He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
This verse revealed a lot to me about God. All he wants from is very simple, and it's not the demands of a god that is seeking just his own pleasure. He doesn't ask us to burn incense to make him happy, he doesn't ask us to remove his anger by sacrificing people. He simply wants what is for our own good, and that is what makes him happy. It made me want to serve Him, simply because of who He is. I think that reading this verse was the first time I really came to "know" God, and that is life changing. I don't know if this verse is translated perfectly, but that word "with" carried a lot of weight with me also. God wants a relationship with us, and he died to restore it.
Philippians 2
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This has got to be the most audacious verse that set me going.
Philippians 1:27 "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,"
It taught me where to drive my energies. It showed me the direction to knock my investment in and I have come to know that while he left me behind in this world for the time present, he expected of me that all my conversations and conduct and affairs in this life be channeled toward his kingdom! Whatever way it has to be done, his kingdom signature must be found on my styles and manners in this world!
Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
Psalm 37:4 - Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart
Philippians 2:14-15 - Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God, without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
Galations 5:16 - So I say, live by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature
1 Timothy 6:6 - But Godliness with contentment is great gain
Ephesians 4:26 - In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry
1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you
James 1:2-3 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance
Colossians 4:2 - Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful
Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through Him who gives me strength
Job 5:17 - Blessed is the man whom God corrects, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
- Philippians 4:13
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, �Jesus is Lord,� and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, �Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.� 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile �the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, �Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
I have this plaque I bought hanging up in my house that has the word "Purpose". Underneath it has the verse from Matthew 22:37.
I think ultimately if we can Love Christ with all our heart, then everything else will fall into place. If we surround our thoughts with Christ, then worries will disappear, Sin won't tempt us nearly as much that we can not overcome by God's grace. I think putting that in order we can find What it is that God has us to do on an individual basis.
That is what I am trying to figure out, especially with the idea of missions and outreach heavy on my heart.
I have to say the single most "game changer" for me was Ephesians 3:20 and I hope we don't mind my sharing an explanation ;)
Ephesians 3:20 (KJV) Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
I've heard many people say many things about the section of scripture this comes from, and a lot of good insight, but being the deep Hebrew and Greek studier I've become I noticed something that I've not really heard anyone share before, so I will share it here.
You see the Greek word used here for "power" is dunamis. Here is the definition found in Thayer's Greek Lexicon.
dunamis
1) strength power, ability
1a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
1b) power for performing miracles
1c) moral power and excellence of soul
1d) the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
1e) power and resources arising from numbers
1f) power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
Now, not to to put any credence in such things, but I do like to compare how such a word was used in secular writings around that time.
Aristotle regards dunamis as one of his fundamental principles ( archai) and distinguishes between two different senses of the term dunamis. In the strictest sense, a dunamis is the power that a thing has to produce a change and the other which he was more interested in was and that might be better translated as potentiality, or better put more than just the power to change things, but the capacity in which it could be. Plotinus describes "the one" as the seminal power of all things; a net of divine powers in their descending and ascending order is a net of theophanies: in this respect dunamis is analogous to the ancient Egyptian sekhem; the powers of the "divine intellect and soul" appear to be present at every part of the cosmos, but according to him the physical world is unable to receive the full power of incorporeal reality.
Again, I'm not putting any credence into these writings but merely comparing how the word itself was used amongst the people at the time, and as we can see between it's common usage and Thayer's Lexicon that the word Dunamis can be simplified to something more akin to "a miraculous power not from this world". Now read this understanding of what kind of "power" we are talking about in place of simply "power" and realize the connotation of "according to the power that worketh in us". We find this word 121 times in the New Testament of which it is translated in the KJV as such :
ability (1) power (77) abundance (1) strength (7) meaning (1)
mighty work (11) worker of miracles (1) miracle (8) and mighty (4)
Some interesting verses I noticed that use this word and really reflect what I'm talking about:
Here Jesus is rebuking some of the cities He just worked miracles in
Matthew 11:20-23
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works (dunamis), which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works (dunamis), which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Jesus just returning from the wilderness.
Luke 4:14
14 And Jesus returned in the power (dunamis) of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
and vs 36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power(dunamis) he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
Luke 19:37
37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works (dunamis) that they had seen;
interesting, thinking back to Ephesians, can others see the "dunamis" working within us?
Most of us have heard the bit about being in error by not knowing the scripture, but here is what Christ said.
Matthew 22:29
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power (dunamis) of God.
Many of us know how utterly messed up the Corinthian church was, if not then that makes for a good study in itself, but here is Paul addressing the church building up to a full rebuke in chapter 5 warning them that he is coming to set them straight.
1 Corinthians 4:18-20
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power (dunamis).
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (dunamis).
Now pay attention to the next two:
Luke 24:46-49
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power (dunamis) from on high.
Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power (dunamis), after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And to bring things full circle:
2 Thessalonians 1:11
11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the WORK OF FAITH with power (dunamis):
or personally I believe a better translation is found in the NIV as
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power (dunamis) he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed PROMPTED BY FAITH.
Faith being key, as Christ many times said whatever we ask, in His name, according to the Father's will, and DOUBTING NOTHING He will do. But how, does He do this?
Ephesians 3:20
Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US.
We exercise His power through our actions of faith!!!
;) Thanks for reading and God bless you brothers and sisters!
