Christ and His blessings

Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Mat 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mat 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Mat 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Mat 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Mat 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Mat 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Mat 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Mat 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1Pe 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 1Pe 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


1Pe 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 1Pe 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 1Pe 4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.


Do you see a pattern here? When you hear the word "blessings of God" what do you think of? I know alot of people in many of our American churches think; wealth, health, life of ease, happiness, nice relationships. We obtain those things and we think, "Oh how blessed I am!" God can bless us in these things, I think most of the time He doesn't though. What is God's goal in our lives? For us to be happy? I Think He is more interested in us being conformed into the image of His Son. Does money help us to do that? Most of us would have to honestly answer, "no". Do trials? Most definitely!

Rom 5:3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, Rom 5:4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, Rom 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

So what do we see as true "blessing" from God? Money or Trials ( sufferings) Which conforms us into the image of His Son?

This might help you to look at your trials differantly. Not that they are fun, but when we know the purpose we can appreciate what the outcome will be, and then we can see them as blessings.

Christ- God as Servant

How Big is our God?

Isa 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

Isa 48:13 My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together.

 

Col 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

What did Christ do?

Php 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Php 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, Php 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Php 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

How did he demonstrate this?

Joh 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, Joh 13:4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Joh 13:5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

The God that holds the stars in his hands became a man, served those who hated him and washed their feet. Ponder this for a moment, I know many people are familiar with the story. Really think about what this means. How does this effect how you look at God? Our God is high and HOLY, perfect and mighty, full of purity and the ruler of all, King of kings and Lord of lords, holds every cell in is hands and is sovereign over all. He has every right to demand anything and everything of us, yet he serves us. US! Filthy, unclean man. We spit in his face, drove the nail into his hands, mocked him, and he humbles himself before us? This is our God, how beautiful he is. When you pray to him today, thank him for what he has done, for who he is.

And even more than washing our feet-

Isa 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? Isa 53:2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. Isa 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa 53:4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Isa 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? Isa 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Isa 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Isa 53:11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.


Thank you Jesus, thank you for the cross, beautiful Savior.

Christ- The Author and Finisher

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Christ is the Author of everything, and the finisher of everything. Our Faith, life, salvation, this world. Christ is the one that sought us, He is the one that gave us the ability to turn toward Him, He opens our eyes, He does it all. He is the finisher, he will see us to the end, He will be there to carry us through it all, He will never leave, never look away, never fail, always be faithful.

Notice what else our passage says, we are to lay aside all things that will hold us back, anything that hinders us from running the race fully. Is there anything you need to let go of, or just hand over to God? You know, He is all that matters, all theses things we feel are so important are all just "things", they will burn, what matters is how we served our King, how we either fed our flesh or starved it, and vice versa, if we fed our spirit ( by reading the word) or starved it. Even this we can't do on our own, Christ gives us the strength, let us always look to Him for all things, without Him we can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible!

Christ our Kinsman Redeemer

Some definitions of what Kinsman redeemer is:

And the high God their Redeemer - ואל עליון גאלם veel elyon goalam, “And the strong God the Most High, their kinsman.” That one who possessed the right of redemption; the nearest akin to him who had forfeited his inheritance; so the word originally means, and hence it is often used for a redeemer.


For their redeemer is mighty - גאלם goalam, their kinsman. The word means the person who has a right, being next in blood, to redeem a field or estate, alienated from the family, to avenge the blood of a murdered relative, by slaying the murderer; and to take to wife a brother’s widow, who had died childless, in order to preserve the family. The strength here mentioned refers to the justness of his claim, the extent of his influence, and the powerful abettors of such a cause. But in reference to the orphans here mentioned, they having no kinsman, God takes up, vindicates, and avenges their cause.

Because Jesus took on flesh and became one of us ( a human) he now has the right to be our (Kinsman) Redeemer. He is of "our blood" our kinsman, therefore he can redeem the inheritance we forfeited. I love how God set that up in law so He could then one day point to His son and say, "See there He is, your Redeemer, one of your own blood, a kinsman, to redeem you"

Everything was planned out from the very beginning, God's plan is beautiful, gracious, and wondrous.

Praise the Lord and our Savior, our Redeemer

You are all that I need

You are that I need, Sherri Youngward

Christ the Creator

In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was the life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:1-5

He came to His own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God... John 1:11-12

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son of God from the Father, full of grace and truth.John 1:14

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Heb.11:3

 A great video about one of the amazing "invisible" things Jesus created to point to himself.

For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16

(For a great article by Answers In Genesis click here)

Jesus Christ is the creator of all things. In Him all thing hold together, he is the sustainer of all life, our Redeemer and the Author and finisher of our Faith. Think about it, the Creator entered into his own creation and was hated and murdered, but He did it all to save and redeem the very thing he created. Some think and teach that God made Jesus come and sacrifice Himself. Jesus knew he would come and die for us before HE even created it, knowing what we would do.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me....

Christ- Our High Priest.

Hebrews 4: 12-16 -For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of the spirit, of the joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We know that if we are in Christ, then we CAN come to the throne, not based on ourselves but based upon Christ's atonement. He is THE high priest, was tempted in every way, like we are, yet without sin. He knows what we have gone through, he understands what it is, yet BECAUSE He never sinned, He can show us a way out, or around, or even walk with us through it and keep us from sinning. He is there for us to lean on, find comfort in, look to for strength and forever working within us (through the power of the Holy Spirit) to eventually conform us into His image.

Thank you dear Jesus for being out High Priest and stand in on our behalf before the Father.