In the case of God we distort our knowledge of Him and replace Him with an image we create ourselves. This is the essence of idolatry: replacing reality with a counterfeit. We distort the truth of God and reshape it with our understanding of Him according to our preferences, leaving us with a God that is anything but holy. (Commentary RC Sproul--Holiness of God)
2 Comments
What gap? John Gill says this: in the gap that sin had made, at which the Lord was entering as a man of war to destroy the transgressors; one that should present himself to the Lord on the behalf of the people; seek mercy for them. Act the part of an intercessor; pray for them.
Men, we need more men to stand in the gap. Will you? "O Lord, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony" (Psalm 6:1-2).
Disruption in your fellowship with God can affect you physically. Not every physical problem is a manifestation of a spiritual problem, but I do think being out of fellowship with God can affect your physical health, but always your spiritual health. David declares that he is suffering from sin-sickness. Continuing on in verses 3 and 4 David writes: "I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me? Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love." Notice that he didn't say, "rescue me because of my goodness." If David had ever thought he had right-standing with God based on his good life and victories, those thoughts were forever banished. David was a guilty man who knew he must throw himself entirely on the mercy of the Lord, "...Save me because of your unfailing love." (Commentary Mark Martin) In Isaiah 43:2 God says: "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."
Note: We are not promised immunity from the waters or from the rivers or from the fire! It says "WHEN", not "if"! HE promises to BE with us! God wants you to know the future which is why the Bible is filled with prophecy.
"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT). The word "all" includes Bible prophecy, and that's good, considering that more than 25 percent of the Bible is fulfilled or yet to be fulfilled prophecy. Why is so much of the Bible dedicated to prophecy? There are many reasons, but in the end, there is only one purpose: to direct the attention of the human race to Jesus Christ. "For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus" (Revelation 19:10, NLT). Your future is dependent on Jesus Christ.
Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
"Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again" (Proverbs 19:18-19).
"Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk" (1 Corinthians 7:17, NASB).
The word "assigned" means that there is no mistake about where you are right now in your life. God was at work in your life even before you realized it. Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:4-5, NASB). God knew you before you were even formed in the womb! Before that sperm and that egg shook hands, God knew you! The apostle Paul lived confidently knowing that God knew him before he was born; he said: "But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace" (Galatians 1:15). God looked forward to you being born more than any parent waits expectantly for their child to be born. From all eternity past God knew you and will bring you safely through this world to Heaven. The better you know the Lord the more you will trust Him. Trust God. Don't accuse or rail on Him. Praise Him, even in difficult times and you will see your faith grow and He will bring you closer to Himself. David said, "Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you" (Psalm 9:10). Let your prayer be: "…I trust in your unfailing love…." (Psalm 13:5). (Commentary Mark Martin) "God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth" (Matthew 5:5). The King James Version says, "Blessed are the meek." For most people meekness is equated with weakness. Imagine someone introducing you to a group of people as a meek person. Most men I know would cringe at that kind of an introduction. In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus says: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (KJV). This is the only time Jesus describes Himself and He uses the term "meek" (or "gentle" or "humble") and lowly of heart. The only term Jesus ever used to describe Himself is "meek." The concept of gentleness or meekness is all about tremendous strength and power. In Greek literature, the word "meek" was used to speak of the breaking of a horse. Its strength must be harnessed and it must be trained to be used properly. An unbroken animal was useless, in fact, it can be a detriment and a real danger. In a similar way, an unbroken Christian can be the same to the cause of Christ. Unbroken, you cannot be used by the Lord; but broken and harnessed—your strength and your power under the control of Jesus Christ—are of tremendous value to the work of God. A.W. Tozer describes a meek person this way; "He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. IN HIMSELF, NOTHING; IN GOD, EVERYTHING. THAT IS HIS MOTTO." (Commentary Mark Martin) "Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences" (Proverbs 18:20-21).
|
Authorhttps://www.facebook.com/Its-Not-About-Me-Its-About-You-Jesus-137394136305292/ Archives
July 2017
Categories |