Monday, February 28, 2011
Blessed.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakes, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
If the gospel you preach is powerless, if it brings no reproach, if it is not offensive, it is not The Gospel of the bible. The True Gospel of the bible is offensive. It always brings persecution to the bearer of the Message. The True Gospel bore a cross to Jesus and bears a cross to His disciples.
Christianity is no different today, as it was in biblical times.
Christians hate the things that Christ hates, do you?
Are you offended and grieved by sin? Are you vexed in your soul by these things? By wickedness? By perversity? By violence you see in movies? By jokes that blaspheme the holy God? By the constant blaspheming of His name in the media today? Do you hate sin?
Has it cost you anything to follow Christ?
Does the Word of God condemn you? Does it confirm you?
Have you experienced joy unspeakable from His Spirit?
Have you been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name?
Do you obey God rather than men?
Can you see God's holiness?
Have you been given a new heart by His Spirit?
Have you been born of God?
Do you see fruit in your life and heart?
Do you have a testimony? Of when God came and confirmed you?
Does your walk with Christ line up with the bible or is it off at all?
Do you have the same Spirit as the disciples were given at Pentecost?
Can you see the cross? Has He brought you to the Cross?
Do you bear the cross and the reproach of Christ?
Beloved, this is a serious matter, this is no light thing. Please don't take it lightly. Ask yourself these questions, in humility, ask God to examine your heart, to show you the truth about your soul. He desires to do this. He desires one worship Him in spirit and in truth.
When Jesus was on the earth, they all accused Him, hated Him. All who have His Spirit in them bring this same offense, just by His presence. His Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
You are blessed if you bear the reproach of Christ.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakes, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
If the gospel you preach is powerless, if it brings no reproach, if it is not offensive, it is not The Gospel of the bible. The True Gospel of the bible is offensive. It always brings persecution to the bearer of the Message. The True Gospel bore a cross to Jesus and bears a cross to His disciples.
Christianity is no different today, as it was in biblical times.
Christians hate the things that Christ hates, do you?
Are you offended and grieved by sin? Are you vexed in your soul by these things? By wickedness? By perversity? By violence you see in movies? By jokes that blaspheme the holy God? By the constant blaspheming of His name in the media today? Do you hate sin?
Has it cost you anything to follow Christ?
Does the Word of God condemn you? Does it confirm you?
Have you experienced joy unspeakable from His Spirit?
Have you been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name?
Do you obey God rather than men?
Can you see God's holiness?
Have you been given a new heart by His Spirit?
Have you been born of God?
Do you see fruit in your life and heart?
Do you have a testimony? Of when God came and confirmed you?
Does your walk with Christ line up with the bible or is it off at all?
Do you have the same Spirit as the disciples were given at Pentecost?
Can you see the cross? Has He brought you to the Cross?
Do you bear the cross and the reproach of Christ?
Beloved, this is a serious matter, this is no light thing. Please don't take it lightly. Ask yourself these questions, in humility, ask God to examine your heart, to show you the truth about your soul. He desires to do this. He desires one worship Him in spirit and in truth.
When Jesus was on the earth, they all accused Him, hated Him. All who have His Spirit in them bring this same offense, just by His presence. His Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
You are blessed if you bear the reproach of Christ.
Dearly Beloved:
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.
Dearly beloved, choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. Greater riches than all the treasures this world can offer.
Dearly beloved, come out from among them, be ye separate.
Dearly beloved, desire a better country, an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called your God, for He hath prepared you a city.
Dearly beloved, be persuaded of the great and precious promises the Lord has given and will give, embrace them, confess that you are strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Dearly beloved, don't despise the riches of His goodness and forebearance and longsuffering. Don't you know that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Dearly beloved, do not let thy heart be hardness and impenitent, treasuring up unto yourself the wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
Dearly beloved, know that the Lord will render to every man according to his deeds; unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. There will be tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil in the day of judgment.
Dearly beloved, believe when God's Word says, to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory, honour and immortality will receive eternal life.
Dearly beloved, many will seek to enter in but shall not be able.
Dearly beloved, if you are crucified with Him you shall also be raised with Him.
Dearly beloved, you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation, manner of life, received by the traditions of your fathers.
Dearly beloved, you were redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb, without blemish and without spot.
Dearly beloved, if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.
Dearly beloved, if thou be lukewarm He will spew you out of His mouth, as many as He love He chasten, be zealous therefore and repent.
Dearly beloved, if a man abide not in Jesus, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Dearly beloved, you were born again by incorruptible seed.
Dearly beloved, His Word declares, the righteous are scarcely saved.
Dearly beloved, cleave to Him, the Author and Perfecter of your faith.
Dearly beloved, set no wicked thing before your eyes.
Dearly beloved, forget not all His benefits.
Dearly beloved, praise His great and terrible Name; for it is holy.
Dearly beloved, be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Dearly beloved, put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.
Dearly beloved, pure religion, undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Dearly beloved, be not as Nadab and Abihu who worshiped God in a way He did not command them to. The offering was what He commanded, but the way in which they offered it was not as He instructed. So He consumed them with fire.
Dearly beloved, exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Dearly beloved, ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Dearly beloved, live soberly, godly and righteously in this present age, not loving the things of this world.
Dearly beloved, worship Him in the way He commands in the Word of God, no other way.
Dearly beloved, thou shalt have no other gods before Him.
Dearly beloved, it is the GRACE OF GOD that teaches us to deny ungodly and worldly lusts.
Dearly beloved, without the Holy Spirit in you this is impossible. No good thing lies in your flesh, only death.
Dearly beloved, if you have been crucified with Christ: nevertheless you live; yet not you, but Christ liveth in you: and the life which you now live in the flesh you live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved you, and gave himself for you.
Dearly beloved, walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind. Walk in love, as Christ has loved us.
Dearly beloved, for ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
Dearly beloved, walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.
Dearly beloved, redeem the time, because the days are evil.
Dearly beloved, do you look like the world? Oh how this grieves the Spirit of God, how is quenches His Spirit. Let this not be so. Be not leavened, for a little leaven, a little compromise, leavens the whole lump. I plead with you to put away the old man, crucify the old man in Christ Jesus, confess, repent to the Lord and King of kings, come out and be ye separate, child of God, not looking like the world. Seek ye the Lord. Forsake your ways and your thoughts. For His thoughts are so much higher than yours. Turn from idols to serve the Living God. The time is short. Seek Him in truth.
Luke 13:24; Romans 2:3-10; Hebrews 11:16, 25, 26; 1 Peter 2:11, 1 Peter 1; John 15; James 1:27; Revelation 3:16,19; Psalm 103; Psalm 101; Psalm 99; Ephesians 4:23; Romans 12; Ephesians 5:2,8; Leviticus 10; Exodus 20:3; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 3:13
Dearly beloved, choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. Greater riches than all the treasures this world can offer.
Dearly beloved, come out from among them, be ye separate.
Dearly beloved, desire a better country, an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called your God, for He hath prepared you a city.
Dearly beloved, be persuaded of the great and precious promises the Lord has given and will give, embrace them, confess that you are strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Dearly beloved, don't despise the riches of His goodness and forebearance and longsuffering. Don't you know that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Dearly beloved, do not let thy heart be hardness and impenitent, treasuring up unto yourself the wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
Dearly beloved, know that the Lord will render to every man according to his deeds; unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. There will be tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil in the day of judgment.
Dearly beloved, believe when God's Word says, to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory, honour and immortality will receive eternal life.
Dearly beloved, many will seek to enter in but shall not be able.
Dearly beloved, if you are crucified with Him you shall also be raised with Him.
Dearly beloved, you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation, manner of life, received by the traditions of your fathers.
Dearly beloved, you were redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb, without blemish and without spot.
Dearly beloved, if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.
Dearly beloved, if thou be lukewarm He will spew you out of His mouth, as many as He love He chasten, be zealous therefore and repent.
Dearly beloved, if a man abide not in Jesus, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Dearly beloved, you were born again by incorruptible seed.
Dearly beloved, His Word declares, the righteous are scarcely saved.
Dearly beloved, cleave to Him, the Author and Perfecter of your faith.
Dearly beloved, set no wicked thing before your eyes.
Dearly beloved, forget not all His benefits.
Dearly beloved, praise His great and terrible Name; for it is holy.
Dearly beloved, be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Dearly beloved, put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.
Dearly beloved, pure religion, undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Dearly beloved, be not as Nadab and Abihu who worshiped God in a way He did not command them to. The offering was what He commanded, but the way in which they offered it was not as He instructed. So He consumed them with fire.
Dearly beloved, exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Dearly beloved, ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Dearly beloved, live soberly, godly and righteously in this present age, not loving the things of this world.
Dearly beloved, worship Him in the way He commands in the Word of God, no other way.
Dearly beloved, thou shalt have no other gods before Him.
Dearly beloved, it is the GRACE OF GOD that teaches us to deny ungodly and worldly lusts.
Dearly beloved, without the Holy Spirit in you this is impossible. No good thing lies in your flesh, only death.
Dearly beloved, if you have been crucified with Christ: nevertheless you live; yet not you, but Christ liveth in you: and the life which you now live in the flesh you live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved you, and gave himself for you.
Dearly beloved, walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind. Walk in love, as Christ has loved us.
Dearly beloved, for ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
Dearly beloved, walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.
Dearly beloved, redeem the time, because the days are evil.
Dearly beloved, do you look like the world? Oh how this grieves the Spirit of God, how is quenches His Spirit. Let this not be so. Be not leavened, for a little leaven, a little compromise, leavens the whole lump. I plead with you to put away the old man, crucify the old man in Christ Jesus, confess, repent to the Lord and King of kings, come out and be ye separate, child of God, not looking like the world. Seek ye the Lord. Forsake your ways and your thoughts. For His thoughts are so much higher than yours. Turn from idols to serve the Living God. The time is short. Seek Him in truth.
Luke 13:24; Romans 2:3-10; Hebrews 11:16, 25, 26; 1 Peter 2:11, 1 Peter 1; John 15; James 1:27; Revelation 3:16,19; Psalm 103; Psalm 101; Psalm 99; Ephesians 4:23; Romans 12; Ephesians 5:2,8; Leviticus 10; Exodus 20:3; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 3:13
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Darkness to Light
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth
was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep,
and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said,
Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
The earth was without form and void, useless, darkness upon the face of the deep. This is God's creation! Ineffective apart from the Creator's indwelling, without His presence upon the face. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. There was darkness upon the creation. No life was upon it yet. This motionless, useless creation, empty and dark, where there was darkness. BUT THEN God's Spirit came and moved on the face of the waters. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Where there was darkness upon the face but now the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters! There was darkness but now God moved!! He said let there be light! And there was light! When He moves He creates light!! He makes manifest by the light! To marvelous light! God gives life to what was dead, useless, meaningless, and purposeless! God moved! = there was light! God is light! For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
1 John 1:5; Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 5:14; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Acts 26:18
God saw the light, that is was good. God divided the light from the darkness. So light can remain light and not be darkness as it once was. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? He separates the two! Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
The earth was without form and void, useless, darkness upon the face of the deep. This is God's creation! Ineffective apart from the Creator's indwelling, without His presence upon the face. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. There was darkness upon the creation. No life was upon it yet. This motionless, useless creation, empty and dark, where there was darkness. BUT THEN God's Spirit came and moved on the face of the waters. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Where there was darkness upon the face but now the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters! There was darkness but now God moved!! He said let there be light! And there was light! When He moves He creates light!! He makes manifest by the light! To marvelous light! God gives life to what was dead, useless, meaningless, and purposeless! God moved! = there was light! God is light! For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
1 John 1:5; Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 5:14; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Acts 26:18
God saw the light, that is was good. God divided the light from the darkness. So light can remain light and not be darkness as it once was. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? He separates the two! Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Bearing The Cross
"Come down from the cross!!"
The world will say, come down from the cross!! They told Jesus to. Surely they will tell His saints to come down from the cross, "Don't deny yourself and take up the cross!! You can follow Christ without taking up this cross you are bearing! You don't have to bear His reproach!!"
No! Bear His reproach! He says, he who comes after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross! Follow Me!! This is what Jesus says!! If you do not you cannot be His disciple! These are not my words, these are the Lord God's words.
The world compelled Simon the Cyrene to bear His cross with Him, only because they didn't want to help Him. I wonder if Simon was willing or did it grudgingly. If he just did it by force or if he wanted to help Jesus?
We are called to take up our cross, to be reviled and hated, as Jesus was. The Lord called the disciples, saying, "Leave your net, follow Me!!" and "forsake your father, follow Me!" This was just the beginning of Jesus' call to bear the cross! Leave your job(the net) and forsake your family(father). Wow. Jesus is pretty radical! He calls His disciples, "forsake all", even relatives. That is an intense calling He has.
They told Jesus, if you are the chosen of God then get off the cross!! Thinking Jesus used His power for His own purposes, when really Jesus submitted to the Father in all things! Telling Him then to get off the cross because you are chosen of God, is ridiculous! This is the reason He was chosen of God!! This is the purpose in which He was chosen for! To bear this reproach! To take away the sins of those putting Him there on the cross! He was chosen to bear this cross for them who be-railed Him.
Those who killed the Prince of Life, God was merciful and loving, calling them to repent and be converted, those who put Jesus on the cross, it was well known we put Him there and He died for this very reason! For sin. The sin of unbelief in the Son of God! He wanted to and still does want to blot out our sins, and give us times of refreshing from His presence. This is the sin, that they believed not on Him! But if we forsake our sin and seek Him He will cover us with this blood that was shed that we so railed Him for! What a merciful God!
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Christ endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him! This is why we can endure the cross, because of the joy set before us, the end our faith the salvation of our souls. Like Moses, we need to have respect unto the recompense(the repayment) of reward, far outweighing all in this world! The reproach of Christ is of greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
Why bear the cross? Because this is the cross my Savior bore. I must be with Him outside the camp.
Matthew 27:40; Mark 8:34; Matthew 27:32; Matthew 16:24; Matthew 4:19-22; Luke 9:62; Luke 14:26; John 12:25; Luke 6:22; Matthew 10:22; Luke 23:35; Acts 3:15,19; John 16:9; 1 Corinthians 1:17-18; Galatians 6:14; Hebrews 12:2; Hebrews 11:25,26
The world will say, come down from the cross!! They told Jesus to. Surely they will tell His saints to come down from the cross, "Don't deny yourself and take up the cross!! You can follow Christ without taking up this cross you are bearing! You don't have to bear His reproach!!"
No! Bear His reproach! He says, he who comes after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross! Follow Me!! This is what Jesus says!! If you do not you cannot be His disciple! These are not my words, these are the Lord God's words.
The world compelled Simon the Cyrene to bear His cross with Him, only because they didn't want to help Him. I wonder if Simon was willing or did it grudgingly. If he just did it by force or if he wanted to help Jesus?
We are called to take up our cross, to be reviled and hated, as Jesus was. The Lord called the disciples, saying, "Leave your net, follow Me!!" and "forsake your father, follow Me!" This was just the beginning of Jesus' call to bear the cross! Leave your job(the net) and forsake your family(father). Wow. Jesus is pretty radical! He calls His disciples, "forsake all", even relatives. That is an intense calling He has.
They told Jesus, if you are the chosen of God then get off the cross!! Thinking Jesus used His power for His own purposes, when really Jesus submitted to the Father in all things! Telling Him then to get off the cross because you are chosen of God, is ridiculous! This is the reason He was chosen of God!! This is the purpose in which He was chosen for! To bear this reproach! To take away the sins of those putting Him there on the cross! He was chosen to bear this cross for them who be-railed Him.
Those who killed the Prince of Life, God was merciful and loving, calling them to repent and be converted, those who put Jesus on the cross, it was well known we put Him there and He died for this very reason! For sin. The sin of unbelief in the Son of God! He wanted to and still does want to blot out our sins, and give us times of refreshing from His presence. This is the sin, that they believed not on Him! But if we forsake our sin and seek Him He will cover us with this blood that was shed that we so railed Him for! What a merciful God!
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Christ endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him! This is why we can endure the cross, because of the joy set before us, the end our faith the salvation of our souls. Like Moses, we need to have respect unto the recompense(the repayment) of reward, far outweighing all in this world! The reproach of Christ is of greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
Why bear the cross? Because this is the cross my Savior bore. I must be with Him outside the camp.
Matthew 27:40; Mark 8:34; Matthew 27:32; Matthew 16:24; Matthew 4:19-22; Luke 9:62; Luke 14:26; John 12:25; Luke 6:22; Matthew 10:22; Luke 23:35; Acts 3:15,19; John 16:9; 1 Corinthians 1:17-18; Galatians 6:14; Hebrews 12:2; Hebrews 11:25,26
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
ACTS CHAPTER THREE
Peter and John healed a lame man.
All the people wondered greatly at what just happened,
this lame man not leaping and walking and praising God.
Peter, with boldness from the Holy Spirit said,
Why look ye so earnestly on us
as though by OUR OWN POWER OR HOLINESS
we had made this man to walk?
The GOD of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob,
The God of our fathers, HATH glorified His Son Jesus;
whom YE DELIVERED UP,
and DENIED HIM in the presence of Pilate,
when he was determined to let him go.
(They even said let His blood be on us and OUR CHILDREN! Matt 27:25 cursing their own children to kill a man speaking the Truth!)
But YE DENIED the HOLY ONE and the JUST,
and desired a murderer to be granted unto you!!!
And killed the PRINCE OF LIFE,
[KILLED THE PRINCE OF LIFE]
(Surely death abides on you if you kill the Prince of LIFE)
(They thought killing Him would get rid of Him! BUT GOD...)
WHOM GOD HATH RAISED FROM THE DEAD;
[GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD]
[WHOM YE KILLED... GOD RAISED!!!!!!!!!!!]
whereof we are witnesses.
(Thinking they could really GET RID of Christ! No!! GOD raised Him from the dead!!)
And HIS NAME through faith in HIS NAME
hath made this man strong,
whom ye see and know:
yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness
in the presence of you all.
[They tried to get rid of Christ! But
THERE IS POWER IN HIS NAME!
THIS MAN WAS HEALED!!
BY HIS NAME!!
YOU CAN PUT THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD ON A CROSS,
BUT CAN'T KEEP HIM THERE!
EVEN IN HEAVEN HE HAS POWER ON EARTH!
THE POWER OF HIS NAME!
TO SAVE!]
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it,
as did also your rulers.
But those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all the prophets,
that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.
[SHEWED BY THE MOUTH OF ALL THE PROPHETS, HE FULFILLED! HE SUFFERED!]
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord!!
REPENT YE!!
BE CONVERTED!
Why? THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT!
SO THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING SHALL COME!
From whose presence? From the PRESENCE OF THE LORD!
THE PRINCE OF LIFE!
Pilate was determined to let Him go, (Matt 27:13-25)
Pilate showed the people the great murderer,
surely they would rather Jesus remain alive,
if they were to choose between a great murderer and Him.
No.
The people would not save the blood of the Innocent!
They would rather have a murderer released among them rather than the Prince of Life!
And YET GOD STANDS,
speaking His Words through men,
REPENT! BE CONVERTED!
Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus,
SENT HIM TO BLESS YOU,
in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
What GRACE!! What Loving kindness!
What longsuffering He has!
Therefore also now,
saith the LORD,
Turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting,
and with weeping, and with mourning:
And rend your heart,
and not your garments,
and turn unto the LORD your God:
for He is gracious and merciful!!
Slow to anger!
And of great kindness!
And repenteth him of the evil.
(Joel 2:12-13)
WE MUST
Christ is coming back!! He is
coming back in the same way He was taken up into heaven!! (Acts 1:11)
Oh, to await the coming of the gracious Lord! The Lamb of God!!
We must press on toward the goal of the upward call in God!
We must Keep His Kingdom always before our faces, seeking Him to be pure and unspotted from the world! To be found blameless before Him! He has cleansed from sin, pardoned all iniquity for those who are in Him, yet,
We must strive according to His work, which work in us mightily! (Col 1:29)
We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling! (Phil 2:12)
We must be doing all things without complaining and murmuring that we may be found in Him blameless and harmless, sons of God without rebuke that we could shine as lights in the world!! (Phil2:14-15)
We must hold forth the Word of life, that we might rejoice in the day of Christ, that our running has not been in vain, nor those who discipled us! (Phil 2:16)
We must be bold, for if the Holy Ghost is in us He gives us boldness! It is not of us, but boldness is a fruit of the Spirit, proof that He is in us! Evidence of being with Jesus is boldness! (Acts 4:31)
We must obey not men but rather obey God, in boldness! (Acts 5:29; 1:8; 4:13)
We must Let our conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, standing fast in one Spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel! (Phil 1:27)
We must not be terrified by our adversaries, for if we run to Christ we will have adversaries! But letting these adversaries be an evident token of salvation and that of God!(Phil 1:28)
We must abide in Him! Remain in Him! Why? That when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming! (1 John 2:28) For if John exhorts us of this, then it must be possible that if we let sin come in and let it keep any part of us from remaining in Him, it is possible to be ashamed before Him at His coming!
We must not compromise!
We must let Him purge us, keep all at the altar before Him, be a living sacrifice! That He might purge us of all sin and keep us unspotted from the world!
We must lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us! (Heb 12:1,2)
We must look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith!
We must be found in Him, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith! (Phil 3:9)
We must not love our own life!! We must hate our own life! (Luke 14:26)
We must not fall away, for to renew one again unto repentance, it would be crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh, and putting Him to an open shame! For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, were partakers of the Holy Ghost, tasted the good word of God and powers of the world to come, to be renewed again to repentance. (Hebrews 6)
We must continue with one accord in prayer and supplication. (Acts 1:14)
We must not forsake the assembly of ourselves as some do! But instead exhort each other daily! (Heb 10:25)
We must consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works! (Hebrews 10:24)
We must keep ourselves from idols! (1 John 5:21)
We must obey Him, for He will then give you the Holy Ghost! (Acts 5:32)
We must not love with world! (James 4:4) (1 John 2:15-17)
We must rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for His name! (Acts 5:41)
We must walk in light and have fellowship with one another and love the brethren! (1 John 1:7; 2:10)
Do YOU love these commandments He has given us in His Word or do you find them grevious? (1 John 5:3; Prov 10:8)
Do YOU find the power to walk in them? (Acts 1:8)Or are you powerless and feel, this is what it was like in the biblical days, it's not for us! We are not to just have a form of godliness without the power, for then we would not have the Holy Spirit in us and if we have not the Holy Spirit in us we are not saved. For that which is Spirit is spirit, that which is flesh is flesh. (2 Timothy 3:5; John 3:5; John 7:39)
Christ is coming soon!! And if we does not come back in your lifetime, you will face Him in the next ten, twenty-five, fifty, however many years He grants your life to be. Are you ready? Do you have oil in your lamp? (Mat 25) Do you have your wedding garment? (Mat 22) Have you cried out, cried out, cried out to Jesus? (Mat 20:29-34) Have you been called by Him? (Mark 10:49) Has the Lord received you? (Psalm 49:15; 2 Corinthians 6:17) Has He received you graciously, in which you were able to offer the sacrifice of praise from your heart? (Hosea 14:2) Has the Lord granted you sight, oh blind? (Luke 18:42) Has He opened your eyes from darkness to light? (Acts 26:18)
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
We must press on toward the goal of the upward call in God!
We must Keep His Kingdom always before our faces, seeking Him to be pure and unspotted from the world! To be found blameless before Him! He has cleansed from sin, pardoned all iniquity for those who are in Him, yet,
We must strive according to His work, which work in us mightily! (Col 1:29)
We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling! (Phil 2:12)
We must be doing all things without complaining and murmuring that we may be found in Him blameless and harmless, sons of God without rebuke that we could shine as lights in the world!! (Phil2:14-15)
We must hold forth the Word of life, that we might rejoice in the day of Christ, that our running has not been in vain, nor those who discipled us! (Phil 2:16)
We must be bold, for if the Holy Ghost is in us He gives us boldness! It is not of us, but boldness is a fruit of the Spirit, proof that He is in us! Evidence of being with Jesus is boldness! (Acts 4:31)
We must obey not men but rather obey God, in boldness! (Acts 5:29; 1:8; 4:13)
We must Let our conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, standing fast in one Spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel! (Phil 1:27)
We must not be terrified by our adversaries, for if we run to Christ we will have adversaries! But letting these adversaries be an evident token of salvation and that of God!(Phil 1:28)
We must abide in Him! Remain in Him! Why? That when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming! (1 John 2:28) For if John exhorts us of this, then it must be possible that if we let sin come in and let it keep any part of us from remaining in Him, it is possible to be ashamed before Him at His coming!
We must not compromise!
We must let Him purge us, keep all at the altar before Him, be a living sacrifice! That He might purge us of all sin and keep us unspotted from the world!
We must lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us! (Heb 12:1,2)
We must look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith!
We must be found in Him, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith! (Phil 3:9)
We must not love our own life!! We must hate our own life! (Luke 14:26)
We must not fall away, for to renew one again unto repentance, it would be crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh, and putting Him to an open shame! For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, were partakers of the Holy Ghost, tasted the good word of God and powers of the world to come, to be renewed again to repentance. (Hebrews 6)
We must continue with one accord in prayer and supplication. (Acts 1:14)
We must not forsake the assembly of ourselves as some do! But instead exhort each other daily! (Heb 10:25)
We must consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works! (Hebrews 10:24)
We must keep ourselves from idols! (1 John 5:21)
We must obey Him, for He will then give you the Holy Ghost! (Acts 5:32)
We must not love with world! (James 4:4) (1 John 2:15-17)
We must rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for His name! (Acts 5:41)
We must walk in light and have fellowship with one another and love the brethren! (1 John 1:7; 2:10)
Do YOU love these commandments He has given us in His Word or do you find them grevious? (1 John 5:3; Prov 10:8)
Do YOU find the power to walk in them? (Acts 1:8)Or are you powerless and feel, this is what it was like in the biblical days, it's not for us! We are not to just have a form of godliness without the power, for then we would not have the Holy Spirit in us and if we have not the Holy Spirit in us we are not saved. For that which is Spirit is spirit, that which is flesh is flesh. (2 Timothy 3:5; John 3:5; John 7:39)
Christ is coming soon!! And if we does not come back in your lifetime, you will face Him in the next ten, twenty-five, fifty, however many years He grants your life to be. Are you ready? Do you have oil in your lamp? (Mat 25) Do you have your wedding garment? (Mat 22) Have you cried out, cried out, cried out to Jesus? (Mat 20:29-34) Have you been called by Him? (Mark 10:49) Has the Lord received you? (Psalm 49:15; 2 Corinthians 6:17) Has He received you graciously, in which you were able to offer the sacrifice of praise from your heart? (Hosea 14:2) Has the Lord granted you sight, oh blind? (Luke 18:42) Has He opened your eyes from darkness to light? (Acts 26:18)
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Birthing Center, Mason, The Lord
Well, I am 32 weeks along. Mason is a week bigger than he should be
when they measure me every time I have gone to the midwife.
My medicaid was MUCH easier to get here in Texas than it was in New Mexico!! It took five months to work out medicaid and much hassle in New Mexico. Not here, I took the paper work five minutes away to an office and a few weeks later received my letter in the mail I was accepted. Oh the simplicity!! (Not used to this! What a blessing!)
We found a birthing center to go to. It is pretty amazing, it is like a house, with two birthing rooms, that are nice and cozy, home looking. Not the sterile atmosphere like a hospital which I am not keen on. There are birthing pools at the birthing center as well, which Lord willing I will be able to give a water birth. There is a kitchen we are free to use, which I will probably have Jordan make me a smoothie my friend told me about to help you milk come in :). (If you were interested in knowing these fun details)
The midwife and the nurses are pretty amazing. I just had an appointment the other day and got my Rhogam shot, so that is good. The birthing center will accommodate me in having an IV with the Group B Strep antibiotic. But I won't have to have the IV hooked up to me the whole time, they said I would be able to have the patch on my arm and they would hook it up every now and then to give me the medicine I will need. Also a blessing. (At first I was concerned that I would not be able to do the natural birth with the different things like the Rogam shot and the IV I will need, but the Lord is working it out).
The other day I got up out of bed and noticed Mason felt a little lower than usual. I looked in the mirror and he was lower! He has dropped and still more to come I am sure. A few noticed already that he is a bit lower. There is not much time, Lord willing, til he will be here! How exciting.
Mason is very active right now and I think four pounds. He is as long as he will be at birth already, now he just has filling out to do. It is amazing to think the Lord is forming him in my womb. We cannot build a baby, only God can. We cannot even conceive without Him actually, He is the one who opens and closes the womb. He sanctifies birth and He forms the baby in the womb. It is amazing and I have not even touched the surface of how beautiful it is. I am sure my eyes will be opened when Mason is born.
The Lord opens and closes the womb...
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.-Psalm 127:3
...And he said, the children which God hath graciously given thy servant.-Genesis 33:5
Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb.-Isaiah 44:2
And God remembered Rachel and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.-Genesis 30:22
And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bare three sons and two daughters.-1 Samuel 2:21
God forms in the womb, who are we to stop Him? Who are we to think we have control? Who are we to think we don't need His blessing and plan for our life when it comes to children? Would we trust His plan for our family? It is His work. He chooses to open the womb, He chooses to give fruit of the womb. It is His reward. How beautiful is this.
My medicaid was MUCH easier to get here in Texas than it was in New Mexico!! It took five months to work out medicaid and much hassle in New Mexico. Not here, I took the paper work five minutes away to an office and a few weeks later received my letter in the mail I was accepted. Oh the simplicity!! (Not used to this! What a blessing!)
We found a birthing center to go to. It is pretty amazing, it is like a house, with two birthing rooms, that are nice and cozy, home looking. Not the sterile atmosphere like a hospital which I am not keen on. There are birthing pools at the birthing center as well, which Lord willing I will be able to give a water birth. There is a kitchen we are free to use, which I will probably have Jordan make me a smoothie my friend told me about to help you milk come in :). (If you were interested in knowing these fun details)
The midwife and the nurses are pretty amazing. I just had an appointment the other day and got my Rhogam shot, so that is good. The birthing center will accommodate me in having an IV with the Group B Strep antibiotic. But I won't have to have the IV hooked up to me the whole time, they said I would be able to have the patch on my arm and they would hook it up every now and then to give me the medicine I will need. Also a blessing. (At first I was concerned that I would not be able to do the natural birth with the different things like the Rogam shot and the IV I will need, but the Lord is working it out).
The other day I got up out of bed and noticed Mason felt a little lower than usual. I looked in the mirror and he was lower! He has dropped and still more to come I am sure. A few noticed already that he is a bit lower. There is not much time, Lord willing, til he will be here! How exciting.
Mason is very active right now and I think four pounds. He is as long as he will be at birth already, now he just has filling out to do. It is amazing to think the Lord is forming him in my womb. We cannot build a baby, only God can. We cannot even conceive without Him actually, He is the one who opens and closes the womb. He sanctifies birth and He forms the baby in the womb. It is amazing and I have not even touched the surface of how beautiful it is. I am sure my eyes will be opened when Mason is born.
The Lord opens and closes the womb...
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.-Psalm 127:3
...And he said, the children which God hath graciously given thy servant.-Genesis 33:5
Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb.-Isaiah 44:2
And God remembered Rachel and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.-Genesis 30:22
And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bare three sons and two daughters.-1 Samuel 2:21
God forms in the womb, who are we to stop Him? Who are we to think we have control? Who are we to think we don't need His blessing and plan for our life when it comes to children? Would we trust His plan for our family? It is His work. He chooses to open the womb, He chooses to give fruit of the womb. It is His reward. How beautiful is this.
Examine, Reprove, Judge
Born again Christians are called to examine, reprove and judge.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16)
How? Because he has the mind of Christ.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.(Ephesians 5:11-14)
We who are in Christ are to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness. We are not called to just sit aside and say nothing about sin. Why? That Christ who is in us shall give thee light.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Christ is the Word which came in flesh, Christ dwells in those who belong to Him, He will give discernment to discern the thoughts and intents of one's heart, that Christ may give them light.
But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)
An unbeliever is judged of all, it is known that he is an unbeliever, nothing is hidden, his heart is made manifest just by being in the presence of believers, the Lord has given discernment. Once his heart was made manifest, he was an unbeliever, after his secrets of his heart were made manifest, he fell down and worshiped God because of God being of a truth believers. Their presence was convicting to the unbeliever.
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. (1 Corinthians 4:3)
Man's judgment is futile, it is Christ in a born again new creature that does the judging, not man. there is nothing good that dwells in the the flesh. But the Spirit is the discerner.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (John 16:7-8)
If the Holy Spirit is in you He will reprove the world of sin, righteousness and of judgment. HE will do this. It is a work that He will do, it is the effect of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You won't be able to help speak against those things which offend God, darkness, revealing darkness, making it manifest to the light, that Christ might shine on it and give light.
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
(1 Corinthians 6:2,3)
The saints SHALL judge the world. When He is in you you cannot help but judge all things by the Word of God, He has given a new heart, new eyes, to see.
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)
God calls us to follow these things WITH THEM that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. How will we know who calls on the Lord out of a pure heart, out of humility and transparency, unless you examine and judge? This is a command of Him because He does not want His flock to be deceived or leavened. He wants their hearts to be pure, and those who you fellowship with weather it be fellowship in sin or fellowship in the Spirit of righteousness, you will be like those you are around. So he desires that the church make sure they are fellowshipping with those of a pure heart, so they may keep their hearts pure and unspotted from the world.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16)
How? Because he has the mind of Christ.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.(Ephesians 5:11-14)
We who are in Christ are to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness. We are not called to just sit aside and say nothing about sin. Why? That Christ who is in us shall give thee light.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Christ is the Word which came in flesh, Christ dwells in those who belong to Him, He will give discernment to discern the thoughts and intents of one's heart, that Christ may give them light.
But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)
An unbeliever is judged of all, it is known that he is an unbeliever, nothing is hidden, his heart is made manifest just by being in the presence of believers, the Lord has given discernment. Once his heart was made manifest, he was an unbeliever, after his secrets of his heart were made manifest, he fell down and worshiped God because of God being of a truth believers. Their presence was convicting to the unbeliever.
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. (1 Corinthians 4:3)
Man's judgment is futile, it is Christ in a born again new creature that does the judging, not man. there is nothing good that dwells in the the flesh. But the Spirit is the discerner.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (John 16:7-8)
If the Holy Spirit is in you He will reprove the world of sin, righteousness and of judgment. HE will do this. It is a work that He will do, it is the effect of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You won't be able to help speak against those things which offend God, darkness, revealing darkness, making it manifest to the light, that Christ might shine on it and give light.
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
(1 Corinthians 6:2,3)
The saints SHALL judge the world. When He is in you you cannot help but judge all things by the Word of God, He has given a new heart, new eyes, to see.
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)
God calls us to follow these things WITH THEM that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. How will we know who calls on the Lord out of a pure heart, out of humility and transparency, unless you examine and judge? This is a command of Him because He does not want His flock to be deceived or leavened. He wants their hearts to be pure, and those who you fellowship with weather it be fellowship in sin or fellowship in the Spirit of righteousness, you will be like those you are around. So he desires that the church make sure they are fellowshipping with those of a pure heart, so they may keep their hearts pure and unspotted from the world.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Be Still My Soul
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change God faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
to guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
the Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow for forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change God faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
to guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
the Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow for forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Promises of God
And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him,
Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin;
The LORD is with you,
while ye be with him; and if ye seek him,
he will be found of you;
but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
Do
we just take the "encouraging" verses, and take those as promises of
God without considering the conditions of the promise. THE LORD IS WITH
YOU-what an amazing promise of the Lord! The reality of, I will be with
you!! Who am I that You would be with us, Lord!? But
there is a condition, WHILE YE BE WITH HIM, IF YE SEEK HIM. We must be
abiding in Him, we must be seeking Him, if we are not He will not be
with us. If we forsake Him He will forsake us. If we deny Him He will
deny us. He will not be mocked. He is God. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. But there is the promise of Him confessing us before His Father, IF we confess Him before men. Jesus
answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:
and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our
abode with him. The Father will love you
and come unto you and make His abode with you IF IF IF you love Him, and
how will He know if you love Him? You will keep His words. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. He
knows we are in the love of God IF we keep His commandments, and those
commandments, His commands to us, just as He commanded people throughout
the Gospels, will not be grievous if the Spirit of God is in us. If
His Spirit is not in us they will be grievous, difficult and burdensome.
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his
coming. So what happens if we abide in
Him? We will have confidence when He appears. If we do not abide in
Him, we will be ashamed at His coming. There is a promise, we will have
confidence when he shall appear! But the condition is that we abide in
Him. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and
is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they
are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. We
shall ask Him anything we will, and it will be done for us! What a
precious promise! But this promise is only given to us if we abide in
Him and in His Words!! How much He desires, exhorts and warns us to
abide in Him, following His commandments, know Him. Matthew 10:33 John 14:23, 1 John 5:3, 1 John 2:28, John 15:6, John 15:7, 2 Chronicles 15:2
Two Pictures Of Salvation
2-12-11
And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon,
and entered into an house, and would have no man know it:
But He could not be hid.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. If
you are in Christ, you have become light in this dark world, it is not
you but Christ who liveth in you and it will be evident to everyone that
He is in you. He doesn't allow Himself to be hid but to be seen that
they might see your works and glorify your Father in heaven.
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit,
heard of Him, and came and *fell at His feet:
Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God. We will all bow before the
Living God, we will either now humble ourselves before even a crowd as
this woman did, she didn't care, she only saw Christ!, or when He comes
in glory and our knees will bow before Him but not in reverence or
desperation or willing worship of Him but ashamed and guilty having
never bowed before Him in our life on earth, paying for eternity. And
her belief, her faith compelled her to fall on her face before Him. She
heard and believed Him. Believing and knowing Him will constrain us to
fall on our face before Him, in our homes, privately, even in public.
Have you become this desperate?
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation:
and *she besought Him that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
She
knew He was the only place she could go. She could not help but pursue
Him. She knew He was the only One with power to heal, to save.
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled:
The children being the house of Israel (Matthew 15)
for it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it unto the dogs.
She was a Greek, she was a dog in that culture, a Gentile.
And she answered and said unto Him, *Yes, Lord:
yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
She
didn't see herself as worthy. She agreed when the Lord said, Dog, she
said Amen, Sir!! She didn't argue and think she was something when she
was nothing. She was in utter brokenness, and had faith in the midst of
it, What the Jews don't receive from You Lord, I will receive, I will
be as the dogs eating the crumbs the children leave behind. This is a
humble heart. Matthew 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. She had
childlike faith as the Lord requires. Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the
kingdom of heaven. How unworthy we are as Gentiles, even as Jews, to
be looked on by God, to be given salvation! We have been grafted in,
praise the Lord! How merciful and gracious is He!!!
And He said unto her, For this saying go thy way;
the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And when she was come to her house,
she found the devil gone out and her daughter laid upon the bed.
(Mark 7:25-30)
And they came to Jericho:
and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people,
blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, *have mercy on me.
And many charged him that he should hold his peace:
Many
will say peace, peace, where there is none. Jeremiah 6:14 They have
healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. This
was speaking of false prophets, which there are many today, wolves in
sheeps clothing, leading people even believers astray, quieting the
conscience, but this blind man would have none of it, he needed to be
heard by the LORD!! He was just as the man in Luke 11, because of his
importunity, his persistence he was given what he wanted. This is how
the Lord wants us! Desperate for Him!!
but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, *have mercy on me.
And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called.
And they called the blind man, saying unto him,
Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.
Romans
1:1; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:26, God is the One who calls, not man,
He calls those that are not noble, wise, or mighty, but the weak
things.
And he, casting away his garment; rose and came to Jesus.
He
cast away all he owned, his garments of the flesh, to come to Jesus and
receive what He would give to him. He wanted to see Jesus, He desired
to come after Him, and he was willing to deny himself, humiliate himself
for Him.
And Jesus answered and said unto him,
What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?
The blind man said unto Him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.
And immediately he received his sight, and *followed Jesus in the way.
He
then followed Jesus. Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his
disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me. This man held nothing back. If we do not
forsake all and follow Him we cannot be His disciples.
(Mark 10:46-52)
(Mark 10:46-52)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
More Light On My Testimony~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From My Journal 2-7-11
God, all those years of reading & seeing You speaking to me & praying to you. I still knew there had to be more, that I didn't really know you know you. But I didn't know any different. How could I for so long read your Word, and not be saved, for those five years after high school? But I know I wasn't. I was listening to men assure me of my salvation.
So why did He even speak to me in His word? Does He speak to unbelievers? Yes, I believe He does, those who are seeking Him He does speak to. Either this is true or all through the gospels He wouldn't have spoken to anyone til they were saved. Also the Lord speaks to men in the Old Testament, gives them commands and direction, before they are saved. In the Gospels He speaks to multitudes, He speaks to men before they become His disciples, He speaks to the lost to save them, before they are saved. In the same way now He still speaks to unbelievers, showing them who He is, especially if they are seeking Him.
"No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and THEY SHALL BE ALL TAUGHT OF GOD, EVERY MAN THEREFORE THAT HATH HEAR, AND HATH LEARNED OF THE FATHER, come unto me." (John 6:44-45)
The traditions of men tell me, "say the prayer, believe". "Is that stop sign red?" Yes. "Do you believe Jesus is your Savior?" Yes. "Okay, you are saved!" It's men declaring your soul right with God because of a cognitive decision. Ever learning the truth about God, God was giving me knowledge about who He is, He was letting me learn about Him. All the while I was taking man's word that this is what salvation looks like. When you cry out to the Lord the first time, or you say a prayer, you are saved. (Of course this can happen that way! It could be the Lord has worked so mightily, breaking and softening the heart of someone, and then they listen to a sermon and the Lord comes over them and they are born again). But you cannot declare someone saved because you saw them cry out to God once. It's not even biblical! Reading all the parables, these blind men, these bleeding women cry out, cry out, cry out. Jesus ignores some at first, but they still cry out! While others try to silence them, and they cry out until He comes to heal them, give them sight! Or He declares, your sins are forgiven. But it is God who gives this faith to believe and He gives new life, it is not a cognitive decision, seek ye the Lord!, He says.
This whole time though, I was seeking God and yes He quickened things to me in His Word just to be faithful to His own Name. But I wasn't saved. The whole time I had never experienced a peace surpassing all understanding like the bible says will happen in a believer! There is a long list of things that were part of being a born again believer were not real to me, they were not true to me in my life. They were written in the Scriptures, but I knew they were not true of my life. We have to let the Word examine us, to know if we are in the faith. Christianity is the same today as it was then.
All I had was a form of godliness, but it was the very loose form but I had not the power behind the godliness. But men pronounced me saved. Which also is not biblical to assure someone else of their salvation. Men can confirm what they have seen the Lord confirm, but they cannot give assurance to someone who doesn't think they are saved, this is not biblical.
As men were convincing me I was saved, instead of turning me to seek the Living God for this assurance, I remained unsaved. I had many idols, that now that the Lord has given me new life I can see. One idol was body image(this is idolatry and covetous), another gluttony(this is the lust of the flesh, totally opposite of self control), another sexual immorality(just because it is not sex does not mean it is not sexual immoral). To the world's standards I was very "upright" but by biblical standards I was extremely immoral, evil and wicked. I desired glory for my own self, instead of desiring the glory of God. All these sins I didn't recognize as sin! But they were so plainly sin. I was so blind, I walked in darkness but thought that, I see!
"Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." (John 9:41)
This was me! I would have never thought that I was saved in the first place if men had not told me, "you are saved!", and because of this I was receiving false confirmation and did not strive to enter in at the strait gate. If it weren't for false assurance, I would have just continued seeking the Lord, but more fervently because I would not have thought I was okay. I don't know if this makes sense, but it's the best I can explain the clarity I am given, clearly I was not saved seven years ago when I said a prayer, when outwardly I cleaned up. I won't go into the details about the sins I was continuing in that if I was saved I wouldn't have been able to continue in. They would have been those things I repented of to come to Him and seek salvation, not remain blind to them. But I don't want to speak of those things, I want to instead go into what else the Lord is showing me. Oh praise the Lord Jesus Christ who has delivered me from this body of death!!
To continue, one other thing revealed to me...
"Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:
Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it." (Ezekiel 13:10-13)
"So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 13:14)
"And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?"(Ezekiel 13:18 and 19)
"Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD."(Ezekiel 13:21-23)
Men assure, peace, peace when the soul is troubled. These men thought they could build walls of assurance. They built up walls and daubed it with untempered morter. Just like the two blind men the multitudes say keep your peace, be quiet, don't cry alound to the Savior, you are fine!
Men's assurance, these walls, shall fall and they did every few weeks. I would start to be broken over sin and know I am not changed, and go into depression, my walls would fall. Confusion would come in because everyone told me, this is what salvation looks like! I must be, I thought. Then I would call someone because I was so confused, if I was saved why do I have so much unbelief and why does it feel like God is telling me I am not saved! So talking to whoever I called that time of depression, trying to find clarity someone would build up those walls again of peace, when there was none, build them again with morter that was not tempered!
Men think it's bad if your walls crumble, if you're broken and seeking God. Don't do that, just know you are saved! The flesh tells one another, oh don't be sad, don't break, here, let me build you up! Instead of letting that brokenness take it's full effect and trust God to do the assuring, the saving, the confirming!
The Lord sends the storm to show you the foundation you've laid will fail you. The Lord is indignant, He is angry, His fury comes against the wisdom of men, the false prophets speaking peace. The Lord tests their walls because He knows what they are made of when the men being deceived don't see it until the storm comes. If only we would be humbled to recognize and not believe men, but believe Him, go to Him that can save men's souls and not give a false peace of this world.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
But we can keep allowing men to build the pitiful wall of "assurance" or we can let God destroy them in the storm He sends, and let God work. The Lord has to bring us down to the ground. This illustration here in Ezekiel is given to us as an account of history, as well as a picture for us to learn from, as well as of course it is God's Word, all is profitable and God breathed. This picture though, is exactly what I was going through, it is describes the system of the church building today. I can see it, by the grace of God, clealy now, the Lord's been merciful to reveal to me as I seek Him on this.
So once the walls are destroyed by the faithful God, desiring truth, the foundations are discovered. It's temporal and false assurance, once destroyed one is free to see the truth. He does it to reveal truth. He desires truth in our inward parts!
When the walls fall, only then can we know that He is the LORD! For this reason HE will bring His wrath. These people slay the souls that should not die, save souls alive that should not live. Justifying the wicked, calling evil good. While calling good evil, when these are the souls the Lord doesn't desire to perish.
The Lord will rescue His people, that they may be brought out...
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," (2 Corinthians 6:17) ...That they might see. He takes vengeance on those who have tried to destroy those He's come to save. He saves them out of the system, out of traditions of men, assurance of man! He saved me out the traditions of men. No longer heeding the assurance and reality from men. Now I have reality with God.
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."(Isaiah 55:6-8)
God, all those years of reading & seeing You speaking to me & praying to you. I still knew there had to be more, that I didn't really know you know you. But I didn't know any different. How could I for so long read your Word, and not be saved, for those five years after high school? But I know I wasn't. I was listening to men assure me of my salvation.
So why did He even speak to me in His word? Does He speak to unbelievers? Yes, I believe He does, those who are seeking Him He does speak to. Either this is true or all through the gospels He wouldn't have spoken to anyone til they were saved. Also the Lord speaks to men in the Old Testament, gives them commands and direction, before they are saved. In the Gospels He speaks to multitudes, He speaks to men before they become His disciples, He speaks to the lost to save them, before they are saved. In the same way now He still speaks to unbelievers, showing them who He is, especially if they are seeking Him.
"No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and THEY SHALL BE ALL TAUGHT OF GOD, EVERY MAN THEREFORE THAT HATH HEAR, AND HATH LEARNED OF THE FATHER, come unto me." (John 6:44-45)
The traditions of men tell me, "say the prayer, believe". "Is that stop sign red?" Yes. "Do you believe Jesus is your Savior?" Yes. "Okay, you are saved!" It's men declaring your soul right with God because of a cognitive decision. Ever learning the truth about God, God was giving me knowledge about who He is, He was letting me learn about Him. All the while I was taking man's word that this is what salvation looks like. When you cry out to the Lord the first time, or you say a prayer, you are saved. (Of course this can happen that way! It could be the Lord has worked so mightily, breaking and softening the heart of someone, and then they listen to a sermon and the Lord comes over them and they are born again). But you cannot declare someone saved because you saw them cry out to God once. It's not even biblical! Reading all the parables, these blind men, these bleeding women cry out, cry out, cry out. Jesus ignores some at first, but they still cry out! While others try to silence them, and they cry out until He comes to heal them, give them sight! Or He declares, your sins are forgiven. But it is God who gives this faith to believe and He gives new life, it is not a cognitive decision, seek ye the Lord!, He says.
This whole time though, I was seeking God and yes He quickened things to me in His Word just to be faithful to His own Name. But I wasn't saved. The whole time I had never experienced a peace surpassing all understanding like the bible says will happen in a believer! There is a long list of things that were part of being a born again believer were not real to me, they were not true to me in my life. They were written in the Scriptures, but I knew they were not true of my life. We have to let the Word examine us, to know if we are in the faith. Christianity is the same today as it was then.
All I had was a form of godliness, but it was the very loose form but I had not the power behind the godliness. But men pronounced me saved. Which also is not biblical to assure someone else of their salvation. Men can confirm what they have seen the Lord confirm, but they cannot give assurance to someone who doesn't think they are saved, this is not biblical.
As men were convincing me I was saved, instead of turning me to seek the Living God for this assurance, I remained unsaved. I had many idols, that now that the Lord has given me new life I can see. One idol was body image(this is idolatry and covetous), another gluttony(this is the lust of the flesh, totally opposite of self control), another sexual immorality(just because it is not sex does not mean it is not sexual immoral). To the world's standards I was very "upright" but by biblical standards I was extremely immoral, evil and wicked. I desired glory for my own self, instead of desiring the glory of God. All these sins I didn't recognize as sin! But they were so plainly sin. I was so blind, I walked in darkness but thought that, I see!
"Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." (John 9:41)
This was me! I would have never thought that I was saved in the first place if men had not told me, "you are saved!", and because of this I was receiving false confirmation and did not strive to enter in at the strait gate. If it weren't for false assurance, I would have just continued seeking the Lord, but more fervently because I would not have thought I was okay. I don't know if this makes sense, but it's the best I can explain the clarity I am given, clearly I was not saved seven years ago when I said a prayer, when outwardly I cleaned up. I won't go into the details about the sins I was continuing in that if I was saved I wouldn't have been able to continue in. They would have been those things I repented of to come to Him and seek salvation, not remain blind to them. But I don't want to speak of those things, I want to instead go into what else the Lord is showing me. Oh praise the Lord Jesus Christ who has delivered me from this body of death!!
To continue, one other thing revealed to me...
"Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:
Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it." (Ezekiel 13:10-13)
"So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 13:14)
"And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?"(Ezekiel 13:18 and 19)
"Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD."(Ezekiel 13:21-23)
Men assure, peace, peace when the soul is troubled. These men thought they could build walls of assurance. They built up walls and daubed it with untempered morter. Just like the two blind men the multitudes say keep your peace, be quiet, don't cry alound to the Savior, you are fine!
Men's assurance, these walls, shall fall and they did every few weeks. I would start to be broken over sin and know I am not changed, and go into depression, my walls would fall. Confusion would come in because everyone told me, this is what salvation looks like! I must be, I thought. Then I would call someone because I was so confused, if I was saved why do I have so much unbelief and why does it feel like God is telling me I am not saved! So talking to whoever I called that time of depression, trying to find clarity someone would build up those walls again of peace, when there was none, build them again with morter that was not tempered!
Men think it's bad if your walls crumble, if you're broken and seeking God. Don't do that, just know you are saved! The flesh tells one another, oh don't be sad, don't break, here, let me build you up! Instead of letting that brokenness take it's full effect and trust God to do the assuring, the saving, the confirming!
The Lord sends the storm to show you the foundation you've laid will fail you. The Lord is indignant, He is angry, His fury comes against the wisdom of men, the false prophets speaking peace. The Lord tests their walls because He knows what they are made of when the men being deceived don't see it until the storm comes. If only we would be humbled to recognize and not believe men, but believe Him, go to Him that can save men's souls and not give a false peace of this world.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
But we can keep allowing men to build the pitiful wall of "assurance" or we can let God destroy them in the storm He sends, and let God work. The Lord has to bring us down to the ground. This illustration here in Ezekiel is given to us as an account of history, as well as a picture for us to learn from, as well as of course it is God's Word, all is profitable and God breathed. This picture though, is exactly what I was going through, it is describes the system of the church building today. I can see it, by the grace of God, clealy now, the Lord's been merciful to reveal to me as I seek Him on this.
So once the walls are destroyed by the faithful God, desiring truth, the foundations are discovered. It's temporal and false assurance, once destroyed one is free to see the truth. He does it to reveal truth. He desires truth in our inward parts!
When the walls fall, only then can we know that He is the LORD! For this reason HE will bring His wrath. These people slay the souls that should not die, save souls alive that should not live. Justifying the wicked, calling evil good. While calling good evil, when these are the souls the Lord doesn't desire to perish.
The Lord will rescue His people, that they may be brought out...
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," (2 Corinthians 6:17) ...That they might see. He takes vengeance on those who have tried to destroy those He's come to save. He saves them out of the system, out of traditions of men, assurance of man! He saved me out the traditions of men. No longer heeding the assurance and reality from men. Now I have reality with God.
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."(Isaiah 55:6-8)
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Tongue
How important are our words?
The words we speak can either bring life or death.
James 1:2 says if any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
The perfect man:
*offends not in word.
*able to bridle the whole body.
Do you offend with your words? Offend does not mean you are speaking the truth and sinners or those in err are offended. This offend means to sin, fall, err, trip, stumble with your words. Take a look at the chapter 3 in James, to see what a great effect the tongue really has. Your tongue will control your whole body as a boat is directed by the small wheel. As a car is directed and controlled by the steering wheel, this is the same as our tongue and it's control over our body.
Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Out of the mouth the heart it is that speaks. It is not just the words of our mouth that make the impact, because it comes from heart. It is not just words, it is the heart behind it, and the motive of our words comes the from the state of our heart. So by our conversation, by our words we can see the heart of the man.
The Psalmist prays, Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. (Psalm 141:3)
Matthew 12:36 and 37 says, But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
This is how important our words are! We WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF EVERY IDLE WORD THAT WE HAVE SPOKEN! Every lazy, useless word. That is heavy. How we should take heed to this and let no corrupt word come out of our mouth. And if there are corrupt words coming, judgmental, offensive words coming out of our mouth, we must examine our heart! (Ephesians 4:29) For this is where the words are coming from. Are your words edifying or tearing down a person? (1 Corinthians 10:23) The Lord's heart, from His Word, shows that He desires we edify and build one another up. What are our words doing? Directing people's eyes to Jesus or putting their eyes on things below, vanity? Things to think about.
Our words will justify or condemn us. This is not a light matter, since they do reflect out heart. Are we complainers, or murmurers? God smote the Israelites, after He delivered them, who did these things with their mouths, how much more should we fear murmuring and complaining. If we do these things we are not in the will of God, for the will of God is to give thanks always. If Christ is in us we will not just have a form of godliness denying the power thereof, we will have power over our tongue. We can reckon truth of His word only if we are truly His. If we try to reckon it but we are not truly His then it will never change. Thus we will see the fruit, the lack of it or the bad fruit. WE will never change.
If we can't seem to change, if we continue in grumpiness, in murmuring, in complaining, in grumblings, we are grumbling against the Holy Spirit if we are His. He will chasten us if we are His children. But if you can remain in a murmuring spirit, continuing in this, with no chastisement from the Lord, no power to overcome, then we have reason to fear! If you remain unchanged after you have come to Him, there is something deeply wrong. If you have come to Him, truly been saved then you cannot remain the same, you are a new creature, not that you will be perfect, but you will have a new nature, the old will pass away. So if you are the same as before you "received Christ", there is something wrong. Have you really been born again? If we have been, Christ says He has overcome and we are in Him, we will have not just a form of godliness but the power thereof is ours in Him. His promises are ours, His Holy Spirit won't allow us to continue to sin against Him if we are His. Examine yourself, this is a serious matter.
I look around and see MANY people who claim they are of Christ, yet NOTHING has changed from before to after. This is not to be so. But people accept this because they see everyone else around them in the same boat. So they think they are okay. When in reality, they may have "received Christ", but Christ has not received them. If you are one of the many who have been "born again" as your pastors have told you, yet you see no victory in your life, you are not daily being changed, you tend toward the sinful nature, the natural man, instead of the new nature you read in the bible that you have been given, you tend toward gossip, toward murmuring, toward complaining, loving vanity rather than your conservation being in heaven, there is a huge problem here. Have you had to give up anything to be Christ's? Take a look at your life, think about before you were saved and after, what did you give up? He says if you forsake not all your have you cannot be His disciple.
Maybe you have said a prayer and started to read your bible, started to pray, started to change your life, God gave you mercy to stop the blatant sin. He may just have freed you so you can seek Him! Has Christ received you? Have you been given a new nature? Have you counted the costs to follow Him? Has HE revealed Himself to you personally? Has HE confirmed you in His word? Has He confirmed you and out of your belly flows rivers of living water? He promises this will happen. Do you have a boldness about you that you did not have before? This is also promised to you if His Spirit abides within you. Have you sought the Lord with your whole heart? Or do you let every little distraction come in and stop you from seeking Him and think this is okay?
Have you ever done this?.......................
Wherefore,
come out from among them,
and be ye separate,
saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you.
(2 Corinthians 6:17)
Salvation is a free gift, yes, but there is a cost. We have to come out from among them. We need to be ye separate, not following the ways of the typical American! We have to come out and be separate, be holy, be set apart from the world, not following in the same dissipation! We must not touch the unclean thing! We must remove ourself from all unrighteousness, all wickedness, remove all wickedness before our eyes, be unspotted from the world, suffer the reproach of Christ going outside the camp as Christ did, to be with Him, to suffer with Him. THEN HE WILL RECEIVE YOU. We must forsake all and then He will receive you.
I am sure there was a point where you "received Christ". Has He received you? Our receiving of Him, if we are truly born again, was not of the will of the flesh, was not of the will of man, it was the will of God! Was it a will of the flesh? Was it a will of man? Or was it the will of God, to receive Him? Did He at the same time receive you? If your heart condemns you not, if the word condemns you not, if you seek Him in the quiet place, the secret place and He shows you you are confirmed and you see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your heart and life changing you and before Him you have confidence, then praise the Lord. But if it was by the will of man, you, or someone else, that you received Him, examine your salvation. Has Christ received you? Was it His will? was it Him who gave you the saving faith or was it something you did on your own?
Is your testimony that one day you just decided to follow Christ? One day you decided to believe? Or "I have always been a Christian"?
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Was there never a point where CHRIST RECEIVED YOU, CHRIST SAVED ME, IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, it was HIM who granted me faith in Him! Was there ever a point where your soul was flooded with peace and joy and you were so assured that you were crucified with Him? That you are risen with Him, it is no longer you who live but Christ lives in you?
Somehow in these posts I come back to the same thing time and time again, I can assure you this is not MY plan. The Lord leads me and He leads me back to this every time it seems, this is the cry of His heart through me for His purposes. He desires all come to know Him. But many will desire to know Him but will not come to know Him.
Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Strive after Him, seek Him for new birth, putting away all your own efforts, all your own accomplishments for Him, all your own will, fall to His feet and seek Him for His assurance of your soul.
The words we speak can either bring life or death.
James 1:2 says if any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
The perfect man:
*offends not in word.
*able to bridle the whole body.
Do you offend with your words? Offend does not mean you are speaking the truth and sinners or those in err are offended. This offend means to sin, fall, err, trip, stumble with your words. Take a look at the chapter 3 in James, to see what a great effect the tongue really has. Your tongue will control your whole body as a boat is directed by the small wheel. As a car is directed and controlled by the steering wheel, this is the same as our tongue and it's control over our body.
Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Out of the mouth the heart it is that speaks. It is not just the words of our mouth that make the impact, because it comes from heart. It is not just words, it is the heart behind it, and the motive of our words comes the from the state of our heart. So by our conversation, by our words we can see the heart of the man.
The Psalmist prays, Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. (Psalm 141:3)
Matthew 12:36 and 37 says, But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
This is how important our words are! We WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF EVERY IDLE WORD THAT WE HAVE SPOKEN! Every lazy, useless word. That is heavy. How we should take heed to this and let no corrupt word come out of our mouth. And if there are corrupt words coming, judgmental, offensive words coming out of our mouth, we must examine our heart! (Ephesians 4:29) For this is where the words are coming from. Are your words edifying or tearing down a person? (1 Corinthians 10:23) The Lord's heart, from His Word, shows that He desires we edify and build one another up. What are our words doing? Directing people's eyes to Jesus or putting their eyes on things below, vanity? Things to think about.
Our words will justify or condemn us. This is not a light matter, since they do reflect out heart. Are we complainers, or murmurers? God smote the Israelites, after He delivered them, who did these things with their mouths, how much more should we fear murmuring and complaining. If we do these things we are not in the will of God, for the will of God is to give thanks always. If Christ is in us we will not just have a form of godliness denying the power thereof, we will have power over our tongue. We can reckon truth of His word only if we are truly His. If we try to reckon it but we are not truly His then it will never change. Thus we will see the fruit, the lack of it or the bad fruit. WE will never change.
If we can't seem to change, if we continue in grumpiness, in murmuring, in complaining, in grumblings, we are grumbling against the Holy Spirit if we are His. He will chasten us if we are His children. But if you can remain in a murmuring spirit, continuing in this, with no chastisement from the Lord, no power to overcome, then we have reason to fear! If you remain unchanged after you have come to Him, there is something deeply wrong. If you have come to Him, truly been saved then you cannot remain the same, you are a new creature, not that you will be perfect, but you will have a new nature, the old will pass away. So if you are the same as before you "received Christ", there is something wrong. Have you really been born again? If we have been, Christ says He has overcome and we are in Him, we will have not just a form of godliness but the power thereof is ours in Him. His promises are ours, His Holy Spirit won't allow us to continue to sin against Him if we are His. Examine yourself, this is a serious matter.
I look around and see MANY people who claim they are of Christ, yet NOTHING has changed from before to after. This is not to be so. But people accept this because they see everyone else around them in the same boat. So they think they are okay. When in reality, they may have "received Christ", but Christ has not received them. If you are one of the many who have been "born again" as your pastors have told you, yet you see no victory in your life, you are not daily being changed, you tend toward the sinful nature, the natural man, instead of the new nature you read in the bible that you have been given, you tend toward gossip, toward murmuring, toward complaining, loving vanity rather than your conservation being in heaven, there is a huge problem here. Have you had to give up anything to be Christ's? Take a look at your life, think about before you were saved and after, what did you give up? He says if you forsake not all your have you cannot be His disciple.
Maybe you have said a prayer and started to read your bible, started to pray, started to change your life, God gave you mercy to stop the blatant sin. He may just have freed you so you can seek Him! Has Christ received you? Have you been given a new nature? Have you counted the costs to follow Him? Has HE revealed Himself to you personally? Has HE confirmed you in His word? Has He confirmed you and out of your belly flows rivers of living water? He promises this will happen. Do you have a boldness about you that you did not have before? This is also promised to you if His Spirit abides within you. Have you sought the Lord with your whole heart? Or do you let every little distraction come in and stop you from seeking Him and think this is okay?
Have you ever done this?.......................
Wherefore,
come out from among them,
and be ye separate,
saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you.
(2 Corinthians 6:17)
Salvation is a free gift, yes, but there is a cost. We have to come out from among them. We need to be ye separate, not following the ways of the typical American! We have to come out and be separate, be holy, be set apart from the world, not following in the same dissipation! We must not touch the unclean thing! We must remove ourself from all unrighteousness, all wickedness, remove all wickedness before our eyes, be unspotted from the world, suffer the reproach of Christ going outside the camp as Christ did, to be with Him, to suffer with Him. THEN HE WILL RECEIVE YOU. We must forsake all and then He will receive you.
I am sure there was a point where you "received Christ". Has He received you? Our receiving of Him, if we are truly born again, was not of the will of the flesh, was not of the will of man, it was the will of God! Was it a will of the flesh? Was it a will of man? Or was it the will of God, to receive Him? Did He at the same time receive you? If your heart condemns you not, if the word condemns you not, if you seek Him in the quiet place, the secret place and He shows you you are confirmed and you see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your heart and life changing you and before Him you have confidence, then praise the Lord. But if it was by the will of man, you, or someone else, that you received Him, examine your salvation. Has Christ received you? Was it His will? was it Him who gave you the saving faith or was it something you did on your own?
Is your testimony that one day you just decided to follow Christ? One day you decided to believe? Or "I have always been a Christian"?
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Was there never a point where CHRIST RECEIVED YOU, CHRIST SAVED ME, IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, it was HIM who granted me faith in Him! Was there ever a point where your soul was flooded with peace and joy and you were so assured that you were crucified with Him? That you are risen with Him, it is no longer you who live but Christ lives in you?
Somehow in these posts I come back to the same thing time and time again, I can assure you this is not MY plan. The Lord leads me and He leads me back to this every time it seems, this is the cry of His heart through me for His purposes. He desires all come to know Him. But many will desire to know Him but will not come to know Him.
Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Strive after Him, seek Him for new birth, putting away all your own efforts, all your own accomplishments for Him, all your own will, fall to His feet and seek Him for His assurance of your soul.
For Ye Saints: The End Times (Luke 21)
For ye saints of the Most High...
Luke 21:12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
This is speaking of the Last Days, which I believe we are in. Nation rising up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, great earthquakes, famines, pestilences, but I believe it is going to get dramatically worse, we have yet to see so much more terrifying things. In the United States we don't see famine and different things like other countries do, because for some reason the Lord chose to put us here. But I believe there will be a day when this comes. Persecution and tribulation has already come to Christians in other countries. There will be a day when there will be persecution for true Christians here. 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
BUT it will be for us a testimony!
It will be by the GRACE of God we might endure these things and hold fast to Him until the end. It is by this grace that we are taught to live godly and deny worldly lusts, with the ability to live sober, righteous, godly lives in this present age, looking for our hope which is in our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify us unto Himself. So that we might be a peculiar people, zealous for good works. He has given us according to His divine power, all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through our knowledge of Him, who hath called us to glory and virtue!
Speaking of persecution, there are so many testimonies of missionaries who experienced martyrdom that amaze me! These believers in the midst of being tortured and persecuted are rejoicing, singing hymns, committing themselves to the Lord, and forgiving those who are torturing them. This is not humanly possible, this is the Lord. Some actually see angels or the Lord in the heavens, God gives them vision and a lot of the testimonies say that they were not feeling any pain during this torture. This is the Lord, delivering His people, though He takes delight in the death of His saints, He is so gracious and pours out that grace abundantly in the time of need. He is so good. I can't begin to pretend that I am ready for torture or persecution, but if the Lord wills, then He ordained it and we must walk in it by HIS GRACE that works in us. In our flesh we would deny Him, but by abiding in Him NOW while things are relatively easy, drawing near Him now, we will assure He will be with us if it comes to that.
Not sure how I got on this tangent, but one more thing about persecution. In Matthew 16:28 it says there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom. What does this mean!!! They have surely not lived for 2 thousand years! But notice, "taste of death", this is what they will not do. In the account of Stephen in the book of Acts when he was come to his end there is something spectacular about it! It says Stephen kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this he fell asleep. I know this "fell asleep" means died. But many many testimonies of martyrs over the years also testified to this falling asleep. Many of them did not taste death, they fell asleep. When we are in Christ we do not die, we fall asleep! In Him! 2 Peter 3:4 the fathers fell asleep as well, they did not taste death, they fell asleep.
Why the persecution!!?? FOR HIS "NAME'S SAKE"!! AMEN! It is about HIS glory! Not man's; man whithers away, ages and is done away with, but the end of Christ's days is never. He is forever. He is the same forever, His days do not fail like it says in Hebrews 1. He is the only one worth losing your life for, He is the only one that can subdue your enemies, He is the only one who requires you lose your life because He gave Himself for you. He is so worthy. But it can't be by reasoning and self will that you could possibly suffer for Him, with Him as He suffered, only by the will of God.
Luke 21:13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
Luke 21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
Wow, this is a command from the Lord, not to think on, not to meditate on what I shall answer beforehand!! Mark 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Amen. Upon reading the verse 14 above I had to repent. I often, when wanting to be used of the Lord or knowing He will use me to speak, I think it through, what will I say. Then I think on what I will say instead of being in a constant crying out to Him and letting Him lead me. Thinking on what I will say beforehand, because He says not to do this, is sin, not following His command for me. Besides the fact that I am just man, what am I to say? How would I know what a person will need to hear? Only God knows this and only I know what God wants to say if I am crying out to Him for direction and words at the moment I need them.
Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
This is not to be taken lightly! This is a PROMISE! Take Him at His word! He will give you a mouth and wisdom!!! Words that can only come from Him and will astonish your enemies even. He promises this power if we take hold of it. If we are abiding in Him, meekly looking to Him every moment for words, only He can give the perfect and only profitable words. Take hold of this promise, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path!
Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. Luke 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
This comes back to persecution. But not only persecution by strangers or enemies, but by those closest to you. You will be hated. Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
You will not perish! Do not fear men who can only kill the body, but fear God who can take both body and soul and cast into hell! You will not perish, you have eternal life if you abide in Christ, if you continue in Him until the end. :) 2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You may fall asleep in Him, but you will not perish if you are Christ's.
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
I don't think I fully understand this verse. But it brings me much joy! Honestly! I know there is a patient longing, and waiting for the coming of the Lord, for our salvation. There is much in the gospels about waiting on the Lord, watching for Him, this requires patience, which blessedly comes from Him. He will test us, we need endure by His strength with patience, especially when the coming persecution takes place, we will be in need of much patience, again supplied by the Lord for one abiding in Him.
Luke 21:12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
This is speaking of the Last Days, which I believe we are in. Nation rising up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, great earthquakes, famines, pestilences, but I believe it is going to get dramatically worse, we have yet to see so much more terrifying things. In the United States we don't see famine and different things like other countries do, because for some reason the Lord chose to put us here. But I believe there will be a day when this comes. Persecution and tribulation has already come to Christians in other countries. There will be a day when there will be persecution for true Christians here. 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
BUT it will be for us a testimony!
It will be by the GRACE of God we might endure these things and hold fast to Him until the end. It is by this grace that we are taught to live godly and deny worldly lusts, with the ability to live sober, righteous, godly lives in this present age, looking for our hope which is in our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify us unto Himself. So that we might be a peculiar people, zealous for good works. He has given us according to His divine power, all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through our knowledge of Him, who hath called us to glory and virtue!
Speaking of persecution, there are so many testimonies of missionaries who experienced martyrdom that amaze me! These believers in the midst of being tortured and persecuted are rejoicing, singing hymns, committing themselves to the Lord, and forgiving those who are torturing them. This is not humanly possible, this is the Lord. Some actually see angels or the Lord in the heavens, God gives them vision and a lot of the testimonies say that they were not feeling any pain during this torture. This is the Lord, delivering His people, though He takes delight in the death of His saints, He is so gracious and pours out that grace abundantly in the time of need. He is so good. I can't begin to pretend that I am ready for torture or persecution, but if the Lord wills, then He ordained it and we must walk in it by HIS GRACE that works in us. In our flesh we would deny Him, but by abiding in Him NOW while things are relatively easy, drawing near Him now, we will assure He will be with us if it comes to that.
Not sure how I got on this tangent, but one more thing about persecution. In Matthew 16:28 it says there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom. What does this mean!!! They have surely not lived for 2 thousand years! But notice, "taste of death", this is what they will not do. In the account of Stephen in the book of Acts when he was come to his end there is something spectacular about it! It says Stephen kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this he fell asleep. I know this "fell asleep" means died. But many many testimonies of martyrs over the years also testified to this falling asleep. Many of them did not taste death, they fell asleep. When we are in Christ we do not die, we fall asleep! In Him! 2 Peter 3:4 the fathers fell asleep as well, they did not taste death, they fell asleep.
Why the persecution!!?? FOR HIS "NAME'S SAKE"!! AMEN! It is about HIS glory! Not man's; man whithers away, ages and is done away with, but the end of Christ's days is never. He is forever. He is the same forever, His days do not fail like it says in Hebrews 1. He is the only one worth losing your life for, He is the only one that can subdue your enemies, He is the only one who requires you lose your life because He gave Himself for you. He is so worthy. But it can't be by reasoning and self will that you could possibly suffer for Him, with Him as He suffered, only by the will of God.
Luke 21:13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
Luke 21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
Wow, this is a command from the Lord, not to think on, not to meditate on what I shall answer beforehand!! Mark 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Amen. Upon reading the verse 14 above I had to repent. I often, when wanting to be used of the Lord or knowing He will use me to speak, I think it through, what will I say. Then I think on what I will say instead of being in a constant crying out to Him and letting Him lead me. Thinking on what I will say beforehand, because He says not to do this, is sin, not following His command for me. Besides the fact that I am just man, what am I to say? How would I know what a person will need to hear? Only God knows this and only I know what God wants to say if I am crying out to Him for direction and words at the moment I need them.
Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
This is not to be taken lightly! This is a PROMISE! Take Him at His word! He will give you a mouth and wisdom!!! Words that can only come from Him and will astonish your enemies even. He promises this power if we take hold of it. If we are abiding in Him, meekly looking to Him every moment for words, only He can give the perfect and only profitable words. Take hold of this promise, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path!
Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. Luke 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
This comes back to persecution. But not only persecution by strangers or enemies, but by those closest to you. You will be hated. Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
You will not perish! Do not fear men who can only kill the body, but fear God who can take both body and soul and cast into hell! You will not perish, you have eternal life if you abide in Christ, if you continue in Him until the end. :) 2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You may fall asleep in Him, but you will not perish if you are Christ's.
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
I don't think I fully understand this verse. But it brings me much joy! Honestly! I know there is a patient longing, and waiting for the coming of the Lord, for our salvation. There is much in the gospels about waiting on the Lord, watching for Him, this requires patience, which blessedly comes from Him. He will test us, we need endure by His strength with patience, especially when the coming persecution takes place, we will be in need of much patience, again supplied by the Lord for one abiding in Him.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Broken.Crucified.Tried.Striving.Pressing.
I am so broken.
Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Psalm 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
When I KNEW the Lord had saved me, that I was born again, He gave me great faith to believe on His Word, EVERY Word even the "tough" stuff. He gave me peace and joy unspeakable. He gave me GRACE to obey Him with joy in so many areas! Every time the Lord would do a great work, as I obeyed Him the enemy would come and bring in doubt, a cloud over my head but as I sung hymns and prayed, clinging to Him though I could not see Him, He cleared that away and brought great peace and filled me with His Spirit inhabiting my praises and prayers in power. As I obeyed Him and His commands He gave me a vision of His Cross with another cross next to him, that I may know I have been crucified with Him and NEVERTHELESS I LIVE! That if He was crucified, I was crucified. If He was risen, I have been risen. If He is seated at the right hand of God I have been also seated in heavenly places because now I was in Him.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
This means that when I pray unto the Father it is Jesus whom He hears, who He sees, because He is in me! So I can speak with my Father as Jesus did. I am in the process of studying throughout the Gospels Jesus' relationship with His Father, always in submission to, always going away and praying to the Lord. This is what I have with the Father!! Because of the precious blood of Christ! Imagine if God would give me the faith to completely KNOW this truth in the fullness!!?? I know that I am crucified with Christ, I am dead to myself, and alive to Him. But to believe that anything I ask in His name because I am in Him, follow His commandments, walking in His ways, abiding, remaining in Him, He will give.
John 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
If only we who are born again would reckon that true, that our prayers are Him praying to the Father. How could we on our own have prayers in the first place, we are wicked and evil, there is no good that dwells in us. Of course it is Him! And anything, if we are in Him abiding in Him, with the Fathers glory as our purpose, that we ask He will give. We need to ask God for faith, faith to just simply BELIEVE His Word. Then we will see victory, truth, to know that we are in Him and anything we ask in His name He will do because if we are abiding in Him it will be Him asking, not ourselves, but Him, for the Father's glory. Faith comes by hearing hearing the Word of God, faith comes from the Father of lights, ask Him for it, He will give it because it is according to His will.
The Lord has given me much much more faith. I praise His name because it is Him alone who is Good and Wonderful and Faithful.
The Lord is faithful to fill me with His Spirit, to fill me with joy and quicken Scripture to me. But there are other times, like now, where He is trying my faith, where He is testing my heart to see, will you press on, will you remain steadfast hoping in My Word even though I am not shooting out fireworks into your heart? Will you press on?
Jeremiah 20:12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
1Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Right now it seems it is hard to pray honestly, but He allows me to press on in His goodness. But upon reading this verse, this comforts me in knowing Paul says STRIVE IN YOUR PRAYERS TO GOD! That praying is not easy all of the time, yes there are times where God gives extra grace to carry you through and praying just flows out of your because of His Spirit, but right now it is like Paul says, necessary to STRIVE in prayers to HIM!! How comforting!! this makes me want to press on all the more!!
Romans 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive[struggle,fight,agonize] together with me in your prayers to God for me;
He does give us our daily manna, He promised to. But there are seasons. This is what He is trying our hearts for, to see, will we take Him at His Word??!! Will we know that if we wait upon Him He will come and bring out meat in due season? Will we believe when He says He will revive us and restore our joy waiting upon Him, seeking Him?
Psalm 104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
Psalm 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Psalm 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
When I KNEW the Lord had saved me, that I was born again, He gave me great faith to believe on His Word, EVERY Word even the "tough" stuff. He gave me peace and joy unspeakable. He gave me GRACE to obey Him with joy in so many areas! Every time the Lord would do a great work, as I obeyed Him the enemy would come and bring in doubt, a cloud over my head but as I sung hymns and prayed, clinging to Him though I could not see Him, He cleared that away and brought great peace and filled me with His Spirit inhabiting my praises and prayers in power. As I obeyed Him and His commands He gave me a vision of His Cross with another cross next to him, that I may know I have been crucified with Him and NEVERTHELESS I LIVE! That if He was crucified, I was crucified. If He was risen, I have been risen. If He is seated at the right hand of God I have been also seated in heavenly places because now I was in Him.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
This means that when I pray unto the Father it is Jesus whom He hears, who He sees, because He is in me! So I can speak with my Father as Jesus did. I am in the process of studying throughout the Gospels Jesus' relationship with His Father, always in submission to, always going away and praying to the Lord. This is what I have with the Father!! Because of the precious blood of Christ! Imagine if God would give me the faith to completely KNOW this truth in the fullness!!?? I know that I am crucified with Christ, I am dead to myself, and alive to Him. But to believe that anything I ask in His name because I am in Him, follow His commandments, walking in His ways, abiding, remaining in Him, He will give.
John 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
If only we who are born again would reckon that true, that our prayers are Him praying to the Father. How could we on our own have prayers in the first place, we are wicked and evil, there is no good that dwells in us. Of course it is Him! And anything, if we are in Him abiding in Him, with the Fathers glory as our purpose, that we ask He will give. We need to ask God for faith, faith to just simply BELIEVE His Word. Then we will see victory, truth, to know that we are in Him and anything we ask in His name He will do because if we are abiding in Him it will be Him asking, not ourselves, but Him, for the Father's glory. Faith comes by hearing hearing the Word of God, faith comes from the Father of lights, ask Him for it, He will give it because it is according to His will.
The Lord has given me much much more faith. I praise His name because it is Him alone who is Good and Wonderful and Faithful.
The Lord is faithful to fill me with His Spirit, to fill me with joy and quicken Scripture to me. But there are other times, like now, where He is trying my faith, where He is testing my heart to see, will you press on, will you remain steadfast hoping in My Word even though I am not shooting out fireworks into your heart? Will you press on?
Jeremiah 20:12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
1Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Right now it seems it is hard to pray honestly, but He allows me to press on in His goodness. But upon reading this verse, this comforts me in knowing Paul says STRIVE IN YOUR PRAYERS TO GOD! That praying is not easy all of the time, yes there are times where God gives extra grace to carry you through and praying just flows out of your because of His Spirit, but right now it is like Paul says, necessary to STRIVE in prayers to HIM!! How comforting!! this makes me want to press on all the more!!
Romans 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive[struggle,fight,agonize] together with me in your prayers to God for me;
He does give us our daily manna, He promised to. But there are seasons. This is what He is trying our hearts for, to see, will we take Him at His Word??!! Will we know that if we wait upon Him He will come and bring out meat in due season? Will we believe when He says He will revive us and restore our joy waiting upon Him, seeking Him?
Psalm 104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
Psalm 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
I believe
I believe many are silenced when doubt comes over their soul, convicting them that they don't really know the True and Living God.
I believe many pastors and teachers are the culprits of this silencing of the soul in many.
I believe the teaching in today's church can bring a false assurance of salvation, a false peace; a peace from men instead of God.
I believe many look for confirmation of their salvation from men rather than God Himself.
I believe many in the church today, even in ministry, are deceived.
I believe the god of this world has blinded multitudes. They are blind but they think they can see. They think they see, therefore they will not cry out for mercy from the Savior for Him to give them sight like the two blind men did to Jesus.
I believe many claim they are Christ's yet their affections say otherwise.
I believe many say they are "Christian" yet He is not precious to them neither is His word.
I believe many find ways to justify themselves under the Word that condemns them by twisting the "interpretation".
I believe there are many who are ever learning (Greek, Hebrew, hermeneutics, bible study techniques, etc) yet never coming to the knowledge of Jesus Christ Himself.
I believe many search the Scriptures thinking they have life in them, yet are so far from life.
I believe many believe a false gospel, one that says there is no standard for Christians. though clearly in the Bible there are.
I believe many believe a false gospel, one that says you can set your affections on earthly things like television, shopping, hobbies, movies, video games, social gatherings, parties, food, money, any number of material things, even friends rather than setting your affections on things above, the Kingdom of God, Christ.
I believe many think they are saved, yet they love brother, sister, mother, father, husband, wife more than the Lord God.
I believe many think they can save and love their own life and "love" Christ at the same time.
I believe many think they are saved and even see "fruits" in their lives, yet inwardly they have no the mind or heart of Christ, not desiring godliness, not desiring holiness, not desiring His glory, having no compassion other than for their own selfish good.
I believe many are reading their bible and praying, all the while they have not the Spirit of God within them.
I believe many believe in a false gospel that is sending them to hell.
I believe many believe in a false gospel teaching them that grace is a license to sin.
I believe many believe in a false gospel that allows them to be spotted from the world, of this world, and be born again as well, having their cake and eating it too.
I believe many believe in a false gospel that says you can have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.
I believe many think their religion and their own righteousness will get them to heaven.
I believe there are many who think that they don't need to follow Jesus' commands but they can be His. Which is the complete opposite of what Scripture says.
I believe there are many who think they are following Jesus but one day they will say Lord Lord and Jesus Christ will say, I never knew you, depart from me ye worker of iniquity.
This is a grief to my soul.
I believe many have said a prayer, the "sinners prayer" and because of it they think they have eternal life when really they do not.
I believe that one can be convicted (this is the Spirit of God convicting them of sin, righteousness and judgment) yet this does not prove they are saved.
Christ woos sinners to Himself. He has to convince them they are sinners, through conviction of the Holy Spirit before He can save them. So in His long-suffering, mercy and forbearing, He does this. He is in the business of convincing us that our sins are so wretched and filthy, that there is no good that dwells in us. He has to bring us to the end of ourselves. He has to bring us to complete brokenness. We must see our sins as He does, so WRETCHED, the result being death, the punishment: judgment. Take the worst most evil person in the world, (name anyone)...you are a bigger sinner than this person. If you don't think so, you cannot be saved. You don't see yourself as God sees you.
I read the bible for YEARS and thought that I was saved, but now I don't believe that I was born again until long after that. I read the bible for HOURS, BUT now looking back I was a hearer of the word, not a doer. I was not convicted of sin that I was in. I was blind to sin. Now I have been born again, now I SEE, but I was blind and thought that I saw perfectly. There are two sins I can think of that were pretty blatant yet I did not see them!! I was deceived!! I thought I was following the bible because of giving up some sins that I was in like drinking and partying, but my heart was the same old heart of wickedness!! I just cleaned up the outside of the cup a bit but the inside was so dirty! And no one else saw it!! Because I had this outward appearance of "godliness" which was a pretty pathetic wanna be godly appearance, really.
I was broken for years, but not to the point of wanting to lose my life, to die to self. I didn't know what that even was then, I was in sin. I was not walking in the light as He is in the light. If someone had asked me about my sin or point it out I would have said I have no sin in that area, I would have said that's not sin. And therefore I was not in the truth. I was saying that I was without sin, therefore I was a liar and the truth was not in me. Sure I would agree I am a sinner, yet the serious wicked sins I was in I didn't even see as sin! I was not walking in the light, and according to 1John that means I did not know God. I didn't!
I was not born again. But I had a desire to read the bible, and to know God, which I could never have this desire in myself, I am an evil sinner, my heart far from God on my own. It was the Lord who was working for years on wooing me to Him. He was very patient with me, I was prideful and worse off because I was blind to the pride. The veil has been taken away now, I have understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ now, I don't have a zeal without knowledge now like I did for so long. Lord, thank You for Your mercy in opening my eyes. He strove with me for years, He separated me from my mothers womb, but chose the time to reveal His Son in me. He is gracious.
Don't be deceived. Don't settle for less when He is standing by ready to bring you to the end of yourself that you many KNOW HIM. SEEK THE LORD while He may be found! Don't harden your heart to Him like in the day of provocation. Harden not your heart to Him. The Israelites hardened their heart to Him and they were not able to enter into the rest. He delivered them from Egypt yet they complained and murmured against Him in the wilderness, they hardened their heart toward Him and paid for it.
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Hebrews 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Hebrews 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
Hebrews 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Don't accept a false assurance, this is your soul that is at stake.
Seek the Lord for assurance or for Him to show you that you are not born again.
If He shows you you are not saved in seeking Him with your whole heart, He did not show you to just cast you off.
Seek Him, He will in no wise cast off anyone who comes to Him. Seek Him with your whole heart. Examine yourself. Search your heart. Humble yourself before The Mighty God!
SEEK HIM, I cannot say it enough.
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