If we were to apply that, it means God is a transactional God, of which that will be very wrong considering Psalm 50 vs12
Psalms 50:11-12
[11]I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
[12]If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. When we give to God we do it as a way of thanking Him for what he has already done for our salvation, John 3vs 16 The love he bestowed upon the sinners granting us sonship John 1 vs 12
What can we give in exchange for that..
Psalms 50:14
[14]Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: As Christ is rhe head of the body(His church) Visible and functional in this world he knows and supplies our needs, and when we pray we pray accordingly being led by the Holy Spirit giving glory to the Father
Hi Karen. When reading Philippians 4:14-19, in the context there, as you rightly wrote, the Church was mindful of the apostle's physical needs, providing help to him probably more than a couple of times than indicated in these verses. That occasion gives us a Divine Truth: that when God's people are sensitive to His Spirit's Leading, deeply immersed in the Word & Prayer, then the outcome will always be a generosity far surpassing simply the act of giving or doing so to appease one's conscience. We see the first instance of this in Acts 4:32-25, where the fledgling Church, filled with God's Spirit, "were of one heart & soul" and they knew that their possessions were not their own (i.e. they realized that all things that they possessed belonged to and came from God for their use). With such a mind & spirit, they immediately looked out for one another, even selling houses & land so that the proceeds could benefit others among them in need.
Even though the full extent of that particular example of sacrificial love may be infrequent today, the Truth of that renewed heart & spirit in believers urged them to look out to others, when formerly it was always 'me first or what's mine is mine'. So when we give with a generous spirit, sensing the real needs within the Church (& of course, outside it), being led of God's Spirit, we can trust that God will always "supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". Even as we read in James 4:3, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts", implying when our motives are wrong & not aligned with what is God's best for us, we shouldn't be surprised when we're left with prayers unanswered & floundering in our sparsity. And of course, "godliness WITH contentment is great gain" ( 1 Timothy 6:6): we should be content with what God has given us, even though we have very little & can't or could never 'keep up with the Jones' '.
God is so good and powerful. He strengthens our souls and we just have to trust in him. He is so good and He protects us from all bad and wrongdoing. He is such a good Man. The only thing you should fear is Him, God, the One, and Almighty.
It is interesting but unimportant who the scribe was that penned Phillippians. God Himself is the author of Phillippians. And every word in the original autograph is the Word of God. As is every word in the entire Bible. This is why we are commanded to compare scripture with scripture in order to come to truth. The Bible is its own dictionary and its own interpreter. And we must approach the Bible recognizing that the Bible is ONE BOOK with ONE AUTHOR. Holy men of old wrote as they were moved by God The Holy Spirit. The Bible is not the word of Paul or Peter or Mark or Luke or Jeremiah. It is indeed THE WORD OF GOD.
I'm not sure if that's a question or a statement but if it's a question, I would say that Philippians was written by Paul mainly. But he also signs Timothy on.
He has Timothy with him. He also has Luke with him. But he says Paul and Timothy are the authors of the letter. Paul's inscription is on all thirteen of his letters.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. Philippi became the first European city to receive the gospel. The church at Philippi was founded during Paul's second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16:8-12.
Epaphroditus was a messenger. He was also believed to be a pastor of the church in Philippi. Paul seems to have visited the church in Philippi twice. That is found in II Corinthians 1:16; Acts 19:21; Acts 20:1-3.
The church in Philippi sent Paul two love offerings for his missionary endeavors in Thessalonica, found in Philippians 4:15-16.
In fact, Paul said nobody else sent for support except for the Christians in Philippi, not once he said, but twice to support the missionary effort.
In 62 AD Paul finds himself as a prisoner in Rome. That is in Acts 28:30-31.
When the church heard of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, they again sent a love offering to him by way of Epaphroditus. Paul describes him as the pastor or messenger, the one that gives the messages in Philippi.
So Epaphroditus is sent 700 miles with this love offering to help Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome, and to minister to Paul there.
While in Rome, Epaphroditus became very sick and nearly died. At this time, some 10 years after his original visit to Philippi, Paul wrote the epistle of Philippians.
Paul writes to the Philippians both to thank them for their gift and also to report the good news of Epaphroditus' recovery.
i would advise you to go and pray ask God for you needs and trust in him
(AMP Philippians 4:6)
Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
In philippians 4:13 i have strength in jesus!!!! my questions is verses 19 god will supply all my needs do to his riches !!!!!!! is it okay to ask for good friendships and company an a loving helpful companionship in my sometimes overwhelming struggles !!!!! or maybe i need to leave as overall overwhelming powers as this is difficult so to distracted me from god's plan ?????? how am i to knowing ????? please please pray so that i may find the answer !!!! and possibly i had an didn't realize it !!!-????
See no matter what seasons I go through in life my natural emotions in the flesh must be reminded of my inherited Power in GOD. He is our my stabilizer. He is our my constant. GOD never changes and he provides hope and direction. Therefore, whatever I might face in life (the ups and the downs) I can endure all things because GOD is with me. And whenever you are with GOD the end of a thing is Victorious. So remember, we can go through life's challenging moments while passing through what GOD allows because it is safe passage to victory.
Verses 4 and 5-after stating the need to always rejoice, we see that moderation or reasonableness is mentioned here. This is important because if our expectations are not reasonable, we will not be able to rejoice.
Adam, these are good words to us reading here, thanks.
I think the covid ordeal has caused many people to find themselves more isolated than they have ever been before. Some people, like my 88 year old mom, already live out a fairly isolated life and so the covid ordeal has not affected them too much. But others, especially those who are outgoing by nature, may find this period of isolation unbearable. Some who, prior to covid, entertained and fellowshipped with others regularly, and then have had to cease most of this. Each person has needed to adjust in their own situation.
But you are so right, we are never completely alone as a believer, because God is within us! You cannot get any closer than that!
Still, the absence of face to face contact with other people can lead some into depression and loneliness. Perhaps those who know people who are vulnerable to this should make extra efforts to call these people more often and have a real conversation on the phone, not just texting, or do facetime.
For me, an outgoing person who now am home all day, I am learning to be satisfied with being by myself and my husband, who works from home in his office during the day. I am learning to pray more, study God's word more, and research topics that come up on this forum. Participating on this forum has been helpful to me. I am learning to rest in the Lord more.
Many people may be physically alone all day (including myself), but don't necessarily feel alone, so this seems subject to our own interpretation. Since God is with us are we ever truly alone? When we have online communities like this and other social media are we truly alone? I personally think its more difficult to be alone in a crowd than physically alone, but everyone views this differently.
I also believe God made us with different gifts and different roles- some are behind the scenes and some are more in the spotlight. The joy of serving God I think is about being obedient and not seeking human validation or appreciation. Jesus healed people in the spotlight and still hardly received appreciation. Of the 10 lepers He healed only 1 said thank you. 10%, which seems about average from my own volunteer experience. I drifted off topic a bit but in general I think God totally understands our circumstances and we can make the most of it to serve Him, according to the gifts He has blessed us with. We can also frame our circumstances positively as 'tests', as I think such challenges can be used to build our character- a more positive frame than just blaming God.
Something I heard in a movie last night thought was good:
"Why would a loving God allow these tragedies to happen?
Does the Lord want us to suffer?"
"I asked for strength, and God gave my difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom, and God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for courage, and God gave me dangers to overcome.
I asked for love, and God gave me troubled people to help.
Thank you Jayne for sharing a little more of what you have been going through. Indeed, I think of Jesus' Words in Matthew 26:41, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak"; though this verse clearly is to show the value of prayer & spiritual exercise when under temptation, I also see that the same Truth can be applied to those, like yourself, who truly love the Lord & wholly committed to Him, but a physical weakness or lack of abilities prevent that love being manifested as you would like.
But as Giannis has wisely shared, that God even takes our very few resources & uses them mightily, achieving great things, when we give our all to Him & give it only for His Glory. I believe that we can clearly see that in you, by your efforts to make Christ known & bring blessing to others. I know that you want to do much more, but just to rest in God's Care & Guidance, He will then open up new ways to minister to others, ways denied to others because they have not earnestly sought the Lord's Leading. I think of that lovely hymn, 'Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee'; you probably know it - the words can be found on the Web. It truly reflects your heart's desire & such a desire the Lord will not overlook nor can disappoint. Every blessing from Him Who watches & cares for you.
Your story is very encouraging. You remind me of that widow that gave that little she had to God, but it was everything she had. Jesus talked to His desciples about her. God in His Gospels mentions only her, and her story went through millennia till nowdays read and admired by bilions of people, although for sure there would have been many other people that offered huge sums but they were never mentioned in the Gospel. So don't be sad that you can't offer more.
God bless you and for sure a big wage waits for you in Heaven.
I love what you wrote , my issue is wirh good deeds , acting out my faith , I'm disabled , my neighbours are fitter than I, I am alone in this life, physically with a family who have no time literally and figuratively for me, i have no kids , I can't serve the Lord I love so much , it makes me weep daily , I try and leave encouraging messages and Scripture online , YouTube, FB , Twitter , its the only way of connecting with folk been years since I could go to church I wasted my good years in backsliden sin, now I may physically be useless but I love God , its not easy , no matter who tells you what , no one has been in your shoes or can understand what you are going through but Jesus himself , cast off your cares to Him and pray your heart out , for its our hearts He looks at and deeds that where done not for Him but to gain anything will be burnt up , so even typing this fact has cheered me up, knowing only what was done from a pure heart for Jesus because He changed us and gave us a new heart , will remain and our reards will be based on those deeds , so rather than focus on yourself, you are forgiven you are worthy, focus on Him and even the fact you can breathe, you woke up this morning , thank Him for , and gratitude will help you , take your focus off yourself and into God , its taken this typing to bring me round today for I was upset and struggling, but I now realise it was satan the accusor , the deceiver the liar , don't let him steal the Love you have for Jesus or yourself
Ms. Jackson, pray for God to increase your faith. Faith is what sets our heart at one with God so we can believe his promises and live for him. Faith give access into grace ( Romans 5:2). We receive the Holy Spirit by the hearing of faith ( Galatians 3:2). Faith is the victory that overcomes the world ( 1 John 5:4). When reading the Bible ask yourself if you really belief what it says. Hebrews 11:6 "But with out faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him". Faith precedes grace, the Holy Spirit, imputes righteousness and gives victory. Faith the size of a mustard seed will remove mountains ( Matthew 17:20). Hebrews 11 has good examples of faith and the effects of it.
I've heard Christians say things like "I can not understand why God would love someone like me." I think that statement is rooted in too high an opinion of self, sort of like Peter's statement to Jesus, "Though all men forsake you I will never forsake you." Peter saw himself as at least as good as or better than the other disciples, which was a misunderstanding of himself and God's word.
The reason I believe saying "I can not understand why God would love a sinner like me" is wrong is because it must either assume I am worse than other sinners, or I cannot understand why God would love any sinners. Either way, that is simply reflecting a lack of understanding that Christians should grow out of.
You are a sinner, true, but so is every other Christian and no Christian is more special or loved than any other believer. There are Christians who walk in disobedience which displeases God but those Christians are still loved by God. I have 8 living children. Some may have more problems than others but I love them all equally as much.
God loves the Christians who walk close to Him as much as He loves the prodigal in the pig pen, but the prodigal in the pig pen is not pleasing God as much as the Christian walking close by His side.
Blessings, For 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.. Psalms 139 :18-19, How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake ,I am still with thee.The Love of God overtakes all unworthiness, in Jesus Christ ,to you and all the Lord will remember by you in him by Jesus Christ the way given to mankind to the loving heart of God
Dear, i have to get involved :) even if you have received good answers here. We must not forget that we have received grace. The grace ikke live in has mirrored my wisdom and gives me the power of God to testify, pray for people, be salty, be a fellow human being, it is never in compulsion, but the Lord we test our strength. See where you want to go?
Grace dear "Ms. Jackson" is what we should lean on in difficult situations. And we must never forget and do to others as we want others to treat us. This is so that we will walk wisely without bad thinking. I can see your darkness because I've been there myself. That said, the Lord will help greatly. But if there are unforgivable things, you can only help yourself. Such is the rule. We must forgive ourselves first, to clear and forgive others what injustice they have done to us. Get light now!
And never go back to that dark place! We must capture every thought. In order not to let in evil spirits that distort reality and we are bound in chains of sin and misery that only grow. For example, when we see disease in our ranks, there is a possibility that they have not thrown away evil thoughts. But allowed for example doubt, greed, forgiveness, unloving, even further in their lives. That is why we must read the scriptures every day, For encouragement, for peace of mind, not to allow evil thoughts. But openly to the work of God.
In scripture we learn about Jesus' state of mind the same we should have in all purity! Jesus love you i in Christ. John 7:17
May God bless us abundantly with wisdom and the spirit of revelation so that we all will be able to resist the evil day, as you describe. Start your service in this moment, do not wait, you are valuable and do not forget where you were before.
Get out of yourself by " Action" doing for those in need. It's what helps me. If you do things already, do more and more. You can say you live your neighbour, but what have you done to show. Like James states faith without works is dead. God judges us on our actions, he knows our intentions and our hearts. When you feel like that you are playing God. God Bless
Hello Ms. Jackson. If I may consider the second part of your comment first, i.e."I struggle loving myself and consider myself an individual not deserving of God's mercies & graces." "Loving myself" can mean different things to different people. To one, it may mean a lack of self-esteem, often shying away from people. To another, the opposite: believing they're God's Gift to the world, or the world revolves around them. And yet to another, meeting the needs of one's body, mind, emotions, & spirit. If your 'loving yourself, is only confined to 'feeling undeserving of God's Mercies', then you're not alone; if we truly believe that we have sinned & grieved God by our selfish sinful ways & are deserving of nothing but His Anger & Retribution, then that 'feeling' is warranted & given by the Holy Spirit. And yet, we continue to 'love' ourselves by giving due care to our bodies, not only for survival but also for enjoyment of this God-given life.
However, if you have a sense of 'low esteem', then that can arise from a genetic disposition, or even from forces you've faced in your earlier years. I tend to have this sense of having a low regard, not seeing anything of worth about me that would make me of even the slightest value to another person. And yet I know, that in God's Sight, I'm precious, for He has not only sent His Son to pay for the sins of all mankind, but also identified me as one to receive this great blessing of redemption & being fully accepted by Him.
And when I truly understand & believe what has taken place in me by God, my response to Him can only be of real joy & desire to worship Him, please Him, & share His Love with those who would give ear to His Words: 'a devotion with my whole being', as you wrote. And with such love in your heart towards God, with His Holy Spirit continually energizing you produce holy 'fruit' in your life, that love will be manifested also to 'your neighbour'. Let the Spirit work in you to bring out His Fruit of Love to all.
How can I Love God with a holistic devotion with my whole being, love my neighbor as myself, when I struggle loving myself and consider myself an individual not deserving of God's mercies & graces?
I would drop to my knees and cry like there was no tomorrow.
I would keep my face buried in the floor of the earth with such humiliation of the world and what we are and what they did to him. I am crying now. I would not be able to look up at The Face Of The Lamb As He was,(slain). Him Knowing and sacrificing Himself for my sins yesterday and that day, I out of such humility, would not feel worthy to look upon Him. I so Love LJesus , My Lord, My God, My King, My only salvation.
Looking at Jesus and knowing what pure evil that He took on from the beginning to the end of the world. Really think about that.
Just not being crucified, they, His own People denied Him and acted and watched and spit and called him vile, filthy names, and beat and tortured Him so viscously, beyond recognition, like no other man in the world. He took all that and Jesus could have bailed out. And His Father in Heaven had to watch and could have ended the vile abuse at any time but did not. "For God So Loved The World". Him ransomed 4 us.
Nether Jesus or His Heavenly Father bailed on the world. They should of.
The world is more vile than ever.
I Have committed almost every sin in the Scriptures. But one I have not. I have not Denied My Father in Heaven nor Jesus, The Selfless Lamb.
This kills my heart! For my sins and the sins committed against then and to Him today. I am not worthy. The world is not worthy.
But I want to believe that Jesus would lift my chin and just say with out words, that I am His and He gets Me as He created me. He Knows i love Him. I am seeking His Heart today.
But each day He sees and knows that i seek His Heart like a little child. " I know your heart, I created it. When you cried out, why did I give you that big heart and big shoulders and why you suffered from so
Many and so much , from a little one on,
"Because, you gave those gifts to all." I will see you soon and Keep seeking my Heart. I still Love You." I pray He says.
I am the divine heavenly now I become able to receive God riches.
Psalms 50:11-12
[11]I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
[12]If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. When we give to God we do it as a way of thanking Him for what he has already done for our salvation, John 3vs 16 The love he bestowed upon the sinners granting us sonship John 1 vs 12
What can we give in exchange for that..
Psalms 50:14
[14]Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: As Christ is rhe head of the body(His church) Visible and functional in this world he knows and supplies our needs, and when we pray we pray accordingly being led by the Holy Spirit giving glory to the Father
Even though the full extent of that particular example of sacrificial love may be infrequent today, the Truth of that renewed heart & spirit in believers urged them to look out to others, when formerly it was always 'me first or what's mine is mine'. So when we give with a generous spirit, sensing the real needs within the Church (& of course, outside it), being led of God's Spirit, we can trust that God will always "supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". Even as we read in James 4:3, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts", implying when our motives are wrong & not aligned with what is God's best for us, we shouldn't be surprised when we're left with prayers unanswered & floundering in our sparsity. And of course, "godliness WITH contentment is great gain" ( 1 Timothy 6:6): we should be content with what God has given us, even though we have very little & can't or could never 'keep up with the Jones' '.
I'm not sure if that's a question or a statement but if it's a question, I would say that Philippians was written by Paul mainly. But he also signs Timothy on.
He has Timothy with him. He also has Luke with him. But he says Paul and Timothy are the authors of the letter. Paul's inscription is on all thirteen of his letters.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. Philippi became the first European city to receive the gospel. The church at Philippi was founded during Paul's second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16:8-12.
Epaphroditus was a messenger. He was also believed to be a pastor of the church in Philippi. Paul seems to have visited the church in Philippi twice. That is found in II Corinthians 1:16; Acts 19:21; Acts 20:1-3.
The church in Philippi sent Paul two love offerings for his missionary endeavors in Thessalonica, found in Philippians 4:15-16.
In fact, Paul said nobody else sent for support except for the Christians in Philippi, not once he said, but twice to support the missionary effort.
In 62 AD Paul finds himself as a prisoner in Rome. That is in Acts 28:30-31.
When the church heard of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, they again sent a love offering to him by way of Epaphroditus. Paul describes him as the pastor or messenger, the one that gives the messages in Philippi.
So Epaphroditus is sent 700 miles with this love offering to help Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome, and to minister to Paul there.
While in Rome, Epaphroditus became very sick and nearly died. At this time, some 10 years after his original visit to Philippi, Paul wrote the epistle of Philippians.
Paul writes to the Philippians both to thank them for their gift and also to report the good news of Epaphroditus' recovery.
(AMP Philippians 4:6)
Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
I think the covid ordeal has caused many people to find themselves more isolated than they have ever been before. Some people, like my 88 year old mom, already live out a fairly isolated life and so the covid ordeal has not affected them too much. But others, especially those who are outgoing by nature, may find this period of isolation unbearable. Some who, prior to covid, entertained and fellowshipped with others regularly, and then have had to cease most of this. Each person has needed to adjust in their own situation.
But you are so right, we are never completely alone as a believer, because God is within us! You cannot get any closer than that!
Still, the absence of face to face contact with other people can lead some into depression and loneliness. Perhaps those who know people who are vulnerable to this should make extra efforts to call these people more often and have a real conversation on the phone, not just texting, or do facetime.
For me, an outgoing person who now am home all day, I am learning to be satisfied with being by myself and my husband, who works from home in his office during the day. I am learning to pray more, study God's word more, and research topics that come up on this forum. Participating on this forum has been helpful to me. I am learning to rest in the Lord more.
Many people may be physically alone all day (including myself), but don't necessarily feel alone, so this seems subject to our own interpretation. Since God is with us are we ever truly alone? When we have online communities like this and other social media are we truly alone? I personally think its more difficult to be alone in a crowd than physically alone, but everyone views this differently.
I also believe God made us with different gifts and different roles- some are behind the scenes and some are more in the spotlight. The joy of serving God I think is about being obedient and not seeking human validation or appreciation. Jesus healed people in the spotlight and still hardly received appreciation. Of the 10 lepers He healed only 1 said thank you. 10%, which seems about average from my own volunteer experience. I drifted off topic a bit but in general I think God totally understands our circumstances and we can make the most of it to serve Him, according to the gifts He has blessed us with. We can also frame our circumstances positively as 'tests', as I think such challenges can be used to build our character- a more positive frame than just blaming God.
Something I heard in a movie last night thought was good:
"Why would a loving God allow these tragedies to happen?
Does the Lord want us to suffer?"
"I asked for strength, and God gave my difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom, and God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for courage, and God gave me dangers to overcome.
I asked for love, and God gave me troubled people to help.
My prayers were answered."
God bless.
But as Giannis has wisely shared, that God even takes our very few resources & uses them mightily, achieving great things, when we give our all to Him & give it only for His Glory. I believe that we can clearly see that in you, by your efforts to make Christ known & bring blessing to others. I know that you want to do much more, but just to rest in God's Care & Guidance, He will then open up new ways to minister to others, ways denied to others because they have not earnestly sought the Lord's Leading. I think of that lovely hymn, 'Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee'; you probably know it - the words can be found on the Web. It truly reflects your heart's desire & such a desire the Lord will not overlook nor can disappoint. Every blessing from Him Who watches & cares for you.
Your story is very encouraging. You remind me of that widow that gave that little she had to God, but it was everything she had. Jesus talked to His desciples about her. God in His Gospels mentions only her, and her story went through millennia till nowdays read and admired by bilions of people, although for sure there would have been many other people that offered huge sums but they were never mentioned in the Gospel. So don't be sad that you can't offer more.
God bless you and for sure a big wage waits for you in Heaven.
The reason I believe saying "I can not understand why God would love a sinner like me" is wrong is because it must either assume I am worse than other sinners, or I cannot understand why God would love any sinners. Either way, that is simply reflecting a lack of understanding that Christians should grow out of.
You are a sinner, true, but so is every other Christian and no Christian is more special or loved than any other believer. There are Christians who walk in disobedience which displeases God but those Christians are still loved by God. I have 8 living children. Some may have more problems than others but I love them all equally as much.
God loves the Christians who walk close to Him as much as He loves the prodigal in the pig pen, but the prodigal in the pig pen is not pleasing God as much as the Christian walking close by His side.
Blessings, For 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.. Psalms 139 :18-19, How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake ,I am still with thee.The Love of God overtakes all unworthiness, in Jesus Christ ,to you and all the Lord will remember by you in him by Jesus Christ the way given to mankind to the loving heart of God
Grace dear "Ms. Jackson" is what we should lean on in difficult situations. And we must never forget and do to others as we want others to treat us. This is so that we will walk wisely without bad thinking. I can see your darkness because I've been there myself. That said, the Lord will help greatly. But if there are unforgivable things, you can only help yourself. Such is the rule. We must forgive ourselves first, to clear and forgive others what injustice they have done to us. Get light now!
And never go back to that dark place! We must capture every thought. In order not to let in evil spirits that distort reality and we are bound in chains of sin and misery that only grow. For example, when we see disease in our ranks, there is a possibility that they have not thrown away evil thoughts. But allowed for example doubt, greed, forgiveness, unloving, even further in their lives. That is why we must read the scriptures every day, For encouragement, for peace of mind, not to allow evil thoughts. But openly to the work of God.
In scripture we learn about Jesus' state of mind the same we should have in all purity! Jesus love you i in Christ. John 7:17
May God bless us abundantly with wisdom and the spirit of revelation so that we all will be able to resist the evil day, as you describe. Start your service in this moment, do not wait, you are valuable and do not forget where you were before.
One of Satan's names is ACCUSER. He accuses us and then we accuse ourselves .
When we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness; what does God do with those sins we confessed?
Psalms Chapter 103
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is HIS MERCY toward them that fear him.
12 AS FAR AS the east is from the west, so far has HE removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
note: that is a straight line which is INFINITY. God doesn't keep records of sins we confess and repent of.
However, if you have a sense of 'low esteem', then that can arise from a genetic disposition, or even from forces you've faced in your earlier years. I tend to have this sense of having a low regard, not seeing anything of worth about me that would make me of even the slightest value to another person. And yet I know, that in God's Sight, I'm precious, for He has not only sent His Son to pay for the sins of all mankind, but also identified me as one to receive this great blessing of redemption & being fully accepted by Him.
And when I truly understand & believe what has taken place in me by God, my response to Him can only be of real joy & desire to worship Him, please Him, & share His Love with those who would give ear to His Words: 'a devotion with my whole being', as you wrote. And with such love in your heart towards God, with His Holy Spirit continually energizing you produce holy 'fruit' in your life, that love will be manifested also to 'your neighbour'. Let the Spirit work in you to bring out His Fruit of Love to all.
I would keep my face buried in the floor of the earth with such humiliation of the world and what we are and what they did to him. I am crying now. I would not be able to look up at The Face Of The Lamb As He was,(slain). Him Knowing and sacrificing Himself for my sins yesterday and that day, I out of such humility, would not feel worthy to look upon Him. I so Love LJesus , My Lord, My God, My King, My only salvation.
Looking at Jesus and knowing what pure evil that He took on from the beginning to the end of the world. Really think about that.
Just not being crucified, they, His own People denied Him and acted and watched and spit and called him vile, filthy names, and beat and tortured Him so viscously, beyond recognition, like no other man in the world. He took all that and Jesus could have bailed out. And His Father in Heaven had to watch and could have ended the vile abuse at any time but did not. "For God So Loved The World". Him ransomed 4 us.
Nether Jesus or His Heavenly Father bailed on the world. They should of.
The world is more vile than ever.
I Have committed almost every sin in the Scriptures. But one I have not. I have not Denied My Father in Heaven nor Jesus, The Selfless Lamb.
This kills my heart! For my sins and the sins committed against then and to Him today. I am not worthy. The world is not worthy.
But I want to believe that Jesus would lift my chin and just say with out words, that I am His and He gets Me as He created me. He Knows i love Him. I am seeking His Heart today.
But each day He sees and knows that i seek His Heart like a little child. " I know your heart, I created it. When you cried out, why did I give you that big heart and big shoulders and why you suffered from so
Many and so much , from a little one on,
"Because, you gave those gifts to all." I will see you soon and Keep seeking my Heart. I still Love You." I pray He says.
Deborah