Blessed Already in Every Way

We who are Christ's are already blessed. We have been chosen so we can be set apart, holy, without blame. This means we have no excuse to sin without conviction leading to repentance. Grace saves, but we are saved to be holy, not to keep sinning so we get more grace. We are to glorify Him.

Ephesians 1:3-6 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us

with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

(near Warrenton, VA via mobile)

Boasting as Dead to the World

Do you want peace and mercy? Then live as crucified and reborn, living according to God's direction in the Bible - but you must be born again as a new creation by His hand or you will always fall short (Rom.3:23, 6:23, Heb.9:27).

Galatians 6:14-16 

14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

(via mobile)

Stewardship and Accountability

Reading about the landowner who gave the same wages no matter how many hours each worked (salaried employee equivalent).

God gives gifts, wealth, health, etc. as He chooses. It is all HIS to give; we need to be thankful and content (1Tim.6:6):

Matthew 20:15-16 (NKJV)

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? ’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” 

(near Warrenton, VA via mobile) 

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is NOT optional.

Matthew 18:32-35

32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? ’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “ So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

(near Warrenton, VA via mobile) 

Don’t Trip Others

Do we act in ways that cause others to sin, to stumble, make mad, or respond in anger? Let us look to build each other up in love, not in the flesh!

Matthew 18:6

6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

Causes = skandalizo; to entrap, i.e. trip up (figuratively, stumble (transitively) or entice to sin,

apostasy or displeasure):— (make to) offend.

(near Sumter, SC via mobile) 

Trembling in God’s Sanctification

Do we tremble in humility before a holy God when we read and try to live out His word? We are to flesh out the salvation freely given by grace - that is our responsibility, but also a response of love for being bought at such a price!

Philippians 2:12-13 (NKJV)

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

-- τρόμος tromos; from 5141; trembling, quaking

Isaiah 66:2 - tremble at His word with broken and humble heart

-- hared; from 2729; fearful; also reverential:— afraid, trembling.

(near Sumter, SC via mobile)

House of God in the Heart

Not the church buildings, but changed lives of each person who makes up th Church...

Revival comes from broken changed lives who rely on God alone, and tremble at His word - keeping it out of love as He loved us first!

Isaiah 66:1-2 (NKJV)

1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?

2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

Our Sovereign King

God is the one who is in charge, and He is the light shining in the darkness in the face of Jesus Christ to give understanding and strength to us...

Daniel 2:20-23 (NKJV)

20 Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. 23 “ I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You,"

Thanksgiving

Do we acknowledge and thank God for wisdom and strength for all "we" do?

Daniel 2:20-23 (NKJV)

20 Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.

21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

23 “ I thank You and praise You,

O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand.”

Sin and Salvation

Sin and Salvation - have you admitted that you have done wrong against God (sinned), and then received forgiveness (salvation) from Jesus Christ to free you forever from it?

"If it were not for the Law, I would not have known that I was a sinner.

If I had not known that I was a sinner, I would have not known I needed a Savior."

- Precept Ministries on Galatians 3:24

Galatians 3:22-24

22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Matthew 5:21-22

21 “ You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. ’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘ Raca! ’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool! ’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

James 2:10

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Romans 3:23-24

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Warfare

Take up a Sword?

Jesus told the apostles to take swords so He could heal the ear of a man before the Romans carrying Him off to death, that they might see who He is. The overwhelming evidence of the examples given by Stephen, Paul, etc. was to be martyred, not fight back. The right to bear arms in this country was for militia protection from invasion, and was completely separate from Christian life; it was a secular issue - so why should we be so caught up in the world and not be about our Father's business? We are to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph.6:17). Heb.4:12.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

Luke 22:36-38

36 Then He said to them, “ But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 37 For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:‘ And He was numbered with the transgressors. ’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

38 So they said, “ Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “ It is enough.”

MHCC

The disciples must not expect that their friends would be kind to them as they had been. Therefore, he that has a purse, let him take it, for he may need it. They must now expect that their enemies would be more fierce than they had been, and they would need weapons. At the time the apostles understood Christ to mean real weapons, but he spake only of the weapons of the spiritual warfare. The sword of the Spirit is the sword with which the disciples of Christ must furnish themselves.

WPNT

22:36

Buy a sword (agorasato machairan). This is for defence clearly. The reference is to the special mission in Galilee (Lu 9:1- 6; Mr 6:6- 13; Mt 9:35- 11:1). They are to expect persecution and bitter hostility (Joh 15:18- 21).

Jesus does not mean that his disciples are to repel force by force, but that they are to be ready to defend his cause against attack. Changed conditions bring changed needs. This language can be misunderstood as it was then.

22:38

Lord, behold, here are two swords (kurie idou machairai hode duo). They took his words literally. And before this very night is over Peter will use one of these very swords to try to cut off the head of Malchus only to be sternly rebuked by Jesus (Mr 14:47; Mt 26:51f.; Lu 22:50f.; Joh 18:10f.).

Then Jesus will say:"For all that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Mt 26:52).

Clearly Jesus did not mean his language even about the sword to be pressed too literally. So he said:"It is enough" (Hikanon estin). It is with sad irony and sorrow that Jesus thus dismisses the subject. They were in no humour now to understand the various sides of this complicated problem. Every preacher and teacher understands this mood, not of impatience, but of closing the subject for the present.

Blind Faith?

A movie tonight had the line, "Just have blind faith, and trust you."

Then the line whispered, "Suppose the person is near-sighted?"

This made me think how God asks us to trust in times when we cannot see, based on His character (not blindly). Yet how often we are near sighted, looking closely only at what we can see in front of our feet... We should walk by trusting and so acting, not by sight alone. 

Prayer of God’s Reign

Think about this, and say it to God as a prayer...

The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;

The Lord is clothed,

He has girded Himself with strength.

Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.

Your throne is established from of old;

You are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,

The floods have lifted up their voice;

The floods lift up their waves.

The Lord on high is mightier

Than the noise of many waters,

Than the mighty waves of the sea.

Your testimonies are very sure;

Holiness adorns Your house,

Psalm 93

(near Sumter, SC via mobile)