Prov 15:26 (KJV)The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. Prov 11:9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. Prov 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. Prov 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, & health to the bones. Prov 18:21 Death & life are in the power of the tongue: & they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. — Since death & life are in the power of our words, always choose life! — Prov 21:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth & his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. — Our very words have the power to protect our souls! Love Mel
Ask Whatever You Wish and it Will Be Given Unto You?
From Charles Spurgeon sermon. John 15:7 says essentially “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you can ask whatever you wish”. This is the key to powerful answered prayer. Get in Him and remain in Him. Remain by always trusting with simple faith as at the beginning of your walk. Also by yielding to Him your full existence. We are essential to our saviors plan. It is our obligation to reach and maintain this state described and pray what He gives us to pray (If we delight in Him He gives us the desire of our heart). Remain when being pruned! Do what He tells you. The second part is “His words must remain in us.” We must obey His commands – especially LOVE. If we will not have Christ and His words, He will not have us and our words. Why then if we meet these conditions, do we get this liberty and power in prayer? Because of the fullness of Christ. He has and does all we might need. Forgiveness, healing, sanctification, help in trials, etc. Also because of the richness of the word of God. The Lord must honor His word. “Do as you said that you would”. And so He shall. Want to be a master in prayer? Be a master of these two conditions.
Are We Putting the Horse Before the Cart or the Cart Before the Horse? Testing Ourselves to See If We Are Really in Christ.
2 Cor 13:5 (KJV) tells us: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
How does one examine his or herself? Clearly it is of the utmost important to test ourselves and know our true status as believers before we meet with our Lord on the day that He judges us. I am sure we already know that this judgment will have eternal consequences – for the good or for the bad.
Matthew 7:22 tells us: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”
First let us examine a very prevalent message in the mega churches today – some call it “hypergrace”. It is a theology which tells us that grace covers everything and we are not at risk, no matter how we live. The modern message is also replete with the idea that God exists to bless us and to make our lives better. It can be a very “me” centered version of Christianity. One quick look at a modern message will tell us: “does this message emphasize me more than Christ or Christ more than me”. The message of Jesus was very much one of obedience and sacrifice as opposed to the enrichment of the believer.
Leaving that heresy, among those who determine to take Christ and religion a bit more seriously than that – we find another set of possible pitfalls. These are deceptions causing one to feel secure in their faith, when perhaps they should not be. Borrowing a bit from John MacArthur and a few others, we can categorize some sources of false assurance for the “believer”. Let’s examine them.
First, we have the “feelings” believer who seeks the higher highs of the worship experience in the form of great music, manifestations of the spirit, etc. When these are encountered the person feels assured that he or she is saved.
Then we have the “high activity” believer. This person derives assurance of salvation from frequent church attendance, good works of all sorts, Bible studies, Sunday School, etc.. Staying busy with religious things provides them with (perhaps) false assurance of their true status.
Many believers feel assured that they are saved by the number of blessings they are experiencing and in fact adhere to a theology which espouses the fact that God must provide us much financial and other blessing. The more blessed our life is, the more we are confident that we are true Christians. If something terrible happens – we must not be true Christians – so let’s be mad at God and give up.
Other people in the church take their assurance and comfort from the fact that they love to learn theology and eschatology and hermeneutic and homiletics, etc. In other words, they read and study and listen to sermons ad nauseum – which they are genuinely interested in perhaps – and this provides assurance that they are true believers for many. They study, and therefore they feel assured.
So – how many of those categories are you in? Actually, I am all of them! So, what is the answer? The answer is: THE REASON we do it!!!! What is the reason you do some of all of those things? The reason is the most important thing! What is your true motivation? It makes all the difference to God. Pray to love Him. Pray to be sure that the reason you serve God is because you love Him. Be sure the reason you serve others is because you love them, and you love God, and you are very thankful.
The scripture is full of examples and warnings for those who think they will wrestle salvation from the hand of God. It is only awarded by faith to those who humbly submit to Him in obedience and who are transformed by His love – because He first loved us. Oh – surely you will fail in your quest to obey often – but you want to obey and you want to love God.
Only God Himself can get you there. So, realize that, and love Him for it – and go as He leads you – not as you dream up in order to impress. Romans 8:29 (KJV) tells us “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Eph 1:4 (KJV) tells us: “According as he hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him”.
Fear not! If you are His, He will get you there. You may not know how you get there, but it will be Him. From your perspective – you choose Him – but in reality, He chooses you, and gets you all the way home. Watch your lane – trust and obey. Learn to love.
So DON’T PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. Put the horse (LOVE of God) before the cart (everything else you do or say) and you will be welcomed in the heavenly kingdom when your time comes.
John 15:10 tells us: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” Its connected!
The Importance of Prayer – Cannot Overstate
Mark 11:17 ESV He was teaching them & saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of PRAYER for all the nations’? …….. 1 Thess5:17 ESV Pray without ceasing. Philippians 4:6 ESV Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer & supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. James 5:16 ESV Therefore, confess your sins to one another & pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Matthew 26:41 ESV Watch & pray that you may not enter into temptation. 1 Chron16:11 ESV Seek the Lord & His strength; seek His presence continually! — PRAYERS are of great importance to our Lord! So much so that He calls His house a “House of PRAYER”. Prayer is our means of communication with God! We are to worry about nothing & pray about everything! If we will draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us! I would like to thank everyone who joins in on praying for the requests that I send out sometime. We have so many praises thanking God! Love Mel
Humble Yourself Under Gods Mighty Hand
1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, Matt 23:12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Prov 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord, & your plans will be established. — Submit is “to yield oneself to the authority or will of another : SURRENDER” To SURRENDER is to humble ourselves before the Lord. This ability is truly a gift from God! It is here where we find His established plan & where we find all that we are looking for! Submit, Submit, Submit! Love Mel
