But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.--James 1:22-25
To My Sweet Daughters,
When James uses the word "doer", he is emphasizing what a believer is rather than what he does. A Christian's entire life should be characterized by a dedication to serving the Lord. A doer of the word is one who devotes his life to not only the study of God's word but also to a faithful and continual obedience to it.His word matches his deed.
In contrast, a hearer of the word is a passive listener. John MacArthur likens them to someone who audits a college class. Auditing a class requires attendance, but it does not require you to submit any work or take any tests. Sadly, there are many Christians like that. They sit in church and hear God's word but have no desire to obey it. They may even claim to know Him and yet deny Him in their deeds. If this kind of behavior is evidenced consistently in a person's life, then they are not believers at all and are deceiving themselves.
James goes on to say this: "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was."
The word of God here is likened to a mirror. As we allow it to penetrate our hearts it shows us what we look like. What we see if we are really looking and drawing close to Jesus are those things that do not reflect who Jesus is to others in our life. Sometimes what the Lord might show us is very hard to look at and sometimes perhaps even to stomach. Nevertheless, we are to look carefully and consistently into the mirror of the word and observe what we see. A doer of the word acts on what they observe. The goal in the study and hearing of the word is to become more like Him...to be transformed by the renewing of your mind and conformed into the image of His Son.
Girls, it is so easy to stumble here and deceive yourself into thinking you are doing something when you are not. A bondservant of Christ will take what he sees to heart and apply the word in his life because pleasing Christ and becoming more like Him is what his life is about. It is so easy to read the bible or listen to a message at church and say, "oh yeah...I agree with that." but I deceive myself if having seen in the mirror what needs to be taken care of and neglect to do it. Talk, girls, is cheap. Agreeing that we should love more, forgive more, worship more or pray more is not loving more, forgiving more, worshiping more or praying more...it is talking about doing those things. When your heart truly believes God, your actions will follow your belief. Look at your lives...really look at them. Would a jury convict you of being a Christian based not only on your words but on your actions? There is no virtue in reading the bible or hearing the word of God. We need to be willing to obey what it says and allow it to change us from the inside out.
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. The blessing is not in the hearing but in the doing. The validation of salvation is a life of obedience. John MacArthur says it is the only possible proof that a person really knows Jesus Christ.
Luke 11:28 says, "But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"
The opposite is true for the hearer of the word. The hearing and not the doing can eventually harden us and make the word begin to bounce off our hearts. Even worse we become more accountable because we know what to do but do not do it. If one does not obey Christ as a pattern of life, then professing to know Him is an empty verbal exercise.
James 4:17 "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."
What is the perfect law of liberty? God's word is the perfect law and as believers we are enabled by the Spirit to keep it. The perfect law of liberty then enables us to have genuine freedom from sin as we surrender to the Holy Spirit's working of it into our hearts. We are freed from the bondage of sin and are able to obey God. I know it seems pretty paradoxical that a law could give us freedom...but it does.
"For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead."--Romans 7:5-8
At first the law is used a s a tutor to bring us to Christ by making us aware of the sinfulness of our hearts and our absolute inability to keep it and save ourselves. Once that job is complete, and we have accepted Christ into our hearts, we are free from sin's control and are able to live as we were originally created to live. We are not free to do as we please but we are now free to obey God.
Our study and meditation on the word should have practical results in our lives and draw us closer to Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. It frees us from the deceit and the useless wranglings and reasoning of this world and focuses our attention on eternity. The precepts of the word are not burdensome to a heart who desires to obey and will bring blessing abundantly.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." --Matthew 7:21-27
Love
Mom
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Christ Brings Division...
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW'; and 'A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.--Matthew 10:34-39
To My Sweet Daughters,
These are some tough, tough words. The ultimate end of the gospel is to bring peace with God. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, however, we enter into a war. We are now at peace with God but enemies of the world.
Jesus demands our all...He wants our whole hearts. There is nothing we are to put before Him. He talks of the cross at the end of this section of Scripture, reiterating that He is demanding total commitment from His disciples...a call to full surrender. When He comes into our hearts we become His bond servants. Our lives are His...they are no longer our own. Whatever we do now, we do in His name and for His glory. Jesus is not repudiating our earthly relationships or denying our responsibility to them, but He is making clear what our priorities should be. Our conversion can cause strain in our family relationships, persecution and even martyrdom.
Yes, Christ is called the Prince of Peace, but He says many times in His word that if we live for Him we will face conflicts, and endure hardship. Sure we can escape conflict but only by denying our God and compromising and witness and that would be sin. We will be misunderstood...we will be persecuted even by those who are the closest to us; yet we must not allow this to affect our witness.
If we are going to suffer though, make sure we suffer for Him...for His name...for righteousness. We do not want to suffer because we are obnoxious and difficult to be around. Yes, the cross is an offense but as Warren Wiersbe says...do not be an offensive Christian.
Love
Mom
Ingratitude...Isaiah 5
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.--Isaiah 5:7
To My Sweet Daughters,
Ingratitude, rejection and coming judgment..that is what this 5th chapter of Isaiah is about. God's Well-beloved, Israel, were to bear good fruit but instead they bore wild grapes. God had done so much for His precious vineyard...His chosen people...and instead of responding by lovingly serving Him and bringing Him who created and sustained them honor and glory, they chose instead to "forget Him" and go their own way and serve themselves...just as many did when Jesus came to the earth and just as many of us do today.
Read Matthew 21:33-46
“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘ The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet."
Hebrews 12:25 says this....
"See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, "
Girls, those who disobeyed the voice of God on Mount Sinai when the law was given were judged. We have been given so much more than they were. We have the blessings of the New Covenant written in the blood of God's Son. Christ is God's best and final revelation to us. If we refuse to hear Him, and reject the incomparable riches that are ours in Him, we will perish in our sins. We are more accountable than those on Mount Sinai. To whom much is given, much is required. If we turn away from Him who so graciously came down from heaven to speak to us, to die for us and even now beseeches us to be reconciled to Him, there will be no escape from the judgment to come.
Verses 8-23 in Isaiah 5 list some of the sins that the people were guilty of committing. Oppression, stealing, raucous, self-indulgent living, calling evil good and good evil, being wise in their own eyes and rejecting God's counsel. Justice was not to be found in the land. Isaiah goes on in verses 24-30 to pronounce judgment telling them it will come as fire devours stubble because they had rejected the law of the Lord and despised His word. The Lord will stretch out His hand against them and strike them and His anger will not be turned away and His hand outstretched still. Uh oh...
Roman 10:21 says, "But to Israel he says: "ALL DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND CONTRARY PEOPLE."
God's hand of mercy is outstretched to us today...not in judgment but in mercy. He is so patient with us. 2nd Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." He invites us to come to Him now in repentance and humility and accept His free offer. There will be an end to this time of grace and mercy...night will come. His patience with us makes us even more accountable and our sin greater. Today is the day to accept the precious gift that He offers. It is yours for the asking.
"Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? --Hebrews 10:29
Love
Mom
To My Sweet Daughters,
Ingratitude, rejection and coming judgment..that is what this 5th chapter of Isaiah is about. God's Well-beloved, Israel, were to bear good fruit but instead they bore wild grapes. God had done so much for His precious vineyard...His chosen people...and instead of responding by lovingly serving Him and bringing Him who created and sustained them honor and glory, they chose instead to "forget Him" and go their own way and serve themselves...just as many did when Jesus came to the earth and just as many of us do today.
Read Matthew 21:33-46
“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘ The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet."
Hebrews 12:25 says this....
"See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, "
Girls, those who disobeyed the voice of God on Mount Sinai when the law was given were judged. We have been given so much more than they were. We have the blessings of the New Covenant written in the blood of God's Son. Christ is God's best and final revelation to us. If we refuse to hear Him, and reject the incomparable riches that are ours in Him, we will perish in our sins. We are more accountable than those on Mount Sinai. To whom much is given, much is required. If we turn away from Him who so graciously came down from heaven to speak to us, to die for us and even now beseeches us to be reconciled to Him, there will be no escape from the judgment to come.
Verses 8-23 in Isaiah 5 list some of the sins that the people were guilty of committing. Oppression, stealing, raucous, self-indulgent living, calling evil good and good evil, being wise in their own eyes and rejecting God's counsel. Justice was not to be found in the land. Isaiah goes on in verses 24-30 to pronounce judgment telling them it will come as fire devours stubble because they had rejected the law of the Lord and despised His word. The Lord will stretch out His hand against them and strike them and His anger will not be turned away and His hand outstretched still. Uh oh...
Roman 10:21 says, "But to Israel he says: "ALL DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND CONTRARY PEOPLE."
God's hand of mercy is outstretched to us today...not in judgment but in mercy. He is so patient with us. 2nd Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." He invites us to come to Him now in repentance and humility and accept His free offer. There will be an end to this time of grace and mercy...night will come. His patience with us makes us even more accountable and our sin greater. Today is the day to accept the precious gift that He offers. It is yours for the asking.
"Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? --Hebrews 10:29
Love
Mom
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Thoughts on the Widow's Two Mites by Mikayla
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."--Luke 21:1-4
Thoughts on the Widow's Two Mites
by Mikayla
God is telling us to not hold things back. Give it all. God tells us to hold on light to the things of this earth, because soon we will be raptured. Be prepared to let go.
God tells us that we should give our whole heart to Him not just some. God tells us to put everything into things except sin. God wants us to keep away from sin.
God says in Matthew that we should not seek reward from men but from God.
God says it doesn't matter how much you put in...what matters is the heart behind it. When you give to God do not give Him empty gifts.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Love Covers a Multitude of Sins...
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
To My Sweet Daughters,
"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” I have spent so much time in the Scriptures in the verses that speak to love and have come to the conclusion that love truly is the answer to all things. God is love and if we put on His love and surrender to His Spirit whose love is shed abroad in our hearts our relationship with Him and with those around us will be, as much as depends on us, peaceable and pure. For those that Peter was writing to who were facing persecution putting on love was especially important so as not to let Satan gain any foothold and stir up divisions and discord.
The word fervent in this verse means to be stretched to the limit...stretched like a rubber band to its breaking point. THAT is a lot of love. It is the kind of love that is self-sacrificing and puts others needs and spiritual good ahead of our own...despite...and this is so important...how we are treated. Christ is our perfect example here. (Read Isaiah 50, Isaiah 52 and 53, read the gospel accounts of His suffering and death.) We are to put on love even when we are being treated unkindly, ungraciously, or even with hostility. We are to have mercy with the faults of others and be patient and not retaliate even when we are being mistreated. That girls is a very tall order and obviously cannot be done in our own strength. It is loving others with His supernatural love and remembering why....because the end of all things is at hand. Show others Christ...Show them His love....bring them to Him who can save them from an eternity without Him. In the end it is all that matters.
Anything done without self giving love is empty and vain. Anything done in the love that God pours out in our hearts for us will not fail. It will bring about the purpose that He intended for it. God's love is everlasting and permanent. His love outlasts all failures. Even if I do the wrong thing but I do it in Him my love it will have an effect for good.
Just to be clear here is the Scriptural definition of love. This is from John MacArthur's commentary on First Corinthians 13:4-7.
"Positively, love is patient with people and gracious to them with generosity. Negatively love never envies, or brags, or is arrogant, since that is the opposite of selfless service to others. It is never rude or overbearing, love never wants its own way, is not irritated or angered in personal offense, and finds no pleasure in someone else's sin, even the sin of an enemy. On the positive side again, love is devoted to the truth in everything. With regard to "all things" within God's righteous and gracious will, love protects, believes, hopes, and endures what others reject. Love outlasts all failures. Love is divine...it is from Him.
Love will cover a multitude of sins is quoted from Proverbs 10:12 which says, "Hatred stirs up strife but love will cover all sins." God's love covered our sins even when we were still His enemies. Romans 5:8 says this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." We are to be forgiving to those Christ has placed in our lives as He was and is. We are especially called to overlook sins and offenses against us and always be ready to forgive them when they occur. We are not to keep the pot boiling returning evil for evil, but instead we are to love our enemies and do good to those who spitefully use us. Why? Because our job is to be about His business...we are to reflect Him in all we do. This life is not about us. It is about Him...it is His story. For us to get in the way with our own offenses is wrong. There are people dying without Christ. We are to be looking to shine His light not to justify ourselves. Christ is the just and the justifier. Commit yourself to Him. who judges righteously. Let Him fight your battles for you.....You hold your peace.
Love does not dismiss sin and these verses do not preclude the discipline of a sinning church member. (see Matthew 18:15-18 and 1 Cor 5) If someone we love is sinning, we are grieved for them because we know they are hurting not only themselves but others also. James 5:20 speaks to this also.
"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
As much as depends on us, we are to live peaceably. The sins of others should not be broadcast about. They should not be gossiped about or told in detail to others so that they can "pray with more knowledge." When we love another, we cover his faults. We turn our eyes away or throw a blanket on them so to speak. We pray for those involved and remember what Jesus said in the gospel of Luke.
" Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Love suffers long and is kind...it bears all things. Our God is the God who sees...their sins are not hidden from Him." They will be brought to light in His timing. Your job is to cover them in love and to remember that evil is overcome by good. A Christ follower should be KNOWN by the love he has for His God and the love he shows to his brethren.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”--John 13:34-35
Love
Mom
To My Sweet Daughters,
"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” I have spent so much time in the Scriptures in the verses that speak to love and have come to the conclusion that love truly is the answer to all things. God is love and if we put on His love and surrender to His Spirit whose love is shed abroad in our hearts our relationship with Him and with those around us will be, as much as depends on us, peaceable and pure. For those that Peter was writing to who were facing persecution putting on love was especially important so as not to let Satan gain any foothold and stir up divisions and discord.
The word fervent in this verse means to be stretched to the limit...stretched like a rubber band to its breaking point. THAT is a lot of love. It is the kind of love that is self-sacrificing and puts others needs and spiritual good ahead of our own...despite...and this is so important...how we are treated. Christ is our perfect example here. (Read Isaiah 50, Isaiah 52 and 53, read the gospel accounts of His suffering and death.) We are to put on love even when we are being treated unkindly, ungraciously, or even with hostility. We are to have mercy with the faults of others and be patient and not retaliate even when we are being mistreated. That girls is a very tall order and obviously cannot be done in our own strength. It is loving others with His supernatural love and remembering why....because the end of all things is at hand. Show others Christ...Show them His love....bring them to Him who can save them from an eternity without Him. In the end it is all that matters.
Anything done without self giving love is empty and vain. Anything done in the love that God pours out in our hearts for us will not fail. It will bring about the purpose that He intended for it. God's love is everlasting and permanent. His love outlasts all failures. Even if I do the wrong thing but I do it in Him my love it will have an effect for good.
Just to be clear here is the Scriptural definition of love. This is from John MacArthur's commentary on First Corinthians 13:4-7.
"Positively, love is patient with people and gracious to them with generosity. Negatively love never envies, or brags, or is arrogant, since that is the opposite of selfless service to others. It is never rude or overbearing, love never wants its own way, is not irritated or angered in personal offense, and finds no pleasure in someone else's sin, even the sin of an enemy. On the positive side again, love is devoted to the truth in everything. With regard to "all things" within God's righteous and gracious will, love protects, believes, hopes, and endures what others reject. Love outlasts all failures. Love is divine...it is from Him.
Love will cover a multitude of sins is quoted from Proverbs 10:12 which says, "Hatred stirs up strife but love will cover all sins." God's love covered our sins even when we were still His enemies. Romans 5:8 says this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." We are to be forgiving to those Christ has placed in our lives as He was and is. We are especially called to overlook sins and offenses against us and always be ready to forgive them when they occur. We are not to keep the pot boiling returning evil for evil, but instead we are to love our enemies and do good to those who spitefully use us. Why? Because our job is to be about His business...we are to reflect Him in all we do. This life is not about us. It is about Him...it is His story. For us to get in the way with our own offenses is wrong. There are people dying without Christ. We are to be looking to shine His light not to justify ourselves. Christ is the just and the justifier. Commit yourself to Him. who judges righteously. Let Him fight your battles for you.....You hold your peace.
Love does not dismiss sin and these verses do not preclude the discipline of a sinning church member. (see Matthew 18:15-18 and 1 Cor 5) If someone we love is sinning, we are grieved for them because we know they are hurting not only themselves but others also. James 5:20 speaks to this also.
"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
As much as depends on us, we are to live peaceably. The sins of others should not be broadcast about. They should not be gossiped about or told in detail to others so that they can "pray with more knowledge." When we love another, we cover his faults. We turn our eyes away or throw a blanket on them so to speak. We pray for those involved and remember what Jesus said in the gospel of Luke.
" Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Love suffers long and is kind...it bears all things. Our God is the God who sees...their sins are not hidden from Him." They will be brought to light in His timing. Your job is to cover them in love and to remember that evil is overcome by good. A Christ follower should be KNOWN by the love he has for His God and the love he shows to his brethren.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”--John 13:34-35
Love
Mom
Do we have a God or do we have a GOD??!! by Anna
."I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, who carry the wood of their carved image, and pray to a... god that cannot save. “Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from the ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”--Isaiah 45:18-22
Okay, hands up if every time you read this you feel like shouting to the world that this LORD is the one you serve. This awe-inspiring, Kingly, give-you-goose-bumps LORD is the one we have the utmost privilege of being allowed to serve. (Yes, I know, weak adjectives. But give me a break; the Bible happens to be the only book in the world capable of rendering me speechless. There you go; that’s the biggest adjective you can get from me.) Reading this a few days ago, I was suddenly and powerfully moved to do a completely undignified dance/jig across our den floor in my sneakers and holding a rather large Bible above my head. (Whether or not I did is none of your business.)
But seriously! Read it over again. See how thrilling it is? It’s a call to arms. It’s a call to abandon humanity’s various false gods, from carved wooden idols of times past and to the modern idols of today. It’s a ringing battle cry. It’s a challenge that none can answer. It’s a declaration exponentially more goose-bump-giving (I know, I know, but it’s all I’ve got!) than the Declaration of Independence. (And trust me, I’ve read the Declaration. That’s some moving stuff.) And, last but certainly not least, it’s a Father’s heartfelt plea for His beloved children to return to Him and be saved. And it manages all those pleas and calls simultaneously, in a few indescribably wonderful verses.
Do we have a God or do we have a GOD??!!
The Branch of the LORD...
Chapter 3 in Isaiah picks up where Chapter 2 left off except it is clear that it is Judah and Jerusalem which God has in view when speaking in regard to the coming judgment. God's people had fallen into a pattern of continual sin. They had rejected their God who had brought them up as a loving Father...cared for them and provided for all there needs and instead were trusting in things that did not profit and would lead them into death. (man, gold, silver, horses, chariots, themselves, the work of their own hands) As you read the first several verses it seems that God Himself is weakening them and preparing them for judgment. He gave them children to be their princes and babes to rule over them. Think for a moment what it would mean to have children or a baby ruling over you. An infant is self-centered, self-focused, cannot control its own body functions and absolutely cannot guide anyone down a right path. Disorder, confusion and chaos result when God does not have first place in a society. There was a leadership vacuum because no one wanted to take charge when things were so bad.
Hope comes in verses 10 and 11 when God says it would be well with the righteous...they would get their reward and as for the wicked it would be ill with them and they would receive the reward of his hands.
Verse 8 speaks to exactly what happened. "For Jerusalem has stumbled and and Judah has fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord. Their word and deed were against their Lord. Isaiah goes on to say that they were provoking the eyes of His glory and that the look on their faces witnessed against them. He also says that they did not hide their sin but declared it openly and have brought judgment on themselves. Rather than being ashamed of their sin they flaunted it...they were proud of themselves for what they were doing.
Isaiah goes on in verses 13 to condemn the oppression of the poor and then speaks specifically to the women of the land who he says were haughty and walking in pride. They had become ensnared by wealth, fashion and status and no longer valued spiritual things. They were living on substitutes that were empty and would have no meaning in the day of judgment. His words to them at the end of chapter 3 are very pointed.
"And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war. Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground."--Isaiah 3:24-26
Chapter 4 speaks to a better day coming. This day is in direct contrast to the day of judgment. It is the day that Jesus, "the Branch of the Lord" returns. He shall be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth excellent and appealing. The Lord will come in glory and rule on the earth. Isaiah's words are beautiful.
"In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain."
If Jesus dwells in your heart, you can have this today...right now. Why wait??? Bring Jesus, beautiful and glorious into your life. He will wash you clean and His presence will dwell within your heart. He will be your shade in the daytime from the heat. He will be your refuge and your shelter from the storm and rain. Jesus is your recourse...accept the refuge that He affords. Matthew 11:28-30 speaks to this perfectly.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Love
Mom
Hope comes in verses 10 and 11 when God says it would be well with the righteous...they would get their reward and as for the wicked it would be ill with them and they would receive the reward of his hands.
Verse 8 speaks to exactly what happened. "For Jerusalem has stumbled and and Judah has fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord. Their word and deed were against their Lord. Isaiah goes on to say that they were provoking the eyes of His glory and that the look on their faces witnessed against them. He also says that they did not hide their sin but declared it openly and have brought judgment on themselves. Rather than being ashamed of their sin they flaunted it...they were proud of themselves for what they were doing.
Isaiah goes on in verses 13 to condemn the oppression of the poor and then speaks specifically to the women of the land who he says were haughty and walking in pride. They had become ensnared by wealth, fashion and status and no longer valued spiritual things. They were living on substitutes that were empty and would have no meaning in the day of judgment. His words to them at the end of chapter 3 are very pointed.
"And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war. Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground."--Isaiah 3:24-26
Chapter 4 speaks to a better day coming. This day is in direct contrast to the day of judgment. It is the day that Jesus, "the Branch of the Lord" returns. He shall be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth excellent and appealing. The Lord will come in glory and rule on the earth. Isaiah's words are beautiful.
"In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain."
If Jesus dwells in your heart, you can have this today...right now. Why wait??? Bring Jesus, beautiful and glorious into your life. He will wash you clean and His presence will dwell within your heart. He will be your shade in the daytime from the heat. He will be your refuge and your shelter from the storm and rain. Jesus is your recourse...accept the refuge that He affords. Matthew 11:28-30 speaks to this perfectly.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Love
Mom
Monday, April 11, 2011
Living in the Light of Eternity...1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers..--1 Peter 4:7
To My Sweet Daughters,
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. Be sober minded...be cool, calm and collected. Remember your end destination. Do not take your eyes off the prize. Live your life always with eternity stamped on your foreheads. Do not go off on any wild interpretations of Scripture in regard to end times. Keep your feet firmly planted in what the Word actually says. There are warnings in Scripture in regard to setting dates for Christ return. (See Matt 25:13 and Acts 1:6-8) But no matter what your eschatology, we are to live our lives always in the light of Christ's imminent return. The important thing that each of us remember is that we shall see the Lord one day and stand before Him. How you are judged and how you are rewarded will be based on how you are living your lives right now. Therefore, be sober minded. Know what the word says. Know what it says about end times. Good doctrine leads to right living. Wrong doctrine to wrong living. Be aware of what is happening in the world you live in...it will encourage your faith.
With that said it is important also to remember that Peter was writing to a persecuted people, many of whom would be martyred for their faith. He was probably reminding them that sure, the end of all things could be near and yes, it could be nearer for you than for others so no matter the situation, be serious and watchful in your relationship with your Lord. You could be standing before Him sooner than you might think. The end for any of us could happen at any moment. None of us know how long we have. In light of that, do not let your prayers be hindered by panic and emotional instability in regard to your circumstances. Do not allow stress to come between you and your fellowship with Him. Stay grounded in the Word and remember who your God is and do His work...drawing many to Him while you are here by both your word and your deeds. The end is near girls, live your lives for Him...live them as if you could lose them in the next moment. The only thing that will be important when you are face to face with Him who saved you, is whether you surrendered to Him here and did that which pleased Him. Eternity is what matters and the moment is all any of us have. Use it wisely.
Love
Mom
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Php 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Heb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Jas 5:8-9 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
2Pe 3:9-11 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
1Pe 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1Th 5:6-9 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
To My Sweet Daughters,
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. Be sober minded...be cool, calm and collected. Remember your end destination. Do not take your eyes off the prize. Live your life always with eternity stamped on your foreheads. Do not go off on any wild interpretations of Scripture in regard to end times. Keep your feet firmly planted in what the Word actually says. There are warnings in Scripture in regard to setting dates for Christ return. (See Matt 25:13 and Acts 1:6-8) But no matter what your eschatology, we are to live our lives always in the light of Christ's imminent return. The important thing that each of us remember is that we shall see the Lord one day and stand before Him. How you are judged and how you are rewarded will be based on how you are living your lives right now. Therefore, be sober minded. Know what the word says. Know what it says about end times. Good doctrine leads to right living. Wrong doctrine to wrong living. Be aware of what is happening in the world you live in...it will encourage your faith.
With that said it is important also to remember that Peter was writing to a persecuted people, many of whom would be martyred for their faith. He was probably reminding them that sure, the end of all things could be near and yes, it could be nearer for you than for others so no matter the situation, be serious and watchful in your relationship with your Lord. You could be standing before Him sooner than you might think. The end for any of us could happen at any moment. None of us know how long we have. In light of that, do not let your prayers be hindered by panic and emotional instability in regard to your circumstances. Do not allow stress to come between you and your fellowship with Him. Stay grounded in the Word and remember who your God is and do His work...drawing many to Him while you are here by both your word and your deeds. The end is near girls, live your lives for Him...live them as if you could lose them in the next moment. The only thing that will be important when you are face to face with Him who saved you, is whether you surrendered to Him here and did that which pleased Him. Eternity is what matters and the moment is all any of us have. Use it wisely.
Love
Mom
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Php 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Heb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Jas 5:8-9 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
2Pe 3:9-11 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
1Pe 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1Th 5:6-9 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Even the Night will be Light About Me...by Rebecca
How Job’s heart must have been pained within him! He was in the midst of a manifold, blazingly intense trial. He had suffered losses to an extreme most of us can’t even relate to. What is it like to lose ALL of your children – seven sons... and three daughters – in one fell swoop? What is it like to be the greatest of all the people of the East, a man before whom princes and kings fall silent, and then suddenly become their taunt and mocking song? What is it like to be healthy, energetic, and in your prime one day, and covered in excruciating boils the next? What is it like to possess great wealth one moment, and be impoverished a moment later? What is it like to be treacherously accused and browbeaten by your friends, and to have your very breath be hateful to your wife?
Worse – what is it like to have all these things happen simultaneously?
Yet in all these things Job did not charge God with wrong. He did not curse God and die (as his wife urged him to do). He did not lash out at his friends. He did not rant and rage. He held fast to his integrity and remained faithful to his beloved Lord, even though that Lord had caused his distress and seemed far, far away.
However, Job did mourn for his losses. He longed for months past, when he could SEE the Lord’s good hand upon him for good, and SEE the light in the darkness. Now those days were gone and Job was surrounded by night.
Psalm 139:7-12, “Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”
Our circumstances change. Our moods change. Our thoughts change. God does not. What we perceive as darkness is light to the Lord, because He sees the whole picture. He does not send His children evil or darkness. Even our blackest, most painful situations – such as Job’s – are ultimately good. The Lord did not send Job affliction carelessly or without purpose! He was intimately acquainted with Job’s every tear, every cry, and every hurt. He bore them all. (Isaiah 53:4) But, as a loving Father, the Lord cared more for Job’s character than his comfort. He was using Job’s temporary affliction to work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and the very things Job sorrowed over now would later become reasons to dance!
No matter how fiery the trial, how painful the situation, how black the night, or how seemingly irrevocable the loss, a child of God has no reason to sorrow as those who have no hope. Even the darkness is light to him!
Do you fear loss? Is your heart broken? Do you long for days gone past? Do you despair of ever seeing the dawn? Don’t! You are cradled in the hands of the Living, Loving God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Didn’t He die for you? Didn’t He bear your sins in His body while you were yet His enemy? Didn’t He endure unfathomable suffering for your sake? He has not changed! He causes even the night to be light about you. The thorns that pierce your flesh and the sorrows that break your heart are simply refiner’s fire, purifying something precious and beloved. He sees the truth even when you don’t. And even you can’t take yourself out of His hand.
Isaiah 49:15-16, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”
Worse – what is it like to have all these things happen simultaneously?
Yet in all these things Job did not charge God with wrong. He did not curse God and die (as his wife urged him to do). He did not lash out at his friends. He did not rant and rage. He held fast to his integrity and remained faithful to his beloved Lord, even though that Lord had caused his distress and seemed far, far away.
However, Job did mourn for his losses. He longed for months past, when he could SEE the Lord’s good hand upon him for good, and SEE the light in the darkness. Now those days were gone and Job was surrounded by night.
Psalm 139:7-12, “Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”
Our circumstances change. Our moods change. Our thoughts change. God does not. What we perceive as darkness is light to the Lord, because He sees the whole picture. He does not send His children evil or darkness. Even our blackest, most painful situations – such as Job’s – are ultimately good. The Lord did not send Job affliction carelessly or without purpose! He was intimately acquainted with Job’s every tear, every cry, and every hurt. He bore them all. (Isaiah 53:4) But, as a loving Father, the Lord cared more for Job’s character than his comfort. He was using Job’s temporary affliction to work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and the very things Job sorrowed over now would later become reasons to dance!
No matter how fiery the trial, how painful the situation, how black the night, or how seemingly irrevocable the loss, a child of God has no reason to sorrow as those who have no hope. Even the darkness is light to him!
Do you fear loss? Is your heart broken? Do you long for days gone past? Do you despair of ever seeing the dawn? Don’t! You are cradled in the hands of the Living, Loving God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Didn’t He die for you? Didn’t He bear your sins in His body while you were yet His enemy? Didn’t He endure unfathomable suffering for your sake? He has not changed! He causes even the night to be light about you. The thorns that pierce your flesh and the sorrows that break your heart are simply refiner’s fire, purifying something precious and beloved. He sees the truth even when you don’t. And even you can’t take yourself out of His hand.
Isaiah 49:15-16, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Why God had to Become a Man...
Bill and I both heard this story told many years ago but forget the who or the where. Bill retells it here. It speaks to the "why" of God becoming a Man.You can read the entire study here.
The story is set in the Midwestern United States during the onset of a Christmas Eve blizzard. A man, a decent man, who was both a loving father and a good husband, could no longer play the hypocrite in regard to celebrating the birth of a Person in which he had never really believed. He could not, in all honesty, overcome the absurdity of the thought that God, if He existed at all, would become a Man. Previous to this, he had tried, for the sake of his wife and two children, to overcome his disbelief and join in the Christian rituals, but it was becoming an increasing strain. Finally, during this Christmas, he could support the facade no longer.
Gently, he explained to his family why he would not be joining them at the church service that evening. Though sad, they respected his integrity and promised to pray for him, that God would give him some substantive sign that would overcome his doubts. He thanked them and kissed them good-bye, and afterwards watched the family car disappear down the road toward the church several miles away. Sighing, he went back inside the warm house, rebuilt the fire in the family room hearth, and settled down for a melancholy evening watching the news.
The weather report warned of a sudden and severe snow storm approaching over the Great Lakes, gathering fierce intensity as it barreled in their direction. His first impulse was to pray for his family's safety, but he shook his head in self-deprecation at the reflexive action. Pray to Whom? A Being he did not believe existed, or cared? Instead he comforted himself with the reminder that his wife was a skilled driver, that the church was a sensible and caring group of people who would ensure the safety of its members, and he sat back down in his favorite chair by the hearth and began to read a beloved book.
His peace was disrupted minutes later by a sudden loud crack against the front picture window. Although the curtain was open, he could not see outside because of the reading lamp, so he got up from his seat, and switched off the light.
Outside it was beginning to snow, and he was surprised to see that the blizzard had already begun. A beautiful shimmering white blanket was quickly coating the world within view, and he would have been utterly content had his wife a children been safely inside. As it was, he was only mildly concerned, yet still fascinated with the sudden shift in the weather as he gazed like a little child at the cascade of white flakes reflected in the street lamp by the street.
Thwack!
He literally jumped away from the glass at the noise. It sounded like a rock had been thrown at some force at the window. He caught a flash of something striking the glass but then it dropped from sight.
He approached again cautiously, grateful no cracks had appeared.
Thwack!
He was better prepared this time and actually saw a bird fling itself full force at the window.
"What the…?" he said to himself out loud.
Then it happened again.
"Stupid bird! What are you thinking?"
Then a fourth sally at the glass, but this time the disoriented creature hit the brick windowsill on the way down and seemed to drop quickly, rather than fly out of sight.
Compassion filled the man and he quickly went to the hall closet for boots, coat and gloves, and ventured outdoors.
It was shockingly cold with a strong frigid wind that cut through his outer garments.
He fought against the wind to the place where the bird had fallen, and there it lay, almost completely covered in snow by now, apparently lifeless.
Pity filled the man, and he bent down in an attempt to rescue the hapless, uncomprehending creature. Perhaps, it was not dead and he could bring it inside to the warmth and light, and save it from certain death.
But as he came close, the bird revived and, in panic, attempted to fly into the night.
It flapped pathetically across the ground, unable to gain altitude, tumbling finally into the snow in a tangle of wings and feathers, its head trembling visibly in terror; its whole frame shaking in apoplectic fright.
The man cursed in frustration under his breath, concluding that if he tried to intervene so directly again, rather than saving it, he would scare the bird to death.
An idea came to him, so he went up to his front door, opened it to the wind and snow, and quickly circled back behind the bird, thinking to scare it into the light emanating through the door from the warm fire.
Misinterpreting this rescue attempt again as an attack, the bird flapped its wings frantically and took off away from the house into the swirling snow and killing cold.
It did not get far before it collapsed again under the streetlight.
Strangely, the man found himself near tears. All he wanted was to save the stupid creature from itself. It was smart enough to try to fly into the light of the window, but not smart enough to be shown the way through the door, the only safe entrance.
He stood helpless in the cold, cursing the cruel senselessness of life, frantically trying to come up with some kind of solution, all the while wondering why he even bothered or cared.
If only I could become a bird, he thought to himself finally, and show it the way into the light and warmth of the house, then it would live.
The man's mind and heart leapt at the thought.
Of course! Then it struck him like a winter thunderbolt. The only way the bird could know and trust his good intentions is if he somehow communicated to it at a level and in a way it could comprehend; as a bird, to a bird.
An hour later, his wife found him sitting in front of the fire with a towel bundled on his lap.
He turned to face her as she came through the door, stamping the snow from her boots. The two children were still outside, romping in the pure, gleaming, snow-blanketed front yard.
There were tears in his eyes.
"Honey!" she said in alarm. "What's wrong?"
Gently, he gathered the towel from his lap, unfolded a corner and lifted it up so she could see. Inside, was a bright-eyed, bedraggled young sparrow, looking alertly around and blinking at the sudden onslaught of light.
He covered it again quickly and set it equally gently on the floor.
She went to him then, and knelt carefully beside him on by the chair, marveling at the tears reflected in his eyes.
"Are you OK?" she asked brushing her thumb against his face.
"I am sorry," he managed to rasp from an emotion-laden throat. "Sorry I was so stupid all these years not to see what was right in front of my face."
"See what, sweetheart? What do you mean?"
She had never seen him in such a state before, and was beginning to become frightened.
"I know why Christ became a Man," he replied in a ragged whisper. "I was just too stupid and frightened to see… until tonight."
The Great Rift....by Rebecca
You can almost hear Paul’s heart crying out in this chapter! “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” (Vs. 1)
There is a fine line between a carnal Christian and a “Christian” whom Christ never knew. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29); once saved, you are forever saved. NO ONE can snatch you out of your Father’s hand. However, if your faith is genuine, it will endure. If you are among those who turn back, or “fall away,” or contentedly practice sin, then it very likely that you have deceived yourself. You are not saved and you never were.
Many of the Corinthians, it seems, were perilously close to this point, and Paul knew it. He loved these people as his precious children in the faith, yet here they were, separating themselves further and further from the Lord, and becoming married to the world. Come back, Paul is pleading. I was there! I remember the day you claimed to have accepted the Lord! He granted me the privilege of laboring with Him for you! Don’t let that day be in vain!
Paul laid himself out there for the Corinthians. He held nothing back. He spoke openly and his heart was wide open, longing for them. “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” (2 Corinthians 12:15)
Tragically, the more Paul reached out to the Corinthians, and the more Christlike his love for them became, the more they pushed him away. What else was to be expected? Those in the Corinth fellowship who were divorcing themselves from the Lord would, as a result, naturally divorce themselves from Paul. “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” (Vs. 14-16)
“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (Vs. 3-10)
It wasn’t Paul who had caused the rift between him and his children in the faith. He even hated having to lay out his innocence or credibility for them. (2 Corinthians 12:11, “I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me.”) Paul’s heart was open. The Corinthians may have blamed him for whatever troubles they were having, but it was their own adulterous affections that restricted them from the fullness of the Lord. They were behaving as prideful, stubborn, rebellious children, willfully trying to be a part of the world they ought to have had no part in.
Be open! Paul begs them. Don’t cut yourself off from your Creator! Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers! There is nothing to be gained by joining with the world. It does not profit; it chews you up, spits you out, and leaves you in outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth – forever. The world’s lures are deceptive. Its bait conceals a hook. It way leads to destruction. It is apart from God, and apart from God there is nothing good. Paul knew all this, and he earnestly desired the Corinthians to know it too, before they had to learn it the hard way.
James 4:4-5, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”
If you divorce yourself from the Lord and His people to follow the world’s system, you are, in fact, choosing the very definition of “hell.” Hell is separation from God. We know that every “good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) But what happens when the human soul refuses all that is good? The Lord gave us free will. He will honor our choice. He will ultimately give that soul its own way – and there is, perhaps, nothing quite so chillingly devastating.
Paul did not want his Corinthian beloved to stand before Christ and hear the crushing words, “‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 22:23)
The rift between the Corinthians and Paul was simply a manifestation of a greater rift, one that was between the Corinthians and their Lord. Jesus gave His heart’s blood, His very life, to heal that kind of rift. You have a choice. Jesus pleads with you, even now, just as He pled with the Corinthians. Please don’t turn Him away.
2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.’”
There is a fine line between a carnal Christian and a “Christian” whom Christ never knew. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29); once saved, you are forever saved. NO ONE can snatch you out of your Father’s hand. However, if your faith is genuine, it will endure. If you are among those who turn back, or “fall away,” or contentedly practice sin, then it very likely that you have deceived yourself. You are not saved and you never were.
Many of the Corinthians, it seems, were perilously close to this point, and Paul knew it. He loved these people as his precious children in the faith, yet here they were, separating themselves further and further from the Lord, and becoming married to the world. Come back, Paul is pleading. I was there! I remember the day you claimed to have accepted the Lord! He granted me the privilege of laboring with Him for you! Don’t let that day be in vain!
Paul laid himself out there for the Corinthians. He held nothing back. He spoke openly and his heart was wide open, longing for them. “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” (2 Corinthians 12:15)
Tragically, the more Paul reached out to the Corinthians, and the more Christlike his love for them became, the more they pushed him away. What else was to be expected? Those in the Corinth fellowship who were divorcing themselves from the Lord would, as a result, naturally divorce themselves from Paul. “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” (Vs. 14-16)
“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (Vs. 3-10)
It wasn’t Paul who had caused the rift between him and his children in the faith. He even hated having to lay out his innocence or credibility for them. (2 Corinthians 12:11, “I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me.”) Paul’s heart was open. The Corinthians may have blamed him for whatever troubles they were having, but it was their own adulterous affections that restricted them from the fullness of the Lord. They were behaving as prideful, stubborn, rebellious children, willfully trying to be a part of the world they ought to have had no part in.
Be open! Paul begs them. Don’t cut yourself off from your Creator! Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers! There is nothing to be gained by joining with the world. It does not profit; it chews you up, spits you out, and leaves you in outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth – forever. The world’s lures are deceptive. Its bait conceals a hook. It way leads to destruction. It is apart from God, and apart from God there is nothing good. Paul knew all this, and he earnestly desired the Corinthians to know it too, before they had to learn it the hard way.
James 4:4-5, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”
If you divorce yourself from the Lord and His people to follow the world’s system, you are, in fact, choosing the very definition of “hell.” Hell is separation from God. We know that every “good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) But what happens when the human soul refuses all that is good? The Lord gave us free will. He will honor our choice. He will ultimately give that soul its own way – and there is, perhaps, nothing quite so chillingly devastating.
Paul did not want his Corinthian beloved to stand before Christ and hear the crushing words, “‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 22:23)
The rift between the Corinthians and Paul was simply a manifestation of a greater rift, one that was between the Corinthians and their Lord. Jesus gave His heart’s blood, His very life, to heal that kind of rift. You have a choice. Jesus pleads with you, even now, just as He pled with the Corinthians. Please don’t turn Him away.
2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.’”
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Lord Fights for You...
Deuteronomy 3:22 You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you.'
To My Sweet Daughters,
Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear causes us to turn away from God and doubt and disobey Him especially when we face trying circumstances. Girls, our God is the El Shaddai...the God Almighty, the all powerful, all sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.
This is the God that fights for you. Don't be afraid and don't turn back. Remember what God said to Abraham, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." We, like Abraham, have got everything we need in Him. Our God is our portion and our inheritance. The Lord has it all...we can rely on Him. Our strength is in Him whose strength never fails. There is no reason to fear.
We can depend on Him no matter our circumstances...no matter how we feel. Our God loves us and He is faithful. He cannot deny Himself or His own. He does not change. God's answer to Abraham's fear is His answer to our fear. We are to get our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and remember who He is. He is our shield and our exceedingly great reward. He is still on His throne working all things together in our lives for His glory and our good. He will remember His own and act on their behalf.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.--Psalm 84:11
Love
Mom
To My Sweet Daughters,
Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear causes us to turn away from God and doubt and disobey Him especially when we face trying circumstances. Girls, our God is the El Shaddai...the God Almighty, the all powerful, all sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.
This is the God that fights for you. Don't be afraid and don't turn back. Remember what God said to Abraham, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." We, like Abraham, have got everything we need in Him. Our God is our portion and our inheritance. The Lord has it all...we can rely on Him. Our strength is in Him whose strength never fails. There is no reason to fear.
We can depend on Him no matter our circumstances...no matter how we feel. Our God loves us and He is faithful. He cannot deny Himself or His own. He does not change. God's answer to Abraham's fear is His answer to our fear. We are to get our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and remember who He is. He is our shield and our exceedingly great reward. He is still on His throne working all things together in our lives for His glory and our good. He will remember His own and act on their behalf.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.--Psalm 84:11
Love
Mom
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Putting Aside Rebellion...James 1:19-21
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.--James 1:19-21
To My Sweet Daughters...
These verses do not mean what I had originally thought them to mean. James is not saying here to be a good listener...swift to hear and slow to speak. Taken in context James is speaking in regard to the word of God. Verse 18 says He brought us forth by His word of truth. God uses His word as the instrument of salvation....Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. He who has ears, it says in Matthew 13, let him hear. God's word is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword. It pierces our hearts and works in us to produce fruit in our lives. The first two tests we looked at were about trials and temptations...this one centers on the word of God and how we respond to it. One of the surest signs of salvation in someone's life is a love and an abiding desire for God's word.
"as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby"--1 Peter 2:2
As believers, we are to hunger and thirst for the word as a newborn baby hungers and thirst for milk. God not only uses His word to bring forth the miracle of a changed heart but He also uses it to grow us and nourish us. Our new birth First Peter says is not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which abides forever. The Spirit of God, girls, uses the word of God as we surrender to it, to speak to our hearts and conform us into His image.
We are to be swift...run...to hear the word of God and allow it penetrate our hearts and do the work God has set for it to do.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it--Isaiah 55:11
James goes on in the same verse to say we are to be slow to speak and his meaning is that although we are to take every opportunity to hear and study the word, we are to be cautious in becoming a teacher of it. The teaching ministry should not be something undertaken lightly. There should be a fear...a holy fear...of misrepresenting the truth. Those who teach the Word of Truth will receive heavier judgment if they fail to practice what they teach. Uh oh....He says this in chapter 3 about those who desire to be teachers.
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.--James 3:1-2
James finishes up verse 19 by saying to be slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Hear and receive the word of God with the right heart attitude. Sin, rebellion and rejection of God's word will not produce the righteousness of God..
James goes on in verse 21 and tells us to lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Lay aside or put off your rebellion, your sin and your rejection of the word and receive it...let it implant and grow and do its work in your heart. Sin impedes the hearing and receiving process...put if off! We saw the miracle that occurred when our hearts were first changed by the word of God and salvation came. That very same miracle occurs again and again as we allow His word to penetrate deeply into our hearts and transform us into His likeness.
Receive the word with meekness...with a submissive spirit. Accept it...do not argue with it and do not try to conform it to mean what you might want it to mean. The trials of this life will require its wisdom. Your thinking will need to be renewed by it and your mind transformed. Sin can be avoided by hiding the word in your heart. Comfort, strength and encouragement available any time...day or night. The word girls, is the power of God. It not only saves us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin and eternal damnation but it does much to preserve, sanctify and cleanse us in this life and keep us out of harms way.
The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.--Psalm 25:9
For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.-- Isaiah 66:2
Love,
Mom
To My Sweet Daughters...
These verses do not mean what I had originally thought them to mean. James is not saying here to be a good listener...swift to hear and slow to speak. Taken in context James is speaking in regard to the word of God. Verse 18 says He brought us forth by His word of truth. God uses His word as the instrument of salvation....Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. He who has ears, it says in Matthew 13, let him hear. God's word is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword. It pierces our hearts and works in us to produce fruit in our lives. The first two tests we looked at were about trials and temptations...this one centers on the word of God and how we respond to it. One of the surest signs of salvation in someone's life is a love and an abiding desire for God's word.
"as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby"--1 Peter 2:2
As believers, we are to hunger and thirst for the word as a newborn baby hungers and thirst for milk. God not only uses His word to bring forth the miracle of a changed heart but He also uses it to grow us and nourish us. Our new birth First Peter says is not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which abides forever. The Spirit of God, girls, uses the word of God as we surrender to it, to speak to our hearts and conform us into His image.
We are to be swift...run...to hear the word of God and allow it penetrate our hearts and do the work God has set for it to do.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it--Isaiah 55:11
James goes on in the same verse to say we are to be slow to speak and his meaning is that although we are to take every opportunity to hear and study the word, we are to be cautious in becoming a teacher of it. The teaching ministry should not be something undertaken lightly. There should be a fear...a holy fear...of misrepresenting the truth. Those who teach the Word of Truth will receive heavier judgment if they fail to practice what they teach. Uh oh....He says this in chapter 3 about those who desire to be teachers.
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.--James 3:1-2
James finishes up verse 19 by saying to be slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Hear and receive the word of God with the right heart attitude. Sin, rebellion and rejection of God's word will not produce the righteousness of God..
James goes on in verse 21 and tells us to lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Lay aside or put off your rebellion, your sin and your rejection of the word and receive it...let it implant and grow and do its work in your heart. Sin impedes the hearing and receiving process...put if off! We saw the miracle that occurred when our hearts were first changed by the word of God and salvation came. That very same miracle occurs again and again as we allow His word to penetrate deeply into our hearts and transform us into His likeness.
Receive the word with meekness...with a submissive spirit. Accept it...do not argue with it and do not try to conform it to mean what you might want it to mean. The trials of this life will require its wisdom. Your thinking will need to be renewed by it and your mind transformed. Sin can be avoided by hiding the word in your heart. Comfort, strength and encouragement available any time...day or night. The word girls, is the power of God. It not only saves us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin and eternal damnation but it does much to preserve, sanctify and cleanse us in this life and keep us out of harms way.
The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.--Psalm 25:9
For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.-- Isaiah 66:2
Love,
Mom
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Christophobia: Dead Man With the King… Part 5
Christophobia: Dead Man With the King… Part 5: "As quickly as I resurfaced on the Balcony, as if to draw a deep breath, I was plunged again back into the underworld of earthly life. I reco..."
Ezekiel 4-5 Summary
Dear Girls,
Ezekiel 4 and 5 contains picture sermons that God asks Ezekiel to "play out" to declare His judgment on the house of Israel.
In the beginning of the chapter we find God telling Ezekiel to play war and lay siege to Jerusalem demonstrating what would occur in the near future. Here are verses 1 through 3.
“You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. Lay siege against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around. Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.
The iron plate represents the barrier of sin that Israel had put up between themselves and God. Judgment was coming...nothing could stop it. Our sin is a barrier that prevents us from having fellowship with God. Humility and an honest cry breaks down this wall of separation.
Next he lay for part of each day on his side. 390 days on his left side and then 40 days on his right to demonstrate how many years both Israel and Judah had sinned. While he was doing this he was also rationing his food and water and cooking over refuse...just as God's people would do when judgment came.
The last sign was the shaving of his head...baldness on a man in Israel never spoke of good things. The hair represented three destinies for the people. death by famine, death by the sword and dispersion among the nations. Some of the hair would also be tied to the bottom of Ezekiel's garment which represented the remnant that would be protected and saved by God. Our God always remembers mercy.
Chapter 5 verse 6-7 gives us the reason why God was angry with His people.
"Thus says the Lord GOD: 'This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.' Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you'— therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations." --Ezekiel 5:5-8
Did you get that one part where God says, I, even I, am against you. God their Father...was now against them. The one who had cared for them, fed them, guided them and protected them was now NOT on their side. Uh oh. Judgment time had truly come. God had been patient with Jerusalem for 390 years. The people had broken their Father's heart with their evil and unfaithfulness. They had abused the privileges and blessings the Lord had bestowed upon them. Who is able to stand in the face of God's anger. God would have no pity....His people would now be despised among the nations and would suffer much.
Love
Mom
Ezekiel 4 and 5 contains picture sermons that God asks Ezekiel to "play out" to declare His judgment on the house of Israel.
In the beginning of the chapter we find God telling Ezekiel to play war and lay siege to Jerusalem demonstrating what would occur in the near future. Here are verses 1 through 3.
“You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. Lay siege against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around. Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.
The iron plate represents the barrier of sin that Israel had put up between themselves and God. Judgment was coming...nothing could stop it. Our sin is a barrier that prevents us from having fellowship with God. Humility and an honest cry breaks down this wall of separation.
Next he lay for part of each day on his side. 390 days on his left side and then 40 days on his right to demonstrate how many years both Israel and Judah had sinned. While he was doing this he was also rationing his food and water and cooking over refuse...just as God's people would do when judgment came.
The last sign was the shaving of his head...baldness on a man in Israel never spoke of good things. The hair represented three destinies for the people. death by famine, death by the sword and dispersion among the nations. Some of the hair would also be tied to the bottom of Ezekiel's garment which represented the remnant that would be protected and saved by God. Our God always remembers mercy.
Chapter 5 verse 6-7 gives us the reason why God was angry with His people.
"Thus says the Lord GOD: 'This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.' Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you'— therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations." --Ezekiel 5:5-8
Did you get that one part where God says, I, even I, am against you. God their Father...was now against them. The one who had cared for them, fed them, guided them and protected them was now NOT on their side. Uh oh. Judgment time had truly come. God had been patient with Jerusalem for 390 years. The people had broken their Father's heart with their evil and unfaithfulness. They had abused the privileges and blessings the Lord had bestowed upon them. Who is able to stand in the face of God's anger. God would have no pity....His people would now be despised among the nations and would suffer much.
Love
Mom
Ezekiel 3:4-27 - Summary
We already looked at Ezekiel 3:1-4....this study will briefly cover the rest of the chapter.
Verses 4-11 find God strengthening Ezekiel for his tasks...preparing him to set his face to do His will. There are many times in our lives that we will need to do just this. Focus on the goal...set our face, our body and our mind to do His will and then as Ezekiel was we will be strengthened and lifted by the Spirit and enabled to do those things He has called us to do.
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: "Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place!" I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.--Ezekiel 3:12-15
The Spirit brought Ezekiel to the captives who dwelt by the River Chebar and Ezekiel sat with the people before he spoke to them God's word. He identified with their pain and sat where they sat and waited patiently for the word of the Lord. He did not speak to them his words but God's. It is so important that we understand and empathize with the people God places in our lives to minister to. Understanding is essential to compassion. The only way to get understanding is to sit in the place of those whom God has called you to minister. As you do this, your attitude will change and the compassion and love you feel for them will be reflected in the things you say.
God goes on in this chapter to make Ezekiel His watchman over the people. Ezekiel would hear a word or a warning from the Lord and speak it to the house of Israel. This was a serious thing...but God would open and close his mouth and also give him the words he was to speak. He who hears, God says, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse. Ezekiel's job was to speak...results were up to God. Acts 20:26-27 speaks to the same thing.
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
Love
Mom
Verses 4-11 find God strengthening Ezekiel for his tasks...preparing him to set his face to do His will. There are many times in our lives that we will need to do just this. Focus on the goal...set our face, our body and our mind to do His will and then as Ezekiel was we will be strengthened and lifted by the Spirit and enabled to do those things He has called us to do.
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: "Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place!" I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.--Ezekiel 3:12-15
The Spirit brought Ezekiel to the captives who dwelt by the River Chebar and Ezekiel sat with the people before he spoke to them God's word. He identified with their pain and sat where they sat and waited patiently for the word of the Lord. He did not speak to them his words but God's. It is so important that we understand and empathize with the people God places in our lives to minister to. Understanding is essential to compassion. The only way to get understanding is to sit in the place of those whom God has called you to minister. As you do this, your attitude will change and the compassion and love you feel for them will be reflected in the things you say.
God goes on in this chapter to make Ezekiel His watchman over the people. Ezekiel would hear a word or a warning from the Lord and speak it to the house of Israel. This was a serious thing...but God would open and close his mouth and also give him the words he was to speak. He who hears, God says, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse. Ezekiel's job was to speak...results were up to God. Acts 20:26-27 speaks to the same thing.
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
Love
Mom
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Metaphysical Glasses Needed...
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.--1 Peter 4:1-6
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
We looked at the first two verses here in our previous study called The Ultimate Weapon. Peter goes on to say that we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles. Some of the believers that Peter was writing to had lived pretty dark lives before coming to the Lord. Peter was saying enough! They were now to put aside the old life and live and walk in the newness of life in the Lord. They were not to live anymore for the lusts of the flesh but for the will of God. Seeking His will and His glory alone. He then goes into a list of sins that often characterize an unbeliever's life.
An unbeliever's heart, the bible tells us, is darkened to the things of God, his conscience seared and his moral standards eroded. The sentence of death is in him. The bottom line for every sinner is that they become worshipers of themselves and begin to look like what they worship. They become its essence, so to speak. Their world becomes smaller and smaller until all they can think about is themselves and what they want. They cease to even think about who their sin might be hurting. They become all that matter.
God's desire is to pull us out of this miry pit of sin we are in. He will not do this, however, unless we ask. They day I cried out in weakness and helplessness to Him was the day that my life changed forever. God heard my cry and gave me the metaphysical glasses I needed to see. You won't see unless you cry out. (If you are not a believer, and your heart sincerely desires a relationship with Jesus...go ahead...cry out...pray...ask Him into your heart. You will SEE what I mean...a heart change will occur and your visuals will be different) When Christ enters the unbeliever's heart, light shines in and begins to point out the ugliness, selfishness and destructiveness of the sin in their life. They are no longer slaves to sin and because of their acceptance of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross are now not only free from the penalty of sin but also from the power of sin. They no longer HAVE to sin. As a new believer walks with the Lord he sees that his God is the answer to all things. If God is his portion then truly he realizes he has everything needed for the journey.
Peter goes on in verse 4 to say that a new believer's friends and/or family will not only think his new behavior strange but will also speak evil of him. As an unbeliever, you may be loved by many, but when the Lord enters your life, the very same people may in fact hate you. They will be shocked and suspicious at your new behavior and speak evil of you. We are not to be surprised when this happens. The new believer's light shines and his former friends who still love darkness feel condemned and move away from the light. The sad thing is the unbeliever may blaspheme the name of the Lord in this life but Peter reminds us that they will give an account for their behavior some day. The judgment of the living unbelievers will take place before the Millennium begins; the wicked dead will be judged at the close of Christ's reign on earth.
Peter goes on here to say that it is for this reason that the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit. I understand this verse to say that the gospel was preached to people who might now be dead but accepted the Lord when they heard it preached here on earth and believed. They may have suffered here on earth or even have been killed for their faith, but because of the stand they took for Christ their reward is now with them...eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
If you do not believe the gospel, you may earn the approval of men but in the long run you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and the righteous judgment of God. If you do believe the gospel when it is preached, you will earn the approval of God and the blame of men. Approval of men now judgment later...disapproval of men now and eternal life later. Abraham chose to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy the passing pleasure of sin...
I will end with some verses from Romans Chapter 2...
"And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God."--Romans 2:3-11
Love
Mom
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
We looked at the first two verses here in our previous study called The Ultimate Weapon. Peter goes on to say that we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles. Some of the believers that Peter was writing to had lived pretty dark lives before coming to the Lord. Peter was saying enough! They were now to put aside the old life and live and walk in the newness of life in the Lord. They were not to live anymore for the lusts of the flesh but for the will of God. Seeking His will and His glory alone. He then goes into a list of sins that often characterize an unbeliever's life.
An unbeliever's heart, the bible tells us, is darkened to the things of God, his conscience seared and his moral standards eroded. The sentence of death is in him. The bottom line for every sinner is that they become worshipers of themselves and begin to look like what they worship. They become its essence, so to speak. Their world becomes smaller and smaller until all they can think about is themselves and what they want. They cease to even think about who their sin might be hurting. They become all that matter.
God's desire is to pull us out of this miry pit of sin we are in. He will not do this, however, unless we ask. They day I cried out in weakness and helplessness to Him was the day that my life changed forever. God heard my cry and gave me the metaphysical glasses I needed to see. You won't see unless you cry out. (If you are not a believer, and your heart sincerely desires a relationship with Jesus...go ahead...cry out...pray...ask Him into your heart. You will SEE what I mean...a heart change will occur and your visuals will be different) When Christ enters the unbeliever's heart, light shines in and begins to point out the ugliness, selfishness and destructiveness of the sin in their life. They are no longer slaves to sin and because of their acceptance of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross are now not only free from the penalty of sin but also from the power of sin. They no longer HAVE to sin. As a new believer walks with the Lord he sees that his God is the answer to all things. If God is his portion then truly he realizes he has everything needed for the journey.
Peter goes on in verse 4 to say that a new believer's friends and/or family will not only think his new behavior strange but will also speak evil of him. As an unbeliever, you may be loved by many, but when the Lord enters your life, the very same people may in fact hate you. They will be shocked and suspicious at your new behavior and speak evil of you. We are not to be surprised when this happens. The new believer's light shines and his former friends who still love darkness feel condemned and move away from the light. The sad thing is the unbeliever may blaspheme the name of the Lord in this life but Peter reminds us that they will give an account for their behavior some day. The judgment of the living unbelievers will take place before the Millennium begins; the wicked dead will be judged at the close of Christ's reign on earth.
Peter goes on here to say that it is for this reason that the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit. I understand this verse to say that the gospel was preached to people who might now be dead but accepted the Lord when they heard it preached here on earth and believed. They may have suffered here on earth or even have been killed for their faith, but because of the stand they took for Christ their reward is now with them...eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
If you do not believe the gospel, you may earn the approval of men but in the long run you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and the righteous judgment of God. If you do believe the gospel when it is preached, you will earn the approval of God and the blame of men. Approval of men now judgment later...disapproval of men now and eternal life later. Abraham chose to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy the passing pleasure of sin...
I will end with some verses from Romans Chapter 2...
"And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God."--Romans 2:3-11
Love
Mom
Monday, April 4, 2011
Fear Not Daughters of the King...
"You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' "Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them— Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.' "Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. "Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, And make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the LORD, And glory in the Holy One of Israel. "The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together, That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.--Isaiah 41:9-20
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
I needed this promise personally today...maybe you do too. No matter what the difficulty is that you are facing, God has chosen you and you are precious to Him. If you are afraid, fear not...He is with you. If you weak, He will strengthen you. If you are tottering, He will uphold you with His righteous right hand. He will deal with all who oppose you...He is the God who sees. Those who strive with you. They will perish and be no more. But remember the battle is His. He will fight for you, the bible says, and you shall hold your peace. Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord..He will shine forth. Wait on Him...His ways are perfect.
If you are feeling poor and needy or weak and despised....God says to fear not...He will help you. He is your Redeemer. He will provide for you, comfort you and make you into a vessel fit for use in His kingdom. He will do exceedingly abundantly in your life. Your job is to cry out to Him in humility and allow Him to fill you. His strength is made perfect in weakness and He uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. He is the answer to all prayers. Look at verse 18.
"I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water."
He will make the wilderness here for us on earth a pool of water and the dry land springs. Our God will do it. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? You are His daughter...Your Father is the God of heaven and earth...You fear??? Those who oppose you should shake and tremble and be very afraid.
Stand back and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord is our defense and He is our Rock of Refuge. The Lord is our help and in the multitude of our anxieties within His comfort delights our soul.
Love
Mom
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
I needed this promise personally today...maybe you do too. No matter what the difficulty is that you are facing, God has chosen you and you are precious to Him. If you are afraid, fear not...He is with you. If you weak, He will strengthen you. If you are tottering, He will uphold you with His righteous right hand. He will deal with all who oppose you...He is the God who sees. Those who strive with you. They will perish and be no more. But remember the battle is His. He will fight for you, the bible says, and you shall hold your peace. Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord..He will shine forth. Wait on Him...His ways are perfect.
If you are feeling poor and needy or weak and despised....God says to fear not...He will help you. He is your Redeemer. He will provide for you, comfort you and make you into a vessel fit for use in His kingdom. He will do exceedingly abundantly in your life. Your job is to cry out to Him in humility and allow Him to fill you. His strength is made perfect in weakness and He uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. He is the answer to all prayers. Look at verse 18.
"I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water."
He will make the wilderness here for us on earth a pool of water and the dry land springs. Our God will do it. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? You are His daughter...Your Father is the God of heaven and earth...You fear??? Those who oppose you should shake and tremble and be very afraid.
Stand back and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord is our defense and He is our Rock of Refuge. The Lord is our help and in the multitude of our anxieties within His comfort delights our soul.
Love
Mom
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Waiting on the Lord....
Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
I so needed to read these verses tonight. Sometimes I forget who dwells inside me. Have you not known, Isaiah begins....Have you not heard??? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. God has got me and my problems covered...He doesn't get tired and His understanding is unsearchable. He knows what I am going through and He knows the state of my heart. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Isaiah goes on to remind us (me) that He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases their strength. I am without strength and weak....BUT that is a good thing because His strength is made perfect in weakness. He will uphold me. He will hedge me behind and before. Colossians 1:11 says, "He will strengthen me with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy." At my weakest I can cry out to Him with gladness knowing He has enough for both of us. And as I cry out, my eyes fill with His goodness and mercy and love toward me. I am poor and needy and yet the Lord thinks on me!
My strength will be renewed as I wait on the Lord. I like to see the phrase "wait on the Lord" as Jon Courson explains it. I am the Lord's waiter. I am serving Him here on earth and doing those things that He has prepared beforehand for me to do. My job is to please Him and honor Him here as I journey through this vale of tears. I am to spend time with Him in worship, in thanksgiving, in prayer and in the study and meditation of His word. I am to look for ways to love those He has placed in my path with the love that He Himself has shed abroad in my heart. I am here for Him...my life is about Him...not me. Whatever He sends me is good and is for my good and His glory. And as I go through this life there will be times like tonight when my strength is spent and my heart is weak. Here is what I know: He will be gracious to me...He will incline His ear to me and hear my cry...He will strengthen my heart...He will be good to me...He will renew my strength...He will not leave me nor forsake me and in Him I have everything I need.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.--Psalm 84:5-7
Love
Mom
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Messiah's Soliloquy...
"The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. "For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. Surely the Lord GOD will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up. "Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD And rely upon his God. Look, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled— This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment.--Isaiah 50:4-11
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
I have read these verses and meditated on them many times over the past several days. I have studied and written on them before. The more I meditate on them the more I feel as if I am walking on holy ground. Jesus is speaking here about His relationship to His Father when He was on earth. In fact, this is sometimes referred to as the Messiah's Soliloquy. We can have this mind that Christ had when he walked the earth, in our own trials and sufferings.
With that said, Jesus is speaking here in Isaiah 50 about being perfected through obedience and suffering. Thinking about Jesus learning obedience or being perfected through suffering makes my head ache. It is very very difficult for me to understand. I am just beginning to grasp it. Hebrews says this:
"who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him," --Hebrews 5:7-9
Jesus as God never had to practice obedience being coequal with the Father. As a sacrifice fitting for rebellious humanity He had to live, suffer and die as a Man.
The incredible humility involved in becoming our perfect sacrifice required both obedience and suffering - Had He chosen merely to be our judge and executioner He would have not needed to do learn obedience or to suffer - but because He was our substitute He took upon Himself our human nature, our being subject to temptation, and the paying the price for our sin. Christ's prayer here in verse 7 of Hebrews Chapter 5, is not that he might be saved from death because to die for sinners was the very reason He came to earth. The prayer is that His sacrifice would be accepted by His Father and He would be delivered out of death....This prayer was answered when God raised Him from the dead. He was heard because of His godly fear and was made perfect in His role as our Savior.
Jesus leaves behind His example for us to look to and follow...He shows us the way and will lead us in victory. Knowing He went before me...putting aside His deity and living out a life of obedience to His Father is such an encouragement to me as I follow Him. These verses here in Isaiah 50 from the mouth of Jesus strengthen me and hearten me for my journey.
Let's look at verse 4. "The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned."
Jesus was taught by God. Every morning He awakened Him, instructed Him, and guided His tongue for His purposes. He assisted Him, Jesus, by His divine power to speak all He wanted Him to speak and all He desired for Him to do. John 10:49 tells us that Jesus did not speak on His own authority but the Father who sent Him gave Him a command, what He should say and what He should speak.
We, like Jesus, are to awaken and spend time with our Father in heaven seeking His word, seeking His guidance and instruction and surrendering to Him in moment by moment obedience to His will for us here on earth.
Jesus not only spent time with His Father--He shared and encouraged those who were weary with the things He had learned from Him. He helped those in need. He did the work His Father had given Him to do. I think of Ephesians 2:10 here. Jesus had a successful ministry but He never pointed to Himself. His life glorified His Father in Heaven. He did whatever He did here on earth by faith just as we do. He did not use His divine powers. He did all He did as a MAN. We cannot take refuge in Him being God as the reason why He was able to do it. This fact is amazing to me...each time Jesus healed or spoke it was not Him it was the Spirit working through Him. Jesus was totally set apart to do His Father's will just as we should be.
The next verse says that the Lord God had opened His ear and He was not rebellious nor did He turn away. When a servant in Hebrew culture did not want to leave the service of His master but wanted to become a permanent willing slave of that household, an an awl was driven through his earlobe and a gold earring placed in the hole. This told all He was bondservant...Jesus is telling us here that He came willingly to do His work here on earth. Jesus was a slave by choice. Wow! Wow! Wow! I can never wrap my mind around that. He took the form of one of His creatures, a Man, and came to earth for the purpose of suffering and dying for them. Verse 6 tells us a little more of what He suffered. It also shows us His mindset. He was determined to do His Father's will no matter the cost...He yielded His body to men who whipped Him, spat upon Him, plucked His beard, crowned Him with thorns and ultimately crucified Him. What an example for us...Make no mistake...each one of us are slaves to something. Romans 6 tells us that we either present ourselves to be slaves of sin leading to death or slaves of obedience leading to righteousness. Again, Jesus, the Son of God, a slave by choice CHOOSING moment by moment to do His Father's will. He made the same choices that we have to make...the daily moment by moment dying to self and living for God. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.(Col 3:3) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1Pe 2:24)
The next few verses tell us that He completely entrusted Himself into His Father's hands. WHAT AN EXAMPLE FOR US! ( I know I am repeating that a lot...but hey..it is true and needs to be pointed out) And remember, because I find this so easy to forget, that He did it all by faith. He walked in those works that His Father had prepared beforehand for Him as a human being never using His divine powers. What fellowship He had with His Father. As we keep reading we begin to see that all this that Jesus did and thought were done to show us the way. It all can be applied to our lives and walk with Him...Scriptures can be found throughout the New Testament to show us that His word and deed matched. Jesus is truly the way the truth and the life.
As I read and reread this passage I cannot help but see and be overwhelmed by the fact that Jesus right here in these verses is telling us how to handle a trial.. And He is not speaking here as God...even though...you know He is...He is speaking here to us as a Human...telling us all this from His own personal experience. He wants us to know what to do and how to react to whatever we might be facing.... No matter what you are facing today you can go to one of these Servant songs and be reassured that Jesus understands. He can relate. Not only can He relate but the One who died for us is also the One who intercedes for us at the right hand of God.
Hebrews 4:14-16 says: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Romans 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Really what more could we ask for! In fact, He probably learned and meditated on many of the very same Scriptures that we do as He went through His day. Look at what He tells us in these verses on how to go through the trials of life:
1. spend time with the Father.
2. encourage others in their weariness with the Word of God.
3. comfort them in their distress.
4. do not be rebellious..
5. receive with meekness the implanted word.
6. set your face like flint to endure knowing that your God WILL help.
7. rely upon your God...you will not be disgraced or ashamed.
Then He reminds us that our enemies will be grow old...the moths will eat them up.. He has gone before and shown us the way. JESUS LIVED OUT HIS OWN WORD...HE WAS THE WORD AND HIS WORD AND HIS DEED MATCHED...THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF TRUTH. AMAZING!
Sometimes in a trial we feel as if no one really understands our suffering. There is ONE...and He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. He endured all this for us...Hebrews 12:2 says it was for the joy that was set before Him...we are that joy...He is our joy, our strength and our salvation. He is our way, our truth, our life! Go to Him, trust in Him. Commit yourself to Him. He will not disappoint!
The last two verses of this third Servant song express the choice that we have. Do we choose to trust in our Lord God as Jesus did and allow God to work in us and through us as we surrender our wills to Him moment by moment? And remember even in obedience Jesus walked at times in darkness...just as we will...but HE trusted that God would bring Him to the light at the right time. Or do we kindle our own fires in the dark times of our lives...relying on our own understanding and arrogantly say we know better than God. The end of one is life everlasting with Him...the end of the other is everlasting torment.
BEHOLD MY SERVANT...
Love
Mom
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
I have read these verses and meditated on them many times over the past several days. I have studied and written on them before. The more I meditate on them the more I feel as if I am walking on holy ground. Jesus is speaking here about His relationship to His Father when He was on earth. In fact, this is sometimes referred to as the Messiah's Soliloquy. We can have this mind that Christ had when he walked the earth, in our own trials and sufferings.
With that said, Jesus is speaking here in Isaiah 50 about being perfected through obedience and suffering. Thinking about Jesus learning obedience or being perfected through suffering makes my head ache. It is very very difficult for me to understand. I am just beginning to grasp it. Hebrews says this:
"who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him," --Hebrews 5:7-9
Jesus as God never had to practice obedience being coequal with the Father. As a sacrifice fitting for rebellious humanity He had to live, suffer and die as a Man.
The incredible humility involved in becoming our perfect sacrifice required both obedience and suffering - Had He chosen merely to be our judge and executioner He would have not needed to do learn obedience or to suffer - but because He was our substitute He took upon Himself our human nature, our being subject to temptation, and the paying the price for our sin. Christ's prayer here in verse 7 of Hebrews Chapter 5, is not that he might be saved from death because to die for sinners was the very reason He came to earth. The prayer is that His sacrifice would be accepted by His Father and He would be delivered out of death....This prayer was answered when God raised Him from the dead. He was heard because of His godly fear and was made perfect in His role as our Savior.
Jesus leaves behind His example for us to look to and follow...He shows us the way and will lead us in victory. Knowing He went before me...putting aside His deity and living out a life of obedience to His Father is such an encouragement to me as I follow Him. These verses here in Isaiah 50 from the mouth of Jesus strengthen me and hearten me for my journey.
Let's look at verse 4. "The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned."
Jesus was taught by God. Every morning He awakened Him, instructed Him, and guided His tongue for His purposes. He assisted Him, Jesus, by His divine power to speak all He wanted Him to speak and all He desired for Him to do. John 10:49 tells us that Jesus did not speak on His own authority but the Father who sent Him gave Him a command, what He should say and what He should speak.
We, like Jesus, are to awaken and spend time with our Father in heaven seeking His word, seeking His guidance and instruction and surrendering to Him in moment by moment obedience to His will for us here on earth.
Jesus not only spent time with His Father--He shared and encouraged those who were weary with the things He had learned from Him. He helped those in need. He did the work His Father had given Him to do. I think of Ephesians 2:10 here. Jesus had a successful ministry but He never pointed to Himself. His life glorified His Father in Heaven. He did whatever He did here on earth by faith just as we do. He did not use His divine powers. He did all He did as a MAN. We cannot take refuge in Him being God as the reason why He was able to do it. This fact is amazing to me...each time Jesus healed or spoke it was not Him it was the Spirit working through Him. Jesus was totally set apart to do His Father's will just as we should be.
The next verse says that the Lord God had opened His ear and He was not rebellious nor did He turn away. When a servant in Hebrew culture did not want to leave the service of His master but wanted to become a permanent willing slave of that household, an an awl was driven through his earlobe and a gold earring placed in the hole. This told all He was bondservant...Jesus is telling us here that He came willingly to do His work here on earth. Jesus was a slave by choice. Wow! Wow! Wow! I can never wrap my mind around that. He took the form of one of His creatures, a Man, and came to earth for the purpose of suffering and dying for them. Verse 6 tells us a little more of what He suffered. It also shows us His mindset. He was determined to do His Father's will no matter the cost...He yielded His body to men who whipped Him, spat upon Him, plucked His beard, crowned Him with thorns and ultimately crucified Him. What an example for us...Make no mistake...each one of us are slaves to something. Romans 6 tells us that we either present ourselves to be slaves of sin leading to death or slaves of obedience leading to righteousness. Again, Jesus, the Son of God, a slave by choice CHOOSING moment by moment to do His Father's will. He made the same choices that we have to make...the daily moment by moment dying to self and living for God. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.(Col 3:3) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1Pe 2:24)
The next few verses tell us that He completely entrusted Himself into His Father's hands. WHAT AN EXAMPLE FOR US! ( I know I am repeating that a lot...but hey..it is true and needs to be pointed out) And remember, because I find this so easy to forget, that He did it all by faith. He walked in those works that His Father had prepared beforehand for Him as a human being never using His divine powers. What fellowship He had with His Father. As we keep reading we begin to see that all this that Jesus did and thought were done to show us the way. It all can be applied to our lives and walk with Him...Scriptures can be found throughout the New Testament to show us that His word and deed matched. Jesus is truly the way the truth and the life.
As I read and reread this passage I cannot help but see and be overwhelmed by the fact that Jesus right here in these verses is telling us how to handle a trial.. And He is not speaking here as God...even though...you know He is...He is speaking here to us as a Human...telling us all this from His own personal experience. He wants us to know what to do and how to react to whatever we might be facing.... No matter what you are facing today you can go to one of these Servant songs and be reassured that Jesus understands. He can relate. Not only can He relate but the One who died for us is also the One who intercedes for us at the right hand of God.
Hebrews 4:14-16 says: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Romans 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Really what more could we ask for! In fact, He probably learned and meditated on many of the very same Scriptures that we do as He went through His day. Look at what He tells us in these verses on how to go through the trials of life:
1. spend time with the Father.
2. encourage others in their weariness with the Word of God.
3. comfort them in their distress.
4. do not be rebellious..
5. receive with meekness the implanted word.
6. set your face like flint to endure knowing that your God WILL help.
7. rely upon your God...you will not be disgraced or ashamed.
Then He reminds us that our enemies will be grow old...the moths will eat them up.. He has gone before and shown us the way. JESUS LIVED OUT HIS OWN WORD...HE WAS THE WORD AND HIS WORD AND HIS DEED MATCHED...THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF TRUTH. AMAZING!
Sometimes in a trial we feel as if no one really understands our suffering. There is ONE...and He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. He endured all this for us...Hebrews 12:2 says it was for the joy that was set before Him...we are that joy...He is our joy, our strength and our salvation. He is our way, our truth, our life! Go to Him, trust in Him. Commit yourself to Him. He will not disappoint!
The last two verses of this third Servant song express the choice that we have. Do we choose to trust in our Lord God as Jesus did and allow God to work in us and through us as we surrender our wills to Him moment by moment? And remember even in obedience Jesus walked at times in darkness...just as we will...but HE trusted that God would bring Him to the light at the right time. Or do we kindle our own fires in the dark times of our lives...relying on our own understanding and arrogantly say we know better than God. The end of one is life everlasting with Him...the end of the other is everlasting torment.
BEHOLD MY SERVANT...
Love
Mom
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