First, some verses to consider...
"The Lord, the Lord God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and truth who keeps loving kindness for thousands who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin."--Exodus 34:6
Solomon said, "It is a man's glory to overlook a transgression,
"Man is never more like God than when he forgives--Proverbs 19:11
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.--Romans 5:5
Thoughts on Forgiveness...some paraphrased from John MacArthur.
Our God is the God of forgiveness...that is who He is. We are to resemble Him...we are to imitate Him. Forgiveness deflects self-pity, pride and shows mercy. Forgiveness is divine. We are never more like God than when we forgive. That should be characteristic of every one of us. Forgiveness is the most noble act that one sinner can do for another sinner. In our heart is love and humility, not a wounded ego, not vengeance, not bitterness no matter what anybody does to us, and we hold there a loving, eager, anxious longing to forgive when that sinner comes to seek the forgiveness we offer. This is Christlike. This is Godlike. We forgive to restore fellowship, Forgiveness produces mercy, joy, love, fellowship, purity.
"Be kind to one another, tender hearted...here's the same principle...forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
In Colossians chapter 3, He says, "We are to bear with one another and forgiving each other whoever has a complaint against anyone just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."
Now if you pull all of these together you get the very clear idea that God is a forgiving God and you are to be forgiving people. That's basic. In fact, God has forgiven you, so you should forgive. That's one principle. The other one is God will forgive you if you do forgive.
And so, on the one hand the Scripture says God has forgiven you therefore forgive, and on the other hand the Scripture says if you don't forgive God won't forgive you and you will have violated the relationship, the fellowship that you could enjoy with God.
The Lord has forgiven all of us all of our sins and therefore Paul says we should forgive each other. And if we don't, we're going to be chastened by God. That's plain and simple the message. How often are we to forgive...endlessly Scripture teaches. 70 x 7...Matthew 18. Jesus goes on in the 18th chapter of Matthew to speak a parable that illustrates His point.
The next illustration is taken directly from a study John MacArthur did on forgiveness. I loved what he says here.
"And then He tells a parable that makes the point. And it's a parable that depicts God and the sinner. The king in the parable is God. The man who owes the big debt is the sinner. "The Kingdom of Heaven then...verse 23...may be compared to a certain king...that's God...who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them there was brought to him one who owed him 10 thousand talents." That's an unpayable debt, massive debt he could never pay. "Since he didn't have the means to repay his lord commanded him to be sold along with his wife and children and all that he had and repayment to be made." The debt was too much to pay but if all these people were sold into slavery at least the king could get something. The man had obviously defrauded him. Probably one of those servants who was a tax collector and who had charge over great sums of money and had defrauded the king and now had lost it all and had no means to pay. And he said, "Well, if I can't get what I owe, I'll get what I can. So sell all of his family into slavery and at least give me that."
"The slave therefore...verse 26...falling down prostrated himself before him saying, Have patience with me and I'll repay you everything." He had a right heart, he had a willing spirit even though he couldn't have done it, his intention was right. "The lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt." That's God and the sinner. When the sinner comes before God and is convicted about his unpayable debt, he's convicted about his sin and God tells him you have no means to pay me, you should be sent to hell, you should pay whatever you can pay even though you could never pay me what you owe me. And that's what hell is, by the way, it's spending forever paying what you could pay which never does pay the debt you fully owe because you've affronted God so greatly as one who rejected His Son.
But this king is compassionate and when he sees the man's willingness, he forgives him the debt. Now here comes the point. "The slave went out," he had just been forgiven, "he found his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, one of them," that's a hundred days wages, not a major debt. "He seized him, began to choke him, saying, Pay back what you owe." And the people who would be listening to Jesus tell the story at this point would be absolutely outraged. "So his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him saying, Have patience with me and I'll repay you. He was unwilling, however, but when...threw him in a prison until he should pay back what he owed."
This is unthinkable. Here is a man who has been forgiven a massive debt who turns right around and won't forgive somebody a small debt. "When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him his lord said to him, You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you asked me. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow slave even as I had mercy on you?" And there's that principle. You want mercy from God, you show mercy. You want forgiveness from God, you be forgiving. "And his lord moved with anger handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. So shall My heavenly Father also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."
Boy, what a story! What a story! That parable is so severe that there are many people who conclude that the principle Jesus teaches couldn't possibly apply to a Christian. But it does. Because the man who wouldn't forgive the slave was a forgiven man, that is God had already forgiven him, he is a child of God. But what it tells us is that the Lord will sometimes deal very harshly with His own children who will not forgive someone else, whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and every son He scourges, Hebrews 12 says. And one of the reasons He disciplines and scourges us and makes life very trying and difficult is because we have an unforgiving heart towards someone. Christians then are to forgive. That is the principle taught in Scripture, that is the principle illustrating the character of God in the parable of the prodigal son, and that is the principle illustrated in this parable to be true of every believer. This is a matter, I think, not only of blessing and fellowship with God, but it's also a matter of the assurance of salvation."
We should also forgive immediately. I love what Corrie Ten Boom has said on this subject:
"A piece of good advice is to forgive anyone immediately--and I mean immediately--if they say or do something against you. Then the Devil won't have a chance to keep a shadow in your heart." I love that. Lord keep our hearts from shadows. We are to be His lights in the world and shine His love to the world around us which is dying without Christ. There really isn't time for our offenses.
The love of God shed abroad in our hearts is stronger than any offense or hatred we might encounter. God's love forgives...Surrender to it and allow it to succeed in your heart. God's love is the answer.
"We need not climb up into heaven to see whether our sins are forgiven. Let us look into our hearts and see if we can forgive others. If we can, we need not doubt that God has forgiven us." Someone has said "He who demands mercy and shows none ruins the bridge over which he himself must pass."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Little Kindnesses...
Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. --1 Peter 4:9-11
Hospitality...ungrudging hospitality is such a beautiful practical way to show love for the people God has put in our lives. Matthew 25:40 says this:
And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
Wow! Any kindness shown to a child of God is as if you are showing it to the Lord Himself. Both I and my family have been blessed by this kind of hospitality from fellow Christians. It touched our hearts deeply and is something that we will not ever forget. This kind of hospitality always encourages me and spurs me on to be more Christlike in that regard myself. Done right and accepted in the right spirit it will surround and encompass journey-weary, fellow Christians with His reviving love. Don't limit your hospitality to just entertaining...be welcoming, kind to those God puts in front of you daily. Open your heart and give them His love. Put them first. Do those little kindnesses to them that will be remembered for a lifetime. You will be amazed at how you will be blessed and how God will enlarge your own heart...less of you...more of Him. AND isn't that the goal.
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth. --3rd John 1:5-8
Verse 10 and the first part of verse 11 go on to say, " As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies," God has entrusted us with His grace...you and me! We are to be good stewards of it. A steward is defined as one who oversees the resources of another. We are to be good overseers of the grace God has shown us in the gifts that He has blessed us with to minister His grace through them to others. Did you get that? I know there must be a simpler way of saying it. God gives us grace through His gifts to us...we are to use these gifts of grace to minister His grace to others. What an opportunity we have to share His grace...the grace we have been so freely given with others.
All of us are called to serve our Lord...not in the same capacity but to serve nevertheless. Each one of us have different gifts in different measures. God works uniquely in each of us.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: --1 Cor 12:4-7
These gifts are not given to be used selfishly for our own gratification or for self promotion, but for the profit of the entire body. We are, as said earlier, to be good stewards of them. They were given to us for the glory of God and the good of others and are to be ministered to others with the ability which our God supplies. Some gifts might seem to be more important than other gifts, but it is not because the person who is the minister of the gift is superior. It is God who gives the gift and God who supplies the power. All of us are tools in His hand.
The last part of verse 11 says, " that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." Do not boast about the gifts God has blessed you with by taking the glory for yourself. First Corinthians 4:7 says:
"For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?:
This is a difficult one girls. It is so easy to "forget" that it is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. At times when we exercise our gifts there will be the temptation to take the glory for ourselves instead of pointing to to the Lord to whom the glory belongs. Or even to look back at what you have accomplished in pride forgetting it was not you at all. It is important to make a practice as we serve God to serve Him with a heart that is humble...a heart that is grateful that the Lord would give him an opportunity to minister His grace to His beloved people.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says "...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Will this bring glory to God? is a good thing to ask yourself before doing anything. We are to live for God's glory...the glory of God is why we were created. We are faced often with decisions. Whether to do this or whether to do that...or whether this course of action would be right or wrong. Here is a good rule to apply: Is there any glory for God in it?
Love
Mom
Hospitality...ungrudging hospitality is such a beautiful practical way to show love for the people God has put in our lives. Matthew 25:40 says this:
And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
Wow! Any kindness shown to a child of God is as if you are showing it to the Lord Himself. Both I and my family have been blessed by this kind of hospitality from fellow Christians. It touched our hearts deeply and is something that we will not ever forget. This kind of hospitality always encourages me and spurs me on to be more Christlike in that regard myself. Done right and accepted in the right spirit it will surround and encompass journey-weary, fellow Christians with His reviving love. Don't limit your hospitality to just entertaining...be welcoming, kind to those God puts in front of you daily. Open your heart and give them His love. Put them first. Do those little kindnesses to them that will be remembered for a lifetime. You will be amazed at how you will be blessed and how God will enlarge your own heart...less of you...more of Him. AND isn't that the goal.
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth. --3rd John 1:5-8
Verse 10 and the first part of verse 11 go on to say, " As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies," God has entrusted us with His grace...you and me! We are to be good stewards of it. A steward is defined as one who oversees the resources of another. We are to be good overseers of the grace God has shown us in the gifts that He has blessed us with to minister His grace through them to others. Did you get that? I know there must be a simpler way of saying it. God gives us grace through His gifts to us...we are to use these gifts of grace to minister His grace to others. What an opportunity we have to share His grace...the grace we have been so freely given with others.
All of us are called to serve our Lord...not in the same capacity but to serve nevertheless. Each one of us have different gifts in different measures. God works uniquely in each of us.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: --1 Cor 12:4-7
These gifts are not given to be used selfishly for our own gratification or for self promotion, but for the profit of the entire body. We are, as said earlier, to be good stewards of them. They were given to us for the glory of God and the good of others and are to be ministered to others with the ability which our God supplies. Some gifts might seem to be more important than other gifts, but it is not because the person who is the minister of the gift is superior. It is God who gives the gift and God who supplies the power. All of us are tools in His hand.
The last part of verse 11 says, " that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." Do not boast about the gifts God has blessed you with by taking the glory for yourself. First Corinthians 4:7 says:
"For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?:
This is a difficult one girls. It is so easy to "forget" that it is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. At times when we exercise our gifts there will be the temptation to take the glory for ourselves instead of pointing to to the Lord to whom the glory belongs. Or even to look back at what you have accomplished in pride forgetting it was not you at all. It is important to make a practice as we serve God to serve Him with a heart that is humble...a heart that is grateful that the Lord would give him an opportunity to minister His grace to His beloved people.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says "...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Will this bring glory to God? is a good thing to ask yourself before doing anything. We are to live for God's glory...the glory of God is why we were created. We are faced often with decisions. Whether to do this or whether to do that...or whether this course of action would be right or wrong. Here is a good rule to apply: Is there any glory for God in it?
Love
Mom
Monday, April 18, 2011
Christophobia: Dead Man in the Sky
Christophobia: Dead Man in the Sky: "The physical Universe in all its vastness was before me. I saw it as if outside it looking in, and it was incomprehensibly big. There..."
God's Desire...
Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 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 66:1-2
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
I was finishing up my reading and study of the book of Ezra this morning and reached this verse in Chapter ten.
Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.--Ezra 10:3
Here is the portion that spoke to my heart---"and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God."
I love that. These types of phrases are found all over the word of God and are used to describe someone who believes. A believer trembles or stands in awe of the word of God and his desire is to obey it. This portion of Ezra is what brought me to Isaiah 66: 2-3 (see above)
Isaiah is beginning his prophecy summation here with a reminder to the people of what God is NOT looking for and what He IS looking for. He says heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool. And asks where is the house you will build Me and where is the place of My rest? God goes on to tell them that He made all those things...truly the universe is His dwelling place. The only thing we can give Him as finite human beings is the only thing that He desires from us. He wants us to take the cup of salvation He offers and obey Him as an expression of our love for Him. This is expressed beautifully in Psalm 116.
What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD. --Psalm 116:12-13
Whom will God look upon. "On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." Girls, our God looks for a heart to dwell in that is tender and broken. A heart that is not concerned with outward displays but inward obedience. He desires to dwell in the heart that trembles at His word. A heart that takes His word seriously.
"Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."--John 14:23
How beautiful is our God. His desire is to dwell with us. To live inside our very hearts. Psalm 34 tells us the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Isaiah 57 says this:
"For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. "
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. He searches for hearts to dwell in who acknowledge their own helplessness and whose desire is not to rely on themselves but on Him who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscience. They come to Him who created them...to Him who knows exactly what they need and rely on His ability, strength and power as they journey through this life. Heaven is so unlike the earth. Self-sufficiency is not a virtue there...neither is self-exaltation and heaven's door is open to those who understand this. Tremble at His word. Stand in awe of it...surrender to His Spirit and obey His commandments.
Love
Mom
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
I was finishing up my reading and study of the book of Ezra this morning and reached this verse in Chapter ten.
Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.--Ezra 10:3
Here is the portion that spoke to my heart---"and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God."
I love that. These types of phrases are found all over the word of God and are used to describe someone who believes. A believer trembles or stands in awe of the word of God and his desire is to obey it. This portion of Ezra is what brought me to Isaiah 66: 2-3 (see above)
Isaiah is beginning his prophecy summation here with a reminder to the people of what God is NOT looking for and what He IS looking for. He says heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool. And asks where is the house you will build Me and where is the place of My rest? God goes on to tell them that He made all those things...truly the universe is His dwelling place. The only thing we can give Him as finite human beings is the only thing that He desires from us. He wants us to take the cup of salvation He offers and obey Him as an expression of our love for Him. This is expressed beautifully in Psalm 116.
What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD. --Psalm 116:12-13
Whom will God look upon. "On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." Girls, our God looks for a heart to dwell in that is tender and broken. A heart that is not concerned with outward displays but inward obedience. He desires to dwell in the heart that trembles at His word. A heart that takes His word seriously.
"Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."--John 14:23
How beautiful is our God. His desire is to dwell with us. To live inside our very hearts. Psalm 34 tells us the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Isaiah 57 says this:
"For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. "
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. He searches for hearts to dwell in who acknowledge their own helplessness and whose desire is not to rely on themselves but on Him who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscience. They come to Him who created them...to Him who knows exactly what they need and rely on His ability, strength and power as they journey through this life. Heaven is so unlike the earth. Self-sufficiency is not a virtue there...neither is self-exaltation and heaven's door is open to those who understand this. Tremble at His word. Stand in awe of it...surrender to His Spirit and obey His commandments.
Love
Mom
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Reform vs Regeneration
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”--Matthew 12:43-45
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
This one is about heart changes. Jesus is speaking here primarily to Israel who had cleaned up their nation from the idolatry that plagued them in the Old Testament. They had experienced reformation but not regeneration. Jesus is saying that because they were now rejecting Him their last state would be worse than the first. We do the same thing. We try to clean up our lives without Jesus. As a non believer I tried it many many times. It never lasted and it never worked. I was still me. Okay...I was despicable me...like the movie.
Reform apart from regeneration is never effective. You eventually go back to your pre-reform behavior.
But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:22
Most of us have learned about Christ and how to be saved, but the majority will reject the truth and return to their sin. These people are worse off than before because they have rejected the only way out of sin, the only way of salvation. Like someone sinking in quicksand who refuses to grab the rope thrown to him, or take the medicine that will make him well, the person who turns away from Christ rejects the only means of escape.
The Pharisees were concerned about the outward and not the inward. Their outside looked good but their hearts were filled with emptiness. We need Jesus not reformation. Whatever else you think you might want, it is Jesus you really need. He fills us and does His work in our hearts from the inside out. I love what Warren Wiersbe says here. "The house had been swept clean, but the right tenant was not invited in. When I invited Jesus into my heart, my life changed. I was amazed...one step of faith and the next moment...A new me! I saw the world with different eyes and the best part of it was I knew that it was not going to change...I was now on solid ground...not sifting sand. I was alone when it happened and remember so vividly the joy that bubbled up in my heart....I have gone through difficult times since then, but that joy is always there. He is always with me...nothing can separate me from His love. My life is His and my future assured.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.--Revelation 3:20
Love
Mom
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
This one is about heart changes. Jesus is speaking here primarily to Israel who had cleaned up their nation from the idolatry that plagued them in the Old Testament. They had experienced reformation but not regeneration. Jesus is saying that because they were now rejecting Him their last state would be worse than the first. We do the same thing. We try to clean up our lives without Jesus. As a non believer I tried it many many times. It never lasted and it never worked. I was still me. Okay...I was despicable me...like the movie.
Reform apart from regeneration is never effective. You eventually go back to your pre-reform behavior.
But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:22
Most of us have learned about Christ and how to be saved, but the majority will reject the truth and return to their sin. These people are worse off than before because they have rejected the only way out of sin, the only way of salvation. Like someone sinking in quicksand who refuses to grab the rope thrown to him, or take the medicine that will make him well, the person who turns away from Christ rejects the only means of escape.
The Pharisees were concerned about the outward and not the inward. Their outside looked good but their hearts were filled with emptiness. We need Jesus not reformation. Whatever else you think you might want, it is Jesus you really need. He fills us and does His work in our hearts from the inside out. I love what Warren Wiersbe says here. "The house had been swept clean, but the right tenant was not invited in. When I invited Jesus into my heart, my life changed. I was amazed...one step of faith and the next moment...A new me! I saw the world with different eyes and the best part of it was I knew that it was not going to change...I was now on solid ground...not sifting sand. I was alone when it happened and remember so vividly the joy that bubbled up in my heart....I have gone through difficult times since then, but that joy is always there. He is always with me...nothing can separate me from His love. My life is His and my future assured.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.--Revelation 3:20
Love
Mom
By the Good Hand of Our God...
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
A wonderful sister in Christ, a short while back, pointed out how encouraging the last verse in chapter 7 of the Book of Ezra was to her because it spoke of the good hand of God upon Ezra. I am back in Ezra this morning and remembered what she had said and noticed all the verses in both chapter 7 and 8 that spoke of God's hand. It seems to be a favorite expression of Ezra's. I think it is a good one to notice...it reminds us that our successes in ministry or in life are all from Him. He not only gives us what we need for the journey but also guides our steps and does the work.
No matter who we are or what we have been given by God, we can do nothing that brings God glory unless His good hand is upon us guiding us into His will. It tells us also in Ezra 7:14 that the law of God was in Ezra's hand. He brought to the people what they needed...the word of God. I have to say I feel similarly to Ezra about the word of God. I rarely go anywhere without it. His word is my comfort and my armor. Hoping you are blessed today by the good hand of God upon you.
this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.--Ezra 7:6
God's hand provided...
And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.--Ezra 7:8-10
God's hand guides us on our journey.
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me..--Ezra 7:27-28
God's hand is encouraging...
Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; also of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim. All of them were designated by name.--Ezra 8:18-20
God's hand is good and brings us what we need.
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. --Ezra 8:21-23
God's hand is on those who humbly seek Him. His hand is protective. But His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him. Seek the Lord first in everything...He will guide you and direct you with His righteous right hand.
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days--Ezra 8:31-32
God's hand delivers us.
Love
Mom
A wonderful sister in Christ, a short while back, pointed out how encouraging the last verse in chapter 7 of the Book of Ezra was to her because it spoke of the good hand of God upon Ezra. I am back in Ezra this morning and remembered what she had said and noticed all the verses in both chapter 7 and 8 that spoke of God's hand. It seems to be a favorite expression of Ezra's. I think it is a good one to notice...it reminds us that our successes in ministry or in life are all from Him. He not only gives us what we need for the journey but also guides our steps and does the work.
No matter who we are or what we have been given by God, we can do nothing that brings God glory unless His good hand is upon us guiding us into His will. It tells us also in Ezra 7:14 that the law of God was in Ezra's hand. He brought to the people what they needed...the word of God. I have to say I feel similarly to Ezra about the word of God. I rarely go anywhere without it. His word is my comfort and my armor. Hoping you are blessed today by the good hand of God upon you.
this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.--Ezra 7:6
God's hand provided...
And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.--Ezra 7:8-10
God's hand guides us on our journey.
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me..--Ezra 7:27-28
God's hand is encouraging...
Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; also of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim. All of them were designated by name.--Ezra 8:18-20
God's hand is good and brings us what we need.
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. --Ezra 8:21-23
God's hand is on those who humbly seek Him. His hand is protective. But His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him. Seek the Lord first in everything...He will guide you and direct you with His righteous right hand.
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days--Ezra 8:31-32
God's hand delivers us.
Love
Mom
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Mark of God
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
God sent six angels to carry out His judgment over the city of Jerusalem. There was one among the angels that seemed to stand out. He was clothed in linen and had a writer's inkhorn at his side. This could be the pre-incarnate Christ, the Angel of the Lord.
Verse 3 says the glory of God had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple." The glory of God was departing the temple and the city prior to its destruction. The departure was gradual. First it left the Holy of Holies....from between the wings of the cherubs...then to the threshold of the temple...then to the East Gate (10:18,19) and finally to the Mount of Olives to the east. (11:22-23) God was about the leave the temple in Jerusalem never to return until Jesus returns set up His kingdom. The glory of God was departing...it was on the move. What a solemn moment...the visual sign of the presence of God departing.
God's departure removed all protection and gave the people over to destruction. The angelic scribe dressed in linen who had the writer's inkhorn at his side (the Angel of the Lord) was called by God to mark the righteous who had been faithful and who sighed and cried over the abominations done in the city. Ezekiel goes on to say but "to the others He said in my hearing , "Go after him through the city and kill, do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary." (begin with the elders of Israel who had committed wicked abominations in the temple and were corrupt both in their practices and their thoughts.)
Then He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, 'The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.' " --Ezekiel 8:12
The marked ones reminded me of the blood on the lintel to protect Israel from God's judgment on Egypt. The mark identified these people personally with God. Grace for His people and especially for His remnant.!! Praise to our God!! There are so many example of the mercy God shows to His people throughout the Old and the New Testaments.
I can't even voice the comfort this brings me. God marks those who are His. Those who as a friend pointed out fear the Lord and hate evil. We are not appointed for wrath. We are always under His care and protection. We have a Mediator, a Great High Priest who lives to make intercession for us!
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,--1 Thessalonians 5:9
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plague--Revelation 18:4
Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past.--Isaiah 26:20
And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.--Exodus 12:7
Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." --Malachi 3:16-17
saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.--Revelation 7:3
They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. --Revelation 9:4
Chapter 11 verse 16 speaks of a sanctuary for God's people wherever they are.
Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone." ' --Ezekiel 11:16
God is everywhere present and He is wherever God's people are. God was promising His presence here to those who turn to Him. Today, to those of us who believe Acts 17 says this:
God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' ---Acts 17:24-28 bold emphasis mine.
In judgment, our God always remembers mercy!
Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." --Exodus 34:5-7
Love
Mom
Friday, April 15, 2011
Me, Myself and I....The Trinity of Stupidity
"It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts."
Love
Mom
Doer of the Word vs the Hearer Only....James 1:22-25
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
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
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
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