52 Verses for Current and Former Local Churchers

[UntoHim]

#1
Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Let this mind be in me
which was also in you
though equal with God laid aside
All glory and honor
was emptied and humbled
then you went to the cross and you died

How amazing that the apostle Paul would have the gumption and gall to presume to know about "this mind..which was also in Christ Jesus." At least he gave us some insight to his understanding in the following verses.."Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross".(Phil 2:6-8)

As believers and followers of Christ, we have been bestowed with the incredible privilege of being "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4). Yet with this privilege also comes some "responsibilities" (MY term, not that of the Word of God). Our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, though "equal with God" "humbled himself, and became obedient". If the Son of the living God made himself "of no reputation" how much more should we, his followers, not care about our reputation or standing before any man or institution of this world? Are we ready and willing to be humbled as he was? Some of the saints of the past have even become obedient unto death. God, in his mercy, is not calling us to this extreme, yet should he not at least expect us to become obedient to be humbled?

What is "humbled" to you?

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

What is "humbled" to you?

Exercise of your will to embrace correction without being offended.

Too many times elders, co-workers, etc seem to have the notion they're above correction (i.e. "cover the brothers"). For example read about Samuel Liu in Steve Isitt's Hear the Cases.

[UntoHim]

#2
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Let this heart be in me
which was also in you
A heart that is pure and that sees
That which is true
which is just which is holy
still for the lost and lonely grieves

Who among us doesn't want to see God? What we don't want is for him to see our heart first. But the Lord Jesus was very much aware that the stark truth had long since been revealed by the prophet Jeremiah: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer 17:9). So why would our Lord heap upon his followers such an unreachable standard? I think the answer may lie in his rebuke to the Pharisees and scribes "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance". (Luke 5:31,32)

Repentance. This is what stands in the way from us seeing God. Repentance. Since the beginning, since that fateful act of disobedience to God and his Word in the Garden, we have all lost our ability to see God. Yes, repentance is surely a matter of the mind and the will, yet it is foremost and utmost a matter of the heart. When it comes to seeing God, the "seeing organ" is not our mind or our will (or our spirit?!) it is our heart. (cf: "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened" Eph 1:18)

"still for the lost and lonely grieves". After we see God, what's the next best thing? For others to see God as well. First things first - We are in desperate need of a physician to heal our sick heart and mind.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

#2
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Who among us doesn't want to see God?

This is one of my favorite verses. Right up there with "Blessed are they that weep, they shall laugh," in Luke's version.

But what is it to see God?

Jesus seems to reverse some things in the Old Testament.

Exo 33:20 says: "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live."

Moses got to see God's backside, and hand, but not His face.

What part of God is Jesus talking about? Jesus didn't say, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see "Me." Surely he meant something else.

Maybe he meant in heaven. Or something else.

The heavens declare the glory of God. While God's glory passed He covered Moses with his hand. Yet we can see God's glory in the heavens. Maybe Jesus meant that if we have a pure heart we can see that glory, or the glory of God that's all around us right now.

I don't know but I do see God's glory in everything.

Does anyone else see this?

[UntoHim]

# 3
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen." Matthew 21:21

Let this faith be in me
which was also in you
not just to move mountains but souls
A faith which believes your promise
knows you alone have power
to make this broken man whole

Ah, faith! "Oh ye of little faith." "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!" "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!" And now..."if you have faith you will say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen!" Was Jesus simply given to excessive hyperbole (cf: If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away) or was he making a larger point about something deeper within our heart and mind? Back to "original sin" - "has God said?" Eve's faith was tested, and the tragic results are recorded for us. That very same creature who deceived Eve has been doing the very same thing to God's children since the beginning. Satan doesn't have to ask any questions of unbelievers...he's got them in the bag already. He is after us, and anyone who is seeking after the true and living God. What is his first and foremost attacking point? Faith, and not just any faith, but the saving and sanctifying faith in God, the Savior Jesus Christ and his Word.

And when we lose faith in God and his Word, we are not likely to pass on the Good News, now are we? When we lose faith we lose heart...a heart for the things of God and for our neighbor - our fellow man. When I was considering this matter of faith I remembered that the apostle Paul was probably on the same track when he told the Corinthians: "and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." (1Cor 13:2) At first glance, it almost seems like Paul is dissing, or at least discounting, Jesus' word in Matthew 21. (one of the few times Paul quoted directly from the one of the Gospels). But as was his way, Paul was going further, deeper and more heart-probing for the early believers. Jesus went further, deeper and more heart-probing than the Law and the Prophets (cf:"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."), and it seems Paul picked up the baton from Jesus and was encouraging the infant Church to go further, deeper still.

Would we rather be on CNN showing us move a mountain, or would we rather be in a small work cubical assisting someone come to saving faith? One gets us glory today, the other gets glory for God and his kingdom for eternity. Oh Lord, give us faith! By your mercy may we go further and deeper.

[UntoHim]

#4
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9

Let this grace be in me
which was also in you
though rich for my sake became poor
Not deserving of pardon
I still come before you
and to the throne of grace evermore

Surely the grandest act of love was the Father giving up his only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins, and surely the grandest act of grace was the Son, in humble obedience and with courageous abandon, completed this monumental act of the grace of God on the cross. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was rich beyond our widest imaginations - his heavenly wealth was incomprehensible to those of us who belong to the earthbound creation. He only gave us a glimpse of it here and there during his ministry. One shinning example that sticks out to me: "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." (John 17:5)

Now that we might have a small idea of some of what he gave up (leaving the glorious presence of the Father), what was this "poverty",
or this state of poverty as it were, that he submitted himself to, that he voluntarily placed himself in, that would allow his followers to become "rich"? Well, as it turns out, there is a kind of divine reversal of fortune that takes place among those who would follow Christ's example, and you're just going to have to read the whole chapter of 2 Corinthians 8 for all the details. But suffice to say, what we count as riches are meant to leave our hands for the sake of others in need, and this act of grace is repayed to us many fold over - grace upon grace.

[UntoHim]

#5
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of John 1:17

Let this Truth be in me
which was also in you
now in the Spirit of Truth you send
May this Truth abide within me
and by you mercy
until my last breath shall defend

We just saw how grace came through Jesus Christ, but something else came as well: Truth. It seems that in the New Covenant grace is many times followed by truth. Maybe it follows the same divine pattern as life and light. Let's face it, light, no matter how bright, is worthless to a lifeless person. He gains absolutely nothing from the light until he first has life. Yet every living thing needs light to continue on living. Such, it seems, is the symbiotic relationship between grace and truth. Grace brings us life, truth brings us light. And the most important thing is to realize that both have "come through Jesus Christ" - He brought us his infinite and amazing grace through his sacrificial death, and brought us truth through the Spirit of Truth and the Word of Truth, the living and abiding Word of God.

We know from many of the teachings of Jesus and the Scripture writing apostles that the Gospel was not a replacement for the Law...if anything it was a fulfillment of it. (cf: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" - Matt 5:17) And now, in the New Covenant, which has opened up for us "a new and living way", (Heb 10:20) we can miraculously fulfill the righteous demands of God's laws by "becoming the righteousness of God". (2 Cor 5:21) "..until my last breath shall defend"...It should go without saying, God really doesn't need us to come to his defense in any way, but by his mercy, as we learn and embrace the great truths found in his Word, we will find that our very lives themselves become a confirmation and defense Gospel.

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

#5
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of John 1:17

Let this Truth be in me
which was also in you
now in the Spirit of Truth you send
May this Truth abide within me
and by you mercy
until my last breath shall defend

Jesus said He is the Way, the TRUTH and the Life right? So this "TRUTH" that is in me, is JESUS Himself. And the Spirit of TRUTH, is also Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus = The Spirit of Truth. And He abides in me as I abide in Him.

This is how I began to really get to KNOW God. Jesus is the WORD of GOD Who became flesh and dwelt among us. Before God named His Son, Jesus, His Name was and still is and always will be the WORD of God. Jesus = the Word of God Who was with GOD (the Father) in the beginning and WAS God..and still is God.

I am not trying to 'teach' here. I am simply explaining what the Holy Spirit of TRUTH revealed to me and gave me understanding, thus bringing me closer to the Father, to His Spirit, to His Word, to our Creator, our Savior, our King and our Lord.

Blessings to all,
Carol

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

# 3
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen." Matthew 21:21

Let this faith be in me
which was also in you
not just to move mountains but souls
A faith which believes your promise
knows you alone have power
to make this broken man whole

Ah, faith! "Oh ye of little faith." "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!" "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!" And now..."if you have faith you will say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen!" Was Jesus simply given to excessive hyperbole (cf: If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away) or was he making a larger point about something deeper within our heart and mind? Back to "original sin" - "has God said?" Eve's faith was tested, and the tragic results are recorded for us. That very same creature who deceived Eve has been doing the very same thing to God's children since the beginning. Satan doesn't have to ask any questions of unbelievers...he's got them in the bag already. He is after us, and anyone who is seeking after the true and living God. What is his first and foremost attacking point? Faith, and not just any faith, but the saving and sanctifying faith in God, the Savior Jesus Christ and his Word.

And when we lose faith in God and his Word, we are not likely to pass on the Good News, now are we?

yeah... I suffered a very unfortunate experience a while back. I got ensnared and fell into a trap. I was vulnerable and allowed myself to be tricked. I felt really awful. In telling a friend of mine what happened, she strongly encouraged me not to lose my faith in God. She really uplifted me and helped restore my Faith and my Hope in Him.

When we lose faith we lose heart...a heart for the things of God and for our neighbor - our fellow man. When I was considering this matter of faith I remembered that the apostle Paul was probably on the same track when he told the Corinthians: "and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." (1Cor 13:2) At first glance, it almost seems like Paul is dissing, or at least discounting, Jesus' word in Matthew 21. (one of the few times Paul quoted directly from the one of the Gospels). But as was his way, Paul was going further, deeper and more heart-probing for the early believers. Jesus went further, deeper and more heart-probing than the Law and the Prophets (cf:"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."), and it seems Paul picked up the baton from Jesus and was encouraging the infant Church to go further, deeper still.

Would we rather be on CNN showing us move a mountain, or would we rather be in a small work cubical assisting someone come to saving faith? One gets us glory today, the other gets glory for God and his kingdom for eternity. Oh Lord, give us faith! By your mercy may we go further and deeper.

Good stuff UntoHim... I do wish I could move some of them mountains that stand in my way! I have Faith...and I have Love...(i think) but those mountains sure don't want to move!

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

#1
Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Let this mind be in me
which was also in you
though equal with God laid aside
All glory and honor
was emptied and humbled
then you went to the cross and you died

How amazing that the apostle Paul would have the gumption and gall to presume to know about "this mind..which was also in Christ Jesus." At least he gave us some insight to his understanding in the following verses.."Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross".(Phil 2:6-8)

As believers and followers of Christ, we have been bestowed with the incredible privilege of being "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4). Yet with this privilege also comes some "responsibilities" (MY term, not that of the Word of God). Our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, though "equal with God" "humbled himself, and became obedient". If the Son of the living God made himself "of no reputation" how much more should we, his followers, not care about our reputation or standing before any man or institution of this world? Are we ready and willing to be humbled as he was? Some of the saints of the past have even become obedient unto death. God, in his mercy, is not calling us to this extreme, yet should he not at least expect us to become obedient to be humbled?

What is "humbled" to you?

Oh, I have humbled myself many a time before the Throne of Grace, more times than I'd like to admit.

But I do recall one time, while walking through a wooded path, I came across a couple of Mormon missionaries. I was quite the smug and arrogant Christian' girl, giving them an earful. As I walked away, God's Spirit convicted me of my rudeness. I repented. A couple of days later, I ran into them again, and I HUMBLED myself apologizing to them for the way I spoke to them. I think I surprised them. Of course I did not embrace their teachings whatsoever. But if they were to ever get truly saved, I think the Lord wanted me to show them Christ's Love through my spirit and soul.

Interestingly enough, my brother's former boss (a Mormon) loved my brother who throughout his life declared himself to his family, an atheist. His boss did not know this. And While visiting him at the hospital, he held his hand while he was in a semi coma. He prayed over him and us. He brought us food, took my sister in law to the airport and gave her a monetary gift as she was being dropped off.

God bless him and his wife for blessing us. That was a humbling experience for us all.