Many Christians mistakenly think that they are not sinners; because in their mind, they have not broken one of the Ten Commandments. They think that they are not committing a sin because they don't find themselves on that list. Yes, within those ten known listed sins there are more than that as many others fall under those listed.
For example, the first commandment states that we do not worship nor put any other god before us ~ Exodus 20:3. But, look around and see the worship of goodies, things/places and the self. Yes, there are those that will argue that such scripture does not apply as it is from the Old Testament; and, since Jesus died for our sins so we don't have to worry. Let us remember what Jesus said, " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" ~ Mark 12:30. Know that it is the same commandment from the Old Testament and the greatest commandment.
Examine your heart first. Do you seek the praise of others? Do you need/want and love to be complimented? Do you love for your children to be complimented? Do you show yourself to others in order to be complimented and do you compliment others to gain their admiration? Do you compliment others to gain their friendship, you want to be liked... right? All of this is a form of pride of life and idolatry of self and things - the world. Sadly, many seek the glory and glorification of this world and not His.
Remember, whenever you help someone, whether it is with monetary donation/gift or scripture, You do it for Him and His Kingdom. Because, if you find yourself helping others and putting your 'label' on it... "Here, I am blessing you", then you are usurping the Lord. You are not leading people to the Lord but to you or to money/things. The Lord God alone blesses and He blesses who He wants to bless. If you offer scripture, or reach into your pocket to give it is the Lord's doing and to Him be the Glory! Let people know who you love first and foremost!
Friday, June 23, 2017
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Good Order in Worship ~ 1 COR 14:26-40. NIV
What
then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each
of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or
an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be
built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If
they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own
husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the
church.
Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If
anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let
them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.
God's hierarchy demands good order in worship. Why? It certainly does not seem to fit today's popular political culture. We can observe God's hierarchy for good order in worship being deconstructed in churches across the country. His hierarchy is to provide order in a fallen world so that peace 'His Peace' can overcome this world.
Monday, June 12, 2017
When good is called evil and evil good...
Many Christian people think
they can tell the difference; and, when that situation appears they will
know it/see it. But, many will be and have already been deceived. How
so? Satan plays on the darkness of emotions: doubt, sympathy, desires,
and needs. Sadly, those dwelling in such darkness will and do invent new
forms of evil; they disobey their parents (not just the young). They
are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. Although they know God’s
righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death,
they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who
practice them ~ Romans 1:30-32. Woe to those who call evil good and
good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put
bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter ~ Isaiah 5:20.
How could it be that new forms of evil are invented? We imagine that they must be really horrible. But, they are simple, catchy, tasty, prideful, and just shy of horribly arrogant; invented out of sympathy due to wanting to love and be loved by the world. We see outrageous sympathy for someone or something that used to be immoral and or frowned on and considered abnormal behavior. Yes, Christians more and more are falling into the darkness of such sympathies - treacherous emotions in their lives: workplace, community and in their homes. New forms of evil look like tolerance/acceptance for misunderstood gender identity, misguided social justice quests, and love/lust for nature and animals over human beings, lack of or no forgiveness for human error and encouraged repentance. New forms of evil come to us as righteous slogans/ labels/laws, brands and icon (ed) entertainers as well as politicians and institutions, organizations, and just about every other worldly band wagon 'agenda/philsophy' you can think of.
How can you know if you are being led to invent or join in on newly invented evils? If you find yourself thinking or saying, "Oh, you poor thing, no one loves/likes, but I do and I understand you." Sounds, like the 'right' approach for some of you. But, you are only calling evil good and good evil. If you see or know someone that is struggling with gender identity or with pride and entitlement, or with isolation... you only encourage that even more with such a response. Our reaction as Christians should be, "God loves you and He knows you (even before you were born) and He forgives you". When you accept Him, His forgiveness and most of all His love all of this uncertainty you feel, all this loneliness you feel, all this false identity you feel will be overcome by Him Jesus Christ. His Love will be make you whole, healed and a child of God.
*Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter ~ Isaiah 5:20.
How could it be that new forms of evil are invented? We imagine that they must be really horrible. But, they are simple, catchy, tasty, prideful, and just shy of horribly arrogant; invented out of sympathy due to wanting to love and be loved by the world. We see outrageous sympathy for someone or something that used to be immoral and or frowned on and considered abnormal behavior. Yes, Christians more and more are falling into the darkness of such sympathies - treacherous emotions in their lives: workplace, community and in their homes. New forms of evil look like tolerance/acceptance for misunderstood gender identity, misguided social justice quests, and love/lust for nature and animals over human beings, lack of or no forgiveness for human error and encouraged repentance. New forms of evil come to us as righteous slogans/ labels/laws, brands and icon (ed) entertainers as well as politicians and institutions, organizations, and just about every other worldly band wagon 'agenda/philsophy' you can think of.
How can you know if you are being led to invent or join in on newly invented evils? If you find yourself thinking or saying, "Oh, you poor thing, no one loves/likes, but I do and I understand you." Sounds, like the 'right' approach for some of you. But, you are only calling evil good and good evil. If you see or know someone that is struggling with gender identity or with pride and entitlement, or with isolation... you only encourage that even more with such a response. Our reaction as Christians should be, "God loves you and He knows you (even before you were born) and He forgives you". When you accept Him, His forgiveness and most of all His love all of this uncertainty you feel, all this loneliness you feel, all this false identity you feel will be overcome by Him Jesus Christ. His Love will be make you whole, healed and a child of God.
*Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter ~ Isaiah 5:20.
Friday, June 9, 2017
1 Corinthians 15: 1-49 ~ NAS
Christ’s Resurrection
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
Order of Resurrection
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? Why are we also in danger every hour? I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE. Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
Order of Resurrection
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? Why are we also in danger every hour? I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE. Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
Monday, June 5, 2017
Christian Order ~ 1 Corinthians 11 - NAS
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ!
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.
For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.
Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.
But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Pentacost is this Sunday!
In the Old Testament Pentecost was the feast which occurred fifty
days after Passover. As the passover feast celebrated the exodus of the
Israelites from the slavery of Egypt, so Pentecost celebrated God’s gift
of the ten commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.
In the new covenant of the Messiah, the passover event takes on its new meaning as the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection, the “exodus” of men from this sinful world to the Kingdom of God. And in the New Testament as well, the pentecostal feast is fulfilled and made new by the coming of the “new law,” the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ.
On Pentecost we have the final fulfillment of the mission of Jesus Christ and the first beginning of the messianic age of the Kingdom of God mystically present in this world in the Church of the Messiah. For this reason the fiftieth day stands as the beginning of the era which is beyond the limitations of this world, fifty being that number which stands for eternal and heavenly fulfillment in Jewish and Christian mystical piety: seven times seven, plus one.
While those on whom the Spirit had descended were speaking in many languages, the Apostle Peter stood up with the eleven and proclaimed to the crowd that this event was the fulfillment of the prophecy ("I will pour out my spirit").
In Acts 2:17, it reads: "'And in the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams." He also mentions (2:15) that it was the third hour of the day (about 9:00 am). Acts 2:41 then reports: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
Peter stated that this event was the beginning of a continual outpouring that would be available to all believers from that point on, Jews and Gentiles alike.
Pentecost was the beginning of the last days of God pouring out his spirit which have been ongoing since. In the end times, there will be an increase just as it was in Apostolic times.
*https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/pentecost-the-descent-of-the-holy-spirit
In the new covenant of the Messiah, the passover event takes on its new meaning as the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection, the “exodus” of men from this sinful world to the Kingdom of God. And in the New Testament as well, the pentecostal feast is fulfilled and made new by the coming of the “new law,” the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ.
When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed as resting upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit . . . (Acts 2.1–4).The Holy Spirit that Christ had promised to his disciples came on the day of Pentecost (Jn 14.26, 15.26; Lk 24.49; Acts 1.5). The apostles received “the power from on high,” and they began to preach and bear witness to Jesus as the risen Christ, the King and the Lord. This moment has traditionally been called the birthday of the Church.
On Pentecost we have the final fulfillment of the mission of Jesus Christ and the first beginning of the messianic age of the Kingdom of God mystically present in this world in the Church of the Messiah. For this reason the fiftieth day stands as the beginning of the era which is beyond the limitations of this world, fifty being that number which stands for eternal and heavenly fulfillment in Jewish and Christian mystical piety: seven times seven, plus one.
While those on whom the Spirit had descended were speaking in many languages, the Apostle Peter stood up with the eleven and proclaimed to the crowd that this event was the fulfillment of the prophecy ("I will pour out my spirit").
In Acts 2:17, it reads: "'And in the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams." He also mentions (2:15) that it was the third hour of the day (about 9:00 am). Acts 2:41 then reports: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
Peter stated that this event was the beginning of a continual outpouring that would be available to all believers from that point on, Jews and Gentiles alike.
Pentecost was the beginning of the last days of God pouring out his spirit which have been ongoing since. In the end times, there will be an increase just as it was in Apostolic times.
*https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/pentecost-the-descent-of-the-holy-spirit
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