Statements of Faith - Blessed By God

 

EPHESIANS 1:3

I am Blessed by The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed me in Christ with every spiritual blessing in heavenly realms. 

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from The Father of lights, with Whom there is no variableness (change), nor shifting shadow.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

1 By our faithful obedience to God's Word, He will set us on high above all nations of the earth.

2 We are to pay attention, be attentive to, God's Word and seek to know (with understanding and spiritual wisdom) and obey His will in every situation and decision.

 3 Wherever we live and whatever our work, it is blessed

4 Our children, our gardens, our livestocks will be blessed

5 God will supply all our needs

6 We will be blessed when we enter our homes and blessed when we leave them

7 We will have victory over our enemies and prosper in all we do; our enemies will fear us and our God, endeavouring to stay in our good graces

8 Our storehouses/barns/accounts will be prosper that we may bless others

9 We will be established as God's holy people, IF we keep His commandments and walk in His Way

10 They will know us by The Name of our God and be in awe of who we are 

11 Reiterates verse four 

12 We will prosper so well that many nations will borrow from us but we will never have need to borrow from them

13 We will rise above our enemies in the power and Promise of God, being the head (wise leaders); moving upward (as one does when mountain climbing, for example) but never downward.

14 As long as we remain in Him and follow Him, not allowing ourselves to be distracted by what tries to draw our attention away from Him, we will obtain every blessing He has herein promised His holy people. 

 In Christ, Who is God's Word in the flesh, I am forever truly blessed, indeed. In Christ, I am forgiven of my sins and redeemed by His blood, which He shed on Calvary. 

 In Christ, I am made whole and complete through His sanctification process through God's Holy Spirit. In Christ, I am not alone, nor will I ever be lonely, for He is my all in all. 

 In Christ, I am blessed beyond measure because He loves me. In Christ, I am God's adopted child because I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

  In Christ I live and Christ lives in me. 

The CupBearer & The Cups

 

The CupBearer is God. In His hands are two cups. One cup contains His wrath and one cup contains His blessing. Which cup do you want Him to pour out on you? 

THE CUP OF WRATH

    In the cup of wrath is the wine of God's fury (Revelation 14:10). As told against the nations in Jeremiah's time (Jeremiah 25:15-38), this cup is dreadful and has horrific consequences for those destined to drink it. 

    This cup is the sword of The Lord (Jeremiah 25:16); it brings destruction and madness to the people whom it touches. This sword is blood-bathed in heaven (Isaiah 34:5,6) and brings death with it. It is a devouring sword, this cup of wrath (Deuteronomy 32:42), on God's enemies. 

    Who will drink this cup? The wicked (Job 21:20; Psalm 75:8;) will drink of the cup of wrath. Babylon (Revelation 16:19) and all who participated in Babylon's wickedness (Revelation 18:3). Those who burn incense to idols (Jeremiah 44:8). They who are called by The LORD but refuse to answer Him (Isaiah 65:11,12).

    What is the awful wine they will drink? Destruction, sulfur, fire; drunkenness and vomiting; death. Yet it will taste sweet on the tongue (Psalm 75:8), for it is a fermented intoxicating beverage mixed with spices. But its result is far worse than a hangover and no bloody Mary or hair of the dog will take away the pain of having drunk from this cup. 

    Do you really want to be one of those people who will have to drink from that cup because you rejected The Word of God and refused to believe on The Name of The Only Begotten Son of God? 

THE CUP OF BLESSING

    In the cup of blessing is Life Eternal. In 1 Corinthians 10:16 Paul tells us, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?". This is the cup from which we should want to drink. 

    In this cup is fellowship with Christ, a commitment to follow Him all the way (Matthew 26:26,27). Jesus has said that all who follow Him must take up their cross. (Don't worry about what your cross is: it will be revealed to you when you really need to know.) We will have many burdens to bear in this life, but we must lay them all down at the feet of Jesus, and let Him take care of them. Let us drink together  this cup of blessing and sacrificial love which The LORD God has prepared for them that love Him and obey His commandments, which are not burdensome (1 John 5:3,4). 

    The psalmist had a few words to speak regarding The LORD's cup. Psalm 16:5 "The LORD is My Chosen Portion and My Cup; You have made my lot secure." and again in 

Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." And here in 

Psalm 104:15 "Wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart." 

    Wine that makes the heart happy. Oil that causes our faces to shine. Bread which sustains us. The wine of God's love, His grace and lovingkindness expressed through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, is what makes the heart happy. 

    The wine is the sacrifice we make when we choose to leave everything we have loved and follow Jesus Christ wherever He leads us. It is bittersweet and costly. Yet it is a greater loss to not drink this wine. John wrote, "He must increase, but I must decrease." It's not about me and what I want: it's about Him and what God wants. 

    The anointing of His Holy Spirit shines the reflection of God's love from within the born again believer that the whole world cannot help but notice, there's something different about that person. And we know that the difference noted is the indwelling of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the power of The Holy Spirit. That's what you see when you see a real Christian. 

    Bread to sustain, strengthen, the heart. Not just any bread, but the Bread of Heaven, taken in daily when we read and study and pray over it, asking The Holy Spirit to apply it to our hearts and help us to live it the way God wants us to live it. 

    That's what's in the cup of blessing. I'm drinking from that cup. And I'm holding on to it with all my strength, no matter how much I struggle daily, because that's my blessing. And I'm not letting go. 

WHICH CUP WILL YOU CHOOSE?

    We can't drink from both cups, we have to choose one or the other. 

Paul writes in the letter to the church in Corinth:

    1 Corinthians 10:21 "You cannot drink of the cup of The Lord, and the cup of demons: you cannot be partakers of The Lord's table, and of the table of demons."

    And Joshua told the people they had to choose which god to serve and which God he chose to serve:

    Joshua told the people in his time (Joshua 24:15), "If it seems evil to you to serve The LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve The LORD." 

    Paul reminds the church in Corinth (and us) in his second letter to them that unequal partnerships will fail and cannot intermingle. Where light is darkness cannot remain. 

  2 Corinthians 6:14-16 reminds us to be equal partners in righteousness and communion. That we are the temple of God: He lives in us, walks in us: The LORD is our God and we are His people. 

THE CUPBEARER & THE CUP

Behold The Lamb - Stuart Townend

My Portion - Isla Vista Worship

Fill My Cup - Andrew Ripp

Drinking From My Saucer - Michael Combs

Fill My Cup, Lord - (Hymns of Faith)

Where You Go, I Go - Jesus Culture

Lay It All Down - Will Reagan, United Pursuit

Just As I Am - (Hymns of Faith)

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Serve Wholeheartedly

 

    Deuteronomy 10:12

And now, O Israel, what does The LORD your God ask of you but to fear The LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to Serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 

    As you see, we show our fear, our reverence, our awe of The LORD our God by Walking In All His Ways; by loving Him. And by Serving The LORD our God with All our hearts and with all our souls: wholehearted love and service. 

    Our hearts are focused on working for The LORD at all times. We are ready to testify on what God has done and done for us. We are prepared to speak the gospel which has changed our lives for the better. Though the roads we walk are paved with sorrow and tragedy, grief and heartache, we have joy because we have Jesus. He is our Strength. We have The Spirit of God. He is our Wisdom. And so we travel these roads together. 

    Our souls are interwoven through the unique power of God's Holy Spirit: we are one in each other and in The LORD. We are able to walk together though our hands may never meet on this side of heaven. We come together in prayer, lifting each other's requests, desires and needs to our God, Who hears us pray. 

    But before we can be knitted into the body, we must first come to the cross, fall down on our knees, repent of our wickedness against God: repent of every sin that He brings to our remembrance and stop doing that sinful thing. We must believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, that God sent Him to die on the cross in our place; that He conquered death, hell and the grave once and forever and that He walked out of the grave. 

    We must believe this good news, this gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ before we die or we will be forever lost. There is no repentance in the grave. There is no righteousness death. There is only darkness and heat. And people who died in their unbelief. Good people. Bad people. Unrepentant people. 

    To serve God wholeheartedly is to serve God faithfully, preaching Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen and hear and turn away from sin by turning to God's plan of salvation from sin. 

    To serve God wholeheartedly is to remain in His Word daily, living moment to moment in Him that The Word of God would strengthen us as we go about our days, the days God has given to us. 

    To serve God wholeheartedly is to be in constant communication with Him. He hears the words of my mouth and He knows the meditations of my heart when my mouth and my heart are centered on Him and His Word. 

    To serve God wholeheartedly is to live the gospel of Jesus Christ which The Holy Spirit has written on my changed heart. The moment my heart was given to Christ is the moment God changed my selfish heart to a heart He could mold and form and write on. 

    To serve God wholeheartedly is to choose to Walk in all His Ways. I choose to submit to the Authority of The Word of God. I choose to surrender what was mine for what is His: my life, my heart, my soul, my mind; my time, my freedoms, my family. All that I have from God I give back to God, sometimes I have to do that everyday. 

    To serve God wholeheartedly is to turn my back on what the world sees as a priority and focus on God's priorities. God loves the people in the world but not their sinful ways. So, too, must the believer love people without embracing their wickedness.

    To serve God wholeheartedly is to take a stand on His Word, fully armed in His love and righteousness, and not back down when we are come against for our belief in The Name of The LORD Jesus Christ and everything that belief entails.

    I urge you to consider what God has done for you. I beg you, if you have not already, to surrender your hearts to God. Let The Light of God, Jesus Christ, shine into your hearts and open your eyes to see just how much God really loves you. 

     WHOLEHEARTED SERVICE - A Jesus Culture Playlist

Pursuit

Holy Spirit

Song of Solomon

I Need You More

How He Loves Us

Where You Go, I Go

Happy Day

Fill Me Up

We Stand

Surrender All 

Heart & Soul - - Love God Only

 

Deuteronomy 32:39

'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.'

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No.

Deliver:  to strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, take away, pluck, defend, escape

From the Hebrew word 'natsal' (pronounced naw-tsal'). 

ONE GOD & ONLY ONE

    Psalm 18:31

For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

    Exodus 15:11

Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You--majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?

    

    Who defines you? You or the people around you? Whose words describe who you really are? God tells us Who He is by His own Word. Here are a few examples of Who God Is:

>He's a Jealous God: Exodus 34:14

>He's a Consuming Fire: Hebrews 12:29

>He's a Forgiving God: Exodus 34:6, 7

>He's a Righteous Judge: Psalm 7:11 

>God Is Spirit: John 4:24

>God is Exalted in Power: Job 36:22

>God is Merciful: Daniel 9:9

    No other god can do what our GOD can do. No other god can speak, can say what our GOD can say. No other GOD has the mobility to be in all places at once: our GOD is omnipresent. No other GOD knows everything about everything and everyone: our GOD is omniscient. No other GOD is a god like our GOD: our GOD is omnipotent. 

    All other gods are incapable of doing anything for anyone. They are clay and wood, gold and silver; images and icons of animals and people and the heavenlies (stars, sun, moon, planets). They cannot because they are not. 

GOD MADE US TO BE HIS PEOPLE

Created by God - Genesis 1:27

Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3 

Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me? Job 10:8

GOD WANTS US

Job 22:21 Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.

Psalm 34:10; Isaiah 27:5; John 17:3; Romans 6:19; Romans 12:1, 2; Isaiah 1:18

GOD WANTS OUR WORSHIP

Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth."

Exodus 23:25; Psalm 96:9; 2 Kings 17:39; John 4:24; Luke 4:8; Psalm 68:4.

GOD WANTS OUR PRAISE

Psalm 66:8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard.

1 Kings 10:9; 1 Peter 4:16; Psalm 68:19; Ephesians 1:6; Psalm 47:6

GOD WANTS OUR LOVE

Psalm 31:23 Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant.

Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27; Psalm 29:2

    Uncle Sam may want you to join his army, but THE LORD HE IS GOD wants you for Himself. He wants to delight in you even more than we want to delight in Him. He desires us to be with Him in eternity, but He won't force us. He waits to be asked, to be let in to the inner recesses of our heart. He knows our hearts aren't clean enough for His glory.  (Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone should hear My voice and open the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.")

    When The LORD God makes His home with us, when our hearts become His tabernacle, He cleans us up through the washing away of our sins by the blood of His perfect Lamb: The LAMB of GOD Which Takes Away The Sins of The World. He removes the darkness in us by shining His eternal LIGHT in our hearts, highlighting that which needs to be removed and polishing that which will remain. (2 Corinthians 9:5 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.)

    His fire burns in us, burning up all that is not of Him as He goes about His work within us. We shine because our GOD shines in us, through us and around us. He covers us with His glory, and the fear of GOD emanates from us to the world around us; which is why some are drawn to us and many are against us. 

Deuteronomy 4:35 "You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him."

ABOVE ALL 

Hosanna

Raise A Hallelujah

The More I Seek You

Good, Good Father

How Great Is Our God

Even When It Hurts

Breathe

Waymaker

Gratitude

Lead Me To The Cross

King of My Heart

    

Guard Your Heart - - Walk (t)His Way

 

Deuteronomy 5:33

You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3212

Walk:   again, away, bear, bring, carry away, come away, depart, flow,

From the Hebrew word yalak' (pronounced yaw-lak'), which comes from the word 'halak' (haw-lak') which means go, come, proceed.

There are a lot of defining words and phrases for the word "walk", but I'm only giving the definition herein intended in this verse.

Whether we are going (to a place) or coming (into a place), we are moving forward, for our face looks in the direction our steps will take us. We walk through a doorway to either enter a room or exit a room, still we move ahead. While not necessarily a going ahead in positive terms, whatever direction we are facing that is the direction we are going. 

    If we our eyes are turned one way and our feet move another, we are destined to fall. You know what I'm talking about; we've all done it. Someone is talking to us, grabbing our attention; our feet keep moving forward, but now now our head is turned back trying to hear what is being said. This is not a good way to walk. 

    

WALK BLAMELESS 

1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13

12. And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows, 

13. so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Philippians 2:14-16

14. Do everything without complaining or arguing,

15. so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

16. as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

    We are to be trustworthy, living a life of integrity in the midst of a 'crooked and perverse generation' (Philippians 2:15). We are the bride of Christ and we are to be without blemish or stain "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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 blemish." (Ephesians 5:26,27). 

    There are two generations at work here: there is the generation of unrighteousness and the generation of righteousness. (Psalm 24:3-6). The generation of unrighteousness is even more clarified when God calls them perverse, crooked, blemishes and stains; wicked and violent. 

    The generation of righteousness walks in God's Word, God's Path (Proverbs 4:18). The generation of unrighteousness walks their own path, preferring their own company to the companionship which God offers to those who believe and follow His Word. 

 WALK THIS WAY

Job 23:10

But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

    >Job walked in the old paths, the ancient ways of The Lord (Jeremiah 6:16 "ancient paths". I have read in my studies that The Book of Job is the oldest book of the Bible. Genesis is the first book because it gives us the first parts of our history, it is the Book of Beginnings. The Book of Revelations is last in the Bible because it details events not yet happened and warnings to be ready for Christ's second and third returns to this earth. <

Proverbs 16:17

The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life.

Isaiah 35:8

And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it--only those who walk in the Way--and fools will not stray onto it.

NOT THAT WAY

    The unrighteous generation cannot walk the Way of Holiness, for they are unholy, their hands are not clean, their hearts are not pure. They neither believe The Word of God nor do they walk in it. Be warned. There is no room in the presence of God for those whose hearts are perverted, whose lives are lived in opposition to the holy Word of God. God knows His own and the people who are not His will be revealed...eventually. (Proverbs 10:9; Matthew 10:26; 1 Timothy 5:25)

     Revelation 2o:15 "And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

    Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

    1 Corinthians 6:9, 10

9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,

10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

    We who believe are praying not only for the believers to remain strong in The Lord but for the ones who have not yet believed to become believers in and followers of The Lamb of God Which Takes Away The Sins of The World. 

    Jude 1:22, 23

22. And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt

23. and save others, snatching them out of the fire; and show mercy to others with fear, hating even the clothing having been stained by the flesh.

    We're praying for you, all of you. We, the church, stand together in the Spirit though we may never meet this side of life. We are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, not just in our individual battles but even more so when we come together in prayer, in unity of The Spirit of God. 

    Luke 16:19-31 tells us of the rich man who died and went to hell. Read it and think about what you are reading, meditate on this Word and consider your ways. I meditate on the Word and I consider my ways.

    Our prayers are praying you out of the fire to which you are headed. We love you and we desire only God's best for you, His Word, His Way, His Will. 2 Corinthians 5:11 "Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well."

    As He says in  2 Corinthians 6:17 "“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 

   Real Christians do not rejoice in the death of any unbelieving soul, for that soul is forever separated from God. There is no longer any opportunity to change one's mind, have one's soul saved. In death there is no chance to repent, to turn away from sin. It's too late. In death, as in life, the gap between righteousness and unrighteousness is immense. There is no cross over. It is impossible to pray for your souls after you die, for death is permanent for the unbeliever. 

 

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART by Paul Baloche (Lord, help me to see You)

LORD I GIVE YOU MY HEART by Planetshakers (cheerfully & willingly)

LAY IT ALL DOWN by Will Reagan (repent and receive)

THERE WILL BE A DAY by Jeremy Camp (entering His rest holding onto Hope)

FEAR IS NOT MY FUTURE by Maverick City Music (ready for a breakthrough) 

    

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - A Dwelling For His Name

 

 

Deuteronomy 16:11

11. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 7931

Dwelling: to settle down, abide; continue, cause to dwell, make to dwell, have habitation, inhabit, lay, place

From the Hebrew word 'shakan or shaken' (pronounced shaw-kan'). 

    It was no accident "there was no room in the inn". The Master Creator created the perfect set of circumstances so that His Son would be born at the intended time in the least honorable place. 

    Of course the inn was full: every body in the house of, the lineage of David, had to return to the city of his birth with his family and be counted to pay taxes. (Luke 2:1-7). That wasn't the place God chose for His name to dwell. 

    Nowadays, the parents usually get to pick where and when their child will be born: a hospital, a home birth. Though there are times when the baby arrives early: a taxicab, an elevator, backyard bbq. And sometimes there are complications. But that wasn't so when the Son of God was born. 

    God chose Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). God chose a stable (Luke 2:7). God chose a manger (Luke 2:7). God chose when (Matthew 2:1-7, 16) His Son would be born. A place for everything and everything in its place. But Bethlehem was not His dwelling place. 

    We learned that as a child, He grew up in Egypt and Nazareth. In His ministry He stated that He had "no place to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20). In other words, He had no place to dwell, to reside. There was no God-ordained place for Him to rest and live. During His ministry Jesus lived a nomadic life, depending on His Father to meet His needs. 

    God chose something a little less substantial than a house for His Name to dwell in: He chose us. Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone should hear My voice and open the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."

    Luke 12:36

Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

    John 14:23

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

    God chose our hearts to be the dwelling place for His Name. The place where the Lord lives is in our soul: our thoughts, our emotions, our attitudes. An ethereal place of residence: it cannot be seen, or touched, or known by any other than God. For only God knows the heart (1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 94:11; 1 Corinthians 3:20). 

    God wants to be a part of our everyday lives. He created us. He knows how each of us thinks. He knows our plans, our dreams, our desires. Yet still He chooses to call us by name, knocking on the doors of our hearts to let Him come in and live in us. 

    Though our hearts are filthy and unkempt places when He first arrives (when we first believe on His name for our salvation), The Lord Jesus will clean house after He moves in with His Holy Spirit and make Himself at home. But we must make that decision to let Him into our hearts. He's a gentleman, not a bully. Jesus only lives in the people who ask Him into their hearts and lives. 

    God knows our names and He calls us to come out of the system of this world, out of the darkness and evil which dwell here, into His love and light. "Come out from among them" the Word tells us (2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1). 

    And let God and Jesus and The Holy Spirit take up residence in your hearts (John 14:23). Indeed, until you believe on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, there is no room for God to dwell in our hearts. 

    What are you waiting for? God loves you. God wants you to be in His family. God calls you by name, pleading with you to answer His call to salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. God stands at the doors of your hearts, knocking patiently, waiting for you to open the doors of your hearts and let Him in, to give Him a dwelling for His Name. 

    Here is the day, now is the time. For there is coming a day when time will be up and making a decision for Christ will be out of your hands. 

KING OF GLORY by Third Day

    

TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS by Casting Crowns

LOVE HAS A NAME by Jesus Culture

ABIDE WITH ME by Keith and Kristyn Getty

HE LIVES by David Phelps

    

    

  

I AM HE

 Who is God to God? Who does He declare Himself to be? to us?

I AM HE

Isaiah 46:4

“And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar (gray/white) hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

Isaiah 43:13, 25

-“Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?"

-“I, only I, am He who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” 

Isaiah 48:12

“Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first, and I am the last.”

Deuteronomy 32:39

See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand.

Revelation 1:18

I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

John 8:18

I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.

Revelation 2:23

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

John 18:6, 8

As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

Jesus answered, I have told you that I am He: if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way. 

Jeremiah 29:23

“Because they have acted foolishly in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and in My Name have spoken false and concocted words, which I did not command them. I am He who knows and I am a witness,” says the LORD.’”

Isaiah 51:12

“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?”

Isaiah 41:4

Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.”

John 4:26

“I am He,” Jesus told her, “the One speaking to you.”

Hagar called Him, THE GOD WHO SEES. Genesis 16:13 So she called the LORD who spoke to her: The God Who Sees, for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the One who sees me?”

This example of Hagar is but one, there are so many more names of God and Christ Jesus scattered throughout the Bible, the Scriptures, waiting for us to dig in and dig deep the nuggets of riches which God has prepared for us to find. 

But for today, it is enough to know that God Is I AM HE. Creator. Caller. Speaker. Comforter. Testifier. Searcher. Burden Bearer. Justice Giver. Knowledge Bearer. The One Who Is Alive Evermore. Witness. The Only God. 

Which of His names have you discovered as you have searched out the Words of The Scriptures? Which, if any, have impacted you the most? And why? 

For me, from this list of I AM HE verses, I would have to say that Revelation 1:8 speaks to me the most. "I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." He, Jesus Christ, son of the Living God, is ALIVE FOR EVERMORE. He, Jesus Christ, holds the keys of hell and death. You know what that means? I have nothing to fear. For I am in Christ, and Christ is n me, therefore, I am alive with Christ! What a comforting, strengthening thought. 

Ephesians 2:4-10

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

I am alive in Christ and He is alive in me. 

Intelligent Worship -- Surrender To God -- Part 11

 Intelligent Worship brings us into the presence of God when we Surrender to God. Part 11.

This surrendering to God thing has to be done (1) Intentionally and (2) Daily. The flesh wants to be comfy, but the Spirit calls and the flesh must surrender what it wants in order to hear what God is saying, especially when the body is beyond tired and just wants to rest. 

Deuteronomy 10:16

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

Jeremiah 4:4

“Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts.”

Romans 2:28-29

A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

It is the Spirit of God Who calls us into the presence of God, who keeps us there when we choose to honor God by being obedient to the call of Surrender.

You may wonder why these verses since none of them use the word 'surrender' but these are the verses the Spirit gave me when I first wrote the outline for this series. 

Deuteronomy, for instance, talks to us about not being so set in our ways, not being stubborn and not being rebellious. Jeremiah tells us to dedicate ourselves to the Lord; dedicate our services. Romans 12:1-2 speaks of 'presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord'. In other words, Surrender to God. 

Romans reminds us that we cannot save ourselves, we cannot wash away our own sins: only the Spirit of God can forgive sins and wash them away through the blood of His precious Holy Lamb, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. 

Physical circumcision is painful and the anguish fades beyond memory for most who receive it. Spiritual circumcision is sacrificial but this sacrifice should not become a memory for the believer. This sacrifice is a daily offering we give to God when we completely, willingly, obediently set aside what we want to do and do what God wants us to do. 

Yes, I'd rather be asleep. But unless God brings me there it ain't happenin'. He has a work for me to do and getting today's study done is a big part of it. 

We sing this hymn at church, as I'm sure many of you do, called 'I Surrender All'. We'd better mean what we say because we will be held accountable. If we can't mean what we say in a song, then we'd better not be singing it. 

I SURRENDER ALL

--by Judson Van De Venter, 1896

1. All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

Refrain:

I surrender all, I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,

Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;

Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,

Truly know that Thou art mine. [Refrain]

3. All to Jesus I surrender,

Lord, I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power,

Let Thy blessing fall on me. [Refrain]

ALL TO YOU/I SURRENDER ALL by Don Moen

Intelligent Worship -- Follow God -- Part 5

 

FOLLOW: Walk after, go with, accompany

Deuteronomy 13:4

"My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand  upholds me."

FOLLOW: Cleave to, cling, keep close

Psalm 63:8

"My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me."

WALK: Walk after, go with, accompany

Isaiah 30:21

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."

WALK: Conduct my life. walk around, comprehensively

2 John 1:6

"And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."

Sounds easy, doesn't it? But to walk the walk and talk the talk of being Christian is anything but easy. In point of fact, it's going to be the hardest thing we will ever do. And we can't do this by ourselves. We need God's Holy Spirit to empower us with the ability to not only say "No", but follow through with our actions and not do the things that would separate us from our walk with God. 

We just need to Trust God and Believe that God Is and that God's Word is Faithful and True. Then like the psalmist says, we can follow close behind the LORD God. That phrase "follow close behind" means 'stuck like glue'. Think of our walk with God as being superglued to His Word. Nothing comes between us. 

Are we following closely after God? When we make time with God a priority in our lives on a daily basis and do so out of a loving heart, a desire to please God, then following God becomes a habit. Once a habit is formed solidly that habit becomes harder to break. I want that habit. Don't you?

Intelligent Worship -- One God -- Part 1

      Before we can worship God we have to recognize that there is but One God and that God is the God of the Holy Bible. He is the God of all creation: the heavens: the stars, the moons, the planets, the suns, the galaxies, the black holes, the comets, the milky way, the asteroids and every other thing up in the universes. God is the God of the earth and everything in it, on it, under it, above it; including people. 

Genesis 1 and 2 tell us in some detail exactly how our planet came about and where we, as people, originate. And why. 

Recognizing that God Is, we also come to the logical and reasonable conclusion that there is only One God, as His Word says.

Exodus 34:14

For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:39

Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

1 Corinthians 8:6

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.

Ephesians 4:4-6

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In addition to these listed there are so many more Bible passages declaring not only that there is One God but WHO GOD IS. One must merely set aside some time each day to read The Word of God. And when merely reading is no longer enough, we will find ourselves seeking God's Wisdom for understanding what we're reading, digging deeper into His Word to find nuggets of wisdom to apply to our lives. 

Plus, thoughtful prayer times must be initiated. It is impossible to know God deeper without knowing what His voice sounds like in your heart. 

The Cross Has Two Sides

 

There are two sides to the cross: the front and the back. The front of the cross is the part we see when first we come to the cross. The eyes of our heart want to look away, for the sight before us is one of death and shame. 

Blood covers the cross where the body of Christ bled and died on it. It is a means of humiliation, torment and torture (Deuteronomy 21:23; Acts 5:30; Galatians 3:13) He was beaten so badly He was unrecognizable (Isaiah 52:14; Isaiah 53:2; Isaiah 50:6; Psalm 22). Yet the cross is known even to His enemies, for none can really take their eyes off of it. 

The Roman soldier who stood looking on at the Man who had been nailed to the cross, who stood where the blood was flowing, knew that here was a righteous man (Mark 15:39). 

If we listen to the Voice of Reason, which tells us this is where the Savior of the world died, then we can make our way to the back of the cross. But to get there we will have to go through the blood.

With our eyes wide open, and our hearts having received the knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, we are able to walk through the blood which was shed for us and make our way to the other side of the cross. 

Death is not here. Shame is not here. We left those on the other side, under the blood. Life is here. Joy is here. Victory is here.  Jesus is here. He's not on the cross any longer. 

In the blood 

we are forgiven. 

For it is the blood of Christ which washes away all our sins, WHEN we repent. It is not enough to be sorry for what we have done wrong. It is not enough to be remorseful for our wrongdoings.

Even Judas was sorry for his actions. He saw the immediate results of his betrayal of his Friend. But he did not repent. He tried to give the money back. But he did not repent. 

Unless we repent of the sins we have committed against the Word of God, we will not be forgiven. We must go through the blood of Christ on the cross in order to walk out of the grave with Him. 

We cannot live a new life in Him unless we go through Him. 

I am forgiven. Every day I ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart and show me where I need to be washed clean. Then I repent and ask for help and strength to not commit the same crimes against God that I have already been forgiven for. And He helps me. 

If you don't already have it, you, too, can have this relationship with Jesus Christ. All you have to do is ask God for it. You will know the change when it happens. No fancy prayer, just talk to Him from your hearts. Like I did.