Proverbs 27:19-21

Proverbs 27:19-21 says;

“As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man. Hell (Sheol) and Destruction (Abaddon) are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, and a man is valued by what others say of him.” NKJV

These seem straight forward in meaning as read but what is the deeper meaning for our life as a Christian?

In Matthew 15:1-20 Jesus corrects the Pharisees because they are judging His disciples for an outward action while they practice negating the Law for their tradition, revealing their heart condition of self first rather than GOD first. He then explains to His disciples that it is not what a man eats but what comes out of his heart that reveals his true nature. In Matthew 5 and 6 Jesus teaches that our eyes are the window of our heart where we let in GOD’s light or the flesh’s darkness.

Proverbs 17:3 says, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts.” This is the crux of the message: GOD will judge everyone’s heart condition and it will reveal whether we have sought Him first or ourself! If we seek our own satisfaction first we will never be satisfied because there is no satisfaction in death and hell! Only is seeking GOD first in all things is there peace that passes understanding and rest in the midst of chaos.

Study: Proverbs 12:14, 17:3, 18:2 & 20-21, 30:15-17; Ecclesiastes 1:8, 4:8; Isaiah 56:9-12; Habakkuk 2; Matthew 5, 6:19-34, 15:1-20; John 4:31-38; Galatians 2:11-18; Philippians 4:4-9; Colossians 3:12-17; Hebrews 3-4

The Golden Rule!

The golden rule according to society is, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” This is based on Jesus’ statement in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Oswald Chambers says, “The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect but obedience.” based on Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey GOD rather than men.’” This is the conflict of life; everyone understands that how you treat other people is how you will be treated but some do not care. Jesus also told us, “To love our neighbor as we love ourself.” An expansion of the “do unto to others” statement but many people still treat others as they do not want to be treated themselves.

Most of us struggle with the concept of obeying GOD rather than men when there is a conflict in our goals or desire. Why? Because, they do not pay attention to Jesus’ full statement, “But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a questioned testing Him and saying, ‘Teacher which is the great commandment in the Law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22:34-40

The problem in the world is that they do not want to obey and serve GOD! Jesus said to not just love your neighbor but to love your enemies and those who spitefully use you; Matthew 5:43-48. This is not the way of the flesh and the world.

The problem in much of the Church is that we have all kinds of teachings on the promises, provisions, healings, deliverances, prosperities, goodness’s, etc. of GOD. But, we have little teachings on the sacrifice and obedience that Jesus called believers to. Teachings like, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” “If they persecuted Me they will persecute you.” “They will imprison you and kill you and think they are doing the work of GOD.” “Whoever puts his hand to the plow and turns back is not fit for the Kingdom.” Do not fear men who can kill you rather fear Him who can both kill the body and the soul.” These and many other of Jesus’ teaching are about the call and struggle of obedience that is a requirement of being a Christian.

Study the teachings of Jesus not just for the rewards but also for the requirements of His Kingdom.

Jesus Escapes!

Have you ever wondered how Jesus escaped several times from being stoned or killed when the Jews were offended at Him and wanted to kill Him? It was not just because as He said, “A prophet cannot be killed except in Jerusalem.” or that it was not His time. I have! Take the events in John 10:31-39, twice in a short period the Jews wanted to kill Him but it says He escaped out of their hands. It wasn’t because His disciples caused a distraction or attacked the crowd so that Jesus could escape; if that had happened the historians like Josephus would have recorded it.

As I was praying this morning I felt the LORD showed me; I am sure that this is only a new revelation to me and that many have already understood this.

In the prophesy of Isaiah he says that Jesus would look common and would not have any outstanding features to attract people to him; that He would be humble (unlike the way He is portrayed in movies and on TV). His family and His disciples were the only people who really knew what He looked like. The only time people recognized Him in the scriptures before His crucifixion was when He was with a large group of His disciples or was teaching or ministering.

Study the Gospel of John and see how many times He entered into a place and the people did not know it was Him until He started speaking or ministering to people’s needs. When He was in the Synagogue or the Temple and He spoke or ministered He would put on His shawl as was the custom; then people would recognize Him. When He wanted to leave and not be recognized He would take off His shawl and His appearance was so common that suddenly people would not recognize Him and He could pass through the crowd.

This happened in reverse after His resurrection; after He had defeated death and hell taking the keys of their dominions; on the third day when He presented Himself to His disciples they did not recognize Him, in fact they were afraid of Him. He was now in His glorified body that was appealing in appearance and they did not recognize Him except by His voice and behavior.

This is what Jesus calls His disciples (us) to be like humble, plain and not standing out in a crowd. We are not to be like the religious leaders of His day (or ours) seeking glory and fame, glad to be recognized where ever they went. It is a challenge in our media driven day where we can preach and minister to millions without even being there. But, we must seek GOD in humility and seek to be humble in all our life activities.

Meditations for Isaiah 54 & 58

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper!” Isaiah 54:17a NKJV Have you ever confessed this scripture while the enemy is attacking you and yet they did not stop or you did not get the victory in that situation? In the Church today that is not uncommon, why? Because in today’s Church most believers are memory verse Christians, they have memorized scriptures they have read or heard that make them feel good or confident or strong. I was one for decades, when things were not going my way or we were under attack I would quote scriptures that I had learned like some kind of mantra even praying them in Jesus’ name hoping the attack would stop, most of the time it did not.

Why? Because these scriptures have not been learned through study nor experienced through life. Most Christians today do not know or understand that the books of the Bible were not written in chapter and verse form. So they read and memorize it in quick quotable sections not understanding the full context of what GOD is telling us. We must read and study the scriptures in context; what is GOD saying before and after the verses we are reading, to whom, where, when, and why were they written; then we can receive accurate understanding of the personal application to our life because we can see ourself in that situation.

Jesus said that He was going to send the Church His Spirit (Holy Spirit) to teach us and remind us of everything that He said; not to teach us a few catch phrases; but His whole council which is found in the Bible. Forget every bad or negative thing you have heard about the Bible, it is the Word if GOD to humanity. He inspirited and commanded men to write what He told them, what they had experienced and what others had been told and experienced so that humanity would have His Word until the end of time, Jesus even said so. What man has done to and with the Bible has not changed what He says to us and how He expects us to love and serve Him.

Study Joshua 1:8; Psalm 19:7-11, 45:1; Isaiah 59:21; Habakkuk 2:1-3 Matthew 5:17-20; Luke 16:16-17; John 14:15-26; Galatians 3:19-4:7; 2 Timothy 2:14-16, 3:14-17; Hebrews 4:12, 8:10-11 (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Now to what I heard from the LORD as I was resting this morning after He awoke me to a time of worship. I was meditating on Isaiah 54 and 58 thought in my head I was thinking it was all in chapter 54. Isaiah 49 through 53 is mostly about Jesus, who He is and what He would do to redeem humanity. Isaiah 54 through 57 is primarily about GOD’s invitation of salvation to humanity. Isaiah 58 is about why GOD does not answer our cries and includes a description of fasting that pleases GOD. Isaiah 59 is a reminder that sin separates us from GOD but He has a plan for our salvation.

So one of the most quoted scriptures is Isaiah 54:17a quoted at the top of this paper, the whole verse says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their righteousness is from Me says the LORD.” Isaiah 54:17 NKJV A couple of keys to this verse is the fact that we quote only half of the blessing and that it is a heritage for the servants of GOD who imparts His righteousness to them. We know about the righteousness because that is also one of our other favorite verses to quote, “We (I am) are the righteousness of GOD in Christ Jesus.” Which is actually, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of GOD in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV this goes with Romans 3:21-26.

So here is the point of my meditations this morning; we do not often get the result of the scripture promises we quote because we do not know or understand the premise upon which they are fulfilled. The two promises of Isaiah 54:17 are for the SERVANTS of GOD, those who honor and serve Him with their lives it is to His servants that He imparts His righteousness, like Abraham, Moses and David. Does that mean we are to be like THEM? YES! Where we are with the gift and calling GOD gave each of us we are to be His servant doing His will in the earth as it is in Heaven. Sometimes like Daniel we have to persevere and sometimes like Abraham, Moses and David we do not see it fulfilled in our lifetime. That is GOD’s business!

Getting the promises of GOD is not about quoting scriptures over and over to build up our faith, or claiming what Jesus did for us because we want or need it. It is about faithful service to GOD and His purpose for our life; we rarely get to choose what our call is that happens when we have already found out what our gift is and then see that what we enjoy doing is what GOD has called us to do. What we are good at, what we enjoy doing (not the pleasures of the flesh or the world) is our call. When we yield it and serve GOD with it we find the blessings and promises of GOD are Yes and Amen!

Another thing I was thinking about this morning was that many Christians do not get the promises because they are not living in the righteousness of GOD; we are called to be holy for GOD is Holy. If we do not live holy lives (lives that are set apart to the service of GOD) then we are not walking in His righteousness so we are not getting His blessings and promises. I see and hear many prayer requests from Christians who are distraught, fearful, overwhelmed, at their wits end, depressed, etc. Why are so many Christians in these states; I have personally experienced all of these in my life as a Christian? It is because we are not living a holy lifestyle, most Christians do not even know what it means to live a holy lifestyle.

A holy lifestyle means that you do not cheat on your tax return; when a casher gives you too much change or under charges you, you bring it to their attention; you drive the speed limit; people say you are honest to a fault; you do not hold a grudge or anger towards anybody for any reason; you are sexually moral according to GOD’s standard; you exercise integrity in everything you say and do; you have pure motives in everything you say and do; you avoid the appearance of evil (by not doing anything others will misinterpret); etc.

All that said, it is not easy Abraham, Moses and David all struggled with living holy lives. But, their willingness and faithfulness to GOD’s call and purpose for them allowed them to live in His favor and their faith was credited to them as His righteousness. This is how we are called to live our lives.

Study Leviticus 11:44-45; Matthew 5:13-48, 6:1-4, 15:1-20; Luke 11:7-52; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 10; 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:1; Galatians 5; Ephesians 1:3-14, 5:1-21, 6:10-20; Philippians 2:5-18, 3:1-16; Hebrews 11; 1 Peter 1:13-21, 3:8-12

All of these scriptures are just a taste of what the Bible has to say about how we should live and serve so that we can walk in the blessings and promises of GOD. Yet all of the writers remind us that even as GOD’s faithful children and servants life will be hard at times and that we can be overcome but that we should rejoice in the testings, trials and tribulations of life because GOD is at work in us through them. Even Jesus said we would be persecuted, imprisoned and murdered for our faith and obedience. Therefore we should remember those who are in trials and have been overcome with love and compassion not judgment and critasizem.

Study Matthew 5:11-12, Luke 6:22-23; John 15:18-16:4; Romans 7:13-25, 8:18-30, 12:1-21, 15:1-13; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Corinthians 10:1-6; Galatians 5:1-6; James 1:2-8, 5:19-20; 1 Peter 2:18-25, 3:13-4:6, 4:12-19; 1 John 5:16; Jude 1:20-25; Revelation 3:20, 12:7-12

Then there are the unanswerable questions; why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? Why do children get painful, horrible, life stealing diseases? And many more things that we do not understand? The easy answer is sin! It is the truth, because of Adam’s sin humanity and the earth were perverted, sickness and death came and all of the atrocities by humans that we see. So why does GOD not stop them if He is really love? This answer is also easy, He gave humans a free will, that is the ability to do what we want and so we do. What about why do Christians die in accidents and of disease? Doesn’t GOD love and protect His servants? The simple answer is the same two above, sin and freewill.

The fact is that we cannot know everything about GOD and why things are the way they are while we live in this temporal world and body! In fact we know very little! GOD makes that clear in statements like, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts and My ways are not like your ways.” Or “You think I am like you but I am not.” Everything that exists, exists within, by and for GOD and His good pleasure. Throughout history there have been very few people who have been in the presence of GOD and received direct revelation from Him. What GOD has revealed about Himself to all of humanity through His Word the Bible is enough to keep us in awe until eternity.

Study Genesis 1-9, 12:1-3, 7; 18, 32:22-32; Exodus 3, 19, 24; Deuteronomy 32:1-4; 2 Samuel 7:18-22; Psalm 19, 33, 40, 50, 90, 103, 139; Isaiah 6:1-8, 55:8-9; Jeremiah 29:11-14; Matthew 10:27-31; Luke 9:28-36, 12:4-7; John 1:1-5, 9-18, 20:30-31, 21:24-25; 2 Corinthians 12:1-6, Hebrews 4; Revelation 1-2

Jesus Embraced His Pain Do You?

One day a pastor walked with a soap manufacturer down the busy streets of New York. Noticing all the advertisements, stores, and clothing promoting a life of ungodliness, the soap manufacturer remarked to the pastor, “The gospel you preach hasn’t done much good, has it? Look. There’s a lot of filth in this world.”

The pastor said nothing. The two men walked a few more blocks, taking in the sights and sounds of the crowded city. After some time of silence, the pastor casually pointed to a homeless man covered in grime, huddled in a boarded-up entryway. “The soap you sell hasn’t done much good, has it?” he reflected. “Look. There’s a lot of filth in this world.”

The soap manufacturer simply chuckled and said, “Ah, but you are wrong. Soap is only useful when it is applied.”

The pastor smiled and said, “Exactly. And so it is with the gospel.”

Jesus Christ came so that we could have life and experience it more abundantly. Yet so many people are simply trying to make it—to get by from day to day. They aren’t living in the power and strength that He came to supply. The gospel gives life, but they have not applied it.

A lot of the defeat, fear, and worry that many believers face has to do with a misunderstanding of Christ. They misunderstand what He came to give … and how He came to give it. They don’t see how He wants us to model our lives after Him. This misunderstanding can arise because, when they look at the life of Jesus, they see things they’d rather not see: pain, rejection, endurance, obscurity, and humility.

Jesus didn’t come as a pop star or as a reality-TV king. Isaiah 53:2-3 shows us He had no stately form or majesty. He wasn’t handsome. Instead, He was despised. He knew grief and hung out with sorrow.

This view of Jesus flies in the face of how our culture defines “the perfect man,” but as Saint Augustine said, “If you believe what you like in the gospels and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” Too often we try to tweak God’s Word to our own taste. We take what we want, leave out the rest, add a bit here, sprinkle some Jesus on top, and apply some revisionist history just for good measure. But God was clear; the promise He gave was that our Savior would be rejected by His own people. We see this in the gospels:

·  “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him” (John 1:11).

·  “Then they all cried out together, ‘Take this man away!’” (Luke 23:18).

I wonder what Jesus felt as He stood there and heard those words. Have you ever felt rejection? It cuts deep. It’s a pain we can’t even adequately put into words. It takes your breath away, knocks the wind out of you. It’s a pain that lingers, causing you to doubt your own worth. So when it happens, you might try to ignore it. Eat, shop or entertain your way out of it.

But Jesus didn’t run from rejection. He knew God always has a purpose for the pain, and He willingly embraced it.

By Tony Evans

True Gods

In one of the Avenger movies, Loki, an Olympian God is unleashing an army of evil alien beings so he can take over or destroy the earth. In one scene the Hulk who is a super human, super hero created by a radiation accident is fighting Loki. Loki says, “I am a God and you puny humans cannot stop me.” (or something like that), then the Hulk thrashes Loki smashing him into the floor several times until he is imbedded in it, as the Hulk walks away he says, “Puny God!” and all Loki can do is make a small squeaking noise. He is out of the fight until the end of the movie.

This is our reality: Loki represents Satan who wants to be God, he is a supernatural being created by the one true and only GOD. Humans who do not know GOD, who reject GOD or who try to serve GOD for their own agenda are represented by the humans in the movie who cannot resist Loki or fight against him. Christians are represented by the human super heroes who fight against Loki, they can overcome him but cannot destroy him and Loki can overcome them but not destroy them.

The difference is that in the movie the super heroes are self made or created by some weird unexplainable accident and Christians are made by GOD.

When we humble ourself through desperation or the realization that we are sinners and going to hell and only the Love of GOD demonstrated through Christ’s obedience and sacrifice on our behalf can save us; when we ask GOD to forgive us our sin by the Blood of Jesus believing in our heart that GOD has done it and confessing our salvation we are made the Children of GOD and joint heirs of GOD’s eternal Kingdom with Jesus.

When we fight against Satan we cannot destroy him but we can and should overcome him!

The other similarity between the movie and the Christian life is that the warfare never ends. We get victories and periods of refreshing, but the enemy never stops until the he is bound for 1000 years. Then he will be loosed and raise up another army to attack Jesus in Jerusalem, that will be the final battle in which Satan is cast into the lake of fire. Then a new heaven and earth will be created with a new Jerusalem and all Christians will worship and serve GOD eternally.

Study Psalm 82; Luke 12:4-7; John 1:11-12, 3:14-21, 9:4, 10:31-39, 14:15-18; Romans 1:16-17, 6:28-29, 10:8-13; 1 Corinthians 3:5-17, 15:12-49; 2 Corinthians 6:11-18, 10:3-6; Galatians 2:15-21, 5:1, 16-26; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-18, 3:7-11, 4:8-9; Colossians 1:9-23, 2:6-3:17; 1 Peter 6-11, Revelation 12:7-12; 19-21

Motivation for Life

I was just listening to a motivational speaker on a religious station who was motivating young football players with a speech about doing your best for those who depend on you family, friends , buddies, etc. and they heard it and after their game they were so proud of how they played because of the speech they had heard and for their family and friends.

How sad in the early part of the speakers talk he talked about those who were overcome with the burden of fulfilling the expectations of others and by the end of his talk he was telling them to do their best for those who depend on them.

What he should have told them is that many fail in life because they cannot carry the burden of what they expect to accomplish especially when they add the burden of what others want or demand of them.

When we try to satisfy our own desires and expectations we will fail, when we try to fulfill the expectations of others we will fail!

No matter how well we live life, how successful we are in our own eyes or in the eyes of others. No matter how well we do as a person, spouse, parent, employee we will always fail. True success is not in accomplishments how we feel about ourselves or how others feel about us.

True success only comes in fulfilling the will of GOD! The only way to succeed in life is to yield everything to GOD! The only way to do that is to follow Jesus’ advice, “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentile and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

There is no level of success without Christ that counts for anything! No matter how you do or do not succeed in life it does not count if you do not do it in Christ. Everything we do in this life is just wood, hay and stubble unless it is done in Christ.

If you want to succeed and be able to carry the responsibility of life you can only do it in Christ. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true GOD and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” and, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 17:3; 14:6 NKJV