SIN. It has the potential to bring EVERYTHING down.
It has to be STOPPED!
The good news, is, that’s what the Gospel is all about.
The Father wants to STOP SIN and that is why He sent His Son to cancel its debt on the cross and in His resurrection provide the power we need to live a godly life.
Like, Joseph, who was horribly treated by others, betrayed, slandered, and falsely imprisoned – he did not return evil with evil. In, effect, he said, “the sin will stop with me!”
As Christians, we need to take the same stand! CHRISTIANITY is about BREAKING destructive cycles. The Lord may have you in your marriage or your family to do just that. The Lord may have you “there” to ensure the grace of God is “there” and that the power of the “Resurrection” is “there”! After all, “we are ambassadors for Christ!” (2 Cor. 5:20)
Today the Lord has given you the grace that you will need to be salt and light to God’s glory! 🙂
Sooo true! Just what I needed today. Keep up the good work pastor Greg. Services have been so blessed. Praise the Lord! Psalm 84:11
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!!!!!
Thank you Greg, Stephanie, Calvary Chapel of Auburn Staff, Ministry brothers and sisters, for being salt and light to God’s glory!!!!!
WE ARE BLESSED!!!
ONWARD!
Joseph His-Story part 2.
05-03-2009 Communion Sunday.
I have always wondered why Jesus silenced the demons in the Gospels.
Consider this text, for example:
And just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have You come to destroy us?
I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
And throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him (Mark 1:23-26).
Why wouldn’t Jesus allow the demons to speak here.
It would be one thing if what they said was not true, but He was the Holy One of God who had come to destroy them.
Why, then, would He not allow them to bear witness to His identity?
There may be more than one answer, but I think that one reason was this: Jesus did not want the testimony of a liar.
He knew that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (Matthew 7:18 )
Jesus had sufficient witnesses to His identity, including the Father, the Old Testament Scriptures, John the Baptist, His own works, and eventually His followers.
But who would want the witness of those who character was that of a liar.
Jesus said this of Satan, their leader:
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
When we come to the specific elements of the Christian’s spiritual armor, it is not surprising that truth is the first of the defenses identified by Paul.
Satan is a liar, and his attack on Christians is by means of his deceptive and devious “schemes” (Ephesians 6:11).
The truth is God’s protective armor so that his lies can be recognized and resisted, so that we might stand firm in our faith.
Let us give careful heed to Paul’s words about truth, for this is vitally important to our spiritual well-being.
Girding Up Our Loins
We all dress in a certain order.
We put on our “foundation garments” first, because we put other clothing over them.
I put my shoes on last, because I hate to try to put my pants on with my shoes already on.
The armor is also put on in a certain sequence.
The girding of the loins is the first step in the Christian’s preparation for spiritual warfare.
In the Bible, the girding of the loins is a preparatory step, it prepares us for further action.
As you know, the clothing of the Israelites of old was not like our own.
The men did not wear pants, sport coats, or suits. (or in my case shorts and tennis shoes)
They wore garments which were much less form-fitting.
Their garments not only were draped over their bodies, they went almost to the ground.
If a man were going to run, he would first have to gather up his garment and tuck it into his belt or sash, so that he would not stumble and fall.
Girding the loins were therefore the first step in preparing for vigorous activity, which involved the feet.
As the Israelites were about to partake of the Passover Meal, it was in preparation for their exodus from Egyptian bondage and their entrance into the promised land.
Thus, God instructed the people of Israel to eat the meal with their loins girded, ready for what was to follow:
“‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover” (Exodus 12:11).
So also, Peter spoke of the girding of the loins to the saints of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia:
Therefore, gird your minds [lit. the loins of your mind] for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were your in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:13-16).
I believe that when Paul speaks of the girding of our loins in Ephesians chapter 6, he, like Peter, was speaking of the girding of the loins of our minds.
The truth is that which gathers up the loose ends of information and by which it may be judged regarding its conformity to truth and goodness.
Truth is the grid through which all information can and must be filtered.
We live in a fallen world with fallen selfish natures.
We desperately need the mind of Christ, the word of God to “filter” every thing we hear, see, touch and say.
If we don’t we will error.
Jesus said thy word is truth.
What about the “fact” that the earth revolves around the son, isn’t that truth?
No it isn’t!
How is that possible you may ask?
Well; Jesus said Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will endure forever.
The earth revolving around the sun is not going to be truth forever!
It will one day pass away.
I think that’s why David said, “Thy truth I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.
I think the days are soon coming my fellow Christians, that if we don’t stand for God’s truth, we will fall for anything!
I’m tired of being like Humpty Dumpty, always falling and breaking in peaces.
You remember the story, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again, but, the King of Kings can.
Do ya trust Him?
He asked us to learn 3 things.
1) Matthew 11:29 – Learn of me – you will find rest, look at me, watch me.
2) Luke 21 – learn the parable of the fig tree – Learn about prophecy. Its about Him
3) Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice. LEARN MERCY
Mercy – Its not getting what we deserve.
The master of mercy, the monarch of mercy our Lord Jesus Christ-declared from the Cross – Father forgive…..
They don’t know what they are doing, He said – forgive them – Now that’s mercy.
God told Israel in the Old Testament– I will meet with you at the Mercy Seat.
Inside the Holy of Holies sat the ark – inside it was the 10 commandments – the Law – broken by us Humpty Dumpty’s.
It had a lid covering – the Mercy Seat – where the High Priest sprinkled the blood from the sacrifice.
God had said that is where I will meet with you.
One day the Philistines had sent the Ark of the Covenant – back to Israel – to the people of Bethshemesh.
We are told that the men of Bethshemesh were so excited – that the ark was back.
The Bible says that the men of Bethshemesh lifted off the mercy seat to look into the ark.
I don’t know what they were looking for, presumably to see if the Law, the 10 commandments, was still inside.
When they lifted off the Mercy seat – 50,070 men of Israel died -INSTANTLY.
WHY? – Because they moved the mercy seat.
They took away mercy to look at the law – to make sure it was intact.
Sometimes I can do that to people.
I set aside mercy to check out the law, I want to get to the bottom of this issue.
I want the truth.
The problem is there is no bottom when we remove mercy.
When we want to get to the bottom of things and we remove mercy things die, relationships die, fellowships dies, and the presence of the Lord departs.
I WILL MEET WITH YOU AT THE MERCY SEAT God declared, not in the box where the law was kept.
A) God who says I will meet with you at the mercy seat says to us – LEARN MERCY – WHY?
B) Because He has been so merciful to us.
C) Show mercy – Undeserved Favor.
Today, Church we took communion.
I know first service did theirs and second service theirs, but God who inhabits eternity saw it as one single act? (even in other Churches)
So: in all your relationships, in all your actions, in and out of the Church, what are your choices?
Choice #1 – Throw in the Cross. Apply the Blood – met them at the mercy seat.
Choice #2 – Know no man after the Flesh, 2 Cor. 5:16 – Treat all men as forgiven by Christ. Whether they have acknowledged it or not! Remember, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Choice #3 Show Mercy – Justice was paid for by Jesus, totally.
Tonight – #1 – Maybe, we need to go to the Cross – redo our communion.
#2 – See all those people in Jesus, remember while we were yet sinners He died for us.
#3 Show mercy – Find a way to bless people, pray for those who use you.
You might need to see them this week and show them mercy.
Remember Romans 2:5 “Its your kindness that leads us to repentance”
It was also Joseph who after years of separation from his family and having been sold into slavery by his own brothers said ,”What you meant for evil,God meant for good.”
Sometimes it is hard in the midst of pain and anguish to remember that it is not about us. God sees, God knows, and God’s grace is sufficient for anything and everything.
Stopping sin can start with us, right here right now:
I have always wondered why Jesus silenced the demons in the Gospels.
Consider the text in Mark 1:23-26 for example:
And just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
And throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him (Mark 1:23-26).
Why wouldn’t Jesus allow the demons to speak here.
It would be one thing if what they said was not true, but He was the Holy One of God who had come to destroy them.
Why, then, would He not allow them to bear witness to His identity?
There may be more than one answer, but I think that one reason was this: Jesus did not want the testimony of a liar.
He knew that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (Matthew 7:18 )
Jesus had sufficient witnesses to His identity, including the Father, the Old Testament Scriptures, John the Baptist, His own works, and eventually His followers.
But who would want the witness of those who character was that of a liar.
Jesus said this of Satan, their leader: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
I even think you could call him a pathological liar!
When we come to the specific elements of the Christian’s spiritual armor, it is not surprising that truth is the first of the defenses identified by Paul.
Satan is a liar, and his attack on Christians is by means of his deceptive and devious “schemes” (Ephesians 6:11).
The truth is God’s protective armor so that his lies can be recognized and resisted, so that we might stand firm in our faith.
Let us give careful heed to Paul’s words about truth, for this is vitally important to our spiritual well-being.
Girding Up Our Loins
We all dress in a certain order.
We put on our “foundation garments” first, because we put other clothing over them.
I put my shoes on last, because I hate to try to put my pants on with my shoes already on.
The armor is also put on in a certain sequence.
The girding of the loins is the first step in the Christian’s preparation for spiritual warfare.
In the Bible, the girding of the loins is a preparatory step; it prepares us for further action.
As you know, the clothing of the Israelites of old was not like our own.
The men did not wear pants, sport coats, or suits. (or in my case shorts and tennis shoes)
They wore garments which were much less form-fitting than the cloths we wear.
Their garments not only were draped over their bodies, they went almost to the ground.
If a man were going to run, he would first have to gather up his garment and tuck it into his belt or sash, so that he would not stumble and fall.
Girding the loins were therefore the first step in preparing for vigorous activity, which involved the feet.
As the Israelites were about to partake of the Passover Meal, it was in preparation for their exodus from Egyptian bondage and their entrance into the promised land.
Thus, God instructed the people of Israel to eat the meal with their loins girded, ready for what was to follow:
“‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover” (Exodus 12:11).
So also, Peter spoke of the girding of the loins to the saints of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia:
Therefore, gird your minds [lit. the loins of your mind] for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were your in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:13-16)
I believe that when Paul speaks of the girding of our loins in Ephesians chapter 6, he, like Peter, was speaking of the girding of the loins of our minds.
The truth is that which gathers up the loose ends of information and by which it may be judged regarding its conformity to truth and goodness of God’s word.
Truth is the grid through which all information can and must be filtered.
We live in a fallen world with fallen selfish natures.
We desperately need the mind of Christ, the word of God to “filter” every thing we hear, see, touch and say.
If we don’t we will error.
Jesus said thy word is truth.
You may say: but, what about the “fact” that the earth revolves around the son, isn’t that truth?
No it isn’t! It really isn’t!
How is that possible you may ask?
Well; Jesus said Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will endure forever.
The earth revolving around the sun is not going to be truth forever!
It will one day pass away.
I think that’s why David said, “Thy word (truth) I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.
I think the days are soon coming my fellow Christians, that if we don’t stand for God’s truth, we will fall for anything!
I’m tired of being like Humpty Dumpty, always falling and breaking in peaces.
You remember the story, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again, but, the King of Kings can.
Do ya trust Him?
He asked us to learn 3 things.
1) Matt 11:29 – Learn of me – you will find rest, look at me, watch me.
2) Luke 21 – learn the parable of the fig tree – Learn about prophecy. Its about Him
3) Matt 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice. LEARN MERCY
Mercy – It’s not getting what we deserve.
The master of mercy, the monarch of mercy our Lord Jesus Christ-declared from the Cross – Father forgive…..
They don’t know what they are doing, He said – forgive them – Now that’s mercy.
God told Israel in the Old Testament– I will meet with you at the Mercy Seat –
Inside the Holy of Holies sat the ark – inside it was the 10 commandments – the Law – broken by us Humpty Dumpty’s.
It had a lid covering – the Mercy Seat – where the High Priest sprinkled the blood from the sacrifice.
God had said that is where I will meet with you.
One day the Philistines had sent the Ark of the Covenant – back to Israel – to the people of Bethshemesh.
We are told that the men of Bethshemesh were so excited that the ark was back.
The Bible says that the men of Bethshemesh lifted off the mercy seat to look into the ark.
I don’t know what they were looking for, presumably to see if the Law, the 10 commandments, was still inside?
When they lifted off the Mercy seat – 50,070 men of Israel died INSTANTLY.
WHY? – Because they moved the mercy seat.
They took away mercy to look at the law – to make sure it was intact.
Sometimes I can do that to people. I set aside mercy to check out the law, I want to get to the bottom of this issue.
I want the truth; when we talk about me, I want mercy, but when we talk about you, I want the truth.
The truth is we all need mercy, we all want mercy.
The problem is there is no bottom when you remove mercy.
When we want to get to the bottom of things and we remove mercy, things die – relationships die, fellowships dies, and the presence of the Lord departs.
I WILL MEET WITH YOU AT THE MERCY SEAT God declared, not in the box where the law was kept.
The God who said I will meet with you at the mercy seat says to us; LEARN MERCY, why?
Because He has been so merciful to us.
Show mercy.
Undeserved Favor.
James said; those who show no mercy will have judgment without mercy!
WOW!
He goes on to say that mercy rejoices against judgment!
Last week; we took communion.
I know first service did theirs and second service theirs, but God who inhabits eternity can see both events as one single act! (Even in other Churches)
So: in all your relationships, in all your actions, in and out of the Church, what are your choices?
Choice #1 – Throw in the Cross – Apply the Blood of Christ – met them at the mercy seat. Give mercy to all, James said those who have judgment without mercy will get judgment without mercy and mercy rejoices against judgment. Toward those who are saved and those who are not.
Choice #2 – Know no man after the flesh Paul said that in 2 Corinthians 5:16. In other words treat all men as forgiven by Christ.
He died for them!
Whether they have acknowledged it or not!
Remember, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Choice #3 – Show Mercy. Justice was completed and paid for by Jesus at the cross.
Today, tomorrow, or soon:
#1 – Maybe, we need to go to the Cross – redo our communion.
#2 – See all the people in our life in Jesus, remember while we were yet sinners He died for us.
#3 Show mercy – Find a way to bless people, pray for those who use you.
You might need to see them and show them some mercy.
Remember Romans 2:4; “Its your kindness that leads us to repentance”