Tag: taken

25.x. “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.”

 

2 Corinthians 12:5  I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 2 Chronicles 26:16   But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God 

 2 Chronicles 32:25-26    But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him

 Daniel 5:20    But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

 Judges 2:3   So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides,

 Job 2:7   So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

 Luke 13:16    And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Do you ever wonder what turns the heart and soul of a person, proud?  What is it that flips a switch in us and makes us think highly of what we have accomplished?  We read of Paul who was given a thorn in the flesh and we know that it was given to him, by God, through Satan.  The purpose was to keep in from not becoming proud.  A proud heart will put self in front of God, think more highly of themselves than they ought, and look at others as less than they are.  We are not immune to pride.  It can attack us when we least expect it.  It can start with simple enough thoughts of accomplishment but then on our own or with a nudge from Satan can turn into more.  It is something I did.  It is something I can do better than you.  It is something reflecting my talent and superiority. It is something I can afford and you can’t.  It is something your children have succeeded in.  It can be in your intellect, strength, physical appearance.  We are not immune to this.  So how does a person fall for the bait of pride?  When we are lax in studying His Word.  When we are living in the presence of this world and not in the presence of God.  We live to please ourselves more than God.  When we honor and glorify ourselves rather than God.  When we are consumed with worldly desires and wants over things of God. Yes, it will happen when we put anything number 1 and God somewhere else down in the list of priorities. 

Do we think that any of our abilities came about by the sheer will of our mind or strength? Do we think it is of our doing? Our physical strength, mental intellect, and other abilities all come from God.  Some will use these abilities to do some of the most vicious and hardhearted crimes against mankind. We know scripture tells us of times when bad things were done by people to Christians and God used it for good.  We seem to have the ability to use our abilities that were given to us for good and what should be used for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ into or for something bad and contrary to that very purpose. Our ability to think, do, speak, reason, understand, etc…. were all given to us, by God, and how we use them is freely given to us as well.  Feed your heart, mind, and soul with God’s Word and pray for the ability to discern the temptation of pride.

Paul, once he understood and knew why God had “given” him this thorn in the flesh he was happy to bear it. He knew it was to keep him from becoming proud.  Paul also knew this “Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” We all ought to be so set against being proud that we seek God continually to expose it so that we can live to give Him “ALL” honor and glory.

12.t. “And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

Zephaniah 2:10  This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty. The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.

Isaiah 16:6     We have heard of the pride of Moab— how proud he is!— of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; in his idle boasting he is not right.

Daniel 4:37    Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Daniel 5:20-23     But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

Obadiah 1:3    The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

1 Peter 5:5    Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Isaiah 37:23    “‘Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel!

This shall they have for their pride,…. This calamity shall come upon their land, for their pride, which often goes before a fall; and has frequently been the cause of the ruin of kingdoms and states, and of particular persons; and indeed seems to have been the first sin of the apostate angels, and of fallen man. Because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts; they looked with disdain upon them, as greatly below them; and spoke contemptibly of them, of their nation, and religion; and “made” themselves “great”, and set up themselves “above” them, opened their mouths wide, and gave their tongues great liberties in blaspheming and reviling them: what was done to them is taken by the Lord as done to himself;  (Gill’s Exposition)

A little pride is enough to drag a person into the pit of arrogance and self-reliance and self-worth.  Humility is replaced by that which glorifies self rather than God.  Pride is  deep rooted in our sinful nature.  It will battle for control of our thoughts and actions.  It will make unrighteous statements that bring no glory or honor to Jesus Christ.  How do we recognize pride in ourselves?  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see it cleary when we look into the mirror?  We would be able to address it the minute it appears.  But that is not the case.  We can’t see it in the mirror.  Others might see it in us in how we talk but for sure we will not.  The only way to clearly see pride in our lives is through the Word of God, desiring Him to show us, having a willing heart to receive His Word, and humbly seeking the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.  There is no other way for pride to be exposed so we can repent and turn away from it.  Ask God to show any prideful ways in your heart and be willing to confess and turn away from them.

Empty Tomb

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

John 20:1  Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”  So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.  Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,  and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.  Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Psalms 16:10     For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Isaiah 25:8     He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 26:19    Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Isaiah 53:10     Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Hosea 13:14     I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.

Acts 2:25     For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;  therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.  For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’  “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,  he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.  This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

Acts 13:29     And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.  But God raised him from the dead,  and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.  And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,

Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day.  He was witnessed by hundred’s of people during the forty days after His resurrection and prior to His ascension. He came to redeem the lost and give hope of eternal life. The need for redemption is real.  The promise of redemption is real.  The penalty of rejection is real.

 “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.”

Do not fall into the trap of neglect or complacency or rejection of this great price paid for redemption.

 

They Scoffed

“They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’”

“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.’”

Malachi 3:14  You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

Job 21:14  They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.  What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’

Psalms 73:8  They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.  They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.  Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.  And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”  Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

Zephaniah 1:12    At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

Daniel 5:20  But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

How hard is it to act like the God we serve is alive and in control when there is so much scoffing.  So many have made a choice to reject Him and proclaim it foolishness to believe in Him.  Yet to those who have believed in Him, who cling to Him, who rely on Him, and who trust in Him, they find power, strength, rest, peace, hope and love.  They are not defeated by those scoffing but rather set their heart and mind more so on God.  Who knows what will happen even tomorrow.  How many people have left their home only to never return do to an untimely end of life.  How many who have said in their heart tomorrow I will start trusting in God only to find tomorrow never came.  They are standing before God and hear “depart from me for I never knew you”.  These are those who are cast into hell and torment forever.  Today is the day of salvation and the day to make a choice to serve Him with all your heart mind and soul.  Do not wait  a moment longer to start humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.  Be a light unto the scoffers and a ray of hope to those lost.