SOMETHING TO CHEW ON!

THUS SAYETH THE LORD

 Genesis 1:29-30 ~ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.   And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 

Genesis 9:3-4 ~ “Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things, but flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eat.”

Deuteronomy 8:3b (Luke 4:4) ~ “It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of  God.”

Deuteronomy 8:7-10 NIV ~ “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land - a land with streams and pools of water...a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing...when you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you."

Deuteronomy 12:14-16 ~ “…offer your burnt offerings…however, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer.  Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.”

I Corinthians 6:19-20 ~ “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”

I Timothy 4:4 ~ “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

I Corinthians 10:31 ~ “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

COME...TO ME!

August 20

COME…TO ME!

I ended my devotional yesterday with the following words from Jesus extending the invitation to

“Come unto Me…” and receive rest from weariness (trying to do things without Him.) Matthew 11:28-30

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, 
holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable act of worship. 

Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind

that you may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:1-2

This invitation from Jesus implies coming to Him would provide a life of Christ-consciousness; a life transformed by the conscious act of renewing of your mind; a holy life consumed in Him; a life of peace, contentment, love and joy.  Christ-consciousness will take the place of self-consciousness!

This is Jesus’ full invitation: 

“Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart;

and you shall find rest unto your souls.

For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

I see and hear an offer that is so hard to believe, but so very intriguing; it sounds like a beautiful fantasy that one only dreams of…and yet it is so inviting.  I see and feel Love in its most engaging way, as if Jesus is saying “come and have an affair of the heart with me that will be the most fulfilling and permanent relationship you will ever have!”  It is becoming so “yoked” that I am unconscious of anything but the ecstasy of Love.  This yoke is like being joined in an embrace ~ a Hug!  TRUE LOVE is always unselfish and unconditional and can ONLY come from GOD.  God’s conditions seem hard, but the benefits are everything one ever dreamed of and the perfection of happy ever after.  So why don’t we accept this invitation?  Because we don’t believe it!

Hear it again…”Come unto Me and get lost in My World, My Life, and no longer be conscious of yourself apart from Me.” ~JESUS

This is beautifully described in Matthew 25:31-46 when the righteous shall say at the judgment:  “When…did we see You as a stranger and took You in?  When did we see You naked and clothed You?  When did we see You sick or in prison and came to You?  And the King shall say:  When you did it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you did it unto Me…Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

(John 15)  After coming to Jesus; abiding in Him and Him in me; we will do EVERYTHING with Him and unto Him because we ARE His Body filled with His Holy Spirit!  WOW and AMEN…Believe it!

“A new commandment I give unto you,

that you love one another;

as I have loved you,

that you also love one another. 

By this shall all men know that you are My disciples,

if you have love one to another.”

John 13:34-35

THE BENEFITS OF GIVING ALL!

The past couple of days my Daily Delight time in The Word has been in Luke 18:18-30 about the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to go to heaven.   He thought being good enough would get him to Heaven; but Jesus said giving up everything that he was rich in and then following Him was the way.  The rich young self-righteous ruler left sadly because he was very rich. 

My interpretation:  The young ruler loved his riches more than he wanted to go to Heaven.  This man believed in Jesus and he obeyed the commandments Jesus quoted.  But Jesus didn’t mention the first four that begins with:  “You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not worship any graven images.  You shall not take the name of The Lord your God in vain.  Set apart the Sabbath unto The Lord.”  These told where the man’s heart really was.  (10 Commandments are in Exodus 20 & Deuteronomy 5)

Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 22 & Mark 12 gives us what is known as The Great Commandment.  This has always been God’s requirement:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”  And the second like unto it (because it can’t be down without the first one)  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Observation:  Jesus requires giving up and leaving EVERYTHING before “coming and following Him!”  When one Loves God with ALL, it is easy to give ALL!  Loving God and giving Him ALL brings His Promises that provide health, wealth, life, protection…but the Greatest is; Himself - His very own Holy Spirit to live and provide ALL the Believer needs to be a Child of God Forever! WOW ~ That’s having EVERYTHING!

Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says to “Come unto Me…” and receive rest from weariness (trying to do things without Him)

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, 

holy acceptable unto God 

which is your reasonable act of worship.  

Do not be conformed to the world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind 

that you may prove what is that good, acceptable 

and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:1-2

DETOXIFY ~ BODY, SOUL & SPIRIT

April 25, 2016

Good Morning Lord, I have something on my heart and mind I need to talk about…

We, Your People need You!  We need to have a fresh encounter with You; to be awakened to the Reality of Who You are and who we are.  We need to have a cleansing; a detoxing of impurities, just as the body needs this periodically, so does our spiritual life.  Some things come into our bodies and sap us of energy, health and happiness.  If we don’t do some cleansing and detoxify our bodies, these germs, toxins and antibodies can cause us fatigue, sickness, despair and even led to disease and death.  Some of the causes are poor choices, but some come from our air, water and soil that are polluted from things beyond our control.  Nevertheless, we are responsible with our individual lives and the care of our bodies. 

Today, the medical world seems to think that using medicines to help with ridding the body of these impurities is the way.  The Bible tells us that God directed His People to Fast; to stop eating and sometimes drinking; to stop putting anything else into the body for a period of time.  Instruction included that praying while ceasing from the natural was how to fill the time instead of eating.

To obtain a healthy body, one must stop putting in things that will interfere or harm the body and then start putting in the things that will benefit and fuel the body; things that won’t harm, but will heal and sustain good health.

To obtain a healthy spiritual body we must first be reminded that as Christians/Children of God, our bodies are no longer our own…they were bought at a very high cost – the Blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. “What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Our bodies and lives belong to Him.  He is our Head and His Spirit is our Life!  Even so, we must submit, surrender our lives to Him and then He will change us into His Righteousness and His Body.  He will empower us with His Spirit to discipline us in getting rid of that which is sinful and selfish and give us a new life of righteousness and Love and Power!

We CANNOT have a healthy body with impurities in it and we CANNOT be an empowered Body of Christ with anything that is not giving Him Glory!  “Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we do all to the glory of God.”  Help us!  Draw us into the Holy of Holies of our hearts and show us the things that hinder You having full power in our lives and keep us from bringing You Glory; the things that keep Your Body enactive, sick and handicapped.  Bring us into confession and cleanse us.  Strengthen and fill us with Your Spirit to repent and turn back to You totally devoted with full surrender and commitment of our lives – body, soul and spirit. “…live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:35b) 

…and begin with ME!  “Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you…”  (Genesis 23:25)

“Now you are the Body of Christ,

and each one of you is a part of it.”

(1 Corinthians 12:27a)

THE LIGHT OF THE BODY IS THE EYE

Jesus said:  The light of the body is the eye...the whole body will become what you focus on -good or bad.  (Matthew 6:22, 23)

It is so vital to be careful about what we see because our brain registers it forever!   That is why it is so vital to keep our vision on our Creator and our Savior; to keep our heart, soul, mind and body consumed in His Spirit and His Word.  #1 we will be so satisfied that NOTHING else will allure.  #2 we will KNOW real Love which desires only that which God desires….because God IS Love.  This is why the Great Commandment is about getting to know God and His Love and expressing that Love back to Him…then we can Love one another as we have been Loved…unselfishly…unconditionally…undividedly!

Think back to Creation…God created every detail of earth before He created MAN and then He gave Man time to be alone with Him and develop their relationship; for Adam to get instruction about why He was created.  Lest we forget, it was for relationship with God.  As Adam began his role as man tending what God had created, he watched the animals who were paired male & female and desired to have a mate also.  He looked to find one, but could not find one suitable.  THEN, God finished His Masterpiece Creation with the perfect finishing touch…a suitable mate for Adam!  Remember what happened when God brought the Woman to Adam?  He looked at her…and lusted for her!  (I know you are going to say that is not in the Bible…but go back and read it again…and use your vivid imagination.  (Genesis chapters 2 & 3)

What happened to Adam’s relationship with God once he saw Eve?  Notice that God began to only visit in the evening in the cool of the day to walk and talk with Adam… and Eve.  Observation on my part, Adam is mesmerized by his mate and she is ALL he desires…keep track of where you see him from being introduced to Eve and the scene at the Forbidden Tree.  And, speaking of that event, note that Eve is in dialog and focused on her new friend (evidently she wasn’t as intrigued with Adam as he was with her…she needed MORE and the crafty, clever, beautiful Serpent knew just how to satisfy her emotional needs!  Note:  The physical, sensual part of the relationship satisfied the male & female differently.)

Back to the Forbidden Tree… Eve is having her intellect and emotions enhanced by her Friend and now sees the forbidden as something to be desired.  Even though she knew what God had said, she had been given a new translation with commentary…and saw that it looked good (this is the same as lust!)  Close in on the scene to Adam.  What is he doing?  He only has eyes for Eve; for she is suitable and satisfying to him.  He just can’t get enough of her!  He is unaware of what she is doing or the conversation.  It’s OK with him, whatever she wants as long as he can be with her! 

Gen. 3:6 So…”When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” (See what I mean about Adam…he is swooning over the object of his affections!)

Gen.3:7  “Then the eyes of both of them were opened…”  They were both guilty of what they did with what they saw!  Because of their focus, EVERYTHING God created was changed…EVERYTHING HE SAW THAT WAS GOOD became covered with SIN!  

*The rest of the story can be read in God's Word, The Bible.  You may want to read Genesis chapters 1-3 and the book of Luke to see the outcome of the woman's seed and the Serpent's seed.

FIT FOR HIS COMING!

Fit for His Coming

Are we blameless?

I Thessalonians 5:23 ~  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

sanctify:  Holy, set apart for God.

blameless:  Without fault; without blame; unblemished;

unspoiled; upright; sincere; perfect; obedient; righteous.

First instruction:  Genesis 17:1; 22:18  When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said:  “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless…and be blessed.”

Ephesians 1:4 ~  For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.

Instruction for His coming again:  I Thessalonians 5:23

EX.  Philippians 2:14-16 ~ Do all things without murmurings and disputing:  That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.

I Thessalonians 3:13 ~ May He (our God and Father) strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.

I Corinthians 1:8 ~ He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Man is a trinity:

SPIRIT ~ That part of man which “knows”; his mind.

SOUL ~ The seat of affections, desires, emotions; the active will; the self - choice!

BODY ~ The physical; flesh

*Because man is “spirit” (breath of God), he is capable of God-consciousness and communication with God.

*Because he is “soul”, he has self-consciousness.

*Because he is “body”, he has through his senses -

world-consciousness (community).

***SOUL & SPIRIT” are not identical.  It is the natural vs. spiritual.

Hebrews 4:12 ~ For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thought and attitudes of the heart.

I Corinthians 15:44 ~ So then this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory…there- fore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

***The Body is the Temple of God

I Corinthians 3:16-17 ~ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him, for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

EX. Daniel Chapter 5 ~ temple vessels

Ephesians 5:23 ~ …Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

I Corinthians 12:24-27 ~ But God has combined the members of the body…so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

I Corinthians 6:19-20 ~ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.

  

  The Body of Christ~The Church~His Bride

What does a bride do to get ready for the bridegroom and the wedding?

 ~ In today’s lifestyle?

 ~ In the Jewish lifestyle?

 ~ for the Son of God? - We need to know the prophecies relating to His coming.

SCRIPTURES:  On Bride and Bridegroom

Isaiah 61:10 - adorned with jewels, ornaments (salvation & righteous)

Revelation 21:2 - adorned  (the holy city)

Jeremiah 2:32 - ornaments, attire  (forgotten the Lord)

Revelation 22:17 - ready  (“Come”)

*Matthew 25:1-46 - ready, faithful, doing, slumbered & slept  (oil, talents, one of the least)

John 3:29; Luke 3 - John Baptist (Best Man) prepare for the groom (Repent; receive remission of sins; prepare)

Isaiah 54:5 - The Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The GOD of the whole earth shall He be called.

2 Corinthians 11:2 - chaste virgin; pure, undefiled, unpolluted, without sin  (to Christ; one husband)

Ephesians 5:21-33 - reverence; love; cleave  (wife-church; husband-Christ)

Revelation 19:7-10 - ready, clothed in fine linen; clean and white  (righteousness of saints)

CHRIST AND HIS BRIDE

Read John chapters 13 & 14

Jesus is preparing a place for His Bride in His Father’s House and when The Father says it is ready Jesus is coming back for His Bride.

Will His Bride be found ready and faithful; adorned with all those who are clothed in the righteousness of His Holy Spirit?

MARANATHA!

(Even so, come Lord Jesus!)

WORSHIP

Original thoughts on January 6, 2010 ~ WORSHIP

This was inspired from meditation on Abraham choosing to settle between 

Bethel and Ai. (Genesis 12:8) 

These three should go together:

       WORSHIP ~ Giving God my very Best

       WAITING ~ Watching to see where God is at work

       WORK ~ Joining God in what He is doing

Worship – in meditation, giving God back the blessing He has given as a love gift.

There should not be jumping from Worship to Waiting and then to Work.  Worship should be taking place in everything…because God is ALWAYS with us!

BLESSINGS are spiritual gifts that are to be given back to bless others.  Blessings that we hoard to ourselves will turn into spiritual dry rot – like the hoarded manna. 

(Exodus 16)

What blocks WORSHIP?

Sin of Self – it is so horrible and the most justified!

You cannot focus on self and GOD at the same time any more than you can go in two different directions at the same time – North & South; East & West.  Like a coin, you can only see one side at a time!  You cannot see both sides ~ which side of us do others see? 

GOD or ME?