Again Entangled

2 Peter 2:20 (NASB)

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

Many who come to Jesus will not overcome the world. They will be overcome by the world. “The knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” will not save them. Turning their backs to His light, they return to the darkness that leads to destruction. We must continue to choose Christ after we we have chosen Him as our Savior. Each day we are in the presence of the forbidden fruit, but our salvation is ensured by always reaching for the fruit that hangs from the tree of life. 

Who Orders His Way Rightly

Psalms 50:23 (ESV)

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;

to one who orders his way rightly

I will show the salvation of God!”

The Lord seeks those who worship Him in spirit. Those in Christ are able to worship Him in the Holy Spirit. Both who offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving glorify the Lord. The one who walks in obedience to His word will find the salvation of the Lord. Jesus is the word of God. 

It Will Be Exposed

2 Peter 3:9-10 (ESV)

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

The day of the Lord is delayed so that all would repent from the deeds that are done in the darkness of mankind. His patience and mercy toward us abounds, but it is not boundless. The day of the Lord will suddenly come. 

The light of the world will no longer draw the willing into the life of Christ, but harshly reveal all that was hidden under the cover of night. We will all give an account of our work, whether good or bad. The fire of His justice and righteousness will judge what we have done. 

All Who Seek You Rejoice

Psalms 40:16

But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

Those in Christ have received His salvation. It is in the seeking we find Him and it is in the seeking we know Him. Our obedience to His word brings us into the love of God. 

True Worship

True worship of God is when our lives become a living prayer unto Him. 

There Is A Future

Psalms 37:37 (ESV)

Mark the blameless and behold the upright,

for there is a future for the man of peace.

The one who is blameless and upright before God is the one who is in Jesus. He or she will boldly stand before the throne of judgment in the body of Christ and will not be ashamed. 

The one who is in the Prince of Peace will have an eternal future. It will be in the peace and rest of God. 

The Good Deposit

2 Timothy 1:14 (ESV)

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

We have entered creation in these vessels of cloy. We are filled with the life and being that we share with every other creature of the earth who breathes the breath of life. 

Yet man is different. He is the one vessel that can receive the life of God. There is room within us to simultaneously accommodate the breath and life of man and the life of God. He continues to enter creation through our bodies when we choose to receive and join Him. The light of the world becomes the Father of the children of the light. 

The Steps Of A Man

Psalms 37:23-24 (ESV)

23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD,

when he delights in his way;

24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the LORD upholds his hand.

The Lord is ever with those who love Him, those who delight in His word. Though we fall, and fall we will, He is there to catch us in His strength and love. There is no end of His mercy for those who hold His hand. 

When we follow in the steps of Jesus, we walk in the way of the Lord. It will lead to the fruition of His salvation. 

The Desires Of Your Heart

Psalms 37:4 (ESV)

4 Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

We do not fully know our hearts. We know in part, but much of it is a mystery which at times can be a surprise or even confound us. The Lord knows everything about our hearts because He is our Creator. The desires of our hearts are fully met when He fills us with His love and we join Him in His life. Then we will know. 

What Can A Man Give

Mark 8:37 (ESV)

For what can a man give in return for his soul?

 

A man who gains the world but loses his soul has nothing before the Lord. The transaction for eternal life is based on the soul. A soul can be found until it slips into the dark waters of death and there remain. Once finally lost, a man has nothing to give the Lord. 

A man whose is life given to God will in turn receive the life of God. He is found and has found eternal life. Joy comes in the light of the morning star. 

To Gain And Forfeit

Mark 8:36 (ESV)

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

There is so much more for man beyond the reach of the world. It is the abundant life with the Lord. To gain the world without God is to settle for something breathtakingly less than we are created to be. 

When we overcome that the world, the Lord will give us everything in creation, for everything is His. What is His is ours because we are one with Him. 

One Degree Of Glory To Another

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

There is the glory and wonder of a child born into the world from the seed of man. He is a creature of creation, a son of man. He will grow and mature into the glory of man. 

There is the glory and wonder of a child reborn into the kingdom of heaven from the seed of the Holy Spirit. He is a new creation, a son of God. He will grow and mature into the nature of His Father until he is received in the image of the Son. 

If I Had Not Come

John 15:22 (ESV)

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

The word of the Lord has exposed the reality and truth of sin. It is the way that leads to destruction and death. He calls to us today and speaks the word that leads to eternal life. 

Teach Me

Psalms 25:4-5 (ESV)

4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;

teach me your paths.

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long.

Jesus Christ is the way of the Lord. He has made the way to salvation and life. As we follow Him we find He has much to teach us. We transform in the learning to think and be like Him. 

Their Utterances

Psalms 19:2-4 (NASB)

2 Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words;

Their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their utterances to the end of the world.

In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

The word is the line or standard by which all things are measured. The word of God defines the truth of God who brings that truth into creation. The truth is ultimately expressed in the flesh of Jesus who is the light of the world. 

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All One

Galatians 3:27-28 (NASB)

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Those in Christ are all alike. We are washed in His blood of forgiveness, clothed in the robes of His righteousness, and one united in His Holy Spirit. We find this to be true as we transform our minds in the newness of His life. 

Their Utterances

Psalms 19:2-4 (NASB)

2 Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words;

Their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their utterances to the end of the world.

In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

The word is the line or standard by which all things are measured. The word of God defines the truth of God who brings that truth into creation. The truth is ultimately expressed in the flesh of Jesus who is the light of the world. 

Be Faithful To The End

America was founded by a people who recognized the inalienable rights of the individual that are derived from the God of creation. We were blessed by God and grew strong as a nation with His favor. 

America has rebelled against God and no longer recognizes the inalienable rights of the individual or the morality which we derive from a Holy God. As a nation, we are no longer blessed by God and grow weak in our dissolution. 

The Church is increasingly being attacked and persecuted for believing and standing on His word of truth. We will be tested, but hold on and be faithful to the the end and receive the crown of life from the hand of Christ. (Rev 2:10)

A Crown

Psalms 21:3-4 (NASB)

3 For You meet him with the blessings of good things;

You set a crown of fine gold on his head.

4 He asked life of You,

You gave it to him,

Length of days forever and ever.

Revelation 2:10 (NASB)

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

David foreshadows what the faithful will receive from the hand of Christ if we are faithful until death. We will receive the crown of life worn by His royal priesthood forever and ever. 

The Glory Of The Lord

Psalms 19:1 (NASB)

The Works and the Word of God.

FOR THE CHOIR DIRECTOR. A PSALM OF DAVID.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

The glory of the Lord has always found expression through the works of His hand. An expanse was created  between heaven and earth which separates the waters from the waters. The Holy Spirit was and is able to cross that expanse bringing the glory of the Lord into the earth of man through the light of His creation. Jesus, the light of the world, perfectly expresses the glory of the Lord in the flesh of man and invites us to join Him in the glory and the fellowship that is of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Hebrews 1:3 (NASB)

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The Sound Of The Lord

Genesis 3:8 (ESV)

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

The Hebrew word translated here as “sound” is usually translated as “voice”. The Hebrew translated as “cool” is usually translated as “breath” or “spirit.” 

So this verse could be translated -The voice of the Lord was walking in the in the garden as His Spirit came to visit the man and his wife. Instead of entering His presence with joy, they hid among the trees of the garden. 

They had died to the Lord in the fellowship of the Spirit and that is why the Lord called out, “Where are you?” They hid among the trees that were in the garden, but outside the intimate presence of the Lord. They were still alive in the creaturely sense and would live that way for a long time after leaving the garden. 

And Know

Psalms 46:10 (ESV)

“Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

God who from everlasting to everlasting is ever with us in the present moment. That is where we will always find Him. 

The Breath Of Life

Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Adam received the breath of life from the Lord. Eve did not. This is why the serpent approached Eve to entice her to disobey the Lord. She was in the presence of the Lord, but was not filled with His Spirit as was Adam. 

We have the Holy Spirit of Jesus who was tempted by Satan in the wilderness yet did not sin. He is with us. If we turn to Him, cling to Him in our time of need, He is faithful to lead us through the darkness of temptation as we breathe in the breath of His Spirit. 

My Shepherd

Psalms 23:1-3

The LORD Is My Shepherd

A PSALM OF DAVID.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake

The Lord leads, guides, and directs us to will and work according to His purposes. His care and provision is complete and without reserve. He gives us the desire of our souls. 

We are freed so that we may pursue His righteousness and to put on the full armor of God. 

Help My Unbelief

Mark 9:23-24 (ESV)

23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

We are shaped by what we believe. We are transformed by what we believe. We act and behave according to our belief, it is who we are. 

Lord I believe, help me with my unbelief. 

Grounded In Love

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV)

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Love is the fullness of God that fills those in the body of Christ. It most accurately expresses the essence of God to the mind and understanding of the finite creatures that we are. We are but small jars of clay in which the infinite waters of life flow from the throne of God, filling our cup to overflowing. 

Like A Tree

Psalms 1:3 (ESV)

He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

Like a tree planted in the paradise of God, watered by the word of God and bearing the fruit of the Spirit in the eternal life of the Lord. 

From Now On

John 14:7 (ESV)

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus came in our flesh to bring the word of God among those who were dead to God. He became one of us to redeem our flesh and to free us to be made in His image, which includes being alive to God. He comes as the Holy Spirit to our spirits to bring us that breath of life by bringing the word into our hearts. The word is with God and is God. We know Him through His presence. We know Him by abiding in His word. 

When we are perfected, we will know even as we are known. For now we see in part, but then we will see clearly and fully the riches of our inheritance. 

The Wind Drives Away

Psalms 1:4-6 (ESV)

4 The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Those who are not filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit will be scattered by the wind of His passing. They will  appear before the Lord in the judgment, but only the righteous who are in Jesus will be able to stand before the Lord. There are two ways to approach the throne of judgment. Both ways will end at the throne of judgment which will determine final end of the way chosen. 

Like A Tree

Psalms 1:3 (ESV)

He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

He is like a tree planted in the paradise of God 

fed by the living waters of the Holy Spirit 

that bears the fruit of the Spirit 

with the life of the eternal One 

for everything works to the good of those who overcome the world 

In The Law

Psalms 1:2 (ESV)

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

but His delight is in the way of the Lord, 

and he follows the way of the Lord day and night. 

Where Do You Stand?

Psalms 1:1-2 (ESV)

1 Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Walking in the way of the Lord means you stand on the word of God and if you persevere, you will sit with Him on His throne. 

In The Day You Eat Of It

Genesis 2:16-17 (ESV)

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The knowledge of good and evil is necessary to know right from wrong. 

The knowledge of good and evil is necessary to choose the salvation of the Lord. 

The knowledge of good and evil needed to come before we could come to know the Lord. 

Eating the forbidden fruit was necessary to understand the fruit from the tree of life. We must die to self to receive the life of the Lord. Then we must die and be resurrected to see Him face to face.