Ezekiel 34:1-3
"34 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock."
Ezekiel 34:7-10
"7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’
Notice that God chastises the "shepherds for not feeding the flock, but only feeding themselves.
We do not have to be prey for the wicked shepherds, we can leave those apostate churches and remain at home or allow the Lord to find us a gathering to attend.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
By the Blood of Christ not by Our Own Works!
Something that is hard for many believers to grasp is that the blood of Christ covers our sin, our sin was paid for by His blood. If He had not paid for our sin with His blood then we would have had to die, but we couldn't because we are not sinless. Only the blood of a perfect sinless lamb could cover the sin in mankind.
We are not sinless, but His blood shed on our behalf covers the sin of those who trust Christ.
After our sin has been covered by the blood of Christ, He begins to work His character in us. The cleansing that grows us is essential to the Christian walk. It goes to our testimony and our rewards in heaven.
If there is no change in someone after they became born again, then they have attempted to come to Christ on their own feeble merits, which is a form of blasphemy. Thinking that we can do good enough without the shedding of Christ's blood is the worst form of arrogance.
Man's blood is not worthy to cover their own sin, it must be the shed blood of the Perfect Lamb of God.
Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
Matthew 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Ephesians 1:7 ""...we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace""
1 Peter 1:18-19."Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
Rom. 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Rev. 1:5 "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."
Ephesians. 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ"
Hebrews 13:12 ""Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate"
Colossians 1:20 " "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself"
1 John 1:7 ""If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin"
Hebrews 9:14 ""how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
1 Corinthians 6:9-20 ""Ye are not your own? for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's"
We are not sinless, but His blood shed on our behalf covers the sin of those who trust Christ.
After our sin has been covered by the blood of Christ, He begins to work His character in us. The cleansing that grows us is essential to the Christian walk. It goes to our testimony and our rewards in heaven.
If there is no change in someone after they became born again, then they have attempted to come to Christ on their own feeble merits, which is a form of blasphemy. Thinking that we can do good enough without the shedding of Christ's blood is the worst form of arrogance.
Man's blood is not worthy to cover their own sin, it must be the shed blood of the Perfect Lamb of God.
Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
Matthew 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Ephesians 1:7 ""...we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace""
1 Peter 1:18-19."Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
Rom. 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Rev. 1:5 "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."
Ephesians. 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ"
Hebrews 13:12 ""Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate"
Colossians 1:20 " "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself"
1 John 1:7 ""If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin"
Hebrews 9:14 ""how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
1 Corinthians 6:9-20 ""Ye are not your own? for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's"
No Believer is Sinless
NO believer is "totally free from sin." God continues to cleanse us until He comes for us. Our spiritual life is covered in the blood, but we still battle the flesh.
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Anyone who thinks they are completely free of sin, is sinning by saying it. When God said that "no child of God keeps on sinning",
1 John 3:9 "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."
Christ was speaking to believers, if someone is born again, they hate their sin and eventually will be too convicted of it to continue in it.
1 Corinthians 3:15 "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
Believers do sin and there is no scripture that say how big they sin. For a believer there should be fruits. The fruits are not works but character qualities within their spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
We are not "free to sin", there are spankings that come when we disobey our Father, but we remain His children.
The confusion comes when we see someone who defends their sin uses grace as an excuse and has no conscience about it. I would say these people are not born again based on Matthew 7:21-23 .
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?"
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Anyone who thinks they are completely free of sin, is sinning by saying it. When God said that "no child of God keeps on sinning",
1 John 3:9 "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."
Christ was speaking to believers, if someone is born again, they hate their sin and eventually will be too convicted of it to continue in it.
1 Corinthians 3:15 "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
Believers do sin and there is no scripture that say how big they sin. For a believer there should be fruits. The fruits are not works but character qualities within their spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
We are not "free to sin", there are spankings that come when we disobey our Father, but we remain His children.
The confusion comes when we see someone who defends their sin uses grace as an excuse and has no conscience about it. I would say these people are not born again based on Matthew 7:21-23 .
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?"
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Christ Can Fix A Broken Heart
Have you been elevated in your life, loved, praised and pampered as a child OR has your early life experience been one of misery, hate and emotional trauma?
Luke 14:26 "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
We have a tendency to think that when a child is excessively praised they will turn out to be better people, and there are those that think a child will grow to be a better person if they are beaten down or ignored, so as not to become arrogant.
Ephesians 6:4 "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
We exasperate our children in two ways, either by not enough discipline or discipline that is too harsh. Both ways lack the love of God in our hearts as we seek to train them properly.
Proverbs 13:24 "He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly"
Sadly many parents don't understand the principles of discipline according to God's standard. They either pamper or condemn their children, both could not be farther from the truth.
I have known many people in my life in various conditions. I find that it is much harder to reach a pampered adult, than it is to reach those who have lived in misery. Those who have been pampered, tend to have such a high view of their importance that they have no need of instruction, they tend to know it all, they disdain any form of correction from anyone.
Proverbs12:1 "Whosoever loves instruction loves knowledge: but he that hates reproof is senseless."
The person who has been beaten down, has a low view of their self importance, they tend to wallow in self-pity, cogitating over and over their trials, using them for an excuse for evil behavior.
Both the pampered and the beaten down suffer from pride, using their own devices to get them where they want to be.
Both examples of people are what comes when someone relies on their own devices to elevate themselves. The pampered person is in love with themselves thinking that they have more to offer than anyone else. The denigrated person wallows because it affords him the excuses he needs to live as he pleases, blaming everyone else for their own sin.
Proverbs 15:32 "He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding."
Why would the beaten down soul be easier to reach? Perhaps because he is looking for validation, granted, in the wrong places, having a deep need for the love that only Christ can give.
The pampered person already feels the worldly love that was continually extended throughout their life and feels no need of Christ's love.
Today as I pondered the scar that is on my husband's leg from a childhood accident from an ax, I was reminded that scars, whether they are physical or emotional never go away. They are reminders of a life once lived, we can focus on them, or we can choose to focus on Christ.
The scar on the pampered person is the deep wound of self exaltation and the scar of the beaten down is one of complete lack of value.
When we find our value in Christ, we have no need of personal value, He is enough!
Emotional scars never go away but just like physical scars they can diminish in size and lighten in color, to the point that they are nearly invisible. They do not have any impact on our life, they just are there, if we keep Christ as our focus.
Often I tell people that our emotions do not have to be connected to who we are as a human being. They are like diminished physical scars, we can choose to ignore them. They do not have to control us. As time goes on the emotional scars diminish just like the physical scar. Neither one has to control our lives.
God allowed situations in our lives to bring us to Himself and to prune us. When we realize what God has done in us, using this life to train and teach us, then we can openly, honestly and confidently speak of the things we have been through without trepidation or embarrassment.
When we "lean into" our emotions we give them reign over us, they will always lead us away from Christ and victory, unless they are Christ centered.
Our world teaches us to focus on our emotion, Christ tells us the opposite.
Christ has scars in His hands and feet that show the great misery He incurred on our behalf and He will never lose those scars. He took our sin on the cross that we might not have to die for our own sin. When this happened, His Father in heaven could not look upon Him, it was so emotionally painful at the loss of His Father's gaze upon Him that He cried out in agony and grief at the temporary loss of His Father's attentions. He cried out "Father why have You forsaken Me."
After Christ had risen from the dead, He showed himself to the people and guess what He said:
Luke 24:38-41 "38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?"
John 20:24-28 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Christ had a bigger reason to hate mankind than we think we have to hate Him or others. The very people He created, giving life to, while providing everything else for their existence and well being, hated and killed Him. If anyone had reason to harbor bitterness and hate for us, it would have been Christ. But He didn't do that, He gave up His life that we might live forever with Him.
Next time we feel self pity over our circumstances or are tempted to execute hate and revenge for perceived wrongs, we might want to remember that we were the ones who put Christ on that cross of torment, with our own sin.
Whether you were a pampered child or a broken child, you have need for Christ to change your heart and rule in it for eternity.
The best thing a new believer can learn is that "self awareness" needs to go. All our attentions must be on Christ alone. We love people, but they do not dictate our course, it is Christ in us that must determine our life.
Luke 14:26 "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
We have a tendency to think that when a child is excessively praised they will turn out to be better people, and there are those that think a child will grow to be a better person if they are beaten down or ignored, so as not to become arrogant.
Ephesians 6:4 "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
We exasperate our children in two ways, either by not enough discipline or discipline that is too harsh. Both ways lack the love of God in our hearts as we seek to train them properly.
Proverbs 13:24 "He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly"
Sadly many parents don't understand the principles of discipline according to God's standard. They either pamper or condemn their children, both could not be farther from the truth.
I have known many people in my life in various conditions. I find that it is much harder to reach a pampered adult, than it is to reach those who have lived in misery. Those who have been pampered, tend to have such a high view of their importance that they have no need of instruction, they tend to know it all, they disdain any form of correction from anyone.
Proverbs12:1 "Whosoever loves instruction loves knowledge: but he that hates reproof is senseless."
The person who has been beaten down, has a low view of their self importance, they tend to wallow in self-pity, cogitating over and over their trials, using them for an excuse for evil behavior.
Both the pampered and the beaten down suffer from pride, using their own devices to get them where they want to be.
Both examples of people are what comes when someone relies on their own devices to elevate themselves. The pampered person is in love with themselves thinking that they have more to offer than anyone else. The denigrated person wallows because it affords him the excuses he needs to live as he pleases, blaming everyone else for their own sin.
Proverbs 15:32 "He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding."
Why would the beaten down soul be easier to reach? Perhaps because he is looking for validation, granted, in the wrong places, having a deep need for the love that only Christ can give.
The pampered person already feels the worldly love that was continually extended throughout their life and feels no need of Christ's love.
Today as I pondered the scar that is on my husband's leg from a childhood accident from an ax, I was reminded that scars, whether they are physical or emotional never go away. They are reminders of a life once lived, we can focus on them, or we can choose to focus on Christ.
The scar on the pampered person is the deep wound of self exaltation and the scar of the beaten down is one of complete lack of value.
When we find our value in Christ, we have no need of personal value, He is enough!
Emotional scars never go away but just like physical scars they can diminish in size and lighten in color, to the point that they are nearly invisible. They do not have any impact on our life, they just are there, if we keep Christ as our focus.
Often I tell people that our emotions do not have to be connected to who we are as a human being. They are like diminished physical scars, we can choose to ignore them. They do not have to control us. As time goes on the emotional scars diminish just like the physical scar. Neither one has to control our lives.
God allowed situations in our lives to bring us to Himself and to prune us. When we realize what God has done in us, using this life to train and teach us, then we can openly, honestly and confidently speak of the things we have been through without trepidation or embarrassment.
When we "lean into" our emotions we give them reign over us, they will always lead us away from Christ and victory, unless they are Christ centered.
Our world teaches us to focus on our emotion, Christ tells us the opposite.
Christ has scars in His hands and feet that show the great misery He incurred on our behalf and He will never lose those scars. He took our sin on the cross that we might not have to die for our own sin. When this happened, His Father in heaven could not look upon Him, it was so emotionally painful at the loss of His Father's gaze upon Him that He cried out in agony and grief at the temporary loss of His Father's attentions. He cried out "Father why have You forsaken Me."
After Christ had risen from the dead, He showed himself to the people and guess what He said:
Luke 24:38-41 "38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?"
John 20:24-28 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Christ had a bigger reason to hate mankind than we think we have to hate Him or others. The very people He created, giving life to, while providing everything else for their existence and well being, hated and killed Him. If anyone had reason to harbor bitterness and hate for us, it would have been Christ. But He didn't do that, He gave up His life that we might live forever with Him.
Next time we feel self pity over our circumstances or are tempted to execute hate and revenge for perceived wrongs, we might want to remember that we were the ones who put Christ on that cross of torment, with our own sin.
Whether you were a pampered child or a broken child, you have need for Christ to change your heart and rule in it for eternity.
The best thing a new believer can learn is that "self awareness" needs to go. All our attentions must be on Christ alone. We love people, but they do not dictate our course, it is Christ in us that must determine our life.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Fools Like To Fight
It is best not to engage in conversation with a manipulative arguer, he will only frustrate and possibly cause us to sin by igniting a flame in us.
He is very cleaver, he will bait us with nonsense and watch us squirm. At which point he thinks he has won the argument. Making us angry is his goal, it makes him feel superior.
Proverbs 26:4 "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him."
He is very cleaver, he will bait us with nonsense and watch us squirm. At which point he thinks he has won the argument. Making us angry is his goal, it makes him feel superior.
Proverbs 26:4 "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him."
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