Today I bless my wife and cover her with my faith. My wife is a blessing from the Lord and it is good that we are married. She is a precious treasure worth far more than the wealth and material things of this world.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, and is eager to get started. I thank you she diligently takes care of our home, whether in the middle of the night waking up with the children or in the daytime routines with taking care of the home. Thank you she always has our family prepared, with food on the table, the kids dressed, and order in the home. Thank you she senses the worth of her work, and is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. Thank you she's skilled in the honorable position of homemaking.
I thank you that are children respect and bless her, and I praise her too, saying "many woman have done wonderful things, but you outclass them all." Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades, but my wife is to be admired and praised because she lives in the Fear-of-God.
Today I praise her, love her, and bless her. May the favor of God rest upon her life and may the work of her hands be blessed in Jesus name.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Saturday, November 04, 2006
7 Qualities That Will Open Your Mind and Soul to God
A clear path to living each day for God with a reward and progressively maturing in Christ is laid out in 2 Peter verses 5-8 reading from "the Message" Bible:
5 So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, 6 alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, 7 warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. 8 With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. 9 Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
This path ends with a sure guarantee :
These stepping stones are book-ended by two powerful concepts. Notice "basic faith" starts the effort and love ends the effort. There are seven steps listed - seven being the perfect number of God. Some have called these the seven "fruits of faith".
Faith in God is Only the Beginning
As you can see getting "saved" is just the beginning. You received salvation as a gift and took a step of faith. This was given to you. You didn't have to strive or work for it. Salvation is a gift you can rest in. God is good and doesn't take away the gifts he gives us. However, stopping at salvation would leave you 7 steps behind where God would desire you to be.
How to Know God Better
Looking at the first step we are encouraged to:
s" we derive "manliness, excellence, goodness" and from vir, we derive "man".
I understand this as "doing the right thing". A virtuous person, when faced with a fork in the road does what people with "good character" do. We also see an element of courage represented here. We cannot have "manliness" or "virtue" without the courage to do the right thing. With our ego-centric minds isn't the easy road out usually the wrong thing to do? So their is a demand to "step up" here and embrace the challenge of "good character".
Basically, if we make right decisions and strive to have a good character the Bible promises we will "know God better" (1:5). How does this happen? It's like taking out the trash in our lives - something we do regularly at the place we live. When we first get saved we have a lot of junk and baggage and clutter hanging around in our hearts and minds. Our thought patterns at this point were based on our foundation of what we thought was the best way to live. For some, we were "good" people before we were saved, for many others we were selfish and ego-driven. Now that we are counted with God, we can actually see the trash and baggage in our lives. We were blind to it before. This demands action. What do you do to a messy room? You clean it up. Dirty clothes go to the laundry room. Clean clothes get put in their proper places. Random dishes are taken to the kitchen. The dust is swept up, things are put in order. And now the room is presentable to any friends or family that would come over. Same with God. It says that we will "know God better" (1:5) when we step out to develop "good character". God is welcome in a life of "good character". He can come in and leads us to the next level which is "spiritual understanding".
A clear path to living each day for God with a reward and progressively maturing in Christ is laid out in 2 Peter verses 5-8 reading from "the Message" Bible:
5 So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, 6 alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, 7 warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. 8 With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. 9 Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
This path ends with a sure guarantee :
"With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus."It Starts With Faith and Ends With Love
These stepping stones are book-ended by two powerful concepts. Notice "basic faith" starts the effort and love ends the effort. There are seven steps listed - seven being the perfect number of God. Some have called these the seven "fruits of faith".
Faith in God is Only the Beginning
As you can see getting "saved" is just the beginning. You received salvation as a gift and took a step of faith. This was given to you. You didn't have to strive or work for it. Salvation is a gift you can rest in. God is good and doesn't take away the gifts he gives us. However, stopping at salvation would leave you 7 steps behind where God would desire you to be.
How to Know God Better
Looking at the first step we are encouraged to:
- 1:5
- make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. (NLT)
s" we derive "manliness, excellence, goodness" and from vir, we derive "man".I understand this as "doing the right thing". A virtuous person, when faced with a fork in the road does what people with "good character" do. We also see an element of courage represented here. We cannot have "manliness" or "virtue" without the courage to do the right thing. With our ego-centric minds isn't the easy road out usually the wrong thing to do? So their is a demand to "step up" here and embrace the challenge of "good character".
Basically, if we make right decisions and strive to have a good character the Bible promises we will "know God better" (1:5). How does this happen? It's like taking out the trash in our lives - something we do regularly at the place we live. When we first get saved we have a lot of junk and baggage and clutter hanging around in our hearts and minds. Our thought patterns at this point were based on our foundation of what we thought was the best way to live. For some, we were "good" people before we were saved, for many others we were selfish and ego-driven. Now that we are counted with God, we can actually see the trash and baggage in our lives. We were blind to it before. This demands action. What do you do to a messy room? You clean it up. Dirty clothes go to the laundry room. Clean clothes get put in their proper places. Random dishes are taken to the kitchen. The dust is swept up, things are put in order. And now the room is presentable to any friends or family that would come over. Same with God. It says that we will "know God better" (1:5) when we step out to develop "good character". God is welcome in a life of "good character". He can come in and leads us to the next level which is "spiritual understanding".
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6
Friday, March 10, 2006
Letting Go
We are taught to strive, to chase our goals ambitiously, and to hold tightly what we've earned. We are encouraged to be self-sufficient and independent - leaders, not followers. This is all well and god until we run into the grace of God. In Mark 10 Jesus turned the tables with a young man that had done well all his life - seemingly ready for the kingdom of God:
17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?" 18 Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. 19 You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother." 20 He said, "Teacher, I have - from my youth - kept them all!"
Enthusiaticaly, the young man had kept all the traditional rules laid out and was ready to be acknowledged by Christ, but then Christ challenged the kingdom he built and said "give it up":
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye - and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me." 22 The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
We see the young man was "holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go". Jesus went on to say:
23 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?" 24 The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult.
When we have it all together on our own accord - the control, the right answer, the right plan, the right vision, the proper execution, just as this young man had - God doesn't have control. It is common sense that you can only have one boss, one person to answer to. Anything more creates confusion.
15 Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." 16 Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
Jesus challenges us to lay it all down, just like a child. To let go - lovingly and trustingly - into the arms of God. To server Him alone, knowing that just as a good father provides for his children, so our Father in heaven will never let us go to waste. He will always be there for us right from the beginning and through until the end - eternally and forever.
We are taught to strive, to chase our goals ambitiously, and to hold tightly what we've earned. We are encouraged to be self-sufficient and independent - leaders, not followers. This is all well and god until we run into the grace of God. In Mark 10 Jesus turned the tables with a young man that had done well all his life - seemingly ready for the kingdom of God:
17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?" 18 Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. 19 You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother." 20 He said, "Teacher, I have - from my youth - kept them all!"
Enthusiaticaly, the young man had kept all the traditional rules laid out and was ready to be acknowledged by Christ, but then Christ challenged the kingdom he built and said "give it up":
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye - and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me." 22 The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
We see the young man was "holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go". Jesus went on to say:
23 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?" 24 The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult.
When we have it all together on our own accord - the control, the right answer, the right plan, the right vision, the proper execution, just as this young man had - God doesn't have control. It is common sense that you can only have one boss, one person to answer to. Anything more creates confusion.
- Matthew 6:24
- "You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other.
15 Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." 16 Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
Jesus challenges us to lay it all down, just like a child. To let go - lovingly and trustingly - into the arms of God. To server Him alone, knowing that just as a good father provides for his children, so our Father in heaven will never let us go to waste. He will always be there for us right from the beginning and through until the end - eternally and forever.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Who do you say Jesus Is?
Common ways people trip:
In the Message Bible, Mark Chapter 6, Jesus preaches to his own hometown. It's interesting to note they first noticed something special about him:
6:2 On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?
In the next breath they turned on him:
6:3 But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter - Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.
Later on in the same chapter, we see Harod, a ruling Roman in awe of John the Baptist, Jesus predecessor.
6:20 because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt - and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back.
Harod saw the Spirit of God operating through John and was moved. When push came to shove; however, Harod's own words and pride before the people landed him in big trouble:
6:26 That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. 27 The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John's head. He went, cut off John's head, 28 brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.
Here we see two clear examples of people having an encounter with God via John the Baptist and Jesus. Both Harod and the people of Jesus' home town knew there was something special going on there; however, they stumbled - unable to make the full real committment. It's a staunch warning and a sad picture when people are this close yet so far. Jesus clearly illustrates this principle in the "story of the scattered seed" in Mark 4.
4:14 "The farmer plants the Word. 15 Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. 16 "And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. 17 But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. 18 "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news 19 but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. 20 "But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."
Be the person in Mark 4:20. Embrace the words of Jesus. Surrender your pride (don't be like Harod), surrender what you think you know (don't be like Jesus' hometown), and embrace Christ to truly live!!!
Common ways people trip:
In the Message Bible, Mark Chapter 6, Jesus preaches to his own hometown. It's interesting to note they first noticed something special about him:
6:2 On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?
In the next breath they turned on him:
6:3 But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter - Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.
Later on in the same chapter, we see Harod, a ruling Roman in awe of John the Baptist, Jesus predecessor.
6:20 because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt - and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back.
Harod saw the Spirit of God operating through John and was moved. When push came to shove; however, Harod's own words and pride before the people landed him in big trouble:
6:26 That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. 27 The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John's head. He went, cut off John's head, 28 brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.
Here we see two clear examples of people having an encounter with God via John the Baptist and Jesus. Both Harod and the people of Jesus' home town knew there was something special going on there; however, they stumbled - unable to make the full real committment. It's a staunch warning and a sad picture when people are this close yet so far. Jesus clearly illustrates this principle in the "story of the scattered seed" in Mark 4.
4:14 "The farmer plants the Word. 15 Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. 16 "And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. 17 But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. 18 "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news 19 but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. 20 "But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."
Be the person in Mark 4:20. Embrace the words of Jesus. Surrender your pride (don't be like Harod), surrender what you think you know (don't be like Jesus' hometown), and embrace Christ to truly live!!!
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Isaiah 50:4-9 4 The Master, God, has given me a well-taught tongue, So I know how to encourage tired people.
God will gift our speech and words. We will be trained to encourage tired people. To give the lost, downcast, and discouraged a helping hand.
He wakes me up in the morning, Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders.
God has instructions for us daily, even every morning. He wakes us and opens our ears, our spiritual ears, so we are ready to take orders. At this point, we are faced with a choice:
5 The Master, God, opened my ears, and I didn't go back to sleep, didn't pull the covers back over my head.
When God gives us orders, do we fall back asleep, pulling the covers over our head as if we're too tired to listen, too lazy to understand? Or do we respond faithfully, receiving God's provision for the day. There is no better sustenance, than feeding on the Word of God. By it, the world was created and came in to being. By his Word, God moves mountains, punishes the disobedient, and frees the captives and poor in heart.
However, if we choose to follow orders, we will be tested and tried. The wicked culture of the earth belongs to satan and his hourdes. When we awake listening to God's voice
6 I followed orders, stood there and took it while they beat me, held steady while they pulled out my beard, Didn't dodge their insults, faced them as they spit in my face. 7 And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me, so I'm not disgraced.
So the testing begins, but you have chosen to follow orders. So when your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ stumble and fall, insult you, and are unfaithful to Christ, where do you stand? When the world doesn't accept you and they ridicule you for Christ, where do you stand? The Word gives us the answer:
Therefore I set my face like flint, confident that I'll never regret this. 8 My champion is right here. Let's take our stand together! Who dares bring suit against me? Let him try! 9 Look! the Master, God, is right here. Who would dare call me guilty? Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare socks and shirts, fodder for moths!
You set your face like flint. Strong and unmoved in the face of adveristy. Those who persevere shall win. Those who hold on and keep their eyes on the prize will finish. God is our champion. We are victorious in him!
God will gift our speech and words. We will be trained to encourage tired people. To give the lost, downcast, and discouraged a helping hand.
He wakes me up in the morning, Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders.
God has instructions for us daily, even every morning. He wakes us and opens our ears, our spiritual ears, so we are ready to take orders. At this point, we are faced with a choice:
5 The Master, God, opened my ears, and I didn't go back to sleep, didn't pull the covers back over my head.
When God gives us orders, do we fall back asleep, pulling the covers over our head as if we're too tired to listen, too lazy to understand? Or do we respond faithfully, receiving God's provision for the day. There is no better sustenance, than feeding on the Word of God. By it, the world was created and came in to being. By his Word, God moves mountains, punishes the disobedient, and frees the captives and poor in heart.
However, if we choose to follow orders, we will be tested and tried. The wicked culture of the earth belongs to satan and his hourdes. When we awake listening to God's voice
6 I followed orders, stood there and took it while they beat me, held steady while they pulled out my beard, Didn't dodge their insults, faced them as they spit in my face. 7 And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me, so I'm not disgraced.
So the testing begins, but you have chosen to follow orders. So when your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ stumble and fall, insult you, and are unfaithful to Christ, where do you stand? When the world doesn't accept you and they ridicule you for Christ, where do you stand? The Word gives us the answer:
Therefore I set my face like flint, confident that I'll never regret this. 8 My champion is right here. Let's take our stand together! Who dares bring suit against me? Let him try! 9 Look! the Master, God, is right here. Who would dare call me guilty? Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare socks and shirts, fodder for moths!
You set your face like flint. Strong and unmoved in the face of adveristy. Those who persevere shall win. Those who hold on and keep their eyes on the prize will finish. God is our champion. We are victorious in him!
Monday, October 11, 2004
Joshua 7 Read This Chapter
7:21
For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, F19 two hundred silver coins, F20 and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. F21 I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest."
Psalms 119 Read This Chapter
119:36
Give me an eagerness for your decrees; do not inflict me with love for money!
119:37
Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. F96
Ecclesiastes 5 Read This Chapter
5:10
Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!
5:11
The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth – except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!
Matthew 4 Read This Chapter
4:8
Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory.
Luke 4 Read This Chapter
4:5
Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Genesis 3 Read This Chapter
3:6
The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.
2 Peter 2 Read This Chapter
2:10
He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones F10 without so much as trembling.
1 Peter 4 Read This Chapter
4:2
And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
4:3
You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy – their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
1 Peter 2 Read This Chapter
2:11
Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls.
Titus 2 Read This Chapter
2:12
And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God,
Galatians 5 Read This Chapter
5:17
The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
The New Living Translation Read This Chapter
10:6
These events happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did
Romans 13 Read This Chapter
13:14
But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.
Numbers 11 Read This Chapter
11:4
Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt, and the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed.
11:34
So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah – "the graves of craving" – because they buried the people there who had craved meat from Egypt.
15. Love not the world--that lieth in the wicked one (1 John 5:19), whom ye young men have overcome. Having once for all, through faith, overcome the world (1 John 4:4, 5:4), carry forward the conquest by not loving it. "The world" here means "man, and man's world" [ALFORD], in his and its state as fallen from God. "God loved [with the love of compassion] the world," and we should feel the same kind of love for the fallen world; but we are not to love the world with congeniality and sympathy in its alienation from God; we cannot have this latter kind of love for the God-estranged world, and yet have also "the love of the Father in" us. neither--Greek, "nor yet." A man might deny in general that he loved the world, while keenly following some one of THE THINGS IN IT: its riches, honors, or pleasures; this clause prevents him escaping from conviction. any man--therefore the warning, though primarily addressed to the young, applies to all. love of--that is, towards "the Father." The two, God and the (sinful) world, are so opposed, that both cannot be congenially loved at once.
16. all that is in the world--can be classed under one or other of the three; the world contains these and no more. lust of the flesh--that is, the lust which has its seat and source in our lower animal nature. Satan tried this temptation the first on Christ: Luke 4:3, "Command this stone that it be made bread." Youth is especially liable to fleshly lusts. lust of the eyes--the avenue through which outward things of the world, riches, pomp, and beauty, inflame us. Satan tried this temptation on Christ when he showed Him the kingdoms of the world in a moment. By the lust of the eyes David (2 Samuel 11:2) and Achan fell (Joshua 7:21). Compare David's prayer, Psalms 119:37; Job's resolve, Psalms 31:1, Matthew 5:28. The only good of worldly riches to the possessor is the beholding them with the eyes. Compare Luke 14:18, "I must go and SEE it." pride of life--literally, "arrogant assumption": vainglorious display. Pride was Satan's sin whereby he fell and forms the link between the two foes of man, the world (answering to "the lust of the eyes") and the devil (as "the lust of the flesh" is the third foe). Satan tried this temptation on Christ in setting Him on the temple pinnacle that, in spiritual pride and presumption, on the ground of His Father's care, He should cast Himself down. The same three foes appear in the three classes of soil on which the divine seed falls: the wayside hearers, the devil; the thorns, the world; the rocky undersoil, the flesh (Matthew 13:18-23, 4:3-8). The world's awful antitrinity, the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," similarly is presented in Satan's temptation of Eve: "When she saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise," Genesis 3:6 (one manifestation of "the pride of life," the desire to know above what God has revealed, Colossians 2:8, the pride of unsanctified knowledge). of--does not spring from "the Father" (used in relation to the preceding "little children," 1 John 2:12, or "little sons"). He who is born of God alone turns to God; he who is of the world turns to the world; the sources of love to God and love to the world, are irreconcilably distinct.
17. the world--with all who are of the world worldly. passeth away--Greek, "is passing away" even now. the lust thereof--in its threefold manifestation (1 John 2:16). he that doeth the will of God--not his own fleshly will, or the will of the world, but that of God (1 John 2:3,6), especially in respect to love. abideth for ever--"even as God also abideth for ever" (with whom the godly is one; compare Psalms 55:19, "God, even He that abideth of old): a true comment, which CYPRIAN and LUCIFER have added to the text without support of Greek manuscripts. In contrast to the three passing lusts of the world, the doer of God's will has three abiding goods, "riches, honor, and life" (Proverbs 22:4).
7:21
For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, F19 two hundred silver coins, F20 and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. F21 I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest."
Psalms 119 Read This Chapter
119:36
Give me an eagerness for your decrees; do not inflict me with love for money!
119:37
Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. F96
Ecclesiastes 5 Read This Chapter
5:10
Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!
5:11
The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth – except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!
Matthew 4 Read This Chapter
4:8
Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory.
Luke 4 Read This Chapter
4:5
Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Genesis 3 Read This Chapter
3:6
The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.
2 Peter 2 Read This Chapter
2:10
He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones F10 without so much as trembling.
1 Peter 4 Read This Chapter
4:2
And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
4:3
You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy – their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
1 Peter 2 Read This Chapter
2:11
Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls.
Titus 2 Read This Chapter
2:12
And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God,
Galatians 5 Read This Chapter
5:17
The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
The New Living Translation Read This Chapter
10:6
These events happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did
Romans 13 Read This Chapter
13:14
But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.
Numbers 11 Read This Chapter
11:4
Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt, and the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed.
11:34
So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah – "the graves of craving" – because they buried the people there who had craved meat from Egypt.
15. Love not the world--that lieth in the wicked one (1 John 5:19), whom ye young men have overcome. Having once for all, through faith, overcome the world (1 John 4:4, 5:4), carry forward the conquest by not loving it. "The world" here means "man, and man's world" [ALFORD], in his and its state as fallen from God. "God loved [with the love of compassion] the world," and we should feel the same kind of love for the fallen world; but we are not to love the world with congeniality and sympathy in its alienation from God; we cannot have this latter kind of love for the God-estranged world, and yet have also "the love of the Father in" us. neither--Greek, "nor yet." A man might deny in general that he loved the world, while keenly following some one of THE THINGS IN IT: its riches, honors, or pleasures; this clause prevents him escaping from conviction. any man--therefore the warning, though primarily addressed to the young, applies to all. love of--that is, towards "the Father." The two, God and the (sinful) world, are so opposed, that both cannot be congenially loved at once.
16. all that is in the world--can be classed under one or other of the three; the world contains these and no more. lust of the flesh--that is, the lust which has its seat and source in our lower animal nature. Satan tried this temptation the first on Christ: Luke 4:3, "Command this stone that it be made bread." Youth is especially liable to fleshly lusts. lust of the eyes--the avenue through which outward things of the world, riches, pomp, and beauty, inflame us. Satan tried this temptation on Christ when he showed Him the kingdoms of the world in a moment. By the lust of the eyes David (2 Samuel 11:2) and Achan fell (Joshua 7:21). Compare David's prayer, Psalms 119:37; Job's resolve, Psalms 31:1, Matthew 5:28. The only good of worldly riches to the possessor is the beholding them with the eyes. Compare Luke 14:18, "I must go and SEE it." pride of life--literally, "arrogant assumption": vainglorious display. Pride was Satan's sin whereby he fell and forms the link between the two foes of man, the world (answering to "the lust of the eyes") and the devil (as "the lust of the flesh" is the third foe). Satan tried this temptation on Christ in setting Him on the temple pinnacle that, in spiritual pride and presumption, on the ground of His Father's care, He should cast Himself down. The same three foes appear in the three classes of soil on which the divine seed falls: the wayside hearers, the devil; the thorns, the world; the rocky undersoil, the flesh (Matthew 13:18-23, 4:3-8). The world's awful antitrinity, the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," similarly is presented in Satan's temptation of Eve: "When she saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise," Genesis 3:6 (one manifestation of "the pride of life," the desire to know above what God has revealed, Colossians 2:8, the pride of unsanctified knowledge). of--does not spring from "the Father" (used in relation to the preceding "little children," 1 John 2:12, or "little sons"). He who is born of God alone turns to God; he who is of the world turns to the world; the sources of love to God and love to the world, are irreconcilably distinct.
17. the world--with all who are of the world worldly. passeth away--Greek, "is passing away" even now. the lust thereof--in its threefold manifestation (1 John 2:16). he that doeth the will of God--not his own fleshly will, or the will of the world, but that of God (1 John 2:3,6), especially in respect to love. abideth for ever--"even as God also abideth for ever" (with whom the godly is one; compare Psalms 55:19, "God, even He that abideth of old): a true comment, which CYPRIAN and LUCIFER have added to the text without support of Greek manuscripts. In contrast to the three passing lusts of the world, the doer of God's will has three abiding goods, "riches, honor, and life" (Proverbs 22:4).
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
The flame of passion - Set apart or consumed?
Every day we offer our lives on the altar of God. The altar is the place of sacrafice, the place where we offer up our works to him from earth and he recieves or rejects them. Throughout the old testament the altar was the place of communication between God and man. It has always been a place of sacrafice, a place we we offer up a sacrafice to God. Abraham offered sacrafices of animals and fire, David offered sacrafices of rams, Jesus was the ultimate sacrafice, offering his life to God. What is your sacrifice? What is your life bringing to God on the altar? What fire, or passion, is burning within you as you live your life as a daily offering? Is it an offering that is pure and pleasing to the Lord? Or is it a stench in his nostrils? An insult to all he has given you?
Genesis 4 Read This Chapter
4:4
while Abel brought several choice lambs from the best of his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his offering,
Hebrews 11 Read This Chapter
11:4
It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous man. And although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us because of his faith.
Greek renders this word as thusiasterion [qusiasthvrion], "a place of sacrifice."
As disciples of Christ it is our duty to ensure that the passions and flames burning within us offer up a pleasing incense to heaven. It is our duty to ensure that we keep ourselves "unmixed" and "free" from that which would take away from his call and purpose for our lives. On that day the Word says (insert verse) we will have to give an account for all that we have done and it will be tried by fire. I want to live my life in a way that I will arrive with the precious good works in hand, ready to receive my reward. I don't want to to be left wanting, having produced wood, hay, and stubble - things that are of little value. Things that will be burned in the fire.
Every day we offer our lives on the altar of God. The altar is the place of sacrafice, the place where we offer up our works to him from earth and he recieves or rejects them. Throughout the old testament the altar was the place of communication between God and man. It has always been a place of sacrafice, a place we we offer up a sacrafice to God. Abraham offered sacrafices of animals and fire, David offered sacrafices of rams, Jesus was the ultimate sacrafice, offering his life to God. What is your sacrifice? What is your life bringing to God on the altar? What fire, or passion, is burning within you as you live your life as a daily offering? Is it an offering that is pure and pleasing to the Lord? Or is it a stench in his nostrils? An insult to all he has given you?
Genesis 4 Read This Chapter
4:4
while Abel brought several choice lambs from the best of his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his offering,
Hebrews 11 Read This Chapter
11:4
It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous man. And although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us because of his faith.
Greek renders this word as thusiasterion [qusiasthvrion], "a place of sacrifice."
As disciples of Christ it is our duty to ensure that the passions and flames burning within us offer up a pleasing incense to heaven. It is our duty to ensure that we keep ourselves "unmixed" and "free" from that which would take away from his call and purpose for our lives. On that day the Word says (insert verse) we will have to give an account for all that we have done and it will be tried by fire. I want to live my life in a way that I will arrive with the precious good works in hand, ready to receive my reward. I don't want to to be left wanting, having produced wood, hay, and stubble - things that are of little value. Things that will be burned in the fire.
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