A Crucified Life - - Recognizes The Call of TheTrinity

 While the word "trinity" in and of itself is not used in the Bible, it is implied in The Scriptures.  Matthew 28:19 "Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

Reference also: John 15:26, Luke 1:35. 

     ISAIAH 48:16

"Come near unto Me, hear this:  I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now The Lord GOD, and His Spirit, have sent Me."

    Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of The LORD will rest on Him—The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and strength, The Spirit of knowledge and fear of The LORD. 

    Matthew 3:16

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw The Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.

    Isaiah 42:1

“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in Whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations."

    All of these verses tell us God, His Christ and His Spirit - -Three Persons in One. We are called to "Come near and hear". Hear The Word of The Lord. There are 147 verses specifically saying to us "Hear The Word of The LORD". God repeats Himself to instill in us the necessity of hearing Him speak to us. 

    In Revelation, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" is spoken at the end of each letter written to the seven churches. 

-Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29

-Revelation 3:6, 13, 22

    To hear The Word of The Lord is to receive The Word not only into our hearing but into our hearts, where The Word takes root and grows into fulness within us, strengthening us and perfecting us. For we are God's covenant people. Becoming holy is a necessity; it is The Blood of God's Christ applied to our sins which cleanses us from all unrighteousness. It is The Spirit of God Who makes us holy throughout our lifetimes. 

    To hear The Word of The Lord is to obey The Word of The Lord wholeheartedly and in The Love of The Lord. We  are thrilled to be called to do something for Him...because we love Him. 

    Obedience requires trust; trusting that God has a plan and a purpose for the immediate work at hand even if we can't see how it could possibly work out. 

    Obedience requires faith in God; faith to persevere through difficult times; faith to continue the journey even when tears blind our eyes. Faith to follow Christ even when our families and friends threaten us, beat us, kill us. 

    We answer the call of The Trinity to "Come near" and listen. For God speaks with a quiet voice. We need to "be still and know that He Is Lord". We must allow ourselves to remain in His presence and not be distracted by the other voices calling out our names, voices that keep us from His presence and prevent us from hearing what The Word has to say to us. 

    We are instructed to be wise and gain instruction (Proverbs 1:5), but the entire Book of Proverbs is filled with Words of Wisdom. We need to read it with understanding that we may learn what is required of those who read it. This is hearing The Word of The Lord. 

    I could go on, but perhaps the rest of this study should be concluded by yourselves. What are you hearing when you "Come Near" to God, His Christ and His Spirit?

CALLED BY THE TRINITY

Trust - Sixpence None The Richer

Hear The Word of The Lord - Kingsmen

Walk By Faith - Jeremy Camp

Word of God Speak - MercyMe

Waiting Here For You - Martin Smith 

 

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Obey

 

    Jeremiah 7:23

But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'

HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD

    In order to obey God's voice, we first have to hear Him speak. How does God speak to us? In His Word. We can read and study it out, praying over it and as we make our way through it. We ask God to reveal Himself and show us what His word means to us. 

    But there is a second part to this hearing His voice: Walk in all His ways. To walk in His ways is to ask the Holy Spirit to apply God's Word to our hearts and our minds, that we may live a righteous and holy life. For we desire to see God and live. 

    The third part here says 'it may be well with you'. In Psalms 1:1-3 David writes of the blessing of a prosperous soul. The soul which obeys the voice of God and lives a Spirit-filled life has crucified the fleshly desires which tried to destroy it. We have overcome the darkness in us, and, by faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ, we will continue to shine the Light of God's Love through us.

    Galatians 5:24-26

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. 

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.

THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S VOICE

    1. He will be our God

    2. We will be His people

    3. We walk with Him

    4. It is well with us

CALLED TO OBEY

Hear The Word of The Lord - The Kingsmen

When i Say Jesus - Jimmy Swaggart

Favorite Song of All - Phillips Craig and Dean

Sinner Saved By Grace - 

I Need A Ghost - Brandon Lake

I Will Serve The Lord - Carman

Trust & Obey - Big Daddy Weave

Guard Your Heart - - Guard Your Approach To God

 

Ecclesiastes 5:1

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 7272

Steps: foot (by extension: any part of the foot or relating to the foot: toe, heel, sole or pluralized (feet, toes, heels, soles)

From the Hebrew word 'regel' (pronounced reh'-gel); footstep(s),  journey (Genesis 29:1), pace (Genesis 33:14), follow (Exodus 11:8), times (Exodus 23:14).

    So many seemingly different ways to express the word 'steps' and yet they all make sense. In our study today we learn how to guard our hearts when we approach God in His house, whether that house is His sanctuary in heaven, His designated house of worship or His presence (in prayer when we speak together). 

    In Exodus 3:5, when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He instructed Moses to remove the sandals from his feet for the place in which Moses stood was holy ground. Where God is is holy and nothing unholy can be where God is. Moses, just like Joshua, needed to be obedient to the voice of God or he would not be able to obey God.  This same instruction would be repeated to Joshua (Joshua 5:15). 

PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MAKER (James 4:7-10)

      When we approach God we are to resist the temptation to turn aside from God. We choose to be resolute in our desire to hear what our God has to say to us. We put on our Helmet of Salvation, which blocks our 'hearing' what the devil is saying, for he can neither step into nor cross the blood which flowed from Calvary. 

    In our approach to God we are fully dressed in the armor of God, ready with our Swords (the Word of God) to repel the enemy of our souls, having fully applied said Word to ourselves. 

    We are to submit to God, with a desire to draw near to hear what He has to say to us that we might obey Him and do the work He has for us to do, whether it's cleaning the bathrooms or preaching from a pulpit, whether it's resting in His presence or fixing the roof. God has a work for us and we need to be ready to do it, according to the Word He gives us to do. (James 4:7)

    Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Approach God with clean hands (in good conscience [cleansed by faith, repentance and transformation into a changed attitude]) and a pure (sanctified) heart (James 4:8).

    Grieve, mourn and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. (James 4:9) When God sends afflictions (tribulations, persecutions, distresses) on us, it is to our benefit that we accept such trials and not rebuff them, nor be antagonistic against our persecutors (Matthew 5:11). Mourn and weep over our sins, and the sins of others, when we approach God. For it is God who turns our mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11), it is God who wipes away our tears (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4).

    Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up (James 4:10). Both Moses and Joshua had to remove their shoes, a sign of humility in obedience to the voice of God. Both men were elevated to a higher place of position amongst the people they would be in charge of. While a higher position in this lifetime is not guaranteed to us when we obey God, the obedient Christian will still be in an exalted position during the millenial reign of Christ (Revelation 20:4. 6) . And 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that even now we are 'a royal priesthood, a chosen people, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession'. 

OBEDIENCE BETTER THAN SACRIFICE (1 Samuel 15:22)

    Having guarded our heart in such a manner, we are now prepared to enter His presence. Almost. This verse in Ecclesiastes tells us we need to obey God and not offer sacrifices to Him that will not be accepted. If God is telling us to do something and we are not doing it, no amount of 'sacrifice' on our part is going to be accepted by Him. King Saul learned this the hard way: he lost his kingship (1 Samuel 15). 

    Though animal sacrifices were instituted by God in the Old Testament under the Old Covenants, they were but shadows of the ultimate sacrifice which Christ would make when He became God's Lamb who once and for all Redeemed us to Himself. 

    Sacrifices done not according to God's Holy Word are not going to be acceptable to God at any time ever. Even before Christ arrived on the scene, David wrote in Psalm 51;17 that "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." A broken and contrite heart is the sacrifice God now requires of the people who want to be in His presence. 

    Broken spirit. Broken and Contrite Heart. Humbled, not self-centered. Not self-indulgent, not self-involved. Not a willful, disobedient heart, not a rebellious spirit. A God-centered heart. A heart and spirit that are ready to receive from God, not reject God. These are the sacrifices which God has approved for us. Anything less or more will be rejected by Him. We must prepare ourselves to be in His presence or we will not be allowed entrance through His gateway, His doors. 

THIEF IN THE NIGHT (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

    Are we ready now to approach God? Let us get ready. For the day is fast nearing when God will send His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to return  for His bride, for His church, to bring her into the kingdom of heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:17). On the Day of The Lord, when He returns to set up His kingdom here, unlike His birth here, His arrival  will be unannounced (1 Thessalonians 5:2). 

TODAY IF YOU WILL DRAW NEAR TO GOD

    The Word tells us we only have "Today" to hear God and obey (Psalm 95:7; Hebrews 3:7, 15; Hebrews 4:7). What will happen "Today" when we respond to God's voice? Hebrews 10:15-22

15. "The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says, 

16. '“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.” 

17. Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 

18. And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer needed. 

19. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 

20. by a new and Living Way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

21. and since we have a great Priest over the house of God,

22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

GUARD YOUR STEPS MEDLEY

Waiting On God

Waiting on God does not mean doing nothing on our part. In this passage 'waiting' means 'to bind together (by twisting {think braiding] ). Waiting on God means to 'wait upon'. We wait for Him to speak to us, then we obey what we have heard Him say to us. Each of us has a purpose which God wants to fulfill in us. Each of us has at least one mission field to which God not only sends us, but goes with us.
Do you not understand even yet that God goes with you? In His Word He tells us that He will never leave us: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (cf. Genesis 25:15, wherein God makes a promise to Jacob).

Wherever God is fear is not. Speaking to Joshua: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for The LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest". Joshua 1:9.

Speaking through King David to Solomon: "All this, said David, The LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. And David said to Solomon, Be strong and of a good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for The LORD God , even my God, will be with thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of The LORD." 1 Chronicles 28:19-20.

So, don't be afraid to wait on God. Be more afraid of not waiting on God.

When Samuel first heard God speak to him, he did not know it was God speaking, for "he did not know The LORD yet". He ran to the man he thought was calling his name, only to be informed on the third call that this was God's voice, not Eli's. It is only when we know The LORD that we will learn to listen and obey His voice.

You are not past the point of no return. You can still learn to listen to God, learn to know His voice. It is the voice of love, mercy and patience.
God is patient with us. Way more patient than we are with each other.
God is longsuffering. He puts up with quite a bit of our unrighteous acts. Why? Because He loves us and He only wants to bless us. He can't do that unless we obey His Word.

Obedience to God's voice brings God's blessings. Disobedience to God's voice brings God's curses, His wrath.

See this little scale? God has treasures set aside for each of us on a daily basis, when we obey His voice, His Word. But on the other end of the scale? Nothing. No blessings, no treasures, no gifts.

Waiting on God means to go where He sends us and to not be afraid when He sends us in a direction we are fearful of going. That bend in the road will glorify God. That steep climb will glorify God. That speech, that marathon, that song will glorify God. Whatever it is you think you can't do even though God has called you to do it, you can because God will be with you wherever He sends you, whenever He sends you.
Waiting on God means to be patient. (Warning: do not pray for patience. God will give you trials to learn to be patient in). Actually, when we are filled with The Holy Spirit, we have patience: we just need to exercise it. It is, after all, part of the fruit of The Spirit -- Galatians 5:23 -- "longsuffering".

Waiting on God means to live in love, as Christ loves us. John 15:12 "This is My commandment, That you love one another as I have loved you." How has God loved us? Unconditionally. Sacrificially.

Waiting on God means to do God's will. "And this is the will of Him that sent Me (Jesus speaking), that every one which sees the Son, and believes on Him, should have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40

Waiting on God means to serve Him, not as slaves, nor servants, but as friends. We like to do things for our friends, do we not? To show them how much we love them. We bring them smiles on cloudy days. We clean their houses, when they are laid up. We care for their children when they are overwhelmed. We prepare meals when they are grieving. Because we love our friends we choose to make them happy, at times meeting their needs before meeting our own. Why? Love.

God loves us and wants us to obey Him in love. "We love Him because He first loved us". 1 John 4:19

Are you truly waiting on God? Do you wake up in the middle of the night, when you hear Him speaking to you? Are you digging into His written Word, eagerly turning pages, seeking Him out? Have you heard Him speak and known it was God who was speaking?

It's not too late. God is calling you right now. Some of you He is calling to salvation. Some to service. Some to healing. Some to rest. Some to the baptism of His Holy Spirit, to be filled with power to walk in His Word. Some of you He is calling for the last time. I hope you are ready. I know I am.

Day 4 of 35-Sound Heart

Psalm 119:80
Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

 Sound. Perfect. Without guile, undeceitful, straightforward.
A spoken desire that The Lord God would keep me in His Word and keep His Word in me. A desire to be faithf...ul in The Lord at all times, and that when He sees me, I will not be ashamed.

A prayer that my heart would be in line with God's statutes, God's ways; not led astray by falsehoods and deceits. A commitment to stay focused and on board with God's commandments. Not using The Word of God to deceive, but letting The Word of God use me. Letting it, allowing Him, to change me from who I think I am to who He says I am.

The Generation of The Lord

The Generation of the Lord

• A chosen generation: 1 Peter 2:9
• Who shall declare His generation? : Isaiah 53:8 & Acts 8:33
• His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation: Luke 1:50
• Generation of light: Luke 11:29-36 & Luke 16:8
• God is in the generation of the righteous: Psalm 14:5
• A generation of service by the will of God: Acts 13:36
• Generation that fears the Lord: Psalm 22:23-31
• Generation that is accounted to the Lord: Psalm 22:30
• The generation that seeks Him, seeks His face: Psalm 24:6
• We are the generation to come: Psalm 78:4, 6

~The word given me while praying after I read the Book of Ezra:

There is one generation and it is the generation of them who seek the Lord. Who seek Him, His laws and His statutes; that the Word of the Lord would be known and taught to those who do not know Him.

It is the generation of those who love the Lord; who love His Word and seek to do His will accordingly. We are that generation.

Not chronological, a generation of years; but spiritual, a generation of belief. Not calculated by time, but by faith: faith in the power of the Word of God.

It is the generation of them who seek His face; who desire to be in his presence. It is the generation of they who desire to obey His Word; who have counted the cost and are willing to pay it.

It is the generation of repentant hearts; those who humble themselves before God.

It is the generation of submission and surrender: submitting to God's Word and surrendering to God's will. For God is holy and nothing unholy can be in His presence. Darkness flees; for the light of God's glory fills our hearts and our minds. We submit our hearts to obedience, we obey His Word. We surrender our will and our desire to His will and His desire. Why? Because we are the generation of them who seek His face. ~

     And, as I study after receiving this, I am made aware that this generation began in the beginning and will not cease until the end. It is the generation of believers in the Almighty God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days. He Who wrote the laws and desires our obedience in love.

     This generation is a righteous generation, not of ourselves, but of the righteousness of Christ which is upon us. We wear Him like armor. We clothe ourselves in Him, for Christ is our Righteousness.

      We are the generation that fear Him: revere and respect Him. He is Faithful and True; Redeemer and Friend. His love for His people shines through us: our eyes see Him and magnify Him to nations who do not know Him. We are the light that shines in the darkness: declaring the Word of the Lord to those who are hungry to hear and receive it.

     This generation is a generation of servitude, not only to God and for God, but to God's people for God's glory. We do not seek to raise ourselves up, but to raise up the name of Jesus Christ, that the salvation of the Lord is at hand and reaching out to all. We praise the name of the Lord for He is gracious and slow to anger, longsuffering and merciful to those who call on His name. This generation works in the field of the Lord. His servants are few, but the work is great. Our hands are busy doing what needs to be done; our hearts are busy, seeking the salvation of the lost souls, in constant prayer for them.

     We are the generation that loves with the love of the Lord. It is a love that transcends time and space. This love, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, is for all people. With a love that shows mercy to all, regardless of ethnicity or generation of life. It is a love that forgives and forgives and forgives without number. God is righteous and just; His mercy endures forever. We exhibit that mercy; we forgive without number; we love without prejudice.

     This generation is the Lord's generation. We are accounted to Him and accountable to Him. We are of Abraham's seed: we believe that what God says He will do He does. We believe God's Word is holy. We believe God's Word is true. We believe God's Word is faithful: time and time again He has proven just how much He loves us. This generation multiplies to the number of the stars and the sands of the sea shore (Genesis 22:17).

     We are the chosen generation. We are called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9); to shine forth the Light of Christ. He designates us a royal priesthood: serving Him in His house, breaking bread with His people, worshiping wholeheartedly and with great joy. Praying for the needs of His people and the salvation of the lost souls.

     As His chosen generation, we are a holy nation. And as such, we are to live a life of abstinence from lust (v. 11), speak honestly (v. 12), submit to the laws of the land (v. 13,14) for the Lord's sake. Living freely in God's service (v. 16). Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king (authority) (v. 17).

     This generation is called to suffer (18-25). With Christ as our example, this generation is to be obedient unto God by following Jesus' attitude when it came to being obedient unto death (1 Corinthians 4:10-14; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 1:5). Happy is the generation that partakes of the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 4:13, 14). Blessed are the persecuted for His sake: great is their reward (Matthew 5:10-12). The entire chapter of 1 Peter 4 emphasizes what has been laid out in this message: in order to be named in this generation, the generation of the Lord, we are to live the life Christ lived: follow in His way and obey His Word, choosing to suffer for His sake and reaping the glory which God will reveal in His time.

     We are a generation of prophets, teachers, evangelists, preachers, apostles;miracle-workers, healers, governments, tongues and interpreters, helpers (1 Corinthians 12:28). We are a generation of servant leaders. We follow Jesus Christ and we lead people to Christ, which makes us both followers and leaders. This is my generation.