Neglected Caroline
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theunfetteredpreacher.com
I have wrtten about Epaphras before, but I believe we can learn alot by his example.
He is only mentioned 4 times, in the Word, 3 of which are in Colossians. We find Paul singing his praise, so he must have had something on the ball.
Psalm: 149. 4.
“For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”
“The Lord taketh pleasure in His people:”
We don’t often think about the Lords pleasure, but being made in His image, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine.
Do we not take pleasure in our children? Do they have to do something note worthy for us to delight in them?
Not at all, seeing them joyful, carefree, excited gives us joy, knowing they are safe, healthy, happy.
It is no different for God and His children. Us.
Psalm 35:27
“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”
Psalm 103:21
King James Version (KJV)
“Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”
Psalm 147:11
“The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”
The Lord loves us and wants us to prosper, not just financialy, Spiritualy, phycicaly, emotionaly…..in all areas of our lives.
It pleased Him to send His Son. That we might be His.
Isaiah 53:10
“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”
His pleasure is us…He would have us all be His.
Ezekiel 18:23
“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”
Ezekiel 18:32
“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
God takes pleasure in us. Are we full of His peace and joy? Are we walking toward or with Him?
Are we holding His hand, walking in the way we should go? Give God pleasure, love Him, Praise Him, spend time with Him.
“as many as touched him were made whole.”
This is the last line of Mark 6. We know of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5, who pushed through the crowd to touch the hem of the garment of Jesus.
Virtue went out of Him, she was healed. Here in Mark 6, we find a whole town that knew to touch the hem of His garment.
As many as touched Him “were made whole.”
(We strut around, missing Gods best).
“And the people served the Lord “
I would love that to be what I was remembered for. “Bill served the Lord.” Wow, if only that were accurate. This would be closer to the truth:
“Bill desired to serve the Lord and sometimes did.”
Judges 2:7
King James Version (KJV)
“And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.”
I have longed to see the great works of the Lord, since before I found Him.
As a matter of fact, My prayer was that I wanted to know and serve a Lord of Power. Not just of Words, (hot air, empty prayers).
I am convinced that He brought me to Christian Retreat in Florida, so I would see just that. I lived, worked and attended The Institute of Ministry and the Pastoral Training School.
I worked there about 3 years. Left there licenced and ordained to preach, teach,. . . ready to marry and bury. Did ok as an Evangelist, failed as a Pastor.
Ran away from it, (with my tail between my legs). I still loved the Lord, but had lost my hope and nerve.
I didn’t understand how to work with His people. To me they were Satans spawn. They couldn’t be trusted, relied on, or confided in.
That was wrong, the problem was within me, not them. It took about 20 years in the desert for me to come around, and realize the truth.
Is it possible to understand why they served the Lord and then stopped?
“all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua”
Why stop then? What happened? Are we experiencing the same problem today? Few do the necessary work to know and be used of the Lord.
“who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.”
The people who had experienced the Lord.
Isaiah 41:20
“That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.”
This is what we are missing today, in our churches. Very few have seen anything but a few healed souls, and we call that miracles. When Jesus was in His home town all He could do was heal a few sick people. Why?
Because of their unbelief. They thought He was doing mighty things. He couldn’t. Same thing today, no earth shattering miracles, in the early church people were healed by the Apostles shadows. Raised from the dead.
Today our preaching puts more to sleep, then sets their faith on fire. We have lost the Power of God. Sorry folks we need todays Peter, Paul and James and John to rise out of our dead churches, and show us the way to the Holy of Holies, so we can find Grace and Mercy in our time of need.
Lord, help us to be usefull vessels of Your power and love.
Thank You.
Psalm 37:4
Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
The desires of thine heart. . . . Sometimes our hearts desire is not a wonderful thing. It could be something that brings us grief, sorrow, troubles and pain.
We love to think of getting the desires of our hearts, but we neclect to delight ourselves in the Lord; and that my friend is our down fall.
Has our desire grown into lust? Do we want something so badly that God will give us this desire, even if it is hurtfull? I have always concidered lust to be a sexual thing.
Mt 5:28
“Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
We lust after many things, not just sex.
Sexual Sin: Do I have your attention?
Sex sells but you can get arrested for selling Sex.
Jesus said:
” I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
? Isn’t she beautiful?
2 Peter 2:14
King James Version (KJV)
“Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”
Eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin. This is pretty serious stuff. Those who: Walk after the lust of the flesh, of uncleaness, selfwilled. . . Who are not afraid to speak evil. They have exercised their hearts with covetous practises. . .
Wow…..Lord, we have a problem. I am so glad that this next verses are truth:
2 Peter 2:9
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”
Galatians 5:18-21
King James Version (KJV)
“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Revelation 2:21-23
King James Version (KJV)
“And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”
Lord, Help us to repent. Help us to walk in Your Light. May Your light shine through us. May people run to YOUR LIGHT.
As a Christian I have heard all the reasons for not reading the Old Testament.
It’s not relevant, now that we have Jesus.
It’s too confusing, why are their names so hard, and the towns?