Sat, Feb 29th - 12:58AM

THE MEASURE OF CHRIST

Holy people, we should never forget what Jesus Christ declares to His church, His people: Jhn 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Our Lord does not see us as inanimate objects acted upon, but as living children of light empowered to both learn, and live ie apply the word of God to our lives. As one brother mentioned if God gives an able- bodied man a glass of water He expects the man to take the glass of water and drink it. God commands for all of His people to reach for perfection- that water of Christ which we must full on take and drink heartily.

Who is responsible for aiding the body in these endeavors? Eph 4:  11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Dearly beloveds, besides these the whole church participates in perfecting one another as well. Each individual (saint G40 hagios) has the power to strive for perfection personally in every area of their lives: 2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

We get the idea, brethren, there is nothing passive in striving for perfection. Where are we to get the knowledge or learn how to work towards and obtain perfection: 2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. These words are for the whole church and we should never exclude our children from learning scripture.

The Bible won’t study itself, brethren, God commands and expects all of us to take it up and study it: 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Brothers and sisters, the Bible gives us our starting and steadfast place: Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Sadly, we know some wind up in the pulpit not understanding that God no longer considers those who have been saved as still sinners, then too there are some who have attended church for many years, but cannot tell anyone how they know whether or not they are saved. Obviously, those in these conditions are unable to go on to perfection due to not being rooted in scripture. The remedy for such persons is to pick up the Bible and diligently read, believe and live it, as well as seek out godly teachers.

The standard and boundaries of the Bible are permanently set by God for all eternity in the new covenant of Jesus Christ for all who believe. The whole of the Bible is valid, inerrant and the eternal truth for all mankind. 

love

serola

Wed, Feb 26th - 5:44PM

THE MEASURE OF CHRIST

I.Measure: measure, an instrument for measuring

A. a vessel for receiving and determining the quantity of things, whether dry or liquid

B. a graduated staff for measuring, a measuring rod

C. proverbially, the rule or standard of judgment

II.determined extent, portion measured off, measure or limit.

 . the required measure, the due, fit, measure.

PERFECT: brought to its end, finished

I.wanting nothing necessary to completeness

II.perfect

III.that which is perfect

A. consummate human integrity and virtue

B. of men

Gen 17:1 - And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

PERFECT: without blemish (44x), perfect (18x), upright (8x), without spot (6x), uprightly (4x), whole (4x), sincerely (2x), complete (1x), full (1x), miscellaneous (3x).

Mat 5:48 - Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Luk 6:40 - The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

Jhn 17:23 - I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

make perfect (12x), perfect (4x), finish (4x), fulfil (2x), be perfect (1x), consecrate (1x).

Outline of Biblical Usage

I.to make perfect, complete

A. to carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end

II.to complete (perfect)

 . add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full

A. to be found perfect

III.to bring to the end (goal) proposed

IV.to accomplish

 . bring to a close or fulfilment by event

 to complete, i.e. (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character):—consecrate, finish, fulfil, make) perfect.

Holy people, God’s standard has never changed for all of His people to be perfect and holy. Brothers and sisters, raise your hand if when you hear people mention or you even think about the word perfect ever felt a great deal of discomfort and said verbally/mentally nobody can be perfect? ( raised my hand).

The discomfort, and belief that no human being could ever be perfect arises out of the truth that no human being is able to make themselves perfect. We lose our discomfort when we understand how our perfection is to be obtained; in that God is not asking believers to make themselves perfect for this is His work in His people. So, dearly beloveds, lets calm down and RELAX! We can trust God to perfect us: Phl 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

CONFIDENT: persuade (22x), trust (8x), obey (7x), have confidence (6x), believe (3x), be confident. Jesus, we can trust will empower and teach us how He wants us to be perfect.

love

serola

Mon, Feb 24th - 11:22AM

THE MEASURE OF CHRIST

Brothers and sisters, praise God for giving us His Son Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, who freely gave himself for us, for all who will believe, to deliver us from our sins and to give us eternal forgiveness and everlasting life. What a joy it is that God has given Jesus as our absolute eternal unfailing, unchanging standard. He is our God, guard and guide. It is through being rooted in the absolute boundaries set in His precepts and commands that keeps us safe and stable in a dead and dying world.

By the power of God, we will go on to perfection in living and understanding the new covenant. We cannot serve a God we do not know. Bible illiteracy must be avoided. The word perfection, may scare some, brethren, but we are commanded to boldly pursue perfection in our understanding and living out the new covenant. The Bible pounds away in this very thing over and over in countless ways. There is no need for Christians to fight or struggle over tithing, as to who should receive it or how much or maybe not at all.   I have posted on this as so many others that there is indeed a new covenant tithe.

Clearly, the Bible lists the qualification of those who should be supported by the church for their work and ministry in behalf of the saints (G40 hagios). However, this support is absolutely not a tithe. In some cases, support is not automatic as some churches are too poor. There are instances in the Bible where it was necessary for other churches to support poor churches. God forbids Christians to support anyone by taking away from the needs of their own families. Christians should not be stingy, but give any amount that they choose consistently and generously, without harming their ability to care for themselves and their families.

Brothers and sisters, the tithes of the new covenant church belong only to Jesus Christ our Saviour, Mediator High Priest. Jesus Christ changed the tithe. Jesus changed the ministry where all believers are priests under His high priesthood forever. Under the Levitical law the tithes were the material things given by the people for the needs of the Levitical ministry, the Levites also tithed a portion of their tithes to the high priest. Under the new covenant Jesus Christ, the eternal new unchanging High priest assesses the intrinsic spiritual value of all that we give, and do.

The tithes belong to Jesus Christ alone, who rules in our character, conversation, and conduct, holy people. He has given us a new conscience to know good from evil and the power to choose the good. He alone knows the hearts, minds, intents and purposes of all that we give of our time, talents, and treasure, out of love for Him. Therefore, He alone can evaluate treasure from trash. Obviously, Jesus stores all that we give to Him out of love up in heaven as our reward, in heaven and in earth. We must understand the new tithes as spiritual, and the only one qualified to assess their value and receive them is Jesus Christ alone appointed by God as the High Priest over the house of God. Jesus is fabulously wealthy and has no need of material things from us, instead He is laying up a reward for us in store that cannot rust away in time. There is no need for any Christian to obey any man or woman to give a tithe to them. The tithe belongs to Jesus Christ the permanent High Priest forever. But we should most certainly support the ministry of the church as set and according to scripture. Dearly beloveds, some may feel that there are just too many hands and an enormous listing of those dipping in the coffers of their church for support. The Bible is clear, it has set the standard no Christian is obligated to obey the doctrines of men.

love

serola

Wed, Feb 19th - 10:02PM

THE MEASURE OF CHRIST

Brothers and sisters, on a day that I had to take a lyft on some business, I met a very personable, helpful young Lyft driver, Ahmad. I always enjoy meeting young people. Many of my peers report that they do not really know young people, because they found that a lot of young people tended to keep it short, and didn’t seem to like talking to them much. I was surprised at how open Ahmad was, he spoke about many things but it was so pleasant to hear him speak of his deep admiration for his parents.  They gave up every thing to ensure that he and his sibs had every advantage in life and education. Most importantly he noted that he had no doubt that his parents loved him. He understood that we don’t have to tell people we love them every minute, but real love has to be shown in deed not just words.

His parents had been strict. Initially he resented them for not allowing him to do all the things he wanted, but as he grew and matured, he came to understand that they were not his enemies, but were only trying to protect and guide him in the way that would help and not hurt him. Ahmad had some thoughts that parents ought to establish their authority early, firmly, discipline fairly without fear and be watchful for outside inappropriate influencers in the schools, media, the entertainment stars and industry. He felt those parents who delayed in these areas would find their parental authority co-opted by these forces, and their children turned against them to see them as enemies.

All in all, Ahmad greatly loved his parents who gave so much of themselves to love, discipline, and to set a firm standards for him to live by. Because of the dedication of his parents in raising him well he was busy building a future for himself by going to school, working and avoiding following the entertainment trends of the celebrities, yielding to unwholesome peer pressure, and staying away from places and people who did not share his values.

Certainly, dearly beloveds, some might feel a sting of ( unintended by me) condemnation, because although they did all the right things and more to help and show love to their children, it did not turn out well and they have no or a strained relationship with their children. This sometimes happen, our children have free will, even if it leads to unfortunate consequences. Prov 13: 1A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

Nevertheless, holy people, the Bible teaches the whole family: Eph 6: 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The father as the head of the household, brethren, is ultimately charged for how the children are raised. In practice this applies to both parents, and it would have been understood that way seeing the many biblical references to mothers instructing their children as well as the father. Fathers are to avoid unfair, cruel behavior and favoritism, which provokes the child to anger.let us walk according to scripture: Pro 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Wed, Feb 12th - 9:27PM

THE MEASURE OF JESUS CHRIST

Every profession, and ordinary people too have some way of satisfactorily measuring things, whether in medicine, chemistry, or baking a cake etc. to ensure the things measured will come out well for its intended uses. There are all kinds of tools of measurements most have been set to a certain standard depending upon the area the instrument is to be used. God has given us His Son, our Saviour, High Priest, Mediator/Advocate as the eternal Standard for His people. God has set the new covenant or new testament as the absolute eternal boundaries whereby we live in Him, according to His sovereign will.

This is not true of the unsaved world. People will not get better, kinder or good on their own. The Bible, holy people, declares that: 2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. This is because the Adamic sin nature of itself is incapable of improvement and does not get better with time. To the contrary, when men live rejecting God, there is no abomination that they will not do. We have God’s record of the former world that He had to destroy in the flood with the exception of Noah, his wife and daughters: Gen 6: 5And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

God also leaves us the record in this present world the Bible of the continual degeneration of those who reject salvation: 2 Pe 3: 1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Pe 3: 17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

1 Thes 5: 1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Dearly beloveds, we have but One standard, Jesus Christ by which we measure absolutely that which is good and that which is evil. It is by His power within the fortress of the boundaries set in His precepts and commands that we overcome and endure in a dead and dying world to bring the message of hope and salvation to all that we can, while there is still time.

Thu, Feb 6th - 1:52PM

THOSE PEOPLE

The Life of Jephthah-FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH

Brothers and sisters, we move forward in the story of Jephthah understanding that the Bible keeps hammering away the eternal truth that God gave no human being the authority nor autonomy on their own to worship God by sacrificing another human being, but absolutely forbade it.

God’s law, brethren, let us keep in mind had an absolute standard and strict boundaries to control virtually every aspect of the life of the nation of Israel whether of the priesthood or the people. it is supremely evident in meticulous detail, that Jephthah well understood the Law of burnt offerings. God gave no command to compel people to make a vow it was completely voluntary. God also allowed people not to make any vow or oath at all without penalty: Deu 23:22 - But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

Once a person made a vow to devote a person or thing to God, he had to keep it, this kind of vow, which could not be redeemed by giving certain things in exchange for it to the priests. Num 30:2 - If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

God designated both the altar and the place where all vows, and burnt offerings were to be brought: Exo 20:24 - An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

Deu 12:13 - Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:

Deu 12:14 - But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

Obviously, saints (G40 Hagios), the people well understood that human sacrifice on the altar was forbidden, this cannot be said often enough.

Deu 12:26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose: 27And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

Again obviously, God never commanded nor permitted cannibalism. Mizpeh was God’s designated place for the congregation in the time of Jephthah: The congregation of the Lord was in Mizpeh: Jdg 21:5 - And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

Jdg 11:37And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. 38And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

Jdg 11: 39And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, 40[That] the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

It is absolutely clear that Jephthah didn’t kill his kid and sacrifice her upon the altar as a burnt offering to God. She bewailed not her death, but that she would never marry and experience the life of an ordinary woman of Israel, but remain a virgin devoted to God. The dedication of Samuel best reflects this story, except Samuel was allowed to marry and have children to also serve God. Samuel’s family had its flaws too. Feel free to study that further on your own.

Dearly beloveds, we end the story of Jephthah understanding that God never promises that we won’t suffer hardships, trials, rejections, and persecutions in this world. Despite terrible beginnings Jephthah kept the faith and raised a godly child, because he trusted in God and God saved him. Jephthah was rooted in the knowledge of the covenants, and held true to live within the fortress of its boundaries which enveloped the totality of his life. Therefore, Jephthah was saved from terrible beginnings-hatred, rejection by his bio-family and hardships Nevertheless, Jephthah chose the will of God over his own will, and overcame his past and rose to defeat the enemy of Israel and deliver his people.

Holy people, regardless of whether we came from good or bad families, we will be hated in this world. We are THOSE PEOPLE who are and will be hated because we belong to Jesus Christ.

Brethren, praise God, we have the new covenant of Jesus Christ which envelops the totality of our lives. We are to live by it Standard, and our lives are to be lived within the fortress of its boundaries, which shield us in a crooked, perverse, wicked and corrupt world. Let us continually put our trust and hope in Jesus Christ. Let us, out of love, bring all the tithes of the new covenant to our only Saviour and High Priest; our time, talent, treasure, our conduct, conversation, character, our hearts, minds, spirits, feelings and emotions, intentions and motives.  We can trust Him to justly evaluate the intrinsic spiritual value of our offering to Him, as everything we give freely out of love will be stored up for our reward in heaven and earth:  Mat 6:20 - But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Mat 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let us, dearly beloveds  also quickly bring any broken hearts, hurt, our pains and suffering to our great Saviour, High Priest/Advocate Jesus Christ.

The eternal love and truth of God is able to blot out any of our years that the canker worm ate and to make our darkness brighter than the noon day sun.

love

serola