We have just celebrated another American Thanksgiving. It is the only "holiday" we have that still has God at the center of our response. Even this day is beginning to be called "turkey day" for it becomes more obvious that the focus is not on the Eternal God but on imaginations of man. But while we are in this world, we are not of this world. It is good to take time to give thanks.
We see the response of giving thanks is one of two covenant responses that Jesus expected in the following scripture. One was the obedience to the written response for leprosy of showing oneself to the priests, the disease that afflicted the ten men who met Jesus. Luke 17:12-19 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
Make every day a Thanksgiving Day. Let praise and thankfulness be continually in your heart and your voice and face will echo it.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Cause and Effect
Covenant study is a wonderful way of learning the ways of God. Because a covenant is so constant it gives us understanding of the nature of God for He is the Author of covenant making. The knowledge Adam received before his fall was from God. In the times he walked and talked with God, Adam was taught those things God wanted him to know. In his fall, Adam came to a different understanding of God and covenant. He found out by experience that broken covenant has a price and that the price will be paid. In studying the Old Testament Scriptures and the Law of the first covenant, we see two things about covenant. We see God's mercy and love shown in His patience in giving Israel so many warnings through the prophets He sent, and, a seeming reluctance to bring the judgment of which He had warned would come. We also see why God used covenant to be the means by which He would work in this realm to bring to maturity His desire to make "man in His image".
You have heard people say, 'if God is love, why does He allow wars and famine and natural disasters!' In the long suffering patience of God, we begin to see the depth of His love and why He established covenant as His tool. Covenant is God's protection as well as ours. Man has a choice to come under His covenant protection or remain his own master. When Jesus came to fulfill the first covenant and to cut a New Covenant in His blood, He gave us a very important part of that New Covenant when He declared no one comes to the Father but through Him. Jesus is the Door to our becoming in the image of God and living eternally in God's joy!
We rejoice in being under the covenant of Jesus' Blood and the freedom from the weight of our sin. But from the Old Testament Law, we see the breaking of the laws as man's choice to live his own way. David's grief in breaking God's laws and losing a son was compounded by the realization he had broken the connection to God he had through covenant. Psalm 51 is a marvelous teaching on the ways of God and how we are taught them. Just as Adam had more understanding of the teaching God had given him by living out the price, so David came to a deeper understanding of God's Word. Psalm 51:6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
In the New Testament, under the covenant we have in Jesus, Paul told the Galatians that what you sow, you reap. Covenant does not change. We may have a new covenant we are under through faith in His Blood, but the rules of covenant have not changed. You obey the expectation of covenant or you go your own way. Paul's writings, the Gospels, the Epistles and the Revelation give us the understanding of our response to God. Sow to the flesh, you reap the broken con-nection. Sow to the Spirit and you learn to live in that connection.
God moves in direct relation to our response. Genesis 22:16-18 Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and saith, `By Myself I have sworn -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- that because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only one -- 17that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which [is] on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies; 18and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth, because that thou hast hearkened to My voice.'
In the New Testament, we see this statement repeated. Matthew 16:17 (YLT) And Jesus answering said to him, `Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal [it] to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens.
Matthew 16:18 (NASB) I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Simon's name was changed to Peter which means "stone". But the rock on which He built His church was the revelation of Truth He could give to man through the Holy Spirit. On this He could build His church. The same promise He gave to Abraham, He repeated for His Church.
What God reveals and you believe and act on will bring God's purpose to fulfillment. Because you believe and obey....
You have heard people say, 'if God is love, why does He allow wars and famine and natural disasters!' In the long suffering patience of God, we begin to see the depth of His love and why He established covenant as His tool. Covenant is God's protection as well as ours. Man has a choice to come under His covenant protection or remain his own master. When Jesus came to fulfill the first covenant and to cut a New Covenant in His blood, He gave us a very important part of that New Covenant when He declared no one comes to the Father but through Him. Jesus is the Door to our becoming in the image of God and living eternally in God's joy!
We rejoice in being under the covenant of Jesus' Blood and the freedom from the weight of our sin. But from the Old Testament Law, we see the breaking of the laws as man's choice to live his own way. David's grief in breaking God's laws and losing a son was compounded by the realization he had broken the connection to God he had through covenant. Psalm 51 is a marvelous teaching on the ways of God and how we are taught them. Just as Adam had more understanding of the teaching God had given him by living out the price, so David came to a deeper understanding of God's Word. Psalm 51:6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
In the New Testament, under the covenant we have in Jesus, Paul told the Galatians that what you sow, you reap. Covenant does not change. We may have a new covenant we are under through faith in His Blood, but the rules of covenant have not changed. You obey the expectation of covenant or you go your own way. Paul's writings, the Gospels, the Epistles and the Revelation give us the understanding of our response to God. Sow to the flesh, you reap the broken con-nection. Sow to the Spirit and you learn to live in that connection.
God moves in direct relation to our response. Genesis 22:16-18 Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and saith, `By Myself I have sworn -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- that because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only one -- 17that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which [is] on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies; 18and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth, because that thou hast hearkened to My voice.'
In the New Testament, we see this statement repeated. Matthew 16:17 (YLT) And Jesus answering said to him, `Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal [it] to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens.
Matthew 16:18 (NASB) I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Simon's name was changed to Peter which means "stone". But the rock on which He built His church was the revelation of Truth He could give to man through the Holy Spirit. On this He could build His church. The same promise He gave to Abraham, He repeated for His Church.
What God reveals and you believe and act on will bring God's purpose to fulfillment. Because you believe and obey....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)