Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because
         All flesh is as grass,
         And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
         The grass withers,
         And its flower falls away,
         But the word of the LORD endures forever.
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
(1 Peter 1:22-25 NKJV)

The word of the LORD is so amazing; it gives us life, it gives us hope, it gives us strength.  The word of God is powerful and living; it pierces the heart and soothes the soul.  God's word is enduring; it endures forever in comparison to man.  Man is like a flower that fades away and the Word is everlasting.  When the world and everything in it is destroyed; the word will still be working, it still will be enduring to all generations.  You see in the passage where the word gives us life; "purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit", "having been born again... through the word of God which lives and abides forever."  We see that the word gives us hope in the passage by the idea that we are not born again into corruptible seed but incorruptible seed; which means that once we are born again we will endure forever just like the word of the Lord.  The word gives us strength because of the very fact that it endures forever; it lives and abides forever.  Man is weak like the grass but the word is like granite.  It stands firm and when we read it as children of God, as incorruptible seed, we receive the strength and power that is found in the words and truths of the text.

I hope that today you are encouraged to dig into the word; to trust in it to help you through life's difficulties.  It is a rock in life and we can most assuredly rest in it to feed us spiritually and to give us hope for the future.  The word of the Lord is so worthy of your confidence and of your study daily.  Get into the Word!

"In the dark days through which we are now passing we have the same reason (as the first Christians) to rejoice with exceeding joy in the certainty of the revelation of the glory of Christ that is coming:  a glory which is to be more and more manifested as the centuries roll by; a glory which is to break forth at the end of the age in unimagined splendor; a glory in which this earth is to be transfigured; a glory which is to be consummated in the heavenly realm.  But let us beware of falling into the mistake of the first Christians in expecting His glory to shine forth in outward spectacular ways rather than in the supremecy of spiritual forces controlled by Him for the vanquishment of evil, and for the building up of the kingdom of righteousness."  (James M. Campbell, The Second Coming of Christ, p. 54, 55, copyright 1919)

This quote is so amazing because it gives us the hope and assurance that Christ's glory will come in unhindered splendor.  It may not come in our lifetimes but it will come!  When it does come, it will completely blow people away, it will completely transform this world as we know it.  This quote also gives us a warning that we are not too expectent in finding outward demonstrations of Christ's glory in this world; we ought to instead find and praise in the glory of Christ being displayed in people's lives; as they change from the dominion of darkness to the dominion of light.  Praise God for people who have so thoughtfully written things in their books; I pray that each one of us who reads this will realize the hope we have in Christ.  The hope that Christ's glory will be proclaimed and showed at the end of the age; and this world will change for the better.  We will be transformed into our glorified bodies and Christ will be rightfully reigning and ruling this world.  Praise God!

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—  (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.  But the free gift is not like the offense.  For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.  And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned.  For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.  For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,  so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:12-21 NKJV)

Amazing isn't it!  Christ is so wonderful!  This passage is so powerful.  What a transformation!  From death to life transformation, when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  In Adam, we have sin and death.  In Christ, we have grace and eternal life.  Not just life, but eternal life.  How amazing!  I just can't get over how marvelous our Great God is.  I think this is enough food for thought for a couple of days.  Read the passage and be blown away by the tremendous love and mercy of God!

It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:8, 9 NKJV)

These couple of verses pack a pretty good punch in the nose.  How easy it is to say that putting our trust in God is better than man; but how difficult to break the habit of trusting in man rather than God.  Man will always let us down because we are not perfect; we make mistakes.  But, God will never let us down; He is trustworthy because of His power and authority to bring everything to fruition what He sets out to do.  All the promises of Scripture about the past have been fulfilled; all promises of the future we can rest assure that they will come to pass because He has spoken and He is worthy of our reliance, our faith.

So, today, no matter what happens in your life, whether good or bad, we can place our trust in Him to take care of us because of His faithfulness and His authority.  We know that when we put our trust in God that we are in good hands.  God will protect and guard those who put his or her trust in Him.

TRUST IN THE LORD FOR EVERYTHING!  NOT MAN!

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:11-13 NKJV)

The heart is always known by somebody; there is one person that you can't hide anything from.  God sees all and everything is open for the one we must give account.  No matter how much we try to hide things in our heart away from God, He still sees it; He sees it the moment we hide it away the very moment we put it in our heart.  No matter what issues we have in life; God sees it.  This is both frightening and encouraging.  It is frightening because with God seeing what is in our heart we don't want to embarrass or anger Him with our thoughts and feelings; our attitudes of life.  The heart is the seat of all things emotional and is the source of why we do anything in life.  It is the place where we have our perspectives on life.  This thought of God seeing all that is in the heart is encouraging because it helps us to change; God is there to help us, to give us strength, to clean out the heart and defeat the sin that is rooted there.  The heart is not a place for secrecy; in fact no place is a place for secrecy because all is open and bare for the One we must give an account.  Be encouraged by the fact that God cares enough for you to help you through the issues of the heart.  Be frightened because if we don't do our part in purifying our hearts then He will send consequences for what goes on in our heart.  God wants to help; so let us allow Him to lead us through what we need to do in order to clean our hearts.  God is willing to help us in setting our perspectives on heavenly things and not on earthly things.

Today, I was reading in Jonathan Edwards' book of sermons and have been reading a sermon on the Christian life.  I was reminded that God has not put us here on earth to be lazy and slothful in our calling.  God has called us to do a work and it takes hard work to do.  Even with God's strength, we still have the responsibilty to do our part.  I want to quote from the sermon to prove the point I am trying to make.  Read carefully:

"It (Christian Life) is a business of great labor and care.  There are many commands to be obeyed, many duties to be done, duties to God, duties to our neighbor, and duties to ourselves.  There is much opposition in the way of these duties from without.  There is a subtle and powerful adversary laying all manner of blocks in the way.  There are innumerable temptations of Satan to be resisted and repelled.  There is great opposition from the world, innumerable snares laid, on every side, many rocks and mountains to be passed over, many streams to be passed through, and many flatteries and enticements from a vain world to be resisted.  There is a great opposition from within; a dull and sluggish heart, which is exceedingly averse from that activity in religion which is necessary; a carnal heart, which is averse from religion and spiritual exercises, and continually drawing the contrary way; and a proud and a deceitful heart, in which corruption will be exerting itself in all manner of ways.  So that nothing can be done to any effect without a most strict and careful watch, great labor and strife." (Joanathan Edwards, Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, p. 364, 365)

I pray that we will all as Christians be on a most strict and careful watch over our hearts and lives so that we are defeating all opposition to what is necessary for us to do to grow.  Know that with God's strength and our diligence we will succeed in thwarting all opposition that is against us growing in the spirit; growing in strength and in knowledge of our most merciful God.  Be careful that you don't forget to do your part in this relationship because it is very easy to allow the opposition to win; stay on guard, stay alert and you can defeat that opposition and grow.

Leave any comments if you have any questions.  I would love to hear from you.  Thanks and God Bless!

Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”  They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: 

      ‘ The stone which the builders rejected
      Has become the chief cornerstone.
      This was the LORD’s doing,
      And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” 
(Matthew 21:33-44 NKJV)

This parable is incredible because of its message to the Jews of the day of Jesus and for us in 2008.  To break down this parable we need to make sure we know the people who play in this story.  The landowner in this parable who plants a vineyard and sets it up to make wine is the LORD God; our Heavenly Father.  The vinedressers in this story are picturesque of the Jews from the time of the prophets in the Old Testament to Jesus' day Jews; Pharisees, Saduccees, and priests to be more specific.  The servants that the landowner sends to receive the fruit for the landowner are the prophets that God sent to show the Jews the way in their relationship with Him.  These prophets I think could be anyone that spoke a message from God to the people of Israel; Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many many others.  If you read the major prophet's lives in history, you will find that many died tragically and sometimes violently at the hands of the people they were speaking to.  The son in this parable is the one who possesses the inheritance and is Jesus Christ the Son of God.  He also was killed in this story and in history; Jesus died at the hands of the Jews the people He was sent to be Messiah.  But, the Jews of the Old Testament and Jesus' day just could not see the plan of God; they were blinded and rejected the very source of their salvation.  They missed the boat.  What is the punishment that Christ says is for those who rejected the servants and the son?  The punishment is the removal of eternal life temporarily from the Jews and given to nations who understand and believe and bear the fruit of that belief.  Which is kind of happening still today because mostly the people who are turning to God in salvation are Gentiles; this will happen until the day of the Gentiles are complete (Romans 11).  There are some Jews that are coming to Christ for salvation but the vast majority is still Gentiles because I believe that God has allowed Satan to blind the hearts and minds of the Jews because of their rejection of God's plan in His servants and in His Son Jesus Christ.

What's the point?  What does this all have to do with us here in 2008 Josh?  I'll tell you; it has a lot to do with us Gentiles.  We must be careful that we too are not blinded by the truth we see in the prophets and in Jesus Christ.  We must not let the world cloud our judgment on the truth.  Truth is still found absolutely in Jesus Christ and in God's plan.  Another thing to consider is what a tremendous blessing and privilege to be able to come to Christ for salvation; who initially was primarily for the Jews.  But God in His great love and mercy, has opened this up to us the heathen who were totally rebellious of God and His people the Jews.  So we have a lot to be grateful for and a lot to think about as we continue to live our lives as believers in Jesus Christ.  I pray that we would study this parable and make sure we don't fall into the same trap that the Jews did in Jesus' day and in the day of the Old Testament prophets. 

Leave comments on what I have written; please if you have any questions or comments on what I have written I would love to hear them.  Thanks and God Bless!

Jeremiah 32:24 says, "Look, the seige mounds!  They (Babylonians) have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword and famine and pestilence.  What You (God) have spoken has happened:  there You see it!" (NKJV)

This verse is so powerful to those who believe in the promises that have not come to pass yet.  We can rest assure that God will fulfill every single promise that is still unfulfilled.  When we see the fulfillment of what He has spoken then what He has spoken for future things will take place.  His word is trustworthy; His word is as solid as a rock.  There is nothing and nobody who can thwart God's plan and promises.  If we look forward to the promises of the future and have hope in that; that hope is not misplaced.  The hope of a glorious future for God's saints will take place; what a relief off our minds knowing that one day we will forever be in perfection.  We will forever be in paradise with our heavenly Father.  Rejoice, for those who look forward to this hope.  For those who don't have this hope; you can trust in God because He will perform it.  All that is needed for this hope is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; believe that He is the Savior of your sins and this hope and assurance is yours.  Praise God that we can have hope and we can trust that God will fulfill all of His promises.

"If his (David's) sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
If they break my statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
Once I have sworn My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
His seed shall endure forever;
And His throne as the sun before Me;
It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithfulness witness in the sky."  Selah
(Psalm 89:30-37 NKJV)

This passage is so important for all of us because it reaffirms in our minds the faithfulness of God; that once God has promised something in His word we can rely totally upon the fact that it will come to fruition no matter what.  There is nothing that can thwart the fulfilling of God's promises.  It says here to David that his throne will be established forever and his seed will endure forever no matter what future generations may do after David.  No matter how much sin the sons of David commit; God's promises will still be fulfilled in David's seed.  David's seed, Jesus Christ, will one day rule the heavens and the earth forever and ever; and this is the fulfillment of God's covenant with David.  So, you see this promise has not been totally fulfilled yet; but we know for a fact it will be fulfilled because it says here that once God has sworn a promise He will be true to His word.  We also can know that God's promise here will be fulfilled because of other promises He has made and has kept every single one to the letter.  What an amazing thought because this frees us to forget about all the struggles of this life and look to God for the strength and grace to get us through life one day at a time.  Live in the grace and strenght of God because it is the only way to keep ourselves on the path that God wants us to be on.

I found this quote in one of Jonathan Edwards' sermons and thought it was worthy of blogging about so that those who read it can be encouraged to do all the good they can in this life for the glory of the Lord.

How great were the pains he (Apostle Paul) took in preaching and in traveling from place to place over so great part of the world, by sea and land, and probably for the most part on foot, when he traveled by land:  instructing and converting the heathen, disputing with gainsayers, and heathen Jews, and heretics, strenuously opposing and fighting against the enemies of the church of Christ, wrestling not with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places; acting the part of a good soldier; as one that goes to warfare, putting on Christ and using the whole armor of God, laboring to establish and confirm and build up the saints, reclaiming those that were wandering, delivering those that were ensnared, enlightening the dark, comforting the disconsolate, and succoring the tempted, rectifying disorders that had happened in churches, exercising ecclesiastical discipline towards offenders, and admonishing the saints of the covenant of grace, opening and applying the Scriptures, ordaining persons and giving them directions, and assisting those that were ordained, and writing epistles, and sending messengers to one and another part of the church of Christ! (Jonathan Edwards, Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, p. 340)

Some of this is so important to be doing in our sphere of influences and I am ashamed to say that I have not done very well in doing these things for the good of people and for the glory of the Lord.  I hope that by reading this you will be inspired and maybe overwhelmed by this quote.  Inspired to change our lives and do better in serving others and overwhelmed because we can't do it all by ourselves.  This is why we need God through the Holy Spirit to help us and strengthen us to do what we need to bring others into the Family of God.  It is our job to point the way to salvation and it is the Spirit and only the Spirit's job to bring about the miracle of salvation in a person's life.  So, walk away from this feeling refreshed and invigorated to do what is needful in the lives of others and overwhelmed by the task and trust the Spirit to help you when you are weary.  God Bless!