Tag Archives: Bible

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Discerning His Blood

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I Corinthians 11:23-30 (NIV), “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

Paul is teaching the Church at Corinth about the Communion. He points out that they needed to “discern” the body of Christ. When we fail to do that we eat and drink judgment on ourselves. What does that mean?

Jesus called it eating His body and drinking His blood. So many people found that offensive that they left and didn’t continue on with Jesus. Once again they didn’t understand. He wasn’t asking them to become cannibals. Peter may not have understood, but he knew Jesus, so he answered, “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68, KJB).

Over my years of walking with the Lord, and it has been about 44 years now (several of those in a backslidden state, and several as a “carnal Christian.”) I have heard this preached in several different ways. None of them bad and all had good points, but recently the senior Pastor at our Church explained it in a way that finally clicked in. When we think of Salvation, we know that Jesus purchased us with His blood. We who were slaves to sin were totally set free by the sacrificial blood of the only One who could legally do it. All we have to do is confess that sin, and turn our hearts and lives over to Him. When we do that we are His. We know that when we die we will go to Heaven to be with Him and that He isn’t holding our sins against us. We are welcomed in the family of God.

What most of us have trouble with is all the other stuff that comes with Salvation. Salvation means much more than going to Heaven one day. It means accepting all the good things God has in store for us here. It includes healing and deliverance. It gives us the authority over everything. We have the same authority Jesus did, the same power available to us, (the Holy Spirit), and we are made just as righteous as God. Now, that is a little harder to wrap our minds around. I finally had to bypass the head and just get it into my heart. That’s the best way to think and meditate on spiritual things anyway. Still having some trouble with that? Let’s take a look at just a few scriptures.

Hebrews10:19-24 (NIV), “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

Ephesians 1:7 (KJB), “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:”

Romans 3:25-26 (NIV), “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood–to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished–he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
Mark 14:24 (Weymouth New Testament), “This is my blood,” He said, “which is to be poured out on behalf of many–the blood which makes the Covenant sure.”

1 John 1:7 (NIV), “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

So what did Paul mean when he said that we need to discern His body and His blood?

As Dr. Hohman taught us, it means that we need to understand and apply what His shed blood accomplished for us! If we don’t understand that we are right with God, that we are accepted in the Beloved, we won’t even try to enter the throne room let alone do it boldly. If we don’t use our authority, the enemy and our own flesh, ride rough shod over our lives. A covenant, which is so much stronger than a promise, had to include the shedding of blood. Jesus shed His so that we no longer have to live under the law, but we now live under grace, the Law of Love. His plan for us isn’t just to get by, or to tread water. We are supposed to take ground! We aren’t waiting to one day get to Heaven, we are His ambassadors and we are bringing Heaven to earth!

It is so important that we understand who He is, who we are, and what His shed blood has purchased for us, when we don’t we still live in bondage. The prison doors are opened but we sit shivering in the corner and refuse to leave.

Do a word search in your bible concordance and if you have access to the internet, use it for good and do a scripture search on the blood of Christ. There are some good blogs and commentaries out there (like mine), but first and foremost, see what God has to say about it. All of our other writings should line up with and encourage understanding with what is written in His word. We can never substitute good writing, good teaching, and good preaching with God’s word. The work of men can never do the job that His word can, after all His word is alive, and sharper than any double edged sword. Mine are not.

When we try and do it without remembering and discerning His blood, we make a mess of our lives. I did. However, when we do it His way, it is so much better. Notice I didn’t say easier, just better. He himself told us we would have trouble, but not to worry because He had already overcome.

Live for Him! He already did all the hard stuff. We just need to stand on His word, keep our part of the covenant, and walk in our authority.

Jesus, thank You for Your shed blood. Holy Spirit help me to understand with my spirit and to apply the blood rightly to my life. I choose to accept all that it purchased for me. I will not allow Your sacrifice to be in vain in my life.

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Book Review for “Waiting on God/Working for God”- Christian Non-Fiction

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You can never go wrong with Andrew Murray. This one did not disappoint. The good news is that you can get it free from the Gutenberg Project online. We have all been called to good works, and each one of us, from the feeblest Christian to the great men and women of faith, all must work the work God gave us to do. The good news is that it is never in our own strength, unless we choose it that way. “Waiting on God/Working for God” is a great reminder of what our purpose here on earth is, and who has graced us for this work. I highly recommend to every Christian. The language is not modern and may be harder to wade through, but Mr. Murray’s writing style is simple and right to the point. I give it 5+ stars, I loved it! This is a read again book

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Wisdom From Heaven

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James 3:17 (NIV), “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

The world has a totally different idea of wisdom than God. The world see’s wisdom as intelligence and knowledge. In fact the Encarta Dictionary uses these definitions: good sense, wise decision, accumulated learning, opinion widely held, ancient teachings or sayings. I can right away see problems with all of those definitions! Good sense, we all need some of this, but if it isn’t based on the Bible, it isn’t good. The same can be said for a wise decision, if a decision is based on the world’s view of what is wise, the motivation will be greed, or lust, or it will be based on flawed thinking. The Bible tells us that knowledge puffs up, or gives us a “big head” so accumulated learning will only fill our heads with knowledge that we won’t be able to apply to our lives in any meaningful way. Even knowledge of the Scriptures without Godly wisdom will not profit us. Any opinion widely held is changeable. For example at one time people thought that eating the potato would kill you, and that the world was flat, need I say more? Lastly, ancient teachings can be wise, if they line up with God’s word, otherwise they are still opinions of man that happened to be spouted off years ago.

God tells us that wisdom from heaven is first of all pure. Godly wisdom isn’t motivated by anything other than love. Next, from our verse in James, we see that it is peace-loving and considerate. This kind of wisdom isn’t putting “self” first. It doesn’t have to have its own way, or demand its rights. It thinks “more highly on the things of others.” Wisdom from Heaven is submissive. I know we Americans tend to hate that word, but only because we don’t understand what it means. Submission simply means being “under a mission.” I am under the mission of God. His mission is to bring everyone to the saving knowledge of His grace. I submit to that mission. If we are using Godly wisdom there will be fruit, we will show mercy to others. God is merciful. He never gave us what we deserved, but only what would bring us to a place of fellowship with Him. Finally, this kind of wisdom is impartial and sincere. It can’t be faked. The world is full of people who see themselves as wise. They spout off information, statistics, and opinions and expect us all to be wowed by their greatness, which is neither impartial nor sincere. You can’t fake Godly wisdom, ever. Godly wisdom’s purpose isn’t to impress anyone. It’s purpose is to further God’s Kingdom here on earth.
How do we do that?

By showing God’s love, His goodness, His mercy, and forgiveness. We “make peace.”

Matthew 5:9 (ISV), “How blessed are those who make peace, because it is they who will be called God’s children!”
Luke 6:35-36 (NIV), “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. ”

So, maybe you aren’t feeling too wise right at this moment. Thankfully, God has an answer for that as well.

James 1:5 (NIV), “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Proverbs 2:6 (KJB), “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), “For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.”

I think it is safe to say that the way the world thinks to acquire wisdom is through learning, and through osmosis. We, on the other hand, as Children of the Almighty, receive wisdom from God. It is a gift. We can’t earn it, but that doesn’t mean that we just sit and wait for God to deposit wisdom into us either. God always has a part for us to play. One of the ways that God imparts wisdom into us is through His word. A great place to obtain Godly wisdom is in the Proverbs. He also uses sound teaching. We need to know God’s word and how to apply it to our own lives. This is wisdom.

Why do we need wisdom? And what do we do with it?

Proverbs 11:30 (KJB), “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
Daniel 12:3 (NIV), “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Proverbs 3:35 (NIV), “The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.”

It takes true wisdom just to get saved. Human wisdom won’t allow our hearts to accept salvation, it stops the whole message at our head and because it simply doesn’t make any human sense, we reject it as impossible. “God would die for me? No way! I don’t have to earn it, there has got to be something wrong with this way.”

I Corinthians 1:21 (NLT), “Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.”

Godly wisdom loves, it saves souls, inherits honor, shines like the brightness of heaven.

So, get wisdom! It’s important, but make sure it is the wisdom from Heaven.

Proverbs 4:5 (NASB), “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.”

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Carry Or Be Carried

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Isaiah 46:1-9 (NIV), “Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary beast. They stooped over, they have bowed down together; they could not rescue the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity. “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth and have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you. “To whom would you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me, that we would be alike? “Those who lavish gold from the purse and weigh silver on the scale hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; they bow down, indeed they worship it. “They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; they set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress. “Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressor. “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,”

God is explaining to His people the difference between Him and the god’s of others. They were made into images of animals and had to carried into battle. They were heavy and burdensome. After being captured, they were even a heavy load for the beasts of burden to carry into captivity, with the people. Our God, the one true God, however reminds them that He has carried them since they were in the womb! He goes on to promise that He will continue until into their old age. He doesn’t change. He carries us. He delivers us. It would behoove us to remember what He said, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,”

So choose today, do you want to carry your god, or be carried by God?
It’s a choice.

Whatever we allow to take God’s place is an idol, a heavy burden that will weigh us down. Eventually it will lead us into captivity.

Idols take, in the days of Isaiah; people were even sacrificing their own children. Idols demand everything you have, never giving back. God gives, He is generous and loving.

Sounds like a simple choice, really.

I choose God.

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Don’t Limit God

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Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV), “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”

We have all been in that place at one time or another, or maybe some of you are there now, where we just think our “thing” is too big for God. Sometimes we think that God can do it for someone else, just not us. There is also the thought that asking for more (healing, money, favor, etc) is greedy and we shouldn’t. I am sure we can even come up with even more ways and reasons to limit God.

However, let’s not take our own perspective or worthless word on the subject, let’s look at Ephesians again. To “Him who is able to do immeasurably more,” more than what? More than we can ask or even imagine. I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty huge and vivid imagination, after all I am a writer, it kind of comes with the territory. So the things I can imagine are pretty out there, but God says He is able to do even more. He has the power to work those things in us.

Here are a few more translations of verse 20:
(NLT), “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
(KJB), “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us-”

That is pretty straightforward. God told Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” When Sarah laughed about conceiving at an old age. I think we all have to answer that same question. Is cancer too hard? Is owing no man (being out of debt) too hard? Is the salvation of our family too hard? How about recovering from divorce, death, or disease? Think of the hardest thing you can imagine and ask yourself, “is that too hard for God.” If your answer was “yes,” then you don’t really know who He is. It’s only our lack of knowledge of Him that prevents us from receiving from Him. Now, I know He is sovereign and His plan is perfect, we also live in a fallen world, and we have to go through some junk, but the key is going through. He is able, that is never the issue.

There are plenty of us who have finally gotten this revelation, only to get stuck in the mud. Usually it is because we aren’t standing in our authority. For example: if God says we are healed and we believe He is able to heal, that He in fact already took care of that thousands of years ago when He took those stripes on His back. So in our authority, which He Himself gave us, we command sickness to leave and healing to come. We tell our bodies, or our minds, to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Then we thank Him for what He has already done. We aren’t begging Him to do something. That is sort of pointless don’t you think? If a child of our continued to beg for a toy when we had already purchased it and placed it in his hands, we would get annoyed. Thank God, He has more patience than us.

Our God is also our Father. He made everything. Take a look around you, think about the ocean, a baby giraffe, a bumble bee, a sunset, or take a look at some of the pictures from the Hubble space telescope, He is limitless. His mercy and love know no bounds. His power is unending. He never sleeps nor shuts His eyes. He is forever watching you with eyes of love. All good and perfect gifts come from the Father and He has wonderful things in store for you.

So don’t put Him in a box, don’t limit the God who made the universe.

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Vessels of Honor

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Romans 9:21 (KJV), “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

Romans 9:21 (NIV), “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?”

Do you want to be used for special purposes, or just for common use? God is the Master Potter and we are the work of His hands. His intention for each one of us is to be used for special purposes, to be vessels of honor. He has gifted us and given us talents with this in mind. Not one of us is meant to be the “chamber pot”! Instead we are to be the beautiful vase, or the chalice of a king. Unfortunately we don’t listen, or we listen and don’t obey, or we think we can’t hold water, or are too dirty to hold the kings wine. Sometimes we don’t like the process that it takes to become that vessel of honor. Clay has to go through quite the process to become anything. It is dug out of the ground, uprooted from its comfort zone. Then it is kneaded to get all the air bubble out. Next, it is thrown on the wheel, not carefully placed, thrown. The potter uses his hands and different sharp implements to shape and cut the blob of clay into the shape he wants. Most of the work is done on the inside, invasive, in the beginning and the outer work is finished up last. After all of that work, the final stage is the fire. Only through trials and through trouble can we become solid and usable.

Jeremiah 18:1-4 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), “This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Go down at once to the potter’s house;?and there I will reveal My words to you.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel.? But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.”

So maybe we got off track and we became flawed. Don’t fret; we are still in the Potter’s hands. This is the safest place to be! Allow Him to remake us. It isn’t always easy. In pottery class I learned a lot. Any piece can be broken down and crushed into dust. Then it is soaked in water until it is soft and pliable, only then can it be remade. If you have allowed your heart to be hardened, it will take longer and may be more painful. But always, God can start new with us.

II Timothy2:19-26 (NIV), “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

Looking at those verses in II Timothy we can see how vessels of honor behave:
1.They name the name of Jesus.
2.They abstain from wickedness.
3.They are prepared for every good work.
4.They flee youthful lusts.
5.They pursue righteousness, faith, peace, and love.
6.They ignore foolish speculations (gossip, assumptions.)
7.They are not quarrelsome.
8.They are kind to all.
9.They are able to teach.
10.They are patient when wronged, gently correcting those in opposition, with the intent of helping them come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil.

So what will it be? Will you surrender your heart to God, The Master Potter, and allow Him to make you into something beautiful?

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Lose Control

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Philippians 1:6 (Douay-Rheims Bible), “Being confident of this very thing, that he, who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus.”

Most people have control issues. Some need to feel in control of every situation and every person in their lives. After my drug and alcohol use of my young adult years and years of prescription drugs for anxiety, I now hate anything that makes me feel like I am not in control. No gas at the dentist, one glass of wine, or one apple ale is enough, and never hard alcohol for me. My husband after several bad car accidents as a passenger, including one that broke his back in seven places and left him in a body cast for six months, likes to be the one behind the wheel. He hates giving over control of the vehicle to anyone else.

I know people who try to control their spouses, their children, and even their pastors. Wrong or right, they are always right and they know best. Sometimes this ends in abuse, divorce and church splits.

I think most of us will admit that not losing control to drugs, alcohol, or other people isn’t a good thing. We than can also agree that trying to control others, also aren’t a good thing. If you have an overly controlling person in your life, it is like being in prison, and if you have a need to control everything, much of your life is spent in worry, or feeling out of control. That behavior can end up being obsessive, not healthy to yourself or to others.

So when is it ok to give up control? Who is faithful enough for us to give our control over to?
The only answer is God. He knew us before we were born and He knows our end, in fact He knows every second and every minute of our lives. He was our beginning and He is our ending. He orchestrated it all for our good and His glory.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJB), “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

Acts 27:23-25 (NIV), “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ “So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.”

We can have confidence that if He said it, it will happen that way, as long as we submit to Him and let Him have control.

I know, we have all heard the argument that God is a control freak that says it’s “His way or the highway.” Who wants to be a slave to a hard taskmaster?

First off, I’d have to say why does someone want control? In God’s case, it’s because He knows it all, everything, the end from the beginning. So He knows what we need to do in every situation. He doesn’t tell us what to do for His good, it’s for our own good. Secondly, God is good. Evil can’t be found in Him. Do I want to serve an evil dictator, no! Would I willingly give myself over as a love slave to Him who loves me best? Of course! His “control” protects me, provides for me, heals me, sustains me, encourages me, and sets me free from all other masters!

This is the analogy God gave me about control: Picture yourself of the biggest scariest rollercoaster. You know the ones that go upside down and loop the loop. If you have ever been on one, the first thing they do when you sit down is buckle you in, or lower the safety bar. If the person next to you refused to be buckles or constrained shouting “You can’t control me, I can do this on my own,” and proceeded to try and hold himself in the car, you’d expect to witness a death, a very messy one at that. We easily give up our control for something that keeps us safe or protects us from pain.

I mentioned before that I won’t take gas at the dentist. How foolish would I be if I refused anesthesia during a major surgery? Sometimes giving up control is the best thing for us.

So what do you say? Can you lose control?