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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Hearing The Call

Heb 11:8 "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going". I like that this verse starts with the words "by faith Abraham". Everything after that describes what he did by faith. James points out to us that faith without works is dead being alone. Abraham obeyed!!! Obedience is part of the work of faith. To say that you have faith and not obedience is to say that you have no faith at all. Before he could by faith obey he had to hear he call of God. God called Abraham to get out of his country and from his family to a place that he would show him (Gen 12:1). Abraham heard the call of God and obeyed the call! Faith is all about hearing Gods call. Have you ever been in a conversation and heard the other person talking but when they asked you what you said you could not tell them. You heard that they were talking but you were not listening to what they were saying. How many times have you sat in church and heard the preacher but could not relay what was said after the sermon was over. You were hearing but not listening. Listening is being attentive and engaged in what is being said. How many people could actually say that they are listening for God say. Jesus quoted an old testament verse in Mt 4 when he said Man shall not live by bread alone by by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. A man or woman of faith lives by listening to God and His words and obeying them not matter the consequence. One of the key elements of good relationships and communication is to be a good listener. Abraham had a relationship with God by and through faith. Faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God. Are you actively listening to and for God to speak to you. Jesus said my sheep hear and know my voice. There is such an inheritance awaiting those who hear God's call and obey it. Abraham would have never received his inheritance had he not heard and obeyed the call of God. What words will follow your declaration of faith. By faith _________, did not obey because he or she was not listening to God and did not go to the place God had for them as an inheritance. What place are you in today. Maybe it's a place God has not called you to go or to be in. It's not to late to seek God and to actively hear His voice so you can get back to the place where God has called you too. It's not to late to begin a life of faith and to hear the call of God for yourself!!!

Friday, January 29, 2010

"By Faith"

Just read a wonderful verse this morning. I've been studying faith the past few day's and while reading Hebrews Ch 11 this morning verse 20 stood out to me. This is a verse I have never seen before but it's so powerful. "By Faith Issac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come". One of the common themes of Ch 11 of Hebrews is that those who live "By Faith" saw into the future. What did they see? They saw God's promises. Faith sees into the future regardless of whats may be seen in the present. Vs 13 sums up this thought "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth". Now back to our verse. Issac was the son of Abraham "the Father of Faith". Issac was the son that God promised to Abraham when he and Sara were to old to have children. Gen 11:3b "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed". In you means in your seed or through your lineage all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Notice how the first son in the lineage blessed not just the families of the earth but his family, Esau and Jacob. Before the earth can be blessed our family needs to receive the blessing. Issac learned faith and how to bless from his father. Abraham blessed Issac and Issac blessed Jacob and Esau. What was the blessing according to this verse? Issac spoke to them concerning the things to come. Following the example stated in vs 13 Issac saw the promises of God afar off, was assured of them, embraced them and confessed that he was a pilgrim and stranger in the earth. Parents bless your children everyday by first seeing God's promises for yourself and then relaying them to your children. Can you see God's promises being fulfilled in your child. What about the ultimate promise that God has given us all. To be blessed by receiving Jesus and walking in His love and power. Seeing them be a blessing to others through serving and giving away Christ to those around them. We must bless our children and help them embrace what God has promised. Look at the words used in verse 13 again concerning the people that died in faith and their reaction to Gods unfulfilled promises;

Assured or Persuaded (King James); - to induce one by words to believe. To trust or to have confidence. Faith is to be firmly persuaded. We are persuaded through words. Gods word persuades us or build our faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We can build our Faith and the Faith of our children through speaking to them and helping them to learn Gods word. Also our word to our children must be consistent and true. If we say something do it!! We grow in faith but we must see what faith grows us into. One of my favorite verses is in 2 cor 3:18 "but we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of God". The mirror is Jesus and His word. We look into the mirror by reading His word. Jesus was the word of God made flesh and He dwelt among us. We see Jesus and what His word says we are or should be. The Spirit transforms us or brings us into what we see in the mirror. This is done by the Spirit through our faith or firm persuasion. We are being transformed to look and act like Jesus!!!!!

Embraced-to draw to ones self. To receive joyfully. What we embrace is what we will become. Parents help your kids through speaking Gods promises and then help them to embrace them.

Confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims. - People of Faith through their walking by faith will show through their life that they are strangers and pilgrims to this earth. Again they saw another earth or kingdom. They saw God's Kingdom and they sought to live in this kingdom. People of Faith are strange. What do you think the Noah's neighbors thought about him when he began to built a boat because God promised it was going to rain. Nut!! Religious freak!!! Holy roller!!! I can hear the jeers now. Noah didn't get caught up in earthly things nor was he moved by the words of his neighbors. He was a stranger and a pilgrim to the earth. He was firmly persuaded and for 120 years he was a preacher of righteousness and built an ark for the saving of his household. Noah blessed his family concerning things to come. Not only did he speak what God had promised but he lived it by preparing himself and doing what God to him to do to prepare him to receive the promise.

May you be found blessing your children whether they are spiritual childfren or physical ones.

Friday, January 22, 2010

"How can I Do This Great Wickedness and Sin Against God"

In Gen 39 there is the story about Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Potiphar's wife looked longingly at Joseph and tried to get him to commit adultery with her. She tried on several occasions but to no avail. Josephs would not betray his friend Potiphar nor would he betray God through his sin. Joseph who was a faithful servant to Potiphar and to God had the right perspective about sin. His sin would be against someone. In other words his sin would betray Potiphar and ultimately God. The greatest commandment was summed up in the new testament, Love the Lord Your God with all your Heart Soul mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. Joseph knew that to betray Potiphar would break this two commandments. Sin is betrayl! Verse 2 says the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man. Potiphar saw this favor on Joseph and made him master of all that he had. Joseph had the trust of God and man and when time came for that trust to be tested Joseph stood and rejected the temptation to sin. He remain loyal and faithful to God and to man. This particular part of Joseph's life does not end well because he was accused anyway by Potiphar's wife and was thrown in prison for something he did not do. Yet in all that was done to him for remaing loyal he did not accuse God or grow bitter, he remained faithful and ultimately he became the master of Pharoah's house. Wow!!! To remain faithful to God and man no matter what happens starts with the same attitude about sin as Joseph had. We must hate sin and all that it does to those around us and ultimately to God. A child of God does not see how close he can get to sin he runs from it. Joseph ran from the advances of Potiphar's wife. We must do the same!! Think about all the destruction adultry and affairs causes to those involved. Sin seems pleasureable for a season but it will ultimately bring death. What would our world be like if the men of our age would be like Joseph and stand and flee adultry. Maybe we would see revival!!!!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Contentions

I was reading proverbs 21 this morning and verse 9 and 19 talks about a contentious woman. Better to dwell in a corner of a roof top or in the wilderness that with an angry contentious woman. Contentious means to be quarrelsome are one who causes strife. Contention is an argument or dispute. Proverbs has alot to say about contention. Lets look at a few more verses;

Prov 18:19 - "A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle". Offense is the result of having contentions in a relationship. When someone is offended they build bars. Bars of a castle are for protection or prison - no one gets in or no one gets out. Another picture is burglar bars on a house. Think about all the relationships and people that are offended due to contentions.

Prov 19:13b - "The contentions of a wife are a continual dripping". You ever tried to go to sleep with a faucet that is dripping. It drives you crazy.

Prov 26:21- "As charcoal is to a burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife". Contention is the coals and wood that keep strife, fighting, etc., going in relationships. At any time the fire will blaze.

Prov 27:15 - "A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike".

Contentiousness is a horrible thing. Are you forever in a quarrel with someone you are in a relationship with. Did you ever stop to consider that you are the cause of it. Maybe that you are the contentious woman or man. Look at what others are dealing with that are living with you and that are around you. Does fighting seem to be spring up everywhere you go. Hello here. Maybe its not the other person who is at fault. Maybe it's you. The root word for contentious is to contend. Think of a boxing match where two people are contending for a belt. What are you contending for? Your way. Well this is the root of all contentions. I have to have it my way so I will fight to get it. Have you ever considered that it not about you? Jesus never contended for His way. He always lived His life for God's will and God's way. He lived and gave His life for others. He humbled Himself and carried the cross. James 4:1 "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members"? Wars and fights come from people who lust and desire to have it their way. People that are living to serve Christ should not be striving against one another but with one another against the work of the devil and the forces of evil and sin. I will close with this verse;

Prov 22:10 - Cast out the scoffer and contentions will leave. Yes strife and reproach will leave.
A scoffer is a mocker. Boastful, prideful and arrogant. A scoffer never shuts up and mocks with his or her tongue. Cast out the scoffer. Maybe the scoffer in you needs to be cast out. What if you wife or husband came home from work today and the scoffer was gone. Wow!!! What a pleasant surprise that would be. Scoffer be cast out by bringing yourself to the cross and nailing your tongue and heart there. Remember the problem is not your tongue but your heart. Out of the heart flows your words. Your tongue is attached to your heart. Let Jesus, His words, and His Holy Spirit cast out and do heart surgery on your rebellious and sinful heart. Thant contentions will leave and peace will come. May God perform this work in me.!!!!

Friday, January 15, 2010

It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God

Hebrews 10 is the chapter I have taken a lot of the scriptures about Jesus being God's offering for sin. Today's blog title is taken from Heb 10:31 and to get the full context we need to read the previous verses; .

Heb 10:26-30 - For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement, and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. [And again, "The LORD will judge His people".

The scripture is admonishing all people who have come to the knowledge of the truth. What truth? The truth about Jesus and what He did on the cross for man. To know something is to come to a full understanding and to experience something. Adam knew his wife which means he knew her intimately. Heb 6:4 - "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame". Wow!! God will demand a high price for those who hear the truth and come to know it for themselves and still decide to Sin willfully. Read the words that describe what a person does when he or she knows about Jesus being our sin offering and yet deciding to sin anyway. The progression of this verse (Heb 6) speaks of coming to a knowledge of Jesus, His word and His Spirit. We crucify Jesus again and put Him to an open shame when we fall away from Christ by willfully turning again to the sin life. Look at the verses in Heb 10 - willful sin tramples the Son Of God underfoot and treats the blood of the covenant as a common thing and insults the Spirit of Grace. Now look at the words that describe God's reaction to those who choose to willfully sin against Him and His son. Vengeance is mine, I will repay!! The Lord will judge His people!! Fearful expectation of Judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour His adversaries!! You mean God will Judge and take out vengeance on those who have known Him and His son and have chosen the life of sin over the life of grace and obedience given to us freely by God through the Gift of His Son. According to the scriptures, Yes!!! This may be the time that some of you reading this blog will begin to discount the bible and say well it's imperfect or written by man etc.... Surely a loving God would never take vengeance or fiery judgement on people. Well God is loving and through His merciful love He has given everyone the way out of this fiery judgement and it is through the offering of His Son in the place of sinners like you and me. But God is also a God of Justice and righteousness. God cannot by His nature give man away to follow and not judge those who by their willful choice choose to go another way. If He did He would not be righteous and just. I know this may not be the God you believe in but please open your hearts to receive the scriptures and turn away from the God you have created in your own mind. What is your attitude about your sin. Do you have the attitude that oh I can do that or live this way and God will forgive men. After all I believe in Jesus and that He died on the cross. This attitude and way of thinking is what treads Jesus and His blood underfoot. This attitude and way of thinking insults God and His Spirit of Grace. What fiery judgement awaits those who believe like this? Hell!! Again Hell is not talked about much in our churches or our society. Every bodies going to heaven right. Well again we have to look at the scriptures and not to our made of doctrines. Please let this word sober up your mind!!! Sin is a killer, it always brings death and God will judge it and those who choose to follow it!!!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

He who Knew no sin became a sin offering for us

2 Cor 5:22 -For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus Christ was sinless. He never sinned one time. He was righteous before God. He had to be this way because God required a perfect sacrifice, a sinless spotless lamb. Heb 4:15 declares that He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Jesus is the pattern or the perfect image of righteousness. Rms 8:29 says He has predestined those He foreknew to be conformed to the image of His Son. 2 Cor 3:18 say we are being transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit. Righteousness simply means to be made right. We all are made wrong with God if you will the day that we sin. We become unrighteous before God. 1 Cor 6:9 says do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The unrighteous shall not inherit or receive heaven. He was made sin does not mean that He became a sinner that would contradict the scriptures. It means that He became a sin offering. 1 Pet 2:24 - He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Gal 3: 13- in talking of Jesus redeeming His people from the curse of the law Paul quotes an Old Testament verse "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree". People we are made righteous before God only through the sin offering that God made of His son on the tree of the cross. I am right with God because I have put my faith in what Jesus did at the cross. My standing before God is that I am right with Him. The verse from yesterday sums it up "for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" But folks the wonderful news is that it don't ever stop until we leave this earth and these fleshly bodies that are decaying. We are made right and everyday through our faith in Christ and His offering we are being conformed into the image of Christ. We are being sanctified or set apart from sin and the world too God and His image of righteousness. We are being transformed by the power of God's Spirit to bear the Fruit of Righteousness. Jesus said you will know a tree by the fruit it bears. Well a righteous tree will bear the fruit of righteousness. There is a wonderful liberty in knowing just what Jesus did for us and all that is available through His offering on the cross. We need to repent or change the way we think and quit living in defeat. Jesus Christ has made a way to abundant life. A life free from the guilt and power of sin. We can have peace with God everyday as we live righteous before God through our relationship with Jesus and His Spirit. What is your faith in today. Is it in the deception of "well i believe in Jesus but you know I'm going to sin". This is error and the wrong way to think. Rms 6:12 - Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in it's lust. Rms 6:14 - "Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace" The two words reign and dominion are words used when we speak of Kings or rulers. The Sin nature is the king and ruler over all who have sinned and not made Jesus King, Lord and Ruler. Jesus defeated or dethroned The Sin Nature when He offered Himself on the cross and on the third day rose again. Rms 8:37 - "yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us", Praise God!!!!!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

For by one offering He has perfected those who are being Sanctified

Heb 10:12-14 "But this man, after He offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."

I wanted to continue my thoughts on "offerings" and the scriptures above tell of the offering of Jesus that all the offerings of the Old Testament pointed too. I want to write down some other scriptures concerning Jesus offering.

Heb 9:14 - "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

Heb 9:26b - "He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"

Heb 9:28 - So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

Heb 10:10 - "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

The wages or penalty for our sin is death. Jesus paid our sin debt by offering Himself to God for us. He bore or carried our sins on His body when He offered Himself to God as the perfect Lamb. He was offered once and now no other offering for sin is necessary or acceptable. He has made a way for those who come to Him to be free of the guilt, power and stain of The Sin Nature and the sins that come as a result of being controlled by the Sin Nature. He has perfected or made a way for perfection for all those who come to Him. Perfection is completeness and wholeness. Through His offering we have the means by which to be made complete and whole. The process by which we come to the realization of this wholeness is the through the process of sanctification. The offering of Jesus didn't just stop after His death but was completed when by the power of the Holy Spirit He rose from the dead. That same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead broke the power and chains of death and He will come and live inside of you and break every chain and power that sin had over your life. We know that His offering was the was for perfection because He rose from the dead. Sins power was broken too all who come to Him by faith. Sanctification is the work of the Spirit in your life as He sets you apart daily. He will set you apart and make you His vessel of honor so that you will be a light to all who sit in darkness. May you be found in Christ today and may we become complete through His offering!!!!! Sin has no power of the Chrild of God because of the offering of Christ!!!!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

God will Provide For Himself The Lamb

Genesis Chapter 22 tells the story of Abraham when God tested him and asked him to offer up his son Issac as a burnt offering. From my last post I pointed out how offerings are such a large part of religion in the world. This story again is a story about an offering. God asked Abraham to bring an offering, the offering of his son. God is not into human sacrifice but God would ask Abraham to be willing to give everything to worship and to follow Him. This is still the call today. We are to lay down our lives and become His followers or His disciples. To follow Jesus we must lay down or offer our lives so that we can find His life and the life He has for us. Lk 14:26 - If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. If we love anything more than we love God we cannot be His disciple. Abraham, by faith, obeyed the command of his Father and in the process of obeying proclaimed the words that are the title of this blog post. God will provide for Himself The Lamb!!!! Abraham is called the Father of Faith and this test of his faith shows that faith is all about loving God more than we love our lives. Abraham obeyed God out of trust and loving obedience. Although God asked of Him a hard thing, he trusted the Lord to provide. By faith Abraham carried out God's command and through his faith he saw and became a partaker of God's offering, the Lamb that He provided. Christians live by faith and not by sight. As we lay down our lives through faith, God provides the offering that gives us His new life. The offering He provided is the Lamb that takes away our sin. His offering gives us a new heart and a new mind. His offering provided the means for us to be filled with His Spirit.

Heb 10: 12-14 - But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool, For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Today may we live by the same faith that Abraham displayed and offer up our lives. God has provided The Lamb and His name is Jesus!!!!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Sin Lies At The Door

I've been thinking about this verse alot lately. In the light of yesterdays post I will now pen some thoughts that will hopefully help others.



Gen 4:6-7 - So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire [is] for you, but you should rule over it."



The verse my title comes from is out of the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. Abel's offering was the first fruit of his flock, a lamb and Cain who was a farmer brought some fruit from his crops. God accepted Abel's offering and rejected Cains. Cain became angry and His countenance fell or he was walking around with his head down and his face showed that he was angry. He was angry that God rejected his offering. What was this offering all about. I think if you look at what has transpired in the garden after Adam and Eve had sinned and disobeyed God we will get a better understanding of what this offering was all about. An offering in the old testament always represented a sacrifice. All throughout the Old Testament we see people bringing offerings to the Lord. This is a major theme throughout the Old Testament and giving offerings to God is a major tenant in all religions especially in the Jewish religion. Why was Cain and Abel bringing an offering to the Lord. I believe they were doing what they were taught by their parents and were continuing what God had started after Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden. Gen3:21 Also for Adam and his wife God made tunics of skin and clothed them. God had to kill an innocent victim, an animal, so that He could take it's skin in order to clothe Adam and Eve. Before they sinned they were naked and unashamed. Their countenance was up and not fallen. They walked in purity with and before God. Sin caused their countenance to fall and they hid themselves from the presence of God. Notice the parallel actions between Cain and Adam and Eve. Sin separates us from God. God rejects sin and He will reject the sinner that will not bring the acceptable offering. This is why mankind is getting more angry every day. It's they are b ringing the wrong offering and sin is dominating their lives. Have you ever been around an angry man. Well I can tell you He's been rejected by God and the only remedy is far him or her to being an acceptable offering that God will accept. God brought the first offering for sin in the Bible and He would bring the last His son Jesus Christ. The sin offering would become a normal part of everyday life for the seeker of God. Something very important should be noted here. God could have made tunics from the plants that he had created but He chose an animal most probably a lamb. God provided an acceptable offering for man to bring in order to have his sin clothed. Also it should be noted that the thing that Adam tried to cover his nakedness (sin) with was a fig leaf. This should give more light as to what Cain was doing in his offering and what God rejected it. His offering represented the fig leaves and represents man attempt to cover his or her sin in another way besides God way. The fig leaves represent religion. Religion covers and it looks righteous but it has no power to change the inside of man or his heart. This was actually the first act of self righteousness, mans attempt to be made right before God. He wanted God to accept Him on his terms and God want meet man on hos terms. Abel brought an offering that God accepted because he brought a lamb that had to be killed and it's fat was burned which was pleasing to the Lord. God has provided an offering for sin. It's the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. All the offerings in the Old Testament would point to Christ the passover lamb. The Lamb that God would provide as an offering to take away the power of Sin in the world. It not only covers the Sin in our lives but it cleanses us from the effects of Sin in our lives.



Cains offering of self righteousness will not make him righteous and neither will yours. God asked Cain a question "If you do well will you not be accepted". God was asking Cain if He did what God had asked him to do would he not be accepted. Man has a choice to be accepted by God. God only accepts His offering and His way. Jesus is the only offering acceptable to God. God provided the only offering He will accept. Sin lies at the door of all men's lives and it wants to have rule over you. The Sin Nature is ruling over all men that have not brought the offering that God will accept. The Sin Nature has a desire and all men are controlled by these desires. These desires could be better described as the lust of the flesh. Our Flesh lusts after things that are not of God. It lust or longs for pleasure or things that seems to be pleasurable. Sin seems pleasurable for a season. The Sin Nature will always cause man to be angry with his brother. Gal 5:19-21 - Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who are rejected by God are those who practice such things and God's ultimate rejection is that they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Hell is the place of ultimate rejection. It's as far away from the presence of God that you can get. Notice after Cain killed Abel he left from the presence of God. This is the end result of Sins. The last statement God made in this verse is that you should rule over it. God's offering has made a way for man to rule the Sin Nature. Wow!!!! Probably not what your accustomed to thinking or hearing. God has made a way for us to rule or have dominion over our Sin Nature. Is Sin ruling you is it constantly at your door never to go away. Bring the offering of Christ to God everyday by putting your faith in Him and what he did at the cross. Start everyday with the offering of Christ and throughout the day offer Christ. Rule over Sin through Jesus Christ. Quit offering what is not acceptable to God. Only Jesus is acceptable!!!!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Blessed Is The Man That Endures Temptation

Hello everyone haven't blogged since before Christmas. Hope everyone is doing well in the new year.



James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive a crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.



A friend of mine commented the other day on this passage and it blessed me so. We hear alot about blessing or being blessed in our world today. This passage give a true source of blessing - enduring temptation. We are tempted everyday in our lives. Verse 14 describes how temptation happens. We are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed. The end result of giving in to or being controlled by our desires is that desire gives birth to sin and sin brings death. Sin will always bring death and is the opposite of being blessed. A man or woman who is always failing in times of temptation is not blessed but is actually experiencing death. To be bound and controlled by sin is death and again is far from being blessed. Sin will control every part of your life including our minds, will and emotions. To be in sin is like being in prison with no way of ever getting out. Think about the prisoners with life sentences or those on death row awaiting their execution, they have no hope of ever being set free. Well this is what sin does in the life of one who is bound in sin. Alot of people think they are free from sin because they don't do the major sins. Sin is sin and we need to call it like it is. Sin does not have categories it's all the same. The little sins are the same as the big ones it's sin and sin brings death. Blessed is the man that endures temptation. The scripture points out that we can endure during times of temptation. To endure means to remain, abide, not recede or flee. To preserve under misfortunes and trials. To hold fast to ones faith in Christ. The next part of the verse says for when he has been approved. Enduring or sinning during times of temptation proves something. It proves whats in our heart. The proof is in the puddin the old sayin goes. Do we hold fast to Christ and abide in Him during our times of trials or do we flee or worst yet we find that we never have been joined to Him in the first place. Another thing about sin is that it deceives. Sin deceives us to thinking we're not that bad or it prompts us to compare ourselves to someone who we think is worse than us.



We cannot endure temptation alone or in our on power or strength. We cannot endure temptation through will power or self helps, psychology, or religion. The only way we can endure temptation is to be joined to Christ through being saved by His grace and filled with His nature. The proverbs says a Leopard cannot change his spots because that's his nature or how he was born. Well a sinner cannot stop sinning because he is controlled by his nature and that's how he was born. We are all born with the Sin Nature and the first time we give in to the desires of that Nature we become sinners and the Sin Nature becomes our master who will ever control our life. Jesus paid the price that the master of all men demanded. The wages or the payment for sin is death. Well Jesus paid the debt of death by dieing on the cross to die for the sins of all mankind. This is what the blessing is all about. Man can take part in the payment plan by putting His faith in Christ and becoming His disciple. As follow Christ we will experience freedom from our old nature. He will no longer dominate our lives because Jesus is Lord of our life and we are partakers of His nature and we can endure anything temptations bring our way. Ever heard the saying God will never put anything on you more than what you can handle. Well many people go through trials that they cannot handle and fail even to the point of despair and death. Well the way God has given us to handle trials of life is to be joined to Christ. We can go through hell and high water as we are joined to Christ. We don't have to sin and live in death. Through CHRIST AND FAITH WE CAN BE OBEDIENT. The leopard can have his spots changed. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away behold all things have become new. In this new year don't settle for failure and sin but be be joined to Christ and His Body and become a new creature. The crown of life is awaiting all who endure with Christ. Don't be cheated through religion and old ways of thinking that cannot and will not bring life and freedom from sin. Only Christ can do this. Be joined to Christ today. Seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him. This is His promise!!!!!



Temptation is the times we are put to the test in order to ascertain the character, views or feelings of someone.