New Covenant

Heb. 9:14 “ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”-

The old testament was a covenant between God and the Jews that as long as they would only serve Him and follow Him, He would make them a great nation that would led the world to see that there was a God above all others gods. God always came through on His part of the covenant. The Jews, were a fickle nation that often followed the wickedness of their heart and served the god’s around them. The old testament required the shedding of blood to atone for sin, and an altar to present a sacrifice. Returning back to God in the OT, required that altars be erected and the blood of calve and goats be shed. Jesus, sent from God came to earth to establish a new testament. This new covenant was to be once and for all, doing away with the blood shed of animals. For Christ became the supreme sacrifice for sin, giving His life as a ransom for sin. On the mount of Golgatha, an altar was made, Jesus, nailed to a cross was, shed His blood for the world. Anyone who would believe that Jesus died for their sins and would accept this gift of forgiveness would enter into a new covenant with God. 

Our Affections

Col 3:2-3 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”-

As a sinner, our affections were set on the things of this world. Our carnal lustful desires were rooted in self and gratifying the flesh. “If it feels good, just do It” has been the motto of many who seek their own pleasure. Setting your affections implies that one’s will is involved with how those affections are fulfill. Paul, knowing that sexual desire is a human affection given to us by God, write that this affection be not satisfied in a way that fulfills the lust of the carnal flesh. God has ordained that this heavenly affection is fulfilled between a man and a women who have joined themselves in marriage. Sex outside of marriage, or allowing the mind to fulfill this desire is unclean and considered inordinate affections. We are no longer sinners, if we have put on the new man which is the image of Christ. We must now set our will to desire those things that reflect this image. The “new man” will seek the Holy Spirit to help them set their affections on things that are above, or Christ like. We no longer walk in the way of sinful living, but Christ who lives in our heart sent the Holy Spirit to help us put to death those members that seek after the things of this world. As a Christian, Satan will try and twist our affections and tempt us to fulfill a desire that is holy and fulfill it in a way that is sinful. Many a good person have fallen because they failed to keep their eyes and affections on Christ and have given in to Satan’s suggestions. Let us walk in the Spirit, so not to fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Suffering

Philippians 1:29 “For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,”-

Holiness is more that just believing in Him, it is being willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. Called unto holiness goes beyond a work of initial surrender and having the Holy Spirit abide. Such an act of the will and faith to believe that the Holy Spirit can remove self from the throne of the heart and put Christ on the throne is essential to living a victorious Christian life. But, the daily walk with God requires  us to daily submit to His will and always be ready to follow where He leads. We live by faith and walk in faith that He will empower us to do His will. Suffering for Christ is being willing to go through circumstances that may be unpleasant, and situations that may be painful and uncomfortable. Suffering is a foreign experience to most of us that live comfortable lives. Most of us are not acquainted with persecution for our faith. We may face some ridicule from the world for our faith, but we in a society that people can believe whatever they want. There may come a day that our faith may put us in opposition to laws made by sinful men, and that day may be given unto us soon. When it does, we must take our stand for Christ in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel.

Flee Temptation

Gen. 39:12 “And she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got himself out.”

Fleeing Temptation is often the most prudent thing to do when Satan presses hard on our desires to do something that would grieve the Lord. Just saying, “No” may not be enough to overcome, we must sometimes walk away and remove ourselves for the appearance of evil. Being tempted is not sin and it does not mean that you are a sinful person. Satan takes natural desires that God has given us and perverts them. Our desire for material goods, to be loved and accepted are all things that God desires for us. “All these things shall be added unto you” are His words. Temptation would not be temptation if we did not desire it. God wants to fulfill the desires of our heart, mind, body and soul. He knows what we want and will give us what we need in His time. 

Freedom of Choice

Debt 30:19 “ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live,”-

Every day we make choices. Some choices was short term consequences and other choices are life changing.. God has given us the freedom of choice. We can choose to do good or we can choose to do bad. The choice is ours. The choices we make are often influences by what we think the outcome will be. If we perceive that the outcome will make us look less than perfect or will give people the impression that we are not what we like others to think, we will choose to preserve our self image. The decision to live for God will bring us to many crossroads in our walk with Him. In light of making choices that can be life changing, we must always examine what the Word of God says. God’s word is filled with life’s principles of doing what is right. A wrong choice can be made with all good intentions, God looks on the heart of man and will take those choices and turn them into good. That is how God works to them that love Him and desires to follow Him with all their heart. “Lord help me to always make choices that will please you. Help me to choose the path of right living, one that honors God, and loves my neighbor”

Seeking God First

Mat. 6:33 “ But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”-

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, human nature is seeded in sin. The choices in life that are made are influences by this sin nature. Self preservation is part of the human nature. People will do unconceivable things to preserve self. Even after we commit our live to God is full surrender, we still live in these vessels of clay. Vessels that are weak and subject to failure. That is why we must always seek God and call on His wisdom and power to help us make the choices in life. When we are in want, it is tempting to worry and complain of our circumstances. Jesus knew that we would face time of discouragement and stress. He understands what the effects of sin as done to humanity. That is why He came to this world. He wants to help us overcome our human nature and give it to God. With God nothing is impossible. All are needs are met when we seek first the face of Jesus and trust Him to take care of our needs.

Looking to Christ

Psalms 146:8 “The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind; the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down; the Lord loveth the righteous.”-

The Lord loves all of His creation, but to those who seek after Him and desire to do what is right, He pours out His blessing, and His love is unabated. The blind man who desires to see truth is made to see by the Lord who opens the spiritual eyes of those that live in darkness. To them that have lost hope, and have beed defeated by the devil day in and day out, God will raise up. Victory comes by trusting God to help us look up and see the redemption of God. He is still in control and He will not be denied. Our political world in our nation looks bleak and our nation is in the balance of become one nation under Self. But God will watch over those who love and fear Him. He will cause to righteous to look up and see that there is one coming that will set all things right. Let us not give up, but hold on and see God work.

Touch of Christ

Luke 8 :46 “And Jesus said, “Somebody hath touched Me, for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.”-

We are touched by many things in life, but the greatest touch we can receive is the one given by God. The power of Christ is able to touch anyone who reaches out in faith, believing that He is and is able to do the impossible. We all need His touch. At one time or another, we need His touch to bring healing to our body. Our mind is on overload and we are stressed out, we need His touch. Our emotions and nerves are on edge, We need His touch. Our soul is damage from sin, we need His touch. It is the touch of the Master that will heal soul, mind, body and spirit. “Lord, let me reach out and touch the border of your garment and receive the touch of God, so I may live and glorify your name”

The Chastening of the Lord

Heb 12:5b, 6a ““My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth”-

We all live in vessels made of clay, subject to human frailties and bodies that are imperfect. We are quick to jump to conclusions and make imperfect judgments. We have habits from a life of sin that often lead us to make wrong decisions in life. We seek to love God and do his will, but sometimes come short. In prayer, the Lord speaks to us and disciplines us for our lack of falling short. God desires us to live a life of holiness, one that is righteous and pleasing to Him. He knows us better than anyone else and knows are weakness and areas that we need to work on. If we are dealing with sin, we need to confess it to Him and continue to walk in obedience. But, God also want to make up better Christians, and that often requires us to learn hard lessons and a willingness to admit that we can make mistakes that can affect our spiritual life.

Boldness in Christ

Heb. 10:19 “Having therefore boldness, brethren, to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,”-

Boldness is to act with assurance and determination. Because Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood we who were once children of darkness can now approach the throne of God with the assurance that He will accept us as His child. There is no fear of repercussion. He will not turn away any soul that comes in the Name of Jesus. Because He is our Father, we have been given special privileges to enter into the Holy of Holies. The vail has be ripped apart the chasm that separated us from God has been bridged. The Father of creation entreats us with open arms to come in and fellowship with Him. With confidence we can draw ourselves into the embrace of God and He will wrap His loving arms around us and bring us comfort. We are too close to the end to give up and quit. We need to hold on to God and believe that He is in control and He is faithful to keep us from trouble and evil. “Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it.”

The Fountain of Life

Psalm 36:8b, 9a “...Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the fountain of life...”-

There is a fountain, a fountain of pure delight. Water of life that gushes forth, and whosever will drink of this water will experience pleasure beyond imagination. The source of this water is Jesus Christ. The water flows through life like a river. It makes its way down through the valley, places where life is dry and souls cry out in thirst. This water is not like any other kind of water. It will satisfy the thirst of the soul. It will be a spring of joy and will be everlasting. The fountain of life will never run dry, it flows from the throne of God and it’s given to anyone who desire to drink. This water is not for the selected few, it is for anyone who desires to made anew. We no longer drink from the waters of Mara. Life is no longer wretched and bitter. His water brings sweetness to life and fulfills the longing and desires of the heart.

Music for the Soul

Colossians 3:16 “ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”-

Music, the key that opens the door that allows the heart to express its soul. The music we listen to and sing to allows us to enter into His presence. The implication is that music is a way we use to help admonish and teach one another the things of God. It is important that we don’t feed our minds with music that does not glorify God. All secular music (music that does not infer God) is not bad. Lyrics that invite fleshly carnal desires and cause one to think sinful thought are to be abstained. “ And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.” are the words of Paul given to us in the next verse. Genre of music in our day are many, and we all have our individual taste to what appeals to our spirit. There are some genre that I have a hard time listening to even when Christian lyrics are used, but God uses means beyond my understanding to speak to the hearts of people. I enjoy listening to music that lifts up the name of Jesus. It feeds my soul and I can express my love and adoration. Let the music we sing and listen to be pleasing to God and lift our spirit to live a life in Christ. 

Connecting with God

2 Kings 19:19 “Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech Thee, save Thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the Lord God, even Thou only.”-

Connecting is a new buzz word that is used in today’s world. We live in a day where connecting is made a lot easier than it was 25- 30 years ago. The sad things is that people are too busy to take time to connect with God. We are occupied with many legit things and then we feel it is necessary to take some time to relax and enjoy life’s pleasures. Beseeching God is something that is done when we find ourselves in need of help. God does want us to call out to Him in time of need and He takes pleasure in answering our request. But, too often, we neglect the daily communication that God wants to have with us. Times when needs are not pressing in or trouble is not at hand. We need to take time to just stop and talk to God because He is God and is worthy of our time. Beseech God when the sea is still and the waters are calm. Talk to Him as you drive to work, or take your morning walk. Take time to beseech Him to let Him know you love Him and that He alone is God who knows you best. It is time to connect with God, and live life to its fullness.

Double-minded Man

James 1:8 “ A doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways.”-

The spiritual state of a person is determine by his state of mind. There are essentially 3 states of mind, a carnal mind, double mind, and a spiritual mind. A person who lives and is controlled by a carnal mind has no desire for spiritual things. His 1st thought is only to please himself and consumes himself with fleshly desires. They are humanistic in their philosophy of life, a god unto themselves. A double minded man struggles between the carnal mind and spiritual mind. They desire to do what is right, but they waver in their determination to resist temptation. They fail to hold on to God and faith when they are going through a trail or test. 

The Lord is Gracious

Psalm 145:8,9 “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”-

God is good, He is good all the time. Walking this earthly journey is filled with events that bring both joy and sadness. In times of sadness or difficult situations, we may wonder if God is really good. If God is good and He cared, then why is He allowing such tragedy to invade my life. I don’t claim to have an answer that will satisfied any one who is grieving at the moment, but I do know that God does care about the pain we suffer and the circumstances in our life that bring distress. He is a God of love and desires to draw us near when we hurt. Satan will do all He can to get us to doubt God’s goodness. He daunts us with doubt and fear. “If God...” are the words that often spew from lips. He is the accuser of the brother and will accuse God before us. Because God is good, He demonstrated His great love and mercy, He sent His Son to earth to give us new life. God is good to all. He so loved the world, that everyone who will believe can experience the goodness of God.

The Lord Delights in Us

Numbers 14:8 “ If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which floweth with milk and honey.”-

The conditions of blessing from God often hinge on us doing what is right. To receive the approbation of God, we must first show ourselves willing to be obedient to His voice. To disregard the words of God is to rebel against His desires. He cannot delight in us if we are not willing to listen and obey. The land of milk and honey is before us and to obtain this blessing we must trust God to fight our battles and go before us. 

Marvelous Light

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”-

We all walked in darkness and our life was clouded with sin and depravity. God, full of mercy and grace has called us from living a life of darkness and now shines His marvelous light of salvation through Christ. Those who’s deeds are evil, love darkness rather than light. In the cover of darkness, sin abounds, but those who live in the marvelous light are shining forth the praised of God. The desire of the heart is to do what is right, Like a flower that leans toward the light, we gravitate toward that which is holy.