against Him – Praying Pint

25.h. “He is a new creation”

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

Isaiah 45:24-25   “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

John 15:5    I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Romans 8:1   There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

John 3:3    Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 2:10     For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The saved are not “just forgiven.” They are changed into a new creation. However, being a new creation doesn’t mean that we are perfect. It means that we are changed and that we are being changed. He is a new creation: Who makes us a new creation? This is something God alone can do in us. This isn’t just “turning over a new leaf” or “getting your act together.” Yet the life of a new creation is not something God does for us but in us. So, we are told to put off… the old man and to put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24) Being a new creation is a gift from God received by faith.

The work of a new creation is even greater than God’s work of creating the world. “My brethren, it was more difficult, if such terms are ever applicable to Omnipotence, it was more difficult to create a Christian than to create a world. What was there to begin with when God made the world? There was nothing; but nothing could not stand in God’s way – it was at least passive. But, my brethren, in our hearts, while there was nothing that could help God, there was much that could and did oppose him. Our stubborn wills, our deep prejudices, our ingrained love of iniquity, all these, great God, opposed thee, and aimed at thwarting thy designs… Yes, great God, it was great to make a world, but greater to create a new creature in Jesus Christ.” (Spurgeon)

10.b. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

Amos 8:4 Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?” The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who dwells in it, and all of it rise like the Nile, and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?” “And on that day,” declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.

Job 20:23 To fill his belly to the full, God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body.

Isaiah 22:12-14 In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: “Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Is it very hard to understand God’s anger and judgment when proclaimed clearly like this?. A warning has been given and the sentence announced. Yet the people went on about their lives without giving any thought to it. It is easy to do. Living life and getting consumed by it and especially now with all the news, true or false, about Covid 19, has a way of sidetracking our thoughts. It has a way of getting our eyes off of what it means to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. We just celebrated His death and resurrection. Does that give us any pause to live differently? Does it change how we think or act? Is it just something we do and then carry on as before? Does it bring us back to the great price that was paid for our redemption and salvation? Does it reset our purpose in life? Does is get our eyes focused again on humbly serving Him? If it doesn’t it is a good time right now to give it some thought. Intentionally choose to walk closer to Him and spend time in His Word every day that you have been given.

It is a choice….

Exodus 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 8:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

Joshua 24:15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

It is a choice to make between serving God and serving self. It is a choice to be humble when pride is knocking at your door. It is a choice to seek God first when everything in you says to handle it yourself. It is a choice to wait on God’s perfect plan and purpose when timing of our trial/trouble is weighting us down. It is a choice to trust in, rely on, and cling to God when chaos fills our lives. It is a choice to desire Him rather than a fix to our problems. It is a choice to want to spend time in His word and hear Him speak to our heart when we seem to be burdened with busyness. It is a choice to not grumble. It is a choice to keep unity. It is a choice to allow yourself to be wronged. It is a choice to forgive others. It is a choice to be joyful. It is a choice to say no to things of this world that replace God in our lives. It is a choice to do what is right even when others are not. It is a choice to make disciples. It is a choice to share the Gospel. It is a choice to be kind. It is a choice to be generous. It is a choice to praise and worship God. It is a choice to dwell on things of God. It is a choice to be thankful. It is a choice to encourage others. It is a choice to find refuge in God. It is a choice to used by Him.

Choose this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

Walk in His strength

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

“ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

“come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.”

“For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.”

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,”

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.”

Zechariah 10:12 I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the LORD.

Psalms 68:34 Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

Isaiah 45:24 “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

2 Timothy 2:1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Our life path takes us through times of trials and testing. It is hard say “I will not fear”, or “I will not be dismayed”, or “I will walk in His light”, while going through them. It seems as though we are being crushed and blessings of peace, joy, hope, power, strength, and love are just words with no meaning. Yet on the other side of these times of trials and testing we see more clearly how the strength, power and hand of God carried us through. I am amazed at how God works and how He seems to send the right person(s) into our life at the right time, when we need that help, encouragement, and word of God’s promises spoken into our life. Stay in His word, listen for His whispers of direction, and be ever ready to be used by Him to help others.