Luke 22:14-23
"14 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.
15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;
18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.
22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing."
Friday, April 3, 2015
No One Is Worthy
I praised the Lord today for revealing something to me in a book I have been reading, that I had been thinking about for some time. I have been dealing with people who have idolized others, seeing only the good in them and refusing to see the negative side of their character.
I have said in the past that if we refuse to see a person with all their warts and say we love them, that is not true love. There are people who cannot love someone unless they can see them as perfect. They only love, if the person measures up to their idea of perfection.
Everyone has a good and a bad side, we all struggle with many things every day, that do not measure up to God's standard. Those who can only love someone who delights them in the way the desire to be delighted, does not love.
I once told someone who was idolizing their father, that they did not love their father. This person was astonished that I would say such a thing, after all in his eyes his father could do no wrong. He loved all that his father did, admired his earthly accomplishments and felt a sense of prestige being in his presence.
But what if the father had not had that wonderful history of accomplishments? What if that father had big fat warts or what if that father had secret sins that came out later, that no one knew about, my guess is that the son would not be able to love the father. In other words, the love was not based on sharing life, getting through the tough stuff together, but rather based on the father measuring up to the perceived standards and ideals of the child.
When we only see all good in someone, how could we ever pray for the things that need work? We do not pray diligently for anyone we think is already godlike. We tend to pray for those who we think NEED prayer.
This same young person had a practice of catering to his father while negating his mother. He had only glowing words to say always to and about his father, but had only criticism for his mother, as though his mother had nothing good to offer over all her years. She had a different personality than the father and cared deeply about the welfare of the son, but the son could not see it, mainly because the mother had no prestige in the world.
When we must see someone as perfect, to love them, then it follows that we must think we are perfect, after all we accept ourselves, the way we accept our godlike person. Elevating ourselves above any other human being is pride and very likely a person like this could never have a burden for lost souls, after all those icky people don't measure up.
Picking and choosing our favorite people based on their accomplishments or personalities is mean at best and ruinous to our own soul. The more we see people this way, as tools for our use to elevate ourselves, the less we love and the more selfish we become.
James 2:9 "But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."
There was terrible and covert contempt for the mother, while a worship like stance toward the father. Neither of these postures is love. Love cares deeply about us when we are our real selves. When our parent falls we can say openly and honestly, they fell, and crouch in prayer deeply concerned for them. When we dispose of someone because they do not measure up to our godlike expectations, we have no love, only contempt. When we maintain a godlike stance toward someone, we do not love them, we only love our skewed and twisted idea of who they are, not their whole self, it is not the real them, the real them has many sides and they are not all good.
We hurt someone deeply who is the object of this sort of favoritism and dismissiveness. We harm not only the one who we are contemptuous of, but also the one we idolize.
To love the way God loves us, we must accept the whole person, with all their warts and flaws. Helping them through the tough times, loving them through the falls and missteps. Compassion, caring and empathy is the way of the truly born again believer. We can only develop this kindness through prayer, asking God to make us what we should be.
Ephesians 4:2 "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,"
If we love based on personality and accomplishments, or enough good works, it is not love at all.
Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;"
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death."
Romans 12:10 "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."
1 John 3:16 "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers."
Romans 2:11 "For there is no partiality with God."
When we use accomplishments to evaluate whether or not a person measures up, our view of salvation is in error. God has accepted us with our flaws, covering them with His blood, even the one who favors others had to have their sins covered in the blood, how arrogant to think that they did not need the covering to be accepted by God, or so they must think, since they cannot see their godlike favorite as needing the blood covering of Christ.
When we know every person, including our self, was rotten to the core before we were born again, we could never look at another human being as unworthy of our love or God's love. And, we could never see any human being as better than another.
I prefer the company of people who knew what they were before they were born again, in all their flaws, to those who believe they were worthy and deserving of better than everyone else.
1 John 4:20-21 "If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."
1 John 2:10 "Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling."
May the Lord remind us daily from whence we came, what Christ did, focusing on Him and His mercy, setting aside any thought of how good we think we are, remembering it is only Christ Who is good.
I have said in the past that if we refuse to see a person with all their warts and say we love them, that is not true love. There are people who cannot love someone unless they can see them as perfect. They only love, if the person measures up to their idea of perfection.
Everyone has a good and a bad side, we all struggle with many things every day, that do not measure up to God's standard. Those who can only love someone who delights them in the way the desire to be delighted, does not love.
I once told someone who was idolizing their father, that they did not love their father. This person was astonished that I would say such a thing, after all in his eyes his father could do no wrong. He loved all that his father did, admired his earthly accomplishments and felt a sense of prestige being in his presence.
But what if the father had not had that wonderful history of accomplishments? What if that father had big fat warts or what if that father had secret sins that came out later, that no one knew about, my guess is that the son would not be able to love the father. In other words, the love was not based on sharing life, getting through the tough stuff together, but rather based on the father measuring up to the perceived standards and ideals of the child.
When we only see all good in someone, how could we ever pray for the things that need work? We do not pray diligently for anyone we think is already godlike. We tend to pray for those who we think NEED prayer.
This same young person had a practice of catering to his father while negating his mother. He had only glowing words to say always to and about his father, but had only criticism for his mother, as though his mother had nothing good to offer over all her years. She had a different personality than the father and cared deeply about the welfare of the son, but the son could not see it, mainly because the mother had no prestige in the world.
When we must see someone as perfect, to love them, then it follows that we must think we are perfect, after all we accept ourselves, the way we accept our godlike person. Elevating ourselves above any other human being is pride and very likely a person like this could never have a burden for lost souls, after all those icky people don't measure up.
Picking and choosing our favorite people based on their accomplishments or personalities is mean at best and ruinous to our own soul. The more we see people this way, as tools for our use to elevate ourselves, the less we love and the more selfish we become.
James 2:9 "But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."
There was terrible and covert contempt for the mother, while a worship like stance toward the father. Neither of these postures is love. Love cares deeply about us when we are our real selves. When our parent falls we can say openly and honestly, they fell, and crouch in prayer deeply concerned for them. When we dispose of someone because they do not measure up to our godlike expectations, we have no love, only contempt. When we maintain a godlike stance toward someone, we do not love them, we only love our skewed and twisted idea of who they are, not their whole self, it is not the real them, the real them has many sides and they are not all good.
We hurt someone deeply who is the object of this sort of favoritism and dismissiveness. We harm not only the one who we are contemptuous of, but also the one we idolize.
To love the way God loves us, we must accept the whole person, with all their warts and flaws. Helping them through the tough times, loving them through the falls and missteps. Compassion, caring and empathy is the way of the truly born again believer. We can only develop this kindness through prayer, asking God to make us what we should be.
Ephesians 4:2 "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,"
If we love based on personality and accomplishments, or enough good works, it is not love at all.
Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;"
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death."
Romans 12:10 "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."
1 John 3:16 "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers."
Romans 2:11 "For there is no partiality with God."
When we use accomplishments to evaluate whether or not a person measures up, our view of salvation is in error. God has accepted us with our flaws, covering them with His blood, even the one who favors others had to have their sins covered in the blood, how arrogant to think that they did not need the covering to be accepted by God, or so they must think, since they cannot see their godlike favorite as needing the blood covering of Christ.
When we know every person, including our self, was rotten to the core before we were born again, we could never look at another human being as unworthy of our love or God's love. And, we could never see any human being as better than another.
I prefer the company of people who knew what they were before they were born again, in all their flaws, to those who believe they were worthy and deserving of better than everyone else.
1 John 4:20-21 "If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."
1 John 2:10 "Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling."
May the Lord remind us daily from whence we came, what Christ did, focusing on Him and His mercy, setting aside any thought of how good we think we are, remembering it is only Christ Who is good.
God's Power Not Our Own
It is not our own goodness or our own power that keeps us saved, it is the power of Christ in us.
Hebrews 7:25
"Therefore HE is able also to save forever those who draw near to GOD through HIM, since HE always lives to make intercession for them."
Hebrews 7:25
"Therefore HE is able also to save forever those who draw near to GOD through HIM, since HE always lives to make intercession for them."
The Fight
Psalm 28:4
"4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them."
"4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them."
The Wicked Fight Against The Righteous
Contempt for believes is growing, the thought of God's people living in victory and joy, is too much for the unbeliever, they often try to sabotage us, but they can't. They don't understand that our joy and victory is based in Christ, not how others treat us.
Psalm 121:7
"The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul."
Proverbs 6:12-13
"A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:"
Proverbs 28:1-7
"1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3 A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.
5 Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father."
Psalm 125:1
"A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever."
Psalm 121:7
"The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul."
Proverbs 6:12-13
"A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:"
Proverbs 28:1-7
"1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3 A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.
5 Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father."
Psalm 125:1
"A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever."
God Is Light!
1 John 1:5-10
"5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
"5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
Trust Christ Alone
1 John 2:2
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
Christ Did It All On That Cross
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
"15 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also."
"15 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also."
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