Freedom of Choice

The first humans were created in the image of God to be like Him in character and love with free will... which meant freedom to choose. Adam was given instructions by his Creator regarding all the many fruit trees in the garden. God told him he could eat of any of the many fruit trees in the Garden, except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat because in the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. Along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil stood the Tree of Life, both in the center of the garden. One tree represents the world and all its allures, the other, along side of it, represents the Cross of Christ.  One belongs to Satan, the other belongs to God. (see Genesis 2:16)

The Test (Genesis 3)Two trees standing in the center of the garden side by side... one you have been instructed by the Creator to not eat of or you will die, the other, the tree of life, is permissible to eat from just as all the rest of the fruit trees are. Only one tree in the entire garden has been prohibited to eat from.

Now comes the first test.  Why is forbidden fruit so alluring?  It looks beautiful, enticing, it makes you want it. You wonder why it is forbidden and begin to investigate why that might be. You gaze at it too long, you wonder, what is the harm? 

Adam and Eve were curious so they purposely went out of their way to investigate. They did not go to the Tree of Life which was standing next to the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, they just lingered up to the one that was forbidden. Adam must have stood back a bit while Eve went right up close because the serpent spoke to her. Check out their conversation...

The serpent (Satan) questioned her, saying "Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?" (Satan attempts to confuse Eve).

Eve said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, "You shall not eat of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die." (Eve added to God's word what God didn't say).

The serpent said to Eve, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil." (Satan is as much as calling God a liar, then insinuates God is keeping them in the dark about what they could have). It is really Satan who desires to keep people in the dark. He is a liar and deceiver as well as a tempter.

When Eve saw that the fruit was good for food and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate and also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both were open and they knew that they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together to make loin clothes.

When God told Adam that if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would die, God meant "spiritually" first, then only a limited number of years to live thereafter.  Adam and Eve, immediately upon eating the forbidden fruit died a spiritual death.  If they had chosen the tree of life which was standing right beside the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would have lived forever and not have lost the spiritually pure life and the close relationship with God that they had. They did not know what sin was. Now they found out, and are afraid of God finding out that they disobeyed Him and literally chose Satan over their loving Creator.

How does this relate to us? We see the same choice given to everyone since the beginning of time here on earth. Check out the Israelites in the desert for an example. We are to learn from their mistakes. God always tests everyone's faith, each of us for our own benefit.

There are still two fruit trees to choose from for Christians...the fruit of the world or the fruit of the Spirit, the tree of the world's wisdom and ways, or live in obedience to God's will and way in accordance to His Word and reliant on the Holy Spirit. Christians have chosen to feed on the  tree of Life which is the cross of Christ Jesus.   (Not yet) or non- Christians, choose to serve idols and false gods (religions), rather than the One and Only living God who went to the cross in our place. They may choose to disobey and be under the curse, or obey and be blessed.  For Christians, and all those who will turn in repentance and faith to Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord, our sinless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ took the curse upon Himself and paid the penalty for our sins and broke sins' power over us, then credited His own righteous life to our account, all in order to satisfy the justice of God. He shed His blood and died in our place, as the sinless Lamb of God, so that we could be filled with the Holy Spirit and be given a new regenerated heart in order that we may live a new Holy Spirit empowered life in, to, and for Him according to His will and His way as recorded for us in His Word.

His shed blood covers the sins of all those who will put their faith in Christ Jesus and His saving work on the cross when they are willing to turn away from their sinful life and turn to Jesus believing His shed blood takes away the penalty of our sin, and that through Jesus' resurrection from the dead we have been given the Holy Spirit of Christ to live within us. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live a new life in Jesus' name (character) and to serve the Father through His Son, Jesus, who is our eternal life.

We all have the freedom to choose life or death, blessing or curse, false gods (religions) or the One and Only living God, Jesus Christ. God does not coarse anyone to come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. He wants our heart and our loving obedience. He supplies all the grace and Holy Spirit empowerment needed to make that happen when we choose to leave behind false gods (religions) and worship Him. In order to do that, we must first go to the Cross of Christ to surrender our heart and life to Him, forsaking our sinful ways to live for Him and His will.


Before we come to faith in Christ Jesus, we are all living under the influence of Satan even though we do not realize this.  At present, this world is Satan's kingdom and we have been under his rule. Just as he deceived Eve he deceives the world with alluring things and tries to make God look like the enemy. He tries to twist God's Word and take things out of context so they will be misunderstood. He tries to put his own evil character traits onto God.  He did this with Eve. He as much as called God a liar, a deceiver, and a controller. Yet these are traits of Satan, himself.  Do we not hear some people today accusing God of these same things whether in speech or writing? We know who is influencing their attitudes and minds.

How does Satan trick us?  Confusion, lies, deceit, twisting God's Word by adding or taking away from it, taking it out of context to serve his purpose, tries to make God look mean, selfish, arrogant, controlling and hateful. Satan tries to paint his character on to God and make himself appear as an angel of light, in order to keep the world's allegiance to him when he is afraid we will turn to Christ Jesus and enter the kingdom of Light, the kingdom of the Son. But Jesus came to set the captives free!  Most captives don't fully realize they are captive because they are under the deception of Satan still. We must pray for the eyes to be opened, the ears unplugged, the hearts softened, and the Holy Spirit's enablement to draw them to Christ Jesus. We can see by the world events all around us and, especially on the other side of the world, through the news that Satan knows his time is short and all hell is beginning to break loose.  It is time to pray more fervently for all those who do not yet know Christ Jesus to come to a saving faith in Him. We also need to be praying for all our brothers and sisters in Christ all across the world to stand firm in the faith.


( 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:12-14; Genesis 2:16; 3:)

~Annie~

It Is Finished!

It is Finished!

The last words Jesus cried out before dying on the cross were, 

“It is finished!”

What was finished?  Jesus satisfied the holiness of God by living a sinless life as a man under the Law and was now able to put to our account... His righteous life.  He satisfied the justice of God by paying the penalty for our sin, and by taking away the power sin has upon us so that through the Holy Spirit, we are able to resist sin.

Since the time Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden an innocent animal had to be slain every year as a sacrifice to God so that it’s blood would cover the sins, first of Adam and Eve, then later their children, then all others who lived by faith in God’s Word and His promise that He would one day send them a (Messiah) Savior.  (Hebrews 9:22) Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Just before God used Moses to lead the Jewish people out of the land of bondage, God gave instructions for all the Jewish people to sacrifice a one year old male lamb without blemish and to apply it’s blood to the doorposts and over the lintel of their houses so that when the angel of death passed over, the firstborn male in that family would not die, but be saved.  God gave other instructions on how they were to prepare their lamb and how to eat it. (Please read Exodus 12 to see the complete instructions.) In every house that had blood applied to the doorposts and over the lintel, the firstborn male was spared. In every house that did not have blood applied to the doorposts and over the lintel, the firstborn male died.

God told Moses and Aaron that this month would be the beginning of the year for the Jewish people. On the tenth day of this month every man shall select a lamb or a goat and keep it until the fourteenth day of this same month when all the congregation shall sacrifice their lambs together. God said that this day shall be a memorial day and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. This feast would be called the Passover Feast in commemoration of the Israelites freedom from bondage to be able to worship the LORD their God in freedom.

Up to the time Christ Jesus went to the cross the Jewish temple still held these yearly sacrifices of a young goat, lamb, or a pair of birds which would take place at 3:00 p.m. on the fourteenth day of the Jewish year. People travelled from a distance to sacrifice at the temple during the Passover feast because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews9:22).

It was at the time of Passover that Jesus was nailed to the cross. On this fourteenth day of the month of Passover, at exactly 3:00 p.m. Jesus, the Lamb of God, cried out, “It is finished!” as He took His last breath. At that same moment, as animal sacrifices were about to be slain and put on the altar inside the temple, the thick temple vail was suddenly torn from the top down to the bottom... as if to repeat the words of the Lamb of God, It is finished! No more animal sacrifices. The sinless Lamb of God, who came down from heaven, is the final sacrifice that removes sin forever. This Lamb of God would not stay in the grave, but would rise up on the third day victorious! And He did!

The shed blood of Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, would reach back and take away the sins of all those who had lived by faith in God’s Word and His promise of a Messiah/Savior who would one day redeem them from their sins and give them eternal life. The shed blood of Christ Jesus would also reach forward to redeem all those present and future who would (repent) confess their sin and turn from it and turn in faith to Jesus Christ to live for Him.

It was in this way, through Jesus becoming the final sacrifice as the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). As God’s blood bought, adopted children we can come to the throne of grace to receive mercy, and help in our time of need. God’s throne room has been opened to us as His children to come to 24/7 to confess our sin and receive mercy, grace, peace and a clean conscience from our heavenly Father.  

When Jesus cried out “It is finished” He meant everything necessary for our salvation was done on that cross through His atoning blood.  It is through studying and meditating on His Word that His children, with the help of the Holy Spirit will discover all the many benefits that blood bought, adopted children have been lavished with, and receive by grace through faith. What the Bible reveals is only a taste of what eternity will bring.

As blood bought children of God we have access into the throne room of the Father. We can enter without fear, as we are His children. We should enter with reverence and awe while confessing our sin and requesting His help and grace to change our desires and attitudes to be like His, our will to be His will, and to see everyone through the eyes and heart of Jesus, our Christ.  

He has made many great and precious promises to His children and has given us everything we need for a life of godliness. (See 2 Peter 1:3-10) 

~Annie~

Freedom of Choice

The first humans were created in the image of God to be like Him in character and love with free will... which meant freedom to choose. Adam was given instructions by his Creator regarding all the many fruit trees in the garden. God told him he could eat of any of the many fruit trees in the Garden, except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat because in the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. Along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil stood the Tree of Life, both in the center of the garden. One tree represents the world and all its allures, the other, along side of it, represents the Cross of Christ.  One belongs to Satan, the other belongs to God. (see Genesis 2:16)

The Test (Genesis 3)Two trees standing in the center of the garden side by side... one you have been instructed by the Creator to not eat of or you will die, the other, the tree of life, is permissible to eat from just as all the rest of the fruit trees are. Only one tree in the entire garden has been prohibited to eat from.

Now comes the first test.  Why is forbidden fruit so alluring?  It looks beautiful, enticing, it makes you want it. You wonder why it is forbidden and begin to investigate why that might be. You gaze at it too long, you wonder, what is the harm? 

Adam and Eve were curious so they purposely went out of their way to investigate. They did not go to the Tree of Life which was standing next to the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, they just lingered up to the one that was forbidden. Adam must have stood back a bit while Eve went right up close because the serpent spoke to her. Check out their conversation...

The serpent (Satan) questioned her, saying "Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?" (Satan attempts to confuse Eve).

Eve said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, "You shall not eat of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die." (Eve added to God's word what God didn't say).

The serpent said to Eve, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil." (Satan is as much as calling God a liar, then insinuates God is keeping them in the dark about what they could have). It is really Satan who desires to keep people in the dark. He is a liar and deceiver as well as a tempter.

When Eve saw that the fruit was good for food and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate and also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both were open and they knew that they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together to make loin clothes.

When God told Adam that if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would die, God meant "spiritually" first, then only a limited number of years to live thereafter.  Adam and Eve, immediately upon eating the forbidden fruit died a spiritual death.  If they had chosen the tree of life which was standing right beside the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would have lived forever and not have lost the spiritually pure life and the close relationship with God that they had. They did not know what sin was. Now they found out, and are afraid of God finding out that they disobeyed Him and literally chose Satan over their loving Creator.

How does this relate to us? We see the same choice given to everyone since the beginning of time here on earth. Check out the Israelites in the desert for an example. We are to learn from their mistakes. God always tests everyone's faith, each of us for our own benefit.

There are still two fruit trees to choose from for Christians...the fruit of the world or the fruit of the Spirit, the tree of the world's wisdom and ways, or live in obedience to God's will and way in accordance to His Word and reliant on the Holy Spirit. Christians have chosen to feed on the  tree of Life which is the cross of Christ Jesus.   (Not yet) or non- Christians, choose to serve idols and false gods (religions), rather than the One and Only living God who went to the cross in our place. They may choose to disobey and be under the curse, or obey and be blessed.  For Christians, and all those who will turn in repentance and faith to Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord, our sinless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ took the curse upon Himself and paid the penalty for our sins and broke sins' power over us, then credited His own righteous life to our account, all in order to satisfy the justice of God. He shed His blood and died in our place, as the sinless Lamb of God, so that we could be filled with the Holy Spirit and be given a new regenerated heart in order that we may live a new Holy Spirit empowered life in, to, and for Him according to His will and His way as recorded for us in His Word.

His shed blood covers the sins of all those who will put their faith in Christ Jesus and His saving work on the cross when they are willing to turn away from their sinful life and turn to Jesus believing His shed blood takes away the penalty of our sin, and that through Jesus' resurrection from the dead we have been given the Holy Spirit of Christ to live within us. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live a new life in Jesus' name (character) and to serve the Father through His Son, Jesus, who is our eternal life.

We all have the freedom to choose life or death, blessing or curse, false gods (religions) or the One and Only living God, Jesus Christ. God does not coarse anyone to come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. He wants our heart and our loving obedience. He supplies all the grace and Holy Spirit empowerment needed to make that happen when we choose to leave behind false gods (religions) and worship Him. In order to do that, we must first go to the Cross of Christ to surrender our heart and life to Him, forsaking our sinful ways to live for Him and His will.


Before we come to faith in Christ Jesus, we are all living under the influence of Satan even though we do not realize this.  At present, this world is Satan's kingdom and we have been under his rule. Just as he deceived Eve he deceives the world with alluring things and tries to make God look like the enemy. He tries to twist God's Word and take things out of context so they will be misunderstood. He tries to put his own evil character traits onto God.  He did this with Eve. He as much as called God a liar, a deceiver, and a controller. Yet these are traits of Satan, himself.  Do we not hear some people today accusing God of these same things whether in speech or writing? We know who is influencing their attitudes and minds.

How does Satan trick us?  Confusion, lies, deceit, twisting God's Word by adding or taking away from it, taking it out of context to serve his purpose, tries to make God look mean, selfish, arrogant, controlling and hateful. Satan tries to paint his character on to God and make himself appear as an angel of light, in order to keep the world's allegiance to him when he is afraid we will turn to Christ Jesus and enter the kingdom of Light, the kingdom of the Son. But Jesus came to set the captives free!  Most captives don't fully realize they are captive because they are under the deception of Satan still. We must pray for the eyes to be opened, the ears unplugged, the hearts softened, and the Holy Spirit's enablement to draw them to Christ Jesus. We can see by the world events all around us and, especially on the other side of the world, through the news that Satan knows his time is short and all hell is beginning to break loose.  It is time to pray more fervently for all those who do not yet know Christ Jesus to come to a saving faith in Him. We also need to be praying for all our brothers and sisters in Christ all across the world to stand firm in the faith.


( 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:12-14; Genesis 2:16; 3:)

~Annie~

Merry Christmas and a Safe and Healthy New Year to All

Things are really busy right now for all of us, as you already know, with Christmas and New Year coming up. I will be spending time with family outside of country as well as spending time with other family inside so will not post until mid-January.  In the mean time...

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year! I hope everyone will be able to get together with their loved ones and enjoy time together as we celebrate the birth of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ, and prepare to begin a New Year. 

It is a joy to watch the little ones open gifts from under the tree.  That is something you miss when your children grow up. If you have grandchildren, you can kind of re-live that through them. 

For those who may be alone at Christmas, I hope you can find someone else who may be alone to share it with, or maybe someone will invite you to share Christmas with them.Years ago when my children were in University and one of their friends had no where to go for Christmas we would invite them to share Christmas with us. It became a tradition which we all enjoyed and felt blessed doing.  I know that if my children, even adult children, had no one to spend Christmas with, I would be so pleased if someone offered to share Christmas with them. We can do for others what we would like others to do for our own child (grown child) if they were unable to spend Christmas with us for some reason.  It really is more blessed to give than receive!  No one should have to spend Christmas alone.

As a tradition, my grandchildren play piano recitals and sing at a Nursing Home on Christmas afternoon for the old people. They then go around to speak with, and sometimes give hugs to, the older ones. It is very nice. 

Traditions are good!  There is always someone, somewhere who could use some Christmas cheer, or maybe Christmas dinner.  Maybe someone on the street could use mitts or warm hat as well as a meal. I think there are many ways to share the joy of Christmas with someone who is alone at this time.

What traditions do you have in your family? 
What traditions might you want to start?

Have you asked your children what they might like as a new tradition for bringing joy to the heart of someone who is alone.  Your children would probably have some great ideas!  It would be an interesting discussion to see what they come up with. They probably notice more than we sometimes realize.

Enjoy Christmas and New Years celebration...

In Christ's love,

~Annie~

Lessons From the Harvest Field

Let us go forth into the field and learn

(Title and outline is from Handfuls on Purpose)

That a harvest time will come.  Seed sown shall not always remain a hidden thing.          (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). One may plant the gospel seed, several may water the seed, but only God can make it grow).

 

That much comes from little.  Some a hundredfold. But they who sow wind will reap whirlwind. We need to be mindful of how we live our lives and of what our priorities are, or we may end up wasting precious time on worldly things rather than on what God had previously planned for us (see Ephesians 2:10). We need to nourish the soil of our hearts with the Word of God, and with the Spirit’s enablement, to mature spiritually, as we put what we learn into practice. Then we will be able to share the gospel with others that they may come to a saving faith and avoid the coming wrath of God against all who reject Christ Jesus.

That a fruitful life comes through death.  “Except a corn of wheat die, it abides alone (John 12:24). We must die to sin and live for Christ Jesus if we are to be fruitful. Romans 12:1-3 and Hebrews 12:1-3 will explain how to do this. 

That like comes from like.  “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap” (Galatians 6:7). Where is your treasure? What do you most enjoy doing? Where your treasure is, your heart will be (Matthew 6:21). What is your top priority?

That when we cease to grow we begin to die. Like a plant, when fully grown if we don’t regularly nourish it, it will die.  Feeding our hearts with God’s Word and reliance on the Holy Spirit to put it into practice are essential for our spiritual growth and life.

That grain is most valued when ripe.  Mature Christians are able to be mentors  to the new Christians by showing, by example, how to live a godly life in a corrupt world, whatever the cost. (By their fruit you will know them)

That the harvesting does not alter its character.

That the harvest is followed with sifting.  (Satan requested permission to sift Peter...see Luke 22:31).  God will sift the tares from the wheat when Jesus returns.

Being a good model is a form of sowing that can result in reaping Christlike changes in the lives of new Christians. Life is filled with choices, choices that affect us on an everyday basis in everything we do, which means our everyday choices are not without significance. Our choices affect us and others in dramatic ways whether we see it immediately or not (2 Chronicles 17:3; John 13:15; 1 Thessalonians 1:7;  2 Thessalonians 3:7-9; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7).

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:15-18).

 So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). 

Why do we need wisdom?  So we can make wise choices!

If we sow indifference to God, spiritual values and priorities, we reap the fruit of indifference—ignorance, hardness, greediness, futility, and frustration (Ephesians 4:17-19). 

Here is something for us to think about:

Sow a thought, reap an act; 

Sow an act, reap a habit; 

Sow a habit, reap a character; 

Sow a character, reap a destiny.

~Annie~

Temptations Can Be Overruled For Good By the Children of God - by Thomas Watson

Temptations

 

 

Satan observes the temperament and the constitution: He lays suitable baits of temptation. Like the farmer, he knows what grain is best for the soil.  Satan will not tempt contrary to the natural disposition and temperament.  This is his policy, he makes the wind and tide go together, that way the natural tide of the heart runs the way the wind of temptation blows.  The devil cannot know men's thoughts, yet he knows their temperament, and accordingly lays his bait.

 

Satan observes the fittest time to tempt in as a cunning angler casts in his angle when the fish will bite best.  Satan's time of testing is usually after an ordinance: and the reason is, he thinks he shall find us most secure. Just as a soldier, who after a battle leaves off his armor, not once dreaming of an enemy, Satan watches his time, and when we least expect, then he throws in a temptation.

 

Satan can tempt by proxy. Thus he handed over a temptation to Job by his wife (Job 2:19).

 

Satan tempts to evil by them that are good, thus he gives poison in a golden cup. He tempted Christ by Peter--- Peter dissuaded Christ from suffering.

 

Satan tempts to sin under pretense of religion. He is most to be feared when he transforms himself into an angel of light.  He came to Christ with Scripture in his mouth. "It is written." If you compare Matthew 6:6 and Psalm 91:11, you will notice Satan omitted part of the Scripture. When in Matthew he quoted, "For he will command his angels concerning you" but omitted ... to guard you in all your ways.  (Satan adds to, takes away, and twists Scripture).

 

Satan can instill blasphemous and evil thoughts into one's mind, as well as use subtle arguments to dispute us into sin. He will also use a weakness to incline us toward temptation.

 

Temptations can be overruled for good by the children of God. A tree that is shaken by the wind is more settled and rooted; so the blowing of a temptation does but settle a Christian more in grace.

 

Temptations are overruled for good in the following ways.

 

Temptation sends the soul to prayer. When Satan shoots his fiery darts at the soul, it then runs faster to the throne of grace.

 

The more a child of God is tempted, the more he fights against that temptation. The more Satan tempts to blasphemy, the more a saint trembles at such thoughts and says, "Get thee hence, Satan!"  That temptation that the devil uses as a spur to sin, God makes a bridle to keep back Christians from it.

 

Temptation works for good as it abates the swelling of pride. Paul said "Lest I should be exalted above measure, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to buffet me (2 Corinthians 12:7).

 

Temptation works for good, as it is a touchstone to try what is in the heart. The devil tempts that he may deceive; but God suffers us to be tempted, to try us.  Temptation is a trial of our sincerity, it argues that our heart is chaste and loyal to Christ when we can look at a temptation in the face and turn away from it. Also it is a trial of our courage when rather than yielding to the temptation, the Christian brandishes the Sword of the Spirit against Satan.

 

Temptations work for good when God makes those who are tempted fit to comfort others in the same distress. A Christian must himself be under the buffetings of Satan, before he can speak a word in good season to him that is weary.

 

Temptations work for good as they engage the strength of Christ. Christ is our Friend, and when we are tempted, He sets all His power working for us. In that He himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted (Hebrews 2:18). "And through Him we are more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37).

 

 

Question:  But sometimes Satan foils a child of God. How does this work for good?

 

Answer:  Through the suspension of divine grace, and the fury of the temptation, a saint may be overcome; yet this foiling by a temptation shall be overruled for good. By this foil God makes way for augmentation of grace. Peter was tempted to self-confidence. He presumed upon his own strength; and when he would needs to stand alone, Christ let him fall. But this wrought for his good. It cost him many a tear."He went out and wept bitterly"  (Matthew 26:75). And now he grows more modest. He durst not say he loved Christ more than the other apostles. "Do you love Me more than these"? (John 21:15). He durst not say so. His fall broke the neck of his pride.  The foiling by a temptation causes more circumspection and watchfulness in a child of God.  Though Satan did before decoy him into sin, yet for the future he will be more cautious. He is more shy and fearful of occasions of sin. He never goes out without his spiritual armor, and he girds on his armor by prayer.  He knows he walks on slippery ground, therefore he looks wisely to his steps.

 

This is all the harm a devil ever does when he foils a saint by temptation. He cures him of his careless neglect; he makes him watch and pray more.



From All Things For Good by Thomas Watson

 

 

 

 

~Annie~



What Are the Lord's Requirements

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

 

The secret of rest and victory lies in ceasing to struggle against

the requirements of God.

 

Here is a question which should come with searching power to the heart of every child of God; what does the Lord require of me?  Surely such a question ought to constrain us honestly to make this inquiry: Lord, what will You have me to do?

(Handfuls on Purpose - James Smith)

 

 

He is our Creator and every good thing comes from Him. For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb (Psalm 139:13). What do we have that we have not received from Him?  Therefore we should be joyful always; pray continually; and give thanks "in all circumstances," for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus (1Thessalonians 5:16-18).

 

He is our Redeemer.  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.  We were bought at a price, therefore we are to glorify God in our body and our spirit, which are His. We belong to Him.  He only, shall we serve (Matthew 4:10). For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).  In Christ we are new creations. God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ Jesus and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. God made Him who was sinless, to be sin for us, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God.  ( 2 Corinthians 5:17-20).

 

 

What are some of these requirements...

 

A Reverent Fear of Our Holy God.  Fear the Lord your God, not as a slave who fears his master because of the lash, but as a loving son or daughter fears to grieve or dishonor their father.  God is our Father, but He is also Judge and we each, as His children, will give account for everything whether good or bad (Hebrews 12:13) This has not to do with our salvation but rather what rewards will be given or with-held according to our heart and our ability with the gifts He has given us.

 

An Obedient Walk.  "To walk in all His ways" (Deuteronomy 10:12). What does this mean? Colossians 1:10 tells us we are to ask God to fill us with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Why? in order that we might live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way. How? By bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in our knowledge of God. By doing this we will be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might. Why? So that we can have great endurance and patience in every test and trial, and joyfully give thanks to the Father for giving us His Son and His Spirit. 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).

 

An Affectionate Heart. He who looks upon the heart requires truth in the inward parts             (Psalm 51:6).

Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (A neighbor is anyone you have contact with). On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:38-40).   Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34).

 

A Forgiving Heart.  In Matthew 6:5-14 after teaching His disciples how to pray Jesus ends with this...(v.14) "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but... if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Check back at the top under fear of God re- we must give account of everything whether good or bad. We often need God's help in order to forgive and to keep forgiving.  He is waiting to hear our cry so He can help us.

 

A Whole-Hearted Service.  We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men (Ephesians 6:7). Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly... and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:12-17). Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men... it is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24).

 

A Submissive Will.  A submissive will is a will surrendered to God. It is a desire to do His will rather than our own. When Jesus separates the sheep from the goats it will be those who do the will of God who Jesus will recognize as His own (Matthew 7:21).  What does it mean to do the will of God?  It means to have compassion on others and do for them what you would have someone do for you or your loved ones if they were in desperate need (Matthew25:31-46).   It means to obey Christ's teachings.  Everything in the New Testament (Covenant) comes from the teachings of Christ Jesus.  Before Jesus ascended back to heaven He told His disciples He would send the Holy Spirit who would bring to their minds all that Jesus had previously taught them. Jesus also taught the apostle Paul. Therefore everything in the New Testament comes from the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament teaches about Jesus Christ in types and shadows and prophecies. Jesus, Himself gave evidence to this when He said,  "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and the enter His glory?"  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke 24:26-27).

 

A submissive will desires to do God's will by obeying His Word and trusting Him to work things out for our benefit and His glory. God wills that we grow in grace and knowledge of His Word and to put it into practice in our daily lives with the help of the Holy Spirit. In John 17:17 in Jesus' high priestly prayer Jesus prays that all God's children would be sanctified by the truth. His Word is truth. We need both the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to enable us to live godly lives in Christ Jesus. We need to be in God's Word and reliant on the Holy Spirit daily in order to walk in the will of God. We need also to be in a spirit of prayer for opportunities God may bring across our path. And we need to be prepared to give an answer to any who ask us, what is the reason for our hope, and to do this in gentleness and respect ...                                                                 (1 Peter 3:15).

 

A Tenacious Faith.  By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:24-27).

 

For Christ's love compels us... He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:14:15).

 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). We fix our eyes on Christ Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith...(Hebrews 12:1-3).

 

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).

 

 

~Annie~