Love Fulfilled Ministry

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning ? * This is from the Psalm of David, exactly the words of Christ, "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" *  just before he died on a cross. Is this just a coincidence or is David foreseeing something? We read on " I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots ." David foresaw the suffering of Christ. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest . * Many speculate what Jesus meant by this, some would even sugge...

wherefore coming into the world, saying, 'sacrifice and offering not desiring, on the other hand a  body prepared me .' * Jesus became flesh, coming into the world, but God did not desire a sacrifice nor an offering, what he desired was a body prepared. This word prepared means to restore, put in order, mend; to make complete, equip, train; to prepare, ordain. Just before Jesus died on a cross, he said it has been finished, completed, fulfilled. *   It took a prepared body, a living sacrifice, to restore, and to complete, and this was the will of God. It is what God desires of us today, it is our reasonable service, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, consecrated to God. * God wills a body, one prepared beforehand, for His work.  Not approving, not taking pleasure in burnt offering concerning sin, at the time saying, behold coming, in the volume of the book it is written about me, to do your will O God ... then at the time saying behold coming to do y...

He who inhabits the covering of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty . * The covering of the most High I inhabit, my shelter, a tent, a secret place, a place to hide. In his covering He hovers, his presence shadows over me. * In this place I abide, lodge, remain. He who inhabits the secret place, will remain in the presence of the Almighty. I will inhabit the secret place of God, there I will find rest, protected by the Almighty. I enter this place because I have placed my trust in Him. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust . * Surely He will deliver from evil, though the snares are laid, " no evil shall be allowed to befall you, For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone ." Nor shall the destruction of the plague befall you, though it dwells at the tent. " He will cover you with his pinion...

In the same way husbands also should love their wives as that their own body, the one loving his wife loves himself, for no one ever hates his own body but nourishes and takes care of it just as Christ the Church . * This is a profound mystery Paul writes, of how he compares marriage of two becoming one flesh so also is the body of Christ, the church. "We exist members of His body." *  If a husband loves himself and he becomes as one in covenant to his wife, then he would love his wife as himself. This is the Golden Rule of the Church love and take care of others as you would yourself. So if an identity crisis exists in the Church, seen in that it does not love one another, its own body, then we find it is because we do not love and know our true identity, who we are in Christ and how much he loves us. True identity in Christ is seen in that we love our own, including the body of Christ in whom we have become. In this all know that you exist my disciples, if possessing a...

Contend to enter through the narrow door, for many I tell you look to enter and are not able . * It is an amazing concept, contend to enter the narrow way. This word for  enter  means to enter by force, to enter into or take possession of. The word contend here speaks of being a combatant in the public games; to contend, fight, strive earnestly. This contending is how Jacob wrestled with God and men to the extent he was fighting for the salvation of his soul, thus he was blessed. Such speaks also of the increasing of faith as a taking hold of God's word. Often this verse refers to the lost, but when we look in context, Jesus is speaking to the children of Israel in covenant with God, thus he was speaking to God's people at the time. I too at the present time apply this verse to God's children, " contend to enter through the narrow door ..." enter through the narrow gate, for wide the gate and easy the way that leads to ruin and many exist that enter through ...

This is an illustration to the extent of the appointed time, that as far as to those gifts and sacrifices offered, powerless to perfect the server, as far as consciousness . * This verse is saying that perfection of the server, or the one offering gifts and sacrifices is not through the act of serving and sacrificing. The word  perfect means to perfect, complete, finish; (pass.) to reach a goal, be fulfilled, completed, made perfect. The gifts and sacrifices offered by the priest in the old covenant temple did not perfect them, and Paul is using this illustration to teach us that it is true today, these things do not perfect. When we believe we have victory, but we are being matured or perfected into the image of Christ. Consciousness here speaks of the inward moral impression of one's actions and principles or said another way it is character. The scriptures urge us to abstain from the desires of the flesh as they war against the soul. If we truly want to serve Christ th...

present your bodies a living sacrifice, consecrated , pleasing to God, this your reasonable service . * We hear the word surrender often in Christianity but can you guess how many times Jesus used it? zero times. The word surrender is only used one place in the new testament, Paul writes, " if so much as supply with food all that I possess, and if I surrender that my body to be burned, too possessing, not possessing agape love, it is not benefiting me ." *  Surrendering we do not see but what we do see is the concept of presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. There is something we must do but there is a difference between surrendering our bodies and presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. So let us look at what this difference is. Presenting  means to place beside, put at disposal; to present, make an offering. From the previous verse we see if this offering is not done the right way it is not beneficial to us, so we want to focus on what sacrifice is a benefit ...