"Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them."
What an awesome foreshadow!
Isaiah 58:12:
"Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell in."
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Prepared in Advance
Ephesians 2:10 (from BibleGateway.com's Verse of the Day):
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
I just love that.
:)
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
I just love that.
:)
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Oh, yeah...
Another verse that really speaks to me about the whole giving thing:
Luke 6:38:
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Interesting how Jesus says this right after telling us not to judge, condemn, or be unforgiving.
:>
Luke 6:38:
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Interesting how Jesus says this right after telling us not to judge, condemn, or be unforgiving.
:>
Sharing + Faith = Multiplication, Part Two
As believers, we can sometimes get caught up in the trap that if we give what our Father is asking us to give, we might find ourselves lacking somewhere. This is where we have to take Him at His Word. And what does His word say? Lots! I've already written about the young man who gave his lunch willingly...now, let's look at 2 Corinthians 9:6-15!
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
So--if we believe that the Word is true and right, then we have to take this at face value. It doesn't say he who sows might reap. It says he will.
We have got to be prepared to give when the Spirit says "Give."
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
And when you DO give whatever it is you have been directed to give, don't be a grump or have an "Alright, if I *really must*" kind of attitude. Let's look at what the Word says about Abram and Lot for a moment:
7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. 14 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.
Abram gave Lot the choice of the land. (EDIT: When I re-read those verses before publishing this post, I realized that Abram was willing to give up the seemingly choice cut of the land to avoid strife. Hmm.) He knew the Lord would provide for him. Lot, however, saw how beautiful and well watered the plains of Jordan were, and he quickly jumped on it. We all know what happened with Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. We also know what happened to Abram, whom God gave the name of Abraham, and had more descendants than could ever be numbered and all of the land to boot! God always fulfills His promises--we really need to rememeber that as we read the Word. We have to be willing to give up what looks good to our PHYSICAL eyes. Does this mean that if something looks good, it's bad? Nah. Really it all boils down to what the Father is saying to you.
Back to Corinthians..
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
God is able to make ALL GRACE abound toward us, and we will ALWAYS have ALL we need in ALL things, and we will have an ABUNDANCE for EVERY good work. The more we give, the more we get, which allows us to give even more. A Sister once said in an email that trees don't eat the fruit they grow, OTHERS do! (Zilla's paraphrase!)
9 As it is written:
“ He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness...
Ah, He has given you that seed He's asking you to sow, and He's given it to you for a reason. Need I mention that we were dirt poor before we met the Messiah?
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Again, we can't allow worry and/or fear into our lives over ANYTHING. We've got to trust Him and let go of the things we're holding onto. HE will enrich you in everything for all liberality. And this causes THANKSGIVING. Anyone who has had even the smallest need met, knows what it feels like and can appreciate that verse.
Now, with verses 12-15, I'm still chewing on those.
Whoever reads this--I'd love to hear things the Father has shared with you as you've read the Scriptures involved in this post, or any other Scriptures that He brings to mind!
Night!
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
So--if we believe that the Word is true and right, then we have to take this at face value. It doesn't say he who sows might reap. It says he will.
We have got to be prepared to give when the Spirit says "Give."
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
And when you DO give whatever it is you have been directed to give, don't be a grump or have an "Alright, if I *really must*" kind of attitude. Let's look at what the Word says about Abram and Lot for a moment:
7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. 14 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.
Abram gave Lot the choice of the land. (EDIT: When I re-read those verses before publishing this post, I realized that Abram was willing to give up the seemingly choice cut of the land to avoid strife. Hmm.) He knew the Lord would provide for him. Lot, however, saw how beautiful and well watered the plains of Jordan were, and he quickly jumped on it. We all know what happened with Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. We also know what happened to Abram, whom God gave the name of Abraham, and had more descendants than could ever be numbered and all of the land to boot! God always fulfills His promises--we really need to rememeber that as we read the Word. We have to be willing to give up what looks good to our PHYSICAL eyes. Does this mean that if something looks good, it's bad? Nah. Really it all boils down to what the Father is saying to you.
Back to Corinthians..
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
God is able to make ALL GRACE abound toward us, and we will ALWAYS have ALL we need in ALL things, and we will have an ABUNDANCE for EVERY good work. The more we give, the more we get, which allows us to give even more. A Sister once said in an email that trees don't eat the fruit they grow, OTHERS do! (Zilla's paraphrase!)
9 As it is written:
“ He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness...
Ah, He has given you that seed He's asking you to sow, and He's given it to you for a reason. Need I mention that we were dirt poor before we met the Messiah?
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Again, we can't allow worry and/or fear into our lives over ANYTHING. We've got to trust Him and let go of the things we're holding onto. HE will enrich you in everything for all liberality. And this causes THANKSGIVING. Anyone who has had even the smallest need met, knows what it feels like and can appreciate that verse.
Now, with verses 12-15, I'm still chewing on those.
Whoever reads this--I'd love to hear things the Father has shared with you as you've read the Scriptures involved in this post, or any other Scriptures that He brings to mind!
Night!
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