Showing posts with label Pure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pure. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Be Holy!


Leviticus 11:44-45

"For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

The command to be holy that the Lord gave to the Israelite nation is the same command that He gave to the first century Christians through His apostles and to those of us today who are born from above.

1 Peter 1:13-16

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy."

Holy is not something you try to be, holy is what a true believer of Christ Jesus will BECOME as the HOLY Spirit of God works on the inside of man, to purify the heart, renew the mind and transform the inner man (soul & spirit) into the image of the Son of God. 

We don't hear too much preaching on holiness today, why is that? 

When we read the epistles that the apostles wrote to the first century saints, we see a big emphasis on sanctification (which means to be made holy), maturity, and perfection (which means complete). Many believers today don't fully understand the process of sanctification and how our fleshly bodies can still contain demonic strongholds, evil spirits, spots and blemishes, after being born from above, and  these evil things must be broken, cast out, cleansed and healed in order to walk as a holy man or woman of God!

Is it possible to be completely sanctified, blameless, and free from all defilement of the flesh, soul, and spirit while we are on this earth? The scriptures tell us so! 

Ephesians 5:25-27

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."

May we all strive to be like the Son of Man, who was God manifested in the flesh, and sanctified by the Father and had nothing of Satan in Him, let us fight the good fight of faith and press on for maturity in Christ and the fullness of God!

In Jesus,
Tyrone


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

From The Heart

Jeremiah 17:9-10

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings."

One of the most humbling and sobering things I have learned over the past year is how dark, wicked, and deceitful my heart was before the Lord started His mighty work of purification. I had no idea where sin started and why in the past I could not stop sinning, it was because of my heart.

Look at what Jesus said to His disciples concerning the heart.

Matthew 15:16-20

"So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

 In Mark 7:17-23 Jesus adds more evil and sins to the list of what comes out of the heart.

"When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

If you have ever committed any of these evil acts and sins, you know now where they came from.
 
James 1:12-15 gives us more understanding of what comes from within.
 
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
 
The hardest prayer to pray when I learned the truth about my heart was asking the Lord to search my heart and know me, and remove any offensive way in me, to purify my heart, and create in me a clean heart. I had to admit that my heart was deceitful, and wicked, I was fearful of what God would show me, and indeed He showed me just how dark my heart was. The purification of my heart has been a VERY painful process, but if we desire a true and intimate relationship with our Creator we MUST become pure in heart.
 
Psalm 139:23-24
 
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."
 
If you desire to have a pure heart and walk the ancient pathways to the throne room of God, pray that prayer and God will answer you quickly! It is His will for us to be sanctified, purified, and to walk uprightly before Him.

Matthew 5:8

"Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."

Love In Christ,
Tyrone

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The True And Pure Gospel



Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

What does the word gospel mean?

2098. euaggelion yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on from the same as 2097; a good message, to announce good news (Strong's Greek Lexicon)

What is this good message or good news of?

The Kingdom of God
 
When Jesus started His earthly ministry in the city of Galilee He announced that the kingdom of God was at hand, and He told the masses what they should do.
 
Mark 1:14-15
 
"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
 
This is the true and pure gospel that Jesus received from the Father and preached to the world. The good news of the kingdom of God, and God's kingdom is now, in those who are born again. Jesus said to repent, (which means to think differently) and believe (to have faith) in the gospel (good message).
 
Luke 17:20-21
 
"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;  nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

So what must we do to enter into God's kingdom now? Jesus answered this question in John 3:1-7
 
"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’"

Jesus said that unless one is born again they can't see the kingdom of God, and unless one is born of water AND the Holy Spirit they cannot enter the kingdom of God. Then He says we MUST be born again, He didn't say we should, we need to be, or it's a good idea, He said we MUST be born again. Are you born again?

The gospel of the kingdom of God is not about the messenger, but the message! God sent His only Son to pay the penalty of sin so that we could be reconciled back to Him and have a relationship with Him IN His kingdom now by His Spirit! This is truly good news!

There are so many sheep being led astray by a myriad of false gospels that will not lead them into the kingdom of God or save their soul. If you are one of those who believe in and follow the teachings of man and not the teachings of Christ, I pray that you will repent, believe, and obey, the true and pure gospel.

With Love In Christ,
Tyrone