Aug 27, 2023
Is your humility stronger than your pride?
We cannot be one with Christ Jesus unless we humble ourselves in obedience.
Do we understand how God gives more grace to the humble?
Are we positioning ourselves for more grace?
Are you easy to love?
Are your relationships about what you can give or what you can get?
Do We Really Want What We Deserve?
We often feel like we deserve better without taking in account how much we fall short of the true glory of God. To be enlightened by God to know how wretched our lives are without accepting the shed blood of Yeshua as the payment for our sin is a priceless revelation. Father in Jesus’ name, we praise You for blessing us to know that we are nothing without You. Forgive us for thinking we are better than anyone else. Bless us to walk in the fulness of Your grace to show others the true path of righteousness. Deliver us from the confusion of self-righteousness. Help us to continue to be mindful of Your grace (undeserved power and favor) with every breath we take. Touch those who are blind to Your grace and its precious provisions. Save us from our ignorance and arrogance. Amen
Cast Your Cares on Him
1 Peter 5:5-11 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Benediction and Final Greetings
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you]. 11 To him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Grace, Favor
From chairo; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude) — acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).
Warning against Pride
James 4:1-6 From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Drawing Near to God
James 4:7-15 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Do Not Boast about Tomorrow
13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live , and do this, or that. 16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.
NIV
Rom 11:5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.” c
9And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”
1 Cor 15:1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11Therefore whether [it were] I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Paul’s Revelation
2 Cor 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; ) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; ) 4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but [now] I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me [to be], or [that] he heareth of me.
Paul’s Thorn and God’s Grace
7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Alive with Christ
Eph 2:1 And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) 6And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The Word Made His Dwelling among Us
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth. 15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].
Pro 18:19 A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city: and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle. 20A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; [and] with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 22[Whoso] findeth a wife findeth a good [thing], and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
23The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.24A man [that hath] friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother.
Being One in Christ
Phil 2:1 If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind. 3[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
The Attitude of Christ
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; 11And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Shining as Stars
12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.
14Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 17Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
The Tongue’s Answer is from the Lord
Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, [is] from the LORD.
2All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. 3Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
4The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 5Every one [that is] proud in heart [is] an abomination to the LORD: [though] hand [join] in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
6By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil. 7When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8Better [is] a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. 9A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. 10A divine sentence [is] in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. 11A just weight and balance [are] the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag [are] his work.
12[It is] an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. 13Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right. 14The wrath of a king [is as] messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it. 15In the light of the king’s countenance [is] life; and his favour [is] as a cloud of the latter rain.
16How much better [is it] to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! 17The highway of the upright [is] to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
18Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 19Better [it is to be] of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy [is] he. 21The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. 22Understanding [is] a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools [is] folly. 23The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
Beware of Deceivers (Full Reward)
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed: 11For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
