It Is Written - Speak The Word

 

It Is Written

    Words that force The Word of God to remind the enemy of God that GOD IS and THERE IS NONE OTHER. That His Word is powerful. And strong enough to repel every attack which is come upon His people. 

It Is Written - House of Prayer

    Matthew 21:13 And said unto them, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

    A reminder to God's people that we are His houses of prayer.

~MESSIANIC PROPHECY~

It Is Written - Numbered With The Transgressors

    Luke 22:37 "For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, 'And He was reckoned among the transgressors': for the things concerning Me have an end."

    Many prophecies concerning the coming Messiah which had been written by the prophets were being fulfilled in Jesus' time because He Is The Messiah. Events which foreshadowed His life and His mission are written in The Old Testament. For example, when Adam and Eve sinned the first sin, blood had to cover their sin. So, the first physical death was an animal of God's choosing. I think it may have been a young lamb; simply because an unblemished, perfect lamb had to be sacrificed at the temple to cover the sins of the people every year. And we know that Jesus is God's perfect Lamb (John 1:29). 

~CHRIST'S TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS~

It Is Written - Man Lives By Every Word of God

    Matthew 4:3. 4 The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are The Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

It Is Written - Do Not Tempt God

    Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt The LORD your God.’ ”

It Is Written - Worship God 

    Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”

    When Satan, the devil, tempts God's people, we can rebuke Him with The Word that is within us, for Christ Jesus lives in us by faith in His Name. We cannot let hunger of any kind, or hopelessness in any situation, or fame, greed get inside our hearts, for we would lose the righteousness of God. We must stand firm in our faith in The Word of God, filling our hearts and our minds with every Word of God which He speaks to us. 

~FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD~

It Is Written - God Frustrates The Intelligent

    1 Corinthians 1:19, 20 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

It Is Written - The Righteous Live By Faith

    Romans 1:17 For the gospel reveals The Righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

It Is Written - Christ Came to Be The Ultimate Sacrifice For Sin

    Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”

It Is Written - All Will Be Taught By God

    John 6:46 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

    Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

    Proverbs 2:6 For The LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

    John 8:47a Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. 

    Do you hear the words of God? 

    

Prayer Cards - Houses of Prayer

 Luke 19:46
Saying to them, "It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves."

Where It Is Written
Isaiah 56:7
"I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

A Den of Robbers
Jeremiah 7:11
"Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I, too, have seen it," declares The LORD.

A New Name
    While the reference here is to the temple with hands, we also know that we are the temple built without hands. Therefore, this verse in Luke refers to the believer, as well.
        2 Chronicles 7:16 "For I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time."
        1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of The Holy Spirit, Who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
        Isaiah 62:2
Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name that the mouth of The LORD will bestow.
        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.
    Honor to God was not being given in either instance. We are houses of prayer, lively stones praising God and praying to God. Our voices reach His ears. Our actions are seen by His eyes. Our thoughts are known by His mind. There is no need for God to look down from heaven, because God lives in His people; He lives in our praises to Him.
    In our church buildings we are to come together to give our worship to Him with our praises and testimonies. We are come into together to receive from Him The Word which He has prepared for us on that day.
    In our hearts, and our lives, we are to do the same. We give Him praise and worship. We testify of God's amazing mercies and grace in our lives to anyone who will listen. We read our Bibles and study out, searching for the Truth, knowing God will reveal Himself to us in it. We pray that God manifests Himself in us through all of it, as His glory filled the temples of old, may He fill these temples, these vessels of mercy, even now.
    May we, indeed, be God's houses of prayer, bearing His Name.

HOUSE OF PRAYER - Eddie James

WHEN I KNEEL TO PRAY - ElenAmor

Lord of The Sabbath-Sabaton Kurios

 

SABATON KURIOS

(pronounced sab'-bat-on koo'-ree-os)

LORD OF THE SABBATH

Luke 6:5

Then Jesus declared, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

Kurios: Supreme Authority, Master, Absolute Ownership, Covenant Lordship, Sovereign

Sabbath: Day of rest in The Lord, Day set apart to cease from work/labors and spend all that Day with God

    Genesis 2:2-3

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all his work which God created and made. 

Sanctified: Consecrated, dedicated, set apart from

    Here in Luke 6:5 Jesus is responding to the hypercritical comments of the Pharisees, who were religious but unbelieving. They did not practice what they preached. Here, the disciples were hungry enough to break off ears of corn and eat them raw. This was seen by the Pharisees as 'work', and therefore was illegal, unlawful.

    But Jesus tells them that not only is He The Son of Man, but He is The Lord of The Sabbath as well. He is The Rest into which we enter. When we hunger, He feeds us. When we thirst, He gives us drink. Here, He gives them corn. And grace. 

    Such a rebuke the Pharisees heard, but did not receive; for at that time they began meet and talk about how to get rid of this Teacher, this Prophet. For He spoke against their hypocritic ways with authority they refused to accept. 

    Jesus Christ is still Lord of The Sabbath. How are we resting in Him? How are we honoring Him on His Day? Are we spending the Day with Him? Or are we wasting our Days in idle play and relaxation? Have we considered the consequences of not resting in God on His Day? 

    O be careful little eyes what you see, little ears what you hear, little tongues what you speak, little feet where you walk, little hands what you do, little heart what you feel, little mind what you think. 

    CHRISTIAN INDIE FOLK MORNING WORSHIP

Prayer Cards - All Night Prayer

 

Luke 6:12

And it came to pass in those days 

that He went out to the mountain to pray, 

and He was spending the night in prayer to God.

    Have you ever found yourself among people who want to hurt you or destroy your ministry? You're not alone. Jesus was healing people and feeding His disciples on the Sabbath, during a time when it was forbidden to do such things on the Sabbath. Thus began the determination by those who hated Him and what He was doing to get rid of Him.

    Knowing this, and knowing why He came to us in the first place, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer with His heavenly Father. Pouring into and being poured into. He didn't sleep, but He didn't need to. Spending hours in prayer with God is restful in itself, for we are with our heavenly Father and He is our Rest. 

    Look at what Jesus accomplished after one night spent in prayer:

~Luke 6:13-16 He assigned twelve of His disciples to be apostles (church builders)

~Luke 6:17-19 He was surrounded by a 'large crowd of His disciples', by people from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre and Sidon: they had come to hear Him, be healed by Him and receive deliverance from Him 

~Luke 6:20-23 He gave His disciples a personal message: what we call The Beatitudes 

~Luke 6:24-26 He spoke a warning to the hearers that had grown comfortable in their lifestyles, to the satisfied, to the mockers and the flatterers

~Luke 6:27-26 He spoke of loving our enemies, sharing what we have with those who have nothing, giving more than, treating other people the way we want to be treated; love our enemies unconditionally, without putting demands upon them; showing mercy where none is expected because God has shown us mercy

~Luke 6:37-42 He spoke of not having a judgmental attitude towards people; to not condemn anyone for their sins but to help them 

~Luke 6:43-45 He spoke of knowing our hearts, that what is in a person's heart is shown by a person's actions and words

~Luke 6:46-49 He speaks of building our lives on the Rock solid foundation, that anything less will surely fall, fail

    All of this Jesus spake after one whole night in prayer with His Father. The boldness of The Word of God is always graced with Mercy and woven in Love. 

    Let us, too, be faithful in our communications with our heavenly Father. Let us come to Him with our problems, our struggles, our desire to spend time with Him. As Paul writes, "Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we might obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Maranatha Praise 1

A Table Spread - Communion

 Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: 

You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. 

    What is on the table which God has prepared for His people? for the table which God prepares is not for everyone, but for anyone who calls Him Shepherd, who follows where He leads and rests where He rests. 

    It is a table set up where our enemies can not only see us, but see us dining at this table which our God has prepared in advance for us. It is a table spread with many good and wonderful items. 

    Such as Bread and Wine, Honey and Honeycomb, Living It is a spiritual table meant for Spirit-filled people, for we are not of this world but the world to come. Our bodies are merely passing through this earth, sharing the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ to anyone who will hear and listen. 

    The Word tells us that we who are God's people must worship God in spirit and in truth. We must be honest with ourselves that we may be people of honor. We must search our hearts for the stains of sin and repent of it quickly, for our next breath is not a given. 

    We who are God's people are hungry and thirsty for the righteousness of God: He is our Bread and Wine. He is our Honey and our Honeycomb. He is our Living Water. Jesus is our Bread of Life. He showed His disciples the blessing of the new covenant between God and God's people: the rite of remembrance. 

    Luke 22:16-22 details the rite which we call "communion" and 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 tells us that we are to commemorate this rite on a regular basis, but with a warning: that any who partake of the bread and wine in this manner must first search their own hearts, and ask God's forgiveness for the sin that has separated them from God's presence. There are no little sins for any sin causes separation and distance between God and His people. 

    Therefore when we come together and dine at the table which God has prepared for us, we know that we will be ready to dig into the meal that is set before us. More of Christ Jesus, for our hunger is never slaked, our thirst is unquenched. Oh How I Love Jesus! the songwriter says, "Because he first loved me." Did you know that? That Jesus loves you. With a neverending love. And in this love He calls our us by name to come into His presence and enter into His rest. In the presence of our enemies. 

    The people we interact with on a daily basis will know right away whether or not we are God's people. For we will talk different. Our words are words of encouragement, words of love, words of hope, words of faith, words that speak differently from the voices heard in the world. We behave differently. We live differently. And when we are reminded who we are supposed to be when it appears we are not who we say we are, The Spirit of conviction immediately grabs hold of our attention and we repent. 

    The Word of God, Jesus Christ is our Honey and our Honeycomb: every verse within the books of The Holy  Bible/Scriptures plus the whole book entirely is both sweet to the taste and begins to satisfy the hungry. Jesus Christ is The Living Water we get to drink when we believe on His Name and declare He is Lord of our lives. While the thief on the cross didn't have the opportunity to turn his life around, he did have enough faith to believe that the Man hanging next to him was indeed LORD for that is how he addressed Him, when he said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." (Luke 23:42). 

    There is a table spread by God for those who believe and receive His Son Jesus Christ into their hearts and His Spirit into their lives. Do you believe? Come to Jesus. 

The Feet of Jesus

 

The feet of Jesus are beautiful. 

    Isaiah 52:7 

    How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 

    Romans 10:14-15

    How then can they call on The One in Whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in The One of Whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? 

    And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 

    The feet of Jesus walked everywhere.

    From the time His ministry began ( Matthew 4:18), Jesus walked everywhere He went. Cities, towns and coastlines in Galilee. Beth-bara (where He was baptized in the Jordan). Jerusalem. Everywhere He taught, preached, healed and did miracles Jesus walked to get there. All this walking did not help to keep His feet clean, so they needed washing:

The feet of Jesus are washed, kissed and anointed.

    Luke 7:37-38

   And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 

    John 12:2-3

    So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 

The feet of Jesus were pierced.

    Psalm 22:16

    For dogs surround Me; a band of evil men encircles Me; they have pierced My hands and feet.

    The feet of Jesus are embraced.

    Matthew 28:9 

    And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 

    The feet of Jesus are baptized.

    Matthew 3:18; Mark 1:9; Luke 1:21; John 1:29-33.

    The feet of Jesus are sat at.

    Luke 10:39

    And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 

    Matthew 5:1; Matthew 13:2; Mark 4:1; John 8:2 are references where crowds followed Jesus to hear Him, requiring Him to sit down and teach them. 

    The feet of Jesus shine brightly, like polished bronze (burnished/brilliant).

    Revelation 1:15

    His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.

 

    

    

The Two Fears: Part Two: Fear God

 

MATTHEW 10:28

"Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

    Luke 12:4, 5

"I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you Whom you should fear: Fear The One Who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!"

Hebrews 10:31

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of The Living God."

    Ecclesiastes 8:12, 13

Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. 

    Though God originally created hell for the fallen angel Lucifer and the angels who joined him in rebellion against God, people who have rebelled against God and died in their sins, will also be sent there. Matthew 25:41 "Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." 

    From the beginning of the written Word we learn that it is better to fear (reverence) God and be obedient to His Word, and learn to walk in His Way in our lifetime on this side of eternity. For after we die, there will be no more opportunities to do so. Hebrews 10:26,  27 "If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries." 

    Hebrews 9:27 tells us that we all have an appointment with death. Yet, not all who die will see Jesus and live with Him evermore. 

    You may think this study to be hateful, but you are mistaken. This is a study in the love of God. For God made a Way to avoid eternal punishment and damnation and that Way is JESUS CHRIST. John 3:16 "For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  

    It takes a small amount of faith to believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son. It takes another measure of faith to believe that God's Holy Way is True and Faithful. As our faith in Christ grows, and we walk our our faith daily, with Christ living in us, we become stronger in our faith: and Christ, through the power of God's Holy Spirit, becomes stronger in us. He is God's Love extended to the world through the power of the cross and the empty tomb. 

    God is Love and in His great Love for us, He sent His Word, wrapping It in lowly flesh and placing It, through the power of His Spirit, in a young virgin's womb. As Christians, it is our privilege to carry the gospel of salvation, the power of God's Redeeming Love, to every corner of the world until the whole world hears just how much God loves each and every person. 

    It is up to the hearer to listen, repent and receive God's grace and forgiveness, thereby turning away God's wrath from their souls and being brought into God's kingdom: through the blood of Christ, God's perfect Lamb, Which takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). 

    Now is the time to give your hearts to The Lord Jesus Christ. Now is the time to repent of your sins and receive God's forgiveness and Christ into your hearts. Now, today, is the day to begin to walk in God's Way and follow God's Spirit. A good place to start your walk is in The Book of John, then meander over to The Book of Romans. After which, perhaps, your fingers may find their way into the Epistles which Paul wrote to the various churches scattered throughout Asia, Rome and the middle East. 

    And never stop bringing God into your daily lives, for He wants to be with you always. If you let Him, He will show you Himself and what His Word means. 

The Son of The Highest

 

HUIOS HUPSISTOS

(hwee'-os hoop'-sis-tos)

THE SON OF THE HIGHEST

LUKE 1:32

He shall be great, and shall be called The Son of The Highest: and The Lord God shall give to Him the throne of his father David. 

THE SON

Isaiah 9:6, 7

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of The LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

Matthew 1:23 (referencing Isaiah 7:14)

“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).

Luke 1:31

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His Name JESUS.

John 1:14

And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of The only begotten of The Father,) full of grace and truth.

THE MOST HIGH/HIGHEST

Psalm 87:5

 And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and The Highest Himself shall establish her.

Daniel 7:21, 22

As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and prevailing against them, Until The Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of The Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 

Psalm 47:2

For The LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. 

Psalm 78:35

And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. 

HE IS CALLED JESUS - Todd Agnew

I Am Christian's Back

 

LUKE 18:33

"And having flogged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again."

    I am Christian's back. I have been created to house the spine, the backbone. In me is the source of life: blood is created within these bones. The blood is life. Without blood there is no life. And the sweetest blood flowed from the back of The only begotten Son of God, Who shed His blood on Calvary to atone for the sins of the world. This blood ran down His back from the whiplash marks across it. This blood streamed from His head where the thorns pierced it. This blood stained the rugged cross to which He was nailed. This blood dripped onto the ground and into the hearts of every believer who came to the cross and saw Jesus. Including mine. I am Christian and this blood covers me.

    On my back are the wounds and scars of the suffering I have endured. The sound of the whip hitting flesh is torture itself. I will not give in. Jesus' Name escapes my lips and I in Him I have strength to endure. As the apostle stated, "My life is not my own" -- Acts 20:24. I belong to Christ and Christ is not only with me, but in me. We take the whip together. We suffer together. In Christ I am His own. 

    As Christ's blood flowed from His body on the cross at Calvary, so, too, do I give my life in service to the gospel of salvation. I surrender all I am and have because I love Him so. God has given me breath and with my breath I will praise His glorious Name. God has given me life and it is only fitting and reasonable that I give my life back to Him -- Romans 12:1-8. And let Him use this life I have been given for His purpose according to His will and His Word. 

    My back is attached to my neck which holds my head up. Though my shoulders are bent from the burdens I have carried through the years, my head remains up. For Christ Jesus is the head of His body -- Ephesians 5:23, 1 Corinthians 11:3. Whose head sits on your shoulders? Your own, of course. Why would you expect it to be different with the body of Christ? 

    I am Christian's back. In me is the Strength of God's Word. Which I do, indeed, need for I have been called to suffer for The Name of Christ. May I fulfill the purpose for which God has created me with honor and faithfulness. 

WITHHOLDING NOTHING - William McDowell 

CALLING ME - Brian Tucker

     

Eternal Destinations

 When we leave this world for what lies ahead, each of us will take our memories and our senses.

In the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus tells us of the consequences of not believing God (the first man's destination) and of believing God (the second man's destination).
Verse 23: The unbeliever knew pain. He had sight and could recognize other people.
Verse 24: The unbeliever could speak. He knew thirst but he was still selfish.
Verse 25: The unbeliever could hear.
Verse 26: The unbeliever had the memories of his family. And the unbeliever knew he didn't want any of his family in the horrible place he was in. But his desires were limited to those of his own family. He couldn't cross from hell into Paradise after he was dead.

Back up to Verse 23, the unbelieving soul saw the beggar he had despised near Abraham, (whom he recognized though Abraham had died long before either man was born) in Paradise. The believer knew rest, peace, comfort. And while he had all his faculties, the unbelieving soul's wants were not directed at him, though some were about him.

Paradise is where the righteous went before Christ Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. But we know that now, when we die, we will see Jesus immediately. Acts 7:55-56. We will have all of our faculties intact. And we will see Jesus. That's the believer's destination.

BEST OF ROBIN MARK COMPILATION (listened to this while I studied)

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Leave It All For The Sake of The Kingdom

 

    Luke 18:29,30

"Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times more in this age - and in the age to come, eternal life."

    These words were said to the rich young ruler, who had observed the law and obeyed the commandments since he was young (verses 18-28). But Jesus knew this man's heart, as He knows all hearts, and that the man would not be so easily persuaded to give away his treasury. Are we not just as guilty when we refuse to part with whatever we hold most dear to our hearts? 

     

    God is the God of Restoration. 

    Matthew 6:33

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

    Matthew 19:29

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My Name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." 

    Mark 10:29,30

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life."

    There's your real prosperity gospel. Our souls prosper when we surrender everything we have, leave (the opinions of) everyone we love and give all that we are to His mighty hand. For in His hand is Life and Life Eternal. God wants to be first in our lives. So does everyone else. But only we can make a decision who we will listen to and follow. 

    We must consider the consequences of our intended direction, taking time out of our busyness to contemplate the results of our actions. This would be the wise action to take. Seldom do we make wise decisions, especially when we are young children or young adults. But God desires us to seek Him out first, whether early in life or early in the day. To put what He wants (His will) ahead of what we want (our own will) for our lives. 

    LIFE: Job 12:10 & Acts 17:28; Psalm 31:15

DEATH: Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

    LIFE ETERNAL: John 1:1-3; John 20:27

DEATH ETERNAL: Revelation 20:14,15

    PROSPERITY: 1 Chronicles 29:12

LACK: Philippians 4:11,12

    Why does the Bible say 'many are called but few are chosen'? (Matthew 22:14). Because all of us are called to do our part in the kingdom, but not everyone wants to be in this kingdom. Nor does everyone want to do what it takes to serve in this kingdom. 

    We are all called to salvation. Yet, the path to salvation is narrow. It is the width of a cross. The path to salvation is small. It is the size of a mustard seed. The path to salvation is both old and fresh. The call to be saved through Jesus Christ still rings out, yet the plan of salvation was set in motion when Adam and Eve sinned. 

    We are all called to serve in this kingdom. In whatsoever capacity God sees fit to use us, that is where we will serve. But wherever we serve God, it will be for the advancement of God's kingdom. 

    We are all called to love each other like Christ loves us: willingly, wholeheartedly and sacrificially. 

CALLED TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND

For The Sake of The Call - Steven Curtis Chapman

My Portion - Isla Vista Worship

Seek First - Jason Upton

Love You Just Like That - Jason Upton

Magnificent Obsession - Steven Curtis Chapman

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Lauren Daigle

    

The Lord Is....June 2023

 

HUPERBALLO CHARIS

(pronounced hoop-er-bal'-lo khar'-ece)

SURPASSING GRACE

2 Corinthians 9:14

And as they pray on your behalf, they will have deep affection for you because of the Surpassing Grace of God in you.

1 Timothy 1:15

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

ANEKDIEGETOS DOREA

(pronounced an-ek-dee-ay'-gay-tos do-reh-ah')

INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

Romans 5:15

But the free Gift [of God] is not like the trespass [because the Gift of Grace overwhelms the fall of man]. For if many died by one man’s trespass [Adam’s sin], much more [abundantly] did God’s grace and the Gift [that comes] by the Grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to [benefit] the many. 

ED

(pronounced ayd)

WITNESS

SAHED

(pronounced saw-hade')

ADVOCATE

Job 16:19

“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high."

KURIOS THERISMOS

(pronounced koo'-ree-os ther-is-mos')

THE LORD OF THE HARVEST

Luke 10:2

And He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask The Lord of The Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest."

1 Corinthians 3:7

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

John 15:1,2

“I am The True Vine, and My Father is The Keeper of the Vineyard. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful." 

Heart & Soul - - Treasures In Heaven

 

Luke 12:34

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

#Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2344

Treasure: a store-house for precious things

From the Greek word 'thésauros' (pronounced thay-sow-ros') Literally, "a receptacle for valuables", including (treasured) thoughts stored up in the heart and mind.

NEW CONTAINERS

    When I rise to meet Him in glory, I will be given a new body and I need to live here not only in anticipation of that new body, but to live as if I am already clothed with it. 

    That new body has a new heart, therein is the unbreakable container in which I have stored my Treasures. It doesn't rust. Matthew 6:19-20. 

GRACE

    The Grace of God which saved this poor sinner is my primary Treasure. It is intertwined with my soul and will go with me when I trade this world for my eternal dwelling place. 

    Again, I remind you that after Jesus prayed for His disciples, He prayed for the people who would believe in Him without ever having seen Him. That's me. And if you believe, that's you. (John 17). 

    Having been redeemed, bought back from the bondages of sin and death, through the blood of the Lamb of God, I have laid this treasure of Grace up for myself, that when I am raised to new life in Christ, Grace adorns my soul like threads of love interwoven with threads of righteousness. 

    To apply the Word of God to oneself is to claim it as our own, as He has claimed us for His own. "For by Grace am I saved through faith, Nothing I have done could ever give me this Grace: it is the gift of God to me." paraphrased Ephesians 2:8-9.

GENEROUS SPIRIT TOWARDS GOD

    Luke 11:41 "But give as alms the things that are within you, and you will see that everything is clean for you." 

    What is within me? Everything that Jesus Christ is resides within the Christian who faithfully follows Him wherever He goes, He leads. The Lord is my wealth and I am compelled to share Him with everyone I meet. I can't help it: I just want to talk about all the good things that the Lord has done for me. We call this testifying. And what is my testimony? Christ in me is my greatest Treasure. 

    Paul had written to the church in Rome begging them on account of God's mercies, to "surrender their bodies living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is their reasonable service". This is written to the believer, as well. For we all members of one body, as he wrote to the church in Corinth. Regardless of the year or day in which a believer comes to salvation in Christ, we are all part of the body of Christ. As such, we should be fully committed and willingly giver ourselves to His service.

THE SERVANT'S HEART

    The servant's heart is a willing participant in the glories of Christ. We endeavor, we strive, we persevere; we move ahead, we go forward, we rise on eagle's wings to soar above our enemies. We endure hardships/afflictions, beatings, sufferings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights and hunger (2 Corinthians 6:5). 

    We are able to do so through His Grace (2 Corinthians 6:6, 7) and power. To the church in Philippi (and us) Paul writes this "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). Because I am in Christ and Christ is in me, I, too, can do all things in His strength, for His Name is Strength: Exodus 15:2; Psalm 28:7; Psalm 118:14; Isaiah 12:2; Jeremiah 16:19; Habakkuk 3:19). 

    I am committed to His purpose. I am surrendered His Will. I am submitted to His Way. I let go of I and become we. 

YOU

    Proverbs 11:30

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

    1 Corinthians 9:19, 20

What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it. Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a servant to everyone, to win as many as possible.

    2 Corinthians 4:15

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

    You who believe because I had a part in seeing you come to Christ are my crown of joy: 1 Thessalonians 2:19 "After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?"

TREASURES IN HEAVEN

    

Heart & Soul - - All That Is Within Me

 

Mark 12:20

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3650

All: the whole, complete, entire

From the Greek word 'holos' (pronounced hol'-os): wholly, where all the parts are present and working as a whole – i.e. as the total, which is greater than the mere sum of the parts.

EVERYTHING THAT IS WITHIN ME

Deuteronomy 6:4, 5

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

    Abraham had God's promise that through the son he would have with Sarah, the son not yet conceived, would come many nations. The promise came before the test. Abraham had faith that God would restore life to his son. For he knew that God keeps His promises. (Genesis 17:1-18:15; 21:1-8; 22:1-15). Abraham fulfilled the first commandment.

    Hosea, under God's command, married a prostitute and had children with her. He was God's prophet and his actions may have seemed crazy to his contemporaries, yet God had placed a great love within Hosea's heart for her: a heart that forgave her whoredoms (fornications and adulteries) and loved her back into a right relationship. This great romance is not only a historical fact, but an allegorical relationship of God wooing His people back to Himself. Hosea fulfilled the first commandment.

    Jesus' mother, Mary, fulfilled the first commandment in a simple reply to the angel who spoke the prophecy to her: Luke 1:38 "“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her." Fully surrendered to God, Mary submitted to the Word spoken over her. 

    The widow, who gave God everything she had, fulfilled the first commandment. (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). She placed all of her finances in the Lord's treasury: she gave all that she had. Though wealthier people had given some of their riches, she out of her necessity gave it all to God. 

    These people are but a few Biblical examples of giving everything within them to the Lord God. Because their hearts were filled with a desire to please God, they were able to serve Him in such a way as to glorify Him. Are we? We have current contemporary examples who show us how to love God first and foremost, by their outspoken faith: Brock Purdy. Tim Tebow. Joyce Meyers. Elisabeth Elliot.

    Worshiping God is more than singing, more than playing a musical instrument. God wants our everything, our all. And He wants it when He asks for it. To worship God is to obey God when He speaks. And He's still speaking today. 

    We hear Him speaking when we pray while we study out His Word for ourselves. Before the many comes the individual. Adam walked and talked with God before anyone else existed. He was intelligent and able to speak clearly. He could think for himself and make decisions on his own. He was no caveman as junk science would have us believe, but a man with whom God could converse, as friend to friend.

    We hear God speaking when we spend quality time with Him and Him only. In whatever space or room we have set aside for just being alone with Him, our prayer room or prayer closet: a smallish space that leaves no room for anything else. We make a decision to do so and stick by it, regardless of outside discord, which threatens our alone time with Him. 

    Have you asked yourself, "Why am I here? What is my purpose?" God knows. In fact, God is the only One Who knows exactly why He created you. But in order for us to fulfill our purpose in Him we need to seek Him out and ask Him what is our specific reason for existing? Besides the basics.

CREATED TO

>We are created to commune-listen to, hear from, speak with-with the God Who created us. 

>We are created to worship God and Him only. Deuteronomy 6:5.

>We are created to love God, to love Him above all other loves. Exodus 20:1-5.
>We are created to be God's hands and feet, carrying the gospel of salvation wherever He sends us. Mark 16:15. John 15:16.

>We are created to be productive. As He set Adam and Eve up in the Garden of Eden to take care of all that was in it, so we, too, are expected to work in God's kingdom. Everyone has a job to do. Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-24. John 4:34-38. Acts 1:8. 

>We are created to love all other people in the same way in which God loves us: unconditionally (no strings attached, no quid pro quo, without measure or merit). Mark 12:31. John 13:34; 15:17.

>We are created to conquer, to overcome, to rise above every obstacle in our path. Psalm 18:32-35. Isaiah 40:31. Ephesians 6:10-20.

>We are created to endure, to outlast our enemy. Hebrews 12:1.

>We are created to persevere, to continue on, to move forward regardless of what tries to grab our attention and focus. Proverbs 4:27. 

    These are some of our most basic reasons for our existence. If we have not attained some of them, there's still time. Only three things can prevent us from accomplishing God's purpose for our lives:

1. Death. After we die, there are no more opportunities to love God and fulfill our purpose in Him.

2. Christ's Second Return. When the Father sends His Son back to this earth to collect His bride, all of the people who make up this bride (the church) will leave. After that you'll have seven years to make up your minds whether or not you will choose God to be your God. 

3. Unwillingness. Ignorance is not your friend, nor is it available to you after you have been reading these studies with me. You cannot say, 'I did not know'. Apathy is not your friend, either. To hear the Word of the Lord and not receive is to have an 'I don't care' attitude towards God's Word. It is to be unwilling to surrender your all to His all. 

    Can I say I have done my part up to this point in sharing the gospel, in testifying of God's amazing grace to me, to us? Yes. Can I do more? Always. The Holy Spirit takes me where God wants me to go. And right now, that's here. All that is within me desires all that He is. 

DESIRING GOD'S PRESENCE