Posts (page 2)

As time goes on and we learn more from God's word, certain parts of scripture can tend to become a focus.  When this happens, other parts of scripture can tend to lose focus.

After reading in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, my attention was brought to chapter 1.  What kept knocking at me was the word "may".  So I did a word search on "God may" and found quite a bit of scripture that

1 John 5

 1Every one who is believing that Jesus is the Christ, of God he hath been begotten, and every one who is loving Him who did beget, doth love also him who is begotten of Him:

 2in this we know that we love the children of God, when we may love God, and His commands may keep;

 3for this is the love of God, that His commands we may keep, and His commands are not burdensome;

 4because every one who is begotten of God doth overcome the world, and this is the victory that did overcome the world -- our faith;

 5who is he who is overcoming the world, if not he who is believing that Jesus is the Son of God?

 6This one is he who did come through water and blood -- Jesus the Christ, not in the water only, but in the water and the blood; and the Spirit it is that is testifying, because the Spirit is the truth,

 7because three are who are testifying [in the heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these -- the three -- are one;

 8and three are who are testifying in the earth], the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are into the one.

 9If the testimony of men we receive, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that He hath testified concerning His Son.

 10He who is believing in the Son of God, hath the testimony in himself; he who is not believing God, a liar hath made Him, because he hath not believed in the testimony that God hath testified concerning His Son;

 11and this is the testimony, that life age-during did God give to us, and this -- the life -- is in His Son;

 12he who is having the Son, hath the life; he who is not having the Son of God -- the life he hath not.

 13These things I did write to you who are believing in the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that life ye have age-during, and that ye may believe in the name of the Son of God.

 14And this is the boldness that we have toward Him, that if anything we may ask according to his will, He doth hear us,

 15and if we have known that He doth hear us, whatever we may ask, we have known that we have the requests that we have requested from Him.

 16If any one may see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give to him life to those sinning not unto death; there is sin to death, not concerning it do I speak that he may beseech;

 17all unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not unto death.

 18We have known that every one who hath been begotten of God doth not sin, but he who was begotten of God doth keep himself, and the evil one doth not touch him;

 19we have known that of God we are, and the whole world in the evil doth lie;

 20and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during!

 21Little children, guard yourselves from the idols! Amen.

Karl Heinrich Von Bogatzky (1690-1774) said this:

The nearer to Heaven, the higher the Mountains, the Deeper the Valleys, and the sharper the conflicts. Be not discouraged; it is only the trial of our Faith. God also gives more strength, carries us through all, as He has done from the beginning, and suffers none to be ashamed who trust in Him. Sometimes we may seem to be tempted above measure and are afraid of being confounded;but far from it; it is quite impossible that we should. Here are the plain words of the Lord. Take hold of them and wait on His time; for since the world stood, none have been confounded in anything who have waited on His promise; and surely He will not make you the first instance of the failure of His Word. By no means.

Covenant Living
A covenant is taught to be an "inviolable contract". And it is. But it's more than that. In Psalm 89:3, the Lord says "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant".
The Hebrew word for "covenant" is beriyth and means "a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)". The dictionary doesn't specify whether it's literal or figurative. However, I've come to believe that it's where the Holy Spirit resides in us...between pieces of flesh...beyond or between our DNA. That's how deep God's covenant with us goes. He's not superficial by any means.
Check out Psalm 89 ~ it holds the Davidic Covenant and the latter verses explain how the Lord fulfills His promise to our seed.

Matthew 24:37-39
37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 7:13-16a
13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Matthew 24:10-11
10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:23-25
23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25Behold, I have told you before.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10

8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

My heart is as one passionately observing the days of Noe (Noah).  I see Noe building the ark.  I also see those who either don't know it's being built, don't care, or know and are just sitting around waiting for an invitation.  As time moves on, however, the false takes on an appearance of being closer to truth.  Those who are sitting around waiting for an invitation are increasingly becoming deceived. 

The Bible teaches a lot about false teachers/prophets.  Both Jesus and the apostles spoke of them...even with an element of repetition.  So...does it seem worthwhile for us to listen closely? 

I've been taught that when a bank teller is trained to decipher counterfeit money, they are taught by handling real money.  That way, when counterfeit money comes into their hands, it can immediately be discerned as false because it doesn't match up with what they know to be real.
I like that analogy and lean on it quite often (as can anyone who focuses on what is real and true).  But it doesn't put an end to the use of counterfeit money.  And most of us are not trained bank tellers.  So, say I'm at the checkout in a store behind someone who unwittingly paid with counterfeit cash...and the change I receive was the very cash they paid their tab with...how can I know that it's counterfeit?  And what should I do if my next stop is the bank and I want to make a deposit with that cash...and the bank teller recognizes it's counterfeit and rejects the deposit?

Might that be an analogy (or somewhat like a parable) that describes what is going to happen on that great and terrible Day of the Lord?  What might happen to some professing Christians who think/believe they're safe and don't wonder if they're being deceived?  2 Peter 3:9 says  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Yet Matthew 7, 24 and Revelation will come to pass.

Here's an example of what will happen for one who has received the love of the truth:  they will walk in the truth to their own hurt and take that counterfeit bill out of circulation so that no one else is deceived with it.

And here's an example of what might happen with one who hasn't received the love of the truth:  they knowingly put the bill back into their wallet and spend it at their next stop...without another thought.  After all, they're not alone...they think...everybody else does it.

How can we know if we've received this love of the truth?  When we see that we've done something in our life that doesn't line up with the Lord, the Lord will show us correction; and as we exercise our love of the truth and follow Him, He sets us back on track.  That, my friend, is called Covenant Living.

Hebrews 3:14-16
14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

Can you hear the voice of the Lord?  Can you hear the cry of His heart?  His people are being severely deceived ~ I see it a lot...too much...it's heart-breaking.

Beloved, receive the LOVE OF the Truth.

PS:  it's necessary to apply all of God's Word to any issue.  Balance is the answer...His love, grace and mercy go a long, long way.  When we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive.  He loves us, my friend...more than we could possibly know.

 

A beautiful prayer from the heart of my friend ~ for the whole world...
I found myself in agreement and join Debbie as she prays. 
Thanks, Debbie, for giving permission to repost this prayer.
~ God bless you, Sis ~

Philippians 1:29 
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

~~Reflection~~
As Christians we have been given various things. Paul tells the Philippians about two of them. First, he tells them that it has been granted to them to believe in Christ; and second, he says that it has been granted to them to suffer for Him. Suffering does not always seem appetizing, however, there is much gained by it. Remember in the midst of your troubles that as Christ was troubled, so too will His people be troubled—and our sufferings are to be counted joy for they serve to demonstrate our unity with our Bridegroom. ~~ http://promises.blueletterbible.org/

"...our sufferings are to be counted joy for they serve to demonstrate our unity with our Bridegroom."

Isn't that beautiful?  It's like that in marriage vows:  for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health...

Father God, in Jesus' name, please teach me to count it all joy.  Help me, Lord, to die to myself each day.   Help me to lose my life so that I can find it hid in Christ.  Amen

Isaiah 43:19
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Praise, Worship and Faith

Romans 10:17 says "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing [comes] by the word of God."  The things that come out of our mouths...testimony, praise and worship, reading the Bible aloud, praying aloud...all these things that come out of our mouths can be instrumental to build up our faith simply because we're hearing it.

Praise and worship is more than singing songs and praying:  it's a place of dwelling.  Psalms 91:1 says "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."    This is not only a place of dwelling, but it's THE place where the enemy can't stay.  As such, praising and worshiping the Lord often is a good place to abide and refresh.  Much of our healing comes from this place of intimacy with the Lord.

Don't think you can sing?  That's ok!  Psalm 100:1 says "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands!"  Psalm 150:6 says "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord!"  

Don't let the enemy rob you of this blessing!!  In Mark 7, Jesus explains that we are not defiled by what comes into us, but by what comes out [of our mouths].  In John 7:38, He says "He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."  "Belly" is figurative here, for out of our very being this Living Water can flow!
We receive healing not only by what comes into us via receiving prayer and taking in God's word (although those are key), but we also receive healing/cleansing by what comes out [of our mouths].  

Revelations 12:11 says "They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."  It's worth repeating:  don't let the enemy rob you of this blessing!  We overcome, saints!  One way we can love not our life is by putting down our pride and singing whether we sound good or not...or whether we want to or not.  In doing so, we offer Him the sacrifice of praise.

John 4:23-24 says "But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

The difference between singing songs and worshiping in spirit and in truth is living faith (or faith that is alive or has life).  Living faith is the heart and life that we put in it:  praying and living the words we sing with sincerity of heart.  

God is not a respecter of persons.  What He does for one, He'll do for another.  In an earlier post, I spoke that there was a time where my faith seemed shipwrecked.  Below are key songs that served as building material as the Lord led to rebuild our relationship.  I pray they bless you.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Faith (inspired by the Holy Spirit and sung by Jason Upton)

Lyrics:
Let faith arise, oh Lord, let faith arise
In the deepest parts of my being, oh Lord
In the most broken parts of me, oh Lord
Friends have failed me Lord, let my faith arise
Loved ones have failed me Lord, let my faith arise
Heroes have failed me Lord, let my faith arise
Let my faith arise
I say NO to the discouragement that keeps me down
I say NO to the things that keep me back from You
And this broken heart inside of me
Broken in so many pieces
By so many circumstances
I say NO to just letting it stay that way
Because I'm learning to trust that it's not You that hurt me
I'm learning to believe that it's not You that is hurting me
I'm believing that You still love me
Brokenness and all
I'm believing that You've got a plan for me
I'm believing that You will restore me
I believe that You will awaken my soul
And let, let faith arise again,
I believe, I believe like a little child again
I'm gonna dance in my trust in You, oh Lord
I'm gonna dance in my love for You, oh Lord
I'm gonna laugh again
I'm gonna cry again
I'm gonna have joy, joy on the inside
Circumstances around me try to pull me down
I'm going to believe in that faith again
'Cause You're my Creator
You're my Comfort
You're the One that will never desert me
So Daddy, I raise my hands up to You Lord
I raise my hands up to You, oh Lord
And I dance with my feet, I dance with my feet
And I say, come and, come and hold me Lord
'Cause I'm learning to trust You with the faith of a child
Trust You with the faith of a child
And have joy again like a child
I'm not going to let 'em put me down
I'm not going to let those bullets come down
Come down and hurt me no more
'Cause I'm raising up the Shield of Faith
And the Sword of the Lord
I'm believing on your Word Lord
I'm trusting in the Word that You said
And I'm waiting on You
I'm waiting on You
And I'm rejoicing in the fact that the Bible says
That You are my Victorious Warrior
You're the one Who fights for me
I don't have to fight anymore
You're the one that fights for me, oh Lord
My faith is rising, my faith is rising, my faith is rising
I can see You again Lord!
I can see You on the horizon of my life, oh Lord
I can see Your Son,
It's rising up, it's rising up, it's rising up
And I don't have to be discouraged anymore
And I don't have to fight this loneliness anymore
'Cause You're in my life, You're in my life more than anyone could ever be
Father we're building a relationship again, just me and You
We're building a relationship again, just me and You
It's not about the job I have
It's not about the friends I have
It's not about the house I have or the social status I have
It's about me and You
We're building a relationship again, just me and You
You're building my faith up again
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gideon (Jason Upton)

I don't have the power
I don't even have a clue
I don't know all the answers
I don't even know a few
And if I were really honest
And the truth were known of me
It may sound a little funny
But this is what My prayer would be:
  I don't know what to do
  But my eyes are on you
  I don't know what to do
  But my eyes are on you

My eyes are on You, Oh Lord
I don't have the power, I don't have all the answers
But my eyes are on You, Lord
I know victory, victory is Your's
So my eyes are on You

Lift my eyes toward the heavens
Tune my ear to your command
Help me boast in my condition, Lord:
You're the God and I'm the man
You're the God and I'm a man

I lift my eyes toward the heavens
I tune my ear to your command
Help me boast in my condition, Lord:
You're the God and I'm the man
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I Will Wait (Jason Upton)

I will wait for you, Jesus
You're the sun in my horizon
All my hope's in you, Jesus
I can see you now arising

There's a wall that stands in front of me
That I know I just can't climb
But like an eagle you will carry me
It's just a matter of the time

I will wait for you, Jesus
You're the sun in my horizon
All my hope's in you, Jesus
I can see you now arising

Evil armies all around me
Another wall gets in my way
But I believe the word you promised me
So I will wait another day

I will wait for you, Jesus
You're the sun in my horizon
All my hopes in you, Jesus
I can see you now arising

I will wait for you
Oh I will wait for you
Oh though doubt may try to come in
Though disillusionment may try to come in

I believe oh Lord (x3)
In the word that you promised (x3)
I believe it will not end
I believe it will not go

I will wait for you, Jesus
You're the sun in my horizon
All my hope's in you, Jesus
I can see you now arising 

In the stream of fellowship and interaction between brothers and sisters in Christ is the concept that we are not to judge another.  Luke 6:37 tells us, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.  That's pretty clear, right?  We are not to be the judge of another. 

But in the process of walking in that truth, have we thrown the baby out with the bathwater?  The world does as it exercises "political correctness" ~ store owners can't protect themselves from kids running rampant in their store for fear of Mom suing.  Mom and kids come out rich while the store owner not only loses his merchandise but sometimes his livelihood as well.  ((That's freedom?  Oh, I'll let the political fanatics handle that one!))  But what about Christians?  Do we throw baby out with bathwater by not exercising and acting on or enforcing discernment ~ all because we don't want to be considered "judgmental"?

One thing we need to understand is that our language (English) is not as intricate as the Greek.  As such, "judge" is a blanket term for various but related actions.  To understand what the Spirit of the Lord is saying, we need to know exactly what He is saying...because the truth will set us free.

Too often, we entangle "judgment" with "discernment".  I don't know about you, because all our histories and what makes us tick are different; but when I discern something and take a stand against it, I sometimes wonder if I'm being "judgmental".  If it's a person, I most often conclude I'm being judgmental and rebuke myself.

I won't go into a study here, but God brought my attention to Romans chapter 16.  Look at verses 1-16, and you will find Paul complementing people.  For quick reference, here are vs. 1-4:
1   I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

2  That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
3  Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4  Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Examining the nature (or the spirit) of those words...they are positive and complimentary, elevating the person for their works, displaying spiritual fruit.

Question:  Is Paul "judging" them? 

Now look at what follows in Romans 16:17-20:
17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
19  For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
20  And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

If we could get a handle on what it means to wrestle not against flesh and blood, but wrestle against principalities and powers, against rulers of darkness in high places....if we could picture what that wrestling "looks" like...and how it plays out in our physical realm ((or, better yet, see it through our spiritual eyes))...then we would be able to discern fruit and act accordingly... KNOWING with full assurance and confidence that we're not applying judgment when we take a stand on something and another person is involved.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood.  If we could get a tangible glimpse of what it means to be separated from God, then we'd never want our worst enemy to suffer it.  THAT, my friend, is the heart of the matter that will drive whether we are "judging" or "discerning". 

We're called to be a discerning people.  If we "mark" someone and avoid them, that's not judgment:  that's actually love and forgiveness in action with this as a qualifier: as long as we keep them on our heart and pray for them to be free in Jesus' name.  And remember, God is extremely concerned about our relationships.  His will is ultimately for restoration...but neither He nor we have control over another's choice...only our own. 

"Moments before a tormented man took the lives of five young Amish schoolgirls in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania on the morning of October 5, 2006, two of the girls, Marian and Barbie Fisher, asked to be sacrificed so that the others could be saved. The killer did not spare the sisters; instead, he attempted to murder Marian, Barbie, and all eight of their female classmates. Five survived. And in the days after the tragedy, as the world watched in numb silence, the parents of those girls and the entire Amish community did something seemingly incomprehensible. They forgave the killer and supported his family with their prayers and with their financial resources.

"While their response shocked many, those parents and that community were actually practicing the love every Christian ought to practice. They were living what they believed.

"At the Cross, Christ reaches out to us, reconciling us to God and calling us to be reconciled with one another.  This invitation to reconciliation is universal, applying to all nations and all peoples, to rich and poor, bound and free.  It's an unconditional welcome to each of us.

"Forgiveness, which makes reconciliation possible, is the centerpiece of the biblical account.  When practiced, forgiveness is life changing, even world changing.  And it often plays out int he most dramatic and unexpected ways."

                         ~ taken from "The Faith" by Charles Colson and Harold Fickett ~

It is so easy to let pain from an offense be king for awhile, and let roots of bitterness grow.  It is much harder to forgive and move on...yet it is what our Lord not only calls for, but commands that we do.

Forgiving those who trespass against us is the one thing Jesus continued to speak about as He taught His disciples how to pray... saying that if we don't forgive our debtors, the Father can't forgive our debts to Him.

Forgiveness, therefore, must be more important than our daily bread.

Forgiveness, it seems, opens the door for God to really work on our behalf.

Unforgiveness, therefore, must tie His hands...not His love, not His presence...but His hands.

I praise God for having used this tragedy as an example to all His children...it is truly heaven touching earth...truly a work of Christ...truly "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."