Drink From His Cup - Revelation 21:6

Revelation 21:6 ESV

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

From the beginning the end was in sight, for all things are made through Him and for Him and exist in Him.  The life He gives is His own. Those who seek His life shall find it. Their thirst will be quenched forevermore, for in Him life has no end. We will dwell in the presence of the One Who existed before time began and will remain when time is no more. 

He paid our debt and sets us free that we might live. We only have to recognize our thirst and drink from His cup. 

Strong Delusion - 2Thessalonians 2:8-12

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 ESV 

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

There is a strong delusion at work in America. What is bad is called good. Deception is rampant. Lying is now only mis-speaking. Laws are disregarded with alarming frequency. As we deny God, we willingly enter into Satan's embrace. 

We perish for the lack of knowledge. 

For Now And Evermore

In the beginning 
The earth was dark and void
Shapeless and invisible 
Without form

The Spirit drew near the waters
The light began to shine
On the face of the deep
And it began to warm

Much time would pass
The light of the world
Would come to rise
So we could understand 

The same Spirit overshadows
A virgin named Mary
Chosen mother of the Holy One
God becomes a man

Light separates from the dark
The earth emerges from the waters
The waters begin to recede
To reveal the dry land

From this man would come
A people, true companions
They join Him as one
To walk hand in hand

For the light has come
To shine in every heart
Into every dark corner 
Until shadows are no more

As all come to the light
From near and far
To celebrate life and love
For now and evermore 

Two Witnesses - Revelation 11:1-3

Revelation 11:1-3

 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty- two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

At some point the full number to be gathered will come to pass. The church and Israel will both give witness to the truth of God. During this time the nations will "trample the holy city", and so it is even now. The final week of years before Christ comes will be the the most intense, the great tribulation. The first half of that week the witnesses will speak the final words of prophesy before the bowls are poured out on the earth. 

The nations are dividing Jerusalem in the guise of peace, but there is no hope for peace until the return of the Prince of Peace.  Until then, the Devil will be busy. 

This Thing - Luke 2:14-15

Luke 2:14-15 NASB 

“ Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

Who is it that God's peace will be given?  To all men?  No.  The angels speak of the peace given to all that receive His Son. He is pleased with the one that obeys his word. There is no peace or rest for those who do not accept this light which has come into the world.  They are condemned to remain in darkness.  

The shepherds then speak of "this thing that has happened".  The Greek word translated here as "thing" is: (ρημα rhema 68x that which is spoken; declaration, saying, speech, word,) Mounce

This thing or event is actually a word from God. In fact, God's final word is given in the person of His Son, born from above in the form of man, a child held in the arms of his mother, the hope of mankind. 

God has made Himself known. 

Let there be light!

Merry Christmas

There two aspects of our lives which are bound together, yet need balance: doing and being. 

Both are best done in Christ. 

May He be reason in each case. 

Merry Christmas!

sb

Baptized Into Christ - Romans 6:3-4

Romans 6:3-4

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Though dead, we are brought into new life and become part of the body of Christ. Our baptism speaks to our own death of self, just as Jesus gave His own life so that we could live. He shares His glory with us, the glory from and of the Father. In that glory we glorify God. 

Everyone experiences death. The blossom of our natural body will fade and drop to the ground. God has given us the gift of choosing life before we leave this earth, and we begin as a new creatures even as we remain in the old body. 

Like Jesus, we are born from above and share with Him as sons of the Father. There is a place for all who would come. This newness of life is the glory of the Father. 

1 Corinthians 12:13

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

You Shall Know - Zechariah 2:10-13

Zechariah 2:10-13

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Jerusalem will once again be the dwelling place of The Lord. Instead of warring against God the nations will join themselves to The Lord. Only then will peace reign in Jerusalem. 

When The Lord comes every tongue will be stilled and every knee shall bow, and the world will know that He is God. 

Will Reign - Romans 5:17

Romans 5:17

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.

Disobedience brought sin and death to all mankind. Everyone is affected. 

The gift reverses that penalty, but only if accepted. Like Adam, we can choose life, but we must choose. 

We trade one kingdom or authority for another. One or the other will reign.  

The Word Is Against You - Zephaniah 2:4-7

Zephaniah 2:4-7 NASB

For Gaza will be abandoned

And Ashkelon a desolation;

 Ashdod will be driven out at noon

And Ekron will be uprooted.

 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,

The nation of the Cherethites!

The word of the Lord is against you,

O Canaan, land of the Philistines;

And I will destroy you

So that there will be no inhabitant.

 So the seacoast will be pastures,

With caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.

 And the coast will be

For the remnant of the house of Judah,

They will pasture on it.

In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;

For the Lord their God will care for them

And restore their fortune.

Israel will find peace at last. This will not come from any effort or plan of man, but will be possible at the hand of God. He will subdue the nations that seek the destruction of Israel as it is written. 

Sin Is Not Counted - Romans 5:12-14

Romans 5:12-14

 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Sin and death entered the world through one man. Notice Eve is not mentioned. Adam is singled out as the cause of sin. Jesus would be singled out as our sin. 

Our bodies are destined to die, just as we died spiritually with Adam through his disobedience. Jesus would obey perfectly. We are able to live through the sacrifice of this one man. 

The law was given to the Jews. They were unable to keep the law, like Adam was unable to obey God's command in the Garden.  The sins of the Gentiles were not held against them, for they did not have the law. We are able to fulfill the law through Jesus Christ. A way has been made and we are given the power of God that can raise and deliver our souls to the presence of God. The ability to choose life has been restored.  It is a decision each one has to make. 

The light of the law was surpassed when the light of the world rose over Bethlehem and the world was overcome. For all who believe there is no law. Through that one light we are brought together.

Footsteps of Faith - Romans 4:7-12

Romans 4:7-12

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;

 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

We can see in these verses God's purpose and goal to create a people for Himself.  God made Abraham a father so that God would be the father to people. Circumcision was made in the flesh but resulted in a heart of stone.  The law was written in stone.

With the new covenant came a new seal, that of the holy spirit.  The Holy Spirit came to rest in the hearts of men, the word of truth was written on the hearts of flesh.  This is the power and seal of our faith. This is the path that leads to God.

Til My Renewal - Job 14:14-17

Job 14:14-17

If a man dies, shall he live again?

All the days of my service I would wait,

till my renewal should come.

 You would call, and I would answer you;

you would long for the work of your hands.

 For then you would number my steps;

you would not keep watch over my sin;

 my transgression would be sealed up in a bag,

and you would cover over my iniquity.

The Hebrew word translated here as "service" implies an endeavor in the company of an army or host.  Our time life on earth is shared by all those who have appeared since man began, over the ages and over the globe. Job speaks of those who place their hope in Christ.  Christ will return with a mighty and heavenly host to join with those of us that remain. 

The renewal is the change that comes with the birth of a new creation from above. We answer the call and our sins are remembered no more. We are washed clean in the sight of God and our iniquities covered when we enter the body of Christ. We will complete our renewal when we receive our new bodies. 

He leads us to green pastures and the water of life.  

Your Former Ignorance - 1Peter 1:13-16

1 Peter 1:13-16

 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober- minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Conforming to the world is the most destructive form of ignorance because it opposes God. If we remain in sin, we do so out of ignorance, whether we know the gospel or not.  In fact the one who knows the way of The Lord yet still sins may be more ignorant in the disregarding of that truth.  

Conforming to the image of Christ is what makes us holy, for He is holy. We leave the ignorance of the world for the peace and life of God. 

Religion - James 1:27

James 1:27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Religion is but a function of man. There are many variations, but there is one way to 

God and He has shared that with us. 

Jesus did not share a religion with us. Religion existed long before He came and has flourished after He left.  He left us with the truth, pure and undefiled. 

Galatians 5:6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

No Shame - Romans 5:5

Romans 5:5 ESV 

and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Our faith in Christ finds its assurance in the presence of the Holy Spirit. That confirmation is through the word and is experienced in the life we have received. 

The splendor and glory of God is referenced when we refer to Jesus as the word of God. The love of God is made manifest in us through the Holy Spirit.  The living water flows to us and through us, and is given freely without end. 

We become part of that splendor and glory. Jesus was the exact image of God and He shares that righteousness with His brothers and sisters. Clothed as such we approach God with no shame. 

He Believed - Romans 4:17-19

Romans 4:17-19

as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.

Moses and Sarah are old and barren, beyond their ability to have a child- "as good as dead".  Yet God promised a child and Moses believed.  

God has made a promise to us, just He did for Moses.  We are told we will have life though we inhabit earthly bodies that are as good as dead. This is the life of God.  

We are barren in our attempt at self righteousness.  We are hopeless without the hope of God, which is a sure and certain.

Moses is our example of faith and the father of our faith.  We are no different from him as we strive to live out our faith in faith. 

Let it be said of us, "He believed"!

Desire - Psalms 37:4-5

Psalms 37:4-5

Delight yourself in the Lord;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

 Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

In each man's heart is the desire for something more. This desire gives us the wings to leave the earth and the limitations of creation.  It is there we can find God, for He has drawn near. 

Our desire can find outlets other than God, but does not replace God as the ultimate fulfillment. In fact, it is only when we find God that are able to truly experience the desires of our heart. 

Not Deceived - 1Timothy 2:13-15

1Timothy 2:13-15 ESV 

For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self- control.

It would seem Paul is stating something which is not part of our typical understanding of what happened in the Garden. By saying Adam was not deceived, he must have eaten the fruit knowing full well the consequence that would follow. 

Perhaps it was love and compassion that caused Adam to partake of the forbidden fruit. Eve transgressed the law, but Adam still loved her. Rather than abandon her, he took and ate the fruit she gave him.  

This is a foreshadowing of the love that God would ultimately demonstrate in His self-sacrifice for His Church, the Bride of Christ.  He would take the punishment for our sins though He was sinless. 

Christ would come through the childbearing of man and would eat the fruit of man's sin, becoming our sin that we might be free of its chains. He was not deceived, for He knew what was inside a man and He knew what we can be. 

We are saved when we believe and continue in our faith in Him who came to us born from the house of David, born of woman and of God. 

Law Brings Wrath - Romans 4:13-15

Romans 4:13-15

 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

There two groups of people in the world. They are the goats or sheep, the ones that will be judged by the law or those freed from that law, which comes from faith. 

When we stand before the judgement throne, this will be the most important thing whether we understand this and believe or not. 

The law remains and stands for all those that reject Christ. They will face the wrath of God. Those that accept Christ and His grace are beyond the law and in the body of Christ. There is no transgression in the kingdom.  The law was not able to accomplish righteousness, but it does stand in judgement.