stripped bare

Last night's picture of an oak, stripped bare, but alive.

Ecc 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Where there is life, there is hope.

2Co 6:1  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2Co 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Now is the day of salvation, the forgiveness of sins by the grace of God through faith in his son, Jesus Christ.

None of us can save ourselves and no one can brag on their own good merits. It is by faith only that we are given grace to be the children of God. Like the oak tree in winter, we shed the leaves of our  pride and are stripped bare by the eyes of God. A time of seeking God and making plans to fulfill his purpose for the new year. He has plans for us of green leaves, seeds and the fruit of the spirit, Let him work in you to do his good purpose.

Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 
Gen 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 
Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 
Gen 3:11  And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 
Gen 3:12  And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 

Gen 3:13  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 

Whatever excuse we may have, and whoever we blame, it is sin in us that needs to be forgiven and cleansed.

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

This lesson is for me first. If you read this far, you are not alone, we all need Jesus.

Sanctification

  

Salvation is a gift of God through faith in Jesus his only begotten son. Read these verses carefully and in the end is a children's hymn to help you remember.

 

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

Many churches preach the grace of God, by faith and not by works for salvation. Many in those churches do no work of service because grace is not works. They are afraid to mix works with God's grace. God has ordained that we are to walk in good works. We are to work outwardly our salvation. This is our sanctification, working outwardly the new life within us.

 

Php 2:12  Wherefore, 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.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15  That 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;
Php 2:16  Holding 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.

Some repeat a prayer to be saved. Are they saved? We must show the new life in our outward expression of sanctification; pure hearts cleansed by the blood of the lamb. Servants of the Lord giving light and truth and Jesus, the way of salvation to as many as will receive him.

 

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 Salvation first, then the good works; this brings insight to the word of God given through James.

 

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

The world wants to see God in us who profess to believe in him.

 

1Pet 2:12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

 

Religion puts works as a way to please God. God is pleased in his Son; believe in him first and be saved by faith and then show the world by your life that you belong to God.

 

I want to put down all that the Spirit is showing me. There is more, but we need to understand that we are saved through faith in Jesus. Our sanctification is living out our life so that others see Jesus in us. It is not work by self effort alone, but the walk of faith as we learn from the Spirit of God as he teaches us all things. Get in the word of God and hear the voice of God. Pray to him and do his will. It is spirit to spirit that we live outwardly our sanctification. I am reminded of a children's hymn by Charles King.

 

If you're saved and you know it, clap your hands!   X X X
If you're saved and you know it, clap your hands!   X X X
If you're saved and you know it,
Then your life will surely show it,
If you're saved and you know it, clap your hands!   X X X
2.   Stomp your feet
3.   Say "AMEN"
4.   DO ALL THREE

 

This simple children's hymn is a way of getting across the message. Music and the word is a great way to remember the word and to be refreshed in the spirit. Saved by faith, God sees us in Jesus. The world sees us in the flesh, so we need to be like Jesus, to show them our new life.

All Israel Shall Be Saved

Hosea 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

This was a reminder from God through his prophet of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

The prophet speaks the mercy of God to the covenant people of God through Messiah, Jesus Christ. They will not be forgotten forever. One minister said that all Jews will be saved. Not until the end will they be saved. All Israel will be saved at the second coming of the Messiah Jesus, but those remaining after the tribulation will be fewer in number.

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

I always saw this verse of the gifts and callings as referring to backslidden Christians. It primarily is referring to Israel. The gifts, plural, and the calling. God called them unto himself and finally when Jesus comes in the end times, they will hear his calling to them and be saved. When saved then they will receive the gifts for ministry. Some people on their death bed have said, "I know I was to be a missionary but I ran from God." What a sad thing to miss God. Come to Jesus and be strong in him, he is our refuge and strength and our gift giver.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Do not miss your time of salvation and service. Nothing is more miserable than to be outside of the blessings of God.