Contentment or Contempt

I am convinced that discontentment is the root of all sin.  Let me give you a few examples:

Eve was not content with the pleasures of the garden, with the food she was given and the knowledge and communion of the Lord.  She was enticed by the devil to be like God, to have knowledge of good and evil and to feed her flesh.  Men are drawn away from their wives because they are discontent with the spouse that God gave them. Giving into the temptations of lust and adultery. Wives are not content to be keepers of the home. They seek fulfillment in careers and not in the raising of children (which is one of the highest callings in life).  We turn to religion using works in an attempt to find favor with God and gain our own salvation rather than be content with Jesus' finished work on the cross. I could go on but I think you get the point. All these things show a contempt for God, for His word and His desires for you.

When we are discontent we look outside of God's will for our lives to fulfill God given desires and these things lead to sin see James 1:21.

Our contentment comes down to faith.  Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not be in want.  Trust that the Lord knows what you have need of even before you ask and be thankful for what He has already given you.  Romans 1:21 explains that one of the great sins of man is un-thankfulness. 

 Paul exhorts us:

1 Timothy 6:6

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

and the writer of Hebrews states:

Hebrews 13:5

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

 God bless the Lord is on your side. 

The Cross

Job 13:15  Though He slay me, yet will I praise Him...


I write this with hesitation.  While it is my desire to embrace the cross I have no confidence in the flesh that I am by any means ready to.

My very flesh trembles in the shadow of the cross.  For it is here that my flesh meets its doom.  There is no other way for a saint to draw closer to his loving savior than to take up his cross daily and follow Him. There is no short cut.  Paul says it is no longer I but Christ who lives with in me.  That is the true key to Christian living. The I in us will not be conformed to the image of the Son unless the I dies.  We must surrender ourselves unto God and allow Him to place us on the cross. ( no man crucifies himself). Though He slay you trust Him, for in our death He will bring forth life. 

In death we can bare much fruit.   

John 12:24

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

 

Called of God

Genesis 6:8 Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (NKJV)

Noah was not some great boat builder.  He may have never seen a boat in his life certainly nothing the size he was called to build.  In all likelihood  he did not have some overwhelming love for animals.  What he did have was the grace of God.  The bible tells us he was a just man; which means, he believed God and because he believed God he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. His belief that God would do what He said he would do inspired him and motivated him to build a boat having never seen rain in his life.  His faith was all he needed to fulfill the call God gave him. His faith brought salvation to him, his family and all humanity.



Has God called you to something that seems to great for you?  Trust Him and He will give you the grace to live and fulfill all that He has called you to do.  The grace you receive in this life is sufficient for your life and will not only affect you it will affect your family and possibly the world.

Psalm 23

Do Not Worry 

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not be in want. 

Christ has promised  to provide for all my needs.  I am not to spend my time seeking that which Christ has already promised to provide. 

Peace

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, 

When I trust in the Lord my soul rest it does not hunger and it does not thirst. 

Refreshing 

He restores my soul

Daily battles can be weary, Christ is always there to refresh us and  renew our strength.

Guidance 

He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name sake. Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

When temptations and troubles arise and sickness and strife raise their ugly heads; The Lord will, lead, guide and comfort into the valley, through the valley and out of the valley. 

Fearlessness 

You prepare a table for me in the presences of my enemies. 

The Lord is for you who can be against you.  No principality, no death, no life, no things on earth or things in heaven can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. 

Healing

You anoint my head with oil; my cup over flows

Wounds are healed and blessings abound 

Assurance 

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

He is our good Shepherd, His sheep hear His voice.  Listen and follow the Lord and all the promises in Christ are yes and amen. 

True Worship

^{Genesis 22:3
3} So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴ Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. ⁵ And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

There is no greater form of worship than faith. Abraham had an assurance of God's provision.  In the testing of his faith he did not waiver or hesitate in following God's command to sacrifice Isaac. We see in his statement to his servants, "we will come back to you" that he had no doubt that he would return with his son for:

Hebrews 11:19

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁹ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

It was not the sacrifice that God desired it was the act of faithful obedience. Faith shown by our willingness to be obedient is the greatest form of worship.  Let us as followers of Jesus Christ offer ourselves without hesitation as living sacrifices.   Knowing that He is able to keep that which we commit unto Him.

2 Timothy 1:12

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹² For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.


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Prayer 101

There are a multitude of books on prayer and I have several of them on my book shelf.  I have come to realize that the best way to learn about prayer is to do it.  The more time spent in the presence of God the more He will direct you in communion with Him.

Prayer is one thing you can not mess up. Jesus instructed us not to use a multitude of  words,  James directs us to ask and to ask in faith, and Paul directs us to pray without ceasing.

Go into prayer believing that your Father in heaven desires to meet with you.
Take time to listen.  Prayer is not a monologue.  His sheep know His voice.
Finally pray day, night, at work, at home, in bed, jogging, hiking, etc. Pray without ceasing 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ pray without ceasing,

GRACE!

Hebrews 9:23-10:22

Free from the Law
How do you approach God? Often Christians have the mentality that if I pray enough or read enough of the bible or do enough good works then God will be pleased and the blessings and miracles will flow.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  We are free from the law.  Christ has wiped out the list of requirements.  No longer do we need a lamb or goat or any other sacrifice to approach the throne of grace.  No longer do we need the intercession of man to allow us to be in right relationship with God.  We now have a great High Priest, who through His perfect sacrifice secured our salvation and perfected us who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14).   REJOICE for we can boldly enter the Holiest of Hollies and find grace and mercy in our time of need; by the blood of Jesus. He and He alone secured our rights and freedoms in Him.

So when you pray be at peace you are accepted in Christ, through Christ and for Christ.

God bless.

Hebrews 4:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Brokenness

Exodus 17: and Judges 7:19
Someone once said that when God wants to do something great he takes a great man and crushes him.  There is no greater sacrifice of the human soul to God than brokenness. 

Psalm 51:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

When we are broken before God, that is when we can truly be used. The rock that was struck by Moses could not yield the Living Water until it was broken.  Gideon's  torches could not show their light until the pitchers were broken. Saints can not be fountains of Living Water until they are broken.  Saints can show the light of Christ until they are broken. 

Brokenness is the place of absolute surrender.  It is were we say here I am Lord I can't but you can. Ask the Lord to break you and make you usable. 

Prayer: 

I know Lord that you desire brokenness, break me so that your Living Water may flow from my life.  Break me so that your light may be seen in me.  Use me Lord.

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A Word of Encouragement
 Welcome to the Barnabas Scrolls.  This blog is committed to encouraging the followers of Jesus Christ and stirring  them to love and good works.  May the Lord Bless you.  Make sure you subscribe to get the weekly updates and visit us on Facebook Barnabas Pages.