Be Thoroughly Equipped For Every Good Work

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

It's not about establishing theories we are talking about here, but the truth. It is truth that will set you free. That truth is only found in Christ. In order to find it, you must search as you would for treasure in a field you have just discovered or bought over with a heavy price to pay. You would find that gaining Christ is such an important task. Gaining truth is gaining Christ in you.

It Judges the Thoughts and Attitudes of the Heart

Hebrews 4:12-13

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

What many of us do not know is that, God is alive. We can't see Him but it doesn'tmean He isn't here. He is here, where we are. Most of the time we behave as though He isn't here but that does not make Him absent here and present somewhere else. The words that come out of His mouth are not words of death but words of life. Those words give life, eternal life!

Eternal life in Christ comes into our spirit, soul and body. God's word is powerful. It judges all the motives of our hearts. It stops us from acting out of the sinful nature of the Devil in us, if we haven't put it to death.We can only put to death the sinful nature of the Devil in us with the powerful two-edged sword which is also the sword of the Spirit. God's word is powerful and it has the power to destroy the acts of the sinful nature of the Devil in us forever before eternal life could fill our total beings. God's word is the sword of the Spirit because the Lord Jesus Christ warned us that He must return to the Father in Heaven so that God the Holy the Holy Spirit will come to this earth and do the work of convicting us of our sins and the punishment involved with obeying the sinful nature of the Devil in you.

John 16:7-11

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

You Thought I Was Exactly Like You

Psalm 50:16-22

But to the wicked person, God says:“What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You sit and testify against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you

Most of us take God's silence for granted and think that God approves us of our evil behaviour. He does not. When the right time comes He will rebuke you and may even discipline you if you are his child who would obey Him after some chastisement, if need be. The others who do not care to obey Him even after many rebukes may face His ultimate wrath with no chance of return.

Hebrews 12:5-13

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,   because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."  Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees."Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

A situation where the people who carry the word of God in their hands openly do not live obeying it as God's word to them, whereas there are those who denounce it openly but are obeying Christ our Lord and everything He had commanded. Who do you say is wicked, between the two? Here is a parable of the Lord Jesus that brings to pass the words of the Greatest Prophet of God.

Matthew 21:28-32

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went."Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go."Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Saul Bullies David

1 Samuel 18:8-11

 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom? ” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

God had rejected Saul as king of Israel and he knew it deep down inside of him. He started venting out his anger on his God-appointed successor, David. Samuel the prophet of God was told to anoint David to be king and so Saul wasn't happy that God was going to replace him. but ,before all these happened, Saul was tested. He could not handle the army of the Philistines led by Goliath, which David with his trust in the Name of the LORD could easily dispose them off. Saul was beginning to feel jealous of the praises David was receiving from the people of Israel. He started bullying David while he was still the king. What he did not know was that God was behind David. If Saul bullies David whom God has appointed to replace his leadership, he is actually brave enough to bully God. What do you think happened to Saul after that? Why not read the whole chapter by yourself!

Guess What Goliath Boasted to David?

1 Samuel 17:41-45

 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals! ”David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Goliath was 'hungry' for the flesh of young David . Guess what happened? Goliath challenged David that he had total power over David's flesh but the young and visibly insignificant David counter challenged Goliath that he had been given total power over Goliath's spirit. Who do you think won the challenge? Read the whole chapter yourself. All it took the insignificant David to take the spirit away from the boastive Goliath and send him and his minions to where they belong is simply trusting in the name of the LORD. The NAME  that is above every other name on earth, in heaven and even underneath the Earth. David warned the evil and threatening Goliath who came in the strength of the  Philistines that, if you come to me like an animal, as an animal I will tear you to pieces but this time in that ever powerful NAME of the LORD of heaven and Earth. Goliath and his evil army is likened to the Devil and the demons on  Earth that stubbornly cause harm and destruction to all. The Devil and it's demons are stubborn beings.Just a matter of time and they will be disposed off to where they belong.

David had his eyes fixed on the power of the Name of the LORD he trusted in and not on the destructive power of the enemy. Goliath had his eyes  fixed on the strength of his army and what damage it could do with it's sword, spear and javelin on others. We know the story, who gave whose flesh to the birds and wild animals in the end. Never boast in the strength of the sinful nature of the Devil in you, never!

Psalm 102:15

The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

The Iron Scepter and The Morning Star

Revelation 2:26-28

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star.

Sins that proceed out of the sinful nature of the Devil in you has no power. It may have the power to deceive but it will be defeated in the end. True authority comes from the one and only, Bright and Morning Star whom God has appointed. The one and only Bright and Morning Star is Jesus Christ our Lord. In Him is placed all the heavenly Father's authority over all things in heaven, Earth and even, all things underneath the Earth. The Bright and Morning Star of God will give all those who overcome the sinful nature of the Devil in them, His authority. The Morning star He gives will be the authority He has received from the heavenly Father. This authority is for the nations.

In Revelation chapter 2, the Lord Jesus Christ is seen as someone in authority, different from what we see in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He showed the authority given to Him by the heavenly Father in the four gospels but this appearance of authority in Revelation chapter 2 is different. He appears as one who is a just God. He knows every detail that happens on Earth. Righteous authority cannot come from the sinful nature of the Devil. Righteous authority can only come from The Righteous One. God 's Righteous One is Jesus Christ our Lord, His only begotten Son. He will rule all men and women through His righteousness.

Revelation 2:18-19

"These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.  I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first".

 

Cross references:

1. Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 25:17; 46:1
2. Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 12:17
3. Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 18:7-10; 24:6; 31:4, 28

The Refining Goes On in Vain

Jeremiah 6:27-30

“I have made you a tester of metals and my people the ore that you may observe and test their ways.
They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.
The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out.They are called rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them.”

When no one has not learnt anything, not because they can't but because they dont want to, history will keep repeating itself. This is what you call rebellion towards the LORD. This is going to be a very sad situation, just as in the times of Jeremiah the prophet. For those who are faihtful in Christ, get yourself ready for what's going to happen next. It is going to come from the LORD. For those who love and obey Christ, nothing is going to be impossible for you. You will cross into your Canaan Land (full Christformation in you). The rest will be defeated by their own unbelief. How long more are you going to claim ignorance to the ways of the LORD?