Son_of_YHVH's Xanga

Hebrews 9 and 10

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:08:52 GMT

Family and Readers,

I know it has been quite some time. I hope to make more of an effort to write more often, just as it seems that a great feature like this should not be wasted. I just listened to a remarkable retelling of the exhortation that is in Hebrews 9 and 10. It was quite a beautiful, dramatic reenactment by a brother named Ryan Ferguson.

Although perhaps this isn't necessarily the deepest of posts, it may interest some of you.

Grace be with you, and goodnight! :)

Seth

Posting?

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:53:00 GMT

Perhaps I should write more posts..

Something.. good perhaps?

Let..

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 01:03:25 GMT

Let my life.. song.. sing.. to you! Yes Lord.. I accept you as my strength ;)

The first day of work!

Tue, 02 May 2006 02:10:13 GMT

Hey everyone--

The first day of work was today. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ! I thank God for every day that He gives me in the body of Christ--Halleluyah!

Seth

Oh by the way..

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 23:35:41 GMT

I got a job! So good!

Computer Services Instructional Assistant,

Riverside Unified School District,

Unknown (as of yet) elementary school.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers! God bless! He has been risen!

Character or Pride--what do you have?

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:07:58 GMT

In my life time, i have had to deal with some serious matters of the heart that require a concerted look through the power of the Holy Spirit. Among them is pride--but God has a way of dealing with everything, so I hope that what I will share will be helpful for those who deal with that.

Why pride? Is it a tool to escape? Is it a method of self-gratification to puff one's self up? Is there a secret insecurity, a desire for admiration, a desire for love--these are to be sure, noble desires, but are we trying to fulfill and accomplish them through the fleshiest of means? Often times, in the midst of this sordid gain for self-esteem, we inflate our ego's to the point where we're so plump with pride, so heavy with the fat of satiated carnal urges, that our eyes are too heavy to open them to see the living God, as it is written "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. (1 Cor. viii. 1b.-4)." This is certainly not an attack on knowledge in general, for the Spirit says through Paul "I pray that...you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, length, height, and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. (Eph. iii. 17-19).

In the culture of the Scriptures, to know something or someone was an experiential knowledge that, if directed to a person, signified an intimate understanding of that person. In other words, when one would come to know something or someone, it wasn't like one was "learning about something or someone" but more like one has come to "experience something or someone." When someone "experiences something," there is no way anyone can convince that person that something or someone is not what that person experienced, for that person has experienced what others have not.

And herein is our ministry to God. What are we taking the time to know? Remember that 1 Cor. passage? If someone supposes that one knows anything, then he hasn't really come to know something the way that he should have. Many of us believers assume we walk with God tightly, and yet, that's a supposition that is unfounded--for if that were true, wouldn't we walk like the way that He walked? It is written "My little children, let no one deceive you--the one who practices righteousness is of God; the one who practices lawlessness is of the Devil (1 John 3)." Could we be influenced by darkness, and not ever realize it because we have not yet honestly held ourselves up to the Light of God's Word, to be cleansed by Him, renovated, and restored? We all need it--why hide from Him? Are we to proud to admit? or.. have we entered the dredded camp of doubt AND pride where we think "I've already done everything that I can in order to heal myself--God can't do anything more. I've been a Christian for a while, and I still have this issue. I suppose that there's no hope.." Ah, see how that word suppose pops up again? A person could have gone through every form of counseling, projects, self-help seminars, and courses to alleviate himself of his heart ailment, but until he reaches out to Jesus to "have his conscience cleansed from dead works to serve the living God," then his fear has come true.

Never let the Devil steal, kill, or destroy your hope in God--remember and believe the word of the Lord for your own sake and the sake of those who love you.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God.." and again.. "For whatever is begotten of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

If we are those kind of people who have foolishly exalted ourselves, let's humble ourselves and remain in the Lord through believing in the promises that He has given us--for "I am the vine," says the Lord, "and you are the branches. Abide (i.e.: remain) in me, and I in you, for apart from me, you can do nothing." If we're trying to do anything without God, then we are proud, for "anything that is done without faith is sin." Let's humble ourselves and remain in Him so that we can glorify our Maker together--as a family, as one body under Christ.

God bless you,

Seth

P.S.: Man, there is so much i want to write about...hah! I get encouraged too! Love you guys in Christ!

Encouragement.. an interesting thing.

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 19:33:22 GMT

The one who encourages another makes that other person encouraged to do something. So, who gets more glory--the one who encourages or the one who is encouraged? Here is a story to illustrate.

Let's say that the president of the United States is about to call out the national guard upon a state that was enduring severe civil unrest that led to an overflow of demonstrations that stoppd freeways, major highways, and schools all over the state. Let's also say that this state was one of the key states that supported the president during his last election, and that ordering the national guard out to suppress civil unrest could anger his supporters and he may loose that state's support in the next election bid. His advisor, sensing the president's worry, encourages the president for the sake of the public interest in safety, commerce, and efficiency, to call out the guard. Now, to whom should the credit go towards--the president, or the advisor. The advisor encouraged the president, who without the advisor, may not have been certain enough to call out the guard. On the other hand, the advisor's job is to "only" give advice, while the president is the one who has actually ability and authority to make things happen. It was the president who actually had the courage to call out the national guard.

So, who receives the credit? Although one may argue vehemently on either end, deriving arguments that are much more exhaustive than the ones mentioned herein, it is clear that this ambiguity is from the Lord. The Scripture says. . "Now it is not the one plants, nor the one who waters, but it is God who causes the growth." Additionally, it is written "Work out your salvation in fear and in trembling, because it is God who is at work within you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." This ambiguity in determining prominence and glory is embedded, I believe, into the body of Christ. Which body part deserves more glory? Can a body truly function correctly and fully without every part doing its "part" in the body? No, for if it could, then it wouldn't be there to begin with (now, I am not a scientist--I do not speak to the finite details of every human "part," which could become ambiguous to the one who desires to distort this story--let's humor each other with common sense and the plain meaning of words ). So then, who receives glory for every working part? Surely, the one who placed the parts there--the designer, the planner, the maker--and this is the one God Almighty! Taking a look at the above scripture, do we notice who receives glory for the growth of plants? Is it the sower? Is it the person who waters the soil? No, but God who put the dirt, the seed, the sower, and the person who waters.

Does that mean that we're drones? No, for God intends to glorify and praise those who "by faith and perseverance, inherit the promises." So, "our praise won't come from man, but from God." That's an awesome promise to believe in, and a truly tremendous blessing to grasp. Therefore, "let everything that we do be done as unto the Lord, and not to please men." As one apostle put it, "not for eye-service." Why? Because "the eyes of the Lord search to and fro the earth searching for those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth." Will we step up and say "Here I am!" regardless of where we are in this world? I pray that we do.

Grace and peace be with us all in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the grace of God. .

Seth

So what kind of faith do we have?

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 14:27:02 GMT

So what kind/value of faith do we have?

Some people say that since we live in these times, the miraculous is not possible, a close and personal relationship with God that was experienced by the patriarchs is not a modern phenomenon, and when we pray, we have to keep in mind that the Lord of Hosts just might be "so busy" that He may not hear our prayers...

...This couldn't be further from the truth.

2 Peter i. 1 -- Peter, a man of faith.. and yet a man.
James v. 17 -- Elijah, a man of God.. and yet a man.
John 15: -- Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

Again, we have more lies that are thrown in our face so that we would doubt the one true God. The adversary says that the faith of the ancients is somehow different or potentially better than ours, and so, we may not be able to connect with the Almighty the way that they did. Tough luck for us--guess we have to resort to the works and tactics of flesh rather than of God...but what does God Himsel say?

God, speaking through the voice of Peter, says that he writes to all those who have a faith of equal/like value (isotimos) as ours. Starting from this faith, the brother continues on in this chapter to describe the reality of a godly person, who when walking the way of God, can live a fruitful, productive life that is in Christ and completely free from stumbling (ou me ptaisetee potee).

As we continue on in James, we see that the brother speaks briefly of Elijah's faith that got God to act. But how is Elijah described? Is he considered to be the focus of the miracle? No, as the Spirit speaks through James, he says that "Elijah was a man with a nature (homoiopathes) like ours, and 'with prayer he prayed' for it not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land for three years and six months; and again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain and the earth sprouted its fruit." Why talk about Elijah? He's not mentioned because he's a big shot. The real deal is that a righteous man's prayer is heard by God--and God is the one who performs the work, not the man.

No wonder, then, we have what the Lords says in John 14:13 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorfied in the Son." This is a deep passage--but to speak very briefly on it--it is clear that this promise is made to those who love Him.. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do. If you love me, You will keep My commands." In the end, God is the one who decides what to do and how to do it--but the righteous man is the only one who is capable of being heard because he has a faith of the same kind as the men from Scripture that lead him to righteousness. As the Spirit says through Paul, "We have the mind of Christ," (1 Cor. ii. 14-16). Hence, God makes "all things work together for good for those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans viii. 16). The righteous person walks in the Spirit, believing that God has finished the work of the cross in Him, and that any anxiety, chain, or lie handed over to Him in faith is washed away by the flood of His love.

See friends, God is no genie, but He is faithful. God wants us to know Him, but in the end, we must trust God as we grow to know Him.. and know that He is good and that He is the "only wise God."

Let's not fear in taking inventory of our faith--where is our faith? Since faith must be placed in something to act, what are we placing it in? In the flesh, whether it be our bodies or our friends, in models, in movie stars, in porn stars??? (Bizarre how they're all called "models" and "stars," and yet they don't model or shine for God, and have no light in themselves. It looks like they're modeling and shining for something else--guess what that may be). Where is our faith? Wherever it is for you, let's place it back on the one with whom we have to do, and trust that God is not only in control, but also desiring oneness with us.

With love,

Seth

On faith in the Scripture

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 20:11:58 GMT

1 Kings 19. -- Elijah faithfully prays to YHWH (as the consuming fire)
Matthew 15 -- Peter walks on water by faith in Jesus (as doer of the impossible)
James 1:5-7 -- Faith is to be completely on God (as the giver of all good things)

Faith is always against doubt--doubt tries to fight against our faith, but faith stands firm forever when it is placed in God through the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

For the disciple of Jesus, the type of lie is different from the lie that was thrown in the face of Adam and Eve. When God told Adam that he'd die on the day that he'd eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the lie of the serpent (spoken to Eve, interestingly called "the flesh of Adam") was spoken as follows: "No, you will not die..." As we know, that lead all flesh away from God--until a time of reformation.

Today, in our day where we live in Christ, we hear a new lie that tries to stand against the hope of the glory of God--"No, you will not live free..." But the word of the Lord stands firm "Whom the Son sets free, is indeed free." The Spirit of God cannot be led astray, and the promise comes to us not through fallible flesh, but through the infallible logos of God.

So then, let's pray to the Lord in faith--without doubting that our God will provide in every way that He says that He will; let's consider his examples of faith that was put into the Lord, so that we may succeed and walk into glory. God is greater than all, and He expresses and demonstrates His power through the logos of God--Jesus Christ.

With Love in Christ,

Seth

Pure Life

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 04:56:00 GMT

Haha.. so good. God gave us a cool name for our college/career-age fellowship.. Pure Life. May the Lord be glorified as we are increasingly trusting Him. May we be fruitful to Him.

...

Faith--the assurance that we can stand ontop of water.

Hope--the thing that keeps us being assured that we will continue to stand ontop of water.

Love--the reason that we are standing ontop of water.

...

Pure Life

..whatever is pure.. (Philipians iv. 5)
..whatever is lovely..
..whatever is true..