Psalm 101:2-3a " I will be careful to lead a blameless life-- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing."
We need to consider carefully that which we allow to contaminate our minds. Many people choose to allow the things of the world to dilute the way they look at sin. People say that going to a party where people are getting drunk is okay, as long as you're staying sober. Not true. The world wants us to believe that getting attached to material things such as games, expensive cars, fancy wardrobes, etc. is a normal thing, and therefore it is an okay thing to do. Anything that takes our focus off of God is detrimental. But everyone else is doing it - why shouldn't I? One of the most tender subjects for teenagers is sexuality. The world tells us sex before marriage is ok, as long as no one gets hurt. Truth is, someone always... gets... hurt. If not physically, emotionally; if not emotionally, spiritually. "I will set before my eyes no vile thing..." Guys, are you allowing your minds to be taken off of God and swept away by fantasies? By the same token, are you girls dressing in such a way that you are causing the guys to be drawn away and tempted? As the body of believers, we are called to build eachother up in Christ - not to make each other stumble.
Consider carefully the things that make up your living space - what do you involve yourself in on a daily basis that would be considered a "vile thing?" What the world considers to be honorable is a twisted, evil deception. The world is Satan's playground. That delicious candy bar he wags in front of your face is really full of rocks; but you won't know that until it's in your mouth. Be wise as serpents, but gentle as doves. Don't let the world carry you away from Christ. Don't go along with what the world is doing. We are called to be set apart.
Proverbs 3:3 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart." NIV
What does it mean to love another person? Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends." Christ laid down His life for us because He loves us. He didn't take away our sins because we are lovable people; He did it because He chose to love us. God chooses to love us regardless of our insufficiency and filth. The world tells us that love is a feeling - that we "fall in love," and it's something that we can't control. If this were true, everyone would hate each other. How lovable is the average person? We all have habits and traits that can be annoying to others. If our mother treated us according to the way we treat her, it would be a constant battle, a constant fight. How many times have you snapped at your mother, only to have her continue to make your meals, provide for you, and love you? Mothers are not perfect, but they have a unique ability to unconditionally love their children. Do you think that you were, as a child, always easy to love and wonderful to be around? Of course not. But your mother did not give up hope. She loved you and nurtured you despite your disobedience. God handles us in the same manner.
Proverbs 3:11 says, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent His rebuke; because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in."
Our parents, contrary to popular belief, do not enjoy punishing us. They don't like to see us in pain. Still, they punish us so that we will know how to cope with future difficulties. They discipline us so that we will realize that the world does not revolve around us. If our parents, as created human beings, love us in that way, how much more do you think that God - the all-powerful, all knowing, amazing Creator of the universe - loves us? We have a great responsibility to that love. The Word of God is full of verses about loving one another as God has loved us. We can't do that. It is impossible for us, as human beings with all our selfishness and greed, to comprehend (much less carry out) the love displayed by Christ. We can only love each other sincerely through surrender to Christ. It is not merely words that must display our love, but also our thoughts and actions. Our actions show our true selves. What does your true self look like?
Talk to God. Ask Him to show you true love and to give you the guidance to love someone with Hislove today. It may start in your own home with your brothers or sisters, mom or dad. It may be difficult to do, but your soul is on the line. Give God the glory. Pray continually. Love one another.
Proverbs 3:3 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart." NIV
What does it mean to love another person? Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends." Christ laid down His life for us because He loves us. He didn't take away our sins because we are lovable people; He did it because He chose to love us. God chooses to love us regardless of our insufficiency and filth. The world tells us that love is a feeling - that we "fall in love," and it's something that we can't control. If this were true, everyone would hate each other. How lovable is the average person? We all have habits and traits that can be annoying to others. If our mother treated us according to the way we treat her, it would be a constant battle, a constant fight. How many times have you snapped at your mother, only to have her continue to make your meals, provide for you, and love you? Mothers are not perfect, but they have a unique ability to unconditionally love their children. Do you think that you were, as a child, always easy to love and wonderful to be around? Of course not. But your mother did not give up hope. She loved you and nurtured you despite your disobedience. God handles us in the same manner.
Proverbs 3:11 says, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent His rebuke; because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in."
Our parents, contrary to popular belief, do not enjoy punishing us. They don't like to see us in pain. Still, they punish us so that we will know how to cope with future difficulties. They discipline us so that we will realize that the world does not revolve around us. If our parents, as created human beings, love us in that way, how much more do you think that God - the all-powerful, all knowing, amazing Creator of the universe - loves us? We have a great responsibility to that love. The Word of God is full of verses about loving one another as God has loved us. We can't do that. It is impossible for us, as human beings with all our selfishness and greed, to comprehend (much less carry out) the love displayed by Christ. We can only love each other sincerely through surrender to Christ. It is not merely words that must display our love, but also our thoughts and actions. Our actions show our true selves. What does your true self look like?
Talk to God. Ask Him to show you true love and to give you the guidance to love someone with Hislove today. It may start in your own home with your brothers or sisters, mom or dad. It may be difficult to do, but your soul is on the line. Give God the glory. Pray continually. Love one another.
In a recent study in Ephesians chapter 1 I came across something that for the first time I found rather interesting. In Ephesians 1:2 it reads in the NASB “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The phrase that caught my attention was “the Lord Jesus Christ.” The reason why this caught my attention is that in the Greek there is no definite article “the”. It literally simply reads: “Lord Jesus Christ” (κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, kuriou Iesou Christou.)
Many translators would simply assert that the article is understood from the context, and I would have to agree with them but possibly in a different respect and perhaps there is something more theologically profound underlying the lack of the definite article.
I never would have thought much about this phrase until I came across Luke 1:68, which reads: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.”
This passage says “the Lord God”, without the definite article “the” before “Lord” but it has one before “God” (κύριος ὁ θεὸς, literally Lord the God).
You might be asking yourself what the significance of this would be. Genesis 2:8 reads: “The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden, and there He placed the man whom He had formed.”
You’ll notice that LORD is in all caps. Anytime you see this you know that it is a translation of Yahweh. God in the Hebrew is the word Elohim. Yahweh never appears in the Hebrew text with the definite article. What really becomes interesting is the Greek translation of the Old Testament’s rendering of this passage. It translates Yahweh Elohim (the LORD God) as κύριος ὁ θεὸς (kurios o theos, Lord the God) the exact same way it appears in Luke 1:68.
Genesis 2:15 says The LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”
Again, “The LORD God” is the Hebrew “Yahweh Elohim” and the Greek κύριος ὁ θεὸς (Lord the God), exactly the way it comes out in Luke 1:68.
Here’s the other places in Genesis 2 where this occurs, where Yahweh is translated as κύριος (LORD) without the definite article “the” and Elohim is translated as ὁ θεὸς (The God) with the definite article “the”: Gen 2:16, 2:18.
This gets really interesting in Genesis 3:1. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” Once again “the LORD God” in Hebrew is Yahweh Elohim and in Greek κύριος ὁ θεὸς (Lord the God) exactly how it comes across in the Greek of Luke 1:68.
There are scores of other passages that I won’t bore you with that demonstrate that the Greek OT translates Yahweh Elohim as the Greek κύριος ὁ θεὸς (Lord the God) or essentially Yahweh as κύριος without the definite article.
But there are several more that are really important to the conclusion I’m going to suggest.
If you have a cross reference Bible you’ll probably notice that for Luke 1:68 there are several verses that they suggest as cross references. Before we look specifically at these verses let’s look a little deeper at the Greek of Luke 1:68. Luke 1:68 starts out by saying:
“Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel…”
Ἐυλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς.
The Greek word Ἐυλογητὸς is actually normally an adjective and never used of a creature, only true Deity. For clarity on pronunciation, here is the transliterated form Eulogetos kurios o theos.
So with that in mind notice the verses presented in the cross references. First, 1 Kings 1:48, “The king has also said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Isreal, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”
Literally it reads:
“Blessed be the LORD God of Isreal…”
Ἐυλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς
Second, Psalm 41:13, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Isreal, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”
Again, literally reads:
“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel…”
Ἐυλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς
Third, Psalm 72:18, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders.”
Notice:
“Blessed be the LORD God…”
Ἐυλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς
And Finally, Psalm 106:48, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD.”
Literally reads:
“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel”
Ἐυλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς
It seems abundantly clear to me that Luke is expressing the Greek understanding of the phrase, Yahweh Elohim. So he is literally stating in a Greek connotation that Yahweh visited us and accomplished redemption for His people. Jesus Christ is true deity, as He is truly Yahweh. And perhaps in Ephesians 1:2, Paul is expressing a similar concept of “Yahweh Jesus Christ”, as he presents κύριος (Lord) without the definite article, the way the Greek translation of the OT translated Yahweh.
There was a man who had two sons, and he gave them an inheritance. The younger son decided to go away, and he fell into a life of wickedness. When he realized that the world was not as appealing as it had seemed, he decided to return to his father; upon returning, he asked to be a servant in his father's house to pay his father back for what he had done. His father accepted him joyfully and called for a feast, but his older brother resented the fact that his father had been so gracious to the wayward son. He felt that he deserved to be punished instead of welcomed.
*The father in the story represents God.
*The younger son represents the lost person.
*The feast represents the joy in the heavenly realms when a sinner returns to God.
*The older brother represents the cold, self-righteous Christian who resents God's compassion on a wicked person.
Aren't we all prodigal sons in our own way? Hasn't our Father accepted us all back into the family? What joy we must have that God is so willing to forgive. NOW, we must be that way toward others. When a sinner comes to God (no matter how sinful his life had been - after all, sin is all the same to God), God wills that we rejoice with that person, rather than resentful toward him. God never said it would be easy. That's why we must surrender to Him - and we do that through prayer and submission.
Wayne Barber, a renowned pastor famous for his book, Living Grace http://www.waynebarber.com/, once made an analogy about a limp coat and compared it to a sleeping Christian. Envision a coat hanging limp on a hook.
This is the way a sleeping Christian looks - one who believes in God, but is not living for Him. A sleeping Christian is not surrendering himself everyday, every minute, every second, to Christ. He is a body with no life inside. When someone takes that coat and puts it on his back, then there is life inside. That's what the Holy Spirit can do with you --- when you yield everything you are to God, you are no longer lifeless. You have something real inside of you! But it is not until you allow that living thing to rule every part of your being that the coat is no longer limp.
There is such joy that comes out of surrendering to Christ. Nothing feels better. It is as if nothing else matters - but what God wants for you. Surrender is truly freeing.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:31, "I die everyday." When he says this, he means that he dies to himself everyday and puts God's will before his wants. He disregards his own feelings and seeks God's face every single day. Grab your Bible or read this passage here: http://niv.scripturetext.com/1_corinthians/15.htm
--- Do not be Unequally Yoked Together with Unbelievers----
"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" -- Amos 3:3 -- We must not be unequally yoked together with people who don't believe the fundamentals of the gospel. After all, how can two people walk together if they don't agree on the direction in which they are going?
Sometimes we think that we can get into a relationship with a person who doesn't believe what we believe about God, thinking that it doesn't matter at this age. However, it does matter --- what's the point of dating if not to prepare for a future marriage?
--- Coffee is the "Attitude" of a Coffee Mug ----
A relationship with a non-believer can also bring us down spiritually. We may become distracted from our relationship with Christ if we are that involved with that kind of person. Of course, we must not judge, but take careful steps to surrender everything to God - so that He will direct our words. Every word we say to a non-believer must be out of complete and total love; something that can only be accomplished by allowing God to fill us up. Coffee fills a coffee cup to the brim - therefore, the coffee is its attitude. Just as coffee in a coffee cup is the cup's attitude, so must Christ be ours. He has to be what is filling our hearts.
God teaches us lessons. He teaches us lesson after lesson after lesson; but we must be willing to receive. Think about the Christians in your life. Do you ask them for advice? God places other Christians here so that we might fellowship with them, and they might fellowship with us.
Oswald Chambers, in his book My Utmost for His Highest says that one must forsake anything that is keeping him from surrendering to God. There are all kinds of things that keep a young person from surrendering to God - sports, fashion, friends, possessions, pride, and in many cases, drugs and alcohol. No matter how harmless or hurtful something may seem, if it keeps us from God, it is of the Devil.
Here is a snippet of Mr. Chambers' devotional book: http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php
