At The Last Day
(Jn6:39-40; 1Pe4:7-11)
God is the first and the last (Is44:6; Rev1:8, 17).
He is before the first and after the last, and
By Him all things began and by Him they will end.
Faith is knowing the timetable of God, and
The life of this faith is about living for the last day.
The word, “last, is quite meaningful since
As a warning it is shocking and
It is also a decisive moment for all things.
The Bible tells us about what is to come after:
“I will raise them up at the last day (Jn6:39).
In spite of the fact that Adam lived comfortably in the Garden of Eden (Ge2:15),
He was deceived by the devil who had sinned in heaven and was cast down (Is14:12-15),
He sinned and was consequently banished from the Garden (Ge3:24).
God destroyed the first earth by a deluge,
A sign that He would destroy the first heaven and the first earth by fire in the last day (2Pe3:6-7).
God instructed the Israelites to build the sanctuary where
The name of the Lord reminded them that
Those who obeyed God’s covenant, though humble in the beginning,
Became prosperous in the end (Job8:7).
The prophet, on the other hand, warned of the coming wrath and that
If they did not repent they would be thrown into the fire (Mt3:7-10).
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would put end to all things and make a way for a new beginning as
His appearance marked the last days and
It was by Him all things were made and
It will be by Him all things will end (Jn1:2; He1:1-2).
Furthermore, by coming as the Son of Man
He was given the authority to judge (Jn5:29),
While by His word He will judge in the last day (Jn12:48).
As He breathed His last Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Put to end His own flesh and revealed that the Father alone has no beginning or end and glorified Him (Php2:11);
2) Condemned the devil who changed (1Jn3:8); and
3) Redeemed the sins of men and made a way for them to begin again in Him.
The Father raised Him up and
Jesus ascended to the heavenly throne.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who received the blood of Jesus and
He urges the churches in the last days
To repent and return to the first love and the first deeds (Rev2:1-7).
The Christian sees the end of all things.
Therefore, he hears the warning of the Holy Spirit and
Beats his chest and repents for
He longs to stand before the Lord’s glorious presence
Without fault and with great joy at the last day (Jude1:24).
O Lord,
The longer I live in this world,
It becomes clearer that I love You.
Yet compared to my first deeds
I have grown dull and cool.
So I beat my chest and repent!
Let the Holy Spirit inspire me so that
I may return to my first love and first deeds and prepare for the last day!
Amen.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
(Is9:6; Mt1:18-23)
God is the holy King.
His essence is holy, and
He triumphs and rules with life.
Faith is recognizing and welcoming Him, and
The life of this faith is willingly laying down one’s treasures before His feet and worshipping Him, and testifying His name.
While there has never been a time without war, whether small or big,
The kings with the superior strategy and valor have changed history.
With the development of the human civilization came that of weapons,
As the fight for supremacy has never ceased.
Though religions imagine the transcendent being and force men to bow before him,
God, unlike religions and the kings of the world, reigns as
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Is9:6).
The Old Testament records the prophecies regarding Him that:
The virgin will give birth to a son (Is7:14), and
The government will be on His shoulders (Is9:6).
When it was time, Jesus Christ was born (Mt1:18), and
He was different since His birth because:
1) His essence is holy ” through the Holy Spirit the Word became flesh, conceived in a virgin and born the Son of God (Lk1:25, 34-38; Jn1:1, 14);
2) He came to fulfill the prophecies ” what the Lord had said through the prophets before His birth (Ge3:15; Mt1:22-23);
3) His name ” He came with the name of God since before the creation (Mt1:21; Jn17:11);
4) Salvation ” He set men free from the law of sin and death (Mt20:28; Rm8:2);
5) Enemy ” He condemned the prince of the world, the ruler of death, the devil (Jn14:31; He2:14-15; 1Jn3:8);
6) Weapon ” He did not harm anyone but rather put to death His own body (Jn10:17-18; He2:14);
7) Victory ” He overcame by the power of resurrection (Jn10:18; 1Co15:54-57); and
8) His kingdom ” the kingdom over which Jesus reigns as Christ is the kingdom of life and love (Ac3:15; Col1:13; Rev11:15, 22:1).
He who received the testimony of the name Yeshua by the Holy Spirit (Ac1:8)
Sincerely welcomes the birth of Jesus Christ,
Willingly kneels before His name and worships Him, and
Lays his own treasure before Him, for
While countless babies were born in the history of mankind
The birth of one baby is the most shocking event in history and
It is the moment his own life turns upside down.
O Lord,
If that one baby was not born at that time,
If His birth was no different from others’,
It would have meant complete despair!
Yeshua, my King!
I sincerely welcome Your birth!
I kneel before Your name today and
I long for the coming of Your kingdom in that day!
Amen.
My Soul’s Masterpiece
(Mt16:18; Col1:24-29)
Our God works (Ps104:24).
For Himself He works (Ge22:8), and
He makes the greatest masterpiece.
Faith is knowing Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is producing one’s masterpiece to leave behind while his soul is in the flesh.
Human civilization was developed by the painstaking efforts of men who
For the sake of their names left behind masterpieces such as
Architecture, arts, music, literature and all types of inventions.
To this day their descendants benefit from them.
Nevertheless, all things are the result of God’s work in the beginning (Ps104:24; Pr8:22), and
They reveal His eternal power and divine nature (Rm1:20).
Furthermore, the Bible is the story of those who left behind great masterpieces:
By building an ark Noah saved his household and condemned the world,
Becoming an heir of faith (He11:7);
Though his and his wife’s bodies were as good as dead
By faith Abraham gave birth to a son at the age of 100 (Rm4:19);
After making history through the exodus of Israel from Egypt,
Moses built the sanctuary in the desert (Ex40:33; He11:27-29);
Joshua held the sun in its place and led Israel to conquer Canaan (Jos10:13); and
With the best material and craftsman,
King Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem, the pride of Israel (1Ki7:51; Mt24:1).
However, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19-21),
Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would tear down the masterpiece made by the hands of men and
Build His church that the gates of Hades cannot prevail (Mt16:16-18).
He left the work He was doing and even greater things with His disciples (Jn14:12).
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Laid down His life according to the Father’s plan from the beginning (Jn10:17-18);
2) Judged the devil who attempted to steal the throne without any work (Is14:12-14; 1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood redeemed the sins of all men in Adam (1Co15:22; 1Pe1:19).
The resurrection of Jesus is the Father’s greatest masterpiece (Ac2:32; 1Co15:20).
He sat on the heavenly throne.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who know that
They are souls and have received the works of Jesus that is His blood, and
Lets them do the work that Jesus did ” preaching, making disciples, and
Doing even greater things, such as building His church (Eph4:11-12).
The Christians is he who,
Following the apostles who wrote the Bible and built the church,
Pours out his heart with a sense of craftsmanship in
Worship, praise, prayer, preaching, group activities, service etc., and
Ultimately builds the corporate masterpiece, His church,
To pass it down to the next generation.
O Lord,
Thank You for
Giving me a chance to leave behind a trace
While my soul remains briefly in the flesh.
Let me leave behind
My soul’s great masterpiece ”
The church built on the foundation and the pillars of the Truth!
Amen.
The Spiritual Leader
(Mt23:1-12)
God is the Leader, the Teacher.
For He is omniscient, He know the way (Job23:10), and
For He is true, He leads to the true way (Ps25:5).
Faith is acknowledging Him at all times and being taught by Him (Pr3:6).
The life of this faith is following Him and leading others to Him.
Despite the fact that people ought to be led by their king,
Disciples instructed by their teachers, and
Children taught by their parents,
Because people nowadays are proud
They reject character development and only want to learn technology and information.
As such, it is difficult for a true leader to emerge today.
Nevertheless, the Bible shows that since the creation until the times reach their fulfillment,
He reveals His plan to lead men out of darkness and death, the universe (Ps107:14).
Deceived by the devil,
Adam sinned and death entered all men,
All becoming slaves of the devil (2Pe2:19), destined to follow him to the eternal fire (Mt24:41).
The significant leaders of the Old Testament were Moses and Joshua:
While Moses led his people out of Egypt and led them to the Jordan,
He died without crossing the Jordan (Ex3:10; Dt34:6);
While Joshua crossed the Jordan and led Israel into Canaan,
He could neither give them rest nor continue to lead them for he died (He4:8).
The sanctuary where the ark and the name of the Lord God were
Reminded them that God was their Leader and that
He would lead them through the valley of the shadow of death and finally to the green pasture.
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would become the new Leader, the Christ
Leading souls of all men to a new heaven and a new earth (Mt23:10).
As such, He came in the name Yeshua for
He came to save His people from their sins, death and the world (Mt1:21).
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Willingly laid down His life and followed the Father’s command, acknowledging that He alone is the true Leader (Jn10:18; Php2:6-11);
2) Condemned the devil, the origin of sin, the father of lies (Jn8:44; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Tore His flesh and shed His blood, making a new and living way for souls to follow Him to the new heaven and the new earth (He10:19-20).
He rose and sat down on the heavenly throne,
Now leading those who follow Him to the throne across the river of life (Rev3:21, 22:1-5).
The Holy Spirit comes to those received His blood
Makes them overseers of the church and
Leaders of the souls whom He purchased (Ac20:28; 1Pe5:1-3).
The Christian is he who
Willingly decided to follow Christ, His teaching, and
Therefore puts every effort to lead others given to him to Christ.
The requirements of becoming a spiritual leader are:
1) Truthfulness ” does not lie but is sincere (1Ti3:8);
2) Faithfulness ” does not betray the one who has given him the trust (1Co4:2; Rev3:14);
3) Purity ” not pursuing dishonest gain (1Pe5:2);
4) Optimism ” nothing is impossible for him who believes (Mk9:23);
5) Eagerness ” not forced but willingly does all with passion (Lk22:44; Jn10:17; 1Pe5:1);
6) Diligent ” not lazy (Mk1:35);
7) Responsibility ” fulfills until the end (Jn19:30; 2Ti4:5);
8) Gentleness ” in humility and patience forgives the mistakes of those who follow (2Ti4:2); and
9) Self-sacrifice ” risks his life to take the lead (Mt20:28).
The leadership or charisma of a leader is
Not gained by demanding it but rather
Given by those who follow him, for
He sets an example for the flock to follow.
O Lord,
Let us all become spiritual leaders in
Our families, workplaces and the church.
Use us as leaders!
Amen.
My Soul Holds Treasure
(2Co4:1-15)
God is worthy (Ps76:4).
His thoughts (Ps137:7), His promise (2Pe1:4), His blood (1Pe1:19) and
His name (Php2:9) are all precious, and
He considers as His treasure the vessel that holds His precious things.
Faith is knowing Him and receiving Him, and
The life of this faith is emptying oneself in order to be filled with His treasure.
The duty of a vessel is to hold, and
Its value depends on the content it holds, and for that:
1) It must be emptied;
2) It must not change; and
3) It must carry.
For God breathed into him the breath of life,
Adam became a living being (Ge2:7),
A vessel to hold the word of God (Ge1:27).
However, sin entered him and
He became a vessel of God’s wrath, prepared for destruction (Rm9:22).
The people of Israel were called God’s treasured possession (Dt26:17-19) for
The Almighty chose them among all the peoples to become His holy people (Job22:25).
Inside the sanctuary was
The ark of covenant overlaid with pure gold, inside of which were
The stone tables of His covenant, as well as the name of the Lord God (Ex25:10-16; He9:4).
It reminded them that, to fear the Lord was the key to His treasure (Is33:6).
The gentile king who drank wine out of the gold goblets of the Temple and
Praised the gods of the gentiles was struck dead on the same day (Da5:3-4, 30),
While the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, ignored such, for which
They were broken in pieces like pottery (Is30:14; La4:2).
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would be broken to scoop out His treasure and place it into
The precious vessels which He would form.
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Emptied Himself and held the Father’s will in Him, giving glory to the Father and receiving the name above all names (Jn10:18; Php2:6-11);
2) Judged the devil whose heart was full of pride (Is14:13; Eze28:17); and
3) Redeemed the sins of all men and sprinkled His precious blood on them (1Pe1:18-19).
He rose and was crowned with glory and honor, and
Sat on the heavenly throne (He2:9).
The Holy Spirit comes to the souls who are
Overlaid with the precious blood of Jesus, and
Lets them be filled with His treasures: the name of Yeshua and the Truth.
The man whose soul holds treasure is he who:
1) Keeps the Truth ” considers as rubbish his own argument, knowledge, thoughts, plans, will, dreams, treasures, and lays them down (2Co10:4-6; Php3:7-9);
2) Defends the Truth ” in order to not distort the word of God, risks his own life to defend it (2Co4:2); and
3) Teaches the Truth ” delivers it to all nations and to the next generation,
All to be raptured when the Lord returns.
O Lord,
My soul is overlaid with the blood of Jesus, more precious than finest gold, and
Holds the treasure of Yeshua and the Truth.
How precious is my soul!
Like the space shuttle orbiter that shoots up to the sky and flies into orbit
Let me rid myself of all the things that I once considered gain and
Scoop out the gospel, and
On the day the Lord returns
Let me be lifted up to heaven!
Amen.
Father, Thank You!
(Jn11:41-42; He12:5-11)
God is the gracious Father (Ps111:4).
Grace comes from Him, and
He gives greater grace to those who know His grace.
Faith is knowing His grace, and
The life of this faith is considering all things as grace and giving thanks.
If a king were to give a chance for the voice of the people to be heard
That itself would be a great mercy and a reason for thanksgiving.
How much greater the grace and thanksgiving, then, when God hears the voices of men!
In spite of this, however, men do not want to receive what God has graciously given.
Instead, they seek others to hear them.
After Adam sinned and he was banished from the Garden,
The communication between God and man became cut off (Ge3:5-6, 24).
Nevertheless, God called Moses (Ex3:2) for
God heard the groaning and cry of Israel and
Remembered the covenant He made with Abraham (Ex2:23-25).
After He brought them out of Egypt,
God commanded them to build the sanctuary (Ex25:8) so that
When the incense filled the atonement cover (Ex25:22, 30:1, 6-10; He9:4)
He would hear their prayer from the mercy seat inside the Most Holy Place (Rev8:3).
Yet not just anyone could enter there (Nu16:1-31), for
It was limited from the Levites to the priests to the high priest,
Only once every year (He10:1), and
Anyone who disobeyed was put to death.
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would make a way for the voices of all men to be heard, for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18), and
Thus, always in communication with the Father (Jn17:5),
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Tore His flesh like a veil and committed His spirit into the Father’s hands, giving thanks to the Father for being heard (Lk23:46; He5:7, 9:23-24, 10:19);
2) Condemned the ungrateful devil who caused men to forget grace (Ge3:5-6, 14; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Shed His blood and showed the mercy of redemption to all men (He10:10).
The Father raised Him and
Jesus ascended to the throne of His grace in heaven (He4:16).
The Holy Spirit comes in the name Yeshua to
Those who receive His name and:
1) Receive forgiveness of sins (Lk42:47; Eph1:7)
2) Are born again as children of God (1Pe1:23); and
3) Receive the right to call God, Father (Jn1:12; Rm8:14-16).
The Christian knows that he is a child of God.
Therefore, to God who gave His One and Only Son,
He can only say, “Father, Thank You! for:
1) He is forgiven of all his sins;
2) He does not complain or resent in any situation but rather gives thanks for being treated as a son (He12:5-13); and
3) The Father always hears him (Jn11:42).
O Lord,
What can I say to give thanks for all Your grace?
The only thing I can say is¦.
Father, thank You!!!
Amen.
The Secret of Being Content
(Php4:10-13)
God is omniscient and omnipotent.
He knows all things, and
He can do all things.
Faith is believing this as fact, and
The life of this faith is having the secret to do all things through Him who gives strength.
Those who are successful in the world have the secret for success,
While religions discuss the secret to emptying oneself to be freed.
The Christian, on the other hand, possesses the secret to being content, for
Faith is seeing two worlds, the visible and the invisible, the reality and the substance, and
Believing that they were all made by God (He11:1-3).
The moment Adam rejected God’s word regarding the forbidden fruit (Ge2:17, 3:6),
He lost the abundance of the visible world of the Garden of Eden (Ge3:24).
Because of the word of God
Abraham, by contrast, left his father’s house, his homeland and
Became a blessing and increased to become a great nation (Ge12:1-3).
When God led his descendants, Israel, to leave Egypt (Dt8:11-17),
He let them pass through the desert
To humble them and finally bless them (Nu21:4-5).
Later God instructed them to build the sanctuary and
Placed the ark of covenant in it (Ex25:8, 10; He9:4)
For them to remember for generations that
God delivered them from their slavery of 430 years and that
He fed them in the desert for 40 years.
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would give life to the souls of all men, for
Though He came as a son of a poor carpenter,
He is the Son of God, the incarnate Word (Jn1:1, 14), who has
All that the Father has – the power of His name Yeshua (Jn17:10-11).
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Through His own limits due to His death, acknowledged that the Father alone is omnipotent (Jn10:18; Php2:11; He5:7);
2) Destroyed the devil who attempted to be like God (Is14:12-15; 1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood redeemed the ignorant and incompetent sinners and made a way for them to be born again as God’s children (1Pe1:18-19, 23).
The Father raised Him, and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne and received the name above all names (Php2:9-11).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent
Comes to those who received His name Yeshua and
Reminds them the power of His name (Jn14:26, 17:11):
The name that seems poor but makes one rich,
The name that seems to have nothing but has everything (2Co4:7-10).
The Christian is he who
Whether he is in need or has plenty or is lowly (Php4:11-13)
Knows the secret to being content, and
Thus, he is able to do all things
By praying in the name Yeshua.
O Lord,
Open our eyes so that
We may see the path beyond the Red Sea,
The Promised Land beyond the desert,
The fish beyond the empty net, and
The open doors beyond the prison.
Let us not become proud because we have plenty, and
Let us not become cowards because we are in need.
Rather let us be content and be bold for
We have the name Yeshua ”
The secret to being content in all situations,
The power to overcome in all situations!
Amen.
According to the Gift You Received
(Eph4:7-16)
God is the Owner (Rm11:16).
He manages His possession as He wishes, and
Lets those who have used the gifts He gave also become eternal owners (Mt25:14-15, 21).
Faith is receiving God’s gift as grace, and
The life of this faith is putting effort to do the best according to the gift one received (Eph4:16), for
The giver has more interest than the receiver.
Adam forgot about God’s grace (Ge2:16) and was deceived by
The devil, the angel who though was made as a servant
Attempted to ascend the throne and was cast down to Hades (Is14:12-15; He1:14).
Consequently, Adam was banished from the Garden and
All men became slaves of the devil (Ge3:24; 2Pe2:19).
For God’s gifts and calls are irrevocable (Rm11:29),
As the Potter He forms some pottery for special purposes and others for common use.
He also gives or takes away as He wishes (Rm9:20-21; 2Ti2:20).
Before there were any deeds of good or evil,
God gave the providence of the older serving the younger (Ge25:23; Rm9:11-12).
He also blessed each of the 12 tribes of Israel according to their measure (G49:28),
Making them a kingdom of priests (Ex19:6).
He also gave the Levites as gifts (Nu8:19), and
Aaron and his sons served Him as priests (Nu18:7).
Aaron’s budded rod in front of the Ark inside the sanctuary was
A sign to the rebellious for generations (Nu16:1-33, 17:3-5).
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would give God’s gift to not flesh and blood but for all souls (Jn3:16, 4:10).
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) According to the Father’s will used His life which He received from the Father as gift, and fulfilled His measure (Jn10:18; He3:6; Php2:6-8);
2) Condemned the devil the ungrateful one (1Jn3:8); and
3) Purchased souls with His blood and gave them as gifts to the Father (Rev5:9).
He resurrected and sat on the heavenly throne,
The gift which the Father prepared for the Son (He1:2).
The Holy Spirit who comes as gift to believers (Ac2:38)
Lets them know what He has freely given (1Co2:12),
The measure of their gifts (Rm12:3-11).
The Christian knows the measure of the gift he received, and
Puts every effort to mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, by
Building up the body of Christ (Eph4:13-16), and
Fulfilling his duty, his measure (Eph3:7), for
He knows that
There is not even one member that is not important (1Co12:4-31), and that
God gives more gifts to those who are willing (Mt25:14-29), and
Believes that the Lord will finally give the heavenly throne as gift to him in the end (Lk22:30).
O Lord,
Let each of us follow the measure of the gifts we received
Successfully worship and
Build a great church, and
Give it to the Father!
Amen.
The Branch and the Fruit
(Jn15:1-19)
God is love (1Jn4:8).
Love comes from Him, and
He loves those who remain in His love.
Faith is the state of remaining in His love, and
The life of this faith is being supported by Him and bearing fruit, until one arrives in the kingdom for
the Son He loves (Col1:13).
An important characteristic of love is the desire to be close.
Though for men being close has a limit due to the flesh,
For God it is possible to “remain in me, I in you, and
This is like the relationship between a tree and its branches (Jn15:5):
When a branch is attached to its tree,
The gardener feels attached and takes care of the branch (Jn15:4, 6),
But if it is dried up or has no fruit, then he will cut it off and burn it up.
While Adam was blessed by God to live in the Garden of Eden (Ge2:15),
He was deceived by the devil and sinned, because of which
He was banished from there and a flaming sword was put around the Garden (Ge3:6, 24),
Indicating his broken relationship with God.
The Bible records a genealogy of men in whom God had shown interest,
Such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David (Mt1:1-16),
While the rest of the men faded away from God’s interest.
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God was
Reminded the Israelites of the Lord’s love for their people.
When it was time, the Son of God, Jesus came as a descendant of David, and
He said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal the Father’s love for all men (Jn3:16).
When He began His public life, Jesus was supported by the Father as
He said, “This is my Son, whom I love (Mt3:17).
As such, Jesus willingly laid down His life as a ransom for
He obeyed the Father’s command (Mt20:28; Jn10:17-18) and
Knew that He was loved by the Father (Jn15:9).
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Laid down His life and praised the Father’s love that gave His one and only Son (Jn17:23; 1Jn4:10);
2) Condemned the devil who separated man from God (Ge3:5; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Loved the souls of men and redeemed them, becoming a tree to which they can be grafted on to (Is38:17; Jn15:5; Rm11:23).
His resurrection was the confirmation of the Father’s love, and
The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom He rules with His love (Col1:13).
The Christian knows that
He is a branch of the tree of the blood of Jesus (Jn15:5), and
Keeps the command of Christ and remands in His love (Jn15:10) for:
1) He must absolutely hold on to the tree;
2) He has no appearance or glory of his own ” only depends on the fruit;
3) He is only interested in the work that bears fruit ” like the tree and the gardener;
4) He passes down the sap as-is ” not adding or taking away any;
5) He walks and lives with the tree ” receiving suffering and glory with Christ.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit helps him by:
1) Cleansing him ” through repentance, sanctification, surrender (Jn15:2);
2) Continually supplying him ” with answers to prayers, spiritual inspiration, life, the word (Jn15:16); and
3) Holding on to him until the end, until he is lifted up to the air (1Th4:17).
O Lord,
We cannot live without You, Jesus!
Let us never fade away from Your memory.
Rather, let us become the branches You love!
Amen.
The Fruit of the Spirit
(Gal5:22-24)
God is holy (Ps22:3).
His nature is holy and His person is holy, and
He reveals His holy nature through His person.
Faith is acknowledging Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is putting death to one’s character
And emulating the person of God, and bearing fruit.
The person of man is shaped by his nature and education.
His character is from his nature, and
His nature is from his flesh, which is from the dust of the ground.
This makes man’s character like animals’, which also come from dust.
Furthermore, because of their temper, many men have been destroyed.
Though God made man from the dust of the ground,
After Adam sinned and the ground was cursed,
Man’s character became even more wicked.
The Bible records about those who
Destroyed themselves as well as others because of their character:
Because Cain could not control his anger, he killed his own brother (Ge4:8);
Because Noah got drunk, he cursed his own son (Ge9:20-25);
Because Moses took a concubine, his sister criticized and became leprous (Nu12:1-10);
Because David took the wife of his loyal servant as his own, he killed the servant (2Sa11:15).
This shows no man is a perfect person.
The Law restricted and condemned
The evil nature of man (Rm7:22-24), and
The sanctuary reminded Israel that the Lord God alone is holy.
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal that He is the Holy One of God, the only perfect person (Mk1:24; 1Co15:45-47), for
He is the incarnate Word who was before the creation of the world (Pr8:26).
As He died, Jesus said, “It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Though He knows no sin, united with sin for a moment and acknowledged that the Father alone is the eternally holy One (Rm8:3; 2Co5:21; He2:9);
2) Condemned the devil who sinned because he could not control his heart (Is14:12-15); and
3) Shed His blood, His holy nature, for men to be born again and to have His holy character (1Pe1:19; Eph2:1-5).
The Father raised Him and
His resurrection is the proof of His holy nature.
The Holy Spirit comes to those born again in His holy nature (1Pe1:23), and
Helps them to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Ps103:14; Gal5:22-24): Love, joy, peace, patience,
Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The man of the Spirit laments and even curses his own character (Ps51) and
Thus puts every effort to reveal the holy nature within him
Through the fruit of the Spirit and
Bears the fruit of the womb (2Ti2:22-26) for
He longs to see the Lord in that day.
O Lord,
If my character had been better,
If the fragrance of Christ had been given off more,
I would have had more disciples by now¦
O Father Holy Spirit,
I can only mourn and pray!
Help me!
Amen.