11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13 ESV
Sorry for this long one but I am compelled to post it so:
We are but mortal men with the sinfulness and iniquity that comes with being born of sin. As such we live our lives in fear of the Lords Wrath. For we as men are sinners. As we harkens unto mans law forgetting God's law, we sin. Our necks stiff and our backs straight we strive for worldly things at the cost of our Soul.
But God is a loving god and a forgiving God so he shows mercy unto his creation, Mankind.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16.
Already posted I know but necessary to repost for the context of my message here.
As we live so shall we sin be it of ignorance or temptation, we will sin. God in His Mighty Grace has given us the choice to decided for ourselves, and we as man are weak, we will sin.
From the blood of our birth to the calling home of our souls, we are in danger of the sins against Our Lord. His Law is the law and supersedes any law written by the hand of mankind who think himself of great and powerful stature. The Laws of Moses even unto the Ten Commandments are Law to all of mankind and are most Holy. Three books of Moses are we given to learn and guide us:
Exodus.
Leviticus.
Numbers.
Moses born of blood by an Israelite and cast upon the water in an Ark of reed, rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, fed by the bosom of his mother who was called forth for this reason was raised in the house of Pharaoh and learned they're ways. Evil was the way the Israelites were treated and it came to pass that one day Moses witnessed the murder of one of God's people and he took vengeance upon the murderer. Escaping into the wilderness was his only salvation, so he returned to his own kind and learned of God and his rightfulness. As time passed Moses was call to speak with God and commanded to return to Egypt he and demand the release of Gods people, so he did as he was commanded.
1 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. Ex 6:1-3 (KJV)
Even after God shows his mighty hand and terrible vengeance unto the Egyptians, after all that was shown, still Pharaoh chose to give chase and in doing so all mankind was shown the Divine Intervention of God through the demise of a mighty Pharaoh as he and his followers were drowned within the Red Sea as God closed it upon them.
The Israelites were a stubborn people and all the while murmured against Moses and God wishing they had remained in Egypt and always it brought forth the wrath of God and they were continually chastised by His Hand. If they had thirst, they murmured, if they hungered they murmured not could they be satisfied even when fed by the Hand of God Himself of Manna, still they murmured.
Moses, being chastised also by the Lord was not to cross the Jordan but given a chance to view The Promised land from afar.
1 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, 2 And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, 3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. 4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. Deut 34:1-4 (KJV)
They refused to humble themselves even until God decided that none but one who left Egypt would ever cross the Jordan River into the land promised to they're fathers. Forty years they wandered the wilderness until not one but Caleb lived to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, for Caleb alone had kept all of God's Commandments and His Statutes of law.
The Law is The Law and shall be kept forever more without interpretation by mortal man, for we know nothing of the Workings of God and His Plans! In sin we think ourselves great and wise enough to try to interpret the Written Laws when They are The Law and it is to our folly that we try to find within them difference too our own liking in place of trusting The Lord and following Them blindly as we are commanded!
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13 ESV
Just saw the thread view count and could not let that number stand! So, BUMP!
IF it was because it was at 666, I shake my head at the sad state of popular Biblical interpretation. First, because it's probably meant to be 616. Second, because it's just overblown in American Christianity. The symbolism just isn't as sinister or as deep as most people think it is. Check out these three posts from an expert on Asia Minor (location of the seven churches): http://richardoster.com/tag/gematria/ It's kind of technical, but worth the 15 minutes.
Sorry if I took this way too seriously. Sometimes the 666 reference is thrown out in jest, but I've seen it taken WAYyyyyyy too seriously.
Every one has their belief on that particular number, I would not let it stand for my reasons, for others who were offended by my bump, I apologize but certain numbers have a strong meaning to me, personally, so I did what I felt best. Again for me and for MY reasons.
It didn't offend, sorry if it came across that way. I hope I didn't offend you. I just don't think every time I see 666 (or 616, whichever may be, or both) I have to panic. It's just a shorthand name for a man-not the beast, not an anti-Christ (a word that never appears in Revelation, and is always plural when it does appear elsewhere). I don't think the number and the mark are the same thing, but I don't get crazy about trying to figure out what the mark is. I don't think it's barcodes or chips like they put in dogs or little green men flying around in black helicopters or drones tagging us with some kind of something or other. I also happen to think this particular passage is less prophetic and more historical. But like you said, there's lots of interpretations. As far as the number goes, it spells a name. "Neron Kaisar" is 666 in gematria. "Nero Kaisar" is 616 (so either points to the same person. Of course you can also turn Domitian or Lateinos into 666 as well.
By the way, the best book, ever, on Revelation is by Mark Wilson, "Charts on the Book of Revelation." Great teaching resource. The six page chart on allusions in Rev. to the OT and other literature is amazing.
No offence taken, discussion only I assure you. I learn every day and if you choose to teach I will also be able to learn from you. Everyone has something of value to teach so proceed with my blessings to a Man who knows the Word.
1 Peter 4:11 11. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Philippians 2:9-11 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Another verse I like to quibble about...I think Paul is God-centered more than Christ-centered (not to say they're mutually exclusive in Paul or anywhere else, but there is a distinction). There are all these songs that talk about "at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow," but I don't think that's what this verse says...I think it's saying that Jesus will be given a name...the name...which is above all names, that is the name of God, YHWH, which was always replaced with LORD when reading scripture aloud in the day. So, when Jesus is called by the name of God (not when he is called "Jesus"), every knee will bow, etc. because of the name of God. Not that its a huge point to most people, but Jesus always points to God the Father. This hymn is really powerful and deep stuff. Love it.
Philippians 2:9-11 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Another verse I like to quibble about...I think Paul is God-centered more than Christ-centered (not to say they're mutually exclusive in Paul or anywhere else, but there is a distinction). There are all these songs that talk about "at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow," but I don't think that's what this verse says...I think it's saying that Jesus will be given a name...the name...which is above all names, that is the name of God, YHWH, which was always replaced with LORD when reading scripture aloud in the day. So, when Jesus is called by the name of God (not when he is called "Jesus"), every knee will bow, etc. because of the name of God. Not that its a huge point to most people, but Jesus always points to God the Father. This hymn is really powerful and deep stuff. Love it.
I get your theological point here... but the verse actually says, "at the name of Jesus" (i.e. Iesus). Your interpretive point still stands, in that Iesus is the Greek form of "Joshua," meaning YHWH is Salvation. But it's not that He will be given a name above all names, but that He has already been given that name... Jesus=YHWH is Salvation.
Philippians 2:9-11 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Another verse I like to quibble about...I think Paul is God-centered more than Christ-centered (not to say they're mutually exclusive in Paul or anywhere else, but there is a distinction). There are all these songs that talk about "at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow," but I don't think that's what this verse says...I think it's saying that Jesus will be given a name...the name...which is above all names, that is the name of God, YHWH, which was always replaced with LORD when reading scripture aloud in the day. So, when Jesus is called by the name of God (not when he is called "Jesus"), every knee will bow, etc. because of the name of God. Not that its a huge point to most people, but Jesus always points to God the Father. This hymn is really powerful and deep stuff. Love it.
I get your theological point here... but the verse actually says, "at the name of Jesus" (i.e. Iesus). Your interpretive point still stands, in that Iesus is the Greek form of "Joshua," meaning YHWH is Salvation. But it's not that He will be given a name above all names, but that He has already been given that name... Jesus=YHWH is Salvation.
Yes, he has been given, sorry about the will be. Tense slipped on me writing this on the fly.
But we can still ask what name is he given? I think the structure of the hymn still points to this "name" being the name of God. The hymn starts with Jesus not considering equality with God something to be grasped for his own benefit, but emptying himself, implying he is equal/is God. So when we get to every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is LORD, this interpretation holds if we believe that Paul is replacing the name of God with "Lord" (as any good student of Gamaliel would). So the oti clause, which can't be read as "Lord" being a title attached to Jesus Christ, but must be read with an implied copulative, reads "Jesus Christ is Lord". This statement still leaves the question...what is being confessed? Is the confession that Jesus is lord and ruler in his own right, or is the confession that Jesus is LORD (God), and given the name of God because he is God. I think Paul, a good Jewish boy and student of Gamaliel, probably revered the name of God and could easily have substituted a Kurios for Theos since he's talking about the name of God and not just identity here.
I don't think much practice hinges on this point, either way, but I do see a "lessening," if you will, of the role and person of God the Father in American Christianity while emphasizing Jesus. I hope I don't interpret the passage for the purposes of taking some sort of corrective stance, but I became convinced that the passage can reasonably be read this way several years ago. Still, not something I'm going to get my knickers in a twist over, but one of those fine points that feeds me when I study. I may change my mind again, but I think this is at once a milk and meat passage. We need to be like Christ. We need to empty ourselves; it's been said kenosis is the beginning of Christianity. We need to be servants. We need to reflect the glory of God by doing these things as Christ did.
Now, I'll move on and do so by throwing up another verse...
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13-15 ESV)
Ephesians 6:13-17 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in that evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14. Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
1 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
Judges 2:1-2 (KJV)
8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. 13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
Judges 2:8-13 (KJV) If I post too much, just let me know but for every word I post, there is a person who needs to read it else I would simply read your work and the great discussions here. I still maintain that this is a great idea for a thread.
Psalms 6:1-5 1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord heal me; for my bones are vexed. 3. My soul is also sore vexed: But thou, O Lord how long? 4. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercy's sake. 5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: In the grave who shall give thee thanks?
Mathew 5:2-12 2. And he opened his mouth, and taught, saying, 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted the prophets which were before you.
I found your book, but sadly for now can not afford it, but it is on my list.
PM your addy, Rodney. I've got an extra copy I can send you.
I can not express just how much your gift, which arrived a few moments ago, means to me. I will start reading and studying today. The Word carries the Power and through the Power we earn our redemption that Christ paid for long ago. And this my friend, means much to me for it is directly from your hand!
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
1 Thess 1:2-5 (KJV)
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
1 Thess 1:2-5 (KJV)
Ephesians 5:25-27 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave hiself for it; 26. That he might sanctify and clense it with the washing of water by the word, 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blimish.
Some only see trash where others see treasure, not Earthly treasure mind you, but spiritual treasure.
Everyone has something that needs healing in they're lives, there are no exceptions to this, only examples.
Neither I nor anyone I know even comes close to being a perfect being. As a matter of fact there has only been one such to have ever Walked the Earth. Jesus Christ. We all can and should aspire to be as Godly in our lives as we can possibly but we will always fall short of our goals and the Glory of Christ. This is in a way intentional, for if we could reach such lofty aspirations, why would we have need of spiritual guidance? God created man with a free will for a reason, to show us that left to our own devises we would ultimately destroy ourselves.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. Gen 6:6-7
When all was almost lost due to corruption and Earthly strife God saw fit to try one more time to save His Creation, mankind. Noah was called at set to the task of the Building Of The Ark. Six, and only SIX of mankind were concidered worth saving.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Gen 6:8-10
18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. Gen 6:18
This is where the first Ten Commandments and the later laws and statutes given to man through Moses and Aaron come into play. We needed law to keep us directed on the righteous path even in the early days of The Old Testament. Harsh in the eyes of modern man to be sure, but in the days of old it had to be that way because of the stubbornness of God's chosen people. Many times God was tested through the actions of His people.
Many was the times that those same people were chastised even unto death. Still they rebuked and worshiped false idols. But God saw something there. Something worth saving. Even as broken and fragmented as they were, God saw some good, deep inside and hidden, but there non the less.
Praise God for looking inside for a glimmer of something worth saving way back then or this letter would not have been written today.
Broken vessels. This describes us as a people perfectly because in one way or another we all are and we all are in need repair.
Glory to God for His infinite patience with us all.
When all seemed to be going in a way contrary than God would have desired a second time he gave mankind the greatest Treasure the World has ever seen.
Jesus Christ, His Only Begotton Son!
Now here I stop to ponder a moment. How great is God's love, that he would willingly and with foreknowledge of the things to come, send something so valuable to Him Personally just to save our Eternal Souls?
Love beyond comprehension.
With Jesus came love unconditional and unrestricted. All of us from the time He Walked the Earth until even today are rewarded by His Great Sacrifice, all our vessels are repaired through the Excepting of His dying on the cross at Calvary for our sins and the fact that we accept that He is our personal Saviour and our only way to God directly. How Glorious was the act of His Love toward us that he would be willing to die for us? Unfathomable.
We all do and say sometimes things that are not truly in our hearts but come from the spur of the moment anger brought forth by the Devil slipping past our guard. Even our best laid defence's can sometimes fail so we must always be very vigilant for such sneak attacks as Satan is the biggest back stabber the Earth has ever seen. His one mission on Earth is to simply cast doubt, in this simple act He wins. If we faulter, even slightly He has a way of entrance to attack!
Broken Vessels, yes this describes us perfectly.
We live our lives by faith in the assurance of the Holy Word that we will achieve a perfect afterlife if we only believe. Is that such a great task? Simply to believe? And if we truly believe then we must set example for others to follow by leading a Godly life and not only talking one. Again is this so hard to do? A thousand times no! To live righteously is the easiest thing in the world.
Praise be to The Almighty God!
Amen!
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thess 4:14-18 (KJV)
A man.
Simply that, a man.
And yet within the simple boundaries set forth by that comment can be a thousand variations.
Good, bad, healthy, vengeful, the list can go into sub list and even more sub lists.
So how does a man decide to become the person he ends up being?
Life!
How we choose to live our lives directly affects the outcome of said life as well as all we touch within in our lives.
We are creatures of circumstance, even with a thinking mind, we are prone to try blend into our surroundings as best we can even though sometimes it can be to our own folly.
Can we all agree to this point?
Now I say this:
We have the ability to overcome our circumstance and better ourselves.
How often is this question ask next.
How can I change?
The answer is simple, be who you want to be, not who you are forced to be.
Accept God as The Father and Jesus as the Saviour, The one who died for all our sins, past, present and future and The Holy Ghost as our personal guide through life!
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Matt 3:1-3
So simple!
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Matt 18:1-5
I have often thought about this and one constant remains, a true man will step up.
No fear, no fits of any kind, be it vulgarity or cursing, he will simply step up and do task is put before him.
7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Matt 18:7
A man in my book is the one who stands out and proclaims that he is an individual.
One who is not afraid to admit that he is a Spiritual being and Proclaim in a ringing voice that Jesus is King!
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Psalms 5:11
So simple and yet so many fall short of Grace simply because they are afraid to stand out.
No one, in my opinion, has the right to blame society for his shortcomings.
If you do not like your life, change it!
Nehemiah 1:11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attintive to the prayer of thine servant, and to the prayer of thine servants, who desire to fear thine name: And prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight if this man. For I was the kings cupbearer.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Matt 1:18 (KJV) Now knowing this, did Jesus share the blood of a human mother, or was he exempt from the rules of human birthing? This question has been on my mind for a long spell now and any help here will be appreciated.
Galations 5:22-26 22. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentelness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temprence: against such there is no law. 24. And they that are Christs' have crucified the flesh with affections and lusts. 25. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. 26. Let us not be desirious of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Comments
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13 ESV
We are but mortal men with the sinfulness and iniquity that comes with being born of sin. As such we live our lives in fear of the Lords Wrath. For we as men are sinners. As we harkens unto mans law forgetting God's law, we sin. Our necks stiff and our backs straight we strive for worldly things at the cost of our Soul.
But God is a loving god and a forgiving God so he shows mercy unto his creation, Mankind.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16.
Already posted I know but necessary to repost for the context of my message here.
As we live so shall we sin be it of ignorance or temptation, we will sin. God in His Mighty Grace has given us the choice to decided for ourselves, and we as man are weak, we will sin.
From the blood of our birth to the calling home of our souls, we are in danger of the sins against Our Lord. His Law is the law and supersedes any law written by the hand of mankind who think himself of great and powerful stature. The Laws of Moses even unto the Ten Commandments are Law to all of mankind and are most Holy. Three books of Moses are we given to learn and guide us:
Exodus.
Leviticus.
Numbers.
Moses born of blood by an Israelite and cast upon the water in an Ark of reed, rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, fed by the bosom of his mother who was called forth for this reason was raised in the house of Pharaoh and learned they're ways. Evil was the way the Israelites were treated and it came to pass that one day Moses witnessed the murder of one of God's people and he took vengeance upon the murderer. Escaping into the wilderness was his only salvation, so he returned to his own kind and learned of God and his rightfulness. As time passed Moses was call to speak with God and commanded to return to Egypt he and demand the release of Gods people, so he did as he was commanded.
1 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. Ex 6:1-3 (KJV)
Even after God shows his mighty hand and terrible vengeance unto the Egyptians, after all that was shown, still Pharaoh chose to give chase and in doing so all mankind was shown the Divine Intervention of God through the demise of a mighty Pharaoh as he and his followers were drowned within the Red Sea as God closed it upon them.
The Israelites were a stubborn people and all the while murmured against Moses and God wishing they had remained in Egypt and always it brought forth the wrath of God and they were continually chastised by His Hand. If they had thirst, they murmured, if they hungered they murmured not could they be satisfied even when fed by the Hand of God Himself of Manna, still they murmured.
Moses, being chastised also by the Lord was not to cross the Jordan but given a chance to view The Promised land from afar.
1 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, 2 And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, 3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. 4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. Deut 34:1-4 (KJV)
They refused to humble themselves even until God decided that none but one who left Egypt would ever cross the Jordan River into the land promised to they're fathers. Forty years they wandered the wilderness until not one but Caleb lived to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, for Caleb alone had kept all of God's Commandments and His Statutes of law.
The Law is The Law and shall be kept forever more without interpretation by mortal man, for we know nothing of the Workings of God and His Plans! In sin we think ourselves great and wise enough to try to interpret the Written Laws when They are The Law and it is to our folly that we try to find within them difference too our own liking in place of trusting The Lord and following Them blindly as we are commanded!
Amen!
No offence taken, discussion only I assure you. I learn every day and if you choose to teach I will also be able to learn from you. Everyone has something of value to teach so proceed with my blessings to a Man who knows the Word.
11. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen
9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under earth;
11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
But we can still ask what name is he given? I think the structure of the hymn still points to this "name" being the name of God. The hymn starts with Jesus not considering equality with God something to be grasped for his own benefit, but emptying himself, implying he is equal/is God. So when we get to every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is LORD, this interpretation holds if we believe that Paul is replacing the name of God with "Lord" (as any good student of Gamaliel would). So the oti clause, which can't be read as "Lord" being a title attached to Jesus Christ, but must be read with an implied copulative, reads "Jesus Christ is Lord". This statement still leaves the question...what is being confessed? Is the confession that Jesus is lord and ruler in his own right, or is the confession that Jesus is LORD (God), and given the name of God because he is God. I think Paul, a good Jewish boy and student of Gamaliel, probably revered the name of God and could easily have substituted a Kurios for Theos since he's talking about the name of God and not just identity here.
I don't think much practice hinges on this point, either way, but I do see a "lessening," if you will, of the role and person of God the Father in American Christianity while emphasizing Jesus. I hope I don't interpret the passage for the purposes of taking some sort of corrective stance, but I became convinced that the passage can reasonably be read this way several years ago. Still, not something I'm going to get my knickers in a twist over, but one of those fine points that feeds me when I study. I may change my mind again, but I think this is at once a milk and meat passage. We need to be like Christ. We need to empty ourselves; it's been said kenosis is the beginning of Christianity. We need to be servants. We need to reflect the glory of God by doing these things as Christ did.
Now, I'll move on and do so by throwing up another verse...
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13-15 ESV)
13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in that evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14. Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
If I post too much, just let me know but for every word I post, there is a person who needs to read it else I would simply read your work and the great discussions here. I still maintain that this is a great idea for a thread.
1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3. My soul is also sore vexed: But thou, O Lord how long?
4. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercy's sake.
5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: In the grave who shall give thee thanks?
2. And he opened his mouth, and taught, saying,
3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted the prophets which were before you.
I can not express just how much your gift, which arrived a few moments ago, means to me. I will start reading and studying today. The Word carries the Power and through the Power we earn our redemption that Christ paid for long ago.
And this my friend, means much to me for it is directly from your hand!
Ephesians 5:25-27
25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave hiself for it;
26. That he might sanctify and clense it with the washing of water by the word,
27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blimish.
Some only see trash where others see treasure, not Earthly treasure mind you, but spiritual treasure.
Everyone has something that needs healing in they're lives, there are no exceptions to this, only examples.
Neither I nor anyone I know even comes close to being a perfect being. As a matter of fact there has only been one such to have ever Walked the Earth. Jesus Christ. We all can and should aspire to be as Godly in our lives as we can possibly but we will always fall short of our goals and the Glory of Christ. This is in a way intentional, for if we could reach such lofty aspirations, why would we have need of spiritual guidance? God created man with a free will for a reason, to show us that left to our own devises we would ultimately destroy ourselves.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. Gen 6:6-7
When all was almost lost due to corruption and Earthly strife God saw fit to try one more time to save His Creation, mankind. Noah was called at set to the task of the Building Of The Ark. Six, and only SIX of mankind were concidered worth saving.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Gen 6:8-10
18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. Gen 6:18
This is where the first Ten Commandments and the later laws and statutes given to man through Moses and Aaron come into play. We needed law to keep us directed on the righteous path even in the early days of The Old Testament. Harsh in the eyes of modern man to be sure, but in the days of old it had to be that way because of the stubbornness of God's chosen people. Many times God was tested through the actions of His people.
Many was the times that those same people were chastised even unto death. Still they rebuked and worshiped false idols. But God saw something there. Something worth saving. Even as broken and fragmented as they were, God saw some good, deep inside and hidden, but there non the less.
Praise God for looking inside for a glimmer of something worth saving way back then or this letter would not have been written today.
Broken vessels. This describes us as a people perfectly because in one way or another we all are and we all are in need repair.
Glory to God for His infinite patience with us all.
When all seemed to be going in a way contrary than God would have desired a second time he gave mankind the greatest Treasure the World has ever seen.
Jesus Christ, His Only Begotton Son!
Now here I stop to ponder a moment. How great is God's love, that he would willingly and with foreknowledge of the things to come, send something so valuable to Him Personally just to save our Eternal Souls?
Love beyond comprehension.
With Jesus came love unconditional and unrestricted. All of us from the time He Walked the Earth until even today are rewarded by His Great Sacrifice, all our vessels are repaired through the Excepting of His dying on the cross at Calvary for our sins and the fact that we accept that He is our personal Saviour and our only way to God directly. How Glorious was the act of His Love toward us that he would be willing to die for us? Unfathomable.
We all do and say sometimes things that are not truly in our hearts but come from the spur of the moment anger brought forth by the Devil slipping past our guard. Even our best laid defence's can sometimes fail so we must always be very vigilant for such sneak attacks as Satan is the biggest back stabber the Earth has ever seen. His one mission on Earth is to simply cast doubt, in this simple act He wins. If we faulter, even slightly He has a way of entrance to attack!
Broken Vessels, yes this describes us perfectly.
We live our lives by faith in the assurance of the Holy Word that we will achieve a perfect afterlife if we only believe. Is that such a great task? Simply to believe? And if we truly believe then we must set example for others to follow by leading a Godly life and not only talking one. Again is this so hard to do? A thousand times no! To live righteously is the easiest thing in the world.
Praise be to The Almighty God!
Amen!
Simply that, a man.
And yet within the simple boundaries set forth by that comment can be a thousand variations. Good, bad, healthy, vengeful, the list can go into sub list and even more sub lists.
So how does a man decide to become the person he ends up being?
Life!
How we choose to live our lives directly affects the outcome of said life as well as all we touch within in our lives.
We are creatures of circumstance, even with a thinking mind, we are prone to try blend into our surroundings as best we can even though sometimes it can be to our own folly. Can we all agree to this point?
Now I say this:
We have the ability to overcome our circumstance and better ourselves.
How often is this question ask next.
How can I change?
The answer is simple, be who you want to be, not who you are forced to be.
Accept God as The Father and Jesus as the Saviour, The one who died for all our sins, past, present and future and The Holy Ghost as our personal guide through life!
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Matt 3:1-3
So simple!
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. Matt 18:1-5
I have often thought about this and one constant remains, a true man will step up. No fear, no fits of any kind, be it vulgarity or cursing, he will simply step up and do task is put before him.
7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Matt 18:7
A man in my book is the one who stands out and proclaims that he is an individual.
One who is not afraid to admit that he is a Spiritual being and Proclaim in a ringing voice that Jesus is King!
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Psalms 5:11
So simple and yet so many fall short of Grace simply because they are afraid to stand out. No one, in my opinion, has the right to blame society for his shortcomings. If you do not like your life, change it!
O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attintive to the prayer of thine servant, and to the prayer of thine servants, who desire to fear thine name: And prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight if this man. For I was the kings cupbearer.
Now knowing this, did Jesus share the blood of a human mother, or was he exempt from the rules of human birthing?
This question has been on my mind for a long spell now and any help here will be appreciated.
160. Thy word it true from the beginning: and every one of they righteous judgements endureth for ever.
1. I will lift mine eyes up to the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
22. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentelness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temprence: against such there is no law.
24. And they that are Christs' have crucified the flesh with affections and lusts.
25. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit.
26. Let us not be desirious of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.