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Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. 6 Recognize Him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Servanthood?

Revelation 1:1

New Living Translation: This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to His servant John,

Berean Literal Bible: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants what things it behooves to take place in quickness. And He signified it through having sent His angel to His servant, John,

King James Bible: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John:

Contemporary English Version: This is what God showed to Jesus Christ, so that He could tell His servants what must happen soon. Christ then sent His angel with the message to His servant John.

Young's Literal Translation: A revelation of Jesus Christ, that God gave to Him, to shew to His servants what things it behoveth to come to pass quickly; and He did signify it, having sent through His messenger to His servant John,

Matthew 23:11

New International Version: The greatest among you will be your servant.

New Living Translation: The greatest among you must be a servant.

English Standard Version: The greatest among you shall be your servant.

Berean Study Bible: The greatest among you shall be your servant.

Berean Literal Bible: But the greatest among you will be your servant.

New American Standard Bible: "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

King James Bible: But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.



I did not come to be served, but to serve.


Friday, September 25, 2020

Time and Place

Each is directly connected. 

"When and where?" we ask a friend when we plan to meet for coffee in the future. Reason gives us the ability to plan the future.

When we ask, "remember when", we are referencing a time and a place from our past. Memory gives us the ability to remember the past.

Time and place, when and where...

We exist, and live our life, and have our being, in the "HERE AND NOW".  


God's presence is revealed in the praises of his people!

Psalm 22:3.  But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Monday, September 21, 2020

Blameless? God's ultimate call to Righteousness.

Definition of Blameless: innocent of wrongdoing.
Proverbs 15:9 The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue righteousness.

"The quality of blamelessness is both a positional benefit of salvation and a moral character to be achieved."  William E. Brown (Bakers Evangelical Dictionary) 

The Righteousness of God Through Faith: Has 2 forms. The word “Believe” is essential for both.

 Gen. 15:6 "Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him Righteousness.

1. Imputed Righteousness called Justification: by Grace
Righteousness as a “status”, not a quality of religious/moral perfection.

This righteousness “is a righteousness that we receive from God.” it means we are in a right relationship with God when we simply receive the imputed obedience of Christ and the forgiveness of sins through faith.

Romans 5:18-19 “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

2. Applied Righteousness called Sanctification: by Faith
Righteousness as an “Act of Faith” (Trust and Obey).

This righteousness is an act of trust and obedience that, by faith (See Faith Session), is put forth in our day-to-day relationship with the Holy Spirit. To live Coram Deo is to live one’s entire life being aware of the presence of God, submitting to His guidance, all for the glory of God and His Kingdom…

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work* of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” *present, future continuous tense

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” –

Titus 2:14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” –

Phil. 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

These two forms of Righteousness are reflected in the “Complete Gospel” by the words “Savior” and “Lord”.

The Gospel of “Salvation” and the Gospel of the "Kingdom", which Jesus preached and demonstrated, make up the Complete Gospel. Gospel means "Good News".

“You are saved (2Timothy 1:9). You are being Saved (1Corinthians 1:18). You will be saved (Romans 5:9-10)”*

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Spiritual Authority?

Responsibility and accountability

MATTHEW 28:18-20  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

"God calls us not only to receive His life through faith but also to maintain His authority through obedience. He counsels us, who are in the church, to obey the authorities He has established—in home, school, society, and church—as well as to obey His direct authority. It is not necessary to point out specifically which person you should obey. It simply means that whenever you encounter God’s authority, directly or indirectly, you should learn obedience."

                                                        Watchman Nee "Spiritual Authority" chapter 6

To Have authority you need to be under Authority

Matthew 8:5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,(B) suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Hebrews 13:17 (Accountability)  Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Peter 4:10  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

1 Peter 5:3  Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

1 Peter 3:2  When they see your respectful and pure conduct.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

1 Timothy 5:1-2 (All Children of God.)  Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

1 Thessalonians 5:11  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

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

Colossians 3:13 Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Philippians 2:1-4 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ...

1 Peter 3:8  Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Psalm 133:1-3 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore” (RSV).


Thursday, September 17, 2020

The "here and now" and God's presence

The "here and now" is the only "time and place" we experience the manifest presence of God because the here and now is when and where we exist and have our being.

Hebrews 4:7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.”

To recognize God's presence, you must be conscious of the here and now. It means more than just occupying space in a given situation but actually paying attention. It means being fully engaged in the now. Not distracted by memories of the past or worries of the future.

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Seasons of Faith.

Heb. 12:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Her. 29:13. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.

2Chron. 16:9. For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Friday, September 4, 2020

Immanuel, God with us.

Learn to live/operate from and within the presence of God (relationship) as opposed to merely living/operating according to the principles of God