Friday, December 29, 2017
Soon it will Burn
Pretty soon and very soon I think, we will be leaving it all behind anyway. Then we will wonder how we could have been so silly as to hang onto that which will burn.
His Burden is Light
It's actually quiet easy to follow Christ when He is the focus. The difficulty comes when we want our own way and desire popularity with people, then we become fixated on that rather than on Christ and His principles.
Matthew 11:28-30
"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Notice God doesn't say there is NO burden, but He does say that it is LIGHT.
Take your eyes off of people and place them on Christ, then we are able to walk alone when we are rejected because of Him.
Put your eyes on the world and you will be accepting many sinful things to be appreciated by people.
Take the high road, reject sin, stand against it, speak truth and walk with Christ every day. When we are diverted during weak times, confess it and go on to do differently, following Him again.
Matthew 11:28-30
"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Notice God doesn't say there is NO burden, but He does say that it is LIGHT.
Take your eyes off of people and place them on Christ, then we are able to walk alone when we are rejected because of Him.
Put your eyes on the world and you will be accepting many sinful things to be appreciated by people.
Take the high road, reject sin, stand against it, speak truth and walk with Christ every day. When we are diverted during weak times, confess it and go on to do differently, following Him again.
Last Days Joys Overpower the Grief
In these last days evil will "wax worse and worse" as God says in His Word. We can expect everything to become irrational and mean spirited all the time. I think of Noah's time and also the time of Lot. These men lived with nearly no support for their godliness.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Isaiah 5:20
"20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
The condition of the world in these last days does not have to devastate us, the joy that God envelopes us with as we walk through these wicked times, overwhelms the grief we feel that the world hates God and all His people.
Our joy is greater than our grief because we know the beginning from the end and God wins on all counts. Hallelujah!
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Isaiah 5:20
"20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
The condition of the world in these last days does not have to devastate us, the joy that God envelopes us with as we walk through these wicked times, overwhelms the grief we feel that the world hates God and all His people.
Our joy is greater than our grief because we know the beginning from the end and God wins on all counts. Hallelujah!
When the Holy Spirit Speaks
When the Holy Spirit is the One speaking through us:
Amen, Amen!!! It is wonderful when we see the Holy Spirit working. We know it's Him because everything flows, there is no fear and we walk away saying, "did I just say all that?"
Amen, Amen!!! It is wonderful when we see the Holy Spirit working. We know it's Him because everything flows, there is no fear and we walk away saying, "did I just say all that?"
One Test of a Changed Heart
A saint is someone who has been born again, made into a new creation by Christ, is indwelt with the Holy Spirit and promised their home in heaven.
Matthew 7:16-20 "16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
There is no human formula to determine who is a saint, we can know them by their fruit of the Spirit, but only God knows for sure who is saved and who is not.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The warning is to check with God if someone is unsure, to see if they have been changed into a new creation. Those who have been born again, most likely already KNOW they are, however, when someone is a new believer and they are still wabbly on their new legs, they must pray for the assurance while continuing to trust what God says in His Word.
John 3:1-21
3 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
A test for knowing if you are born again, might be that you hate the sin you used to love, what used to be pleasurable is now repugnant to you. It is only one of the tests, but a very good one. When we are changed by Christ, we don't have to work at hating sin, we just do, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Hallelujah!
Matthew 7:16-20 "16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
There is no human formula to determine who is a saint, we can know them by their fruit of the Spirit, but only God knows for sure who is saved and who is not.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The warning is to check with God if someone is unsure, to see if they have been changed into a new creation. Those who have been born again, most likely already KNOW they are, however, when someone is a new believer and they are still wabbly on their new legs, they must pray for the assurance while continuing to trust what God says in His Word.
John 3:1-21
3 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
A test for knowing if you are born again, might be that you hate the sin you used to love, what used to be pleasurable is now repugnant to you. It is only one of the tests, but a very good one. When we are changed by Christ, we don't have to work at hating sin, we just do, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Hallelujah!
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