Manifestation of the truth
2 Corinthians
{4:1} Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not
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We are all called to be ministers of Christ.
Our ministry is Christ, His grace and truth.
Each person who accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior is by the very nature of all that is Christ, compelled to live for Him. No, we can't all be great speakers, we can't all be teachers, we can't all be preachers or missionaries in the conventional sense but in our daily lives in whatever it is we are doing, we are Christ's representatives. It doesn't matter if you're a homeless person, or a physicist, an office worker, or a garage mechanic, every one of us who accept Christ and live for Him are representing Him in all we do.
As we receive Christ's mercy we cannot faint at our task of walking as Christ walked. The mercy of Christ enables us to to be strong, to do the things we need to do. Don't be fooled into thinking that you don't have to do anything as a follower of Christ, listen to this...
2 Corinthians
{4:2} But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty,
*Renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. You give up being dishonest. Very few people announce their ability to deceive, to cheat, to be dishonest. When caught a person earns a reputation as being someone dishonest, but as a rule and by it's very nature dishonesty isn't something people wear on their sleeves for all to see. As Christians we have to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty. Even those little things that people call white lies need to be rethought here because dishonest, is dishonest. No, I'm not for deliberately hurting anyone with a blatant truth as I perceive it- such as - 'Do you like my dress?' When it's the most hideous thing to me. It's not a lie to say. 'I suits you nicely.' Because in truth, if the person admires it then it is suiting that person's taste. It's not dishonest to be kind. Now if someone is wearing their shirt inside out and asks the same question of whether or not you like it, and you tell them, well... it's inside out so... You are doing them a kindness if there is an opportunity for them to correct the problem. I could give endless examples but there is no need.
2 Corinthians
{4:2}'...not walking in craftiness,'
*We're not to walk in craftiness.
Dict. Craftiness 1. Skilled in or marked by underhandedness, deviousness, or deception.
We're not to be dishonest, we're not to be deceitful, crafty, underhanded, devious- all negative traits that some applaud themselves for counting themselves very skilled when they can put one over on someone. We're not to even try to put one over on anyone.
2 Corinthians
{4:2}'... nor handling the word of God deceitfully;'
We can't handle the word of God deceitfully. You know, you'd think that a Christian wouldn't want to even imagine handling the Word of God with deceit and yet many do. Many pick it apart taking bits and pieces of things to suit what they want to believe and follow. They do that with Christ's teachings, with Christ's message as well. We can't do these things and call ourselves Christians. Christians, true followers of Christ are open, honest, forthright...
2 Corinthians
{4:2}'... but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.'
We have to manifest truth!
Dict. manifest -
Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious
Nothing hidden, nothing deceitful, the truth must be obvious in us. God alone will judge us, God alone knows and understands us. We need to put aside deceit, dishonesty, craftiness and put on truth. Christ needs to be readily seen in us.
2 Corinthians
{4:3} But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
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While we might not be evangelists, or professional speakers, or great writers, we each have our own little world we exist in and to that world our belief cannot be hidden. Christ has to be seen in us, in our lives.
The precious love and mercy Christ is something we can't keep to ourselves. Unfortunately it is hidden to those who are lost and want to stay lost, and don't fool yourself, many, many do want to stay lost believing that this world is all they have to live for and nothing else can persuade them otherwise.
2 Corinthians
{4:3} But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
{4:4} In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
*
See! Do you see?! Satan blinds them that choose not to believe. The don't want the truth so they won't get the truth. Everyone has a chance to accept the truth in Christ Jesus, everyone and if the choice is made against Him then they are allowed to remain blinded by Satan.
2 Corinthians
{4:5} For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. {4:6} For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
AMEN!
AMEN!
Again I shout...AMEN!
We don't preach about ourselves, but Christ. He's the one all eyes should be upon. We are but His servants. God the very God who created light will shine light into our hearts! The light of knowledge and that knowledge is the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!
All glory to God! All praise to God. May the light of knowledge shine in our hearts so that we can help others to see the love of God working in us through His most glorious, most wondrous Son, Jesus Christ!
Amen!
Psalms {91:4} He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
10/04/09
Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
In and ideal world children would always obey their parents and stay within the family fold, yes? Raised in certain beliefs they'd carry on in those beliefs teaching their children who would then teach their children and so on forever. That's in an ideal world. Are there situations where it seems that families have gone on century after century living as they were taught to live without question? Certainly there are, but it's rare.
Why do we have so many different religions today? Because Satan would have something that appeals to everyone. When all those recognizes somethings stop appealing and people start drifting away that's okay too, it suits his purposes well. Did God intend that we should have hundreds of different religions to choose from? Did he intend that we even have 3 great faiths as is were, to choose from? No. The intention was never that man would have to make that choice and yet a choice had to be available. Not for 3 faiths or 1000 faiths. The choice has forever been between God and Not God. People protest loudly and say we all worship the same God just in different ways. Would God be so vastly different in those religions contridicting one another? Does that make sense? This church has a statement of beliefs that is nothing like the next one and yet they worship the same God? If I say I'm a follower of the Catholic church I'm saying I believe in the Pope. If I say I'm a follower of Islam, I say I believe in Mohammad. If I say I'm a Protestant I'm declaring that I'm not a follower of the Catholic church or Islam. What we claim to be, what we claim to follow declares to one and all what we believe.
Just recently my mother was in the hospital and they asked her what her religion was, she looked at me and I said Non-demnominational. What did I mean by that? I meant that she believes, but doesn't adhere to any one denomination. She doesn't declare to follow any one specfic religion. With so many religions out there claiming their beliefs to be the true ones to follow isn't that the safest way to be?
We believe in God and God tells us if we love Him to keep His commandments. He declares that by our works we are known. He sent His Son and His Son revealed the Father to us in His every day life, in His words. When the first followers of Christ stepped away from their Jewish fold, a belief system that heldfast to rituals and the belief that a Messiah was still to come rather than had come, they believed in a God that offered forgiveness through the life of His Son as promised. They moved away from the way things had been for God's chosen people, but they moved forward by the revelation of God in Jesus, His Son. We were given Jesus and all His teachings that would keep us until the end when He would return and take us home with Him.
Now people will shout that we all interpret things differently and therefore the different interpretations demand different religions and what does it all matter if it's God we believe in. The questions are good ones. The trouble is that religions tend to focus on their interpretation of beliefs excluding any other possibility of interpretation. We have to be descriminatory people say.
What's all this to do with Rev. 17:1-2?
There are only TWO sides. Those who follow Satan and those who follow God. There aren't several sides. There is the whore with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, the inhabitants of earth have drunk her wine - the guilty.
Two sides not a hundred with half for God and half for Satan.
Two sides.
We have to hold fast to just God and His truths in the Bible as He reveals to us. It's not our place to put them into a denominational setting and get others to believe in our denominations beliefs. We need to live our lives as Christ would have us live, not concentrate on setting up a church among thousands of churches. The day when there was one true church is long gone in the sense it can be named. The Catholic church believes they are the one true church and all others are stray sheep wandered from the fold that need to return. We know that's not true through past studies. May God Bless us as we open our hearts and minds to Him fully and seek His way and only His way through His Word, through His Son, by His grace and mercy now and forever.
Amen.
11/04/10
11/04/11