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The Bible plainly states that God will not reveal Himself to the proud, the arrogant, the wise, or those who deem themselves prudent. In fact, not only will God not reveal Himself to a prideful individual but God will go even further and firmly conceal things from this kind of person. Often times, the moment of revelation comes after a time of great hurt, desperation, or loneliness. God always knows what we need and how to bring it to us. But God will hold back the information we need until we humble ourselves before Him. Jesus said that God revealed Himself only to ”babes.” This has nothing to do with age and much more to do with the attitude of our heart. Those who are humble, those who are small in their own eyes, those who have no faith in self, are far more likely to receive insight and illumination relative to their situation. God will sometimes have to take us through the fire or nearly drown us in the water before we embrace a proper attitude. Would it not be better if we simply lived with a low opinion of ourselves? Then we would always be ready to receive from God exactly what we need at any given time on any given day.
Matthew 11:25 - At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Proverbs 24:3
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
The house that God builds is His church, and He builds His house through wisdom, which always refers to through Christ and what God did in Him at Calvary (2 Corinthians 5:19). ONLY in Christ are all the treasures of God’s wisdom found (Colossians 2:2-3). God says that He gives wisdom (Proverbs 2:6), and out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding, which refers to His Word.
The wisdom of God is what God did in Christ at the cross and the Apostle Paul told the church that (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). There is no wisdom imparted to man outside of proper biblical faith, which is “The faith of The Son of God” who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20). This is the faith which we live by, and the Way of Life is above to the wise so that THEY may depart from the hell that is below (Proverbs 15:24). Christ is our wisdom!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His Glory? (Lk. 24:25-26).
Verses 13 through 53 are peculiar to Luke. He Who walked on the road to Emmaus was “this same Jesus” (Acts 1:11), but “in another form” (Mk. 16:12). It is impossible for us to realize what were the powers of the Lord’s Glorified Body after the Resurrection.
Like Joseph’s action with his brothers, so the Lord did not discover himself to these two Disciples until He had brought them into a fitting condition of soul. When Jesus used the words, “Ought not,” it meant “Was it not necessary, because it was predicted?” This emphasizes the word “all” in Verse 25. These two Disciples had confined their Bible study to that which the Scriptures promised respecting the Messiah’s Glory and Kingdom, but they had been blind to the multitude of types and Prophecies foretelling His Sufferings as an Atoning Saviour.
Jesus then directed these two men to the Bible, which then was the Old Testament. In a sense, He divides it into two parts, “the Law” and “the Prophets.” This makes the Bible, because it is inspired, the supreme authority as to Faith and Doctrine. Its subject is the Sufferings and Glories of Christ — His Sufferings as Sin Bearer, i.e., Sin Offering (Phil. 2:6-10); His Glories as Sin Purger (Heb. 1:3). The story of the Bible is the story of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. If we understand it as we should, we will see that everything ultimately points to Him and His Sacrifice of Himself.
Concerning all of this, it might well be said that Christ went, Bible in hand, into death, and that He came out, Bible in hand, from among the dead. He insisted that it predicted His Death and Resurrection in relation to sin and its judgment. So, immediately prior to His Death and immediately subsequent to His Resurrection, He made more than thirty quotations from the Inspired Word.
If the Word was the Light to Christ, it most definitely must be our Light as well (Ps. 119:105).”
—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
Justification is the process that God uses to be able to have a relationship with fallen humanity. Justification is God's legal decree of man's innocence. He does not look at us as though we were guilty. He looks at us as perfect. Jesus died on Calvary to make justification available to mankind. When the believing sinner places his or her faith in who Jesus is and what Jesus death on Calvary accomplished for them, God then imputes to them the righteousness of Christ. This righteousness consists of His righteous sinless life and it is added to the believer’s spiritual account and standing. It is by this legal means that man is granted relationship with God. Since no single action can provide for one’s salvation then it must also be true that no single action can cause one to lose that salvation. Since salvation is a legal work offered by God to those who will believe, then the only way to lose this precious gift is to stop believing. No matter how good or bad your day has been, if at days end you still believe from the heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for your sin and rose again, then you win! You win!
Romans 3:28 - Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Proverbs 24:4
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Again, the church is the house that Jesus is building, and He does it all through the faith He finds in the hearts of His people. He is not a mystical nor a magical God, but a God who looks for faith in His own faith/work (Galatians 2:20) at Calvary, and in that faith/revelation, He will build His Church (Matthew 16:18). This Word should encourage us to desire to grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is through His knowledge that we as His people will be filled with all precious and pleasant riches of His great grace!
Grace is God doing something in, for, or through us when He finds faith. Grace is not mystical or magical, which means there is no such thing as a grace that exists outside of faith in the cross of Christ (Galatians 5:1-4). If God finds true, biblical faith, He gives Grace, which means He is allowed to do the work, and His work will always have His fruit. No one has ever had to cut open an apple tree to retrieve an apple, as it is there to BE SEEN on the branch. Let us come back to true faith today, and experience the true grace of God, and the fruit of His Holy Spirit will display Christ in and through our lives.
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“o you sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame? how long will you love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah” (Ps. 4:2).
In this Verse, David refers to the sin of Absalom, which characterizes the sin of all men.
THREE SINS LISTED
There are three sins listed in this Second Verse, which, in fact, are universal sins. They are:
1. Turning God’s Glory to shame (Rom. 1:22-32). God’s greatest Glory is His Creation of man; however, due to the Fall, man has turned after the ways of unrighteousness, thereby turning the Glory of God into shame. Other than the few hours Adam lived righteously before the Fall, the only True Man Who has ever truly lived is the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Leasing: This word means “lying” or “falsehood” (Prov. 17:4; 19:22). Satan is the father of lies; consequently, all of his children are liars. Actually, almost the entirety of the human race, in its pursuit of life outside of Christ, is based on a lie.
The sins listed in Verse 2 are the reason that Absalom rebelled against his father; the Scribes and the Pharisees rebelled against Christ; and all men rebel against God.”
—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
There is nothing more exciting than living for Christ. Everything that the believer experiences has a distinct reason and purpose. There is no uncertain hand of fate that determines my future. Instead the lover of my soul, the Master of my heart, and the Lord of my life orchestrates every event. He is the cause of every “chance” encounter. He is the unseen guide behind every decision. I can trust Him to take situations, either bad or good, and turn them to my advantage. In Christ, I never stop learning, never fall without experiencing a new depth to His mercy, and I can fly to unseen heights in the grandeur of His love. His strength turns aside my enemies and His power guarantees my future. His kindness dries the tears from my weary eyes and when everyone else deserts me, He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He informs, instructs, and encourages me along in the way. When I need it He scolds, reproves, rebukes, or even chastens. But all in all He has never done anything or allowed anything to happen that He has not turned to my good. What a God! What a Master! What a Lord! What A Saviour! Thank you Jesus for making me your own!
Hebrews 7:25 - Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Proverbs 24:5
A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
Hollywood for years has produced movies and thought patterns that would make us believe we are wise and strong without God, and that we can increase in strength without God. Sometimes they even use the phrase God, but it isn’t the God of the Bible. If Jesus Christ can tell His blood bought, born again people that they are dead ( Revelation 3:1), that they have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:1-4), and that they can be cut off just as Israel was (Romans 11:21), we better make absolutely sure it is Him we are hearing from.
GOD SAYS that it is the wise man in His eyes that is strong, and that the wise man who has knowledge will increase in strength. The Lord is our strength (Exodus 15:2, Psalm 28:7, 118:14), and only through His wisdom do we find and experience His strength. All the riches of God’s wisdom are found IN CHRIST (Colossians 2:2-3).
Proverbs 2:6 tells us that God gives wisdom, and out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding, therefore God gave us wisdom when He gave us Christ through the sacrifice (1 Corinthians 2:6-8), and His Word which comes out of His mouth is what we live according to (Matthew 4:4).
Because we know Jesus is our Life (John 14:6), but we only live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4), we know that every Word of God is in the context of Jesus and paints a better picture of Him as we grow in His knowledge daily.
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“and when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, They have no wine. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His Glory; and His Disciples believed on Him (Jn. 2:3, 11).
The First Miracle that Jesus performed in His earthly Ministry was the changing of water to wine in the little village of Cana of Galilee. Why did the Holy Spirit want this, the changing of the water to wine, to be His very First Miracle?
From the description, this family evidently was poor. If they had not been poor, they would not have run out of wine. Incidentally, this was not an intoxicating beverage, but rather grape juice. The Greek word used here for wine is “oinos,” which means either fermented or unfermented wine. This was the unfermented variety.
The Holy Spirit desired this to be the First Miracle of Christ in order that all may know and understand that Jesus can change things. He can change sorrow to happiness, sickness to health, sin to Salvation, death to life. That is His Business, to change things, and, above all, to change men, which He Alone can do!
Four hundred and fifty years had now elapsed since the last public miracle of the Old Testament. It was that of Daniel, Chapter 6. As an aside, many point to this incident in support of the doctrine of the value of the intercession of the Virgin, for Mary went to Christ and told Him of the depletion of the wine. But the answer of Christ given to her, “What have I to do with you,” destroys that hypothesis. The answer to His question is “Nothing.”
In every instance, the contrast is between the carnal nature, which is sinful, and the Holy Spirit. The Spiritual Kingdom has no contact with the carnal. There is an impassable abyss between them. There could, therefore, be no union between the sinless nature of Christ and the sinful nature of Mary. Nor could He admit her authority. This is declared in the words, “My hour is not yet come.” That is, “the moment for Me to act will be revealed by My Father, and His Voice is the only one to which I hearken.”
Mary, to her credit, recognized her error, stepped at once aside from between these needy people and the Almighty Giver of every good and perfect gift, telling the servants to turn from her to Him. When she was out of the way, He spoke directly to them, and, in a moment, the water was wine!
We learn from this First Miracle that Jesus can change things — anything! We also learn that we are to appeal directly to Him, and not to an intermediary.”
—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
Today, I feel the desire to say thank you Lord, for saving my soul. I want to thank you for always leading me down paths of righteousness, for your name’s sake. I want to give thanks for all the times you have provided when provision just was not there. I need to give you thanks for all the times you have cleared up my confusion, deadened my doubt, and healed my hurt. I feel I must declare my gratitude for your greatness, speak affirmation for my sanctification, and express my delight in your dignity. Thank you for healing my body when I was sick. Thank you for directing my thoughts when they were downcast. Thank you for the presence of your Spirit and the wonder of your Word. Thank you for my family, oh Lord. Continue to increase them, each one, in the experiential personal knowledge of yourself. Thank you for never leaving me, even though I deserved it. Thank you for never giving up on me, even after I had given up on myself. Thank you for love that expresses no bounds, loving kindness that never ceases, and wisdom that is given liberally to all who seek you. Today, I just feel the need to say thank you for all the world to hear!
Psalm 28:7 - The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Proverbs 24:6
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
God’s Word reveals to us that He makes war and judges in righteousness (Revelation 19:11), therefore the wise counsel we find to make war, we will find in the multitude of counsellors who reveal the way of safety as they present God’s Word as Truth in Righteousness. Only those who speak Truth show God’s Righteousness (Proverbs 12:17), and the only avenue of God’s Righteousness is the cross of Christ who became our victorious and liberating Truth there(Romans 1:16-17).
We, as the children of God, do not struggle against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), but against those things that have already been defeated (Colossians 2:14-15). We do not fight FOR victory but rather from a place of victory which God calls “In Christ”
Are you receiving counsel from the proper counsellors today, or are you listening to counsel that doesn’t result in safety in the midst of every storm? There aren’t many, but there are a few today who know THE WAY of safety in the midst of war! If you are being told to do something for victory over sin, you are being lied to. If you are being told to believe with your heart in what Christ did for you at Calvary, you are being told the Truth, and that will make you free!!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a Teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that You do, except God be with Him (Jn. 3:1-2).
We learn from this Chapter that entrance into the human family is by natural birth and into the Divine Family by Spiritual Birth. As it is impossible to enter the human family except by birth, so is it impossible to enter the Divine Family. This is the great Doctrine of this Chapter.
Nicodemus was an important man in Israel. Not only was he rich, but he also was a member of the vaunted Sanhedrin, the ruling body of Israel. Jesus ignored the statement made to Him by Nicodemus, promptly telling him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (3:3).
Jesus then told Nicodemus how the Born-Again experience is brought about. He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Eternal Life” (3:14-15).
Man demands a reasonable faith, based on evidence and scientific demonstration. The way of life preached to Nicodemus must, therefore, be unacceptable to them, for how could looking at a piece of copper heal disease, i.e., the serpent being lifted up on the pole in the wilderness? (Num. 21:9). Copper contains no healing properties discoverable by science. Therefore, how could a look to the Saviour on Calvary’s Tree effect a New Birth? Both are impossible to the fallen intelligence of sinful man.
Christ at once raised the moral question with Nicodemus. He immediately stopped a religious discussion by telling this most religious man and professed Believer that he was so sinful, so hopelessly corrupt and fallen, as to be incapable of reformation, so darkened morally that he could neither recognize nor experience spiritual phenomena unless born from above. This fundamental truth is obnoxious to man, for it humbles him.
In this discussion, the Lord unveiled what man really is. He is a sinner, having responsibility, but no life. He is lost; he must seek life and pardon outside of himself, that is, in Christ, Who meets his failure in responsibility and gives him Eternal Life.
Unfortunately, the modern Church, borrowing the ways of the world, seeks to reform man. It cannot be done! While the message of morality, i.e., “self-improvement,” sounds good to the carnal ear, and thereby appeals to the flesh, such is impossible, even for a Believer.
In all of this, by noting the lifted up serpent in the wilderness, Jesus leads Nicodemus, and all others, for that matter, to the Cross. The problem, whether for the unredeemed or the redeemed, is sin. The only answer for sin, as evidenced here, is the Cross. Fallen man must be miraculously changed, which can only come about through the Born-Again experience. The Cross made that possible. The Believer must be cleaned up! This can only be done by Faith in Christ and the Cross. As the Cross is the only answer for the unredeemed, it is also the only answer for the redeemed, as evidenced in this Chapter.
Incidentally, Nicodemus, despite being very religious, was unsaved. It would take the Cross to change that (Jn. 19:38-42).”
—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
There is never a right time to do the wrong thing. It does not matter what people have done to you. It does not matter what the circumstances are. Righteousness demands that under no circumstances may we justify wrong action or a wrong response. No circumstance that you face today qualifies you to do something dishonest or underhanded. Just because others have stepped outside the proper line of ethics, does not give you the right to do the same. Despite what others have done, the Christian is never given leeway to degrade, harm, or slander, in order to achieve a goal. In every circumstance we must reject the impulse to do the wrong to others even when they have devastated us in an unfair or immoral way. There is a great price to pay for violating the principles laid down in God's Word. We must not just do the easy thing, the convenient thing, the readily accessible response, if it is the wrong response. The consequences of moving outside of God's prescribed will and order can be most devastating. The wages of sin is death to both Christian and non Christian alike. So flee from every evil attitude or work. You will not like the paycheck that comes with either!
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
