You have heard of melt-in-the-mouth decadent chocolate, cakes and cookies. Have you ever heard of a melt-your-heart prayer?
Jesus' prayer for His disciples at the time of His walk on Earth melts my heart. Just think, He was not just praying for those disciples either, He was praying for us! For us followers of Jesus Christ now, and down throughout the ages of time since then (John 17:20).
S-l-o-w-l-y read John 17. How does it affect you? Jesus is praying for you! For all of you who, Jesus told His Father,
"...believe in Me through Your word..." (John 17:20 ESV).
He asked his Father to,
"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17 ESV).
As a believer reads God's Word, which is truth, he or she will be sanctified.
That word, or variations thereof, pop up so often. Sanctification and progressive sanctification are big ones. Looking a the root word, sanctify, we understand from Google dictionary, that it is a verb that means,
"set apart as or declare holy; consecrate;...free from sin; purify"
So what did Jesus set His followers apart for? Well, He said to His Father,
"...as You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world..." (John 17:18 ESV).
His prayer went on to say,
"...and for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth" (John 17:19 ESV).
Jesus didn't just ask the disciples to be sanctified, He consecrated Himself first.
We know what Jesus' purpose on Earth was. He came to bring salvation to all mankind through His death and resurrection. He never lost sight of that mission; in fact, He set His face towards that end. According to the NIV, we read that Jesus "resolutely set out for Jerusalem" [emphasis mine] (Luke 9:52). The Samaritans didn't like that much. They wanted Him to stay with them! They were upset and didn't welcome Him because of the purposeful direction He was headed. All the crowds, healing and exorcising, didn't distract Him; it was onward-ho!
On top of that, all the while, Jesus remained pure and blameless: The Holy One. Despite His being 100% human being, He was also 100% God and therefore free from all sin. He was pure to the core.
Yet He still "consecrated" Himself for his work. Sounds like the time when He asked John the Baptizer to baptize Him. John the B didn't want to do so as he realized Jesus didn't need to repent of anything. Jesus insisted, saying, He must do so in order,
"...to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15 ESV).
Jesus did this for the sake of His disciples and for all of us who now believe! Showing us the way. Amazing, isn't it!
Jesus example spurs us on towards such sanctification. What are we "set apart" for? We are "made different" for the special purpose of living for Jesus. How do we stretch to that aim? By living in God's truth as found in His Word, the Bible.
Time and time again we hear the "read and obey; read and obey" wisdom from God's Word and from preachers preaching. Is this dutiful, obligatory action?
I want to show you this verse:
"And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments; this is the commandment, just as you hear from the beginning, so you should walk in it" (2 John 1:6 ESV).
Emphasis on "...this is love". We do this as a reciprocation of His love for us. Of the love Jesus bestowed on us before and after we became "children of God" (John 1:12).
Out of love and gratitude for our Heavenly Father, God, we believers sanctify ourselves through living out the truth we discover in God's Word. Let our hearts be like the wax of a candle, softened by the flaming truth of God's Word and His Holy Spirit's convictions; sanctified in our minds and hearts and sanctified for the purpose to which He has called you.
No doubt it is not easy. It's disciplining ourselves with the help of the Holy Spirit combined with God's Word's direction.
Back in Genesis 4:7 ESV, God is talking to Cain who had murderous intentions,
"If you do well will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it."
Not to be mistaken, Old Testament times were like: do good and good will be done to you; you earn the good life. However, in the New Testament, we learn Jesus has done the work of earning our salvation for us and as mentioned above, we are given the Holy Spirit and God's Word to lead and guide us and help us to make the right choices and to let good "rule over that which does not please God". That's why the consecrating, choice of action comes into play. Make a commitment to consecrate yourself for your own good but also for the benefit of others as Jesus did. Pray that all of God's children will also be sanctified by living His truth as found in God's Word.
Douse yourself with God's truth; live it and be sanctified by it...Jesus prayed for you!
~ERC September 2019~
Here is another good book. It compares the Roman Catholic Church's tradition with God's Word. It's author grew up in this tradition and knew it's doctrines very well. As an adult he came to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of his soul through the grace of God. It was an instantaneous conversion. Remarkable to him after having believed he had to work (all his life long) to earn salvation. He found that Jesus already had done that work and that he could be absolutely, positively, 100 % sure of salvation through Jesus Christ alone: sins totally forgiven and eternal life 100 % assured.
James G. McCarthy, the Gospel According to Rome's author, talks about the 7 sacraments (a lifetime of milestones to fulfill and to earn, hopefully, salvation); the Mass and it's importance in Roman Catholic worship; Mary whom they call the Mother of God but according to God's word, was the mother of Jesus and was not treated as divine and was therefore not to be worshiped; and the authority by which the Roman Catholic church operates (pope, bishops, magisterium, the Scriptures & tradition) as opposed to Jesus Christ being the head of the church.
This would be an excellent book for former Roman Catholics; for Roman Catholics who wonder about the differences between their tradition and the Word of God; for anyone who is a friend of a Roman Catholic or is just interested in what they teach compared with God's Word.
Some of the material covered may be a bit deep but for the most part I believe one can really learn from what McCarthy has to say. He does not bash anyone on the head with what he has to say although some may find it difficult to accept if they have grown up in this Roman Catholic tradition.
My hope is that many will discover the truth from God's Word, accept Jesus Christ as Savior and have that surety of salvation here and now upon the Earth before they die. Come to Jesus before it is too late.
Happy Reading!
~ERC September 2019~
P. S. I am not a marketer for this author nor for the publishing company. I am just sharing a book I myself have found helpful. (erc)
There's a lot of 'hope' in YET.
"I haven't gotten a job...yet."
"There's no change in his medical condition...yet."
"He's not married...yet."
"Her business hasn't boomed...yet."
"He hasn't come to Christ...yet."
There's room, time and promise for the 'yet' to happen.
Here's another great one,
"Jesus hasn't given the shout out with the trumpet blast to call us up to be with Him in Heaven forever...yet."
That's the best 'yet' of all.
We all look forward to good happenings. We who are followers of Jesus Christ can be thankful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who tells us He's "coming soon" (Revelation 22:17).
Every Lord's Day we can remember the promise of His soon return as we gather to remember Jesus in His death and resurrection. It is because of His work He accomplished on the cross--the atonement for our souls--that we can have the hope of rapture to go up to be forever with Him.
As believers in this sure hope, pass the emblems of the bread and cup of wine, one to another. Recall the agonies Jesus went through on our behalf: His broken body and spear-pierced side; and His blood which makes remission for our sin.
Remember this selfless gift of salvation and the ongoing, never-ending 'forever' we have to look forward to, for all eternity to come, with Him.
He hasn't come...yet.
Nevertheless, encourage each other cuz there's a lot of unshakable hope in 'yet'.
~ERC September~
Sustained, strict training and discipline often culminate in reward. Let's say, rewards such as: a gold medal; millions of dollars; a successful, yet limited years of career, especially if you are talking about professional sports. What about those who build up companies from scratch using mega amounts of dogged determination and blossom their enterprises into that coveted prize and mega reward in the pocket and in repute; perhaps, even global recognition.
Parallel to that, God's Word says that in keeping God's Word there is great reward. Look at Psalm 19:11 (ESV) which speaks of the "law of the Lord,"
"Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."
The Old Testament folks had lists of laws to observe and keep. God had given them to Moses to relate and record for the good and benefit of the multitudes of the children of Israel. God gave the promise that if they diligently kept the plethora of them, it would go well with them (Deuteronomy 4, especially verse 40 -ESV).
Coming into the New Testament times, there is a similar theme with the "new garment and new wine" way of living Jesus taught about (Luke 5:33-39). However, this keeping of His Word would be more out of that gratitude for Him, that "fear of the Lord" written about in the Lord's Day Devotion -The Fear of Lord. The fear of the Lord is impetus for living in a more holy life and to draw closer in relationship with God Himself through Jesus Christ.
If you read through the book of Luke itself, there are numerous references and inferences where Jesus highlighted the keeping and the reward. For instance, His parable of the wise and foolish man who built their house, respectively, on the rock and sand. Both houses looked calm and bright until the mighty storm blew in and through. The reward went to the wise man who had built on the firm, rock foundation. He still had a house to live in when the storm abated.
Jesus' analogy was that the wise one was the one...
"...who comes to Me and hears my words and puts them into practice..." (Luke 4:46-49 NIV).
Comes, hears and puts...verbs of wise action and reward.
Jesus' parable of the sower and the various types of soil the seed found its way to is another good illustration of this theme.
"...the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop" (Luke 8:15 NIV).
In the same chapter, just a few verses along Jesus says,
"My mother and brothers are those who hear God's Word and put it into practice" (Luke 8:21 NIV).
There was the occasion when an expert in the law (Old Testament law) tested Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25 NIV). Jesus told him to,
"...love the Lord His God with all His heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love his neighbor as himself" (Luke 10:27 NIV).
That must have been convicting, so the expert, who was actually speaking to "The Expert", queried further,
"Who is my neighbor" (Luke 10:29 NIV)?
I think Jesus was just waiting for that question to pop up. He told the parable of the Good Samaritan and ends with the soul searching, counter question, "Which of these three (priest, Levite, Good Samaritan) do you think was a neighbor..." (Luke 10:36 NIV).
The expert in the law gamely replied, "The one who had mercy on the victim" (Luke 10:37 NIV).
Ho, ho, see Jesus' next words to the expert,
"Go and do likewise' (Luke 10:37 NIV).
"Go and do..." This is in keeping with keeping God's Word; not just all the rules and regulations the Pharisees were so tediously enforcing upon everyone else, but touching on the mercy and justice that was rather missing, for the most part, from that particular section of society at the time.
Flip to the next chapter and verse 27 and 28. A woman in the crowd wanted to emphasize to Jesus that His mother was a very blessed woman because she had given birth to and nursed Jesus. Jesus diverts her focus to...
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (Luke 11:27, 28 NIV).
By now, we are getting Jesus' point and an understanding of the key verse from Psalm 19:11. However, we may have overlooked the other angle. There is "reward," but there is also "warning". When we heed God's Word's warnings there will be the reward of avoiding that which is detrimental to us physically and spiritually.
Take, for example...1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV about our bodies being the "temple of the Holy Spirit." That is, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior have the Holy Spirit indwelling. The warning to protect God's temple was to,
"Flee from sexual immorality..."
When a believer realizes he or she is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he or she will be less likely to engage in sexual immorality &/or to harm his/her body with cigarettes, and other harmful substances; to overeat or to under-eat, etc. (Not to minimize a person's problem with these. Seek professional help if needed to find root causes and to help overcome an ongoing struggle.)
Another warning from 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 14 (NIV) is,
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers..."
The verse continues with the reasons why (read for yourself). This could be a liaison in marriage or even a business partnership. There are very foundational differences of belief, or non-belief, of ethics and other practices that will govern a person. Those who are keeping God's Word, will, generally speaking, have a vastly different perspective on any variety of issues that could come up throughout a marriage or operation of a business.
This is not to be so legalistic, as in Old Testament times; Jesus' new covenant way, of kindness and love should be operational in our daily lives. Nevertheless, God gives us His Word and warnings. He graciously spells out some very direct ways of living of which we would do well to take heed.
Additionally, this is not to say that even when a believer joins up with another believer that all will be hunky-dory. I presume God's meaning in His warning is for our best possible 'reward' result. In the fallen world we live in, we need all the help and 'edge' we can get. When we choose to keep God's Word, He promises there will be "great reward".
Diligently sustain a faithful and committed observance of God's Word all the days of your life, not so much because of the reward, but as an avenue of expressing our love and gratitude as an offering and sacrifice to Him. Let us choose to honor our Heavenly Father by being warned and kept by His Word.
~ERC September 2019~
The measured and ponderous steps of a man's polished, special occasion shoes were heard ascending the wooden stairs behind her. She was home alone, though. Her pulse quickened, her heartbeat thudded in her bosom, a quick intake of breath as her thoughts raced.
Should she turn around to 'face' who was not supposed to be there? Yes. No. Yes...It was now or never...
Swiftly, she rose from the living room sofa where seconds before she had been quietly reading a book, she swiveled around and came face-to-face, with no-one!
Fear threatened to overtake but she pressed on, went to the staircase and continued to see...no-one.
There was no-one there yet she had distinctly heard the "shoe-d" footfalls, climbing.
Strange. Fear producing moments. If it wasn't human nor angelic, then the scary option scenario was, a being of the demonic nature.
This was something to be afraid of yet a child of God can call upon "Jesus!" in such situations. We can...
"...call upon Him in our day of trouble; I will deliver you..." (Psalm 50:15 ESV).
Praise God we do not need to fear Satan and his evil minions. This is nothing to be glib about. Knowing how the evil one operates and what he is capable of may help us in our spiritual warfare especially when we don the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). However, there is Someone it is good to fear with a good kind of fear. This is called, "the fear of the Lord".
Besides a fear or fascination with Satan and his dominion, people fear many things: the death of a loved one; not being successful in a business venture; being a spinster or bachelor; car accidents; law suits; and many, many more. Yes, those are definitely life's concerns yet when we cast our anxieties upon the Lord He will calm our souls. Faith and trust in our Almighty God will bring forth that 'good' kind of fear as alluded to above, the fear of the Lord.
What, exactly, does "the fear of the Lord" mean? I like the definition found in the 2019, 40-Day Fast & Prayer booklet put out by NECF Malaysia. The writer of Day 37's devotional, Reverend Subashini Achari, wrote,
"It is to have a deep reverence, awe and great respect for the Lord. We are to be awed and humbled by His presence. When we truly fear the Lord we will recognize that He is the Creator and we are His creatures. He is the Father and we are his children. The true fear of God is leading a life of obedience to the Word of God and wanting to please Him at all costs."
Jesus taught His disciples to start out realizing that when they spoke with God they could address him as "Father" all the while remembering that reverence, "...hallowed be Your Name" (Luke 11:2 NIV).
When we are in our prayer closet or public pulpit, be awed and humbled by His presence. Say, "...hallowed be Your Name" and pause. Pause some more...Let it sink in. Reverence and honor.
We can fear our gracious God and Father, because as we know from Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10, respectively,
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom."
The more we know of our Heavenly Father, the more wisely we will live our lives in a circumspect manner. We will become more conscious of our attitudes and behavior. He loved/loves us so much. Won't we show our gratitude by fearing him and becoming more like Christ? To be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16) is our Heavenly Father's desire for us His children.
Just this morning while reading Psalm 147, I came across verse 11 which seems very appropriate to insert here,
"...but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love" (ESV).
I find that comforting and encouraging.
I recall that as a young child, and even into my teens, that I would or would not do certain things whether or not my parents were present. Why? It was their governing training and a 'fear of my parents,' that helped to keep me on "the straight and narrow". Their love and their care, whether it was appreciated or not by their children at the time, kept us well.
Similarly, when the children of God have the fear of God in their hearts, they will become a more holy people. A people to be called by his name. He deserves to have our respect, and reverent awe.
He has proven His love and care for us many times over. His biggest proof being His gift of salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ's, death and resurrection.
Remember all this as we gather together on Lord's Day. As we pass the bread and wine to each other, show our deep respect and gratitude to Him. Carve out an expanding 'hallowed' alcove in your heart for your Heavenly Father; a place to generate that reciprocated love; to generate that hallowed offering to Him called, "the fear of the Lord".
~ERC September 2019~
The Fear of the Lord as sung by Tommy Walker
She had just lost her husband of many years and as she trudged up the path to the house to face the silent room, she struggled, a solitary figure, to walk strong and steady on her elderly limbs.
Up strode her granddaughters, one on either side, gently linking arms with her, lending her their more youthful energy, strength and compassion.
Her confidence and dignity boosted, her heart nudged with an infusion of comfort, she marched the remaining gauntlet up the steps and into the quiet shelter of her home "cocoon".
She knew where her husband had gone-to be with Christ and was happy for him-but now she was alone. Her earthly 'consort' gone.
Wait; alone? Alone, yet not alone, as demonstrated by those granddaughters. It was more than that though. She turned to the Lord for her strength, confidence, trust and quietness of heart.
"...In quietness and trust is your strength..." (Isaiah 30:15 NIV).
There she found peace.
Hannah of 1 Samuel 1 & 2 in the Bible, barren and not bearing any child any time too soon in the foreseeable future, knew where to turn. She turned to her heavenly Father, God, and poured out her soul's distress and desire. God heard her, so did Eli the priest who eventually blessed her with the benediction,
"Go in peace" (1 Samuel 1:17 NIV).
Trusting, Hannah was able then, to wash her face and eat something. God did grant her, her request and Samuel was born as well as subsequent children.
In John 20:19 & 21 NIV, Jesus is quieting the gathered disciples, calming their fears,
"Peace be with you!"
A few months back I was at a funeral, and I'll never forget it as I have never, ever done such a thing before but I think it is a wonderfully, sympathizing practice and blessing to bestow upon others. At the end of the service, the MC suggested each person go around the room, even to those we did not know, and say, "Peace be with you!"
What calming, comforting words especially when they are God's Words. Turn again and again to God's Word and scout out for the words that will soothe you; find peace for your hearts. When we do so, we will find that quietness that builds trust in the shelter of God's wings and word.
"Peace be with you!"
~ERC September 2019~
"Scrub!"
"Scrub harder!"
Before going into any operating room theater, one must SCRUB!
One must "purify" oneself with a thorough scrubbing of hands using special soap and water and even a scrub brush to clean out any debris that might be harboring under those fingernails. You gotta do that for a couple of rounds. At least, I had too. It was so long ago that I had to do that though, I may have forgotten a step. Nonetheless, I think you get the idea. On top of all that "detoxing" of hands, one must don rubber gloves. These to protect the patient from contamination but also so the surgeon and assistants do not contract any contamination from the patient.
Bring this regimen into the spiritual arena. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
"Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV)
What is it that contaminates our bodies and spirits?
Colossians 3:1-17 NIV has a list of some:
"...sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed..." (vs 5)
"...anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips...lying to each other..." (vs 8-9).
How do we pick up those "toxins"?
Perhaps by the company we keep or the movies we constantly watch that condone filthy language and sexual immorality, among other things. Sometimes our own defiance may allow us to engage in these things. When we submit to our Heavenly Father, constantly guard against them and choose what we will or will not engage in; we will help ourselves to purify our minds and bodies.
When a person will read God's Word, they will also purify their mind. When the mind is purified, then the body will follow suit; mind and actions/deeds will please the Lord.
We are told in Ephesians 5:26 NIV that Jesus Christ,
"...loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her Holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word..."
Reading God's Word, whether we understand it all or not will help to cleanse a person, especially when they read and heed what is said. If we are constantly digging into God's Word it will be in our minds and help to fill it with God's good message.
For the past 32 days I've been reading at least ten chapters of God's Word daily. It's a bit of a stretch as it takes about an hour of time. Sometimes I let the downloaded version of the Bible "read" it for me especially when driving along in the car. In the book entitled Total Surrender, Set Apart for God by Dr. John W. Mulinde, I just finished reading, he says to saturate yourself with God's Word. To him, reading the Bible should be,
"...read in a systematic and purposeful way, to know God, to know His story and to see God's perspective from the Jewish history.." (Chapter 9, page 125).
When we "read in bulk" we may not always understand all we've read but it will help us know things from God's point of view. Who knows? Someday, the parts you didn't understand will suddenly spark to life in your knowledge as the Holy Spirit teaches you and/or as some preacher expounds on the passage. One way or another, it's not going to harm you any.
The crux of the matter is that we do become purified! Of course, not just reading will do it. You must 'do it'; obey it, put it into action.
Although the following was in the context of putting on the whole armor of God, I want to relate it to purifying. The 40-day fast and prayer 2019 booklet I have that is put out by NECF Malaysia, mentions that believers in Jesus Christ are...
"...responsible for putting on..."
the whole armor of God. However, I want to correlate it with becoming purified in our minds and bodies. We, as children of God, need to be holy as God is holy. Yes, as the NECF booklet further mentions,
"...We are declared righteous by God in the gospel..."
We are made 'righteous' in God's sight by our salvation through Jesus Christ. Another term is "justification". That was/is God's sovereign action bestowed upon those who have accepted His gift of salvation. Yet, there is man's responsibility part too; also known as "sanctification". The booklet goes on to state,
"...and we are to live out this righteous declaration with righteous actions."
We still grapple with our deceitful nature despite having the Holy Spirit indwell us. We need to be on guard against what comes into our minds and dwells in our hearts. It will either make or break us, so to speak.
Let the fear of God live in our hearts and minds. Hide God's Word in your hearts so you will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). As you do so, greater purity will come. Your spirit will be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's convictions and your heart more willing to choose God's way. All this can be achieved out of growing reverence for God and wanting to please Him.
Let God's Word purify your mind, body and actions.
~ERC September 2019~
References:
Total Surrender, Dr. John W. Mulinde, copyright 2017, Published by WTM Malaysia
A Lifestyle of Holiness, 40-Day Fast & Prayer, by NECF Malaysia
Hymn:
Oh, Sanctify Us, Lord Tune and lyrics very succinct to the topic above.
