Crucified - A Good Friday Devotion

In many of the nations of the world, we find capital punishment being exercised for many differing offenses.   Some nations practice capital punishment against only the most heinous of crimes, for others, executions take place for many varying offenses like smuggling, unlawful possession of firearms or drugs, armed robbery etc.  For a more complete list of capital offenses in the various countries of the world click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_capital_punishment_by_nation

 The methods of capital punishment also vary among the nations as well.   These methods include: Lethal injection, electric chair, gas chamber, single person shooting, firing squad, hanging, beheading, guillotine, stoning and use of the garrote. 

In Bible times, crucifixion was one of the most common methods of capital punishment used in theRoman Empire.  Crucifixion is no longer used officially by any government for the purpose of capital punishment.  However, symbolic and ritualistic crucifixions continue to take place in many countries throughout the world.

 

 The Biblical teachings on capital punishment and physical crucifixions will have to wait for another time and place, for today’s blog entry I would like us to concentrate on the meaning of “being crucified with Christ”.

THE SCRIPTURES:

Gal 2:20 (KJV)

20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Gal 5:24 (KJV)

24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 6:14 (KJV)

14) But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Rom 6:6 (KJV)

6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

THE STUDY:

Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered a horrible crucifixion at the hands of the Roman government and Jewish religious leaders.  In a sense, we are all guilty of placing Christ on the cross; we are guilty of committing the sins for which He was crucified:

1Cor 15:3-4 (KJV)

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:…

It was because of our sins that He would have to die on the cross, taking the punishment of our sins upon Himself so that we might be saved:

Gal 3:13 (KJV)

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:

1Pet 3:18 (KJV)

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

But the results of Christ’s crucifixion do not end on the cross.  We are told throughout the New Testament scriptures that we, as Christians, share in the experience of the crucifixion. Let’s begin our study by looking at Gal 2:20 (KJV):

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The term “crucified” relates to us the idea death and its results.   When Christ was crucified, His physical life was laid aside (death). The results of His death was that His body was left in the tomb, while His spirit entered heaven for three days and three nights; this entailed separation, ie  separation of His spirit from His body, and also the separation of both His body and spirit from this world). 

In the above verse, we find that Christians are described as being “crucified with Christ”.  In other words, just as Christ was literally put to death and then experienced separation, so to we, as Christians, are put to death and separated in three ways:

1.  We no longer live to fulfill our sinful, fleshly desires.  Although we still commit sin, but we no longer are enslaved by our fleshly desires.  A separation has been formed between us and our desires  We now strive to obey our Lord in everything that we do fighting against our desires and striving to live lives of holiness.  Gal 5:24 (KJV)  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

2.  We are no longer alive to the affects of the sinful world around us.  Many are the temptations and sins that are placed before us in this sinful world.  Not only do we no longer serve our fleshly desires, we no longer serve the sinful world around us.  We are no longer “alive” to these temptations, but we now are counted as dead, separated from them. Gal 6:14 (KJV) But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

3.  Our “old man” is also put to death through the workings of Christ on the cross. Our “old man” is a phrase used to describe our old sin nature and the resulting sinful lifestyle.  Our past habits and practices have been changed.  We were slaves to our sinful lifestyle but now have become the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is also described in God’s Word as becoming a “new creature in Christ”  (2 Cor 5:17).  Rom 6:6 (KJV) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

In our Gal 2:20 text, the verse continues on…. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:…”

Here the phrase “nevertheless I live…” is teaching us that just as the death of Christ on the cross resulted in His resurrection and new physical life on earth; so too, our sharing in His crucifixion results in our new life in Him.  Although we are counted as dead to our sinful desires, the sinful world and our “old man” ; we are made spiritually alive. This spiritual life is accompanied by the indwelling of the Savior, in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Our text closes by stating… “and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

This newly received spiritual life, and the accompanying change in lifestyle, is based upon faith in Christ.  How does a person share in the crucifixion of Christ? Through faith.  How does a Christian live a new life of submission to Christ? Through faith.  This same Christ in whom we trust, is the same Christ that loved us before the world began.  Based upon His love, He came to the earth and died on the cross so that we might be saved.

If you see that your sin has caused the Lord grief and pain;  if you abhor the sin that is in your life and you are willing to turn from that sin; come to Christ in faith, trusting in Him to forgive your every sin, and make your future with Him secure.

Matt 11:28-30 (KJV)

Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finding God’s Will For Our Lives Part # 4

“Oh what a feeling…”

Prov 3:6 – “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

 

In this short 12 word verse, we find one of the most precious promises of the Bible… the promise for the Lord’s leadership and guidance in our lives.   But in this same verse, we find one of the most difficult aspects of the Christians life… following the path the Lord desires for our life. 

One of the most frequently asked questions is “How can I find God’s will for my life?”   In the next 6 blog entries we will be seeing what God’s word teaches us about this important subject…

1. What is God’s will ?


2. Not my will, but thine be done.


3. Thus saith the Lord


4. Oh what a feeling


5. Open and shut doors


6. Summary of the study

In part number 4 of our study lets study… “Oh what a feeling…”

THE SCRIPTURE:

Acts 17:10-11 (KJV)

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

 

Rom 12:1-3 (KJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Phil 1:9-11 (KJV)

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and [in] all judgment;That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;Being filled with the fruits

of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Phil 2:12-13 (KJV)

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

Eph 5:6-13 (KJV)

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.Be not ye therefore partakers with them.For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:(For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

1Thess 5:16-22 (KJV)

Rejoice evermore.Pray without ceasing.In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.Quench not the Spirit.Despise not prophesyings.Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.Abstain from all appearance of evil.

THE STUDY:

In our search for God’s will, many times we find ourselves relying on our ”feelings” to help us determine His desires for our lives.  For example, a lack of a guilty conscience can be interpreted as the Lord’s approval for a certain action.  Likewise, a feeling of excitement, or certainty, can be interpreted as the Lord’s urging us forward in our plan of action.  How about a depressed, or anxious, feeling?  That can be interpreted as the Lord putting the brakes on our current life path, showing us a need to seek another. A fleeting thought that enters our mind, can be interpreted as the Spirit revealing to us the path the Lord would have us to take.  Seeing the need in the life of other people, many times, is interpreted as the Lord’s call to a certain ministry. 

I am not denying that the Holy Spirit, at times can use our thoughts, conscience, emotions and desires to aid us in the understanding of His will for our lives.  However, we should never rely exclusively on these inward “impressions” to decide the life path for us to take.  So how can we discern the Lord’s will in our life “impressions”? 

1 Thess 5: 21 gives us a very straightforward answer to our question… “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

The Lord gives us some basic principles of guidance to “prove” (put to the test) our feelings thoughts and emotions in Phil 1:9-11:

 “… that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and [in] all judgment” –

Our life should be centered upon showing love… love for our Lord and love for others around us. 

How do we show our love for the Lord?  One way, is to put His will for our lives ahead of our own.  Another way, is to become familiar with His Word (knowledge) and then apply it to our life decision making (judgment).  

“That ye may approve things that are excellent” –

Another way to show our love for our Lord is to take the time and effort to put to the test all our life experiences ,and feelings, so we can know which ones He approves.  By using our knowledge of His Word and then exercising Godly judgment, we can discern which emotions, desires and feelings are coming from Him.  

 This point cannot be underemphasized…. One of the greatest uses of His Word is to use it to prove what is pleasing to Him.  This applies to any area of our life.  The teachings we receive, the world’s influences on our lives, and His will for our lives (including the events we experience and the feelings we have) are to be put to the test using His Word and a mind that is renewed through a growing knowledge of His Word .   See Acts 17:10-11 (the Scriptures), Eph 5:6-13 (the truth) , Roms 12:1-3 (a renewed mind).

“that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness”  -

What is the result of putting the teachings we receive, the influences of the world, and our life experiences and feelings to the test?

It is two-fold righteousness both an inward righteousness (“sincerity”) and an outward righteousness (“without offence”). These two types of righteousness combine to bring about a life that is fulfilling His will and bearing an abundance of spiritual fruit.

“which are by Jesus Christ” –

Living a life that is fulfilling His will is a work of Christ in our hearts.  Christ, through His Spirit enables us to serve Him in spite of our sinful, fallen nature.  

“unto the glory and praise of God” –

          Living lives that fulfill His will brings all the praise and glory to the Lord.  Why? Because we are living our life according to His will due to His will because He is at work within us.

Phil 2:12-13

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

For those who are saved…

We can prove what is His will for our lives, through an attitude of submission to His will and the renewal of our minds.  This renewal comes through a consistent increase in knowledge and application of His Word. 

The more we are familiar with His Word, the better we can discern His will for our lives.  The greater our knowledge of His Word, the easier it is to discern if our thoughts, feelings and urgings are from the Lord or elsewhere.

Again, as in our prior study, we find that His Word takes preeminence in our life decisions.  If our feelings, thoughts, or emotions run parallel to His Word we can follow them without hesitancy knowing that we are living within the instructions of His Word. 

If however, our impressions, in any way, depart from the principles laid out in His Word, we can rest assured that the impression is not from the Lord, but is being produced from a sinful origin (our flesh, the world, or powers of darkness).  In this case, we are to flee from the path these impressions would indicate we are to follow.   

Rom 12:1-3 (KJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

In our search for God’s Will to be shown to us in our lives….

Prayer Principle #4 -  We must pray for the Lord’s discernment of His leading in our lives. 

For those who are not saved….

The Lord’s will for the life of those who have never trusted in Christ is clearly declared in 1Tim 2:3-6 …

For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

For more information about salvation and the forgiveness of sins, please refer to my blog page found here: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

---------------------------------------------------------

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finding God’s Will For Our Lives – What Is God’s Will? (Part #2)

“Not my will, but thine, be done”

Prov 3:6 – “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

 In this short 12 word verse, we find one of the most precious promises of the Bible… the promise for the Lord’s leadership and guidance in our lives.   But in this same verse, we find one of the most difficult aspects of the Christians life… following the path the Lord desires for our life. 

One of the my most frequently asked questions is “How can I find God’s will for my life?”   In the next 6 blog entries we will be seeing what God’s word teaches us about this important subject…

1. What is God’s will ?


2. Not my will, but thine be done.


3. Thus saith the Lord


4. Oh what a feeling


5. Open and shut doors


6. Summary of the study                            

In part number 2 of our study lets study… “Not my will, but Thine, be done.”

THE SCRIPTURE:

Ps 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.

Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

THE STUDY:

Our search for the Lord’s will starts with a brutally honest look at our own hearts.  Before beginning our search, we must ask ourselves the question, “Am I willing to do whatever the Lord wants me to do?”  By God’s grace we all can answer “yes” to this question.  If we can say “yes”, we are ready to begin our search for His guidance in the many life issues that we face.

Unfortunately, if you are like me, at times, I would have to say “no” in response to this question.  

King David is described by the Lord as, “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22).   David illustrates this principle when he wrote: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.”  (Ps 40:8)  

David’s desires were the same as the desires of Christ’s heart ….

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:34)

“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30)

“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38)

Christ not only talked the talked but He walked the walk…

One of the verses that has been the greatest blessing to my heart over the years is found in Luke 22:42,  “…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”   To appreciate the depth of Christ’s devotion to the will of His Father, please remember the context of this verse.  The “cup” Christ is speaking of is His coming crucifixion.  Think about it… when faced with a horribly brutal death on the cross, Christ voiced His own desires to the Father before stating, “it really doesn’t matter what I desire…. I am willing to put my desires aside, and do what you would have me to do…. even to the point of a brutal, painful, humiliating, torturous death on the cross.”  (my paraphrase)

After being given such a wonderful example of self-sacrifice, putting our heavenly Father first in our lives, shouldn’t we do the same?   Think of what a sad example we set when we go through the motions of seeking His will as an after-thought.  We basically are saying…. “I’m going to do (fill in the blank), I’ll see if that’s ok with you, Lord.”  What a shame.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

For those who are saved…

As Christians, we have been purchased by Christ through His death on the cross, paying the price for our sins.  (1 Cor 6:20).  That’s why Paul describes the need to be a living sacrifice for the Lord… after all, it is simply our “reasonable service” to Him. (Rom 12:1).

Would the Lord deny showing us His will, if we sincerely desire to act upon His will, putting

Him above all others desires in our life?   I think not.

Matt 7:7-11

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

In our search for God’s Will to be shown to us….

Prayer Principle #2 -  We must pray for a spirit of self-sacrifice and self-control, putting our Lord first, as we begin our search for His will. 

For those who are not saved….

The Lord’s will for the life of those who have never trusted in Christ is clearly declared in 1Tim 2:3-6 …

For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

For more information about salvation and the forgiveness of sins, please refer to my blog page found here: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

----------------------------------------------------------

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

 If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

 Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

 Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magic Mirror on the Wall

We all remember the scene from Snow White. The Evil Queen stands in front of the mirror and says “Magic Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?” When the mirror replies that she is no longer the fairest in the kingdom that’s when all the trouble starts for poor Snow White. (Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-i8zKJaHMA&feature=related to refresh your memory).

You’ve got to hand it to the Queen, at least she knew where to go to evaluate her appearance. She knew the mirror would reveal what she needed to know about herself.

Likewise with us, as Christians, our Lord gives us a “mirror” that we are to use for our self-examination. Unlike the magic mirror of Snow White, this “mirror” reveals our life’s condition in the eyes of God. It is a very powerful, valuable tool that is far too often overlooked.

What is this tool? How often should we use it? We’ll answer these questions in today’s blog…



THE SCRIPTURE:

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (Jas 1:22-25)

THE STUDY:

In our text, we can see that the mirror God has given to His people is the Bible, His Word. When we read the Bible and compare it to our lives, we receive an image of what our life looks like in the sight of God.

If you notice also in our text this powerful tool can be misused. Instead of leading us to a more Christ-like life, it can be misused causing self-deceit. If we go to God’s Word, receive its truth but then forget what we have read, we have just deceived ourselves. We are thinking, “Boy, I have really pleased the Lord today, I read His Word! (but then forgot it)”; but, in reality, we have not pleased Him at all.

It is clear to see in our text, that the Lord meant for His Word to be read AND APPLIED. To read His Word without application is like buying a gallon of paint but never putting it on the wall. It is purchased, but it’s not put to use. Likewise, reading His Word. Reading His Word takes an investment of time and energy (in a sense “purchasing it”), but if we never apply it, the Word’s usefulness is ignored.

Notice that our text finishes with a promise of a blessing to those who read and apply His Word. This is incredible display of His grace to us. Don’t we deserve a blessing when we use His Word wisely? Let’s stop and think of some basic truths for just a minute:

Firstly, when God created man, He was NOT obligated to give us His Word to direct our lives. After creation and the fall, He could have just as easily left sinful mankind to go his own way. This would have led mankind into an eternity in the lake of fire. But He didn’t do this. He gave us His Word to lead us to Christ.

Secondly, once again, as newly saved Christians, we did not deserve His Word. But He gave us His Word for the Spirit to use to guide us as we live our life. Please notice, in both cases, He gave to us what we did not deserve; He did it simply because He loved us!

Now to take it a step further, the Lord promises to bless those of us who not only read, but, apply His Word to our lives. This, after he graciously gave us His Word and His Spirit to lead and guide us!!! Now, He rewards us for what is our duty to do (Luke 17:10). We owe it to Him to apply His Word; we are not doing Him any favors when we use His Word in the way it was intended. What an absolutely incredible display of His mercy and kindness to us. This is amazing grace!

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those of us who are forgiven of our sins…

If we understand how good God has been in giving us His Word, how can we waste this blessing by not applying it to our lives? I am the first to admit, at times, reading His Word and applying it to my life hurts. It’s not easy to see my faults. It’s even harder to overcome them through the power of the Spirit. It’s not easy, it’s painful, but it’s a necessity. We owe it to our Lord. Praise Him, He promises to bless us when we use His Word wisely!

For those who have not come to faith in Christ…

Please remember, one of the greatest reasons the Lord has given His Word to the world is to show mankind its need to be saved from their sin. Also, His Word tells us the way of salvation, placing our God-given faith in Christ. What is your first step to coming to faith in Christ. Look into His Word, see what your condition is and what can be done to remedy that condition. One place you might begin is Ephesians chapter 2. If you have any questions, or you would like to talk to someone about your spiritual condition, feel free to email me or get in contact with any Bible-believing church in your area.

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace”

“The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike”

http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.

Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

A Christian’s New Years Devotion

The Jewish Civil New Year begins on the first day of the month of Tishri on the Jewish calendar.  This month equates to our calendar months of September/October.  It was during this one month time frame that the Jews were instructed to observe three New Year related celebrations:  Feast of Trumpets (1st), Day of Atonement(10^th), and the Feast of Tabernacles(15^th-21^st). 



As we study these three celebrations, we can learn much about preparing for our new year as well.

THE SCRIPTURE:

Lev 23:23-44; Nums 29:1-40

THE STUDY:

The Feast of Trumpets (Lev 23:23-25, Nums 29:1-6)

This feast centered upon the ritualistic sounding of trumpets used to call men to assemble before God.   Besides calling men to attention or assembly, in the Bible, the blowing of trumpets emphasizes a new beginning, with new responsibilities, brought about by God’s intervention:

1. Giving of 10 commandments – Exo 19:16


2. Day of Atonement – forgiveness of national sin – Lev 25:9


3. Fall of Wall of Jericho – Josh 6:20


4. Defeat of Midianties – Judg 7:18


5. Ark restored to city of David – 2 Sam 6:15


6. New moon  beginning of new lunar cycle, new time of worship and service – Psa 81:3


7. Israel’s deliverance from bondage of Assyria and Egypt – Isa 27:13


8. Taking Of His people to Heaven at Rapture – Matt 24:31, 1 Cor 15:52


9. The Lord’s judgments during Tribulation period – Rev 8:13  

The Feast of Trumpets helps to remind us that:

It is by the Lord’s grace that we are entering into a New Year which can be a new beginning for us all.  This includes putting past failures behind us and looking forward to a new set of opportunities and responsibilities and victories in our service to Him.

The Day of Atonement (Lev 23:26-32, Num 29:7-11)

 This was a day set aside for the Jewish people to “afflict” their souls. In other words, it was a time set aside for coming to the Lord in humility asking for forgiveness for sins and a renewal of dedication for His service, putting Him first in their lives.

 Just as in the Feast of Trumpets, there was a  series of offerings that were to be made:

1. Burnt – picturing His death on the cross accepted by God  - Lev 1:1-17


2. Meat – picturing His blessings given to us  -  Lev 2:1-16


3. Sin – Picturing forgiveness of our transgressions against Him  - Lev 4:1-35


4. Drink – Picturing His shed blood on our behalf  -  Nums 15:5-7


5. Peace – Picturing His work brings about peace (rest, comfort, forgiveness) for us - Lev 3:1-5


6. Taken together, these represent His death, and shed blood, resulting in our forgiveness, peace and other blessings.

This was perhaps the most important observance for the Jewish celebrations.  If anyone refused to observe this Day of Atonement they were to be cut off from the people, alienated from all areas of worship and service.

The Day of Atonement reminds us that:

We have a great need to deal with our past sins, putting them behind us, and securing our communion with the Lord.  We are to enter into a New Year of service humbly and in submission to the Lord’s will and way for our lives. 

The motive for both of these should be His great sacrifice on our behalf.  When we consider what He has done for us shouldn’t we desire a close walk with Him, not hindered by unconfessed sin?  Shouldn’t we desire to be in submissive to His desires for us?  After all, aren’t both of these “our duty to do”?

We cannot over emphasize the absolute importance of communion and submission for the coming year ahead.  To deal with sin in our lives and then be submissive to will for the future is essential to living a victorious life in the coming year. 

The Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:34-44, Nums 29:12-40)

The Feast of Tabernacles was an eight day observance (beginning on the 15^th of the month and concluding on the 22^nd day of the month).  During this eight day celebration, the Israelites were to give sacrifices unto the Lord and dwell in booths (tents).  It was observed to remind the Israelites of their dwelling in tents during their wilderness journeys following their release from Egyptian slavery. 

The Feast of Tabernacles helps us to remind us that:

We are currently on a pilgrimage here on earth.  This is not our permanent home, like the Israelites who were traveling through the wilderness waiting for the Promised Land.  We are only strangers and pilgrims on this earth, waiting for our permanent, heavenly home.  

When trials enter our lives this coming year we need to always keep in mind, our heavenly home awaits… our greatest need is to rely on our Lord and keep looking for our heavenly home.

Please note in all of these three celebrations, no work was to be done on these days, emphasizing the need to concentrate solely on the things of God.  We should take a break from all the distractions the world has to offer and take time to simply commune with our Lord.  What better way is there to start the New Year?

Also, in all three celebrations we find a command to convene (assemble) was issued, this would allow for a time of worship and also a time of encouragement to be passed from one Israelite to another as they prepared to face their New Year.

We, as well, should learn from this principle.  Take time to worship at a Bible- believing church and try to encourage other Christians to prepare for the coming year.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

For the Christian….

To summarize our preparation for the New Year:

1.  It is by the Lord’s grace that we are entering into a New Year which can be a new beginning for us all.  (Phil 3:13-14)


2. putting past failures behind us


3. looking forward to a new set of opportunities and responsibilities and victories in our service to Him.


4. Entering into a New Year of service humbly and submitting to the Lord’s will and way for our lives.  (James 4:7-8)


5. Recognize His great sacrifice on our behalf. (Luke 17:10) 
   
   
   
   1. When we consider all He has done for us shouldn’t we desire a close walk with Him, not hindered by unconfessed sin? 
   
   
   2. Shouldn’t we desire to be in submissive to His desires for us?
   
   
   3. After all, aren’t both of these “our duty to do”?
   
   
   
   


6. Realize we are currently on a pilgrimage here on earth. We are waiting for our permanent, heavenly home. (Heb 11:13-16)
   
   
   
   1. When trials enter our lives this coming year we need to always keep in mind, our heavenly home awaits, our trials will only last for a season.
   
   
   
   


7. We should take a break from all the distractions the world has to offer and take time to simply commune with our Lord.  What better way is there to start the New Year?  (Psa 63:1-7)


8. Take time to attend a Bible- believing church  (Heb 10:24-25)
   
   
   
   1. We can worship the Lord
   
   
   2. We can encourage other Christians to prepare for the coming year. 
   
   
   
   

For those who have never trusted in Christ…

Now is the time for you to put your life of rebellion against God and His Word behind you and begin the New Year as a new creature in Christ (2 Cor 5:14-21).    None of us know what the New Year will bring into our lives, however, the greatest insurance for the future is being a child of God (Gal 4:4-7).  He promises to His children that He will never leave nor forsake His children (Heb 13:5-6) .  If adopted into His family, you can be assured of His love, care, communion and intervention in your life, as well as a glorious eternity awaiting you. (Matt 6:25-24)  

---------------------------------------------------------------

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

-------------------------------------------------------

The Thinker

“The Thinker” is the name of a very widely recognized statue created by Auguste Rodin.  The thinker represents “a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle.”  (Quote from http://www.statue.com/the-thinker-statue.html)

 Did you know that the Word of God encourages each of us to be this type of “thinker”?  Let’s take a moment to see what the Lord has to say …

 THE SCRIPTURE:

 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  (Hag 1:5-7)

 THE STUDY:

 In our text, the main thrust of these verses centers around the phrase “consider your ways” –

 The word “consider” is a translation of a three-word Hebrew phrase:

1.   the first word of the phrase means “to consider, to examine, to give attention”; 

2.   the second word carries with it the idea of “the heart, the innermost parts”;

3.   the third Hebrew word in our phrase is defined as “according to, because of” 

 The Hebrew word for “ways” is simply referring to the paths we have chosen to follow in our life.

 If we put all of our ideas together we get this idea: the Lord is telling us to “to closely examine our hearts to understand the motives that drive our life choices.”   How important it is for us to simply ask the question, “Why do we do what we do?”

 The Lord was speaking to members of Israel whose lives were exhibiting a lack of satisfaction and contentment, and the resulting loss of divine blessings.  He is instructing them to take time to ask the questions… “What is in your hearts that causes you to be never satisfied nor content?” and “What is taking place within you that is causing a lack of blessings to come your way?”

 THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

 Both for those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior, and for those who have never come to repentance and faith in Him… the need to examine our life’s motives cannot be underestimated.

 For the Christian….

 By examining our motives for our life choices, we can more easily see when our love for our Lord is beginning to grow cold.  When we love Him as we should, His will and desires for us will take preeminence in our decision making. 

We will ALWAYS put Him first, when we love Him as we should.  (Deut 6:5-9, Matt 22:37-38)  Do we find ourselves putting others ahead of the Lord in our life’s decisions?  Someplace along life’s path, sin has slipped into our life and our love for Him has grown cold… (Matt 24:12)  It is our responsibility to come before Him asking for forgiveness and allow Him to restore a right heart… (1 John 1:8-10)

 For those who have never trusted in Christ…

 By examining the driving forces behind your decision making, you will quickly come to a realization that the fulfillment of the desires of your flesh and mind are the driving forces in your life choices.  The Lord explains your condition in this way:

 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”(Eph 2:2-3)

 If you see yourself in this condition what must be done?  The Lord clearly reveals the answer to this question in the following verses:

 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”(Eph 2:4-9)

In these verses, the two main points that are presented are:

#1 – Christ must intervene in your life and grant you spiritual life.  This can only be done through an act of God.  No man can merit, nor gain, this gift of spiritual life through any works he may perform.

#2 – It is imperative that one who is dead in their sins come to Christ in submission to Him, humbly recognizing they can do nothing to gain their own salvation.  A part of this submissive spirit is the willingness to turn their past sins, to trust Him with their entire life, and accept Him as Lord of their life.

 Christ’s promise to each one who sincerely seeks Him….

 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.  (Joh 6:35-40)

[polldaddy poll=3820295]

  If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

 Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”