The language here is so beautiful that it is used in movies showing Catholic funerals…
Monday Scripture
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Sunday Scripture
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Glory unto our merciful Redeemer!
Sage’s Thursday Thought
Replacement theologists are increasing in these last days. They are heretics who fail to take the whole counsel of Scripture. They also fail at rightly dividing. This passage below refers to Israel and only Israel. The dry bones are not the church!!!!
Wednesday Wisdom
Prophecy in the News TV: Episode 13 | The Seed of Truth & A Panacea for …
Tuesday Truth
If we are truly walking closely to the Lord, we will abhor ourselves as Job did.
Study of the Church – Part 5
This portion of The Study of the Church is devoted to the main purpose of the church. Not to be confused with the egocentric “Purpose Driven Life,” the purpose we examine here is so wonderful, it is difficult to describe the experience.
The Church – Its Worship
Matthew 28:17a
“When they saw Him, they worshiped Him. . .”
Is there anything else so sublimely wonderful? No. Nothing else in this earthly coil will come close to lifting us to heaven than worship of Him. People chase after this or that exhilarating experience – some even quite dangerous ones. They want to feel something outside the limits of their flesh. No mountain climbing, speed racing, plane jumping, gambling, joy-riding, pharmaceuticals, or any other thrilling experience will come close to the pure, selfless worship of God. It is unique to those who are saved, and those who are saved are the only ones who can understand what is being described here.
There are three essential components to the worship of God – and all three are interconnected one to the other.
1. Faith
Exodus 4:31
And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
2. Spirit
John 4:23-24
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Spiritual worship is directed by the indwelling Holy Spirit – which is why true believers must never join in ecumenical worship services!
Philippians 3:3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
3. Truth
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
Jesus Christ = truth, (grammatically, Way, Truth and Life are predicate nominatives – that means they equal the subject of the sentence, which would be I – Jesus Christ) therefore there can be no hypocrisy or false pretenses in the true worship of God. There is no better example of true and false worship, than that our Savior gave us in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.
Luke 18:9-14
9 And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
To worship is to bow down in awe, to pay honor to a Holy God in humility and reverence. He is not your buddy, co-pilot, pal, or “the man upstairs.” He is so far above us that our question should not be – “why does God let this happen to me?” But, rather –
Psalm 8:4 What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?
sage
Happy Labor Day from The Vine Vigil!
Sunday Scripture
And we adore our Holy God!
Saturday Scripture
Wednesday Wisdom
Who else believes that Deuteronomy is the greatest work of prose ever written? No literature in history can approach it for its beautiful cadence.
Tuesday Truth
He heals family wounds!
Friday Scripture
Scientists Put Human Embryos Into Artificial Wombs and Watch Them Die – LifeNews.com
There is not much I can say over this disturbing article. The fact remains that teaching evolution in schools worldwide has led to the belief that nine day old humans are not human and, therefore, disposable. Note that it says that the hospital gave the embryos to the lab. I doubt that. There was some kind of exchange taking place. It also does not matter that it took place in Barcelona. I venture to guess that it also happens on American soil.
God have mercy on us…
sage
Thankful Thursday!
More Wednesday Wisdom
Wednesday Wisdom
Tuesday Truth
Study of the Church – Part 4
In our study of the Church, we have examined the Church’s Foundation, (Jesus Christ) It’s Head, (Jesus Christ) and It’s Organization. We now progress onto the portion of the Church that is necessary to, yet seriously lacking in most local churches. We must not underestimate or exaggerate the importance of . . .
CHURCH DISCIPLINE
1 Corinthians 5:5-7
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
LEAVEN IN SCRIPTURE IS ALWAYS A TYPE OF EVIL! THE CHURCH MUST PURGE OUT ANY EVIL IN ITS MEMBERSHIP.
The purpose of church discipline is brotherly love – and the goal is to restore him to fellowship with the Lord and his church family.
1 John 4:7-11
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
(Please note that this Scripture is directed at those who are already saved)
exercising biblical church discipline “if thy brother shall sin against thee”
step#1 – The one who is sinned against must go to his brother alone, not seeking after revenge or self-justification, but to “gain his brother.”
Matthew 18:15
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
step #2 – if the offender does not repent, the next step is to take one or two believers and go to him again.
Matthew 18:16
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
step #3 – if he will not hear the two or three witnesses, the third and last step is to take it to the church.
Matthew 18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
An excellent example of church discipline is to be found in the Bible, of course. It is found in Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
King James Version (KJV)
5 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
In Paul’s 2nd letter to the church at Corinth, we learn that the man repented and was restored to the fellowship of God’s people.
2 Corinthians 2:3-11
King James Version (KJV)
3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
The attitude of the church towards a repenting brother ( I stress repenting because we are not referencing the crocodile tears shed by famous, adulterous televangelists) should always be demonstrated by forgiveness in love. This is not to be confused with the “tolerance” practiced in the Emergent churches. Forgiveness is NOT tolerance – with tolerance the sinful behavior is encouraged and embraced – with forgiveness, the sinful behavior is expunged and forgiven.
sage
Bounty from the Lord!
We will have enough to make and can salsa this year due to a cat that adopted us. In previous years, woodchucks devoured everything we grew. The Lord is merciful and gracious beyond what we deserve.
sage
You can not lose your salvation!
If…you are truly born again!
sage
Saturday Scripture
African Violets grown from seed
Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
It astounds me that these beautiful flowers grew from dust-like seeds in seven months’ time! Each is different and beautiful. The Lord says that no matter what we do to ourselves as far as embellishments go, we will never be as gorgeous as flowers. Very humbling, from my perspective. Thank You, Lord Jesus!
sage
Thursday Thought
The Vine Vigil 