And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write
These things saith the first and the last
which was dead and is alive
I know thy works
and tribulation
and
poverty
but thou art rich
and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews
and are not
but are the synagogue of Satan.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer
behold,
the devil shall cast some of you into prison- that ye may be tried
and ye shall have tribulation ten days
be thou faithful unto death
and I will give thee a crown of life.
He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
(((If, as we talked about already, the seven churches spoken of represent God's people throughout time- the period of time suggested by others who have studied Revelation for the first chruch- Ephesus is.. 'the period from the resurrection of Christ to the close of the first century, or to the death of the last of the apostles.' And the second chruch - Smyrna - 'the date of the Smyrna church would be A.D. 100-323.' How do they come to this date?
Well first let's look at what's said.
'And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write
These things saith the first and the last
which was dead and is alive'
John through the Spirit is writing to the angel of the people of God in Smyrna. The first, the last, which was dead and is alive. Jesus.
'I know thy works
and tribulation
and
poverty
but thou art rich'
He knows the works- the actions of His people in Smyrna. He also knows their tribulation. He understands what they're going through. Tribulation. If I say I'm going through tribulation am I talking about a little bit of a hard time? No. I'm talking about a very hard time, a time of such suffering, of such afflicition it doesn't compare to ordinary upsets. Jesus knows the actions, the works, and He knows of the intense suffering of those people. He also knows of their poverty- their deficencies, unproductiveness, their lacking but even as He knows of their poverty He knows they are rich. A conflict? Can one be in poverty and be rich at the same time? They sure can be if we are thinking along the lines of being poor in one thing while rich in another. You can have a person poor in finances and rich in optimism. Jesus know it all- the suffering the poverty and the riches. We are told in the Bible this--
Matthew {19:24} And again I say unto you, It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
With this in mind it's easy to imagine the 'rich' spoken of here is something other than monetary riches but rather riches that God treasure.
Matthew {6:20} But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal
Heavenly riches.
A person can be rich in heavenly treasures and in poverty upon the earth. You can be rich in one thing and lacking in another. You can have a richness of love and a poverty of kindness. Jesus knows all of us the good and the bad in us - His people throughout time.
'and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews
and are not
but are the synagogue of Satan.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer
behold,
the devil shall cast some of you into prison- that ye may be tried
and ye shall have tribulation ten days'
Blasphemy- 1. a. A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity. b. The act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God.
2. An irreverent or impious act, attitude, or utterance in regard to something considered inviolable or sacrosanct.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
There are those who claim to be God's but are really from where? The 'synagogue of Satan.' Devil worshippers who claim to be God's people. God knows who those people are and truly there are those in all age who are guilty of this- of claiming to be God's people while their lives, their hearts say otherwise.
God doesn't want His people to fear things that will be suffered by them. Again in all ages we face suffering for our faith and yet we are to fear not.
The devil will put some of God's people in prison- those people will be tried and have tribulation ten days. Now this is where we have to ask ourselves a question- ten days? In prophecy days can stand for years. Is there any notable ten year period of tribulation for God's people?
There is...
'The Diocletianic Persecution (or Great Persecution) was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman empire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletianic_Persecution
In 303, Emperor Diocletian and his colleagues Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of edicts rescinding Christians' legal rights and demanding they comply with traditional religious practices. Later edicts targeted the clergy and demanded universal sacrifice, ordering all inhabitants to sacrifice to the gods. The persecution varied in intensity across the empire—weakest in Gaul and Britain, where only the first edict was applied, and strongest in the Eastern provinces. Persecutionary laws were nullified by different emperors at different times, but Constantine and Licinius's Edict of Milan (313) has traditionally marked the end of the persecution.'
303 to 313 - ten years!
The revelation was-
'the devil shall cast some of you into prison- that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days'
Ten days- Ten years of GREAT tribulation, great suffering, great persecution.
The prophecy goes on to say-
'be thou faithful unto death
and I will give thee a crown of life.
He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death'
Be faithful unto death. Telling them what? They would die! God's people, His church, would be persecuted to the death.
Faithful unto death. In truth we all throughout time must be faithful unto death, we must be determined to be God's until we die no matter what the cost might be. Faithful unto death.
The reward for such faithfulness is a crown of life! The crown of life given for those who receive life eternal in Jesus. The price is well worth the sacrifice to obtain such a priceless gift.
We are told once more--
'He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches'
LISTEN!
And the promise-
'He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death'
Meaning the death that is eternal- the death that comes when the 1000 years in heaven with Jesus are over and evil and sin are wiped out of existence the death of all those who are evil and are destroyed forever- that deah will not hurt those who are God's faithful.
May God bless and keep us through the tribulations we have and will have, may we remain faithful unto Him forever. May the second death not hurt any of us as we seek life in Jesus, our Lord and Savior now and forever!
Amen.
8/27/10
Heb 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
The nature of angels- spiritual and yet able to appear human. Appear being the key word there- for as much as angels can appear as men to mankind when necessary that will NEVER give them true flesh and blood, never give them humanity.
Jesus didn't choose an angel's form to come to us.
Jesus didn't choose to keep His spirit form that could disappear at will. He didn't choose a spirit form that had powers to do things humans can't. However, while He didn't choose to keep His spirit form but rather took on humanity in its flesh filled with blood- His relationship with the Father enabled Him to do things sinning humans who have separated themselves from God by sin cannot do. Jesus relied on the power of God and did the following supernatural acts...
Joh 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
(Walked on water)
Luk 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
Luk 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
Luk 4:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way
(Was able to disappear as He was being led away.)
Mat 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Mat 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
(Transfigured)
So, while Jesus was connected to the Father- One with Him in a way that we cannot be until His return and sin no longer separates us from our God- He was able to claim the power of His Father which He used to perform miracles and to do miraculous acts. He did NOT take on the nature of angels, He took on OUR nature.
Why is it important to differentiate between this fact- that Jesus did not take on the nature of angels but of humans? Because angels were made a little superior to us. Angels were NOT made in God's image. Angels do not possess flesh and blood. Angels already decided their fate- 1/3 of them chose to follow Satan, 2/3 chose to remain with God and there is NO chance for them to repent any more, no chance for them to find salvation because that part of their existence has been decided. These beings who do not die at the end of a set number of years, these beings have no flesh to fast corruption over time, these beings do not age - growing old and dying, decaying through the ravages of time. These beings- these angels face a choice having free will to disobey God and once that choice was made that was that. Can they be blotted out of existence? Yes. And the evil angels will face their ultimate punishment of no longer existing when sin is done away with once and for all. Jesus did NOT take on the nature of the created angels. Jesus took on our humanity because it was us He was to sacrifice Himself for.
Heb 2:17… Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
That HE might be a MERCIFUL and FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST in things pertaining to God.
To MAKE a RECONCILIATION for the SINS of the PEOPLE.
Made like his BRETHERN! Made like you and me so He could understand only the way one being us could understand.
Because HE HIMSELF SUFFERED BEING TEMPTED
He is able to SUCCOUR THEM that ARE TEMPTED
He faced temptation. REAL temptation. He wasn't place in some protective wrapping, encased in a sin repelling suit. There was NOTHING artificial about Jesus' humanity. Like I mentioned before, the ONLY thing Jesus had that we don't is being ONE with the Father, without sin separating Him from Him. It wasn't until Jesus took on the sins of humanity that He was separated from His Father and cried out in anguish- 'Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
Yes, I've spoken of this before and yes, just recently, but it warrants repeating again and again. Jesus SUFFERED being tempted. He SUFFERED.
Have you ever suffered being tempted to sin? What does that suffering mean? It means there is a war inside you, a desire to give into the temptation. You only suffer because you DO NOT give into the temptation. If you'd just give in, you'd no longer suffer the fight- but you might suffer with remorse. Jesus NEVER suffered the remorse of giving into a temptation and sinning. He suffered the temptation! The very, very real temptation. Again, people don't like to believe in our Savior's humanity, the part of our Savior that was human enough to even suffer a being tempted. Jesus? Tempted? NO, no way, not my Jesus. Yes! Your Jesus! He felt our desires, He felt our ambitions, He felt all of that because if He did not, then He DID NOT suffer being tempted as we are and He is NOT able to succor US who are tempted. If HE wasn't tempted like WE are tempted He couldn't fully understand on the level of being human what it means to be tempted. Because He didn't sin, because He never broke the bond, the at-one-ment with His Father He was and is worthy to save us. Even with the full force of temptation facing Him, the worst of the worst of temptations in His own right, as each of our temptations are different from one another's, He never gave into the temptation. He suffered though, and if you don't want to believe that our GOD Jesus suffered with temptation then His suffering was in vain to you. You can keep your delusions if you like, but one day the delusions will be wiped away and only truth will remain and that truth tells us that Jesus suffered being tempted… and is now able, because of all He went through, to succor us- help us.
What a marvelous Gift we were given, a priceless Gift.
As we face temptation whether it's in the next minute, the next hour, the next day, or next week - we need to cling to our Savior, praying to Him, seeking that connection with Him, going to His word, pleading HIS righteousness, His power to save and by His grace resist that temptation- even if it means resisting unto blood. We've taken sin and trivialized it way too much so that it's seemingly lost it's power of destruction, of causing death. We've sugar-coated sin, especially our pet temptations and pampered sins that really aren't so bad because they aren't like those disgusting sins. Sin is sin is sin. Temptation is something our Savior faced and He knew we'd face it too. Only by His grace can we overcome through HIM, not of ourselves. But we need to … Resist the devil!
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
We need to… resist unto blood!
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
By the grace of God we are SAVED! May we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, resist the devil even if it means resisting unto blood. May we see sin for what it is and not trivialize it away. Let the horrors of sin be faced, may all sin be seen for what it is and be repented of, resisted. Let us cling to our Savior, our Lord now and forever!
Amen.
8/27/11
Psa 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established
my goings.
The horrible
pit.
The miry
clay.
Pit-
bôr
bore
From H952 (in the
sense of H877); a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or prison): -
cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well.
Clay-
ṭı̂yṭ
teet
From an unused
root meaning apparently to be sticky (rather perhaps a denominative from H2894,
through the idea of dirt to be swept away); mud or clay; figuratively calamity:
- clay, dirt, mire.
Have you ever
been in a horrible pit? What about being stuck in miry clay? There are probably
very few people who could claim to have been stuck in a horrible pit, and truly
well stuck, unable to free themselves from miry clay.
Yet we know exactly what David is talking about here, don't we? Most of
us have had experience being stuck in a deep pit of despair, of hopelessness, of
pain, anguish- emotional, mental agonies that have left us feeling as if we were
trapped in our existence with no possible way to get ourselves out. That thick
miry clay of life pouring down over us so that we are covered up to our necks in
the dark things of life, unable to escape.
It's
a fact that depression has overtaken so many people that they now exist by
slipping pills into their mouths - hoping the contents of those little pills
will alter something within their brains-cutting off that sense of despair- so
they can no longer feel the heavy pain of worthlessness. And it's a fact that
our brain chemistry has been tampered with and for a lot of people it no longer
functions in the way it was intended-through no fault of their own. Aside from
taking recreational drugs that can affect the brain, people can't mess with
their brain chemistry. Some might
yell that it is just an excuse for not being able to have faith, but that's not
true any more than a person with type 1 diabetes, or a thin, otherwise healthy
person with high blood pressure, or someone with congenital diseases, or
deformities - could alter their problems.
Those who claim that faith should be able to cure anyone from anything-
haven't looked upon the tiny, dead body of a child who had pneumonia whose
parents prayed over that child but refused to get the baby medical
attention. They haven't watched the
mental deterioration of a new mother caught in severe post partum depression -
told to snap out of it, but instead ends up hurting their child and themselves-
all because they refused to seek medical help. I'm ALL for natural cures, for faith
healing- but sometimes the hope God offers is in the form of medical
technology. I'm not encouraging
people to seek pills to help them crawl out of the pit, or free themselves from
the miry clay- I know this verse here we're studying reveals that it was GOD who
helped David escape from his pit, from the miry clay that trapped him. And people will be quick to point out
that they didn't have pills back in David's day so it was God, it was faith
alone that helped David. I can't
dispute that, I'm not even going to try. What I think I'm trying to say is God
deals with us ALL in a personal, unique manner and I cannot pound the podium,
stomp my foot on the soapbox and yell that there is only one cure.
I CAN pound the podium and stomp my foot, I CAN shout and scream that God
is the only answer. I can do that
and not be contradictory because as I mentioned before- medical technology isn't
all of the devil just because many
people have abused it. A lot of great good has come from medical technology.
Without it my mother would not have survived the miscarriage she had, and my
little sister would never have been born later on,
and I would have grown up without my mother.
Without technology my daughter and I would have died together- her
unborn. So many of us can recite
the same sort of true stories- we are able to look back at the last hundred
years and to our ancestors and know that without medical intervention multitudes
would not exist. Of course the naysayers will be quick to point out that for
thousands of years mankind survived without modern medical inventions - those
who died were not meant to live- survival of the fittest and all.
They're right, for thousands of years it was that way, but that doesn't
make the medical advancements all of Satan, not by a long, long shot.
So, back to the
pit and miry clay- if a person relies completely upon medicine to keep them out
of the emotional turmoil they experience, if a person takes their pills and life
doesn't seem so worthless, yet they ignore God- they are still lost
eternally. God is the answer for
those who know that this world isn't the way it was meant to be, life truly is
meaningless without God, without the hope of the world God intended.
Psa 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established
my goings.
Waiting patiently
while in the horrible pit, while stuck in the miry clay.
We don't like to wait patiently when we are trapped, when we are
stuck. Waiting patiently doesn't
mean not crying out- some might assume that if we cry out we aren't being
patient and in some instances that'd be true. If we were crying out, rushing
things, and if we are crying out cursing and denying God, that's not patience at
all. If we turn our back on God - that's not patience. Patience is holding fast
knowing God is, knowing that God was, and that God will be forever. People might
cry out their hate for God, but in their hearts the truth is strong- God was,
God is, God will be.
While called on
to endure agonies untold - that truth exists within their hearts and must live
within their hearts and that is patience- the truth, that deep down truth that
exists in those who truly love God.
David waited patiently even while crying out to the LORD. The LORD
brought David up out of the pit, and out of the miry clay and set Him on a rock
and established His way. Does
that mean David was never again struck with despair, never ever faced another
calamity? No. It does mean that
God was the truth to David, God was the hope to David, God was the all in all to
David, God was in David's heart.
David wasn't perfect by far, and neither are we.
Psa 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established
my goings.
Psa 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the
LORD.
Psa 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the
LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful
works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot
be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they
are more than can be numbered.
Blessed is the
man that makes the LORD his trust.
Blessed is the
man that respects not the proud.
Blessed is the
man that doesn't respect those that turn to lies.
God's thoughts
are towards us.
Many are the
LORD's wonderful works!
We cannot count
the number of times God has worked for us.
When we think God
has abandoned us, He hasn't, He never will. We might be inside a fiery furnace
of trial, we might be caught in the thickest miry clay ever, we might be down
in a pit so deep we haven't seen light in days, weeks, months, years… but God
has not abandoned us. Any
chastising we are call to endure is meant for our EVENTUAL good.
While being chastised we don't always understand it's for our good,
instead we feel as if we're being punished senselessly and if only the one
punishing us would truly understand us then we wouldn't be chastised that
way. A child might not always
understand a parents chastising even if the parent tries to explain it over and
over. The parent however understands why the chastising was necessary and
someday the child will look back and understand too.
God's love is
pure in all ways. We have to
determine within our hearts to trust God no matter what. Easy to say, yes, and
harder to do, it can be especially hard when Satan will try with every wily way
he has to get us not to trust God.
By the grace of
God we will cry out to Him and wait patiently for Him even while we are trapped
in many deep pits, and stuck in the thick miry clay of life and all its
agonizing pain!
By His love! By
His mercy! All in Christ's righteousness! All through His forgiveness!
Amen.
Heb 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
The nature of angels- spiritual and yet able to appear human. Appear being the key word there- for as much as angels can appear as men to mankind when necessary that will NEVER give them true flesh and blood, never give them humanity.
Jesus didn't choose an angel's form to come to us.
Jesus didn't choose to keep His spirit form that could disappear at will. He didn't choose a spirit form that had powers to do things humans can't. However, while He didn't choose to keep His spirit form but rather took on humanity in its flesh filled with blood- His relationship with the Father enabled Him to do things sinning humans who have separated themselves from God by sin cannot do. Jesus relied on the power of God and did the following supernatural acts...
Joh 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
(Walked on water)
Luk 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
Luk 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
Luk 4:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way
(Was able to disappear as He was being led away.)
Mat 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Mat 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
(Transfigured)
So, while Jesus was connected to the Father- One with Him in a way that we cannot be until His return and sin no longer separates us from our God- He was able to claim the power of His Father which He used to perform miracles and to do miraculous acts. He did NOT take on the nature of angels, He took on OUR nature.
Why is it important to differentiate between this fact- that Jesus did not take on the nature of angels but of humans? Because angels were made a little superior to us. Angels were NOT made in God's image. Angels do not possess flesh and blood. Angels already decided their fate- 1/3 of them chose to follow Satan, 2/3 chose to remain with God and there is NO chance for them to repent any more, no chance for them to find salvation because that part of their existence has been decided. These beings who do not die at the end of a set number of years, these beings have no flesh to fast corruption over time, these beings do not age - growing old and dying, decaying through the ravages of time. These beings- these angels face a choice having free will to disobey God and once that choice was made that was that. Can they be blotted out of existence? Yes. And the evil angels will face their ultimate punishment of no longer existing when sin is done away with once and for all. Jesus did NOT take on the nature of the created angels. Jesus took on our humanity because it was us He was to sacrifice Himself for.
Heb 2:17… Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
That HE might be a MERCIFUL and FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST in things pertaining to God.
To MAKE a RECONCILIATION for the SINS of the PEOPLE.
Made like his BRETHERN! Made like you and me so He could understand only the way one being us could understand.
Because HE HIMSELF SUFFERED BEING TEMPTED
He is able to SUCCOUR THEM that ARE TEMPTED
He faced temptation. REAL temptation. He wasn't place in some protective wrapping, encased in a sin repelling suit. There was NOTHING artificial about Jesus' humanity. Like I mentioned before, the ONLY thing Jesus had that we don't is being ONE with the Father, without sin separating Him from Him. It wasn't until Jesus took on the sins of humanity that He was separated from His Father and cried out in anguish- 'Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
Yes, I've spoken of this before and yes, just recently, but it warrants repeating again and again. Jesus SUFFERED being tempted. He SUFFERED.
Have you ever suffered being tempted to sin? What does that suffering mean? It means there is a war inside you, a desire to give into the temptation. You only suffer because you DO NOT give into the temptation. If you'd just give in, you'd no longer suffer the fight- but you might suffer with remorse. Jesus NEVER suffered the remorse of giving into a temptation and sinning. He suffered the temptation! The very, very real temptation. Again, people don't like to believe in our Savior's humanity, the part of our Savior that was human enough to even suffer a being tempted. Jesus? Tempted? NO, no way, not my Jesus. Yes! Your Jesus! He felt our desires, He felt our ambitions, He felt all of that because if He did not, then He DID NOT suffer being tempted as we are and He is NOT able to succor US who are tempted. If HE wasn't tempted like WE are tempted He couldn't fully understand on the level of being human what it means to be tempted. Because He didn't sin, because He never broke the bond, the at-one-ment with His Father He was and is worthy to save us. Even with the full force of temptation facing Him, the worst of the worst of temptations in His own right, as each of our temptations are different from one another's, He never gave into the temptation. He suffered though, and if you don't want to believe that our GOD Jesus suffered with temptation then His suffering was in vain to you. You can keep your delusions if you like, but one day the delusions will be wiped away and only truth will remain and that truth tells us that Jesus suffered being tempted… and is now able, because of all He went through, to succor us- help us.
What a marvelous Gift we were given, a priceless Gift.
As we face temptation whether it's in the next minute, the next hour, the next day, or next week - we need to cling to our Savior, praying to Him, seeking that connection with Him, going to His word, pleading HIS righteousness, His power to save and by His grace resist that temptation- even if it means resisting unto blood. We've taken sin and trivialized it way too much so that it's seemingly lost it's power of destruction, of causing death. We've sugar-coated sin, especially our pet temptations and pampered sins that really aren't so bad because they aren't like those disgusting sins. Sin is sin is sin. Temptation is something our Savior faced and He knew we'd face it too. Only by His grace can we overcome through HIM, not of ourselves. But we need to … Resist the devil!
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
We need to… resist unto blood!
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
By the grace of God we are SAVED! May we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, resist the devil even if it means resisting unto blood. May we see sin for what it is and not trivialize it away. Let the horrors of sin be faced, may all sin be seen for what it is and be repented of, resisted. Let us cling to our Savior, our Lord now and forever!
Amen.
8/27/11
Psa 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established
my goings.
The horrible
pit.
The miry
clay.
Pit-
bôr
bore
From H952 (in the
sense of H877); a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or prison): -
cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well.
Clay-
ṭı̂yṭ
teet
From an unused
root meaning apparently to be sticky (rather perhaps a denominative from H2894,
through the idea of dirt to be swept away); mud or clay; figuratively calamity:
- clay, dirt, mire.
Have you ever
been in a horrible pit? What about being stuck in miry clay? There are probably
very few people who could claim to have been stuck in a horrible pit, and truly
well stuck, unable to free themselves from miry clay.
Yet we know exactly what David is talking about here, don't we? Most of
us have had experience being stuck in a deep pit of despair, of hopelessness, of
pain, anguish- emotional, mental agonies that have left us feeling as if we were
trapped in our existence with no possible way to get ourselves out. That thick
miry clay of life pouring down over us so that we are covered up to our necks in
the dark things of life, unable to escape.
It's
a fact that depression has overtaken so many people that they now exist by
slipping pills into their mouths - hoping the contents of those little pills
will alter something within their brains-cutting off that sense of despair- so
they can no longer feel the heavy pain of worthlessness. And it's a fact that
our brain chemistry has been tampered with and for a lot of people it no longer
functions in the way it was intended-through no fault of their own. Aside from
taking recreational drugs that can affect the brain, people can't mess with
their brain chemistry. Some might
yell that it is just an excuse for not being able to have faith, but that's not
true any more than a person with type 1 diabetes, or a thin, otherwise healthy
person with high blood pressure, or someone with congenital diseases, or
deformities - could alter their problems.
Those who claim that faith should be able to cure anyone from anything-
haven't looked upon the tiny, dead body of a child who had pneumonia whose
parents prayed over that child but refused to get the baby medical
attention. They haven't watched the
mental deterioration of a new mother caught in severe post partum depression -
told to snap out of it, but instead ends up hurting their child and themselves-
all because they refused to seek medical help. I'm ALL for natural cures, for faith
healing- but sometimes the hope God offers is in the form of medical
technology. I'm not encouraging
people to seek pills to help them crawl out of the pit, or free themselves from
the miry clay- I know this verse here we're studying reveals that it was GOD who
helped David escape from his pit, from the miry clay that trapped him. And people will be quick to point out
that they didn't have pills back in David's day so it was God, it was faith
alone that helped David. I can't
dispute that, I'm not even going to try. What I think I'm trying to say is God
deals with us ALL in a personal, unique manner and I cannot pound the podium,
stomp my foot on the soapbox and yell that there is only one cure.
I CAN pound the podium and stomp my foot, I CAN shout and scream that God
is the only answer. I can do that
and not be contradictory because as I mentioned before- medical technology isn't
all of the devil just because many
people have abused it. A lot of great good has come from medical technology.
Without it my mother would not have survived the miscarriage she had, and my
little sister would never have been born later on,
and I would have grown up without my mother.
Without technology my daughter and I would have died together- her
unborn. So many of us can recite
the same sort of true stories- we are able to look back at the last hundred
years and to our ancestors and know that without medical intervention multitudes
would not exist. Of course the naysayers will be quick to point out that for
thousands of years mankind survived without modern medical inventions - those
who died were not meant to live- survival of the fittest and all.
They're right, for thousands of years it was that way, but that doesn't
make the medical advancements all of Satan, not by a long, long shot.
So, back to the
pit and miry clay- if a person relies completely upon medicine to keep them out
of the emotional turmoil they experience, if a person takes their pills and life
doesn't seem so worthless, yet they ignore God- they are still lost
eternally. God is the answer for
those who know that this world isn't the way it was meant to be, life truly is
meaningless without God, without the hope of the world God intended.
Psa 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established
my goings.
Waiting patiently
while in the horrible pit, while stuck in the miry clay.
We don't like to wait patiently when we are trapped, when we are
stuck. Waiting patiently doesn't
mean not crying out- some might assume that if we cry out we aren't being
patient and in some instances that'd be true. If we were crying out, rushing
things, and if we are crying out cursing and denying God, that's not patience at
all. If we turn our back on God - that's not patience. Patience is holding fast
knowing God is, knowing that God was, and that God will be forever. People might
cry out their hate for God, but in their hearts the truth is strong- God was,
God is, God will be.
While called on
to endure agonies untold - that truth exists within their hearts and must live
within their hearts and that is patience- the truth, that deep down truth that
exists in those who truly love God.
David waited patiently even while crying out to the LORD. The LORD
brought David up out of the pit, and out of the miry clay and set Him on a rock
and established His way. Does
that mean David was never again struck with despair, never ever faced another
calamity? No. It does mean that
God was the truth to David, God was the hope to David, God was the all in all to
David, God was in David's heart.
David wasn't perfect by far, and neither are we.
Psa 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established
my goings.
Psa 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the
LORD.
Psa 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the
LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful
works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot
be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they
are more than can be numbered.
Blessed is the
man that makes the LORD his trust.
Blessed is the
man that respects not the proud.
Blessed is the
man that doesn't respect those that turn to lies.
God's thoughts
are towards us.
Many are the
LORD's wonderful works!
We cannot count
the number of times God has worked for us.
When we think God
has abandoned us, He hasn't, He never will. We might be inside a fiery furnace
of trial, we might be caught in the thickest miry clay ever, we might be down
in a pit so deep we haven't seen light in days, weeks, months, years… but God
has not abandoned us. Any
chastising we are call to endure is meant for our EVENTUAL good.
While being chastised we don't always understand it's for our good,
instead we feel as if we're being punished senselessly and if only the one
punishing us would truly understand us then we wouldn't be chastised that
way. A child might not always
understand a parents chastising even if the parent tries to explain it over and
over. The parent however understands why the chastising was necessary and
someday the child will look back and understand too.
God's love is
pure in all ways. We have to
determine within our hearts to trust God no matter what. Easy to say, yes, and
harder to do, it can be especially hard when Satan will try with every wily way
he has to get us not to trust God.
By the grace of
God we will cry out to Him and wait patiently for Him even while we are trapped
in many deep pits, and stuck in the thick miry clay of life and all its
agonizing pain!
By His love! By
His mercy! All in Christ's righteousness! All through His forgiveness!
Amen.