Published by Jerry Baysinger on 28 May 2010 at 04:46 pm
WHERE’S THE POWER?
Recently I attended a ministry conference where they talked about “DUNAMIS”. For those of you who don’t know, DUNAMIS is a Greek term which means the following:
dunamis
doo’-nam-is Strong’s number 1411
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
We are told in the New Testament that Jesus gave His disciples dunamis , which is a description of the power and ability that has been granted them to overcome the works of the devil. It’s the word from which we get the words Dyno, or Dynamite. It denotes power, and not just power, but mighty power. We would usually associate this kind of power with God, but actually the devil is capable of dunamis as well, as shown by virtue of Luke 10:19-20, where Jesus said,
Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
The first word “POWER” is not “dunamis”, but “exousia”, and here’s what “exousia” means:
exousia
ex-oo-see’-ah Strong’s number 1849
From G1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, that is, (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: - authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.
Another meaning attributed to “exousia” is “prohibits the presence of a hindrance”. What does that mean to you? Let’s read on.
Jesus said He gives unto you “exousia”, privilege, force, freedom, superhuman control, authority, jurisdiction, which prohibits the presence of a hinderance, over all the “dunamis”, signs, wonders, miracles, terrible and fearful works that the devil is capable of doing. In other words, ESOUSIA trumps DUNAMIS. Can the devil do miracles and the like? Sure. Let’s look at Exodus 7:10-13. Take careful note of what transpired here:
Exo 7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Exo 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
Exo 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
The Lord explained that this is a prime example of “EXOUSIA” versus “DUNAMIS”. Aaron demonstrated exousia when he cast down his rod and it became a serpent. Of course, the sorcerers, the devil’s crew, said NO PROBLEM, we can do this, and they demonstrated “dunamis”! Only, what happened next? Aaron’s serpent ate all their serpents. Like I said, EXOUSIA trumps DUNAMIS, because the sorcerers didn’t get their rods back. Did you notice that?
Well, anyway, if it weren’t enough that Jesus granted His disciples “dunamis”, He also granted them “exousia”, not just in Luke 4:18, but in Mark 6:7,
Mar 6:7 AndG2532 he calledG4341 unto him theG3588 twelve,G1427 andG2532 beganG756 to send them forthG649 G846 by two and two;G1417 G1417 andG2532 gaveG1325 themG846 powerG1849 over uncleanG169 spirits;G4151
Luk 9:1 ThenG1161 he called his twelve disciples together,G4779 G848 G1427 G3101 and gaveG1325 themG846 powerG1411 andG2532 authorityG1849 overG1909 allG3956 devils,G1140 andG2532 to cureG2323 diseases.G3554
In Luke 9:1 Jesus granted His disciples both “dunamis” and “exousia”. Now, are we not Jesus’ present day disciples? Sure we are, if we believe, for Jesus said in Mark 16:15-18,
Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
How can we possibly go forth with signs and wonders following the Word preached, unless we have the same “dunamis” and “exousia” the early church possessed? We can’t. And the Lord Jesus doesn’t expect us to be any less effective as witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ than the ones He appointed while He walked upon the earth. When people came to Jesus, He healed their sick. After the Lord Jesus went to be with His Father in heaven, the people brought their sick to the disciples and expected the same miracles from them that Jesus did. What did they get? They got their sick healed, alright, for “dunamis” and “exousia” were just as much in operation after Jesus left, as when He was here.
But something has changed through the years. For the most part, we go to church or conferences and hear about the “dunamis”, but we don’t see any demonstration of it. Oh, we hear stirring sermons that whip up lots of excitement among the people. We hear how powerful and mighty we are as children of God. But here’s what I tend to see happen: the lame see, the blind walk. Something is missing, and it is “dunamis” and “exousia” being demonstrated openly in the church. You’ll see it once in a while, but it is an exception, rather than the rule.
Hey, people, let me tell you something, if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not bringing forth the working of “dunamis” and “exousia”, then it isn’t the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is it then? I don’t know, but it isn’t what Jesus and His disciples demonstrated. And if it isn’t what Jesus and His disciples demonstrated, then I don’t want any part of it. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of “playing church”, where people come in honestly seeking change in their lives, or healing, and leave the same way they came in. That isn’t the Gospel that Jesus and His disciples preached!
What happened to “the lame walk, the blind see”? It takes real power from on high to make this stuff happen, and it’s available, because Jesus said so. If Christ Jesus is who He says He is, and He did what He said He did, then His followers should be demonstrating the power of the Gospel, else it’s all just nice sounding words. Nice sounding, but worthless.
At this conference I referred to, we heard about dunamis. But there was a man in the back in a wheel chair, and guess what happened? He came in a wheel chair, and left in a wheel chair. If there WAS the power of the Holy Spirit present to heal, then nobody there used it to heal him. Personally, it bothered me a lot, but I wasn’t in charge of the service and had no authority to step in and do anything. But you know what? I’m going to go preach the Gospel to that man and demonstrate “dunamis” and “exousia” so God gets the glory as He should.
If you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ, all the power and authority you will ever need is at your disposal. Stop asking God for “more power”. You don’t need it. You can’t possibly exhaust the power and authority you’ve already been granted. Just use it for His glory. When the world starts seeing Jesus’ followers demonstrating dunamis and exousia, you won’t have to ask God to bring people to church anymore. They will come running, just like they did in Jesus’ day, and your biggest problem will be, Where will you put them all?
Where’s the power? Same place it’s always been, in Christ Jesus, in His Word, and in His disciples. You’re not Christ Jesus, but you’re His disciple, right? It is written, Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. Do you believe that Christ Jesus is in you? THEN ACT LIKE IT !! You are more than equal to any problem the devil might present you. Is someone sick among you? No problem. Are they lame? No problem. Bring it on, for we are more than able, for Christ Jesus himself has made us so. What did Jesus say? Fear not, believe only. Notice that? Believe only, not almost believe, or mostly believe. There’s no room for anything less than ONLY believe. We, as disciples of Christ Jesus, have what the world needs. Don’t you think it’s time we start giving them what Christ Jesus gave US?
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
From the www.churchforall.org
Get Out Of Your Cave
1 KINGS 19:9 NIV
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word
of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
Elijah was hiding in a cave, fearful, discouraged, and
confused.
Why?
Elijah knew God and had seen God do mighty things, even in
answer to his own prayers. Yet he was human, just like the rest
of us.
JAMES 5:17 NIV
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it
would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a
half years.
Elijah had only one real problem, and it was not the
adversaries he faced. It was that he got his focus off of God
and onto himself.
To me, God seems amazed at Elijah's hiding. I picture Him
thinking, "Doesn't Elijah know that I am greater than all his
adversaries? Doesn't Elijah know that I will help him?"
I would paraphrase the verse above as, "What in the world are
you doing here, Elijah? Have you forgotten who your God is?
Have you forgotten who you are, a servant of Almighty God?"
Elijah was human -- just like us -- and we face the same
difficulties in life. But just like Elijah, our real problem is
not the problems we face -- but our focus.
We can focus on our inability and lack, or we can focus on
God's ability and abundant provision.
Are you hiding in a "cave" today, afraid to venture forth and
face life? Are you afraid of failure and rejection? Are you
discouraged because things haven't worked out like you thought
they would?
What are you doing?! Get out of your "cave!"
God is on your side. The Greater One is in you. The Lord is
your helper. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you.
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
SAY THIS: I will focus on God, Who loves me, and Who is greater
than anything I will ever face.
1 KINGS 19:9 NIV
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word
of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
Elijah was hiding in a cave, fearful, discouraged, and
confused.
Why?
Elijah knew God and had seen God do mighty things, even in
answer to his own prayers. Yet he was human, just like the rest
of us.
JAMES 5:17 NIV
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it
would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a
half years.
Elijah had only one real problem, and it was not the
adversaries he faced. It was that he got his focus off of God
and onto himself.
To me, God seems amazed at Elijah's hiding. I picture Him
thinking, "Doesn't Elijah know that I am greater than all his
adversaries? Doesn't Elijah know that I will help him?"
I would paraphrase the verse above as, "What in the world are
you doing here, Elijah? Have you forgotten who your God is?
Have you forgotten who you are, a servant of Almighty God?"
Elijah was human -- just like us -- and we face the same
difficulties in life. But just like Elijah, our real problem is
not the problems we face -- but our focus.
We can focus on our inability and lack, or we can focus on
God's ability and abundant provision.
Are you hiding in a "cave" today, afraid to venture forth and
face life? Are you afraid of failure and rejection? Are you
discouraged because things haven't worked out like you thought
they would?
What are you doing?! Get out of your "cave!"
God is on your side. The Greater One is in you. The Lord is
your helper. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you.
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
SAY THIS: I will focus on God, Who loves me, and Who is greater
than anything I will ever face.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
From the www.churchforall.org
Look At The Flowers
LUKE 12:27 LB
27 "Look at the lilies! They don't toil and spin, and yet
Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are.
Many people would have you believe that God only supplies what
we need -- nothing more.
But they haven't considered the flowers!
If you want to know God better, obey Jesus and look at the
flowers. They were God's idea.
Why did God make so many flowers? They're not necessary.
Although they have some purposes, one kind of flower in one
single color could have been made to meet all the needs.
The fact is: flowers are not needed. They are "extra,"
something far, far beyond merely what was needed.
We could live without all the different flowers, but life is so
much more beautiful with them.
Dear friend, God is not intent on you barely scraping by. He
told you to ask and receive -- that your joy may be full (see
John 16:24). God desires your joy to be full.
But don't make the mistake that so many do. Abundance of
"things" will never satisfy you apart from God. But what a joy
it is when you have close fellowship with the Creator, and can
thank Him for all the wonderful things He has provided for you
because of His great love. In that context, things are a great
blessing, because they are a constant reminder of the goodness
and love of God.
Others tell us that "God only helps those who help themselves"
and make us think that "if it is to be, it is up to me."
No! While it is true that we must cooperate with God, mostly by
trusting Him and resisting our enemy by standing in faith on
God's Word, it is not true that we have only ourselves to
depend on.
That was part of Jesus' point: God "prospers" flowers better
than Solomon could achieve -- and he was the richest man who
ever lived! God can, and will, take care of you, too. Just let
Him.
Whenever I see flowers, or whenever I think of the abundance
God has provided, it reminds me of His love, and I say, "Thank
You Lord, for flowers."
SAY THIS: Thank You Lord, for flowers!
LUKE 12:27 LB
27 "Look at the lilies! They don't toil and spin, and yet
Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are.
Many people would have you believe that God only supplies what
we need -- nothing more.
But they haven't considered the flowers!
If you want to know God better, obey Jesus and look at the
flowers. They were God's idea.
Why did God make so many flowers? They're not necessary.
Although they have some purposes, one kind of flower in one
single color could have been made to meet all the needs.
The fact is: flowers are not needed. They are "extra,"
something far, far beyond merely what was needed.
We could live without all the different flowers, but life is so
much more beautiful with them.
Dear friend, God is not intent on you barely scraping by. He
told you to ask and receive -- that your joy may be full (see
John 16:24). God desires your joy to be full.
But don't make the mistake that so many do. Abundance of
"things" will never satisfy you apart from God. But what a joy
it is when you have close fellowship with the Creator, and can
thank Him for all the wonderful things He has provided for you
because of His great love. In that context, things are a great
blessing, because they are a constant reminder of the goodness
and love of God.
Others tell us that "God only helps those who help themselves"
and make us think that "if it is to be, it is up to me."
No! While it is true that we must cooperate with God, mostly by
trusting Him and resisting our enemy by standing in faith on
God's Word, it is not true that we have only ourselves to
depend on.
That was part of Jesus' point: God "prospers" flowers better
than Solomon could achieve -- and he was the richest man who
ever lived! God can, and will, take care of you, too. Just let
Him.
Whenever I see flowers, or whenever I think of the abundance
God has provided, it reminds me of His love, and I say, "Thank
You Lord, for flowers."
SAY THIS: Thank You Lord, for flowers!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
From the www.churchforall.org
Tell satan Where To Go
MATTHEW 4:10 NLT
10 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the
Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only
him.' "
Jesus spoke directly to the devil -- and so must you.
Many Christians think they should pray about the devil and ask
God to deliver them from his attacks. But the Bible is clear --
God has given the authority to believers to resist the devil.
You must control the devil, or he will control you!
Unless you exercise the authority delegated to you by Jesus
Christ, the devil will wreak havoc in your life, and everywhere
he is allowed to.
LUKE 10:19 NKJ
19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.
Praying to God to stop the devil's operations is no different
than my son asking me to take out the trash, after I have told
him to do it.
God told us to resist the devil and he would flee. We must
believe and act on God's Word.
EPHESIANS 4:27 NKJ
27 nor give place to the devil.
Would God tell us not to let the devil have any place, if we
had no say about it? If the devil does have a place in our
affairs, it's because we allowed it.
JAMES 4:7 NKJ
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you.
We must first submit to God, because we are not greater in
power than the devil. But submitted to God in Christ Jesus, the
devil must back off when we resist him and his works.
SAY THIS: In the Name of Jesus, I command you devil to leave
me, my family, and my property alone! Be gone!
MATTHEW 4:10 NLT
10 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the
Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only
him.' "
Jesus spoke directly to the devil -- and so must you.
Many Christians think they should pray about the devil and ask
God to deliver them from his attacks. But the Bible is clear --
God has given the authority to believers to resist the devil.
You must control the devil, or he will control you!
Unless you exercise the authority delegated to you by Jesus
Christ, the devil will wreak havoc in your life, and everywhere
he is allowed to.
LUKE 10:19 NKJ
19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.
Praying to God to stop the devil's operations is no different
than my son asking me to take out the trash, after I have told
him to do it.
God told us to resist the devil and he would flee. We must
believe and act on God's Word.
EPHESIANS 4:27 NKJ
27 nor give place to the devil.
Would God tell us not to let the devil have any place, if we
had no say about it? If the devil does have a place in our
affairs, it's because we allowed it.
JAMES 4:7 NKJ
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you.
We must first submit to God, because we are not greater in
power than the devil. But submitted to God in Christ Jesus, the
devil must back off when we resist him and his works.
SAY THIS: In the Name of Jesus, I command you devil to leave
me, my family, and my property alone! Be gone!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
God is good - get it!!
God Is Not A Killer
John 10:10 NASB
10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I
came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
Ted Turner, the founder of the CNN TV network, tells how he
turned against Christianity because of bitterness against God
in his younger days. After the death of a family member, the
preacher told him that "God took them," and he became bitter
over it.
Ted Turner is not alone. Millions of people are mad at God
because they believe He has done something wrong -- which He
has not!
God is not going around killing people, or stealing from them,
or destroying their lives. That is the work of the devil.
God is not guilty!
The greatest deception in history has been the devil convincing
people that the things he does are done by God. The devil wants
us to believe that God acts like the devil.
But it is a lie!
Of course, to pull this deception off, the devil had to get
preachers to spread his lies. No one would believe it if the
devil personally preached it.
But just because someone who is called a preacher, a reverend,
a pastor, a priest, a bishop, a prophet, or any other title,
says something is true -- does not make it true. To find out
the truth we need to go to the Bible and study it for
ourselves.
Depending on so-called "experts" can lead you astray. Read and
study the Bible for yourself.
JAMES 1:17 NLT
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who
created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or
casts shifting shadows.
SAY THIS: Whatever is good comes from my God, Who never changes
into being bad.
John 10:10 NASB
10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I
came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
Ted Turner, the founder of the CNN TV network, tells how he
turned against Christianity because of bitterness against God
in his younger days. After the death of a family member, the
preacher told him that "God took them," and he became bitter
over it.
Ted Turner is not alone. Millions of people are mad at God
because they believe He has done something wrong -- which He
has not!
God is not going around killing people, or stealing from them,
or destroying their lives. That is the work of the devil.
God is not guilty!
The greatest deception in history has been the devil convincing
people that the things he does are done by God. The devil wants
us to believe that God acts like the devil.
But it is a lie!
Of course, to pull this deception off, the devil had to get
preachers to spread his lies. No one would believe it if the
devil personally preached it.
But just because someone who is called a preacher, a reverend,
a pastor, a priest, a bishop, a prophet, or any other title,
says something is true -- does not make it true. To find out
the truth we need to go to the Bible and study it for
ourselves.
Depending on so-called "experts" can lead you astray. Read and
study the Bible for yourself.
JAMES 1:17 NLT
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who
created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or
casts shifting shadows.
SAY THIS: Whatever is good comes from my God, Who never changes
into being bad.
Friday, May 21, 2010
http://healingglory.webs.com/isjesuschristgod.htm
Is Jesus Christ God?
According to the Hebrew scriptures and teachings of the prophets, only God Himself is capable of becoming the Savior of all humanity. Only Yahweh qualifies to bear the titles; the Lord, Savior, Creator and Redeemer. These titles belong exclusively to God alone, however they directly correspond the Yeshua Messiah. This connection proves conclusively that Yeshua is Lord.
Take note of the following scripture:
1 Chronicles 16:35 (NIV), 'Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."
Psalm 79:9, 'Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgiveour sins for your name's sake'.
Isaiah 45:17 (NIV), "But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation..."
Isaiah 45:18, 'For this is what the LORD says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: "I am the LORD, and there isno other.'
Isaiah 45: 21-22 (NIV), "...Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior;
Isaiah 45:22 (NIV) “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other."
I Timothy 1:17 (NIV) 'Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen'.
Exodus 15:2 (NIV), 'The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is myGod, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.'
Joshua 24:23, (NIV), "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."
2 Samuel 22:32 (NIV), 'For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God?'
Isaiah 45:5, "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,..."
Over 300 prophecies in Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) prove conclusively that Yeshua is both Messiah and the Lord. Shown below is a brief list of major prophecies of Messiah, His Divinity, the time-frame of His coming, and specific events that would occur during His ministry.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Isaiah 49:1-7
Isaiah 42:1-9
Isaiah 50:4-10
Psalm 118:22-23
Psalm 22:1-31
Psalm 16:7-11
Psalm 110:1-6
Micah 5:2
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:6-7
Psalm 2:1-12
Isaiah 11:1-10
Isaiah 43:3-11
Isaiah 44:1-6
Daniel 9:24-27
Malachi 3:1-6
Genesis 49:10
Zachariah 6:12-13
Zechariah 9:9
Zechariah 12:10-13:1
Daniel 7:13-14
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Hosea 1:1-11
The Incarnation of God
According to the Hebrew scriptures and writings of Jewish mystics, the Messiah was the very Shekinah {glory} of Almighty God manifested in the flesh.
Here is a brief explanation of Shekinah, not from a Christian perspective but a Hebraic perspective. This is what the Hebrew prophets and apostles understood and believed about Shekinah.
The Zohar proclaims that the Shekinah is also 'Kneset Yisrael', the mystical community of Israel, the Holy community, Zion and that all of Israel are her limbs (Zohar 3:231b). thus the Church, the New Israel, is the Shekinah seen as Bride of God. The shekinah as the Eucharistic Presence is so connected with the Church, that both are seen as Shekinah. The Church possesses the glory and brings it forth through the Presence of the Holy Spirit in covenant union with Lord.
(See: Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 51a) - For thus said R. Simeon: "The Holy One prepared for Himself a holy Palace, a supernal Palace, a holy City, a supernal City, which is called ‘Jerusalem, the holy city’. He who wishes to see the King, must enter through this holy City and thence take his way to the King: ‘this is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter.’
Revelation 21:22-23, 'And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.'
In otherwords, Messiah was the very splendor, essence, power, divinity and goodness of Almighty God - manifested in a human body.:
Hebrews 1:1-8
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath ...in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (8) ...unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever..."
(3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high".
Commentary: We notice from the text several important points; God speaks to humanity in these last days through the Son. Secondly, the Son of God has been appointed heir (possessor of all the assets) of all things. Thirdly, He is was the Maker of the worlds, and His throne is everlasting. Finally, saint Pauls drops a bombshell revelation on us. He tells us that the Christ is - the brightness of YHWH's glory and the express image of His person.
I Timothy 3:16 (New King James Version)
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God[a] was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
According to the Hebrew scriptures and teachings of the prophets, only God Himself is capable of becoming the Savior of all humanity. Only Yahweh qualifies to bear the titles; the Lord, Savior, Creator and Redeemer. These titles belong exclusively to God alone, however they directly correspond the Yeshua Messiah. This connection proves conclusively that Yeshua is Lord.
Take note of the following scripture:
1 Chronicles 16:35 (NIV), 'Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."
Psalm 79:9, 'Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgiveour sins for your name's sake'.
Isaiah 45:17 (NIV), "But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation..."
Isaiah 45:18, 'For this is what the LORD says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: "I am the LORD, and there isno other.'
Isaiah 45: 21-22 (NIV), "...Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior;
Isaiah 45:22 (NIV) “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other."
I Timothy 1:17 (NIV) 'Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen'.
Exodus 15:2 (NIV), 'The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is myGod, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.'
Joshua 24:23, (NIV), "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."
2 Samuel 22:32 (NIV), 'For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God?'
Isaiah 45:5, "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,..."
Over 300 prophecies in Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) prove conclusively that Yeshua is both Messiah and the Lord. Shown below is a brief list of major prophecies of Messiah, His Divinity, the time-frame of His coming, and specific events that would occur during His ministry.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Isaiah 49:1-7
Isaiah 42:1-9
Isaiah 50:4-10
Psalm 118:22-23
Psalm 22:1-31
Psalm 16:7-11
Psalm 110:1-6
Micah 5:2
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:6-7
Psalm 2:1-12
Isaiah 11:1-10
Isaiah 43:3-11
Isaiah 44:1-6
Daniel 9:24-27
Malachi 3:1-6
Genesis 49:10
Zachariah 6:12-13
Zechariah 9:9
Zechariah 12:10-13:1
Daniel 7:13-14
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Hosea 1:1-11
The Incarnation of God
According to the Hebrew scriptures and writings of Jewish mystics, the Messiah was the very Shekinah {glory} of Almighty God manifested in the flesh.
Here is a brief explanation of Shekinah, not from a Christian perspective but a Hebraic perspective. This is what the Hebrew prophets and apostles understood and believed about Shekinah.
The Zohar proclaims that the Shekinah is also 'Kneset Yisrael', the mystical community of Israel, the Holy community, Zion and that all of Israel are her limbs (Zohar 3:231b). thus the Church, the New Israel, is the Shekinah seen as Bride of God. The shekinah as the Eucharistic Presence is so connected with the Church, that both are seen as Shekinah. The Church possesses the glory and brings it forth through the Presence of the Holy Spirit in covenant union with Lord.
(See: Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 51a) - For thus said R. Simeon: "The Holy One prepared for Himself a holy Palace, a supernal Palace, a holy City, a supernal City, which is called ‘Jerusalem, the holy city’. He who wishes to see the King, must enter through this holy City and thence take his way to the King: ‘this is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter.’
Revelation 21:22-23, 'And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.'
In otherwords, Messiah was the very splendor, essence, power, divinity and goodness of Almighty God - manifested in a human body.:
Hebrews 1:1-8
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath ...in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (8) ...unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever..."
(3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high".
Commentary: We notice from the text several important points; God speaks to humanity in these last days through the Son. Secondly, the Son of God has been appointed heir (possessor of all the assets) of all things. Thirdly, He is was the Maker of the worlds, and His throne is everlasting. Finally, saint Pauls drops a bombshell revelation on us. He tells us that the Christ is - the brightness of YHWH's glory and the express image of His person.
I Timothy 3:16 (New King James Version)
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God[a] was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
From the www.churchforall.org
Talk To Things
MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
`Be removed ....
Too many people think of the Bible only as a Holy book to be
revered. So they put it up on a shelf and make sure no one
mistreats it.
But the Bible is a message from God. It gives us instruction
for our benefit -- practical advice.
It's time to take the Bible down off the pedestal, read it, and
act on its instructions.
Here is one seldom acted upon: talk to things.
The devil wants you to think it would be crazy to talk to
things. But it's not.
Jesus did it. He talked to sickness. He talked to the storm and
told it to be still. He talked to dead bodies and commanded
them to get up. He talked to trees. And He talked to the devil
and told him to get behind him.
Jesus talked to things. You should too.
You should talk to fear and worry. You should talk to
confusion. You should talk to lack. You should talk to
sickness. You should talk to the devil. Tell them to leave.
Tell them to "be removed."
LUKE 17:6 NKJ
6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you
can say to this mulberry tree, `Be pulled up by the roots and
be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
SAY THIS: Jesus said I can talk to things. So I speak to
everything that is of the devil and command it to get out of my
life now!
MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
`Be removed ....
Too many people think of the Bible only as a Holy book to be
revered. So they put it up on a shelf and make sure no one
mistreats it.
But the Bible is a message from God. It gives us instruction
for our benefit -- practical advice.
It's time to take the Bible down off the pedestal, read it, and
act on its instructions.
Here is one seldom acted upon: talk to things.
The devil wants you to think it would be crazy to talk to
things. But it's not.
Jesus did it. He talked to sickness. He talked to the storm and
told it to be still. He talked to dead bodies and commanded
them to get up. He talked to trees. And He talked to the devil
and told him to get behind him.
Jesus talked to things. You should too.
You should talk to fear and worry. You should talk to
confusion. You should talk to lack. You should talk to
sickness. You should talk to the devil. Tell them to leave.
Tell them to "be removed."
LUKE 17:6 NKJ
6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you
can say to this mulberry tree, `Be pulled up by the roots and
be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
SAY THIS: Jesus said I can talk to things. So I speak to
everything that is of the devil and command it to get out of my
life now!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
http://sites.google.com/site/ryanandkylierufus/free-stuff
May 14, 2010
The Fear of God in the New Covenant
Filed under: Bible,new covenant — Paul @ 11:26 pm
Tags: Bible, Christianity, God
Jesus died on the cross to reconcile man to God and so that we might live free from the fear of punishment. Yet the phrase “the fear of the Lord” comes up many times in the New Testament. What does it mean to have the fear God under the new covenant?
The following is a special guest post from my friend Ryan Rufus:
The Fear of God in the New Covenant
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2Ti 1:7)
We need to keep this scripture in mind when we talk about the fear of God. God doesn’t want us to have a fearfulness of Him. Our relationship with Him, and consequently our relationship toward others, is one of power (God’s empowerment), love (God’s love) and a sound mind (a supernatural sound mind).
“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because He first loved us.” (1Jn 4:15-19)
According to this scripture it is wrong to fear God’s judgments! If we fear God’s judgments it means we don’t understand His love!
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:28-29)
Let us have grace to serve God acceptably. What’s acceptably? It’s faith! It takes faith to acknowledge who He is. A reverence and a godly fear is about seeing God – the magnitude of His being and ascribing that greatness to His name. It’s not taking the greatness for yourself and it’s not playing down who God is. That would be the opposite of grace – i.e., self righteousness.
The fear of God that the Self Righteous have is that God will judge them for not being righteous enough. The fear of God that the Christ-righteous have is that God has qualified them to share in the Kingdom and that He is on their side and they therefore cannot be shaken or moved and that this awesome God will judge their enemies with fire! It’s not saying let us serve God because if you don’t He will judge you with fire, but let’s not be afraid to serve God because God is on our side and will judge our enemies!
The context of Hebrews 12 is that the saints were being persecuted for their faith and feeling like giving up because the opposition was too much. But the writer is saying, see who God is, how great He is, that He is on your side, that you’re in an unshakable kingdom, that your God is a consuming fire.
You’ve got God and heaven for you, backing you! When you see that, you will have the boldness to serve God the way that He has called you to serve Him – with boldness and confidence in His grace and power and authority. To see this is to “fear God.” To not see this is to have no “fear of God.”
The Fear of God in the New Covenant
Filed under: Bible,new covenant — Paul @ 11:26 pm
Tags: Bible, Christianity, God
Jesus died on the cross to reconcile man to God and so that we might live free from the fear of punishment. Yet the phrase “the fear of the Lord” comes up many times in the New Testament. What does it mean to have the fear God under the new covenant?
The following is a special guest post from my friend Ryan Rufus:
The Fear of God in the New Covenant
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2Ti 1:7)
We need to keep this scripture in mind when we talk about the fear of God. God doesn’t want us to have a fearfulness of Him. Our relationship with Him, and consequently our relationship toward others, is one of power (God’s empowerment), love (God’s love) and a sound mind (a supernatural sound mind).
“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because He first loved us.” (1Jn 4:15-19)
According to this scripture it is wrong to fear God’s judgments! If we fear God’s judgments it means we don’t understand His love!
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:28-29)
Let us have grace to serve God acceptably. What’s acceptably? It’s faith! It takes faith to acknowledge who He is. A reverence and a godly fear is about seeing God – the magnitude of His being and ascribing that greatness to His name. It’s not taking the greatness for yourself and it’s not playing down who God is. That would be the opposite of grace – i.e., self righteousness.
The fear of God that the Self Righteous have is that God will judge them for not being righteous enough. The fear of God that the Christ-righteous have is that God has qualified them to share in the Kingdom and that He is on their side and they therefore cannot be shaken or moved and that this awesome God will judge their enemies with fire! It’s not saying let us serve God because if you don’t He will judge you with fire, but let’s not be afraid to serve God because God is on our side and will judge our enemies!
The context of Hebrews 12 is that the saints were being persecuted for their faith and feeling like giving up because the opposition was too much. But the writer is saying, see who God is, how great He is, that He is on your side, that you’re in an unshakable kingdom, that your God is a consuming fire.
You’ve got God and heaven for you, backing you! When you see that, you will have the boldness to serve God the way that He has called you to serve Him – with boldness and confidence in His grace and power and authority. To see this is to “fear God.” To not see this is to have no “fear of God.”
From www.escapetoreality.org
Escape to Reality
April 9, 2010
God Doesn’t Do Half-Jobs: Why Partial Forgiveness Is Completely Bogus
Filed under: Bible,Jesus,forgiveness,freedom,goodness of God,gospel,grace,the cross — Paul @ 11:31 am
There’s a teaching going around that says that God has only half-forgiven us. If it sounds wacky, that’s because it is. But partial forgiveness is what you have if you think there are things we must do to stay forgiven. Sure, Jesus forgave us at the cross, but to stay forgiven we need to forgive others or keep confessing our sins or do other stuff. The implication is that if we fail to do these things, we fall out of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Three arguments are usually offered in support of this teaching:
(1) Jesus said, “If you forgive others, your heavenly Father will forgive you” (Mt 6:14), thus forgiveness is conditional on what we do
(2) Peter refers to being forgiven from our “past sins” (2 Pet 1:9) implying that our present and future sins are yet to be dealt with
(3) John seems to say that Jesus will only cleanse us from our sins if we confess our sins (1 Jn 1:9) – so if we don’t confess, we don’t get forgiven
Let’s look at each argument in turn.
(1) Jesus said forgiveness was conditional
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer and finished by stressing the need to forgive others if we desire forgiveness ourselves. The Sermon on the Mount is the most eloquent exposition of old covenant law ever preached. Jesus preached it before the cross to people who were living under the law.
Why was Jesus preaching law? Because the Pharisees had watered down the law diluting its power to silence the mouths of self-righteous men. The law was intended to break our pride and reveal our need for a Savior (Gal 3:24). If you think the law easy and do-able, you will not have a true appreciation of your sinful state and you won’t see your need for Jesus.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus announced that he had come to fulfill the law. He then proceeded to preach about the pristine, standard of God’s holy law. That standard is neatly summarized in his appeal to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
Now how would you feel if the Sunday preacher said, “you must be perfect”? How would you feel if he said, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20)? If your reaction is, “I’m in trouble, I need help,” then you are closer to freedom than any Pharisee then or any religious person now.
The law is holy, righteous and good but it has no power to make you holy, righteous and good. When Jesus says you will be forgiven in proportion to the forgiveness you show to others, he is preaching pure, unadulterated law. What he says is just. It is good. And it condemns you.
The truth is the measure of forgiveness that we need from God is infinitely greater than any forgiveness we could show to others. Thankfully, Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law on our behalf when he went to the cross. In the very act of paying for the world’s sin, he forgave us for our sin! That’s breathtaking. The very condition for forgiveness that Jesus preached on the Mount, he himself satisfied on the cross. Only in Christ do we receive the Father’s forgiveness.
(2) Peter implies that only our past sins are forgiven
When Jesus died on the cross he did not cry out, “it is half-finished.” No. God doesn’t do half-jobs. Everything that needed to be done to satisfy the demands of justice was done by Jesus. His sacrifice was the once and final solution for our sin (Heb 9:26).
It’s a simple truth, yet many people just don’t get it.
Peter writes that the main reason why some Christians don’t mature is that they have forgotten they have been cleansed from their past sins (2 Pet 1:9). Their knowledge of Jesus and what he accomplished is so limited that they are “ineffective and unproductive.” They live power-less lives.
We have been reconciled to God not by dead religious works but by the blood of Jesus. A Christian is literally a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Our sinful life is in our past. Although we may continue to act like sinners in our unrenewed thinking, we are sinners no longer. Hence Peter says, “stop living in the past and grow up.”
What brings forgiveness of sins? Jesus’ blood (Mt 26:28). “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22). As Jesus bled and died on the cross, God canceled the law that was against us and “forgave us all our sins” (Col 1:13).
You were forgiven 2,000 years ago. It’s nonsense to say that God hasn’t forgiven our future sins because when he forgave us all our sins were in the future.
(3) John says forgiveness depends on our confession
How do we receive the free gift of forgiveness? Repent and put your trust in Jesus. John writes that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to purify us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). Some take this to mean that we are cleansed from sin through our confession. But John makes it clear that it is the “blood of Jesus” – not our confession – that “purifies us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7).
And did you notice John said “all sin”? Just in case we missed it, John says it again: Jesus cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). All means all. All includes past, present and future sin. When you are cleansed by Jesus you are well and truly cleansed!
“The LORD says, ‘Now, let’s settle the matter. You are stained red with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow. Although your stains are deep red, you will be as white as wool.’” (Is 1:18, GNB)
As I have said elsewhere, John is not preaching a doctrine of human confession but a doctrine of divine forgiveness. Like every other writer in the New Testament John goes to great lengths to show that divine forgiveness is a God-thing from start to finish. If we respond to his overtures and confess our sins and acknowledge him as the risen Lord, we are eternally, completely, perfectly forgiven!
When you sin, guess what – you are still forgiven! God’s grace is greater than your sin. Of course you should not sin and when you do you should repent, but rest assured that nothing can separate you from the love of Christ.
Some people try to put limits on God’s forgiveness. They say that he withholds his forgiveness unless we do this, that and the other thing. They say that God forgives in accordance with our behavior or performance. But that is not what the Bible says.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph 1:7)
Just as you can’t put a limit on the riches of God’s grace, you can’t put a limit on his forgiveness. Now that’s good news!
April 9, 2010
God Doesn’t Do Half-Jobs: Why Partial Forgiveness Is Completely Bogus
Filed under: Bible,Jesus,forgiveness,freedom,goodness of God,gospel,grace,the cross — Paul @ 11:31 am
There’s a teaching going around that says that God has only half-forgiven us. If it sounds wacky, that’s because it is. But partial forgiveness is what you have if you think there are things we must do to stay forgiven. Sure, Jesus forgave us at the cross, but to stay forgiven we need to forgive others or keep confessing our sins or do other stuff. The implication is that if we fail to do these things, we fall out of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Three arguments are usually offered in support of this teaching:
(1) Jesus said, “If you forgive others, your heavenly Father will forgive you” (Mt 6:14), thus forgiveness is conditional on what we do
(2) Peter refers to being forgiven from our “past sins” (2 Pet 1:9) implying that our present and future sins are yet to be dealt with
(3) John seems to say that Jesus will only cleanse us from our sins if we confess our sins (1 Jn 1:9) – so if we don’t confess, we don’t get forgiven
Let’s look at each argument in turn.
(1) Jesus said forgiveness was conditional
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer and finished by stressing the need to forgive others if we desire forgiveness ourselves. The Sermon on the Mount is the most eloquent exposition of old covenant law ever preached. Jesus preached it before the cross to people who were living under the law.
Why was Jesus preaching law? Because the Pharisees had watered down the law diluting its power to silence the mouths of self-righteous men. The law was intended to break our pride and reveal our need for a Savior (Gal 3:24). If you think the law easy and do-able, you will not have a true appreciation of your sinful state and you won’t see your need for Jesus.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus announced that he had come to fulfill the law. He then proceeded to preach about the pristine, standard of God’s holy law. That standard is neatly summarized in his appeal to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
Now how would you feel if the Sunday preacher said, “you must be perfect”? How would you feel if he said, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20)? If your reaction is, “I’m in trouble, I need help,” then you are closer to freedom than any Pharisee then or any religious person now.
The law is holy, righteous and good but it has no power to make you holy, righteous and good. When Jesus says you will be forgiven in proportion to the forgiveness you show to others, he is preaching pure, unadulterated law. What he says is just. It is good. And it condemns you.
The truth is the measure of forgiveness that we need from God is infinitely greater than any forgiveness we could show to others. Thankfully, Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law on our behalf when he went to the cross. In the very act of paying for the world’s sin, he forgave us for our sin! That’s breathtaking. The very condition for forgiveness that Jesus preached on the Mount, he himself satisfied on the cross. Only in Christ do we receive the Father’s forgiveness.
(2) Peter implies that only our past sins are forgiven
When Jesus died on the cross he did not cry out, “it is half-finished.” No. God doesn’t do half-jobs. Everything that needed to be done to satisfy the demands of justice was done by Jesus. His sacrifice was the once and final solution for our sin (Heb 9:26).
It’s a simple truth, yet many people just don’t get it.
Peter writes that the main reason why some Christians don’t mature is that they have forgotten they have been cleansed from their past sins (2 Pet 1:9). Their knowledge of Jesus and what he accomplished is so limited that they are “ineffective and unproductive.” They live power-less lives.
We have been reconciled to God not by dead religious works but by the blood of Jesus. A Christian is literally a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Our sinful life is in our past. Although we may continue to act like sinners in our unrenewed thinking, we are sinners no longer. Hence Peter says, “stop living in the past and grow up.”
What brings forgiveness of sins? Jesus’ blood (Mt 26:28). “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22). As Jesus bled and died on the cross, God canceled the law that was against us and “forgave us all our sins” (Col 1:13).
You were forgiven 2,000 years ago. It’s nonsense to say that God hasn’t forgiven our future sins because when he forgave us all our sins were in the future.
(3) John says forgiveness depends on our confession
How do we receive the free gift of forgiveness? Repent and put your trust in Jesus. John writes that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to purify us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). Some take this to mean that we are cleansed from sin through our confession. But John makes it clear that it is the “blood of Jesus” – not our confession – that “purifies us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7).
And did you notice John said “all sin”? Just in case we missed it, John says it again: Jesus cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). All means all. All includes past, present and future sin. When you are cleansed by Jesus you are well and truly cleansed!
“The LORD says, ‘Now, let’s settle the matter. You are stained red with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow. Although your stains are deep red, you will be as white as wool.’” (Is 1:18, GNB)
As I have said elsewhere, John is not preaching a doctrine of human confession but a doctrine of divine forgiveness. Like every other writer in the New Testament John goes to great lengths to show that divine forgiveness is a God-thing from start to finish. If we respond to his overtures and confess our sins and acknowledge him as the risen Lord, we are eternally, completely, perfectly forgiven!
When you sin, guess what – you are still forgiven! God’s grace is greater than your sin. Of course you should not sin and when you do you should repent, but rest assured that nothing can separate you from the love of Christ.
Some people try to put limits on God’s forgiveness. They say that he withholds his forgiveness unless we do this, that and the other thing. They say that God forgives in accordance with our behavior or performance. But that is not what the Bible says.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph 1:7)
Just as you can’t put a limit on the riches of God’s grace, you can’t put a limit on his forgiveness. Now that’s good news!
From www.escapetoreality.org/
Escape to Reality
May 16, 2010
Lukewarm in Laodicea, Part 2: What Makes Jesus Sick? (Rev 3:14-21)
Filed under: Bible,Jesus,church,gospel,grace,law,the cross — Paul @ 12:30 am
Tags: Christianity, God, church, Religion, Bible, Jesus
God never makes us sick but did you know it’s possible for people to make him feel sick? Now there’s a staggering thought. Yet this is exactly the reaction the Laodicean church elicited from Jesus. They were lukewarm and Jesus said their lukewarmness made him nauseous:
“Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:16, LITV)
Jesus is literally saying, “you guys make me sick!” It sounds funny, but it’s no laughing matter. The implications of Jesus’ words are thoroughly frightening. What do they mean for the Laodiceans? Let’s ask Matthew Henry:
“They shall be rejected, and finally rejected; for far be it from the holy Jesus to return to that which has been thus rejected.”
This is one of those places in the Bible where we want to sit up and pay close attention, for Jesus is discussing issues of acceptance and rejection. Here we should ask, what were the Laodiceans doing that led to this threat of being rejected by Jesus?
What gets you rejected by Jesus?
In Part 1 of the series I noted that some people define lukewarmness in terms of human zeal and apathy. There are at least three good reasons why apathy cannot be the issue in this case. Still, you may have come across people who think they are “hot” or “on fire” for Jesus because they have judged with Old Testament harshness those parts of the body of Christ that don’t meet their particular standards for hotness. For them it’s a self-fulfilling, self-gratifying theology. They have set for themselves a certain standard which they have met and from which they rain down judgment on others who are not like them. They excel at finding fault and their idea of helping those who struggle is to preach religion. These self-appointed judges and self-styled watchmen make me pewking nauseous.
And maybe they make Jesus nauseous too.
The Message Bible translates Jesus’ words in verse 16 like this: “you make me want to vomit.” Now think about all the people Jesus met when he walked the earth and ask yourself, which group made Jesus sick?
Was it the sinners? No. Jesus was a friend of sinners. Jesus went to the cross for sinners.
Was it those living meekly under the law? No. Jesus came to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law and set such people free. He redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Gal 3:13).
Was it those who showed faith? No. Jesus marvelled at such people. Faith pleases the Lord.
So who made Jesus sick? Matthew 23 gives us the answer:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” (Mat 23:27)
Religion makes Jesus sick
Nothing nauseated Jesus like religious hypocrites who put law on others which they themselves did not follow. Note that the problem with the Pharisees was not what they were preaching. As we saw in Part 1, the law is good. Hence Jesus said to the Jews, “You must obey them and do everything they tell you” (Mt 23:3). Why is Jesus advocating the law? Because the law strips us of our self-righteousness leaving us silent and condemned before a holy God. The law reveals our need for a Saviour.
But then Jesus adds, “do what they say but don’t do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Mt 23:3). The Pharisees lived by a double-standard. They were preaching the law to others but were diluting it for themselves. They were mixing it with a little grace of their own. They were lowering the divine standard to an attainable level thus thwarting the purpose for which the law was given. Instead of being silenced and condemned, the Pharisees were outspoken and proud. They were exalting themselves. They thought they were in right standing before God and everyone around them needed to come up to their religious level. This made Jesus furious!
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Mat 23:33)
No one would deny that the Pharisees were zealous for God. But theirs’ was a carnal zeal based on the Satanic lie that we can make ourselves righteous. Jesus said they appeared righteous on the outside, but on the inside they were “full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Mt 23:28). Instead of submitting to Christ’s righteousness, they sought to establish their own (Rms 10:3).
Now let’s jump back to Revelations 3.
The traditional view is that the Laodiceans were lazy and half-hearted, but I suspect they were as zealous as Pharisees. They were passionate about their religion. Perhaps they gave a “tenth of all their spices” like the Pharisees did. Perhaps they traveled “over land and sea to win a single convert.” But they did so out of religious pride. Like the Pharisees they exalted themselves saying, “we are rich and do not need a thing” (Rev 3:17). Instead of being silenced by God’s holy law, they had become boastful and independent. And like the Pharisees, they made Jesus sick.
Jesus left the comforts of heaven to endure unimaginable suffering on the cross in order that we might be redeemed from the condemnation of the law. To act as if we could somehow attain that divine and perfect standard in our own strength is to insult a holy God who lives in unapproachable light. And to reject the free gift of his grace and righteousness that makes it possible for us to draw near, is to insult his Son.
Reject Jesus as unnecessary and he will reject you.
We begin to understand, then, why Jesus called the Laodiceans “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” In Part 3 of this series I will begin look at what that means for the rest of us and the remedies that Jesus offers.
May 16, 2010
Lukewarm in Laodicea, Part 2: What Makes Jesus Sick? (Rev 3:14-21)
Filed under: Bible,Jesus,church,gospel,grace,law,the cross — Paul @ 12:30 am
Tags: Christianity, God, church, Religion, Bible, Jesus
God never makes us sick but did you know it’s possible for people to make him feel sick? Now there’s a staggering thought. Yet this is exactly the reaction the Laodicean church elicited from Jesus. They were lukewarm and Jesus said their lukewarmness made him nauseous:
“Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:16, LITV)
Jesus is literally saying, “you guys make me sick!” It sounds funny, but it’s no laughing matter. The implications of Jesus’ words are thoroughly frightening. What do they mean for the Laodiceans? Let’s ask Matthew Henry:
“They shall be rejected, and finally rejected; for far be it from the holy Jesus to return to that which has been thus rejected.”
This is one of those places in the Bible where we want to sit up and pay close attention, for Jesus is discussing issues of acceptance and rejection. Here we should ask, what were the Laodiceans doing that led to this threat of being rejected by Jesus?
What gets you rejected by Jesus?
In Part 1 of the series I noted that some people define lukewarmness in terms of human zeal and apathy. There are at least three good reasons why apathy cannot be the issue in this case. Still, you may have come across people who think they are “hot” or “on fire” for Jesus because they have judged with Old Testament harshness those parts of the body of Christ that don’t meet their particular standards for hotness. For them it’s a self-fulfilling, self-gratifying theology. They have set for themselves a certain standard which they have met and from which they rain down judgment on others who are not like them. They excel at finding fault and their idea of helping those who struggle is to preach religion. These self-appointed judges and self-styled watchmen make me pewking nauseous.
And maybe they make Jesus nauseous too.
The Message Bible translates Jesus’ words in verse 16 like this: “you make me want to vomit.” Now think about all the people Jesus met when he walked the earth and ask yourself, which group made Jesus sick?
Was it the sinners? No. Jesus was a friend of sinners. Jesus went to the cross for sinners.
Was it those living meekly under the law? No. Jesus came to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law and set such people free. He redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Gal 3:13).
Was it those who showed faith? No. Jesus marvelled at such people. Faith pleases the Lord.
So who made Jesus sick? Matthew 23 gives us the answer:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” (Mat 23:27)
Religion makes Jesus sick
Nothing nauseated Jesus like religious hypocrites who put law on others which they themselves did not follow. Note that the problem with the Pharisees was not what they were preaching. As we saw in Part 1, the law is good. Hence Jesus said to the Jews, “You must obey them and do everything they tell you” (Mt 23:3). Why is Jesus advocating the law? Because the law strips us of our self-righteousness leaving us silent and condemned before a holy God. The law reveals our need for a Saviour.
But then Jesus adds, “do what they say but don’t do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Mt 23:3). The Pharisees lived by a double-standard. They were preaching the law to others but were diluting it for themselves. They were mixing it with a little grace of their own. They were lowering the divine standard to an attainable level thus thwarting the purpose for which the law was given. Instead of being silenced and condemned, the Pharisees were outspoken and proud. They were exalting themselves. They thought they were in right standing before God and everyone around them needed to come up to their religious level. This made Jesus furious!
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Mat 23:33)
No one would deny that the Pharisees were zealous for God. But theirs’ was a carnal zeal based on the Satanic lie that we can make ourselves righteous. Jesus said they appeared righteous on the outside, but on the inside they were “full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Mt 23:28). Instead of submitting to Christ’s righteousness, they sought to establish their own (Rms 10:3).
Now let’s jump back to Revelations 3.
The traditional view is that the Laodiceans were lazy and half-hearted, but I suspect they were as zealous as Pharisees. They were passionate about their religion. Perhaps they gave a “tenth of all their spices” like the Pharisees did. Perhaps they traveled “over land and sea to win a single convert.” But they did so out of religious pride. Like the Pharisees they exalted themselves saying, “we are rich and do not need a thing” (Rev 3:17). Instead of being silenced by God’s holy law, they had become boastful and independent. And like the Pharisees, they made Jesus sick.
Jesus left the comforts of heaven to endure unimaginable suffering on the cross in order that we might be redeemed from the condemnation of the law. To act as if we could somehow attain that divine and perfect standard in our own strength is to insult a holy God who lives in unapproachable light. And to reject the free gift of his grace and righteousness that makes it possible for us to draw near, is to insult his Son.
Reject Jesus as unnecessary and he will reject you.
We begin to understand, then, why Jesus called the Laodiceans “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” In Part 3 of this series I will begin look at what that means for the rest of us and the remedies that Jesus offers.
From www.triumphministries.net
Jessie Campbell: "Ok do we really get it? Believers are not separate from God...so when we lay hands...guess who? The Father has just touched someone...When we command disease out...Guess what? The Father has declareds....When we give a word of knowledge/prophesy and encourage someone...the Father places a treasure in their heart...and when we realise it is Christ in us the hope of Glory...He is glorified as He glorifies us..."
From the www.churchforall.org
The Lord Is Your Helper
HEBREWS 13:6 NRSV
6 So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will
not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"
Can you imagine how things could improve if God Himself was
helping you?
It can happen.
But, to receive God's help you must cooperate with Him.
God is ready, willing, and able to help you. He desires to help
you. But the choice is yours.
When you act contrary to God's principles, you stop God from
helping you as much as He desires.
To cooperate with God, you must trust Him and walk in faith.
You must agree with God and speak in agreement with His Word.
And you must walk in love. To do that, constant meditation on
God's Word will be required.
You will also need to humble yourself and ask the Lord to help
you in everything you do. God does not force His help on you
without you requesting His help.
Does this sound too hard? It's not. Just ask the Lord to help
you and He will!
ISAIAH 41:10 NIV
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I
am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold
you with my righteous right hand.
ROMANS 8:31 NIV
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for
us, who can be against us?
SAY THIS: God is for me. God is my Helper! I will not worry or
be afraid.
HEBREWS 13:6 NRSV
6 So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will
not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"
Can you imagine how things could improve if God Himself was
helping you?
It can happen.
But, to receive God's help you must cooperate with Him.
God is ready, willing, and able to help you. He desires to help
you. But the choice is yours.
When you act contrary to God's principles, you stop God from
helping you as much as He desires.
To cooperate with God, you must trust Him and walk in faith.
You must agree with God and speak in agreement with His Word.
And you must walk in love. To do that, constant meditation on
God's Word will be required.
You will also need to humble yourself and ask the Lord to help
you in everything you do. God does not force His help on you
without you requesting His help.
Does this sound too hard? It's not. Just ask the Lord to help
you and He will!
ISAIAH 41:10 NIV
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I
am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold
you with my righteous right hand.
ROMANS 8:31 NIV
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for
us, who can be against us?
SAY THIS: God is for me. God is my Helper! I will not worry or
be afraid.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
From www.jglm.org
From Curry Blake:
""Judging" does not automatically mean to judge negatively. you can judge positively and judge for a person instead of against a person. This is how God judges: Psalm 103:6 The world is already judged and condemned. That is why people need to accept Jesus as Lord and come out of the world."
Psalm 103:6 (New International Version)
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
""Judging" does not automatically mean to judge negatively. you can judge positively and judge for a person instead of against a person. This is how God judges: Psalm 103:6 The world is already judged and condemned. That is why people need to accept Jesus as Lord and come out of the world."
Psalm 103:6 (New International Version)
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
From http://lifehealingministries.com
Published by Jerry Baysinger on 14 May 2010 at 01:28 pm
WHOSOEVER WILL
“Whosoever will”, that’s how God puts it, anyone who wants know Him personally and live in His blessing is welcome: whosoever, anyone, anywhere, regardless of sex, race, or national origin. It is written in Revelation 22:17, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. There’s just not a clearer way to say it, is there?
‘Whosoever will”, that means even Satan himself can’t keep you from having a relationship with God, even though he will do everything in his power to keep you from doing so. And the invitation is not just to you, but everyone YOU invite, in fact, even someone overhearing you invite someone else is free to come along, and “he who heareth” is also free to invite whosoever they want. Wow! That could end up being a lot of people! Well, that’s the whole idea, because there is an endless supply of the “water of life” available, more than enough for every person on the face of the earth.
Most people have noticed what I’d call a “hole in their life”, and they spend most of their life trying to fill it with money and material things, knowing there is something missing, but not quite sure what it is. They will often drift from relationship to relationship, but never being satisfied, having a longing or thirsting in their heart that never goes away. Sound familiar?
Guess what? God created that “thirst” on purpose, so He alone could satisfy it. That’s right, God created a place inside of you that only He can fill, a place where you could invite Him to fellowship with you personally, one-on-one, forever. And when the trials of life come, and they always do, you can go to Him and He will always be there to help. And the best part is, you don’t have far to go to find Him when you need Him, for He dwells in that place in you that He created for Himself. I’m trying to make this simple so you will understand.
The apostle Paul summed it up like this in Romans 10:8-13:
Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
There it is again, that “whosoever”: includes YOU if you call upon the name of the Lord, and the water of life will flow freely unto you, meaning you will never be athirst again, no matter what situation you may face in life.
Paul faced many, many trials and tribulations, yet he always knew he was never alone, for we have the promise of the Holy Spirit that He will neither leave or forsake us. Knowing we have the Greater One living inside us gives us not only courage to face any obstacle, but we can do so with great peace, for in Him there is no defeat. Why is that? Because God has never lost a battle in all eternity, and He isn’t about to start with your situation.
The “water of life” is just that: it isn’t the “water of death”. And it isn’t just “life”, but rather, “life more abundantly”. Now THAT’S living! The Lord Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Have you given much thought to that lately? God doesn’t want you to just “survive”, but to have “life more abundantly”, and that includes having life more abundantly in the midst of trials and tribulations! That means, when the world around you is living in famine, you can be living on a continual feast, for the “water of life” flowing from God to you means you are like a well-watered garden, full of beauty in the midst of the desert.
Far too many people think if they come to God they have to give up a lot of stuff. Well, in a way that’s true. When I asked the Lord Jesus to save me and be my Lord and Savior, I gave up all my sins to Him, and He took them away. Where did He take them? Don’t know, don’t care. All I know is that I don’t have them anymore, praise God! All the guilt and condemnation left with them. Oh yes, I almost forgot…I also gave up all my sickness and diseases, you see, that’s part of what the water of life washes away. King David wrote in Psalms 103:1-13:
Psa 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psa 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
You see, the “water of life” so freely given to “whosoever will” doesn’t take away your freedom, but rather gives you freedom. How would you like to be free from sin, free from sickness, free from worry and anxiety, free from addictions? How would you like to know your every need will be met, no matter how great it is? It is possible to do so, and right now. All you have to be is a “whosoever will”. Of course, as I said earlier, the devil will try to talk you out of it. He wants your life to be full of sin, sickness, poverty, worry, confusion, lies, sadness, broken relationships, and all that other junk that he is the author of. But today, right now, you can be free, for Satan cannot stop the “whosoever will” who wants the Lord to rescue them.
How about you, are you “WHOSOEVER WILL”? Then come get your water of life!
WHOSOEVER WILL
“Whosoever will”, that’s how God puts it, anyone who wants know Him personally and live in His blessing is welcome: whosoever, anyone, anywhere, regardless of sex, race, or national origin. It is written in Revelation 22:17, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. There’s just not a clearer way to say it, is there?
‘Whosoever will”, that means even Satan himself can’t keep you from having a relationship with God, even though he will do everything in his power to keep you from doing so. And the invitation is not just to you, but everyone YOU invite, in fact, even someone overhearing you invite someone else is free to come along, and “he who heareth” is also free to invite whosoever they want. Wow! That could end up being a lot of people! Well, that’s the whole idea, because there is an endless supply of the “water of life” available, more than enough for every person on the face of the earth.
Most people have noticed what I’d call a “hole in their life”, and they spend most of their life trying to fill it with money and material things, knowing there is something missing, but not quite sure what it is. They will often drift from relationship to relationship, but never being satisfied, having a longing or thirsting in their heart that never goes away. Sound familiar?
Guess what? God created that “thirst” on purpose, so He alone could satisfy it. That’s right, God created a place inside of you that only He can fill, a place where you could invite Him to fellowship with you personally, one-on-one, forever. And when the trials of life come, and they always do, you can go to Him and He will always be there to help. And the best part is, you don’t have far to go to find Him when you need Him, for He dwells in that place in you that He created for Himself. I’m trying to make this simple so you will understand.
The apostle Paul summed it up like this in Romans 10:8-13:
Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
There it is again, that “whosoever”: includes YOU if you call upon the name of the Lord, and the water of life will flow freely unto you, meaning you will never be athirst again, no matter what situation you may face in life.
Paul faced many, many trials and tribulations, yet he always knew he was never alone, for we have the promise of the Holy Spirit that He will neither leave or forsake us. Knowing we have the Greater One living inside us gives us not only courage to face any obstacle, but we can do so with great peace, for in Him there is no defeat. Why is that? Because God has never lost a battle in all eternity, and He isn’t about to start with your situation.
The “water of life” is just that: it isn’t the “water of death”. And it isn’t just “life”, but rather, “life more abundantly”. Now THAT’S living! The Lord Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Have you given much thought to that lately? God doesn’t want you to just “survive”, but to have “life more abundantly”, and that includes having life more abundantly in the midst of trials and tribulations! That means, when the world around you is living in famine, you can be living on a continual feast, for the “water of life” flowing from God to you means you are like a well-watered garden, full of beauty in the midst of the desert.
Far too many people think if they come to God they have to give up a lot of stuff. Well, in a way that’s true. When I asked the Lord Jesus to save me and be my Lord and Savior, I gave up all my sins to Him, and He took them away. Where did He take them? Don’t know, don’t care. All I know is that I don’t have them anymore, praise God! All the guilt and condemnation left with them. Oh yes, I almost forgot…I also gave up all my sickness and diseases, you see, that’s part of what the water of life washes away. King David wrote in Psalms 103:1-13:
Psa 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psa 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
You see, the “water of life” so freely given to “whosoever will” doesn’t take away your freedom, but rather gives you freedom. How would you like to be free from sin, free from sickness, free from worry and anxiety, free from addictions? How would you like to know your every need will be met, no matter how great it is? It is possible to do so, and right now. All you have to be is a “whosoever will”. Of course, as I said earlier, the devil will try to talk you out of it. He wants your life to be full of sin, sickness, poverty, worry, confusion, lies, sadness, broken relationships, and all that other junk that he is the author of. But today, right now, you can be free, for Satan cannot stop the “whosoever will” who wants the Lord to rescue them.
How about you, are you “WHOSOEVER WILL”? Then come get your water of life!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
from the www.churchforall.org
What Is God Like?
NAHUM 1:7 NIV
7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for
those who trust in him,
Much could be said about God. But the first thing we need to
realize is that God is good. He is not a bad guy. He is not
against you. He is not your problem, but rather He is the
answer to your problems.
Although the world doesn't know what God is like, they
desperately need to know Him. Even sadder is the fact that most
Christians do not really know what God is like, either.
If you want to know what God is like -- look at Jesus Christ.
He perfectly revealed God to us.
JOHN 1:18 TEV
18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as
God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
COLOSSIANS 2:9 PHILLIPS
9 Yet it is in him that God gives a full and complete
expression of himself in bodily form.
Would you be content to just read what someone else says
marriage is like? Why be content to just listen to what others
say God is like? You need to taste and see for yourself.
Have your own relationship with God!
PSALM 34:8 NKJ
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man
who trusts in Him!
SAY THIS: The Lord is good and I desire to know Him better.
NAHUM 1:7 NIV
7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for
those who trust in him,
Much could be said about God. But the first thing we need to
realize is that God is good. He is not a bad guy. He is not
against you. He is not your problem, but rather He is the
answer to your problems.
Although the world doesn't know what God is like, they
desperately need to know Him. Even sadder is the fact that most
Christians do not really know what God is like, either.
If you want to know what God is like -- look at Jesus Christ.
He perfectly revealed God to us.
JOHN 1:18 TEV
18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as
God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
COLOSSIANS 2:9 PHILLIPS
9 Yet it is in him that God gives a full and complete
expression of himself in bodily form.
Would you be content to just read what someone else says
marriage is like? Why be content to just listen to what others
say God is like? You need to taste and see for yourself.
Have your own relationship with God!
PSALM 34:8 NKJ
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man
who trusts in Him!
SAY THIS: The Lord is good and I desire to know Him better.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
From the www.churchforall.org
God's Covenant of Words
ISAIAH 59:21 NKJ
21 "As for Me," says the Lord, "this is My covenant with them:
My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in
your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the
mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your
descendants' descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and
forevermore."
According to Isaiah 59:21, part of our covenant with God
includes continually having His words in our mouth and in the
mouth of our descendants. Not only are we to speak God's Word,
but we are to train our descendants to do the same.
God must know something about the importance of the words we
speak, that we have not yet understood.
Although a growing number of believers are beginning to realize
the importance of the words we speak, the vast majority of
Christians have never heard any teaching on this subject. Yet,
if you search the Bible, you will see that God puts a major
emphasis on what we say.
1 PETER 4:11 NIV
11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very
words of God....
Look at the Bible for yourself. Decide for yourself. You will
surely decide that the Bible teaches that believers should
speak words in agreement with what God says.
What you say IS important.
SAY THIS: I will speak words in agreement with what God has
said, and I will teach my descendants to do likewise.
ISAIAH 59:21 NKJ
21 "As for Me," says the Lord, "this is My covenant with them:
My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in
your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the
mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your
descendants' descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and
forevermore."
According to Isaiah 59:21, part of our covenant with God
includes continually having His words in our mouth and in the
mouth of our descendants. Not only are we to speak God's Word,
but we are to train our descendants to do the same.
God must know something about the importance of the words we
speak, that we have not yet understood.
Although a growing number of believers are beginning to realize
the importance of the words we speak, the vast majority of
Christians have never heard any teaching on this subject. Yet,
if you search the Bible, you will see that God puts a major
emphasis on what we say.
1 PETER 4:11 NIV
11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very
words of God....
Look at the Bible for yourself. Decide for yourself. You will
surely decide that the Bible teaches that believers should
speak words in agreement with what God says.
What you say IS important.
SAY THIS: I will speak words in agreement with what God has
said, and I will teach my descendants to do likewise.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
from the www.churchforall.org
Eli's Children
1 SAMUEL 2:12 NLT
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for
the LORD
Eli was a priest of Israel who did not train his sons to obey.
Eli's failure to properly train his children affected not only
his own family very negatively, but also caused disaster for
the nation of Israel. (see 1 Samuel 4:10-11)
If children are not trained to respect the word of their
parents, they won't properly respect anyone -- including God --
without first experiencing the painful consequences of their
actions.
How important God considers training children to obey can be
seen from the story of Eli and his sons.
1 SAMUEL 3:13 NKJ
13 "For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for
the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves
vile, and he did not restrain them.
1 SAMUEL 2:17,22-25 NLT
17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD's
sight, for they treated the LORD's offerings with contempt.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were
doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his
sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance
of the Tabernacle.
23 Eli said to them, "I have been hearing reports from all the
people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep
sinning?
24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the LORD's
people are not good.
25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for
the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can
intercede?" But Eli's sons wouldn't listen to their father, for
the LORD was already planning to put them to death.
Eli may have told his sons they were doing wrong, but they
obviously had no respect for the word of their father and
ignored his warning. Because God held Eli accountable for this,
it must have been a result of his failure to train them to obey
when they were children.
Training is more than telling. Training is making sure someone
does something correctly until it becomes a habit.
1 SAMUEL 2:29-30 ESV
29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I
commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves
on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?'
30 Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: 'I promised
that your house and the house of your father should go in and
out before me forever,' but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it
from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who
despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Because Eli did not make his sons do right, God held him
accountable. God said Eli honored his sons more than he honored
God.
Many parents make the same mistake. They put their children --
their desires, their happiness -- above everything else in
life, including God. In that way they are actually worshiping
their children by putting them above God.
COLOSSIANS 3:20 NLT
20 Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the
Lord.
Only when we are children are we to OBEY our parents. However,
Scripture instructs us to always HONOR our parents no matter
what our age may be. To honor primarily means to show respect
and treat with special consideration.
EPHESIANS 6:2-3 NLT
2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment
with a promise:
3 If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for
you, and you will have a long life on the earth."
Training children to obey is not primarily for the benefit of
the parents, but for the benefit of the child. Not training
your children to obey is actually child abuse.
It may seem easier at the time for a parent to let their child
do whatever they want -- without restraining them or training
them to do right. But that harms the child because it trains
them to do wrong. As a result they are robbed of the peace and
blessing they should enjoy.
God places primary responsibility on fathers to make sure their
children are trained according to God's Word. Mothers are not
exempt from this responsibility, but God does hold fathers
ultimately responsible.
EPHESIANS 6:4 NLT
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you
treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and
instruction that comes from the Lord.
(Note: if you fell short as a parent, don't despair. God is
merciful and gracious. So pray for your children and God will
work in their lives.)
SAY THIS: Lord, I pray that the parents in our land will train
their children according to the Word of God.
1 SAMUEL 2:12 NLT
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for
the LORD
Eli was a priest of Israel who did not train his sons to obey.
Eli's failure to properly train his children affected not only
his own family very negatively, but also caused disaster for
the nation of Israel. (see 1 Samuel 4:10-11)
If children are not trained to respect the word of their
parents, they won't properly respect anyone -- including God --
without first experiencing the painful consequences of their
actions.
How important God considers training children to obey can be
seen from the story of Eli and his sons.
1 SAMUEL 3:13 NKJ
13 "For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for
the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves
vile, and he did not restrain them.
1 SAMUEL 2:17,22-25 NLT
17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD's
sight, for they treated the LORD's offerings with contempt.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were
doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his
sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance
of the Tabernacle.
23 Eli said to them, "I have been hearing reports from all the
people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep
sinning?
24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the LORD's
people are not good.
25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for
the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can
intercede?" But Eli's sons wouldn't listen to their father, for
the LORD was already planning to put them to death.
Eli may have told his sons they were doing wrong, but they
obviously had no respect for the word of their father and
ignored his warning. Because God held Eli accountable for this,
it must have been a result of his failure to train them to obey
when they were children.
Training is more than telling. Training is making sure someone
does something correctly until it becomes a habit.
1 SAMUEL 2:29-30 ESV
29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I
commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves
on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?'
30 Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: 'I promised
that your house and the house of your father should go in and
out before me forever,' but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it
from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who
despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Because Eli did not make his sons do right, God held him
accountable. God said Eli honored his sons more than he honored
God.
Many parents make the same mistake. They put their children --
their desires, their happiness -- above everything else in
life, including God. In that way they are actually worshiping
their children by putting them above God.
COLOSSIANS 3:20 NLT
20 Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the
Lord.
Only when we are children are we to OBEY our parents. However,
Scripture instructs us to always HONOR our parents no matter
what our age may be. To honor primarily means to show respect
and treat with special consideration.
EPHESIANS 6:2-3 NLT
2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment
with a promise:
3 If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for
you, and you will have a long life on the earth."
Training children to obey is not primarily for the benefit of
the parents, but for the benefit of the child. Not training
your children to obey is actually child abuse.
It may seem easier at the time for a parent to let their child
do whatever they want -- without restraining them or training
them to do right. But that harms the child because it trains
them to do wrong. As a result they are robbed of the peace and
blessing they should enjoy.
God places primary responsibility on fathers to make sure their
children are trained according to God's Word. Mothers are not
exempt from this responsibility, but God does hold fathers
ultimately responsible.
EPHESIANS 6:4 NLT
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you
treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and
instruction that comes from the Lord.
(Note: if you fell short as a parent, don't despair. God is
merciful and gracious. So pray for your children and God will
work in their lives.)
SAY THIS: Lord, I pray that the parents in our land will train
their children according to the Word of God.
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