Tag: Works

I will never cast out

 “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me”

John 6:37  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 17:24    Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 2:4-10   (ESV)  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Revelation 22:17     The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

2 Timothy 2:19     But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

Fixing our eyes on our heavenly home is easy when all things are going well but when we have times of trials it has tendency to fade for some and others it only becomes stronger.  They face odds with hope that is far beyond most of our imaginations.  It is not that they don’t want to be rid of it but rather they have committed whatever it is into His sovereign hands with hope and faith.  Seeing our eyes set on Him throughout all times will yield hope and faith that passes all understanding.  I know that when you are in the company of these people you are so blessed.

Alive but Dead

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”

Joh 5:25  “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Revelation 3:1   “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Ephesians 2:5    even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Colossians 2:13    And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

1 Timothy 5:6    but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.

James 2:26     For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Hebrews 4:1    Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.  For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.

Dead but still alive? Walking with God through our life should have God honoring and glorifying life to it. Some might set the expectation for this very low and say because I don’t do certain things I am honoring and glorifying God.  I don’t think it is about doing or not doing but rather a deep heart desire to be lead by God and seeking to hear His whispers of guidance and commitment to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.  If the spirit of God is not present in our life we are dead though we live.  Our best plans, thoughts and actions are of no good if they are not foundationaly set in seeking and desiring to honor and glorify God.  There is so much we are bombarded each day and we need to be careful to set our heart, mind and soul in His word keeping our ears, eyes, and heart open to see, hear and do that which brings true honor and glory to Him alone.

Signs and Wonders

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 4:48  So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

John 2:18     So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”

John 12:37    Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,

John 15:24    If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

Numbers 14:11    And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?

Matthew 16:1  And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

Luke 16:31     He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

1 Corintians 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.

Unbelieving souls are everywhere.  The field is ripe and ready for harvest.  Yet there are some plantings that just did not take and grow.  The seeds were planted and watered but did not grow.  This metaphor was given multiple times to try to explain the stumbling block of those looking for signs or finding Christ through wisdom/philosophy.  Unbelieving unbelievers.  And then there are those who “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” However there is more to being a believer than believing.  Imagine you have been given $10 million.  You place it securely in the bank.  You are a millionaire.  If someone asked you if you were a millionaire you would say yes but other than that no one would know other than the one who gave you the millions and where you deposited it.  You spend none of it and for all of those around you none would know you’re a millionaire.  Some make come by your house and see a bank statement if it was left out but other than that no one would know.  What good is this money? What benefit does it have?  It has little to no value to you and certainly does not meet the expectations of one who gave it to you.  I fear the christian walk of many are similar.  Our purpose this side of eternity is more than believing.  Learn to humbly server, honor, follow and obey our Heavenly Father.

Seek and Save

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

Joh 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.”

God gave a gift of eternal life to all who would believe.  Eternal life with out pain, suffering, darkness and yet people will still choose to reject this gift.   Judgement and condemnation awaits them.  How true these words ring true still today-“people loved the darkness rather than the light”  Share the gift of God and light of Christ each day.  We never know when God will open a heart and mind to understand this gift.  It is up to us to proclaim it and the promises of God for eternal life.

Darkness to Light

Psalms 82:5  They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Proverbs 1:29   Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

Romans 1:28    And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Proverbs 4:19    The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

Ecclesiastes 2:14   The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness

John 3:19    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.

John 12:35    So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

1 John 2:11    But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Proverbs 2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;  he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,  guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.  Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;  for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;  discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,  delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,  who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,   who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,   men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

Ecclesiastes 3:16    Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.

2 Timothy 2:19    But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

There is one thing that keeps coming to mind from these scriptures.  People without Christ walk in darkness and they have no clue they are.  In fact they do not even know what the light is or how it will help or where to find it.  We are to be a reflection of this light, able to tell them of the light, and where it can be found.  Being a reflection means our way of light ought to be easily recognized as different from the world we live in.  The way we talk, react, think, and respond.  Our lives should reflect joy, peace, wisdom, understanding, hope, love, generosity, strength, courage, and concern all in the help and name of Jesus Christ.  Is it possible, as christians, that we too choose to live in darkness or with the light set to very dim.  Are we drifting away to a life of complacency, neglecting our calling to be light unto a lost generation.  Do we set our expectations so low for being a follower of Christ that there is no visible differences between us and those lost other than going to church on Sunday?  I think we have fallen into and follow a lie.  That lie is “it is up to the pastor, preacher to tell the gospel and up to me to go hear him teach and preach”  rather than being a reflection of Christ and telling others of His great love, hope, joy, peace …….  Out of the abundance of our heart the mouth will speak.  If nothing is coming out and nothing can be seen differently in our lives then we certainly need to look at what is filling our heart.  Living to be a humble servant, honoring, following, and obeying God requires us to choose to be in His word with the desire and intent to know Him and how to serve Him and be able to discern His leading each day.  Our reflection of the light of Christ will grow brighter and brighter as we choose to be in His word and be used by Him.

The next generation

“Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.”

Psalms 78:5  He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,   that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,   so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Psalms 71:18   So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Psalms 102:18    Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:

Psalms 145:4   One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

Esther 9:28    that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation,

Deuteronomy 4:10   how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’  

Joel 1:3    Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.

Our responsibility is clear to tell the next generation about God and His glorious mighty power and steadfast love.  Do you ever stop to think about all the acts of blessing, mercy, love, and power God has done in your life?  We ought to record these and share them with our children, families and friends.  We are not only to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God, but also to tell others of what He has done in the past, what He has done in our lifetime, and the hope of our salvation.

Rejoice in His works

“ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.”

“ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Psalms 71:23  My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.

Psalms 104:31  May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.  Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

Habakkuk 3:17  Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,  yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Psalms 32:11   Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalms 63:5  My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,  when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

Psalms 119:15  I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.  I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

When our eyes are focused on God and His awesome power, might, grace, mercy, and love it is what bubbles out of our heart.  Rejoicing and giving Him praise comes natural then.  It is when we get sideways and are drifting away from Him that this becomes hard to do.  When other things fill our heart it is hard to rejoice and praise God.  Keep your eyes open to Him, stay in His word, and choose to seek Him and His purpose for your day.  Rejoicing and praise will begin to bubble up and out from the depth of your heart and soul.

Unless the Lord builds

“He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?”

“Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?”

Malachi 1:2  “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”

Isaiah 9:9  and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:  “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”

James 4:13  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Job 12:14    If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open.

Job 34:29   When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?—

Psalms 127:1  

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Proverbs 21:30  No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.

Matthew 12:30   Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Revelation 3:15  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

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.”

Pride, arrogance, strength and riches have been the fall of many.  They stand out and are easy to see.  They boast in what they have and what they have accomplished.  What is hard to see are those who are luke warm in humbly serving, complacent in giving their whole heart, mind and soul, , and negligent in following and obeying.  These are people who we see everyday and they pass through life on false hope, no joy, and little substance of faith.  Their mouth speaks of believing but their actions and maturity in God’s word reveal no depth, understanding, wisdom or discernment.  Those who boast with pride and arrogance absolutely know they have chosen live without God and reject Him in their life.  Those who are lukewarm deceive themselves into thinking their life is secure.  Satan has deceived them into thinking they can go through life with lukewarm commitment, being good or at least better than others, and spending no time in God’s word seeking understanding, wisdom, and discernment.  They actually feel safer living apart from full commitment to God.  This lie brings these who fall into it’s trap thinking they can pretend everything is ok or perform works that will make them right before God.  Commitment to God wether seen by others or not is most definitely seen and known by God.  Though others may be fooled He is not. Commit fully to Humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.  Spend time in His word and seek His guidance, leading and perfect plan for your life.

God our Heavenly Father

“ O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.  Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.  There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.  These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.  When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”

Psalms 65:12  The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Psalms 104:10  You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;  they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.  Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.  From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

Job 38:28  “Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children?  Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Isaiah 55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.  “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Isaiah 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.  For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

Acts 14:17    Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

How many times do you hear  someone reference “Mother Nature” in the course of a year concerning weather?  I hear “Mother Nature sure has been good to us” and “Mother Nature sure seems to be angry” or a host of other references to her without thought of God.  It is common to not hear reference God in things of nature.   It is also common to not hear reference to God in things of everyday life which shows the condition of man’s heart.  How many times have you heard someone talking about God outside of church or home?  God is not to be set aside for special occasions or needs.  He is to be praised, honored, worshipped, obeyed, glorified, and set in a place of awe and reverence in our heart and mind continually.   God is our heavenly Father and creator of all there is.  What kind of children neglect their father or pay no attention to his council and wisdom?  What kind of children allow life to get so busy that they consider their father only on fathers day and their birthday?  What kind of love would you say these children have for their father?  Wouldn’t you say they were ungrateful, negligent, self-seeking, and just plain bad children.  How much more BAD is it for us to neglect God in our everyday life?  Commit to spend time in His word.  Seek to know and love, honor and obey Him more.  Keep Him alive in your heart, mind and soul.  Praise Him!!!