Name Change - Part 3 - Sealed

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 

“The Lord knows those who are His,” and, 

“Everyone who calls on The Name of The Lord

 must turn away from iniquity.”

Revelation 22:4

They will see His face, and His Name will be on their foreheads. 

Revelation 3:12

The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write The Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My New Name.

    In 2 Timothy 2:19 we are sealed with a great seal, a seal bearing two inscriptions: The Lord Knows Who Belongs To Him and Everyone Who Calls On The Name of The Lord Must Turn Away From Iniquity. Two very important statements in being called a Christian. [Matthew 7:22, 23; John 10:14, 27]

    The first part of the great seal states that The Lord Knows Who Belongs To Him. Just because someone says they're a Christian doesn't mean they're a Christian. Their actions belie their words. Even actions done 'in Christ's Name' does not make a person a Christian. It is the second part of the seal that defines Christianity. 

    How does The Lord know who belongs to Him? God knows our hearts and our thoughts. Therefore, He can see our intents and our motives before ever we take action on them. [1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:10]. Since we know this to be true, we must guard our hearts and fill our thoughts with those things that honor God. [Proverbs 4:23; Philippians 4:8]. 

THE LORD KNOWS WHO BELONGS TO HIM

    Many are the passages of Scripture that define workers of iniquity. The Book of Proverbs is filled with the wisdom and knowledge of who these workers are and how to avoid being one of them. Workers of iniquity are unrepentant sinners. They are comfortable in their sin and see no reason for changing their ways. [Psalm 5:5; 1 John 3:4; 1 John 2:4; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Matthew 25]. 

    Too many will have attended one church or another, becoming a member of the church denomination, giving their tithes and offerings, serving on the board or teaching in the classrooms. But never giving their hearts and lives to Christ Jesus. Never surrendering fully to God, nor giving Him the honor and glory due Him because He is God. Church attendance does not make us known to God. 

    The Lord is sifting the church, bringing judgment upon the sleepers, who will be chaff in the wind, kindle in the fire. Their 'faith' will dissolve and they will complain to God that they did this or did that in His Name, but He will inform them that He never knew them. Be wheat, not chaff. Be watchful, not sleeping. Know the times in which we live and be ever ready to give a testimony of the gospel and why you believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. [Matthew 3:12; Matthew 25:1-13; Romans 13:11; 2 Timothy 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15].

TURN AWAY FROM INIQUITY

    We guard our hearts when we disallow vain philosophies to enter in. We have set a watch over our hearts when we listen to God's Holy Spirit, Who leads us away from temptations and brings us closer to God, when we maintain a full study life in Christ. We read our Holy Bibles, praying over The Word that God would reveal to us in the passage(s) we are reading, not only Himself, but what He would have us to know. 

    Think: consider, regard, take into account. Now, if we are taking something or someone into account, we are putting some serious thought into what we will do with that something or someone. It is applying deliberate attention to every detail, even the most minute, or what appears to be an irrelevant or obscure detail, and fully laying it out before we make a decision regarding that something or someone. This is how we think on God's Word. 

    What is iniquity? Iniquity is sin. It is disobedience to God's Word and God's Will for us. It is lawlessness. It is evil and wickedness. Iniquity is immorality. It is wrongdoing, misconduct, dishonesty. Iniquity is trespassing. It is corruption. 

    Iniquity takes up residence in both the heart and the mind from birth, through the nature of sin that we are born with. When we reach the age of accountability--knowing what is right and what is wrong and why these things are right and wrong, recognizing truth as truth and lying as lying--then we become accountable to God for how we think and what we believe. 

    When we turn from iniquity, we must turn our hearts and our minds elsewhere. And just where is this 'elsewhere'? In Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of God's Love to us. He is Truth. He is Righteousness. He is The Right Hand of God. He is Love. He is Light. He is Savior. He is Redeemer. He is The Glory of God and so much more. He is The Good Shepherd Who Knows His Sheep. 

    That's how we are known. That's how we are recognized. When Jesus Christ is our Savior, He becomes our Shepherd and we become His fellow workers of righteousness and His sheep. We are His own. We belong to Him now, for we have turned our backs on iniquity. No more are we workers of iniquity, no more are we living lives of sin and immoralities: we are His sheep: we are Christians because we are following our Shepherd now in this new Life He has given us in Himself, instead of following the main worker of iniquity, of lawlessness, Satan. 

    We are sealed with this great seal, a dual seal of Being Known By God and Belonging To Jesus Christ. We are Christians, Light-Bearers in an ever darkening world, and we are here to tell you about the saving grace of God through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. "For there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:12]. 

    Where the blood of God's Lamb Who Takes Away The Sins of The World has been applied, and where the fire of God's Holy Spirit is evident, the seal has been branded on that person. Are you sealed? 

     

    

Name Change-Part 2

 

Daniel 1:6

Now among these were of the children of Judah: 

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

    The Book of Daniel begins with a war and a kidnapping. Not a very auspicious beginning, is it? But we miss a very important point here: The Lord allowed it to happen (verse 2). Sometimes when bad things happen to us, we wonder where God is and why this is happening to us. When instead we should keep our hearts and our eyes on God and respect His will for us, even when our world has been turned upside-down.

    Of all the children of Israel, only four were found to meet the king's requirements for them to be in his court, in his service. Verse 4: unblemished, goodly to look upon, wise, knowledgeable, understanding in science; young men who they would be able to teach their ways and their language to. 

    Young men who would be fed meat and wine for three years, that they might be presentable to the king: Verse 5. And their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel: God is My Judge. Hananiah: The Lord is Gracious. Mishael: Who Is Like God? Azariah: God Has Helped. 

    They were the children of Judah, the people of 'praise to our God'. Though The Spirit may have held their tongues when captured, their hearts continued to glorify God. How could they not? God blesses His people with goodness and adversity. He it is Who makes us ready to walk through the trials and come out on the other side. It is God we praise. 

    And yet, in their captivity, the king tried to change even their identity in God. He gave them new names that represented his god. Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, which means 'Bel Protects'. Bel is a form of Ba'al which means 'lord, master, owner' and was their god of the storms and god of fertility. Though Daniel had to answer to this name while in captivity, he remained faithful to God throughout. 

    Hananiah was given the name Shadrach, meaning 'Command of Aku'. In the Babylonian culture renaming was common, so as to assimilate strangers and prisoners into their way of life. Yet, Hananiah, too, remained faithful to God. 

    Mishael was given the name Meschach, meaning, 'Who Is Like Aku'. A mocking name meant to insult the name Mishael had been given at birth. A name that changed by one word: from God to god. I believe Mishael was aware of the mockery, yet that only enforced his desire to remain faithful to his God. And he stood strong in his faith. 

    Azariah became Abednego, meaning 'Servant of Nebo', the god of writing and wisdom, prophesy and announcing. Azariah's name change meant nothing to him, yet he, also, had to learn his new name and respond to it. 

    In their faithfulness to their God, they were able to learn not only the language and customs of Babylon, but God put them in a place where they would thrive because of their faith in Him. What the enemy means for our downfall, God will use to raise us up. And raise them up He did. 

    Regardless of the names we are called in the territory of the enemies of God, we choose to remain faithful to our God. We will be called liars for proclaiming The Truth of The Word of God. We will be named Intolerant and Hater. We will be called Divisionist, for division will be evident in our relationships, which will be broken because we will not back down from The Truth. 

    Yet, in the face of all the backlash from those who do know God, nor do some want to know God, we will stand on The Word of God and hold our place in the line of battle. For this type of warfare goes beyond being spoken of vilely, or being attacked physically, even beyond being killed for His Name's sake. This is spiritual warfare and we need to be as prepared as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were. 

    Now is the time to prepare our hearts and our minds to focus on God and God's Word through God's Holy Spirit. Today is the day we strengthen ourselves with The Word of God. We are armed and dangerous underneath this calm exterior. We are not afraid, nor are we alone. Our God is With Us. And our name is Christian. 

Names of God - YHWH ELOHIYM

 

YHWH ELOHIYM

(pronounced yah-way eh-lo-HEEM)

THE LORD HE IS GOD

Deuteronomy 4:39

Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that 
THE LORD HE IS GOD in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

    There is only one God. He is Almighty God, The God of heaven and earth. He is Spirit. God is Omnipresent: He can be everywhere at the same time. God is Omniscient: knows all there is to know. And God is Omnipotent: all powerful. 

    God is in heaven above: all the heavenly places bear His imprint of creativity. No two stars are exactly like. Every planet is singular in structure. We give parts of the known universe names like Nebulae and Ursa Minor and Milky Way. Yet, God has named each one of His creation with names only He knows. 

    God is in His heaven, that far away place above and beyond the skies and outer space. And because He is Omnipresent, that heavenly place where His thrones are is only one area of His permanent residence [Sapphire Throne: Ezekiel 1:26; White Throne of Judgment: Revelation 20:11-15] . God inhabits (dwells within, lives in) the praises of His people [Psalm 22:3]. 

    God is in His tabernacle. The tabernacle of God is both a physical dwellingplace and a spiritual dwellingplace. In the Old Testament the tabernacle was a tent like no other that had to be put together when God's people would settle in one place, then dismantled and carried to the next place, where it would be reassembled and the glory of God would settle into it, filling it completely.

    In John 1:14, the glory of God is seen in Christ Jesus, Who is The Tabernacle of God and it is this Tabernacle of God that is with men [Revelation 21:3]--the people who believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, the people who believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. 

    Those of you who choose not to believe will never know the joy of being loved by God. You will never have an intimate, loving relationship with our heavenly Father. You condemn yourselves to hell and an eternity of torment in the lake of fire. But, you don't have to do that. There's still time to believe. There's still time to repent, to admit you have sinned against God, to turn away from the sins you have committed and turn your hearts and faces to The God of heaven and earth. 

    God is Creator. He created all things, all people for His glory. All the heavens and everything in them. All the earth and everything in it. From a black void to a colorful, peopled, nature-filled wonder. He created me. He created you. And when I turned my back on sin, and turned my face and my heart to my Creator, He created in me a new me through my belief on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ. God wants to create in you a new creation, too. There's still time. 

    God is in His heaven and in His earth. Is He in you, too?

Warrior of The Word - Your Word In My Heart

 

Deuteronomy 11:18

Fix these Words of Mine in your hearts and minds; tie Them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Deuteronomy 6:6

These Words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.

Psalm 37:31

The Law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.

Psalm 40:8

I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart. (both statement of actual fact at that time AND prophetic statement revealed in Christ [Hebrews 10:1-18])

Jeremiah 31:33

“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares The LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 

Romans 7:22

For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.

Psalm 119:16, 24, 47, 92

I will delight myself in Thy Statutes: I will not forget Thy Word. [Testimonies (v24), Commandments (v47), Law (v92)]

    Memories take place in that part of the body that is separate from the flesh and bones frame which is formed with touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight. But there is another part of us that has a heart and a mind which also contain memory. It is our souls and our souls are eternal. Which means that even after these bodies of flesh and bone that die and decay, our soul will continue beyond the grave. 

    Now is the time to strengthen our souls that we may live beyond the grave. We do this when we exercise The Word of God in our hearts by trusting in His Word; by being obedient to His Word. First we take in His Word by hearing It, which causes our faith to grow. It is both Sun and Rain to the Seed of Faith which has been planted in our soul hearts. 

    Secondly, we take in His Word when we read It. Reading our Bibles every day is a privilege, for many are still without a whole Bible or a Bible written in their language. Some have memorized chapters of Scripture because a single page is all they ever had. The Word is precious, and even a small amount can do wonders: For The Word of God is Living and Enduring. The Living Word changes the Seed of Faith within our soul hearts, causing us to grow in Him and He in us. 

    Thirdly, we take in His Word when we dream Him. There are places where His Word is not allowed, yet He reveals Himself to men and women there to bring them into Himself and His kingdom. Dreams which reveal that Jesus Christ is The Messiah, The Only Begotten Son of God, are revelatory dreams, revealing God's great Love for them, filling them with wonder and urgency. 

    The more of God's Law, God's Word, that is in us, the more we want. [Matthew 5:6]

We are never satisfied with just a little bit of godly knowledge: we are always hungry for more. Yet there must be moments of rest, as well. So we rest in The Lord, while our souls digest what we have already taken in. In this we are content. 

    While we are taking in God's Word, Law, Commandments, and Statutes, The Holy Spirit of God is writing these things on our hearts. As The Finger of God wrote on the wall in Daniel 5:5, so, too, does He write on our hearts [Ezekiel 36:26, 27]. The verse in Daniel is both a warning and a promise of destruction [Daniel 5:6-28]. The verses in Ezekiel are a promise for the believer; not just for that time of our salvation, but for our continued walk with God by His Spirit. 

    Fifty days after Christ ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God, God sent His Holy Spirit first to those who were waiting together [Acts 2:1-4], then to all who believed [Acts 2:38, 39; 4:31; 10:44-48; 11:1-18; 13:52; 19:6; Ephesians 5:18; Joel 2:28, 29 (Spirit poured out on all the people who return to The Lord with repentant hearts [Joel 2:12-17]); Isaiah 44:3 (Spirit poured out on seed)].

    We who are alive today are some of the people to whom The Holy Spirit had been promised. We who have repented of our sins, turning our backs on worldly pleasures and giving our minds and hearts to heavenly treasures, are receiving God's Holy Spirit, Who reveals godly wisdom to us through our faith in Jesus Christ. 

    We rise up in prayer to our God and He empowers us to go outward into the world to preach the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. He empowers us to walk upright before The Lord. He empowers us to speak in other languages that we might more readily share, bear witness of, The Testimony we have seen and heard. 

    We are Warriors of The Word and His Word in in our hearts. 

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Sixteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:5

Love is neither rude, nor selfish,

nor provoked; thinks no evil.

    To Love like Christ is to always put the other person first. Even on the cross, He wasn't thinking of Himself, for He asked God His Father to forgive the ones who had put Him there. In their unmitigated refusal to believe, categorically denying that He was The Messiah Who had been prophesied as testified by the prophets, the religious leaders, scribes and the Roman leader in that place took part in a mock trial.

     He was questioned, but gave minimal answers. He was whipped to the point where His back was in shreds. He was pummeled on His face repeatedly by the guards. His beard was pulled out of His face. A crown of thorns was forced into the top of His head, causing the blood to rush down His face and His neck. 

    A scarlet robe was thrown over His shoulders and back. And when the blood dried, they ripped the robe off of His back, which caused the newly formed scabs to open, allowing fresh blood to run down His back and His legs. 

    On that day Love ran red. The Love of God in Christ did not fight back. He raised no hands nor fists in His own defense. The Love of God in Christ did not talk back to His tormenters. He spoke nothing. The Love of God in Christ did not cry out until He was on the cross, until Life was leaving His body. 

    This is our example of how to Love like Christ when being tormented, teased, judged, condemned by the world for our faith in The Name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

    Say nothing. Think The Love of God in Christ. For there is no room in the body of Christ for revenge. There is no room to play tit-for-tat games. Nor is there room in this body of which we are a part of  for paybacks. There is no room for offenses; we cannot allow ourselves to be easily provoked, nor should we lose our temper and try to defend ourselves. 

    Speak forgiveness for every little offense and every major offense. Think forgiveness. Think about how much we have been forgiven. And still are being forgiven when we mess up. Because mess up we will. But even then we admit the imperfection to the one we have spoken against (if possible); admit the offense to God and ask forgiveness for it, then try not to do that again (whatever the offense may have been). 

    To Love like Christ is to think of others before yourself. When Jesus sat down at Jacob's well in Samaria, He was tired and needed to rest. But He also knew that the woman He would be speaking with needed to hear His Word and drink His water more than He needed a break and a drink. 

    This Love of God in Christ is for anyone who asks for it. Many people want to go to heaven, but not everyone wants to go through Christ Jesus. That's why we need "to be about The Father's business": telling people about the Love of Christ. That there's only one Way to get to heaven and that's through the blood of Christ which washes away all of our sins when we believe that He died for us, overcame death for us and walked into a new life for us. 

    We need to pray for each other to have more Strength in God through Christ. We need to pray for one another to have a walk so faithful and true that The Love of God in Christ is evident to those who see us, speak to us, follow us, watch us, and hear us. We need to pray that our words are sweet, our attitudes are humble, and our thoughts are focused on the beauty of God's Word. 

"Lord, help us to Love like You. Unselfishly, unconditionally; wisely and compassionately. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Who helps us to guard our mouths and our hearts, that nothing wicked may enter our hearts and then flow out of our mouths. Lord, if we are going to speak before we think, may our minds and our thoughts always be on You, of You, that The Word given in due time may be Your Word spoken in Your Love to the ones who need to hear It. Thank You for Loving us the Way You Love us. Be our Strength to repel the fiery darts which try to get past our spiritual armor. Be glorified, Lord, by our words and our actions, that Your Name would be praised and Your kingdom increased. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

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.

    

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Fifteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:4e

Love is not prideful.

    Finishing off this verse in 1 Corinthians is a word that rounds off the previous two words into one word: envy and boastfulness lead to pridefulness. Pridefulness is arrogance. Arrogance in the way we speak to one another, arrogance in our attitudes towards God, arrogance in the way we treat other people and the lands we live on. 

    Pridefulness is the evidence of self-righteousness, of putting one's own desires, its own lusts, above another's. It is the refusal to submit to God's Authority and Ownership of His creation: us. We did not create ourselves, nor can we uncreate ourselves. Our souls are eternal. Though our bodies die and decay, our souls either live or die eternally. 

    Love is humble. Love wears the garment of humility, choosing to reject tradition and following after godly obedience instead.

    1 Peter 5:5, 6

"Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you."

    Submission is the opposite of pride. But submission should not be given to just anyone who demands submission to them, unless we first understand what submission is. After all the word alone catches our attention and gets our emotions wound up. 

    To submit to God is to: Obey God and God's Word. It is to hear The Word of The Lord, and act upon It. It is to make one's self subject to His Authority and Rule. It is to approach the throne of grace with a humble heart, a broken and contrite heart, a repentant heart, a willing heart. 

    To submit to God is to recognize the Love He has for His creation. It is to see and begin to understand just how much our heavenly Father really loves us. John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9, 10; Ephesians 2:1-9; Colossians 1:21, 22; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; Titus 3:4, 5; 1 John 3:16. 

    It is to receive this Love into our hearts and spread this Love into the hearing, the seeing, of the people we interact with. It is to know the Love of God is in Christ Jesus and that this Love needs to be in us, as well. Therefore, let us submit to God in Christ that God's Love will be perfected in us.

    Unless we first submit to God and accept His perfect will for our lives, it will be impossible to submit to any other authority in our lives with the grace that God provides to all who surrender themselves to Him. 

    Pride got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. God created Lucifer in heaven when He was creating His angels. There are passages in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 that describe fallen kings, who failed to submit to God, because of their pride in their accomplishments, who gave not the glory to God but took it upon themselves. Yet in these passages, we see the downfall of Lucifer, Satan, as well. (cf) Revelation 12:7-8, 12.

    Submission to evil and wickedness and unrighteousness will take us away from God and His Word and His Spirit. Choosing to live a life of separation from God's Love is choosing to walk in darkness and destruction. Sin is fun. Everyone says so. Not it isn't. And just who is this Everyone that is referenced? Sin is not fun. Sin's pleasures and enjoyments are only a mask, a disguise that covers the true nature of sin: rebellion against God. 

    "O Lord, You know our hearts and can see what needs fixing and replacing. Please continue to reveal Yourself to us in the areas we need You most. Holy Spirit, make us holy; for without holiness we know we will not see God and live. Make us sheep and not goats. Cleanse us and renew us right now. We surrender how we think (our thoughts), how we speak (what we say) and how we behave (what we do) to the Authority of our heavenly Father. Lead us where we need to be, and help us not go where we should not be. In Jesus' Matchless Name, Amen."

    

    

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Fourteen

1 Corinthians 13:4d

Love does not boast.

    To boast means to be prideful; it is self-glorification. What do I have to boast about? Everything we have, we have because God has given it to us. From the moment life is created in the womb to life's last breath is God-ordained. For God set life in motion when He began creating the earth and everything on it, in it and under it. 

   1 Corinthians 4:7

 Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another. 

    Paul was warning the church in Corinth not to be puffed up over any one individual, setting them up on spiritual pedestals. We are all equal in merit, for our merit is of God through Christ. We deserve no praise on our salvation, for we did not save ourselves. Nor should we place one person's position within the church above another's, as God has appointed us, not we ourselves, if we are being obedient and faithful in our service to God.

    If there is anything in us worthy of praise, let it be God Who praises and not we ourselves. If there is anything in us that deserves a reward, let it be God Who rewards us and not we ourselves. Yes, the workman is worthy of his or her hire, and pay increases must be made when deemed proper. But if cleaning the bathroom is beneath their pay grade, then they are not worthy to be behind the pulpit, either. 

    Since Loving like Christ is not boastful, it must be humble. We maintain a quality of modesty in our speaking to and of one another. We are meek. This does not mean we are weak in any sense. We are meek like our Savior. Meekness is gentleness. When appropriate, meekness is silence when being judged by others. 

    Meekness is restraint. Think about that for a moment. It is self-control, temperance. Unboastful Love controls its emotions and responses. Sometimes we are not even aware that some of our responses to antagonism are coming from our mouths. Habitual behavioral responses from us need to be repented of and grinded off of these crusty hearts. 

    The Wisdom of God (The Holy Spirit) teaches us to be like Christ, not only in our hearts, but in every woven moment in life. Our responses, our actions, our thoughts are all accountable to God every day. We encourage each other with The Word of God: we sharpen the rough edges from each other with The Word of God. That's Love. 

    Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. 

    Colossians 3:16

Let The Word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

    Hebrews 10:24, 25

And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

    1 Peter 4:10

As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. 

    Let us continue to "Love one another" as Christ has loved us.  

 

"Father, You are my reason for living. You are The One Who has shown me how to Love like You Love: unconditionally. Without condemnation, but with hope. Without judgment, but with mercy. Without retribution, but with grace. Not withholding Your Love from anyone, but giving to all generously. Even when such generosity is rejected, still we must extend Your Lovingkindness to everyone. And I believe, Lord, that the more often we do that, You will increase within us. May we all Love like Your Son Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives. In Jesus' Wonderful Name, Amen."

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Thirteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:4c

Love does not envy.

    Envy was spoken of in the beginning, for even in Genesis it is implied in Cain's attitude towards his own brother. [Genesis 4:3-11] What we do know is that God can see what is in our hearts. So, when He saw what was in Cain's heart, Cain's offering was rejected, which made Cain angry towards his brother, so he killed him. The first murder was the result of envy, coveting the favor of God in His brother, but not seeking to have that same favor in his own heart. 

    So when God wrote The Ten Commandments in the two tables of stone by His Holy Spirit (the finger of God), He was repeating in writing The Word He had spoken earlier to the people. (here again is an example of the Triune power of God visibly displayed for us: God, The Word of God {Jesus Christ}, The Holy Spirit of God. 

    This first writing  was meant to last forever, but it was mere stone. Now, God writes on the tables of our hearts His Word when we come to Him for our salvation in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Now, we are learning to Love like Christ loves: 

    John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (cf) John 15:12; 1 John 3:16; Ephesians 5:2. 

    Jesus referred to this commandment as a 'new' commandment. But when we remember The Ten Commandments, we see that this new commandment embodies all of the original ten in completeness. 

    When we love God above all, everything else falls into place. None of the evils listed are in the faithful believer's heart. Yet we are tempted on every side to "look here and behold" or "look at me and see what I can do for you". New and improved temptations are old and unrighteous evils. 

    To envy is to covet what another person has. Whether that coveted item is a person (someone's spouse or child or employee); a place (someone's house, someone's job, someone's land); or a thing (someone's money, someone's vehicle, someone's clothes or tools), that evil thought is still condemned by God. Covetousness can take many forms without us even realizing it sometimes.

    In the Parable of The Good Samaritan, which Luke writes of in Luke 10:25-37, the question is asked, "Who is my neighbor?" The response given is plain and simple, "Everyone." So, no matter who it, is we are not to covet what they have, but show them mercy and compassion. We are to "seek first God's kingdom and He will supply all of our needs". [Matthew 6:33] 

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 

    Catalogs abound. Maybe not so much the printed kind, but the internet is full of advertisements saying, "Look at me! Look at me! I can make your life so much better than it is!" On every side we are attacked with how rotten our life is when we do not have these things. When actually, our life in Christ is pretty amazing. Yes, there things we need to survive, but there are far more many things we do not need that will only bring us down and cause our destruction. 

    Because "Love does not envy", we know that Love "covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). We are to Love Deeply: Love earnestly. Love constantly. Love intentionally. Refuse to hate. Refuse to envy. Rebuke lust. Reject bitterness. Rebuke greed. Love like Christ Loves us. On purpose, with purpose. 

    "Lord, teach us to love like You love. Fill us so full of Your Word and worship that there is no room for anything not of You to be there. Train us to be Your ready and able servants, to serve in Your fields and prepare them for growth and harvest. Be  our Guide, Holy Spirit, in The Word as we read our Bibles daily. Reveal Yourself, Father, that our Joy may be full. For by Your Word and in Your Name, we will praise You and glorify You.

In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen."

    

Warrior of The Word - Ephesians 6:20

 

Ephesians 6:20

For which I am an 

ambassador in chains:

that therein I may 

speak boldly,

as I ought to speak.

    "Lord, help us to speak boldly, to proclaim Your Name and Your gospel fearlessly. Not pridefully, nor even tauntingly, for both of those would be evil and not only would we lose our hearers and damn their souls to hell, we would be right there with them. 

    "You give us words to speak when we need to speak them. Unless You open our mouths to share Your gospel, let our words be few. Amen."

    Speaking the gospel message of salvation requires faithfulness and obedience on our part:

     Faithfulness in prayer, whether we are alone or amongst friends. [Matthew 6:6; Acts 4:29-31].

     Faithfulness in joyful service to our God. [Ephesians 6:7]

    Obedience to God's Word, knowing that our obedience brings fruitfulness in our works for God. [Proverbs 21:3] 

    In 1 Samuel 15:22, disobedience cut down King Saul's spiritual tree, causing him to be unfruitful for God. He disobeyed God's Word regarding the captivity of oxen and cattle during a battle. With this understanding we can see the opposite side of this example: obedience brings fruitfulness. 

    Speaking the gospel message of salvation requires stamina: enduring strength and perseverance. We are able to speak boldly this message of love and grace through Christ because we are not alone: we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses [Hebrews 12:1]. Some of these have gone before us, walking this same fearless path, who now watch from the other side of eternity, and some walk among us even now. 

    We are not afraid to speak boldly because we are not alone. We are never alone; therefore, we are never afraid. As Scripture reminds us, "God is with us. We will not be afraid." [Hebrews 13:5, 6] So, we speak boldly this gospel message of hope and peace. 

    We speak to you because we can't help ourselves. We want you to know Jesus Christ for yourselves: we want you to know there's a better way to live this life we have been given. We are compelled by God's Holy Spirit to urge you to give your hearts and lives to His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ.

    WHO WAS:

Genesis 3:15

Foretold to break the power of sin 

Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6/Luke 2:1-7

Born in a manger in Bethlehem

 Matthew 4:17            

Preaching the gospel of repentance

Isaiah 53; Philippians 2:7, 8; John 19:1-37

Tortured and killed

John 19:38-42; John 20; Matthew 28:1-15                    

Buried and Risen

Acts 1:3; Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 20; 27-29; 1 Corinthians 15:1-7; Luke 24:13-49

Alive after death for forty days 

    WHO IS:

Revelation 1:18

Alive forevermore  

Acts 1:6-11

Ascended to heaven

Mark 14:62; Psalm 110:1; Luke 22:69; Hebrews 1:3 & 12:2; Ephesians 1:18-23

Seated at God's right hand  

John 14:2, 3; Matthew 25:34

Preparing a place for us 

    WHO IS TO COME:

Matthew 25:31 

Sign of The Son of Man seen

Revelation 1:7; Mark 13:26

Coming in glory

Daniel 7:13, 14

Everlasting Kingdom

Revelation 22:12

Coming quickly

    Have I not spoken boldly the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Only One Who can save souls by such a foundation as faith in His Name? I do not speak The Name of Christ to scare you into salvation, but to love you into salvation in His Name. Because God is Love and desires you and I to love Him in return. God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross in our place, to give us new life in Him, for He is The Resurrection and The Life Eternal, Whom God has sent to save all who will believe. 

    Do you believe?

      

                                             

Name Change

    

    The names we are known by when we live in sin are given us by the company we keep, essentially by the sins we commit. And while we live there, we see nothing wrong with the people we hang around with, nor do we feel shame for the life we are living. 

    It is only when we come to Jesus and believe that He is truly The Son of God that we are given our first new name - Christian-Christ-follower [Acts 11:26]. But this following Christ thing is not easy. We have to learn how to follow Him the way He wants to be followed. That requires being taught by other Christians who have known Him and followed Him longer than we have. 

    When we repent, we are turning our backs on the sins we once committed, and turning to Jesus where we have been forgiven of all those sins we committed, when we trespassed against His Father, God. We don't talk like we used to talk. We don't dress like we used to dress. We don't live like we used to live. We don't hang out like we used to hang out. We are changed by the blood of Christ Who died on the cross to save us from the eternal punishment for sinning against God. 

    And we don't want to go back to the way we used to be. We like the change that is happening in our hearts, in our new way of loving like Christ loves; in our new way of thinking, in our new way of figuring out how this new life works. 

    We are no longer known as Liars. We do not fib. We do not white lie. We do not deceive or con our way into someone's life. We are Truth tellers, even when The Truth hurts. We recognize a lie when we hear one, for we are able to discern what is fact and what is fiction, fabrication, made-up. We can do this because we have Truth living in u in The Person of God The Son: Jesus Christ. 

    We are no longer known as A Real Piece of Work. We are not mean-spirited, nor are we belligerent towards others. We are not bullies, nor are we rioters, punks and thugs. We are gentle and meek. We are Kindhearted, beyond mere politeness and niceness. 

    We are no longer known as Murderers and Backstabbers. We do not think mean thoughts towards those we  are jealous of. We do not hold grudges, nor do we carry the heavy load of bitterness and pride any more. We encourage lovely thoughts, pure thoughts. We are Forgivers of every wrong. Knowing that Christ Jesus could forgive the men who caused His death while He hung on the cross dying, we know that we can surely forgive anything that is done to us and said to us: even the things done and said in our pasts. We are Merciful and Compassionate.

    We are no longer Adulterers, Harlots, and Whores. We are not Fornicators: we do not sleep around. We do not live together without the benefit of marriage. We are not Adulterers: we do not cheat on our spouses. We do not invite strangers into our beds. We are Faithful. We are Faithful husbands and wives to our spouses. We are Faithful to our loving God. 

    We are no longer Idolaters. We do not follow every whim of life, seeking happiness and wholeness in other religious doctrines. We do not bow down to empty statues, nor do we offer them offerings and sacrifices. We do not celebrate dead saints with special festivals, nor do we pray to such as these. We are God-worshipers. To Him we give the offering of ourselves, our daily lives. We are Christ-followers. To Him we have given our souls and our hearts and our minds. 

    We are no longer Dishonorable Children. We do not talk back to our parents or the adults whose care we have been placed in. We do not talk bad about our parents, living or deceased. We do not condemn the way they raised us, nor do we extol the way we were raised unless that extoling glorifies God. We  are Honorable to our parents and caregivers. We thank our Moms and Dads for bringing us up with a knowledge of The Lord and taking us to church with them. Our name is Christian and we train are training our children up in the knowledge of The Word and The Love of God. 

    We are no longer known by the Foul Language we once spoke. No longer do we swear using God's Name. No longer does vulgar speech roll off our tongues and into the hearing of the people we used to hang out with. We speak Love and we hang out with other people who speak The Name of Jesus with respect and reverence. The Lord has changed us and we are learning to speak like Jesus speaks. 

    We are no longer Thieves. We do not steal from anyone. We do not taste the grapes in the grocery store to see if they're fresh enough. We do not cheat on our taxes. We do not covet what is not ours to own, nor do we take it away from the person who it belongs to, whatever the 'it' may be. We are Givers. We give of ourselves and of the grace which God gives us. We give back to our communities, beginning our homes and our families, then to our neighborhoods and countries. 

    We are no longer known as Church-Skippers. We do not do the 'instead of' routines any more. Instead of church let's go to the baseball/football/soccer/tennis/golf/etc. Instead of church let's go anywhere but church. We are Joyful church attendees. We are the congregation of The Lord. 

    We love to be in church. We prepare our hearts to be in God's house before we even get to church. We listen to or sing along with or even break out in songs that haven't been written yet that glorify God, that help us prepare to worship Him with the others who attend our churches. We ask forgiveness for any sins we might have committed that would separate us from God's presence in God's house. We read a Bible verse or passage that prepares our hearts. We are Church-Goers because we are Christians: Christ-followers, Christ-listeners, Christ-hearers. 

    We are no longer known as Lazy or Indolent. We do not cheat the government into giving us money and food just because we don't want to do the work that is available. We are not barflies, nor are we dealers of poison. We work where God sends us to work. Every job a Christian has is a field which God has prepared for His servants to work in. We are Workers and we enjoy working for our Lord. 

    Someday we will get an even better name than Christian. Someday we will all be together in heaven and the past we used to live in will be wiped off the face of the earth, as well as the places where we used to live. Someday is coming soon. And I hope you are ready to be there with us. We hope you desire your name to be changed, as well.