Having written about this before, I feel the need to repeat myself … because some things need to be repeated. If it was worth saying the first time, then it just might be okay to repeat it again. Is it possible to hear too much about the Lord, or try and learn of His character … who He really is and how He responds to our prayers when we cry unto Him?
I said before that when people ask me to pray about something, I usually ask them if they are sure they want me to pray for them, because everyone I pray for dies. They will usually laugh or say something like, "Oh no, you don't mean that." I just smile back … they don't realize I'm serious about it. (And no they don't all die … but some have.)
The prayer requests I have been asked to pray about, I believe were answered in the way God wanted them answered. I have even asked myself if I really believe what I just stated … especially if you look at the outcome of each one through our human emotions. Some look like complete failures while others are deemed to be successful strictly on the end result. Example … if the one you might be praying for dies, does that mean God's will in the matter wasn't accomplished?
1st Corinthians 2:16 … "For who has known or understood the mind and purposes of the Lord …"
We must come to understand that His purposes and thoughts, as He has shaped and drawn the image of things in His own mind; including everything that is … is determined by the Lord. Nothing comes by chance; everything is … as it is purposed by God … everything comes to pass which He has resolved.
Therefore, every solution to prayer, every answer … proceeds from Him … and is the product of His Sovereign wisdom and Providence. Each of His purposes shall be accomplished, no matter what is in the heart and mind of man concerning how we want our prayers answered … it will be His will, done His way, in His time.
You see … I believe that God is ultimately responsible … for everything. You do not have to agree with me … that's okay, I don't mind. I believe that God is in control for several reasons, one of which is from the Psalmist David in Psalms 24:1 … "The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."
This covers everything; the earth (the physical planet); the fullness (everything it produces); the world (the social systems); and they (all men and creatures).
God made all things, and He has never lost possession or relinquished His control over any of His creation, with the exception of … "the free will of man" … because choice must always be left to us.
So … what happens if we don't get the answer we are looking for when we pray?
I want to have enough confidence and trust in God to believe that all His dealings with us proceed from His heart of love. I'm not saying He will, but what if He takes one or all of our possessions away; do we feel that He has taken only what belongs to Him … of which we have no right or claim to anyway? Do we submit to all of God's plans for us without a complaint only during good times when things are going well … or even when pain is allowed in our lives as it is many times.
If this world is God's, and it is, shouldn't He be allowed to govern the world as He sees fit? But our biggest problem is … we cannot see the reasons of His conduct or know why He answers some prayers and not others.
So I ask this question, are we going to accept the truth, which is … that God can dispense His blessings in answer to prayer to whomever He wants and with whatever terms He so chooses. God can and will do whatever He wants, anytime He wants … and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
I was caught off guard in a life experience concerning prayer. I say I was caught off guard because I really was; I wasn't expecting the bad news that came on that Sunday evening while I was eating supper. I lost my appetite. Really. After finally stepping up and trying to become what I thought He expected me to be, I just knew everything was going to be okay. That shows you we just think we know … until the cold hard reality of life shows up, when something like this happens.
What made me think, that after 4 years with many other people praying … so what if God Himself showed up and told me to take on the role like that of the Roman centurion, and ask Him to send His Word just like Jesus was asked to do in Luke Chapter 7.
God Himself, two days earlier, had convinced me that with the same kind of faith that Jesus said the centurion had; if I would ask with this kind of faith, it would be enough to move God the Father to speak and send the Word that had been needed the past 4 years.
But I was wrong and I don't know what to do about it now, or even in the future. I forgot one very important detail.
It was God's "will" in the story of the centurion, to heal his servant. So, even with all of the many prayers offered up, (including mine, after being told to step up and ask) I must conclude, that it wasn't God's will this time, for whatever reason, to fulfill the promise of healing that Jesus obtained for us by the stripes His body was beaten bloody for.
A promise in the Word of God must be God's "will" or it wouldn't be a promise … right? So what is wrong? Is there a condition attached to the promise that we don't know about. I thought Jesus already paid the full price for healing. I thought all we had to do was believe.
Oh … Could it be that simple?
All of us, including myself didn't believe? And so now, a small 8 year old boy is in Heaven; his father and mother, along with his older sister, all left behind heartbroken, asking … why?
From now on, when I am called upon to believe again, and I know I will be; will my first thought be … "is it His will?"
I don't know … time will tell.
Comments welcome.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
What a Friend we have in Jesus
One of the best things that Jesus has given us is the fact that He is our friend. I'm not sure if friendship was one of the purposes for God to become flesh and blood like we are, but I'm glad Jesus is our friend. A friend is someone who sticks by you ... no matter what.
Someone once said the best friend a man can have is his dog. It doesn't matter to a dog what color, sex, size or how intelligent you are ... he still loves you and will be loyal to you even if it costs him his life. I don't feel right comparing Jesus to a canine, but ... Jesus is like that ... only more so.
My favorite hymn is ... "What a friend we have in Jesus." The 1st verse goes like this ...
"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."
I don't know exactly why I like this song so much ... I think it has to do with Jesus bearing all our sins and griefs. It is a privilege to speak to God ... about anything. Why do we forfeit our peace or carry needless pain when all we need to do is talk to Him about it.
Jesus said in Luke 12:4 ... "I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid ..."
What is a friend? According to the English dictionary ... "a friend is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection; someone who will support and give help at a difficult time, or use their influence on one's behalf."
For lack of a better term, let me say this explanation is how the "world" describes friendship. But, you know what, it's not that far off from how the Scripture also describes what a friend is.
In the New Testament, the word friend is "philos," which in the original Greek manuscripts mean ... someone dear, actively fond of, a friend or neighbor.
A friend then is someone you care about, having a mutual bond ... not only are they your friend, but more importantly ... you are their friend, you are there for them.
Jesus also said this in John 15:13-16 ... "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you ..."
God has chosen you and me to be His friend ... even knowing all about us. But what if we don't do what He commands us to do in the above verse? Is He still our friend?
"You are my friends ... if you do ..." Is Jesus saying our actions either qualify us or disqualify us to be His friends? If we do something offensive, do we become unsuitable to be a friend of His? The word friend in this phrase is not speaking of Jesus' friendship toward us, but rather ours toward Him. By obeying His Word and following His teaching ... you are showing that you are His friend. That is how you, (for lack of a better word) "prove" to others that you are His friend.
Let me break down the two "catch words" that trip up many people ... do and command.
The word, do ... as translated into the Greek, means "to commit to make an effort," which in my case really means ... I'll try to follow your commands. The word command as used here is, "enjoin" ... meaning, "to urge or prescribe an attitude." Once again ... it's the attitude of the heart that God cares about.
In this portion of scripture in John, Jesus has been teaching about "agapao" love, the ... moral, social love one might have for a friend. It's not a burdensome law or command ... it's the attitude of the heart He wants His friends to show to one another.
What type of attitude did Jesus possess? He was a friend to all men, even sinners ... thank God for that ... that gives me hope.
Matthew 11:19 ... "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." And so He was.
Why was Jesus a friend of sinners? Because His mission was ... "to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10.)
Mark 2:16-17 ... "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
"They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick ..."
Sin is a sickness ... this expression Jesus used is almost proverbial, signifying that He was a physician, and that these publicans and sinners were sick persons, and needed His healing. But the Scribes and Pharisees were whole, and in good health ... in their own estimation, and therefore didn't want or need His services. Even though all men are sinners by nature, this answers the question as to why Jesus attended to the one, and not the other.
If you need help ... you just need to ask Him. Jesus still makes house calls free of charge.
Those that are truly sick of the sin in their lives usually are sick of themselves. They see their sinful nature and how unhealthy they really are ... that from the crown of their head to the soles of their feet, there is nothing but wounds and bruises, their insides filled with the disease of sin. Many have tried to cure themselves without success; so they must eventually turn to the only one whose blood cures every wound and hurt. The blood of Jesus is a medicine for every sickness and disease, including the sickness of sin.
Have you made Jesus your friend? If you have, you are in some pretty good company. There are many, but I'll name the two that I know for sure the Scripture names.
Exodus 33:11 ... "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
2nd Chronicles 20:7 ... "Art not thou our God, who ... gavest it (the land) to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?"
James 2:23 ... "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God ... and he was called the Friend of God."
Proverbs 18:24 says, "... there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
And that friend is ... Jesus.
Comments welcome.
Someone once said the best friend a man can have is his dog. It doesn't matter to a dog what color, sex, size or how intelligent you are ... he still loves you and will be loyal to you even if it costs him his life. I don't feel right comparing Jesus to a canine, but ... Jesus is like that ... only more so.
My favorite hymn is ... "What a friend we have in Jesus." The 1st verse goes like this ...
"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."
I don't know exactly why I like this song so much ... I think it has to do with Jesus bearing all our sins and griefs. It is a privilege to speak to God ... about anything. Why do we forfeit our peace or carry needless pain when all we need to do is talk to Him about it.
Jesus said in Luke 12:4 ... "I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid ..."
What is a friend? According to the English dictionary ... "a friend is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection; someone who will support and give help at a difficult time, or use their influence on one's behalf."
For lack of a better term, let me say this explanation is how the "world" describes friendship. But, you know what, it's not that far off from how the Scripture also describes what a friend is.
In the New Testament, the word friend is "philos," which in the original Greek manuscripts mean ... someone dear, actively fond of, a friend or neighbor.
A friend then is someone you care about, having a mutual bond ... not only are they your friend, but more importantly ... you are their friend, you are there for them.
Jesus also said this in John 15:13-16 ... "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you ..."
God has chosen you and me to be His friend ... even knowing all about us. But what if we don't do what He commands us to do in the above verse? Is He still our friend?
"You are my friends ... if you do ..." Is Jesus saying our actions either qualify us or disqualify us to be His friends? If we do something offensive, do we become unsuitable to be a friend of His? The word friend in this phrase is not speaking of Jesus' friendship toward us, but rather ours toward Him. By obeying His Word and following His teaching ... you are showing that you are His friend. That is how you, (for lack of a better word) "prove" to others that you are His friend.
Let me break down the two "catch words" that trip up many people ... do and command.
The word, do ... as translated into the Greek, means "to commit to make an effort," which in my case really means ... I'll try to follow your commands. The word command as used here is, "enjoin" ... meaning, "to urge or prescribe an attitude." Once again ... it's the attitude of the heart that God cares about.
In this portion of scripture in John, Jesus has been teaching about "agapao" love, the ... moral, social love one might have for a friend. It's not a burdensome law or command ... it's the attitude of the heart He wants His friends to show to one another.
What type of attitude did Jesus possess? He was a friend to all men, even sinners ... thank God for that ... that gives me hope.
Matthew 11:19 ... "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." And so He was.
Why was Jesus a friend of sinners? Because His mission was ... "to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10.)
Mark 2:16-17 ... "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
"They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick ..."
Sin is a sickness ... this expression Jesus used is almost proverbial, signifying that He was a physician, and that these publicans and sinners were sick persons, and needed His healing. But the Scribes and Pharisees were whole, and in good health ... in their own estimation, and therefore didn't want or need His services. Even though all men are sinners by nature, this answers the question as to why Jesus attended to the one, and not the other.
If you need help ... you just need to ask Him. Jesus still makes house calls free of charge.
Those that are truly sick of the sin in their lives usually are sick of themselves. They see their sinful nature and how unhealthy they really are ... that from the crown of their head to the soles of their feet, there is nothing but wounds and bruises, their insides filled with the disease of sin. Many have tried to cure themselves without success; so they must eventually turn to the only one whose blood cures every wound and hurt. The blood of Jesus is a medicine for every sickness and disease, including the sickness of sin.
Have you made Jesus your friend? If you have, you are in some pretty good company. There are many, but I'll name the two that I know for sure the Scripture names.
Exodus 33:11 ... "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
2nd Chronicles 20:7 ... "Art not thou our God, who ... gavest it (the land) to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?"
James 2:23 ... "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God ... and he was called the Friend of God."
Proverbs 18:24 says, "... there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
And that friend is ... Jesus.
Comments welcome.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Because You Can't Fix Yourself ... Part II
We have a sin nature. Even if you are born-again. When Paul the Apostle said that you have become a new creature in Christ, he was speaking about the spirit man inside of you ... your newly awakened free self will ... not the body of flesh you dwell in. Flesh is carnal, it relates to physical needs, strong feelings of wanting to have something to fulfill these physical desires whether they are sinful desires or not.
It's been said that the greatest desire man has is food when hungry. Do you know what the difference is between an honest man and a thief? About three meals. Man is born with a nature of self preservation. Watch a couple of two year old toddlers at play. They always want what the other one has. They will take it from the other one and say ... mine. That's one of the first words they learn.
So how do we fix this problem ... or can we? There is only one way, and I have spoken of this often. Nicholas Herman, a seventeenth century Carmelite monk from French Lorraine gives the answer, although doing this completely as he suggests will also take the Holy Spirit's help. But then again, that's what the Holy Spirit is given for ... to help us walk the walk.
He says ... "We must empty the heart of all other things, because God will only possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone unless it is empty of all other things ... and neither can He do in it what He pleases, unless it is left vacant to Him."
Is this old monk right? Is he saying you can't keep anything but God in your heart? If he is, then I have failed to do that. My wife is in my heart. My two daughters are also in there. I have four grandchildren that reside pretty deep in there too. I believe that's where the Lord wants me to keep them ... deep in my heart.
You see ... God made them. He gave them to me. He can love them ... in my heart. I think what we are supposed to empty our hearts of, are the carnal, fleshly desires. Paul tells us what type of things should be in our hearts and minds.
Philippians 4:8 ... "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Thinking on these type of things will keep your mind off the carnal lusts and desires of the flesh. Well, I should have added the word ... help. Keeping your mind on good things will only help ... it won't do it all. But it's a start.
Paul gives us some very good advice in ...
Galatians 5:16-17 ... "But I say, walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Holy Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other[continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do." (Amplified)
When Paul says ... "what you desire to do" ... he is speaking about your self will and your spirit man, the real you ... which really wants to follow the leading of the Lord rather than following the carnal natural fleshly appetites of fallen man.
Paul continues his instruction with two results we will gain from allowing God's Spirit to help fix what's wrong with our fleshly nature.
Galatians 5:22-23 ... "the fruit of the Holy Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is ... self-control and self-restraint." (Amplified ... edited)
Knowing the truth about who we are, the state we "barely saved sinners" are in, (1st Peter 4:18 ... "if the righteous scarcely be saved ...") Paul issues a warning to believers in ...
Galatians 6:1 ... "If any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual should ... restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also."
None of us are immune from falling back into fleshly sin. Here is some more advice from Nicholas Herman, the old French monk ...
"We should seek to learn the sins that do most easily beset us and the times and occasions, when we do most often fall. We ought, once for all, put our whole trust in God, and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, receiving the abundance of His grace, without which we can do nothing but sin. One does not become holy all at once. Yet, think not that I counsel you to disregard completely and forever the outward things that are around us. That is impossible."
That's why it says in Proverbs 4:23 ... "Keep and guard your heart ... above all that you guard ..." (Amplified)
The Apostle Paul sums up the real truth for us when he says in Galatians 6:5 ... "For every person will have to bear ... his own load of oppressive faults." (Amplified ... edited)
No, you will never get rid of your fallen flesh. But, with the Lord's help you can rule over your own body. Is Jesus your Lord? Then He has set you free ... not from the desires of the flesh ... but from being controlled by the flesh.
Galatians 2:20 ... "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God ..."
Let Jesus fix ... what you can't fix yourself.
It's been said that the greatest desire man has is food when hungry. Do you know what the difference is between an honest man and a thief? About three meals. Man is born with a nature of self preservation. Watch a couple of two year old toddlers at play. They always want what the other one has. They will take it from the other one and say ... mine. That's one of the first words they learn.
So how do we fix this problem ... or can we? There is only one way, and I have spoken of this often. Nicholas Herman, a seventeenth century Carmelite monk from French Lorraine gives the answer, although doing this completely as he suggests will also take the Holy Spirit's help. But then again, that's what the Holy Spirit is given for ... to help us walk the walk.
He says ... "We must empty the heart of all other things, because God will only possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone unless it is empty of all other things ... and neither can He do in it what He pleases, unless it is left vacant to Him."
Is this old monk right? Is he saying you can't keep anything but God in your heart? If he is, then I have failed to do that. My wife is in my heart. My two daughters are also in there. I have four grandchildren that reside pretty deep in there too. I believe that's where the Lord wants me to keep them ... deep in my heart.
You see ... God made them. He gave them to me. He can love them ... in my heart. I think what we are supposed to empty our hearts of, are the carnal, fleshly desires. Paul tells us what type of things should be in our hearts and minds.
Philippians 4:8 ... "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Thinking on these type of things will keep your mind off the carnal lusts and desires of the flesh. Well, I should have added the word ... help. Keeping your mind on good things will only help ... it won't do it all. But it's a start.
Paul gives us some very good advice in ...
Galatians 5:16-17 ... "But I say, walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Holy Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other[continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do." (Amplified)
When Paul says ... "what you desire to do" ... he is speaking about your self will and your spirit man, the real you ... which really wants to follow the leading of the Lord rather than following the carnal natural fleshly appetites of fallen man.
Paul continues his instruction with two results we will gain from allowing God's Spirit to help fix what's wrong with our fleshly nature.
Galatians 5:22-23 ... "the fruit of the Holy Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is ... self-control and self-restraint." (Amplified ... edited)
Knowing the truth about who we are, the state we "barely saved sinners" are in, (1st Peter 4:18 ... "if the righteous scarcely be saved ...") Paul issues a warning to believers in ...
Galatians 6:1 ... "If any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual should ... restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also."
None of us are immune from falling back into fleshly sin. Here is some more advice from Nicholas Herman, the old French monk ...
"We should seek to learn the sins that do most easily beset us and the times and occasions, when we do most often fall. We ought, once for all, put our whole trust in God, and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, receiving the abundance of His grace, without which we can do nothing but sin. One does not become holy all at once. Yet, think not that I counsel you to disregard completely and forever the outward things that are around us. That is impossible."
That's why it says in Proverbs 4:23 ... "Keep and guard your heart ... above all that you guard ..." (Amplified)
The Apostle Paul sums up the real truth for us when he says in Galatians 6:5 ... "For every person will have to bear ... his own load of oppressive faults." (Amplified ... edited)
No, you will never get rid of your fallen flesh. But, with the Lord's help you can rule over your own body. Is Jesus your Lord? Then He has set you free ... not from the desires of the flesh ... but from being controlled by the flesh.
Galatians 2:20 ... "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God ..."
Let Jesus fix ... what you can't fix yourself.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Because You Can't Fix Yourself ... Part I
You need Jesus.
Trying harder might do it ... if you could live long enough ... which you won't. Even living ninety years following a self-help program won't completely fix what is wrong with man. Why is that? The problem is this ... man is completely fallen.
We have a sin nature. Adam and Eve have passed on to every human what is commonly called, original sin. And yes, even if you are born-again you still have this sin nature. You didn't lose it when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
I know some people teach that you have become a new creature in Christ, which is true ... even the Apostle Paul said that. Paul was addressing the new spirit man with-in you ... meaning your old will is set free ... but not the body of flesh you dwell in. I wish it was that simple; our old sin nature washed away with our sins, that would solve a lot of problems. But it wasn't, it's still there.
Proverbs 3:5-7 ... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."
Why did Solomon say ... "lean not unto thine own understanding." Because try as you may, you can't fix yourself. It's only with the help of the Lord that we will ever overcome our sinful nature, which is ... the propensity to desire sinful things.
Never, ever, make peace with your sin. If you need to repent ... repent. Repentance is an active daily posture, an ongoing change of heart, not a magical one time grouping of words we repeated when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.
It’s not about more effort ... because you can’t fix yourself ... it’s about more submission. It’s about having the courage to face your brokenness, to admit your sinfulness, and to surrender who you are to Jesus. It’s an ongoing journey ... a daily confrontation with our brokenness and the ongoing application of the only remedy that really works ... submission to Jesus Christ.
1st John 2:15-16 ... "Love not the world neither the things in the world ... For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
For all that is in the world ... meaning the objects visible to the eye, things that belong to this life, things that bring pride or sinful desires which men that love the world seem to value most highly and esteem important to them.
The lust of the flesh ... lust in general, meaning ... "a longing, a strong desire or corrupt principle." Some may be fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, and unclean thoughts about sensual pleasures. Desires of the flesh do not have to always be sexual ... they may include things like gluttony and drunkenness or drug use. Any craving of mind or body may be placed in this category.
The lust of the eyes ... the eye of man is never satisfied; objects, the visible things, gold, silver, houses, lands, and possessions, all of which will pass away and cannot satisfy the heart of man anyway. If there is any satisfaction in things, it is just temporal, like hunger ... you eat till you are satisfied and soon hunger again for more.
The pride of life ... by which seems to be meant, ambition, honor, prestige, living the fine life that money and wealth brings. There is nothing wrong or sinful about money ... it's the "love of money that is the root of all evil."
2nd Corinthians 5:17 ... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Really? All things are new? I don't feel much different.
Is the Apostle Paul saying ... every man in Christ is "a new creature," or as some older translations read, "let him be a new creature" ... understanding that the real true sense is this ... whoever is in Christ, who professes himself to be a Christian, "ought to be" a new creature.
All who are in Christ may not be new creatures instantly ... immediately upon conversion ... yet they shall be sooner or later if they are open to Him and His Holy Spirit at work in their lives. With the implantation of new principles of holiness through God's grace and mercy there will be an improvement over the old sin nature you were born with.
The Holy Spirit is the one who creates the new creature, or if you prefer, the new man. This new man is in opposition to the natural man with the old sin nature because he has something new implanted in his soul which was never there before. It is a new heart and a new spirit ... and in them there is new light and life bringing new affections and desires.
I am not saying the battle with the flesh will be easy. But if you are in Christ, you now have His life in you ... before you had absolutely no chance to overcome your sin nature.
Let me explain why even being in Christ, life is still going to be a spiritual battle. The truth is this ... "Our flesh is just as much who we are as is our spirit man."
The sin nature will always reside or dwell with-in our bodies of flesh. And you are stuck with this body of flesh that will never get saved. But you can gain control over the desires of the flesh with the help of the Lord.
Only then can you rule over your flesh ... rather than your flesh making you give in to it's desires.
Because you can't fix yourself ... you need Jesus.
Continued ...
Trying harder might do it ... if you could live long enough ... which you won't. Even living ninety years following a self-help program won't completely fix what is wrong with man. Why is that? The problem is this ... man is completely fallen.
We have a sin nature. Adam and Eve have passed on to every human what is commonly called, original sin. And yes, even if you are born-again you still have this sin nature. You didn't lose it when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
I know some people teach that you have become a new creature in Christ, which is true ... even the Apostle Paul said that. Paul was addressing the new spirit man with-in you ... meaning your old will is set free ... but not the body of flesh you dwell in. I wish it was that simple; our old sin nature washed away with our sins, that would solve a lot of problems. But it wasn't, it's still there.
Proverbs 3:5-7 ... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."
Why did Solomon say ... "lean not unto thine own understanding." Because try as you may, you can't fix yourself. It's only with the help of the Lord that we will ever overcome our sinful nature, which is ... the propensity to desire sinful things.
Never, ever, make peace with your sin. If you need to repent ... repent. Repentance is an active daily posture, an ongoing change of heart, not a magical one time grouping of words we repeated when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.
It’s not about more effort ... because you can’t fix yourself ... it’s about more submission. It’s about having the courage to face your brokenness, to admit your sinfulness, and to surrender who you are to Jesus. It’s an ongoing journey ... a daily confrontation with our brokenness and the ongoing application of the only remedy that really works ... submission to Jesus Christ.
1st John 2:15-16 ... "Love not the world neither the things in the world ... For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
For all that is in the world ... meaning the objects visible to the eye, things that belong to this life, things that bring pride or sinful desires which men that love the world seem to value most highly and esteem important to them.
The lust of the flesh ... lust in general, meaning ... "a longing, a strong desire or corrupt principle." Some may be fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, and unclean thoughts about sensual pleasures. Desires of the flesh do not have to always be sexual ... they may include things like gluttony and drunkenness or drug use. Any craving of mind or body may be placed in this category.
The lust of the eyes ... the eye of man is never satisfied; objects, the visible things, gold, silver, houses, lands, and possessions, all of which will pass away and cannot satisfy the heart of man anyway. If there is any satisfaction in things, it is just temporal, like hunger ... you eat till you are satisfied and soon hunger again for more.
The pride of life ... by which seems to be meant, ambition, honor, prestige, living the fine life that money and wealth brings. There is nothing wrong or sinful about money ... it's the "love of money that is the root of all evil."
2nd Corinthians 5:17 ... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Really? All things are new? I don't feel much different.
Is the Apostle Paul saying ... every man in Christ is "a new creature," or as some older translations read, "let him be a new creature" ... understanding that the real true sense is this ... whoever is in Christ, who professes himself to be a Christian, "ought to be" a new creature.
All who are in Christ may not be new creatures instantly ... immediately upon conversion ... yet they shall be sooner or later if they are open to Him and His Holy Spirit at work in their lives. With the implantation of new principles of holiness through God's grace and mercy there will be an improvement over the old sin nature you were born with.
The Holy Spirit is the one who creates the new creature, or if you prefer, the new man. This new man is in opposition to the natural man with the old sin nature because he has something new implanted in his soul which was never there before. It is a new heart and a new spirit ... and in them there is new light and life bringing new affections and desires.
I am not saying the battle with the flesh will be easy. But if you are in Christ, you now have His life in you ... before you had absolutely no chance to overcome your sin nature.
Let me explain why even being in Christ, life is still going to be a spiritual battle. The truth is this ... "Our flesh is just as much who we are as is our spirit man."
The sin nature will always reside or dwell with-in our bodies of flesh. And you are stuck with this body of flesh that will never get saved. But you can gain control over the desires of the flesh with the help of the Lord.
Only then can you rule over your flesh ... rather than your flesh making you give in to it's desires.
Because you can't fix yourself ... you need Jesus.
Continued ...
Sunday, January 1, 2012
From Nothing
In this discourse, I want to discuss the difference between the creation of the universe and what I am going to call ... recreation. Most likely, "recreation" isn't the correct word for how God brought the things into being in the third verse of Genesis, but that's the term I am going to use.
The original creation. Genesis 1:1 … "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
"In the beginning" ... Before the creative acts mentioned in this chapter, all was eternity past. There was no time. Time is a measurement of duration, so before the "beginning" it was just the eternal past. "In the beginning" then must necessarily mean the commencement of time which followed, or rather as produced by God’s creative acts.
The first word to look at is ... beginning ... and in Hebrew it is ray-sheeth' and means … the first (in place, time, order or rank.)
Now right away we come to a difficulty. Is this first creation … in the beginning … speaking of our universe, or is it speaking of God's realm, where He dwells with the angels, where the plan of the ages was thought out; in other words … the spiritual realm where His throne is.
As a child I used to make my mother scratch her head for answers when I would ask her questions like … "Where was God before He created the first anything? Before He had a throne in Heaven, was God just floating around in the nothingness of the absence of even space? Better yet, what was He doing?" All of these questions came to mind as I was developing my understanding of an eternal God.
I do not feel the need to address my childhood questions today … I'll leave that for another day. Today I am using the assumption that the creation spoken of by Moses in verse 1, deals with us, our realm, our universe and our earth since the commencement of keeping time begins there.
The second word to look at is … created … the word in Hebrew is bara, pronounced baw-raw' … which means (to bring into existence from nothing.) Notice in verse 1 that Moses just states that God brings the heavens and the earth into existence, he doesn't say how. A lot is said in the Bible about speaking, whether it's God or us. But here God is not shown as saying anything. The heavens (the universe) and planet earth just come into being as God wills it so.
Genesis 1:2 … "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep."
Chaos … this is not how God originally created it.
"The earth was without form, and void …" The word void in Hebrew is ... bo hu … pronounced bo'-hoo … and means, (an undistinguishable ruin, emptiness, void.)
Where verse 1 tells of the original creation … verse 2 is speaking of the earth in a fallen state of chaos, cold, dark and lifeless. But it won't stay that way much longer. God is getting ready for it's recreation.
So what happened to cause the earth to fall into the state of chaos that it was in.
In the dateless past, millions of years ago, the first earth was made for Lucifer, (the anointed cherub) one of only three named angels. When he tried to overthrow God, he was cast back down to the earth, which I believe was the main reason for the earth being in this state of chaos.
Jeremiah 4:23-26 … "I beheld the earth, it was without form, and void; and the heavens had no light."
Ezekiel 28:14-17 … "Thou art the anointed cherub, thou was perfect til … thou hast sinned … thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, I will cast thee down to the ground."
Isaiah 14:12-14 ... "How art thou fallen O Lucifer, how art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations."
What nations? (The word nation here means … a massing of people.)
The New Testament also speaks about this period of time some call, the pre-Adamite world found in 2nd Peter 3:5-7, "… the heavens of old, and the earth standing out of the water … the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished, but the heavens and the earth, which are now …"
Some people say "the world that then was" is talking about Noah’s flood, but I don’t think so. Notice it says "the heavens of old," and continues with "but the heavens which are now." If this were talking about Noah’s flood, it wouldn’t say that the heavens perished. Only the earth’s surface temporarily perished, not the heavens above.
The facts as I see them. In verse 1, God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. Then we have an unknown period of time until the fall of Lucifer, (when he tried to overthrow God) which caused the earth to fall into a state of chaos … from God's judgment. Again, an unknown period of time passes between verse 1 and verse 2 … until God decides to recreate the earth, starting in verse 3. Here God either speaks things back into existence, or makes them out of existing material.
And then in verse 3 we find these words … "And God said ..."
Now we have God speaking things back into existence from the chaos, the ruin it was in. He calls for light and then divides it into night and day. He calls for the atmosphere ... the firmament … which is the visible expanse of sky.
Continue on to verse 7, Moses writes ... "And God made …" which is showing that something is different than when he said God created our universe in the beginning.
The third word to examine is ... made ... the Hebrew is asah, pronounced aw-saw' … which means, to make out of existing material.
In verse 1, God created (bara) the heavens and the earth out of nothing … but here in verse 7, God made (asah) things out of stuff (existing material) He had previously created in verse 1. He just speaks them back into existence … out of the chaos … like the dry land, the grass and fruit trees, etc.
Notice in verse 26, when God said … "Let us make man" … Moses uses the word asah, (to make out of existing material.) Which is what He did. God takes red clay and makes ... "dirt man" and names him Adam, (pronounced aw-dam') because he is ruddy colored.
In the next verse, Moses switches back to the word bara, (to bring into existence from nothing.) God (asah) made, (or formed) man from existing material … but (bara) created man as something (which never was before) when He breathed His breath into Adam and he became a living soul.
God can and has created things from nothing … that's bara.
I sometimes feel that He has done that with me. But I guess, what He really did was take the empty clay vessel of my life, place it on the potters wheel, add some living water to it to soften it up and then remake it into something He could use … that's asah.
Comments welcome.
The original creation. Genesis 1:1 … "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
"In the beginning" ... Before the creative acts mentioned in this chapter, all was eternity past. There was no time. Time is a measurement of duration, so before the "beginning" it was just the eternal past. "In the beginning" then must necessarily mean the commencement of time which followed, or rather as produced by God’s creative acts.
The first word to look at is ... beginning ... and in Hebrew it is ray-sheeth' and means … the first (in place, time, order or rank.)
Now right away we come to a difficulty. Is this first creation … in the beginning … speaking of our universe, or is it speaking of God's realm, where He dwells with the angels, where the plan of the ages was thought out; in other words … the spiritual realm where His throne is.
As a child I used to make my mother scratch her head for answers when I would ask her questions like … "Where was God before He created the first anything? Before He had a throne in Heaven, was God just floating around in the nothingness of the absence of even space? Better yet, what was He doing?" All of these questions came to mind as I was developing my understanding of an eternal God.
I do not feel the need to address my childhood questions today … I'll leave that for another day. Today I am using the assumption that the creation spoken of by Moses in verse 1, deals with us, our realm, our universe and our earth since the commencement of keeping time begins there.
The second word to look at is … created … the word in Hebrew is bara, pronounced baw-raw' … which means (to bring into existence from nothing.) Notice in verse 1 that Moses just states that God brings the heavens and the earth into existence, he doesn't say how. A lot is said in the Bible about speaking, whether it's God or us. But here God is not shown as saying anything. The heavens (the universe) and planet earth just come into being as God wills it so.
Genesis 1:2 … "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep."
Chaos … this is not how God originally created it.
"The earth was without form, and void …" The word void in Hebrew is ... bo hu … pronounced bo'-hoo … and means, (an undistinguishable ruin, emptiness, void.)
Where verse 1 tells of the original creation … verse 2 is speaking of the earth in a fallen state of chaos, cold, dark and lifeless. But it won't stay that way much longer. God is getting ready for it's recreation.
So what happened to cause the earth to fall into the state of chaos that it was in.
In the dateless past, millions of years ago, the first earth was made for Lucifer, (the anointed cherub) one of only three named angels. When he tried to overthrow God, he was cast back down to the earth, which I believe was the main reason for the earth being in this state of chaos.
Jeremiah 4:23-26 … "I beheld the earth, it was without form, and void; and the heavens had no light."
Ezekiel 28:14-17 … "Thou art the anointed cherub, thou was perfect til … thou hast sinned … thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, I will cast thee down to the ground."
Isaiah 14:12-14 ... "How art thou fallen O Lucifer, how art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations."
What nations? (The word nation here means … a massing of people.)
The New Testament also speaks about this period of time some call, the pre-Adamite world found in 2nd Peter 3:5-7, "… the heavens of old, and the earth standing out of the water … the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished, but the heavens and the earth, which are now …"
Some people say "the world that then was" is talking about Noah’s flood, but I don’t think so. Notice it says "the heavens of old," and continues with "but the heavens which are now." If this were talking about Noah’s flood, it wouldn’t say that the heavens perished. Only the earth’s surface temporarily perished, not the heavens above.
The facts as I see them. In verse 1, God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. Then we have an unknown period of time until the fall of Lucifer, (when he tried to overthrow God) which caused the earth to fall into a state of chaos … from God's judgment. Again, an unknown period of time passes between verse 1 and verse 2 … until God decides to recreate the earth, starting in verse 3. Here God either speaks things back into existence, or makes them out of existing material.
And then in verse 3 we find these words … "And God said ..."
Now we have God speaking things back into existence from the chaos, the ruin it was in. He calls for light and then divides it into night and day. He calls for the atmosphere ... the firmament … which is the visible expanse of sky.
Continue on to verse 7, Moses writes ... "And God made …" which is showing that something is different than when he said God created our universe in the beginning.
The third word to examine is ... made ... the Hebrew is asah, pronounced aw-saw' … which means, to make out of existing material.
In verse 1, God created (bara) the heavens and the earth out of nothing … but here in verse 7, God made (asah) things out of stuff (existing material) He had previously created in verse 1. He just speaks them back into existence … out of the chaos … like the dry land, the grass and fruit trees, etc.
Notice in verse 26, when God said … "Let us make man" … Moses uses the word asah, (to make out of existing material.) Which is what He did. God takes red clay and makes ... "dirt man" and names him Adam, (pronounced aw-dam') because he is ruddy colored.
In the next verse, Moses switches back to the word bara, (to bring into existence from nothing.) God (asah) made, (or formed) man from existing material … but (bara) created man as something (which never was before) when He breathed His breath into Adam and he became a living soul.
God can and has created things from nothing … that's bara.
I sometimes feel that He has done that with me. But I guess, what He really did was take the empty clay vessel of my life, place it on the potters wheel, add some living water to it to soften it up and then remake it into something He could use … that's asah.
Comments welcome.
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