KJV Luke 11:13 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your

children: how much more shall

your

heavenly Father give

the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Are we fully aware of God’s greatness of giving His best

to us through His Spirit?

If there is so much emphasis upon how an earthly father should

want the best for his child who asks, how much more The Almighty God,

our Heavenly Father, gives of His Spirit who desires His presence!

When He is petitioned, it never wearies Him as it would

someone of the earthly sort, for He alone gives us His best with

continual blessings we do not deserve.

Consider this thought! Taking the meaning of the word,

“empty”, (in the sense of lacking value, sense, or purpose),

you could note the fact of a deficiency of fidelity in true

direction; also, not realizing or becoming aware in a capacity

of thinking in truth; moreover, having no purpose to accomplish

what is truly utmost and healthy in the sight of the Supreme

Judge, who is God Himself.

Keeping the above statement in mind, one could draw the

conclusion in observing Psalm 14:1 that “the fool” spoken

of is one who lives in such a way as if God didn’t exist.

A “fool” is someone who is corrupt morally, disregarding

moral restraints that is purposed in God’s Word that brings

a right standing with Him in the sight of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Being aware that there is no actual “good” that a person

could “be” or “do” brings us to a point to acknowledge the

need for the True Mediator, Jesus Christ, and the ability

through The Holy Spirit to live “by” that grace He gave through

accepting His mercy, then live “in” the strength of The Holy Spirit.

The furtherance of this understanding would bring one to the

point to grow healthy in God’s ways and becoming even more

conscious of the fact that we are to live our lives fully devoted

to Him according to what is pleasing in His sight. In turn, this

brings true “fullness” to our lives rather than “emptiness” that

leads to destruction.

Psalm 14:1 - The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.

They are corrupt, they have done abominable

works, there is none that doeth good.

A beautiful verse for us to consider is filled with a wealth of

blessing to those who apply it.

Ephesians 4:32- And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,

forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath

forgiven you.

Let’s look at the words, “kind”, “tenderhearted”, and “forgiving”.

The word “kind” in this verse describes how we should be in our

usefulness in our demeanor to others. This word correlates with

the noun used in Galatians 5:22, “gentleness”. We could never truly

put this into practice in a useful quality that is pleasing to God without

the love of Jesus in our hearts. His Spirit gives us the ability

to put this into action thus giving us a distinguishing quality

in attitude and conduct.

Next, we notice the word, “tenderhearted”. This is how we are

to conduct an inward affection with an ability to understand in great

depth of feeling and expression the compassion we are to extend

toward others. Walking in a Christ-filled life, we will live a pleasing

life before Him and others in our conduct and lifestyle.

These words actually work together by the divine influence of God

through a heart and life in humble submission by His gracious act of

love toward us in Christ Jesus and gives us favor with Him to be “forgiving”

to extend favor to others in the kindness of the love of Christ

Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Taking another look at Psalm 138:2, as also with the comments page,

it can be noted that His Word is pure and His promises are sure

through Christ Jesus. God has magnified in all and above all in an

intensity of enlargement of His faithfulness and truth according to

everything His mighty name stands for. He is that living Word that

is alive and well today! He lives within hearts by His Holy Spirit giving

us every reason to rejoice at His existence and praise His mighty name

for His everlasting promises that He perfects all things concerining us in

the light of His promises He gave us through Jesus Christ.

With all this known to us, we should in all acceptance give ourselves

fully to Him by humbly asking Him to help us to submit our whole lives

to prostrate ourselves toward His Holiness in utmost reverence to

Him.

If words of promise are of importance to us, and the frailness of

pronunciation of every human life, then a clear look at saying

the word by writing it this way, “

shaw-khaw’

” makes the point

absolutely plain that we are to bow ourselves down all the while

elevating our attention to God, for He alone is worthy of all praise!

Psalm 138:2 - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise

thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast

magnified thy word above all thy name.

We see how subjection in this life has a place in the reason of

work as we see it; but one must keep in mind that only God our

Savior has done the ultimate work to bring us in line with His

standard for our lives. We could never be right before Him apart

from His grace, and that can only come through Christ Jesus our

LORD. Remembering His mercy is of utmost importance in the

Christian life, applying those principles of the love of Christ to

our lives in full assurance of faith in Him.

Take a look at Titus 3:5- “Not by works of righteousness which we

have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of

regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

First of all, there is nothing we can work of our own efforts

to be justified before God. It is of His compassionate mercy

and ultimate love that gives us our right standing with Him.

That could only happen with HIs grace applied to our lives,

saving us, cleansing us from sin, and filling us with His presence.

If we would inspect the word “regeneration” in context of “washing”,

we would note that a cleansing takes place at salvation; and that,

in turn would mean a changed life, a renewed life. For, “regeneration”,

in this sense denotes a change from the carnal nature to a life

renewed by the grace of God in His loving mercy of salvation in

a life and heart. It places us “at one again”, which means the right

standing of our lives accepted before The Just and Almighty

God being justified by His grace that can now be put to practical use

in our lives that we may live pleasing in His sight. It is by this that

we may then understand “renewal”.

Next, if we would examine the word “renewing” in light of The

Holy Ghost, we would notice as what could be called a “renovation”.

This is the change that makes all the difference from the state of

being lost to a saved life, changed by The Spirit of God to live a life

consecrated by The Holy Spirit now living within. This is what makes

a person different in the life to be lived now verses the way one lived

before. Now, with The Holy Spirit enablement within a life, there is

not only a change of heart but a renewed mind. Our thinking should

then be transformed and have a capacity to grow and mature into a

life well pleasing in God’s sight with a hunger for His Word and

work within our lives. (Refer to Romans 12:1-2).

One might think that blessings are only based on an ideal situation,

but that is not always so, as with taking a look at the Beatitudes in

Matthew 5:3-12; for, being blessed is the favor of God received making

those “well off” no matter what the circumstance may be. So the

Greek word “makarios” in this context has a much richer meaning

than just what one would think of as being “happy”, for then that

would just seem to derive from a favorable condition. It is every

bit possible to be “fully satisfied” in a state of “blessedness” by

accepting salvation through Jesus and what He taught in instruction

of a life well lived in the blessings of Him. The demonstration of

our lives in the principles He gave us assures the fact of His blessings

upon our lives and the greatest experience of that when we partake

of the eternal blessings to come.

Keeping in mind of the “blessings” we have in Jesus, take a look

at a word in pronunciation, “eh’-sher” in Hebrew. While noting it

stated both in the KJV as well as in the AMP as “Happy is…” in

Proverbs 3:13, it is stated “How blessed is..” in the NAS and

“Blessed is..” in the NIV. Although a happiness and joyousness

does exist in living a godly life developed in the wisdom of God’s

Word applied to one’s life in the knowledge of Him, one must

fully acknowlege that the true wisdom of Him brings about a more

lasting advantage by the awareness that it is not mere knowledge

in the terms of material advantage, but a peace filled life centered

on His promises in a quality that is lasting and in direction of His

ways. That is why the word “blessed” is so important in Psalm 1:1

in the terms “well off”; for, one is “well off” not to go astray from

God’s principles that guide the right way to live. The “blessing”

then is in the conduct of living a life well pleasing before God in

His Precious Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A person’s life is either filled up in reward of either good or bad

of what is spoken. For it produces in communication gain in

really opening up of what is inside to come out. It has consequence

in one’s self because the power it has upon the life one lives.

That is why one should take the time to discover just what

impact it has and real meaning in the influence of the love of God.

Taking a look at Proverbs 18:20, the word “satisfy” and the

pronunciation, saw-bah’ or saw-bay’-ah as with the meaning

“filled” certainly views this whole situation of what one’s self

is filled with in basis of what is said and the action of what

is felt in the heart. So, if one really means well, one should

be more careful what is said and how it is delivered forth

out of one’s mouth through the door one’s lips. It feels one’s

insides and produces forth in either a good moral standing

or a corrupt demeanor. Also read Proverbs 18:21, and ask

God to examine your heart and life by what you say!

Also see the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:33-37, and

allow yourself to be pricked in heart to repent from ill

words and turn to Jesus in the forgiveness extended

to live in victory with words of life that produce

eternal effects.

If one could only realize, in postion of Christ’s love,

the servant attitude of humbleness displayed to those

learning His ways long ago, then, Oh, how much more is

required of us today to trust the Holy Spirit’s presence in

order to follow His example, which reminds us to open

our eyes and stir us day by day with a broadening of

our understanding by His instruction to both learn and

and instruct of His ways of how He sustains and helps

in every hour of need. So the use of things said by

direction of His Sovereign care is of utmost importance

as noting Isaiah 50:4. The “learned” is a descriptive word

describing the tongue, (the instrument that God uses of us,

that is to bring forth the goodness of the Sovereign Lord),

“of the learned” that we would understand with a learned tongue.

For we hear and understand by what we know and are familiar

with. Then those who are of God would understand by His Spirit,

a language spoken by the heart, sometimes not even in terms

of any other understanding than the sure mercies of God,

for any purpose that He sees by His Almighty direction of

use to admonish, save, console, instruct, any way He chooses

upon a heart and life is God’s business not ours. So taking

a glimpse at the word “limmud”, we can understand this as

the skillfull way we are to use what God gave us by His Spirit

by being receptive to the voice of the Holy Spirit upon our lives

to both hear His voice speaking to our hearts and be instructed

in His presence that we may skillfully instruct of His help

He extends to those that need it at whatever time necessary.

In these terms, no matter how much failure and rebellion, God

holds true to the promises He has made through the deliverance

of what Jesus gave us. So the “learned” are those with a firm

grasp in a skillfull way, yet Spirit driven to lean on the Spirit,

showing forth in example as being taught by Jesus, His disciples,

by principles of HIs grace and mercy extended to those who need

the comfort that He alone can give.

It is dangerous to have a lack of perseverance in the commitment

we are to have to Christ Jesus. If noting the word “perseverance”

as a verb meaning “persist” and going further into meaning as

“going on having a fixed purpose in spite of difficulties”, we can

truly determine the importance of that persistence in the cause

of the salvation plan God gave through Jesus Christ in the joy of

the Holy Spirit. Despite the weariness stemming from constant

pressures of opposition to that truth, we are to keep the flame

kindled brightly of what God has given us. There is much in

learning to endure hardships and not growing tired of the

way we are to live in the grace of Jesus Christ without

compromising that commitment with the world’s ways

of immorality.

The presence of God should be of great desire to those

who seek to grow into the maturity of a strong heart

yearning to worship Him in praise and honor to His

glory. With a look at Psalm 84:11, in desire of His

dwelling with the abundance of His glory, and then

Isaiah 60:19 in a prophetic glimpse of the brightness

of His glory, then also Malachi 4:2 in healing and

renewal by mercy of His glory, we can see why it

is so important to reverence Him for His glory.

First in reference to Psalm 84:11, The Self-existent,

Eternal and Supreme God is stated in the likeness of

a sun and shield. First of all, in this life we travel

through, it is important to acknowledge God as source

of protection in the brillance of His excellent glory,

extended in His grace, in the favor of His mercy, by

the conduction of our lives in submission to reverence

Him by living in a manner of integrity befitting to the

lifestyle we are to live. The words are not meant as

a worship to objects we see either in the sky or else

objects as to what we understand as protective

measures on earth; rather, the depth of meaning is

supposed to imply as with the word “sun” as to give

the meaning of the radiance shone in the glory of His

presence bestowed and our “shield” that is, protector

in the mercy in the strength of His glory that we do

not even deserve to be near. But by His favor and honor

bestowed, He doesn’t withhold any good thing He extends

to us who have a willing heart to live a life pleasing to Him

in a blameless way of uprightness with a sincere mind

in truth and virtue of His Word to us.

As yearning for the presence that we cannot fully

understand as of yet (because of our weak and delicate

disposition as human beings), we still have the expectation

that in time to come will be the reality of seeing the

opening of the gates into His presence that is forever open

and the acknowledgment of the tangible Glory we

will behold some day that will be brought to our greater

awareness, for then we will see and understand more clearly

and the things we behold now and see in the atmosphere will

no longer be needed for the brightness of His glory will

be forever and outshine any earthly element of place

holder in the sky as we see from our earthly perspective.

Our protection in God will then ever be secured by the

wall of salvation built upon the work through the ages

of care in those who took part and the understanding

of the One true Savior as Jesus Christ our Lord has

ushered in by His Saving work that the Almighty GOD

had planned from His plan that would make it possible

in the entrance of praise through the gates because of His

grace. For as with Isaiah 60:19 and affirmed also in

Revelation 21:23 and 22:5 no place holder in the sky

that we acknowledge by our human perception or

earthly object of benefit will be needed because Jesus

is that light and the brillance of God shining is so

bright that we will see in the clearness of His presence

forever beholding His Glory!

Keeping all this in mind, there is great need to

reverence God in the fullest capacity that our hearts

can realize of His great judgment upon sin and stay

strong in the firmness of His care for there is healing

in Him and an expectation of joy through Jesus given

to those that stay true to Him. Renewal is just as true

to those in God as judgment is real and sure to happen

to the wicked! (Malachi 4:2)

It is of utmost importance to remember that we must

keep our minds alert to know that GOD is the One we

are to worship and not the things of this life where some

who err by placing an emphasis on loving the things

of this life above God (which is contemptible practice

not only before God- but also which God despises the

disobedience and the rebellious acts of those who pay

homage to such practices.) He is a “jealous” God, and

He requires our attention to Him to be in the way that

our attitude should be brought in line with an obedince

on our part to His command for us to put Him first!

First, lets look at the word, “jealous”, in regard to God.

The Hebrew word in the KJV for “jealous” using the

phonetic sound of the word which is kan-naw’ and is an

adjective (a descriptive word and describes a distinguishing

feature of how God feels toward those who stoop to such

levels in that He doesn’t tolerate such behavior

(refer to Exodus 20:3-5).

A further look into the word itself is a word in comparison

which in phonetic sound is kan-no’ which means “jealous” or

“angry” and which would help us acknowledge His justice served

to those who in contempt of that mandate as in Exodus 20:3-5.

Taking a glimpse into Exodus 20:5, we notice the effects it

has upon the future generations of those who transgress.

But what is so wonderful as to what God has done throughout

the ages has its anwer in the next verse. In Exodus 20:6, we

can understand how God is faithful to His Word that out of

His favor (to those who love Him and who have heeded His

divine instruction) He showed His lovingkindness to

generations well beyond that by justification through

faith promised long before (see Genesis 15:6) and given to

those who trusted and believed far into the future. For this

we can be thankful for His grace in the New Covenant given

through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Who redeemed

us and brought us in union with that perfect love through

His perfect WORD to us and brings the unity in the body of

His believers to heed the second greatest commandment as

the words of Jesus say clear in Matthew 22:39, “…You shall

love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus is referring to Scripture

stating The Word in Leviticus 19:18, and He states in

Matthew 22:40 the fact of testimony that these Scriptures

have in regard to those who have understood and took

to heart and applied to mind the principles involved invoking

blessings when applied the way God intended.

So we must reason our belief that He is not a human that

would lie nor change His mind and what He has spoken He

makes good. (Numbers 23:19) and that His gifts and His call

are incapable of being revoked (Romans 11:29).

All of this is why we must take it seriously the grace He gave

us and be assured He is just to be “jealous” whenever wrongdoing

causes bondage that takes much time to heal generations over.

A firm acknowledgment of the goodness of God can be noted

in James 1:17, where it states, “Every good gift and every perfect

gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

First of all, take a look at the word “good”. We can understand

that God is good in relation to the action of His influence in

power and effect to give to us freely what is profitable for us

in usefulness, and it doesn’t lack in what is needed in moral growth;

for, it brings completeness and doesn’t fluctuate like a ray of

light shining through passing clouds. It doesn’t change like

shadows that shift with position, or obscured by rotation, as

in the changing of seasons. Instead, “Every good and perfect

gift comes from the true source, God Himself, Who is the Father

of all such who seek Him. He not only bestows to us the wisdom

we need to live right, but that by faith and not doubt, we can

endure the trials we face and be steadfast in position to the

truth He has given us through Jesus His Son. As the Father Who

shone His love divinely through the Son, manifesting Himself

and gave us His best gift ever of Himself, we have the assurance

that if we live our lives morally correct in Him and not according

to giving in to evil nature, we will be in right standing both now

and blessed even more in time to come.

LaNora G. Means

Most Recent Sermon