forever!!!!!!!

A Jew Inwardly.

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 

Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. 

A Jew is simply the chosen of God. You do NOT have to be born a Jew to be a Jew, yet in our society today we believe this to be wrong. We called Jews those who are born into the Jewish religion and keep the Jewish faith. Yet, the followers of Christ were Jews, Paul was a Jew and when the followers weren't Jews it was noted- they were Gentiles. Paul was sent to preach to the gentiles and he wasn't sent to convert them to the Jewish faith, but rather into Christ's truth. The gentiles were not to be turned into followers of the Jewish faith yet they were to become Jews - INWARDLY a  follower of God, a chosen of God. Their token of being a follower of God was NOT to be the outward sign of circumcision, but an inward circumcision of the heart, in the spirit.

A heart circumcised in the spirit.  Truly this is a heart touched by God!

God chose a people and those people betrayed Him over and over again. The history of the Jewish people is one of backsliding and renewal, backsliding and renewal. Given leaders in judges, prophets, kings and they still consistently turned their backs on God and their promises to Him. Mankind is sinful, and even as those chosen by God they did not get rid of their tendency towards sin. God knew from the moment Eve and Adam chose to disobey, chose to no longer live in His love, that He could either destroy mankind He'd created or make a way to redeem them. He chose to make a way to redeem them. This way wouldn't be easy, it wouldn't be instantaneous, it would be long and trying for the humans he'd created but it was a plan of redemption and it would be for all mankind.

In this plan, God chose a people from those who believed upon Him, using them to father a nation of His people who would live as examples of His love, of the forgiveness He would give to them.  When Christ was born and lived His ministry He lived God on Earth. He broke past the tight knit, closed group of elitist who were once His chosen, and revealed the truth that was for ALL.

God's chosen- the Jewish - are Jewish in the heart through the spirit.

May we all be Jews - circumcised in our hearts though the spirit!!!!!!!

The Jewish people have endure much horror throughout history, just the other day I read an article about a certain sect of Jewish people are no longer going to wear an article that proclaims them to be Jewish because they were being attacked by Moslems.  There has been a great rise in Jewish hatred and it only continues. Yet, truly we are Jewish as God's followers, as Christ's followers, Jewish in truth, in heart. Christ Himself was Jewish and never gave up being Jewish. He did tell the Jewish religious leaders that they were left desolate, and that was truth. The legal, ceremonial laws were over when Christ became the sacrifice for our sins. The Jewish religion was forever changed, God's chosen people were being led down a new way, the way of Christ.

All through the Love of God may we be HIS no matter what!

Faith or Wrath- You Choose.

Rom 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 

Secrets judged.

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds

People ARE actually treasuring up wrath because of the hardness and impenitent heart they possess.  When the day of wrath, when the day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God is at hand all that wrath will be revealed. Do people really believe they won't be judged? Do they simply not care? Is there a callousness in people that causes them not to care about their eternal life, not to care about the judgement to come? Would they rather live their lives now content with the evil they may be incurring because they'd rather not believe they'll be judged? The unknown that calls for faith is something they'd rather choose not to believe in because…why, because they are too enlightened to care about something that is most likely a fairy tale of the highest order. They would rather live believing they can't be duped. They'll go to their graves secure in the knowledge they've remained true to their personal convictions. There simply isn't enough proof of the tangible sort for them to deign to have faith. So one of two things is going to happen- they'll be proven correct in their belief and they’ll never know they were correct because there won't be a resurrection, or they'll be proven incorrect in their belief and they'll know because they'll face a judgement at which point they will be judged in the wrath they incurred through their choice to not have faith.  If we choose to believe we lose nothing if we are proven wrong, we won't even know we were wrong in our faith. However if we choose to believe, truly believe and we are correct in our faith- what an amazing love we will be eternally alive to experience. We will have experienced that love in our lives here and now shrouded in a heavy fog of a sin-filled world, veiled by evil spirits, and we will recognize that love we know as we are lifted from the utter darkness of this current world and into the brilliant light of the Son of God!

Rom 14:10  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 

Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 

Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Gen 18:25  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 

Psa 9:7  But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 

Psa 9:8  And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. 

Psa 50:6  And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah. 

Psa 96:13  Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. 

Psa 98:9  Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. 

Ecc 3:17  I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 

Ecc 11:9  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 

Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 

Mat 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 

Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 

Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 

Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 

Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 

Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 

Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 

Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 

Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 

Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 

Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. 

Luk 8:17  For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

1Co 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment

1Pe 4:5  Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 

1Pe 4:5  Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished 

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.