apostles – Praying Pint

32.i. “Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life”

Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Luke 12:49-53    “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!  I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!  Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.  For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Acts 13:45-46   But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.  And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

Acts 14:2   But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Acts 14:4    But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Philippians 1:20-21    as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Revelation 2:10   Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The dividing line between those who accept Jesus and those who reject Him runs through families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, towns, villages, states, and countries. A person’s eternal destiny depends upon their response to Jesus Christ. In their response to humbly surrender, repent, believe, follow, trust, obey, and rely on Jesus Christ a person is born again, and in this new birth is where the dividing line is established. On one side there is peace, comfort, joy, hope, courage, strength that comes from and through believing, trusting, relying on, and following Jesus Christ. On the other side of the line are those who do not surrender or repent. They may be of a mind that believes they are doing enough good to be good enough for eternal life. They may be of a mind to flat out deny Jesus Christ exists. Where ever their mind has landed, it has landed on the other side of the dividing line. The dividing line begins in the heart of each person and then is manifested out to others. How many times does Scripture tell us to stand firm? How many times will our heart be tested by those who stand firmly on the other side of the line?

Every person born is born on the wrong side of the line. This is clear. Every person is born on the side of the dividing line that leads to eternal hell. It doesn’t matter what a person thinks about this, how they try to perform, or how they try to balance the scales so that they end up on the other side of the line. The line is clear.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

What side of the dividing line do you stand on?

27.e. “Having no hope and without God in the world”

Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

19- So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Without Christ: These are terrible words, and the implications of them are the sum of the woeful condition of the lost man or woman. To be without Christ means to be: without spiritual blessings, light, peace, rest, safety, hope, a place of refuge, purpose, satisfaction, lasting joy, discernment, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and eternity in Heaven. Look around, be observant, and see if this is not true. Read or listen to almost any news being stated, listen to family, friends, government officials, and people at large, and you will see they lack the peace of God that only comes through Faith in Jesus Christ. In the worst of them, they are greedy, boastful, arrogant, fearful, liars, creating division, confusion, and hatred. In the best of them they are just plain lost and without a solid foundation that can only be found in and through Jesus Christ. They have a form of purpose, peace, satisfaction, and joy, but there is no depth and lasting foundation on which it can stand.

This is exactly where each of us was prior to believing in Jesus Christ. Lost and without eternal hope. We were alienated from God. We were tools of Satan. We were destined to eternal Hell. And, somehow, through God’s grace, mercy, and love, our hearts were softened and our minds understood the gospel, our sinful nature, being separated from God, deserving Hell, and without hope in anything we could do to be made right before God, and we repented from our sin, turned away from self-worthiness and self-reliance, and we trusted in and relied upon Jesus Christ alone, by faith in Him alone.

Paul is saying remember this. You were “without Christ”. In remembering this our hearts and minds should be in constant thankfulness and our lives surrendered to humbly serving Him for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Him in all we say, think, and do.

26. “Even though I am nothing”

2 Corinthians 12:11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

Luke 17:10    So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Ephesians 3:8   To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Romans 15:18-19   For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,  by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

What would our lives be like if we would look at all we do, all we are able to do, and all we have done and know in our heart that we are nothing and it is by the grace of God that we exist and are able to do anything at all. Would we act differently? Would we be more thankful? Would we be more humble? Would we be more helpful to others? Would we see others in a different light? It is not a though we should be walking around with our head hung low and seemingly pouting or self-deprecating. Rather, we should walk with our head on straight with the knowledge that we are nothing in the flesh but in the spirit, we are a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the flesh we are but a tool of our Lord, that is if we keep the influences of fleshly desires and worldly temptations out of our mind. This is not easy when there is so much technology that feeds anti-christian worldly ideas at lightning speed continuously. There is but one way to keep from being drawn away. Staying in His Word. I am not saying this lightly but that it should be a desire of your soul. Why is this important? Because without feeding and digesting His Word the world has a way of dragging you into its lifestyle and way of thinking. Feeding and digesting His Word will manifest humbleness, trust, obedience, faith, hope, praise, honor, worship, and reliance in Him alone in your life.

25.u. “For many deceivers have gone out into the world”

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Acts 20:30    and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

2 John 1:7-11    For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.  Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.  Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,  for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Jeremiah 23:14-15   But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”  Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”

It is so easy for all people, including Christians, to be taken in by image, charisma, and outward appearances. Many will only recognize evil if it is openly and unanimously declared as evil. Why is this? Sometimes I wonder if it is more because of our itching ears wanting it this way. We want our pastor to be one of influence, great in clarity of speech, and proclaiming insights we never knew. We don’t want to diligently search scripture to know and understand – discern – the Word of God through the leading and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. We want to be spoon-fed with what our pastor has to say about scripture. We don’t spend time reading and studying God’s Word with a desire to have God give us wisdom in understanding and applying it. The Word of God was not given to pastors only. God has given us His Word so that we can know Him more and more and live more and more in ways that truly honor and glorify Him. Do we think that being spoon-fed a few select scriptures once per week will fill us? Do we think being spoon-fed once per week we will have any chance of discerning what is right and wrong, true and false, good and bad in the sight of God? This lack of desire to know and study God’s Word leaves us open to embracing lies and deceptions of Satan himself, who transforms himself into an angel of light. If Satan were to appear before a human audience, he would be regarded as an angel of light. Those who can discern it look at those who cannot and wonder with amazement at how easily they have been deceived.

“It is generally said that Satan has three forms under which he tempts men: 1. The subtle serpent. 2. The roaring lion. 3. The angel of light. He often, as the angel of light, persuades men to do things under the name of religion, which is disruptive, destructive, and disloyal of things of God. As a roaring lion, the horrors of all kinds of twisted persecutions and atrocities occur. As the subtle serpent, he frequently and easily deceives us so that that which is right is called wrong and that which is wrong is called right. He appeals to the weak and strong, learned and unlearned, wise and foolish, proud and humble, rich and poor. He temps us all when we least expect it. Why does God’s Word tell us to be diligent, resist, stand firm, and remain faithful? It is because of the lies and deceptions of the father of all lies and deceit. How are we to know and discern that which is true and false, right and wrong, good and bad if the Word of God is not desired in our lives more than being spoon-fed once per week? Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

22.n. Continuation of Saturday’s devotion – I His Word only

1 corinthians 12:15 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

11.c. “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

Micah 6:6 “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Matthew 19:16     And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

Luke 10:25    And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Acts 2:37     Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Romans 10:2-3   For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

The question has been asked for centuries one way or another. How can I stand before God? How can I inherit eternal life? What shall we do? These questions are asked by those who are lost. Some of them want to know how to be right with God and others want to challenge the answer with no intent of needing or wanting to be right with God. This question will be asked by searching-souls continuously until the judgement seat of Jesus Christ and His return. It is more than just asking the question, isn’t it? It is what we do after we have been given the answer. If we humble ourselves and surrender our self-centeredness and self-reliance to the message of grace, mercy, and hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ we find peace, rest, and joy flooding our souls. Repentance and turning away from these self-seeking ways and trusting in the promise of forgiveness frees us from the burden of carrying our past and sin in our own power. Humble surrender, by faith, to the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross enables our eyes to our hearts, minds, and souls be opened to forgiveness and the hope of eternity with Jesus Christ forever.

6.a.

Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

We can all learn from the letters to the seven churches listed in Revelation. These letters were written to both those present at the time of receiving the letter and to all in the future. The expectation and application are just as pertinent for their culture as ours, for believing churches then as now, for believers then as now.

The lesson in the letter to Ephesus teaches that truth and love must go hand-in-hand. A church that upholds doctrinal purity at the expense of showing love is just as flawed as a church that upholds congregational harmony at the expense of truthful teachings. Instead, Jesus reveals that a church fashioned in His image must teach God’s Truth in love. (Christianity.com)

Given the high degree of assimilation of North American Christians to our culture’s values—more time spent on entertainment than on witness, more money spent on our comfort than on human need—the prognosis for the society as a whole is not good.

When pagans charged that Rome fell because of its conversion to Christianity, Augustine responded that it fell rather because its sins were piled as high as heaven and because the commitment of most of its Christian population remained too shallow to restrain God’s wrath. Naturally, we recognize that not all suffering reflects judgment; but some do, especially on the societal level. Is Western Christianity genuinely different enough from our cultures to delay God’s judgment on our societies? (Zondervan Academic)

I am sending the promise of my Father

“And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you”

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

Acts 2:33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Jude 1:17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

The promise of the Helper, Holy Spirit, and Spirit of Grace and Mercy has been given to all who believe. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to lead, guide, teach, convict, comfort, and encourage our heart, mind, and soul. The Holy Spirit’s influence in our life is not through some mystical void but rather through bringing God’s word alive and flooding our inner soul with understanding and knowledge of God. The Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us peace. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus“. Staying in His word gives fertile ground for it to be brought to life and being led into action by the Holy Spirit for the purposes of God. The promise of God for the Helper will equip us for all of God’s plans and purposes this side of eternity. It will also equip us for everything we experience this side of eternity. Stay in His presence, study His word, be open to hearing His whispers of leading, pray, and above all desire and commit to humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him.

For, Against, Abstain

“Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

John 7:40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

Matthew 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

Luke 12:51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

Acts 14:4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Acts 23:7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?”

1 Corinthians 1:22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

Acts 6:7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Scripture is clear on the fact that there are going to be people who see, hear and believe. There are also those who are on the fence and those who are hard set and will not believe. Division will come because of this. Once our heart, mind and soul has been awakened to the truth a choice will be made. The problem is that many do not see the magnitude of the choice they are making. This choice has eternal consequences. Forever with Christ or forever separated and tormented day and night. Just because a person can say it will not happen and that it is all fantasy does not make this a fact of truth. Many educated and worldly wise people have taken hard stances and declared the thought there being a God, creation, and need of salvation, FOOLISHNESS and being SIMPLE MINDED. Others take a path of complacent neglect and commit to what seems to be a place in the middle but unfortunately the results are the same. They may not speak out against God but they do not acknowledge Him or their sin and in need of Christ. Their choice is still not to believe. In meetings there are those who can vote for, against, or abstain. However with this decision here is no middle ground. Abstaining from making the choice to believe, humbly serve, honor, follow and obey is to deny God and the need for your sins to be forgiven. The result of choosing to abstain is forever separated and tormented day and night forever. Those who choose to believe and see the need for redemption come to Christ with broken hearts and wanting forgiveness of sin. Their heart and mind have been opened by God and they are drawn by Him to this place of decision. They rely on, trust in and cling to Him for they know there is absolutely no other way to be right before God but by through the redeeming work of Christ. They can walk in His light, His purpose and know their eternal destiny. Acknowledge your sin, seek and trust in forgiveness through Christ, and humbly serve Him. Jesus Christ came into the world to seek and save the lost. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”