Are we willing to be used......

 "It is of little use to ask God to bless others, unless we are willing to be used in conveying the blessing to them, unless we're willing to discommode ourselves for their sake.... It is easy to ask God to bless someone and to conclude that having done this, we have done our duty; for have we not prayed for him? But prayer is more than saying some words. If we are earnest we shall back our prayer with action."

"Prayer, to be effective, must be accompanied by works. Otherwise it abideth alone."

"The Faith of Jesus" by M.L. Andreasen. (pages 158-159)

Conclusion of the Seven Petitions

  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

"Thus reads the Lord's prayer. In it we acknowledge God as our Father, the One to whom belong all things, and to whom we must address our petition. This prayer inculcates reverence for God, desire for the coming of the kingdom, submission to the will of God, recognition of our temporal needs, reciprocity of forgiveness, need for help in temptation and deliverance from evil. It recognizes  and provides for ever human need, temporal and spiritual. It is a model and type of what our prayers should be." (page 156) 

 

Seven Petitions...#7

  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

#7 

" 'But deliver us from evil.' 

There is no strength in us to stand the trials that come to us from day to day. We need help; we need deliverance. Evil will overtake us, the evil one will gain the victory unless we get help from God. This prayer recognized our need of help and asks God for it. This is the last of the seven petitions. After this comes the closing statement ascribing power and glory to God."

Be sure to come back next week to see the conclusion! It's good - you won't want to miss it!  

Seven Petitions....#6

  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

#6 

" 'And lead us not into temptation.' 

God will not permit us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear. He will temper the temptation according to our strength. Temptations will come; they must come. We are to trust God and ask Him to give us the needed help for daily living." 

Seven Petitions....#5

  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

Petition #5 

" 'And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' 

God does not promise to forgive us our sins as we show a forgiving spirit to others. If we wish to be forgiven, we must forgive others when they trespass against us. This is the condition of forgiveness. We may therefore rest assures that if we are holding a grudge in our hearts, if we show an unforgiving spirit, our own sins are not forgiven. This should cause us to do some serious thinking." 

Seven Petitions...#4

  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

Petition #4 

" 'Give us this day our daily bread.' 

We are to recognize that every good and perfect gift is from above, and that even for our daily bread we are dependent upon the blessing of God from heaven. As we thank God for spiritual blessings, so we should thank Him for daily bread. 

Deep, true thankfulness should pervade our lives. It is putting a narrow interpretation on the Word to limit our thankfulness to certain of God's gifts only. We understand that this commandment enjoins thankfulness for all God's gifts and that a feeling of appreciation and joy for God's blessings should characterize us." 

Seven Petitions...#3

  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

" 'Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.'
God's will is not now being done in earth. Christ wants it done. He asks us to pray that it may be done. 

God's will is contained in the Ten Commandments. 'Thou shalt, 'Thou shalt not,' the commandments read. If any want to know God's will that he may do it, he should begin with the Ten Commandments. There is food there, and study, for the soul. We shall never come to the point where we may with safety disregard God's will. Rather, we are to pray that it may be done in earth as in heaven. This must first of all mean in our own hearts." 

Seven Petitions...# 2

 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

Petition #2 

" 'Thy Kingdom come.' The kingdom here mentioned is the kingdom in the hearts of men and also the kingdom of glory. It is a prayer that the day may speedily come when God shall be King indeed, both in the individual life and in the kingdom which is to be revealed when He shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 25:31.)" 

Seven Petitions ..... #1

 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:5-13

Today we will begin a little series on The Lord's Prayer. 

In this prayer there are seven petitions. 

"Let us briefly recount the seven petitions in this prayer.

'Hallowed by thy name.' Hallowed means 'sacred.' We are to keep it sacred and use it reverently. Without reverence there can be no true worship. There must be reverence in the church, reverence in the soul, reverence at the very thought of God, if we are to receive any benefit from prayer. Reverence is of prime importance and is rightly the first petition." 

Jesus Belongs to Us

Over the past several weeks I have been reading a new book. 

"The Faith of Jesus" 

written by: M.L. Andreasen 

Copyright 1939, 1949 

This book has a total of 574 pages. 

 I have found some real gems in this book and I will be sharing some of them with you here ever so often. 

 Jesus Belongs to Us 

Jesus is the Son of God, the only begotten. From times eternal He has been one with the Father. Together they worked in creation, together they worked in redemption. They are one in purpose and mind, one in execution. Jesus Himself said, "I and my Father are one.: John 10:30. 

Sin, which always causes sorrow and separation, did not leave the relationship between Father and Son untouched. If man were to be saved from the terrible results of transgression, it could be only by a revelation of the love of God which would eventually require the supreme sacrifice. And God did not hold back. Terrific as was the cost of the sacrifice, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

That cost man will never fully understand. A glimpse of the suffering that has been in the heart of God since the inception of sin, was given on Calvary. But that was only a momentary revelation. God's suffering was not confined to a few hours on the cross. The would was deeper than that. The cross served to give man some little understanding of what sin has cost, but it could not fully reveal the heart of the Eternal. We can only imagine the reaction in the heart of the Father when the Son cried out in agony, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He would gladly have sent the Son assurance that He had not forsaken Him, but in that dark hour no such comforting assurance must be given. The Son must tread the wine press alone. he must die without the comforting word that would have buoyed Him up. He must feel to the full the Father's displeasure because of sin. And so no answer came back to Him in response to His heartbreaking question. This broke the heart of the Son of God- and also that of the Father. 

What is the meaning of this tremendous experience on Golgotha? Why did the Father and the Son subject themselves to the heart-rending anguish which must have been theirs? Again there is no other answer than that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. 

He "gave his only begotten Son." Some take this expression to mean that God gave His Son in the sense that the Son died for us. This is true, but He gave Him in another sense also. He gave Him to humanity, gave Him to be one with us and one of us, permitted Him to bind Himself to humanity with bonds that can never be severed. Throughout the ages to come Jesus with be the Son of man as well as the Son of God. To us this means much. To God it means more. 

(pages 34-35) 

3 Kinds of Faith mentioned in Rev.14:12

 " 'Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' Rev. 14:12.

The company here mentioned not only have the patience of the saints, they not only keep the commandment, but they have 'the faith of Jesus'; that is, they have the same faith that Jesus had. They not only have faith in Jesus, they not only hold Jesus as the object of their faith, but also, As Doctors Wordsworth Wordsworth and Bleek translate, and as is noted in the Variorum Bible, they have the faith taught by Jesus."

~ M.L. Andreasen in his book "The Faith of Jesus" pg.18 copyright 1939

This is the book I am currently reading. I just have to say these older books are SO good. I wish they were available to more people. That is one reason I share these awesome little tidbits with you all here on my blog. It's just me way of getting these precious messages out for the world to see. May God bless you all in a special way. :O)

The Story of Redemption.....11

 “In the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, God plainly showed His distinguished mercy to His people before all the Egyptians. God saw fit to execute His judgments upon Pharaoh, that he might know by sad experience, since he would not otherwise be convinced, that His power was superior to all others. That His name might be declared throughout all the earth, He would give exemplary and demonstrative proof to all nations of His divine power and justice. It was the design of God that these exhibitions of power should strengthen the faith of His people, and that their posterity should steadfastly worship Him alone who had wrought such merciful wonders in their behalf.” The Story of Redemption, Pg. 90

The Story of Redemption....10

 “By moving Pharaoh to destroy the male children, Satan thought to turn aside the purposes of God and destroy the one whom God would raise up to deliver His people. But that very decree, appointing the Hebrew children to death, was the means God overruled to place Moses in the royal family, where he had advantages to become a learned man and eminently qualified to lead his people from Egypt.” The Story of Redemption, Pg. 85

The Story of Redemption....9

 “Joseph walked with God. He would not be persuaded to deviate from the path of righteousness and transgress God’s law, by any inducement or threats. His self-control and patience in adversity and his unwavering fidelity are left on record for the benefit of all who should afterward live on the earth. When Joseph’s brothers acknowledged their sin before him, he freely forgave them and showed by his acts of benevolence and love that he harbored no resentful feelings for their former cruel conduct toward him.”

~The Story of Redemption, Pg. 81

The Story of Redemption....8

 “All night Jacob wrestled with the angel, making supplication for a blessing. . .Jacob was determined to hold the angel, not by physical strength, but by the power of living faith. . .The angel might have exercised his supernatural power and forced himself from Jacob’s grasp, but he did not choose to do this. When he saw that he prevailed not against Jacob, the angel touched Jacob’s thigh, which was immediately put out of joint. But Jacob would not give up his earnest efforts even for bodily pain. . .His determination was stronger in the last moments of the conflict than at the beginning. . .Jacob’s earnest, persevering wrestling with the angel should be an example for Christians. . .All who desire the blessing of God and will lay hold of the promises and be as earnest and persevering as Jacob was, will succeed as he succeeded. . .Those who do not make strong efforts now to exercise persevering faith, will be wholly unprepared to exercise that faith which will enable them to stand in the day of trouble.” The Story of Redemption, Pgs. 74, 77-78

The Story of Redemption.....7

So thankful that Fall has finally arrived! It came in with a thunderstorm in which we got 1/2 of a inch of rain. That was wonderful- I love it when my garden is watered for FREE! And I love weather that is so mild that you can adjust the temperature in your home - by opening and shutting windows- no electricity needed for AC or heating. It's my favorite kind of weather! 

Now onto the regularly scheduled post for today: 

 “The Lord commanded that His people should not intermarry with idolaters, lest they be led into idolatry. . .Abraham was anxious to have a wife for Isaac who would not lead him from God. He committed this matter to his faithful servant. Abraham required his servant to make a solemn oath that he would not take a wife for Isaac of the Canaanites, but that he would go to Abraham’s kindred, who believed in the true God. . .The servant prayed earnestly for God to direct him. . .Isaac had been trained in the fear of God to a life of obedience. So when he was forty years old he submitted to have his father’s servant choose for him a wife. He believed God would direct him. Isaac’s case is an example for children in later generations to imitate. The course which Abraham pursued in the education of Isaac is recorded for the benefit of parents. They should instruct their children to yield to, and respect, their authority. And they should feel that a responsibility rests upon them to guide the affections of their children, that they may be placed upon persons who their judgment would teach them would be suitable companions for their sons and their daughters.”

~The Story of Redemption Pgs. 66-68

I have to say that this is a tall order - one in which I don't think I succeeded in but I guess that the truth is as parents we do the best we can do - I mean we are only human after all and then pray and ask God to fill in the short comings.

Matchless Charms...7

 

The Story of Redemption...6

 “Three days Abraham traveled with his son, having sufficient time to reason and doubt God. But he did not distrust God. . . Abraham believed that God meant just what He said when He bade him to go offer Isaac as a burnt offering. . .Abraham believed that God, who in His providence had given Sarah a son in her old age, and who had required him to take that son’s life, could also give life again and bring up Isaac from the dead. . .As they came to the place which God had pointed out to Abraham, he built an altar. . .Isaac had been taught implicit obedience to his father, and he loved and reverenced the God of his father. . .After affectionately embracing his father, he submitted to be bound and laid upon the wood. As his father’s hand was raised to slay his son, an angel called to him out of heaven. . . Abraham, by his faithfulness redeemed his lack of perfect trust in God. . .After the exhibition of Abraham’s faith and confidence, God renewed His promise to him.” The Story of Redemption, Pgs. 63-64

The Story of Redemption....5

 “God gave all an opportunity to repent, but they didn’t believe the preaching of Noah. They mocked his warnings and ridiculed the building of that immense vessel. Noah’s efforts to reform his fellow men did not succeed. But for more than one hundred years he persevered in his efforts. . . Animals peacefully and solemnly marched into the ark. . .The world looked on with wonder--some with fear, but they had become so hardened by rebellion that this most signal manifestation of God’s power had but a momentary influence upon them. . .Seven days the family of Noah were in the ark before the rain began to descend upon the earth. . .These were days of blasphemous merriment by the unbelieving multitude who thought, because the prophecy of Noah was not fulfilled immediately, that he was deceived and that it was impossible that the world could be destroyed by a flood. . .Others were frantic with fear, stretching their hands toward the ark, pleading for admittance. But God had closed the door and shut Noah in and the ungodly out. . .Their fear and repentance came too late. . . They called upon Him earnestly, but His ear was not open to their cry. . .For every manifestation of God’s mercy and love toward us, the first act of all should be to render to Him grateful thanks and humble worship. . .The symbol of the rainbow in the clouds is to confirm the belief of all, and establish their confidence in God that although He had been provoked to destroy the earth, His mercy still encompasses the earth.” The Story of Redemption, Pgs. 51-54, 56

The Story of Redemption....4

 "God’s people will separate themselves from the unrighteous practices of those around them and will seek for purity of thought and holy conformity to God's will. . .While they endeavor to instruct and warn the world, they will not conform to the spirit and customs of unbelievers. . .Enoch’s translation to heaven just before the destruction of the world by the flood represents the translation of all the living righteous prior to the earth's destruction by fire. The saints will be glorified in the presence of those who have hated them for their loyal obedience to God’s righteous commandments."

The Story of Redemption, Pg. 49