Sometimes in meeting and talking to Christians you'd think that 2 Cor 4:7 was supposed to say "Royal Vessels"... NKJV: 2 Cor 4:7 But no!- we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. The Niv version says "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all- surpassing power is from God and not from us."
Yes we are children of the King...Yet if we really grasp that truth it should humble us. We don't have to fight to maintain a kingdom that we already have, yet some Christians don't seem to get that ....they are defensive about much. They act in such a way that the lowly sinners question wether than can ever attain to such a status....
The real truth is that we are the off- scouring of the earth...... this is WHY we qualify for citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."
God has made it clear that He won't fill a vessel that is already full. So many Christians are so full of themselves that there is no room for God.
Mt 12:43-45 indicates this very truth
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
I believe that these verses are speaking of the salvation experience (vs 43) and then (vs 44) describes our attempt to put our lives in order the way we see fit, instead of walking according to His word....and being filled with His Spirit- depending on Jesus word moment by moment to complete the work He began in us.
This leaves us wide open for the influence of the enemy ...... He can influence us GREATLY if we are attempting to put our own lives in order our way . Another version of these same verses says: " he finds it empty swept and garnished" .... Think about what a garnish is.. It really is of no value it just makes the plate "look" pretty..
And how much this world is influenced by how things look!
Way back in Genesis 3:6 it is shown what the traps are that we fall into...
Gen 3:6
"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate."
1 John 2:16 parallels these verse in Genesis. If you look closely at the reasons that Eve took of the fruit and ate.... " 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. "
It hit me as I was meditating last year on these verses in Matthew about the house.....that if we aren't filled with the Spirit WE WILL NATURALLY GARNISH..... We don't want to be caught naked (from the worlds standpoint) so we fake it! We pretend! Because we care too much about what others think of us and not enough about what God thinks.
I've done it, you've done it ...we've all done it! But we ought not to!!! We open ourselves up to the influence of demons when we do!
James 4:7 Submit yourselves unto to God , resist the devil and he will flee.
1 Cor 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
Revelation 3:17-18 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingsom of heaven.
If you think yourself wealthy, rich, and having need of nothing think again. As long as we walk this earth in this fleshly body, we need to see ourselves(apart from walking in His Spirit) as wretched, miserable, naked, poor and blind...and desperately in need of Him moment by moment.....Or we won't lean on Him to fill us with His Spirit..... We need the filling of His Spirit DAILY>>>>>If we don't have His Spirit filling us up, the world will see US.....If we have His Spirit filling us the world will see HIM ... and they may despise you because of Him, but some who are hungry may realize that there is hope for them too......because WE HAVE THIS TREASURE in earthen vessels..... or jars of clay to show that this all- surpassing power is from God and not from us.
If they think they have to muster it up, the hungry will walk away still hungry, but if they see that this all -surpassing power is from God not us then maybe they'll 'believe' they can have it too! As they lay down their own will and walk by faith......
By faith Abraham believed God and it was accounted to Him as righteousness......Let's lean on Jesus for a fresh filling every moment... and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought....
Ignorance of God's Word is another way that the enemy gains entrance back into the house he left....... Hosea 4:6, says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
So let's depend on His word alone to sanctify our hearts....
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Yes we are children of the King...Yet if we really grasp that truth it should humble us. We don't have to fight to maintain a kingdom that we already have, yet some Christians don't seem to get that ....they are defensive about much. They act in such a way that the lowly sinners question wether than can ever attain to such a status....
The real truth is that we are the off- scouring of the earth...... this is WHY we qualify for citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."
God has made it clear that He won't fill a vessel that is already full. So many Christians are so full of themselves that there is no room for God.
Mt 12:43-45 indicates this very truth
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
I believe that these verses are speaking of the salvation experience (vs 43) and then (vs 44) describes our attempt to put our lives in order the way we see fit, instead of walking according to His word....and being filled with His Spirit- depending on Jesus word moment by moment to complete the work He began in us.
This leaves us wide open for the influence of the enemy ...... He can influence us GREATLY if we are attempting to put our own lives in order our way . Another version of these same verses says: " he finds it empty swept and garnished" .... Think about what a garnish is.. It really is of no value it just makes the plate "look" pretty..
And how much this world is influenced by how things look!
Way back in Genesis 3:6 it is shown what the traps are that we fall into...
Gen 3:6
"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate."
1 John 2:16 parallels these verse in Genesis. If you look closely at the reasons that Eve took of the fruit and ate.... " 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. "
It hit me as I was meditating last year on these verses in Matthew about the house.....that if we aren't filled with the Spirit WE WILL NATURALLY GARNISH..... We don't want to be caught naked (from the worlds standpoint) so we fake it! We pretend! Because we care too much about what others think of us and not enough about what God thinks.
I've done it, you've done it ...we've all done it! But we ought not to!!! We open ourselves up to the influence of demons when we do!
James 4:7 Submit yourselves unto to God , resist the devil and he will flee.
1 Cor 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
Revelation 3:17-18 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingsom of heaven.
If you think yourself wealthy, rich, and having need of nothing think again. As long as we walk this earth in this fleshly body, we need to see ourselves(apart from walking in His Spirit) as wretched, miserable, naked, poor and blind...and desperately in need of Him moment by moment.....Or we won't lean on Him to fill us with His Spirit..... We need the filling of His Spirit DAILY>>>>>If we don't have His Spirit filling us up, the world will see US.....If we have His Spirit filling us the world will see HIM ... and they may despise you because of Him, but some who are hungry may realize that there is hope for them too......because WE HAVE THIS TREASURE in earthen vessels..... or jars of clay to show that this all- surpassing power is from God and not from us.
If they think they have to muster it up, the hungry will walk away still hungry, but if they see that this all -surpassing power is from God not us then maybe they'll 'believe' they can have it too! As they lay down their own will and walk by faith......
By faith Abraham believed God and it was accounted to Him as righteousness......Let's lean on Jesus for a fresh filling every moment... and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought....
Ignorance of God's Word is another way that the enemy gains entrance back into the house he left....... Hosea 4:6, says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
So let's depend on His word alone to sanctify our hearts....
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
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