The Sovereignty of God’s Purpose and Appointed Timing Thwarts Good Intentions only to remind us of the Aseity of God’s Divine nature I Chronicles 17:1-3

The Sovereignty of God’s Purpose and Appointed Timing Thwarts Good Intentions only to remind us of the Aseity of God’s Divine nature: I Chronicles 17: 1-3
1 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.” 2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.” 3 That night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

The finite Nature of David felt compelled with good intentions to please God and house the Ark of the Covenant under the Cedar House he would build instead of under a Tent.
But was David’s good intentions an attempt to appease his conscience for living in a cedar house, while the ark was under a tent?

He felt compelled to build to equal the inequality of unfairness: the articles of the covenant are under a tent, while he lived in a palace of cedar, David had in mind a good intention to appease his guilt and wanting to do a good deed to build a house for God to appease his conscience and please God in his own efforts, merits and resources. His finite nature tried to please God with his good plans. But in doing so, He ended up having a distorted view and misunderstanding on the attribute of God’s Divine Nature expressed in the Aseity of God’s Nature.

In Chapter 2 of God and of the Holy Trinity, in the Westminster Confession of Faith, article 2 says of God:

II. God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them: He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleaseth. In His sight all things are open and manifest; His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain. He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands. To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service or obedience He is pleased to require of them.
John v. 26; Acts vii. 2; Ps. cxix. 68; 1 Tim. vi. 15; Rom. ix. 5; Acts xvii. 24, 25; Job xxii. 2, 3; Rom. xi. 36; Rev. iv. 11; 1 Tim. vi. 15; Dan. iv. 25, 35; Heb. iv. 13; Rom. xi. 33, 34; Ps. cxlvii. 5; Acts xv. 18; Ezek. xi. 5; Ps. cxlv. 17; Rom. vii. 12; Rev. v. 12, 13, 14.

God is and always was and ever more shall be, He does not rxist, this would imply He Had a beginning outside of Himsrlf, and God does not exist or has a beginning, He ia infinite and eternal and always was, is and evermore shall be, He has no beginning or an end and has no need of anything, the Creator (the I AM) needs no such support system. The word aseity, meaning that he has life in himself and draws his unending energy from Himself, “of all the judges and Leaders who God chose to lead His people to which of them did He ever Say, build for me a house of Cedar to dwell in? “Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders[a] whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar” God is eternal and self-Sufficient and Is, the Great I Am, infinite and Eternal  and draws all His energy within Himself—unlike finite man, we are not self-existent, we do not draw energy within ourselves; we need to seek it outside of ourselves, food, clothing and shelter and even David had built a palace of Cedar for himself to dwell in.

We are dependant upon God for our Existence, survival, sufficiency and sustaining Grace. When we approach God in our finite nature and interpret God according to our finite nature and understanding we Distort the Greatness of God in our lives and reduce His greatness to our understanding.

Let not this one fact escape your notice, when you do, God will correct you by His Greatness and Divine Nature and Attributes—We need to depend upon God for Him to be merciful to us and provide His Sustaining Grace and Divine Favor to deliver us from our finite self and Trust in His Grace and will for His Divine favor upon us in His good pleasure to choose us to be His Servant, and for us to do His will, not that God is to do our will; We are His servant, He does not wait around for us to do our will. God was not David’s servant to do David’s will, but David was God’s Servant to do God’s will.

Even though God appointed David as king to shepherd his people Israel; David in his psalm 23, while being King, declared that the Lord was His shepherd He shall not want. David learned that he was God’s sheep, and that God was His great Shepherd, and in discovering the aseity of God, David, learned to also, declare that he shall not want for he found in God the attribute of God’s aseity; that in seeing God as being the Great I Am and not needing anything from man or this world or its resources; David discovered the aseity of God always being; God having His energy within Himself, and drawing unending energy within Himself; David could declare that the Lord is His Shepherd and he trusted in God who was, Is always shall be, and having His energy within Himself drawing unending energy within His own being; always having such an unending resource of life within the being of the triune God—Indeed, God who never sleeps, who never grows tired or weary, Who is the source of all life, resources and prosperity, Such a Great God could only cause David to cry out with great elation, “ The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want!” Psalm 23

King David had good intentions, after He was settled in his palace of Cedar, he saw the Ark of the Covenant still under a Tent! He sought out Nathan the prophet in expression of his pressing concern, and Nathan advised him according to his insight without details of God’s revealed will, and said, Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you “

The will of man is met with good intentions apart from God’s plan and purposes; and with such good intentions, we seek to pursue our will and plans over God’s Will.After the expression of man’s will, God does speak His word, to thwart the will of man with good intentions that His Kingdom come, His will be done over the will of man. And good intentions will never build a stairway to Heaven, for the pathway to Hell is paved with good intentions and Hell is full of people who lived with Good intentions in mind.

The work of building God’s Church is the Work of God Himself, in the Person of His Son, we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we should walk in them in what God prepared in advance for us to walk in, His purposes ordained for me, indeed tried and true:
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The field needs harvesting, it is God’s field and it is God’s purpose and plans that will be revealed in His timing. We may not like the turn of events in the present and would seek to have good intentions to try and change the turn of events, but in the End, it is God’s will that prevails and thwart man's good intentions!

The Excitment is Just Beginning, why make it end? I John 1:8-9

I John 1:8-9  "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
1 John 2:1-2

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for[a] the sins of the whole world.

Colossians 1:21-24

"21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant."

In full repentance and conviction and reliance on Christ's Blood for cleansing and forgiveness; results in a holy blameless life. Your positional righteousness  and standing before God is declared righteous in Christ's rigteousness springing up as a fountain in your practicle life of walking in Christ's Righteousness. Thus, the dynamics of Christ's life in you is exciting! Why yeild to the old self and make the joy and dynamics of following Christ end, by yielding yourself to sin, the flesh and the Devil? But continue in your faith Established, firm not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel! Continue in the Excitment of following Christ to press on to grow and Know Christ deeper and deeper, to a point where nothing in this life matters! notthing in this life matters except to Know Christ in my living! And such knowledge is indeed Dynamic and exciting.
Philippians 3:7-11

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
It is exciting to be at this point in my life where the lusts of this dark corrupt world is not my chief end anymore, but my goal in life is to know Christ in my life to the point that to spend time in this temporal world, chasing after man's fantacies in going to the movies, or watching tv for hours on end, such practices bring up to the forefront of my spritula warefare and the futility of exisiting in temporal living and tempral words of man, philosophies, causes, and temmpral emotions and things that do not matter, but fades away like the dew on the grass in the morning that fades in afternoon, or like a mist that appears and is gone in a flash.
The only thing that matters is to know that this too, will pass, but Christ will indeed last in my life through out the next generation even to the end of the Age until the last person is born and chosen to believe on Christ for Salvation!

God's Timing is Perfect, to those who He calls to Service! Genesis 17:1-2

Genesis 17:1-2

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty^[a]; walk before me and be blameless. ² I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

God's timing is perfect, regardless of our age! Look at Abraham's life; Abraham was 95 when Isaac was born. God's timing is perfect according to His will and time table. When God calls you out of the congregation to be an ordained minister or elected Elder of the Church, it is according to His time table. Remember, At one point and time, those who are ordained and called, were at one time not called and a member of the church, but not called yet, and not revealed. God's time is perfect and reveals His will in His time, and at the right time will choose to Reveal His chosen leaders, Elders, and ordained ministers from one generation to the next. May God grant those whom He calls to hear His calling and respond in faith and acton to His call.

The Deception of a Self-Made Man Romans 1:18-32

The Deception of a Self Made Man

Roman 1:18-25
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

The Deception of a Self Made Man
Bobbie Carlyle's vision of Self Made Man is a man carving himself out of stone, carving his character, carving his future. The underlining philosophy behind the Self Made Man, is "... left to his own devices, man will use his god-given talents to be creative, productive, and prosperous. Using free will, he will better his own situation and that of those around him, thereby influencing in a positive way his own destiny..."

“Self Made Man” as its symbol of self-reliance and the freedom philosophy. The powerful image of the rugged “Self Made Man,” chiseling himself out of a solid block of rock captures the essence of the freedom philosophy – that left to his own devices, man will use his God-given talents to be creative, productive, and prosperous. Using free will, he will better his own situation and that of those around him, thereby influencing in a positive way his own destiny.

The Deception of the Self Made Man Sculpture is seriously flawed to the exclusion of God as the creator of man, the self- made man sculpture depicts the man carving himself out of stone; man was not carved out of stone to the exclusion of God creating man; Just like the big bang theory that the universe did not just explode by chance into existence, and thus, man evolved from one species--This is the lie the Devil would have the ignorant and the simple minds believe. Scripture teaches that man was created by God in God's image: Genesis 2: 7-8 "The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed." The deception is such that natural man will rage against God's order of creation, in great enmity claiming autonomy from their Creator, independence, as if they made themselves. Refusal to give glory to God, and instead exchanged the glory of God for a lie, of a self made man and a self made religion: Romans 1: 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 

What is the consequence of such self made man deception is that the Self-made man will be indeed broken,  by God's Wrath! God's wrath indeed revealed! 24 "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. "

Self- Made man philosophy teaches a man-centric theology that independent of God, that left to his own devices, man will use his God-given talents to be creative, productive, and prosperous. Using free will, he will better his own situation and that of those around him, thereby influencing in a positive way his own destiny.  Herein lies the deception: How can the Self-made man philosophy claim to have God given talents? The issue is that such a man-centric philosophy really claims to carve self out of a rock, teaching that man is creator of himself, and gave himself self given talents. The bottom line; man left to his own devices will use his will to rebel against God and became in bondage to sin and death. And the expression of his will is no longer  free, but the expression of his will became in bondage to sin and death. Resulting in a will that is not free, nor can it better his own situation and that of those around him, and though there be a temporary positive way, he is still paving his own destiny toward hell, just as in his life, he did not see fit to acknowledge God; so in his destiny will be eternally paving his way and lie down in eternal torment. Though he paves his way to be creative and temporally rich, as a result of temporal productivity and prosperity, so as to boast in ones own achievements without God; so will he pave his way of bondage to sin and death of creative, productive and prosperous expressions of sin and death to lead to his final destiny to lie down in torment without God!

Such a Self-Made theology results in a reliance on Self for his achievements, that such a trust, and self reliance will cause such arrogance to have him think that he can be creative, and productive and prosperous to achieve an eternal favor in God's eyes based on their own efforts, achievements, merits,strength and riches. Such a self reliance will deceive him into thinking he has a free will whether to Choose God and Receive Christ, or not--herein lies the deception of self made faith and source of his own efforts and ability to believer; Apart from Saving Grace there is no faith to believe in God, because in and of themselves they are dead to God. Their condition of being Dead to God will springs up the lie of being self-made carved out of stone! Thus will they carve out in their own minds a self-made religion, rules, efforts and merits to please their own laws demands for a good favor and standing before themselves, and not before God, because in their Self-made theology only they exist apart from God.
Indeed, the natural man outside of Grace, does not want to believe, will not, they are dead; so in their minds eye there is no one greater than themselves and in their mind, God does not exist, being Dead to God; The Teaching of the Sovereignty of God as it is taught from Scripture,That the Greatness of God's Free will to do as God Pleases, and to choose whomever He Will's--indeed! goes against the grain of man centered theology to the point that they get cut to the quick and rage against their Creator who is indeed greater than the created and also, worthy of the creations praise and worship; but they do not want to worship God, they exchanged the truth of God's Sovereignty for their own man centered theology and worship themselves, as if they can synergistically help God to save themselves. Resulting in the worship of themselves and the boasting of themselves instead of the worship of God who is forever Praised, Amen! Romans 1:18-21-32
But Scripture teaches, ¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Man apart from God's Grace in Creation and Salvation cannot carve his own character, but rather, because they are in bondage to sin, will their character be indeed corrupted and rot away, along with his future and final destiny!
It is indeed the Holy Spirit who provides great Sanctification and transformation into the image of Christ, a character molded and carved into the image of Christ; as the Holy Spirit Hews the believer from Rock of Christ's Life!

The Divine Illumination of the Holy Spirit in my sanctification! Matthew 16: 13-19

The Divine Illumination of the Holy Spirit in my sanctification!
Matthew 16: 13-19

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

I Peter 20-21
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Apart from the Divine communion of the Holy Spirit and Divine illumination of God's written word in the Bible, I have no wisdom, understanding or insight. And the wisdom and understanding I do receive in God's word is given to me by the Divine illumination and communion of the Holy Spirit. Apart from the spirit of Christ, I have no insight, I am the most ignorant of all; apart from the Spirit of Christ in me, my mind is darkened by the wisdom and understanding of this dark age of corruption, full of man centered thought and philosophy that seems right in one's own eyes but only leads to death!

The Direct Revelation of Scripture through Divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit verbally and plenary is already written by the Apostles and Prophets; "Verbal Plenary Inspiration" means "God the Holy Spirit so supernaturally directed the human writers of Scripture that, without waiving their intelligence, their individuality, their personal feelings, their literary style, or any other human factor of expression, His Complete and Coherent Message to mankind was recorded with perfect accuracy in the original languages of Scripture: the very words bearing the Authority of Divine Authorship."

The final direct Revelation and God breathed inspiration of Scripture by the Holy Spirit is found in the last book of the Bible as The Holy Spirit breathed His Words upon the Apostle and was it ever written down by the Apostle John and made available to the church. Now, through the Holy Spirit's counsel He uses His words by illuminating The Word's of the Bible to my mind and heart provides me with wisdom, insight and understanding to His Holy Word.

Only Scripture is God Breathed as the Apostle Paul reminds Timothy, II Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In this passage of Scripture it is God’s Word that thoroughly equips the believer for every good work, not their wisdom or insight, but the Word of God which is the fountain that springs up wisdom and insight unto the Fear of God in reliance of Jesus for my righteous living in every good work. "Inspiration" means, 2Tim3:16's "God-breathed" (theopneustos): just as God breathed into Adam's nostrils AFTER MAKING HIS BODY and that made Adam EXHALE and thus become a living soul, so also God's breathing of the Word into the Scripture writers produced an 'exhale' of Canon, without waiving any of their own personal attributes.

Note the next verse, which shows the PURPOSE of getting Scripture: to make you mature, proficient, thoroughly equipped for every "good of intrinsic value accomplishment" (true meaning of the Greek word agathos, which Greek lit. and Drama constantly hail).
There is no more need for Direct Revelation, it is already written in Holy Scriptures of the Bible. Anyone who claims otherwise is deceiving themselves and others; and spreading lies and heresies of man made revelations springing up from man centric philosophy and religions of man.

My Final authority is found in scripture with the proper understanding and interpretation of Scripture consistent with the full counsel of God's Revelation of His Son found in the Bible.

Do not be deceived, if another forces you to be under his authority and rely on them for final authority, then question them with the truth of consistent interpretation of Scripture. The humble teachings of a leader or Pastor teacher should result in reliance on Scripture for final authority.

We are not individual Papal people walking around claiming direct revelation and canonizing our word's to be God's word. And now a days, many are walking around doing what is right in their own eyes, living as if what they say, do, and feel is final authority; even if their words and actions contradicts God's Word's as final authority.

Flesh and blood can never provide Divine illumination to God's word, the Bible. Divine Illumination is sourced and found in the Holy Spirit's work through Holy Communion with The Holy Spirit as we read and meditate on His Word; He brings to memory His word in divine illumination, wisdom, understanding and application of His word in my life unto sanctification and conformity to the image of Christ in my life. My authority is found in nothing less than Jesus' Word, Blood and righteousness in the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit springing up in sound doctrinal teaching.

Indeed we sharpen one another through by the Direct Illumination of the Holy Spirit, if we learn from each other, it is because the source of our Teaching is not in anything that we could teach, but what is already Taught and found in the Bible. It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates our hearts and minds and brings all things to light.


So brethren what ever insight, wisdom or spiritual understanding you receive, give glory to God for it because it did not come from your flesh and blood, do not claim it as if it sprang up from you as the source, it was brought to your attention through the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit under sound Doctrine and Teaching; therefore when you share your thoughts and comments give glory to God for Divine illumination of the Holy Spirit to His Holy Word in your Life under the authority of Scriptural Sound Doctrinal teaching!

The Sovereignty of God Pressed into Service a Passer by Mark 15:21

Mark 15: 21 They *pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and (Rufus), to bear His cross.

Isaiah 50 7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.

With Every Detail of Jesus' Life from His baptism by John the Baptist, to the Mount of Transfiguration, to the walking with the cross on his back on the road of The Via Dolorosa (even in the name of that road means the "Way of Suffering"), to Golgotha the name of the hill (the place of the Skull) the skull a symbol of death, and on that Hill Jesus finished His work of Redemption on my behalf when He cried, "it is finished" He Died on the place of the Skull, but Resurrected three days there after from the Tomb in the garden, a symbol of new growth; with every step Jesus took, God the Father's favor was upon His only begotten Son; With Every step Jesus took the Sovereignty of God the Father orchestrated every detail of Jesus' life.

And Jesus did learn obedience even to the point of Death, even death on the cross! "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:8 So when he fell under the weight of the cross, was he disobedient? He was not disobedient, He became physically drained of all energy and weakened under the weight of the cross, yet, kept on submitting Himself to the Mercy of His Heavenly Father, that in His physical inability God the Father helped Him and Jesus went the way of suffering to the Place of the Skull and was crucified on Golgotha. His physical weakness of falling under the weight of the cross did not make Him disobedient. I think not, Jesus in His humanity after being beaten, scourged, marred beyond that of a man, bloody and then having to carry a heavy wooden cross under such weight, suffering, pain, bloody, bruised, physically exhausted and worn out, did He fall under the  weight of the Cross!

Yet, God the Father in His Sovereign Grace orchestrated the details on the way of suffering; from the Roman soldiers, to Simon a traveller from the country to Jerusalem with his 2 sons. Indeed from man's vantage point, it was the Roman Soldiers who pressed Simon into Service. But From The Sovereignty of God's perspective, God Pressed Simon into service, to help His beloved Son, on His journey's end of being crucified on the cross.

You see in Isaiah 50, a prophesy of Jesus life and way of His suffering  declares How the Sovereign Lord helps Him. "He offered His back to those who beat Him, His cheeks to those who plucked out His beard, He did not hide His face from mocking and spitting, it is the Sovereign LORD who helps Him, therefore He will not be disgraced, He set His face like flint, He will not be put to Shame, He who vindicates Him is near. Indeed, His Heavenly Father was near Jesus when the weight of the Cross fell on Him, Did God the Father ever pressed into service a passer by, Simon of Cyrene! It was not by chance that Simon of Cyrene travelled from the country to happen to be where the weight of the cross caused Jesus to fall under it. He was there not by chance, but by God's appointment, to help His beloved Son carry the cross to His journey's End, in being crucified on the cross.

Here Simon was living according to his will to plan his day from the country to go into Jerusalem, taking his two sons with him. Living his life according to how he chose to live. Doing what he wanted to; Until the Sovereign Plan and will of God the Father directed His will over Simon's will and pressed Simon into Service. Simon was not a willing party to God the Father's will at that time, he was forced to carry Jesus' cross, it could be said that he grumbled carrying the weight of Jesus' cross, because he was forced to carry it. Yet God the Father Chose him, and pressed Simon into service to help carry the physical cross, and though he was pressed and forced into service, Simon could not resist God the Father's will, it was irresistible to Simon and did he indeed carry the cross being pressed into service.

There is a bottom underlining truth to all this; there are times in our lives, when we come and go freely as we please. We plan our day, we plan our course, we plan our travels, we plan our vacations. But there will come a time when your will gets absorbed to be pressed into the service of God's Sovereign will and Choice, and calling. And when God calls, there is no resisting His will! His calling and Sovereign plan is irresistible and there is no turning back, there is no resisting His will, you will be heavy pressed by His Sovereign Plan, and there is no turning back, and there is no resisting, Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."Another passage comes to mind, your life is not your own, you were bought with a price, I Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." You can live your life as if you have free will and you can choose to do whatever you want and please, yet the end result will be that God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Though you may serve your own will and plans, it is God's Sovereign will, plan and calling that will prevail and determine your steps and press you into service of the cross!

The Sovereignty of God’s Purpose and Appointed Timing Thwarts Man's good Intentions

The Sovereignty of God’s Purpose and Appointed Timing Thwarts  Man's good Intentions

I Chronicles 17: 1-3
1 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.”

2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”
3 But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

King David had good intentions, after He was settled in his palace of Cedar, he saw the Ark of the Covenant still under a Tent! He sought out Nathan the prophet in expression of his pressing concern, and Nathan advised him according to his insight without details of God’s revealed will, and said, Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you “

The will of man is met with good intentions apart from God’s plan and purposes; and with such good intentions, we seek to pursue our will and plans over God’s Will. This one fact remains God will establish His purposes and plans over man's, even King Solomon after the days of his father, David, spoke these words, Proverbs 16:1-4 1 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. 2 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. 4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends— even the wicked for a day of disaster" And again he says, regarding how we are naturally prone to plan our course, yet behind all the planning the Lord determines our steps: 9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Solomon also, explains that our ways, may seem right in our own eyes, but misguided apart from the counsel of God's word and direction it leads to death: 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. And finally, even to the drawing of lots to determine a deceision, even in the details of casting lots, the outcome of such an activity is the Lord's Sovereign ordained outcome and purpose: 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

After the expression of man’s will, God does speak His word, to thwart that will of man met with good intentions; that His Kingdom come, His will be done over the will of man.

The work of building God’s Church is the Work of God Himself, in the Person of His Son, we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we should walk in them and this is what God prepared in advance for us to walk in, His purposes ordained for me, indeed tried and true:

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The field needs harvesting, it is God’s field and it is God’s purpose and plans that will be revealed in His timing. We may not like the turn of events in the present and would seek to have good intentions to try and change the turn of events, but in the End, it is God’s Sovereign will and Plans that prevails and thwarts the good intentions of Man. On the other hand, though a person may try and thwart God's Sovereign will and plan, he can never thwart God's plan and purposes they will always remain, only to thwart the plans of man.

Just as the Lord established His covenant in general Revelation, to establish the Sun to rule by day, and the moon and the stars to rule by night, just as God established the seasons to run its faithful course every year; neither can man, no matter what technology or resources or power, or efforts can never thwart or nullify His covenant with the Sun, stars, moon and seasons. Man can never prevent his established covenants.

The Un-mingled Shed Blood of Christ is Sufficient Alone! Revelation 2:20

The Sacrifice of Christ Shed Blood unmingled with other sacrifices, far superior, indeed, the final Sacrifice that put to an end all Sacrifices, in His Shed Blood alone that Saves! It is Finished! It is enough! Do not think for one second, you can try to add to His Shed Blood anything in your good works, or, efforts, or, merits in external rituals; for they cannot, nor ever will be co-mingled with His shed blood as a sole reliance upon and system of gaining God's Favor; It won't! The only merit of God's Favor is total reliance on Christ shed Blood, alone! Unmingled from man's attempts to add anything to it!

Revelation 2: 20

" Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling."

I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.—Isaiah 49:16

I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.

—Isaiah 49:16

Isaiah 49:13-16
13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. 14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

The Call to shout for Joy and Rejoice based on the LORD comforting His People and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Yet, Zion's Focus was on their affliction blinding them to the LORDs Compassion and comfort, causing them to instead of rejoicing and Shout for Joy, they Cried out in Despair and viewed God as forsaking them blind to the compassion of the LORD.

In the Believer's Sanctification, for indeed, "Zion" refers to God's people, His chosen one, the Elect. How the tendency is there to focus on our affliction; instead of the LORD's compassion on us. How we focus on the unfavorable circumstances; instead of The LORD's Favor on us according to His Great name and Compassion on us in His Son. How we focus on our Horizontal relationships, where others show disfavor toward us; instead of the LORD's Favor on me in His Son! Unfavorable circumstances and unfavorable people tend to blind our eyes toward the LORD's great Love toward His beloved in His Son, that we cry out cries of Despair, instead of Cries of Shouts of Joy and rejoicing that God's Love is upon us in His Son.

The LORD in this passage shows convincing proof  of His Comforting Love that Will not Forget His chosen people. The Comparison is seen in a Mother caring for her infant baby and child by feeding and nursing the child, and yet, some mothers will forget their baby and not have compassion on their baby and leave if for dead. I think of the unwanted babies that are being slaughtered in abortion. And you hear of stories of Mothers abandoning their babies on a strangers door stoop, or some throwing their babies in the trash, and yet the discovery of the baby resulted in the babies survival. So in our fallen, dark world, mothers are born in sin and will forget their own babies. But the majority of Mother's Love their babies and will have compassion of their infants to nurture them and nurse them.

God's Love toward His elect, His people of Zion is an Eternal Love; they are precious to Him like an infant in His Eyes, but unlike the mother who will forget her infant; God will never forget His precious beloved Children whom He fore Loved before the foundation of the world!

Not only will He not forget them, but He has engraved them on the palms of His Hands!
As Jesus promised, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). We are so intimately apart of God's Love and Compassion that our very lives are engraved on the Palm of His Hands. When Jesus' hands and feet were nailed, was such a wound and injury, and nailed pierced hands and feet, were they every declaring our very lives intimately dependent and engraved on His palms, that He not only thought of me in name, but engraved my very life in the palms of His hands.

Though dim and grim my circumstances maybe; though I be surrounded by enemies of disfavor; though my afflictions may surround me like the sea; Take heart! and Rejoice! He will never forget me!  On His hands I see, not only my name, but my life and His compassion is on me; for He has engraved me with every detailed line, and inscribed me on the palm of His hands forever be thine; by His precious Blood, is my life ever so included in His Sovereign Design; that I may have an eternal Stand and never Repine! by Joseph Valentini

No room for Divided Interests in this Life, only one interest Matters for all Eternity, and that is to take up your Cross and follow Christ Mark 8: 31-38

Mark 8: 31-38

31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.32And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

34And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his life^d will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Title: No room for Divided Interests in this Life, only one interest Matters for all Eternity, and that is to take up your Cross and follow Christ

Reflecting during this Lenten Season, we must consider our Loyalties in this life and resolve to have a single purpose of Loyalty to follow God the Father’s Sovereign will and Plan by following Christ to the Cross.

There is no room for Divided Interest in this Life. You cannot Embrace the Sovereignty of man centered concepts and belief and at the Same time embrace the Sovereignty of God, indeed, you will end up ignoring God’s ordained purpose and will by holding onto your own effort, merits and dependency on self to please God, to the abandonment of the Cross of Christ.

You cannot have the glory of Christ without the Suffering of Christ in His shed blood and Death on the Cross for forgiveness of Sins.

Let us Reflect upon Christ’s word’s to us and understand the Two perspectives in life that Exist, and according to our Lord’s Words there is no Compromise, you cannot serve the Kingdom of Satan and this World and at the Same time serve the Kingdom of God and of Christ.

Mark 8:33

"Get Thee Behind me, Satan!"
 



Jesus Predicts His Death

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”