I rebuke and chasten
Revelation
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write
These things saith the Amen
the faithful
and true witness
the beginning of the creation of God
I know thy works,
that thou art neither cold nor hot
I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm
and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest,
I am rich,
and increased with goods
and have need of nothing
and knowest not that thou art wretched
and miserable
and poor,
and blind,
and naked,
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,
that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed,
and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see.
...
I know thy works,
that thou art neither cold nor hot
I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm
and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth.
...
Jesus says being lukewarm is not a good thing. In the employment world we might call a lukewarm performance weak and unacceptable because we want someone to be energetic about their job. If you submit work to someone and they say it's so-so, what are they telling you? That it's on that borderline between not quite bad enough to say it's bad and not quite good enough to call it good. A lot of people live in that type of existence- getting by without being too bad or too good. We actually silently applaud those who don't get into trouble and understand that not being high achievers is the standard. Being mediocre is the norm in our world. The bright and brilliant the few, the bad too many and the inbetween are just right. A Goldilocks and the Three Bears scenario. Not too hot, not too cold, but just right only in this case it is unacceptable. There is no 'just right'. It's an all or nothing situation and many people don't like that at all because they'd rather just get by. They'd rather just give enough to get by and no more. That isn't how Jesus works. You can't give just enough, you have to give all your heart to Him not just a piece of it. When we give our whole heart to Jesus our lives reflect that- they reflect Christ. Jesus would have us either hot or cold being lukewarm has him spuing us out of His mouth. You ever take a mouthful of a hot liquid only to find it cooled and just want to spit it out? What about taking a mouthful of something you hope to be cold and finding it lukewarm, you want to spue it out right? You can actually hear yourself go ewwwwwwwwwww, right? I know I can. The grimace, the ewww, it's icky and unless you're extremely thirsty you won't drink any more will you?
...
Because thou sayest,
I am rich,
and increased with goods
and have need of nothing
and knowest not that thou art wretched
and miserable
and poor,
and blind,
and naked
...
We boast though, don't we? We try to puff ourselves up even when we know inside that we are nothing. We don't like the idea of being nothing because we hear a constant barage about how special and wonderful we are and how we have to think positive about ourselves. Our lives are geared towards trying to be the best we can be all on our own because no one else can help us. We have to believe we are very special in and of ourselves because people don't like to hear others go on about how awful they are and it's not good at all to agree with someone who says they are awful, we're supposed to turn around and tell them how wonderful they are- it's the good and proper thing to do, isn't it?
As a result of all our self-esteem shoulds being beaten into us it's no wonder we believe we are rich, that we need nothing. It's not necessarily rich in a monetary sense - we believe we are rich in and of ourselves. The poorest person in the world can still believe they have need of no one, right? Sometimes we applaud the poorest person refusing to accept any charity because they have pride. Well, with Christ our pride means nothing.
Christ even says- knowest not. Don't you know? Listen up. You think you are one thing but in truth you're not at all.
You are miserable, you are poor, you are blind, you are naked. This is our condition. This is the condition of mankind in relation to God.
...
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,
that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed,
and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see.
...
We are counseld to buy of Christ- gold tried in fire to be rich, to buy white raiment to be clothed and our nakedness doesn't show, and eyesalve to see.
Only in Christ can we find true riches- faith in Him for all our needs. Only Christ's white raiment, Christ's righteousness can cloth our nakedness. We can try as we might to cloth ourselves but nothing we put on will hide out true vile condition, nothing but the righteousness of Christ. And to see, to truly see we need the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to the truth in Christ. Annointed by the Holy Spirit we are no longer blind.
We can't depend upon ourselves and if we try to do that in the least way all we'll hear from Christ is that we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked to Him. Depending upon Christ for all things truly is a job for those living in the last times before His return as it is throughout all time. Satan would have us look to ourselves and away from Christ and as long as we are focused on ourselves he has us in his snare.
...
As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten
be zealous therefore
and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock
if any man hear my voice
and open the door,
I will come in to him,
and will sup with him,
and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne
even as I also overcame
and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
...
We can't think being chastized by God is something extraordinary- it's through His love for us we are tried, we are rebuked, chastened so that we may see the truth in Christ and in Christ alone!
We need to be zealous and repent! Be quick to repent, to recognize our sad state and cling to Christ for all our needs.
Christ stands before us knocking- if we hear Him- if we open the door- He will come into us and sup with us. He will be our all in all, our everything. If we overcome through Him we will sit on His throne. Jesus had to overcome as well and He did so by complete dependence upon His Father. We overcome by complete dependence upon Jesus. Let us listen.
May God Bless and keep us all in Him, only in Him in none other not even ourselves. May our dependence on life be in Him solely now and forever. May our riches be found in Him, may we be clothed with His righteousness, may our eyes be opened to see the truth in Him- only in Him, by His mercy and His grace now and forever.
Amen.
**
9/4/10 Discerner of thoughts...
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
God's word- quick, powerful, sharp, piercing, a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.
We might argue that a lawyer, a very smart and savvy lawyer is like that, right? They get in court or sit at a negotiating table and when they open their mouths every word that comes out seems quick, powerful, sharp, piercing… sometimes it even seems as if they can see right through a person, doesn't it? Have you ever met a person like that, maybe not a lawyer, but someone who just seemed to be brilliant and in an almost frightening way able to get into your head? Yes? No? Maybe? As I sit here writing this I'm trying to recall if I've ever met someone like that. Part of me wants to say I have, but I'm not sure. Yes, I've met brilliant people- you know- people who just seem to have an edge on the logical side in the smarts department- whose I.Q. is a tad bit above normal. And yes, I've met people who seem to understand where I'm coming from. But I’m not so sure I've really ever met anyone who has been able to discern my thoughts and the intents of my heart. Once in a blue moon someone might teasingly say 'I know what you're thinking' and then because of already seeing outward responses leading up to that declaration they might be able to guess right. That's all it is though, a guess based upon clues they've seen moments before. They might be sitting next to me as I watch a Dairy Queen commercial on television and then pop up and say, I know what you're thinking, you want ice cream. Or maybe because they know me better they might determine exactly what sort of ice cream I might be wanting. It's not true discerning of my thoughts. Though some people claim to be mind readers can we trust their mind reading? They use tricks and who is not to say they don't have a head's up through the spiritual realm but not in a good way. Discerning our thoughts and intents of our hearts is for God, not for man and if Satan can get to us by seemingly working the works we attribute to God, he's deceived us.
God's word is quick, power, sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
God sees us in a way NO other can see us. Angels, both good and bad (Satan included), can only see so much. Yes, they can witness ALL our actions every secret action, but they cannot know our hearts, they cannot discern our thoughts perfectly. They may think because of our actions that they know us perfectly- but they don't- not like God can know us. We are fully manifest in his sight- every imperfection, every sin, every good deed, every pain, every heartache, every joy, every thanksgiving, every prayer we are naked not only physically, but spiritually to God. Every doubt, every belief, every hope, every despair, God knows. We are known. You may have thought from time to time that no one understands you, that no one can possibly understand you. You may have even believed that you're not sure you even understand yourself. We can rest in the knowledge that God does know us- every bad bit and every good bit, and we can praise Him for being able to take our filthy hearts and clean them.
*
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
Today there are people who go to other people seeking to use them as their advocates with God. It's great to have an advocate - someone to plead our cause- isn't it? Some times we turn to friends or family to stick up for us, to plead our cause to others around us. You know what I'm talking about, you've had an argument with someone before and gone to a third party for their opinion on the matter hoping they'll choose your side and defend your position- take up your cause- be your advocate. When you have an advocate then feel supported, you feel defended, you feel hope.
A priest, and a high priest in the days before Christ's death and resurrection held the position of an advocate. The priest helped a person reunite with God. Without the priest to intercede by taking the blood of the sin sacrifice a person made and offering it to God in the various ways- a necessary step in the process of forgiveness instituted by God was lost. The sanctuary service used all pointed to the one ultimate sacrifice that could cover our sins, and eventually blot them all out . The priests on earth were priests that had to be cleansed themselves of sin- they were imperfect advocates. The perfect advocate- the perfect High Priest came in Jesus Christ. We have a perfect Advocate! The One who knows us like know other is our High Priest, our Advocate with the Father.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Our Advocate, Jesus Christ, Our LORD and Savior! An Advocate like no other! An Advocate who took on humanity and felt every temptation a human can feel. Our Advocate was touched with the FEELING of our infirmities. He understood, He FELT every temptation, the powerful pull of temptation. Our Advocate knows exactly what it means to be tempted in ALL ways just like we are tempted. Our Advocate never fell victim to temptation, never. Our Advocate relied on His connection with God the Father, ever trusting in Him.
We are sinners, we NEED and Advocate, we NEED the Great High Priest , Jesus the Son of God. Without our Advocate we have no hope. With our Advocate we can BOLDLY go to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, and grace to help us when we need that help-which is always! I never ever want to be without my Advocate. I never want to be without my High Priest. No human being can intercede for us. Yes, we can pray for one another, but we cannot offer any sacrifice of our own and find forgiveness for our sins, or sins of another. Our High Priest in Heaven alone can go before God and plead His innocent blood. No man on earth can hand out God's forgiveness. We can forgive a person, but we cannot tell anyone they are forgiven by God- that their sins are forgiven by anything we've done, they must seek that forgiveness from God personally. We can tell another that God will forgive them if they repent and ask for forgiveness from Him, but only that person knows whether they repent, only that person can make that personal connection with Christ. We can tell someone their sins are forgiven by us, but our forgiveness is NOT God's forgiveness- they need God's forgiveness and must go directly to their Advocate, directly to their High Priest in Heaven who will intercede for them with the Father.
By the mercy and love of our High Priest, through His grace may we come before Him seeking the mercy and grace He alone can give to us.
Amen.
9/4/11
We
must overcome through Christ
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he
that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth,
and no man openeth
Isaiah
{22:22} And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he
shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Jesus.
Jesus alone holds the keys of all God's people. David is one of God's beloved -
a representative of God's true people, the faithful. The key of the faithful is
Jesus- faith in Jesus is the key- without faith it's impossible to please God.
All of God's faithful had that special faith in God, that special belief.
There
are many things one man can open and another close, it happens all the time.
But when God opens something no man can close it save God. And what God closes,
no man can open. God alone has the power of such magnitude, God alone. We can't
doubt this. We've been given such a special gift from God- proof beyond doubt
of His reality. Some say there is
no proof. Others say that bits and piece of discovered archeological treasure
points to some of the reality of what is in the Bible. But we have skeptics
that refuse to believe the Bible, and will keep refusing to believe unless they
are given tangible proof- they don't want historic proof- but something they
can touch. Faith isn't by touch,
faith is the substance of things hoped for- the evidence of things NOT
seen. History along with prophecy
is proof, irrevocable proof of the Bible's validity and yet many people will not
touch prophecy at all. God has the power of shutting and no one opening, and the
power of opening and no one closing. God has this amazing power of shutting and
then allowing something to be open when the appropriate time arrives. This
power is God's and God's alone. Man doesn't have this power and yet throughout
history we know that some men who claim to have power given to them by God and
they have made rules, they have made their own laws that keep mankind from the
truth in God. They claim to have this power of shutting and opening, and people
that believe in them rather than in God allow them to believe they truly do
have that power- when in truth they have none.
Rev
3:8 I know thy works: behold, I
have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a
little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
He
knows us our hearts, He knows the deeds of our heart which are our works. God
sets before us a way to Salvation and no man can take the from us, not one.
Compared to the wonders of God we are very weak creatures. Even with the
smallest of strength we can be strong in the Lord if we keep His words, if we
don't deny His name. We can't deny God, we can't deny our Salvation. If we deny
the power of salvation in Jesus Christ then we have no right to salvation at
all. The open door the way to God
is given to us- we don't have to create the door ourselves, we don't have to
manufacture a way, that way is given to us- such a gift is beyond our true
comprehension. No man can shut this way to Christ, as long as our Lord gives us
to seek Him before all human probation is over, that way to salvation
exists. We need this way because
we could never have the strength to create a way, never! Our strength is nothing
compared to God's, NOTHING. We need to keep God's word, we need to NEVER deny
the name of our Savior!
Rev
3:9 Behold, I will make them of
the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;
behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I
have loved thee.
What
are Jews but God's chosen people? God's chosen. Those who say they are God's
chosen and aren't they will be accounted on Satan's side where all liars dwell.
Satan is the father of lies and all his children liars with him, deceiving
themselves and all they can deceive with lies.
Jesus
will reign and all the liars will one day realize He is Lord of Lords, King of
Kings, He is the Truth! And all those who cling to the truth through Him will
stand on His side and in that day the liars and followers of Satan realize this
they will be worshipping at the feet of Jesus realizing where true love is
found.
Rev
3:10 Because thou hast kept the
word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which
shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev
3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold
that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev.
14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
The
saints will have kept the word of God's patience. Faith! Faith in Jesus!
Keeping the commandments of God! If we keep through Jesus will will be kept by
Him from the temptations that come about all- trying that patience and trying
to rip it from us.
Before
all in the world are caught in the snares of satan, before there are none
faithful left, Christ will come. We have to hold fast! HOLD FAST! Keep
believing, keep the faith so that we will have our crown of life in Christ. We
can't let any man take our crown and yes, men will try. All that belong to
satan will try to take that crown from us, to fill our minds, our hearts with
deception, with lies, convincing us to lose faith. Our trust, our hope must be
in Christ and Christ alone.
Rev
3:12 Him that overcometh will I
make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will
write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is
new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write
upon him my new name.
We
must overcome through Christ- if we overcome we will stand in the temple of God
and be with Him and never leave Him. We will have the name of God upon us, the
name of the city of God, new Jerusalem, a city that will come down from heaven.
We will have the new name of Christ- a new life in Christ- we must listen! We
must hear the Spirit!
May
God bless and keep us in Him now and forever though satan would have us and use
all in his power to keep us from God. By the mercy and grace of Christ alone we
live.
Amen
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write
These things saith the Amen
the faithful
and true witness
the beginning of the creation of God
I know thy works,
that thou art neither cold nor hot
I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm
and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest,
I am rich,
and increased with goods
and have need of nothing
and knowest not that thou art wretched
and miserable
and poor,
and blind,
and naked,
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,
that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed,
and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see.
...
I know thy works,
that thou art neither cold nor hot
I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm
and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth.
...
Jesus says being lukewarm is not a good thing. In the employment world we might call a lukewarm performance weak and unacceptable because we want someone to be energetic about their job. If you submit work to someone and they say it's so-so, what are they telling you? That it's on that borderline between not quite bad enough to say it's bad and not quite good enough to call it good. A lot of people live in that type of existence- getting by without being too bad or too good. We actually silently applaud those who don't get into trouble and understand that not being high achievers is the standard. Being mediocre is the norm in our world. The bright and brilliant the few, the bad too many and the inbetween are just right. A Goldilocks and the Three Bears scenario. Not too hot, not too cold, but just right only in this case it is unacceptable. There is no 'just right'. It's an all or nothing situation and many people don't like that at all because they'd rather just get by. They'd rather just give enough to get by and no more. That isn't how Jesus works. You can't give just enough, you have to give all your heart to Him not just a piece of it. When we give our whole heart to Jesus our lives reflect that- they reflect Christ. Jesus would have us either hot or cold being lukewarm has him spuing us out of His mouth. You ever take a mouthful of a hot liquid only to find it cooled and just want to spit it out? What about taking a mouthful of something you hope to be cold and finding it lukewarm, you want to spue it out right? You can actually hear yourself go ewwwwwwwwwww, right? I know I can. The grimace, the ewww, it's icky and unless you're extremely thirsty you won't drink any more will you?
...
Because thou sayest,
I am rich,
and increased with goods
and have need of nothing
and knowest not that thou art wretched
and miserable
and poor,
and blind,
and naked
...
We boast though, don't we? We try to puff ourselves up even when we know inside that we are nothing. We don't like the idea of being nothing because we hear a constant barage about how special and wonderful we are and how we have to think positive about ourselves. Our lives are geared towards trying to be the best we can be all on our own because no one else can help us. We have to believe we are very special in and of ourselves because people don't like to hear others go on about how awful they are and it's not good at all to agree with someone who says they are awful, we're supposed to turn around and tell them how wonderful they are- it's the good and proper thing to do, isn't it?
As a result of all our self-esteem shoulds being beaten into us it's no wonder we believe we are rich, that we need nothing. It's not necessarily rich in a monetary sense - we believe we are rich in and of ourselves. The poorest person in the world can still believe they have need of no one, right? Sometimes we applaud the poorest person refusing to accept any charity because they have pride. Well, with Christ our pride means nothing.
Christ even says- knowest not. Don't you know? Listen up. You think you are one thing but in truth you're not at all.
You are miserable, you are poor, you are blind, you are naked. This is our condition. This is the condition of mankind in relation to God.
...
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,
that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed,
and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see.
...
We are counseld to buy of Christ- gold tried in fire to be rich, to buy white raiment to be clothed and our nakedness doesn't show, and eyesalve to see.
Only in Christ can we find true riches- faith in Him for all our needs. Only Christ's white raiment, Christ's righteousness can cloth our nakedness. We can try as we might to cloth ourselves but nothing we put on will hide out true vile condition, nothing but the righteousness of Christ. And to see, to truly see we need the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to the truth in Christ. Annointed by the Holy Spirit we are no longer blind.
We can't depend upon ourselves and if we try to do that in the least way all we'll hear from Christ is that we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked to Him. Depending upon Christ for all things truly is a job for those living in the last times before His return as it is throughout all time. Satan would have us look to ourselves and away from Christ and as long as we are focused on ourselves he has us in his snare.
...
As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten
be zealous therefore
and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock
if any man hear my voice
and open the door,
I will come in to him,
and will sup with him,
and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne
even as I also overcame
and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
...
We can't think being chastized by God is something extraordinary- it's through His love for us we are tried, we are rebuked, chastened so that we may see the truth in Christ and in Christ alone!
We need to be zealous and repent! Be quick to repent, to recognize our sad state and cling to Christ for all our needs.
Christ stands before us knocking- if we hear Him- if we open the door- He will come into us and sup with us. He will be our all in all, our everything. If we overcome through Him we will sit on His throne. Jesus had to overcome as well and He did so by complete dependence upon His Father. We overcome by complete dependence upon Jesus. Let us listen.
May God Bless and keep us all in Him, only in Him in none other not even ourselves. May our dependence on life be in Him solely now and forever. May our riches be found in Him, may we be clothed with His righteousness, may our eyes be opened to see the truth in Him- only in Him, by His mercy and His grace now and forever.
Amen.
**
9/4/10 Discerner of thoughts...
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
God's word- quick, powerful, sharp, piercing, a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.
We might argue that a lawyer, a very smart and savvy lawyer is like that, right? They get in court or sit at a negotiating table and when they open their mouths every word that comes out seems quick, powerful, sharp, piercing… sometimes it even seems as if they can see right through a person, doesn't it? Have you ever met a person like that, maybe not a lawyer, but someone who just seemed to be brilliant and in an almost frightening way able to get into your head? Yes? No? Maybe? As I sit here writing this I'm trying to recall if I've ever met someone like that. Part of me wants to say I have, but I'm not sure. Yes, I've met brilliant people- you know- people who just seem to have an edge on the logical side in the smarts department- whose I.Q. is a tad bit above normal. And yes, I've met people who seem to understand where I'm coming from. But I’m not so sure I've really ever met anyone who has been able to discern my thoughts and the intents of my heart. Once in a blue moon someone might teasingly say 'I know what you're thinking' and then because of already seeing outward responses leading up to that declaration they might be able to guess right. That's all it is though, a guess based upon clues they've seen moments before. They might be sitting next to me as I watch a Dairy Queen commercial on television and then pop up and say, I know what you're thinking, you want ice cream. Or maybe because they know me better they might determine exactly what sort of ice cream I might be wanting. It's not true discerning of my thoughts. Though some people claim to be mind readers can we trust their mind reading? They use tricks and who is not to say they don't have a head's up through the spiritual realm but not in a good way. Discerning our thoughts and intents of our hearts is for God, not for man and if Satan can get to us by seemingly working the works we attribute to God, he's deceived us.
God's word is quick, power, sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
God sees us in a way NO other can see us. Angels, both good and bad (Satan included), can only see so much. Yes, they can witness ALL our actions every secret action, but they cannot know our hearts, they cannot discern our thoughts perfectly. They may think because of our actions that they know us perfectly- but they don't- not like God can know us. We are fully manifest in his sight- every imperfection, every sin, every good deed, every pain, every heartache, every joy, every thanksgiving, every prayer we are naked not only physically, but spiritually to God. Every doubt, every belief, every hope, every despair, God knows. We are known. You may have thought from time to time that no one understands you, that no one can possibly understand you. You may have even believed that you're not sure you even understand yourself. We can rest in the knowledge that God does know us- every bad bit and every good bit, and we can praise Him for being able to take our filthy hearts and clean them.
*
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
Today there are people who go to other people seeking to use them as their advocates with God. It's great to have an advocate - someone to plead our cause- isn't it? Some times we turn to friends or family to stick up for us, to plead our cause to others around us. You know what I'm talking about, you've had an argument with someone before and gone to a third party for their opinion on the matter hoping they'll choose your side and defend your position- take up your cause- be your advocate. When you have an advocate then feel supported, you feel defended, you feel hope.
A priest, and a high priest in the days before Christ's death and resurrection held the position of an advocate. The priest helped a person reunite with God. Without the priest to intercede by taking the blood of the sin sacrifice a person made and offering it to God in the various ways- a necessary step in the process of forgiveness instituted by God was lost. The sanctuary service used all pointed to the one ultimate sacrifice that could cover our sins, and eventually blot them all out . The priests on earth were priests that had to be cleansed themselves of sin- they were imperfect advocates. The perfect advocate- the perfect High Priest came in Jesus Christ. We have a perfect Advocate! The One who knows us like know other is our High Priest, our Advocate with the Father.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Our Advocate, Jesus Christ, Our LORD and Savior! An Advocate like no other! An Advocate who took on humanity and felt every temptation a human can feel. Our Advocate was touched with the FEELING of our infirmities. He understood, He FELT every temptation, the powerful pull of temptation. Our Advocate knows exactly what it means to be tempted in ALL ways just like we are tempted. Our Advocate never fell victim to temptation, never. Our Advocate relied on His connection with God the Father, ever trusting in Him.
We are sinners, we NEED and Advocate, we NEED the Great High Priest , Jesus the Son of God. Without our Advocate we have no hope. With our Advocate we can BOLDLY go to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, and grace to help us when we need that help-which is always! I never ever want to be without my Advocate. I never want to be without my High Priest. No human being can intercede for us. Yes, we can pray for one another, but we cannot offer any sacrifice of our own and find forgiveness for our sins, or sins of another. Our High Priest in Heaven alone can go before God and plead His innocent blood. No man on earth can hand out God's forgiveness. We can forgive a person, but we cannot tell anyone they are forgiven by God- that their sins are forgiven by anything we've done, they must seek that forgiveness from God personally. We can tell another that God will forgive them if they repent and ask for forgiveness from Him, but only that person knows whether they repent, only that person can make that personal connection with Christ. We can tell someone their sins are forgiven by us, but our forgiveness is NOT God's forgiveness- they need God's forgiveness and must go directly to their Advocate, directly to their High Priest in Heaven who will intercede for them with the Father.
By the mercy and love of our High Priest, through His grace may we come before Him seeking the mercy and grace He alone can give to us.
Amen.
9/4/11
We
must overcome through Christ
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he
that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth,
and no man openeth
Isaiah
{22:22} And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he
shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Jesus.
Jesus alone holds the keys of all God's people. David is one of God's beloved -
a representative of God's true people, the faithful. The key of the faithful is
Jesus- faith in Jesus is the key- without faith it's impossible to please God.
All of God's faithful had that special faith in God, that special belief.
There
are many things one man can open and another close, it happens all the time.
But when God opens something no man can close it save God. And what God closes,
no man can open. God alone has the power of such magnitude, God alone. We can't
doubt this. We've been given such a special gift from God- proof beyond doubt
of His reality. Some say there is
no proof. Others say that bits and piece of discovered archeological treasure
points to some of the reality of what is in the Bible. But we have skeptics
that refuse to believe the Bible, and will keep refusing to believe unless they
are given tangible proof- they don't want historic proof- but something they
can touch. Faith isn't by touch,
faith is the substance of things hoped for- the evidence of things NOT
seen. History along with prophecy
is proof, irrevocable proof of the Bible's validity and yet many people will not
touch prophecy at all. God has the power of shutting and no one opening, and the
power of opening and no one closing. God has this amazing power of shutting and
then allowing something to be open when the appropriate time arrives. This
power is God's and God's alone. Man doesn't have this power and yet throughout
history we know that some men who claim to have power given to them by God and
they have made rules, they have made their own laws that keep mankind from the
truth in God. They claim to have this power of shutting and opening, and people
that believe in them rather than in God allow them to believe they truly do
have that power- when in truth they have none.
Rev
3:8 I know thy works: behold, I
have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a
little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
He
knows us our hearts, He knows the deeds of our heart which are our works. God
sets before us a way to Salvation and no man can take the from us, not one.
Compared to the wonders of God we are very weak creatures. Even with the
smallest of strength we can be strong in the Lord if we keep His words, if we
don't deny His name. We can't deny God, we can't deny our Salvation. If we deny
the power of salvation in Jesus Christ then we have no right to salvation at
all. The open door the way to God
is given to us- we don't have to create the door ourselves, we don't have to
manufacture a way, that way is given to us- such a gift is beyond our true
comprehension. No man can shut this way to Christ, as long as our Lord gives us
to seek Him before all human probation is over, that way to salvation
exists. We need this way because
we could never have the strength to create a way, never! Our strength is nothing
compared to God's, NOTHING. We need to keep God's word, we need to NEVER deny
the name of our Savior!
Rev
3:9 Behold, I will make them of
the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;
behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I
have loved thee.
What
are Jews but God's chosen people? God's chosen. Those who say they are God's
chosen and aren't they will be accounted on Satan's side where all liars dwell.
Satan is the father of lies and all his children liars with him, deceiving
themselves and all they can deceive with lies.
Jesus
will reign and all the liars will one day realize He is Lord of Lords, King of
Kings, He is the Truth! And all those who cling to the truth through Him will
stand on His side and in that day the liars and followers of Satan realize this
they will be worshipping at the feet of Jesus realizing where true love is
found.
Rev
3:10 Because thou hast kept the
word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which
shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev
3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold
that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev.
14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
The
saints will have kept the word of God's patience. Faith! Faith in Jesus!
Keeping the commandments of God! If we keep through Jesus will will be kept by
Him from the temptations that come about all- trying that patience and trying
to rip it from us.
Before
all in the world are caught in the snares of satan, before there are none
faithful left, Christ will come. We have to hold fast! HOLD FAST! Keep
believing, keep the faith so that we will have our crown of life in Christ. We
can't let any man take our crown and yes, men will try. All that belong to
satan will try to take that crown from us, to fill our minds, our hearts with
deception, with lies, convincing us to lose faith. Our trust, our hope must be
in Christ and Christ alone.
Rev
3:12 Him that overcometh will I
make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will
write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is
new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write
upon him my new name.
We
must overcome through Christ- if we overcome we will stand in the temple of God
and be with Him and never leave Him. We will have the name of God upon us, the
name of the city of God, new Jerusalem, a city that will come down from heaven.
We will have the new name of Christ- a new life in Christ- we must listen! We
must hear the Spirit!
May
God bless and keep us in Him now and forever though satan would have us and use
all in his power to keep us from God. By the mercy and grace of Christ alone we
live.
Amen