"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light./ But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"
The single eye here is the eye of faith. "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven"( John 17:1). The Spirit is laying emphasis on the eye of faith, which we see in the life of Elijah who laid the condition for Elisha to receive a double portion of his Spirit. "And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me./And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so." (2 Ki.8:9-10) The double portion included that of the Son and of the prophet. The first one ties up the eye of faith to the Father as a double for the Son. It is thus the Spirit has set forth the redoubtable prophet as a stand-in. The same principle we have in the brazen serpent set up on the pole in the wilderness. "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."(Nu.21:9) The Spirit uses 'behold' in a special sense and here in past tense we see the eye of faith connecting man with the Son, albeit a symbol but determined in the divine Will as with the slain Lamb before the foundation of the world.
" Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,"(1:23). Eye of faith of Mary believed and also the word of God. "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. "( Luke 1:38)
Peter healed a cripple and he first made sure he had his eye of faith open.And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us./And he gave heed unto them, "(Ac.3:4-7)
There is a proper way to fast in which your soul is like a child brought before Jesus for a blessing. Jesus took exception to the disciples by saying, "And forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." (19:14). For the guardians they sought blessing from the hands of Jesus, with regards to their wards. We fast when we seek ways to render our souls on their onward progress.They are to appear one day before God whose breath set them going. Their well being is our concern and not of others.So fasting is renewing our resolve to seek a closer walk with God. "anoint thine head, and wash thy face;/That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret."
The wrong way is to make one noticed with such woe-begone expression. "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast."
In Is.1-6 "Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?" Fasting can be a sign of certain disruption occurring if the person neglects his inward life in the Spirit. The Pharisee in the Parable prayed," I fast twice in the week,"(14:12) With so much of smug self-satisfaction on a self-destruct mode what nonsense to claim his feat where his remedy lay in a fast and prayer regimen seven times a week? Transgression of the house of Jacob required to break their stony heart and correct their evil.
"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?/Then shall thy light break forth ; ....the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward."(58:7-8)
Fasting for the hypocrites,"Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."(v.16)
The worlds framed by the word have two aspects.(He.11:3) Unseen and the earth made to appear. Eternal will of God, Cause is mirrored by the earth (seen) the Effect are sanctified by faith, which is one. Here we have a couple of verses, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;/One Lord, one faith, one baptism,/One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. "(Ep.4:4-6) Because of it we treat these worlds as one serving as a synonym for the Father Son relationship. It is validated by this verse,"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever." The Preacher is talking about the changeable earth where generations of man keeps shifting one after the other as a weaver's shuttle, the earth abides 'forever'. The Spirit tags this phrase 'forever' to indicate the Son. It is thus inheritance of saints in light is called new earth.(Re.21:1;Ec.1:4). This eternal inheritance as co-heirs with the Son is called treasures in heaven. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"(Ep.1:18)
The eye of faith is not subject to ageing as the case of a natural world is, where appetites decline and senses become dull as in the case of Barzillai the Gileadite. St Paul writing to the church of Ephesus is referring to treasures laid up in heaven. All other treasures are seen so it is temporal."treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Co.4:18)
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
The MYSTERY of God is often termed as His Transcendence. There are things concerning Him in His Being and Essential nature that we will never be able to learn, know, comprehend, or experience.
Yet, with all this MYSTERY, God has provided us with all we need in the life of his Son, in the Scriptures, and in the workings of the world to know He exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
There is the mystery of how one sin by Adam (not by Eve) could be the cause of all persons born from the seed of Adam (everyone, except Jesus) could possess a sinful nature without even sinning (from conception).
There is the mystery of how God makes a fertilized egg a living person with a physical nature, soul nature, and spiritual nature.
There is the mystery of how God everything that God does or allows brings Him glory.
There is the mystery of the plan of salvation willed before creation.
There is the mystery of how Jesus could be slain from before the foundation of the world.
There is the mystery of how God can indwell believers by the Spirit and if the Spirit is in us, then the Father and the Son indwell us also.
There is the mystery of how synapses in our mind create abstract thoughts, will, and choice.
There is the mystery of how it was that the universe first began with time, space, and physical laws such as gravity, wavelengths, magnetism, etc.
There is the mystery of how God can be everywhere at once and also in one place specifically such as upon the ark of the covenant or in the pillar of cloud and fire.
There is the mystery of how God can know everything past, present and future without using time to learn it.
There is the mystery of His sovereign power that is indominable.
There is the mystery of how God cannot change in any way, yet can act in time and space and become a human person.
There is the mystery of how God is not made of parts or components and His substance cannot be divided up into portions.
(divine simplicity)
There is the mystery of how God can be a Person and be life itself, self-existing as the God who IS, without drawing life from outside of Himself.
There is the mystery of how God is completely self-sufficient and self-satisfying. He needs nothing outside of Himself to be complete, to depend on to meet any need, any passion or emotion outside of Himself that He must receive from outside of Himself.
Getting back to my study on Who God is. I would like to follow up Majestic with:
MYSTERY
There is much mystery in God from our viewpoint. Within the Godhead, all is known about His whole being. Nothing is hidden from Him nor is He able to not know/understand all that He is.
But to us, there is more of Him that is a mystery to us than that which we know and understand of Him.
In Job 38-40,out God bring before Job a plethora of things that God knows and does that man does not have any idea about.
There is the mystery of the inner relationship and union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There is the mystery of how God can be three distinct persons but only One God.
There is the mystery of how He created all things ex nihilo (out of no substances) aside from His word spoken and will performed.
There is the mystery of His existence outside of the universe, time, space, and anything else but Himself. There is the mystery of what He is truly like as a Purely Spiritual Being.
There is the mystery of why He allowed for sin to enter His creation when he could have done it another way.
There is the mystery of His perfection that we cannot ever have.
There is the mystery of His infinitude that we cannot ever be. We have bounds and limits.
There is the mystery of why He must punish sin forever.
There is the mystery of how Jesus could take on a human nature and still be fully God, not in any way diminished. No other being can be come something it is not created to be. No man can become God. But God could become man.
There is mystery about how Jesus' one sacrifice is infinitely worthy and over abundantly sufficient to take away all the sin of the world.
There is the mystery of how He, being God, could take sin upon Himself to be cursed before God and take all of the wrath of the God upon Himself for sin and be able t bear it.
There is the mystery of how the Jesus was able to raise Himself from the dead.
There is the mystery of how that Holy Spirit regenerates.
In regards to Thanksgiving, some historians believe that the pilgrims were actually celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. The idea of inviting guests, showing hospitality, is very very important in Jewish culture. The pilgrims invited American Indians. The pilgrims were Bible adherents and inclined to keep the prescribed feasts of the LORD.
The prayer of Jesus as given in the Gospel of John helps us to understand the prayer recorded by Evangelist Matthew. The Amen at the end of the Lord's Prayer is replaced with vv.20-26 giving a context to all prayers since his death and resurrection.
17:20 " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." He was well aware of the mandate of his Father was as the Savior of the World and not in a limited sense. He sanctified himself on account of the 12 disciples, significance of the number being fixed and he sending them two by two established the Principle of Association. (10:40; Luke 10:16). Now he knew his hour was nigh so he prays for all 'them which shall believe on me through their word'.
17:21 "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Here we are given an insight into the function of the term "Amen," being intended a tag, Unity of the Spirit that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Instead the church riven with heresies tell another story. Miry clay trying to compromise with the defunct Roman empire is neither here nor there.
17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:." The only glory Evangelicals on either side of the Atlantic are Cathedrals or mega churches, monument to the doctrine of Jesus Christ wrongly applied. Love, joy forbearance such fruits of the Spirit are glossed over when the congregation says 'Amen' what one misses is,'That they may be one, even as we are one'.
17:23 "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one..." Perfect in one is what the Prayer began with,"Thy kingdom come"( v.10) In glossing over the deity of Jesus, reasonable faith deny 'works' the key to abiding life. It is time the Church got their worship in Spirit and truth.
In this connection God tells King Solomon, "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."(1 Ki.9:3) God laid the condition on Solomon which he failed to keep.
'Put my name there forever'
'Forever ' in the above passage serves the same purpose as Amen at the end of the Lord's Prayer. In conclusion we have this v.13. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." We are praying to 'Our Father which art in heaven' and we conclude referring to the power and glory of his Son and Amen is an act of faith.
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors./ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
The Prayer is rounded off by the term 'Amen'. This is a clue to the Lord's Prayer, which is not spoken in isolation, mouth uttering words as though learned by rote but spoken with all the vigor of a man of faith whose 'heart is stayed on thee'. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."(Is.26:3).The Lord's Prayer is enjoined upon all believers where Amen part of it, registers it as being spoken in unison with Jesus Christ who is the True and Faithful Witness we have on the heaven and on the earth. As said earlier he is our Intercessor.
The tag places there is the word of God 'Amen" and it brings us every time as uttered to what he is. "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." We are not simply asking whatever wishes that may froth at the mouth but in consideration of all the bounties out of his storehouse, and in full agreement with the spiritual blessing He has determined 'from the beginning of the creation of God.(Ep.1:3-4) Amen is the Son, is a tag carrying whole lot of associations and it is how we prayer from the secret place and under the shadow of His wings. (Ps.91:1)
This is also equally applied where brother gather under the Spirit of grace. " Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"(Ps.133.1) In this connection God tells King Solomon, "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."(1 Ki.9:3) God laid the condition on Solomon which he failed to keep.
Again we find the use of conjunctive adverb in this verse:"After this manner therefore pray ye:" Here the emphasis is on faith. It is whosoever comes to God without exception it is enjoined. "or he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."(He.11:6) Having laid down the holiness of God, Jesus tells,"for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."(6:8). Therefore faith is the foundation on which the heart of a believer serves him for a tabernacle. His faith and that of the risen Christ who is in the right hand of God being one, addresses thus, "Our Father which art in heaven" Our denotes the unity of purpose between the Petitioner and the Intercessor. Jesus promised us,"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son./If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."( John 14:13-14)
v.9 "Hallowed be thy name."
"And in his temple doth every one speak of his glory."(Ps.29:9b) Compare this with the Pharisee in the Parable. "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican./ I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." ( Luke 18:11-12) He was seeking his own glory at His cost.
v.10 "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." As mentioned in an earliest post it refers to his abiding life and seeking the state That God may be all in all. "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."(1 Co.15:28)
v.11 "Give us this day our daily bread."
The term 'agape' fits here since 'this day' refer the blessings of heaven before the worlds began, no matter whatever circumstance we are in the 'now'. Elijah by Kerith brook.
December 25 is a pagan date and a tradition of man. Jesus was probably born in the fall. Shepherds and sheep would not be in the field freezing in December.
I am so very thankful this morning. Thankful to the Lord most of all. Jesus is the greatest friend anyone could possibly have. This holiday will be spent with family, and some will come from afar. Yet, I'm moved in my heart knowing that so many will be alone this holiday. So many will no doubt spend this holiday behind bars, or sick in a hospital. Troubled souls will no doubt be wondering aimlessly without anywhere to go. It occurs to me that those in these types of conditions will not have anything to be thankful for. My prayer is that Jesus would find them this holiday. That his love would be poured out over the many who are suffering. Let's remember those less fortunate in our prayers this holiday. Not only in our prayers, but if we can somehow reach out, and be an encouragement, or a blessing somehow. Let us who are strong strengthen our fellow man who is downtrodden. I'm thankful for all of you, and for this opportunity to be able to express my heart, and hopefully I'm an encouragement to you. May the love of Jesus meet you where you're at today. May you experience Jesus in a whole new way. It's all about him anyway. I give thanks for the KING JAMES BIBLE, and this wonderful website. I'm sure anyone of you can go through a list of things that your thankful for, but I am thankful today. Thankfulness is the key that unlocks the gates to the courts of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I praise him today, and I magnify him. May your holiday be filled with blessings, spiritual blessings and may your walk with God be made firm as we go onward. That's the only way to go isn't it? Onward to greater things in God. Do you love the things of God? Let us love Jesus more, and more. May our fellowship be blessed, and may the light of the love of God rest in each and everyone of you. I can always use more of God's love. I'm thankful for His love that he has shown to me. What a friend we have in Jesus.
"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him./After this manner therefore pray ye."
'Therefore' is a conjunctive adverb, used to connect prayer with the manner the heathen are wont to pray. Their much speaking however holds no faith which is covered up more mumbo-jumbo of their device. They have to be seen doing their tasks in full sight of the public so they are staking their claim to be 'holier-than thou'. Jesus warns,"Be not ye therefore like unto them.
Abiding life is not playing to the crowd. What you are God knows, as God the Husbandman knows what he has planted. " every good tree bringeth forth good fruit"(7:17). Abiding life is to hold a position as being so many branches to Jesus Christ the good vine.
We may view it as pictorial representation of Psalm 91:1. Under the shadow of God's protective care we abide nourished by the goodness of the true vine.
God knows our needs and He who did not spare His own Son for our sakes shall he not give everything pertaining to life and godliness? "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."( John 15:5)
It is in this context we set the Lord's Prayer on well grounded principles. Principle of Similitude sets the heaven in terms of the earth. God a Spirit and our fruits of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,/Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. " (Gal.5:22-23) Abiding in Christ we are living the Law which is what we mean by " Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."(6:10)
Our daily bread is from the same table as in heaven. "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.:(15:26). Compare "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?"(7:9-11)
"And thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."
Isaiah gives us an infallible proof why our questions on His ways especially when we are faced with such gruesome violence and loss of innocent civilians including infants daily, are out of place. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord./ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Is.55:8-9). What is happening in Gaza or elsewhere are not hidden from his sight. The Spirit has given an insight into his ways in the manner God sent Moses to fight the Amalekites. Before that God gave a clue to His ways when He gave the nation water out of a rock. "Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." (Ex.17:5). Moses and company first had to fix in their mind where he stood in their crisis. He stood upon the rock in Horeb.
When the Amalekites attacked them Moses was to stand upon the same rock, with his staff in hand. As the verse from Ps.91 states he stood under the shadow of his wings, the only place for a Christian to stand in relation to his Maker. He sees all our needs and trials even as Moses stood. He is our Jehovah nissi, banner of victory. So have we comes thus far. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."(Ps.9s.91:8)
He has his ways and only way we can profit from is to to trust him totally. Amalekites would have never known but the word of God assures us. Jesus giving his 'Sermon on the Mount' is consistent with Zion from where our salvation comes. So help us God, Amen.
I thank the LORD for saving me from my sins and giving eternal life with HIM. I pray that I will be faithful in my daily prayers, reading of HIS Word, and witnessing unto others.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! GOD to shine HIS glorious face on you and your family. GOD bless Jerusalem and their need to call and recognize the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their Messiah.
"The angel of the LORD encampeth around about them that fear HIM, and delivereth them. Psalm 34:7
" For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:/But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Superscription refers to this well known psalm,"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."(Ps.91:1) We show mercy to one who is in need of help and we are to do it secretly. "And thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." This is what the word of God has promised. He dwells in secret place which as the writer to the Hebrews says,"And upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. It is the heavenly place that we dwell when our lives are hid in Christ. (Col.3:1-3) We abide in 'the secret place of the most High as well as we are upheld by the word of his power. So doctrine of God warns you how you should worship him. In Spirit and in truth when we abide under the shadow of the Almighty. In 5:23-24 Jesus tells us, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;/ Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. " You shall be measured by the same measure with which you judge your neighbor. Are you offended because the false shepherds have locked under the LGBTQ label and warned from pulpit to shun him, don't. The enemies of Christ offer 'Abomination of desolations' on behalf of their masters to which liberty of the Spirit warns,' first cleanse your heart of it and then offer thy gift. God knows hypocrisy from far off. God called you to be a good neighbor and no to be the judge.
The Spirit uses shadow as power to heal as the shadow of Apostle Peter healed people.(Ac.5:15) How well do we abide under the shadow of his wings?
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid./ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house./ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
This is set as a light of Zion out of which the law shall go forth. "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined./Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
."(Ps.50:1-6) In this context every believer is to set the light on the candle-stand, which as the vision of Zechariah tell is a single stem, all gold with two olive trees on left and right(4:2). Without abiding in Christ, or seeing through his light, which is true one is setting it under a bushel or under his bed.
Heart of man is a tabernacle, so when we speak of our position in relation to Christ our Redeemer Lord on a sure ground because his right arm "brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him". He is the one who shall fight our battles for us. He is the full armor of God to which the Isaiah passage refers.(Is.59:16). The above mentioned quote over Zion is set between from the rising of the sun unto the sunset, a day. This is the day decreed for the Son.(Ps.2:7-8). The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.In v.6 we have the certainty that God shall judge. "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice./And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.
"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." It is thus we make sense of the will from both worlds of the Father-Son relationship.
Hello Jesse , I'm sorry , I didn't realise that there are rules ? I'm not familiar with chat room etiquette , I didn't know about 'threads' . If I'm not directly replying to some one then I just post on ' new comment ' , is that wrong ? Am I not allowed to just post a random comment as I'm reading this site and feel inclined to say something ? Most of the time when I am just commenting I have no intention of starting a 'thread' or even getting a reply . Sorry about my lack of knowledge regarding chat room etiquette , I just post as I feel . Is that wrong of me ?
The Samaritan was the good neighbor because he stood in the place of Jesus Christ. The same 'arm' that bought salvation is qualified as the right arm. It is thus God in sending his Son to the world would determine how goats shall be separated from the sheep. In short either we are one with him or at odds with him."When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:/And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:/And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." (25:31-33)
We do in the place of the Son that does not require any beating of the drum as hypocrites do so they want praises of men for what was their duty to do in the first place. Our mercy and our prayers are done in closet and between God and man. It is how we abide in Christ and do as though Christ in us did. This explains v.3, "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth."
4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
Alms giving in a manner of speaking is noticing one who is created in the selfsame image. Mercy acknowledges another irrespective of their circumstances, and serve in whatever capacity as a brother to another or as a father to one in need of consolation. Is it not wonderful for man that he for once settled on an universal symbol to converse. A pittance to a widow in need salves the conscience of man but when the widow in question puts two mites in the collection drew the breath of Jesus away."but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had,"He observed. ( Luke 21:1-4) Rich are those who out of abundance toss much more without counting. There is not mercy per se but an irksome task to get over with. It is similar to the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan who "came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side." ( Luke 10:32). The Samaritan who was not obliged according to the social mores or custom of the day to help but he did for no other reason that Jesus was an intercessor. As Isaiah said, "And wondered thatthere wasno intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him."(Is.59:16). The Samaritan was the good neighbor because he stood the place of Jesus Christ. The same 'arm' that bought salvation is qualified as the right arm. It is thus God in sending his Son to the world would determine how goats shall be separated from the sheep. In short either we are one with him or at odds with him.
Recapping this chapter it sounds as though the Spirit is presenting the Mission Statement of the Kingdom of God. The Evangelist sets for the occasion, a high mountain which represents Zion founded in heaven. Spiritually facets of the holiness of God shall be revealed in the manner his Son made manifest. Historically his humility as revealed many saints of old and their excellence is a commentary on Israel as His chosen people failed to do. It is already revealed in the lives of patriarchs who out of envy and evil sold Joseph as the nation dealt with Jesus who was the Word made flesh. They would have killed him but for the intervention of the scapegrace Reuben. "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him." The word 'pit' connects with the death and resurrection of Jesus."Ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. "(Is.51:1;Ge.37:22) Joseph made manifest the passage in vv.44-47
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;/ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust./For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?/And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?" The Spirit sets events and persons within direct context of the Son. Joseph is another example. Even the terms as 'pit' and 'similitude' are meant to connect.
Love of God is much more than tit for tat. Walking the extra mile covering the distance tells as much about deeper experience in making His love your own. Christian Living is not be seen of the world for their praise but walk by faith and not by sight.
" Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black." Sermon on the Mount is a compilation of the holiness of God that has been made manifest by holy men of Old. We mentioned the name of Moses who had beheld after the similitude of the Lord, signifying the Son. In the key text we can trace the terrible domestic tragedy of Jephthah. The Spirit of Christ made him a mighty man of valor as he made Moses the meekest of all men. All their exploits and their excellence are but examples of the holiness of God and its source must be traced to the Son, who is the visible image of God, the Father. Jephthah erred in missing the connection. "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD" This saying of Jeremiah came from the Lord. (Je.17:5). How Jephthah missed or Rueben defiled his father's bed have one thing in common. They do not put themselves in place of the Son. How are we to view our own ministry? "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."( Luke 17:10) We are running the ministry on the slipstream of the Spirit of Christ and the sovereignty of the word sent forth by God.
Where Reuben failed Joseph gained control over his flesh at the house of Potiphar. He won it 'for my sake.' He suffered as Jesus would suffer in the generation of adulterous and the wicked. So far we have understood the doctrine of God is same as that of the Son since he perfected is Will. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."( John 7:16-18) Either we rely on our own flesh or do it as though Christ in us did
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy./ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;/ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven"
'That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven'
Is a clear proof that anyone who wants to be born of the Spirit must choose. Either you let your will ride you or let it run under the Spirit of grace as Jesus chose to do. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."(2 Co.8:9).Without it your dying to the world and sin, baptism by water is merely a rite, meaningless to all intent and purpose. You see the manner heresies in churches, have been spread around and controversies are stoked by those who stand to benefit from it. Instead of letting the Prince of life work with whose lifestyles are an anathema, do you think you shall change them by traducing them from pulpit or working with politicians? Pro-life movement is for the dead to while away their time. For children who worship 'our Father in heaven' it is to work with our faith, which in the hands of Jesus like five loaves and two fish shall go a long way. This establishes our sonship. All glory to God our Father.
Of what profit when we have ceased from self-glory being born again to make causes of the ungodly? We are dead to vain strivings of the world that shall never go away. They are enemies of Christ. They shall curse us but the grace of the Son shall cushion us from them as ever we have Isaiah's words, "the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." His grace works best when we have ceased from works. 'I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live.'(Gal.2:20) This switchover bring rest to our souls.
Here's my message sent to Marcelo Gleiser,Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College.I told him: I enjoyed your profound conceptions within the scientific field, and also how you relate in a comprehensive way to other knowledge linked to faith and beliefs about the creation of the Universe, and the existence or not of GOD.
You said it is difficult to define a scientific explanation related to the existence of life on other planets.I said:In fact,when we talk about life in the essence of the word,we talk about the existence of a diversity of beings,i.e. plants and animals according to their species,and above all,more particularly,the existence of human being.
I confess that I was amazed by your answer saying that "there is no human being on other planets, it is an unknown field, there is no way to demonstrate and prove it". Well, you said planet Earth has its history,a history that in my opinion no other place of the Universe has this privilege. I was amazed by your answer,your fantastic conception,because I have long had this conviction of the non-existence of human being on other planets.But in truth,it is not just the human being,but all species of living beings,whether plants and animals of the most diverse species on Earth,especially those that have blood in the veins(the soul)of the body.
I said:But why is this my unshakable conviction?Because in truth GOD created the Universe,whose galaxies have hundreds of billions of stars as you said.In fact,it even has a "black hole" with an inexplicable reason for its existence,but after everything created GOD sat on the GLOBE of Earth-Isaias 40:21-22.This is the true and only reason for life to exist,life in abundance on planet Earth,and man is the most privileged of everything and everyone,having, body, soul, and spirit from which comes his ability to reason, perceive, define, understand and translate everything into words. It is the function of the spirit in man that no other animal has, except man.
"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light./ But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"
The single eye here is the eye of faith. "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven"( John 17:1). The Spirit is laying emphasis on the eye of faith, which we see in the life of Elijah who laid the condition for Elisha to receive a double portion of his Spirit. "And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me./And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so." (2 Ki.8:9-10) The double portion included that of the Son and of the prophet. The first one ties up the eye of faith to the Father as a double for the Son. It is thus the Spirit has set forth the redoubtable prophet as a stand-in. The same principle we have in the brazen serpent set up on the pole in the wilderness. "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."(Nu.21:9) The Spirit uses 'behold' in a special sense and here in past tense we see the eye of faith connecting man with the Son, albeit a symbol but determined in the divine Will as with the slain Lamb before the foundation of the world.
" Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,"(1:23). Eye of faith of Mary believed and also the word of God. "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. "( Luke 1:38)
Peter healed a cripple and he first made sure he had his eye of faith open.And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us./And he gave heed unto them, "(Ac.3:4-7)
Psalms 107:1 - O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
There is a proper way to fast in which your soul is like a child brought before Jesus for a blessing. Jesus took exception to the disciples by saying, "And forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." (19:14). For the guardians they sought blessing from the hands of Jesus, with regards to their wards. We fast when we seek ways to render our souls on their onward progress.They are to appear one day before God whose breath set them going. Their well being is our concern and not of others.So fasting is renewing our resolve to seek a closer walk with God. "anoint thine head, and wash thy face;/That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret."
The wrong way is to make one noticed with such woe-begone expression. "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast."
In Is.1-6 "Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?" Fasting can be a sign of certain disruption occurring if the person neglects his inward life in the Spirit. The Pharisee in the Parable prayed," I fast twice in the week,"(14:12) With so much of smug self-satisfaction on a self-destruct mode what nonsense to claim his feat where his remedy lay in a fast and prayer regimen seven times a week? Transgression of the house of Jacob required to break their stony heart and correct their evil.
"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?/Then shall thy light break forth ; ....the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward."(58:7-8)
Fasting for the hypocrites,"Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."(v.16)
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,"
The worlds framed by the word have two aspects.(He.11:3) Unseen and the earth made to appear. Eternal will of God, Cause is mirrored by the earth (seen) the Effect are sanctified by faith, which is one. Here we have a couple of verses, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;/One Lord, one faith, one baptism,/One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. "(Ep.4:4-6) Because of it we treat these worlds as one serving as a synonym for the Father Son relationship. It is validated by this verse,"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever." The Preacher is talking about the changeable earth where generations of man keeps shifting one after the other as a weaver's shuttle, the earth abides 'forever'. The Spirit tags this phrase 'forever' to indicate the Son. It is thus inheritance of saints in light is called new earth.(Re.21:1;Ec.1:4). This eternal inheritance as co-heirs with the Son is called treasures in heaven. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"(Ep.1:18)
The eye of faith is not subject to ageing as the case of a natural world is, where appetites decline and senses become dull as in the case of Barzillai the Gileadite. St Paul writing to the church of Ephesus is referring to treasures laid up in heaven. All other treasures are seen so it is temporal."treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Co.4:18)
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I was wondering if you would like to post on the Mercy of God. If so let me know and I will move on to the letter "N".
Yet, with all this MYSTERY, God has provided us with all we need in the life of his Son, in the Scriptures, and in the workings of the world to know He exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
How Great is our God!
There is the mystery of how one sin by Adam (not by Eve) could be the cause of all persons born from the seed of Adam (everyone, except Jesus) could possess a sinful nature without even sinning (from conception).
There is the mystery of how God makes a fertilized egg a living person with a physical nature, soul nature, and spiritual nature.
There is the mystery of how God everything that God does or allows brings Him glory.
There is the mystery of the plan of salvation willed before creation.
There is the mystery of how Jesus could be slain from before the foundation of the world.
There is the mystery of how God can indwell believers by the Spirit and if the Spirit is in us, then the Father and the Son indwell us also.
There is the mystery of how synapses in our mind create abstract thoughts, will, and choice.
There is the mystery of how it was that the universe first began with time, space, and physical laws such as gravity, wavelengths, magnetism, etc.
There is the mystery of how God can be everywhere at once and also in one place specifically such as upon the ark of the covenant or in the pillar of cloud and fire.
There is the mystery of how God can know everything past, present and future without using time to learn it.
There is the mystery of His sovereign power that is indominable.
There is the mystery of how God cannot change in any way, yet can act in time and space and become a human person.
There is the mystery of how God is not made of parts or components and His substance cannot be divided up into portions.
(divine simplicity)
There is the mystery of how God can be a Person and be life itself, self-existing as the God who IS, without drawing life from outside of Himself.
There is the mystery of how God is completely self-sufficient and self-satisfying. He needs nothing outside of Himself to be complete, to depend on to meet any need, any passion or emotion outside of Himself that He must receive from outside of Himself.
MYSTERY
There is much mystery in God from our viewpoint. Within the Godhead, all is known about His whole being. Nothing is hidden from Him nor is He able to not know/understand all that He is.
But to us, there is more of Him that is a mystery to us than that which we know and understand of Him.
In Job 38-40,out God bring before Job a plethora of things that God knows and does that man does not have any idea about.
There is the mystery of the inner relationship and union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There is the mystery of how God can be three distinct persons but only One God.
There is the mystery of how He created all things ex nihilo (out of no substances) aside from His word spoken and will performed.
There is the mystery of His existence outside of the universe, time, space, and anything else but Himself. There is the mystery of what He is truly like as a Purely Spiritual Being.
There is the mystery of why He allowed for sin to enter His creation when he could have done it another way.
There is the mystery of His perfection that we cannot ever have.
There is the mystery of His infinitude that we cannot ever be. We have bounds and limits.
There is the mystery of why He must punish sin forever.
There is the mystery of how Jesus could take on a human nature and still be fully God, not in any way diminished. No other being can be come something it is not created to be. No man can become God. But God could become man.
There is mystery about how Jesus' one sacrifice is infinitely worthy and over abundantly sufficient to take away all the sin of the world.
There is the mystery of how He, being God, could take sin upon Himself to be cursed before God and take all of the wrath of the God upon Himself for sin and be able t bear it.
There is the mystery of how the Jesus was able to raise Himself from the dead.
There is the mystery of how that Holy Spirit regenerates.
The prayer of Jesus as given in the Gospel of John helps us to understand the prayer recorded by Evangelist Matthew. The Amen at the end of the Lord's Prayer is replaced with vv.20-26 giving a context to all prayers since his death and resurrection.
17:20 " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." He was well aware of the mandate of his Father was as the Savior of the World and not in a limited sense. He sanctified himself on account of the 12 disciples, significance of the number being fixed and he sending them two by two established the Principle of Association. (10:40; Luke 10:16). Now he knew his hour was nigh so he prays for all 'them which shall believe on me through their word'.
17:21 "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Here we are given an insight into the function of the term "Amen," being intended a tag, Unity of the Spirit that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Instead the church riven with heresies tell another story. Miry clay trying to compromise with the defunct Roman empire is neither here nor there.
17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:." The only glory Evangelicals on either side of the Atlantic are Cathedrals or mega churches, monument to the doctrine of Jesus Christ wrongly applied. Love, joy forbearance such fruits of the Spirit are glossed over when the congregation says 'Amen' what one misses is,'That they may be one, even as we are one'.
17:23 "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one..." Perfect in one is what the Prayer began with,"Thy kingdom come"( v.10) In glossing over the deity of Jesus, reasonable faith deny 'works' the key to abiding life. It is time the Church got their worship in Spirit and truth.
In this connection God tells King Solomon, "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."(1 Ki.9:3) God laid the condition on Solomon which he failed to keep.
'Put my name there forever'
'Forever ' in the above passage serves the same purpose as Amen at the end of the Lord's Prayer. In conclusion we have this v.13. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." We are praying to 'Our Father which art in heaven' and we conclude referring to the power and glory of his Son and Amen is an act of faith.
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors./ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
The Prayer is rounded off by the term 'Amen'. This is a clue to the Lord's Prayer, which is not spoken in isolation, mouth uttering words as though learned by rote but spoken with all the vigor of a man of faith whose 'heart is stayed on thee'. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."(Is.26:3).The Lord's Prayer is enjoined upon all believers where Amen part of it, registers it as being spoken in unison with Jesus Christ who is the True and Faithful Witness we have on the heaven and on the earth. As said earlier he is our Intercessor.
The tag places there is the word of God 'Amen" and it brings us every time as uttered to what he is. "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." We are not simply asking whatever wishes that may froth at the mouth but in consideration of all the bounties out of his storehouse, and in full agreement with the spiritual blessing He has determined 'from the beginning of the creation of God.(Ep.1:3-4) Amen is the Son, is a tag carrying whole lot of associations and it is how we prayer from the secret place and under the shadow of His wings. (Ps.91:1)
This is also equally applied where brother gather under the Spirit of grace. " Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"(Ps.133.1) In this connection God tells King Solomon, "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."(1 Ki.9:3) God laid the condition on Solomon which he failed to keep.
Again we find the use of conjunctive adverb in this verse:"After this manner therefore pray ye:" Here the emphasis is on faith. It is whosoever comes to God without exception it is enjoined. "or he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."(He.11:6) Having laid down the holiness of God, Jesus tells,"for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."(6:8). Therefore faith is the foundation on which the heart of a believer serves him for a tabernacle. His faith and that of the risen Christ who is in the right hand of God being one, addresses thus, "Our Father which art in heaven" Our denotes the unity of purpose between the Petitioner and the Intercessor. Jesus promised us,"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son./If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."( John 14:13-14)
v.9 "Hallowed be thy name."
"And in his temple doth every one speak of his glory."(Ps.29:9b) Compare this with the Pharisee in the Parable. "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican./ I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." ( Luke 18:11-12) He was seeking his own glory at His cost.
v.10 "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." As mentioned in an earliest post it refers to his abiding life and seeking the state That God may be all in all. "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."(1 Co.15:28)
v.11 "Give us this day our daily bread."
The term 'agape' fits here since 'this day' refer the blessings of heaven before the worlds began, no matter whatever circumstance we are in the 'now'. Elijah by Kerith brook.
Jesus fulfilled the mosaic laws. That's why temple sacrifices are not needed. He fulfilled the mosaic laws once and for all.
I am so very thankful this morning. Thankful to the Lord most of all. Jesus is the greatest friend anyone could possibly have. This holiday will be spent with family, and some will come from afar. Yet, I'm moved in my heart knowing that so many will be alone this holiday. So many will no doubt spend this holiday behind bars, or sick in a hospital. Troubled souls will no doubt be wondering aimlessly without anywhere to go. It occurs to me that those in these types of conditions will not have anything to be thankful for. My prayer is that Jesus would find them this holiday. That his love would be poured out over the many who are suffering. Let's remember those less fortunate in our prayers this holiday. Not only in our prayers, but if we can somehow reach out, and be an encouragement, or a blessing somehow. Let us who are strong strengthen our fellow man who is downtrodden. I'm thankful for all of you, and for this opportunity to be able to express my heart, and hopefully I'm an encouragement to you. May the love of Jesus meet you where you're at today. May you experience Jesus in a whole new way. It's all about him anyway. I give thanks for the KING JAMES BIBLE, and this wonderful website. I'm sure anyone of you can go through a list of things that your thankful for, but I am thankful today. Thankfulness is the key that unlocks the gates to the courts of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I praise him today, and I magnify him. May your holiday be filled with blessings, spiritual blessings and may your walk with God be made firm as we go onward. That's the only way to go isn't it? Onward to greater things in God. Do you love the things of God? Let us love Jesus more, and more. May our fellowship be blessed, and may the light of the love of God rest in each and everyone of you. I can always use more of God's love. I'm thankful for His love that he has shown to me. What a friend we have in Jesus.
"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him./After this manner therefore pray ye."
'Therefore' is a conjunctive adverb, used to connect prayer with the manner the heathen are wont to pray. Their much speaking however holds no faith which is covered up more mumbo-jumbo of their device. They have to be seen doing their tasks in full sight of the public so they are staking their claim to be 'holier-than thou'. Jesus warns,"Be not ye therefore like unto them.
Abiding life is not playing to the crowd. What you are God knows, as God the Husbandman knows what he has planted. " every good tree bringeth forth good fruit"(7:17). Abiding life is to hold a position as being so many branches to Jesus Christ the good vine.
We may view it as pictorial representation of Psalm 91:1. Under the shadow of God's protective care we abide nourished by the goodness of the true vine.
God knows our needs and He who did not spare His own Son for our sakes shall he not give everything pertaining to life and godliness? "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."( John 15:5)
It is in this context we set the Lord's Prayer on well grounded principles. Principle of Similitude sets the heaven in terms of the earth. God a Spirit and our fruits of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,/Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. " (Gal.5:22-23) Abiding in Christ we are living the Law which is what we mean by " Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."(6:10)
Our daily bread is from the same table as in heaven. "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.:(15:26). Compare "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?"(7:9-11)
"And thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."
Isaiah gives us an infallible proof why our questions on His ways especially when we are faced with such gruesome violence and loss of innocent civilians including infants daily, are out of place. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord./ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Is.55:8-9). What is happening in Gaza or elsewhere are not hidden from his sight. The Spirit has given an insight into his ways in the manner God sent Moses to fight the Amalekites. Before that God gave a clue to His ways when He gave the nation water out of a rock. "Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." (Ex.17:5). Moses and company first had to fix in their mind where he stood in their crisis. He stood upon the rock in Horeb.
When the Amalekites attacked them Moses was to stand upon the same rock, with his staff in hand. As the verse from Ps.91 states he stood under the shadow of his wings, the only place for a Christian to stand in relation to his Maker. He sees all our needs and trials even as Moses stood. He is our Jehovah nissi, banner of victory. So have we comes thus far. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."(Ps.9s.91:8)
He has his ways and only way we can profit from is to to trust him totally. Amalekites would have never known but the word of God assures us. Jesus giving his 'Sermon on the Mount' is consistent with Zion from where our salvation comes. So help us God, Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! GOD to shine HIS glorious face on you and your family. GOD bless Jerusalem and their need to call and recognize the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their Messiah.
"The angel of the LORD encampeth around about them that fear HIM, and delivereth them. Psalm 34:7
November 20, 2023
" For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:/But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Superscription refers to this well known psalm,"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."(Ps.91:1) We show mercy to one who is in need of help and we are to do it secretly. "And thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." This is what the word of God has promised. He dwells in secret place which as the writer to the Hebrews says,"And upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. It is the heavenly place that we dwell when our lives are hid in Christ. (Col.3:1-3) We abide in 'the secret place of the most High as well as we are upheld by the word of his power. So doctrine of God warns you how you should worship him. In Spirit and in truth when we abide under the shadow of the Almighty. In 5:23-24 Jesus tells us, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;/ Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. " You shall be measured by the same measure with which you judge your neighbor. Are you offended because the false shepherds have locked under the LGBTQ label and warned from pulpit to shun him, don't. The enemies of Christ offer 'Abomination of desolations' on behalf of their masters to which liberty of the Spirit warns,' first cleanse your heart of it and then offer thy gift. God knows hypocrisy from far off. God called you to be a good neighbor and no to be the judge.
The Spirit uses shadow as power to heal as the shadow of Apostle Peter healed people.(Ac.5:15) How well do we abide under the shadow of his wings?
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid./ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house./ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
This is set as a light of Zion out of which the law shall go forth. "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined./Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
."(Ps.50:1-6) In this context every believer is to set the light on the candle-stand, which as the vision of Zechariah tell is a single stem, all gold with two olive trees on left and right(4:2). Without abiding in Christ, or seeing through his light, which is true one is setting it under a bushel or under his bed.
Heart of man is a tabernacle, so when we speak of our position in relation to Christ our Redeemer Lord on a sure ground because his right arm "brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him". He is the one who shall fight our battles for us. He is the full armor of God to which the Isaiah passage refers.(Is.59:16). The above mentioned quote over Zion is set between from the rising of the sun unto the sunset, a day. This is the day decreed for the Son.(Ps.2:7-8). The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.In v.6 we have the certainty that God shall judge. "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice./And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.
"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." It is thus we make sense of the will from both worlds of the Father-Son relationship.
The Samaritan was the good neighbor because he stood in the place of Jesus Christ. The same 'arm' that bought salvation is qualified as the right arm. It is thus God in sending his Son to the world would determine how goats shall be separated from the sheep. In short either we are one with him or at odds with him."When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:/And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:/And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." (25:31-33)
We do in the place of the Son that does not require any beating of the drum as hypocrites do so they want praises of men for what was their duty to do in the first place. Our mercy and our prayers are done in closet and between God and man. It is how we abide in Christ and do as though Christ in us did. This explains v.3, "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth."
4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
Alms giving in a manner of speaking is noticing one who is created in the selfsame image. Mercy acknowledges another irrespective of their circumstances, and serve in whatever capacity as a brother to another or as a father to one in need of consolation. Is it not wonderful for man that he for once settled on an universal symbol to converse. A pittance to a widow in need salves the conscience of man but when the widow in question puts two mites in the collection drew the breath of Jesus away."but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had,"He observed. ( Luke 21:1-4) Rich are those who out of abundance toss much more without counting. There is not mercy per se but an irksome task to get over with. It is similar to the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan who "came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side." ( Luke 10:32). The Samaritan who was not obliged according to the social mores or custom of the day to help but he did for no other reason that Jesus was an intercessor. As Isaiah said, "And wondered thatthere wasno intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him."(Is.59:16). The Samaritan was the good neighbor because he stood the place of Jesus Christ. The same 'arm' that bought salvation is qualified as the right arm. It is thus God in sending his Son to the world would determine how goats shall be separated from the sheep. In short either we are one with him or at odds with him.
Recapping this chapter it sounds as though the Spirit is presenting the Mission Statement of the Kingdom of God. The Evangelist sets for the occasion, a high mountain which represents Zion founded in heaven. Spiritually facets of the holiness of God shall be revealed in the manner his Son made manifest. Historically his humility as revealed many saints of old and their excellence is a commentary on Israel as His chosen people failed to do. It is already revealed in the lives of patriarchs who out of envy and evil sold Joseph as the nation dealt with Jesus who was the Word made flesh. They would have killed him but for the intervention of the scapegrace Reuben. "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him." The word 'pit' connects with the death and resurrection of Jesus."Ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. "(Is.51:1;Ge.37:22) Joseph made manifest the passage in vv.44-47
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;/ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust./For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?/And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?" The Spirit sets events and persons within direct context of the Son. Joseph is another example. Even the terms as 'pit' and 'similitude' are meant to connect.
Love of God is much more than tit for tat. Walking the extra mile covering the distance tells as much about deeper experience in making His love your own. Christian Living is not be seen of the world for their praise but walk by faith and not by sight.
" Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black." Sermon on the Mount is a compilation of the holiness of God that has been made manifest by holy men of Old. We mentioned the name of Moses who had beheld after the similitude of the Lord, signifying the Son. In the key text we can trace the terrible domestic tragedy of Jephthah. The Spirit of Christ made him a mighty man of valor as he made Moses the meekest of all men. All their exploits and their excellence are but examples of the holiness of God and its source must be traced to the Son, who is the visible image of God, the Father. Jephthah erred in missing the connection. "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD" This saying of Jeremiah came from the Lord. (Je.17:5). How Jephthah missed or Rueben defiled his father's bed have one thing in common. They do not put themselves in place of the Son. How are we to view our own ministry? "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."( Luke 17:10) We are running the ministry on the slipstream of the Spirit of Christ and the sovereignty of the word sent forth by God.
Where Reuben failed Joseph gained control over his flesh at the house of Potiphar. He won it 'for my sake.' He suffered as Jesus would suffer in the generation of adulterous and the wicked. So far we have understood the doctrine of God is same as that of the Son since he perfected is Will. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."( John 7:16-18) Either we rely on our own flesh or do it as though Christ in us did
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy./ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;/ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven"
'That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven'
Is a clear proof that anyone who wants to be born of the Spirit must choose. Either you let your will ride you or let it run under the Spirit of grace as Jesus chose to do. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."(2 Co.8:9).Without it your dying to the world and sin, baptism by water is merely a rite, meaningless to all intent and purpose. You see the manner heresies in churches, have been spread around and controversies are stoked by those who stand to benefit from it. Instead of letting the Prince of life work with whose lifestyles are an anathema, do you think you shall change them by traducing them from pulpit or working with politicians? Pro-life movement is for the dead to while away their time. For children who worship 'our Father in heaven' it is to work with our faith, which in the hands of Jesus like five loaves and two fish shall go a long way. This establishes our sonship. All glory to God our Father.
Of what profit when we have ceased from self-glory being born again to make causes of the ungodly? We are dead to vain strivings of the world that shall never go away. They are enemies of Christ. They shall curse us but the grace of the Son shall cushion us from them as ever we have Isaiah's words, "the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." His grace works best when we have ceased from works. 'I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live.'(Gal.2:20) This switchover bring rest to our souls.
You said it is difficult to define a scientific explanation related to the existence of life on other planets.I said:In fact,when we talk about life in the essence of the word,we talk about the existence of a diversity of beings,i.e. plants and animals according to their species,and above all,more particularly,the existence of human being.
I confess that I was amazed by your answer saying that "there is no human being on other planets, it is an unknown field, there is no way to demonstrate and prove it". Well, you said planet Earth has its history,a history that in my opinion no other place of the Universe has this privilege. I was amazed by your answer,your fantastic conception,because I have long had this conviction of the non-existence of human being on other planets.But in truth,it is not just the human being,but all species of living beings,whether plants and animals of the most diverse species on Earth,especially those that have blood in the veins(the soul)of the body.
I said:But why is this my unshakable conviction?Because in truth GOD created the Universe,whose galaxies have hundreds of billions of stars as you said.In fact,it even has a "black hole" with an inexplicable reason for its existence,but after everything created GOD sat on the GLOBE of Earth-Isaias 40:21-22.This is the true and only reason for life to exist,life in abundance on planet Earth,and man is the most privileged of everything and everyone,having, body, soul, and spirit from which comes his ability to reason, perceive, define, understand and translate everything into words. It is the function of the spirit in man that no other animal has, except man.