The verse from Ephesians that started me thinking and desiring to understand more deeply what “For Christ’s Sake” truly means was the Tecarta verse of the day for June 26, 2019 in this link, http://tbibl.es/8dwd
Ephesians 4:31-32 KJV 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
I began to write “For Christ’s Sake” part one early in the morning that day but finished it this morning, June 30th before heading out to church service today. As has happened so many times in the past, Bishop Drew preached a message closely tied in some way to a direction I believe God was leading me also. Today’s message can be seen here and was titled, “Breaking Out Of Bad Places” It starts at 1 minute, 20 seconds into the video.
Bishop Drew brought up a perfect example of the point Charles Spurgeon made of the benefits of relationship with and through Jesus being our Savior. Jesus being our Savior brings with it “Salvation” which many only relate to being “saved from” our sins and going to heaven instead of hell. Being “Saved” is that but so much more. The Greek word “Sozo G4982” as Strong’s Concordance defines is rendered, save (93x), make whole (9x), heal (3x), be whole (2x) & misc (3x).
The Hebrew pronunciation and spelling of Jesus’ name is Yeshua and is H3444 and it is rendered in the KJV bible as salvation (54x), help (4x), deliverance (3x),health (3x), save (1x), saving (1x), welfare (1x)
Bishop Drew talked about how he struggled to justify the Bible saying that David was a man “after the heart of God.” I recently posted my struggle with that thought in “Warning Signs of A Hard Heart.” Bishop Drew came at it from a different approach. He said King David reconciled being a man after the heart of God because he kept covenant even beyond the bonds of death. That is a picture of what Father God is imparting to us if we are in covenant with Jesus because of what He did and is now doing for us.
David made a covenant with Jonathan, King Saul’s son before David became king of Israel. After Jonathan and Saul were killed and some time after David was made king he remembered his love for and the covenant he made with Jonathan and asked if any descendents of Saul were alive,
2 Samuel 9:1 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?”
And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?”
And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”
And he answered, “Here is your servant!”
7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”
9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.”
“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.” 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.
Is this not also a beautiful picture of King David as our Dear Heavenly Father who seeks out those who walk “IN Covenant” with Jesus Christ as their “LORD” and Savior.
Mephibosheth didn’t ask for or did anything to get King David’s attention to his need. Actually he was probably keeping a very low profile because it was customary in those circumstances to entirely wipe out all the descendents of a previously reigning family. It was to insure that a descendent wouldn’t rise up to overthrow the newly reigning authority to regain control and be the ruling power again.
The example of King David wanting to bless Mephibosheth solely “for the sake” of his love of Jonathan even beyond death, as lovely as it is presented, is still EVIL in comparison to ALL Father God desires to impart to us “For Christ’s Sake.” Also, Jesus is Alive and Well ministering in the Real Sanctuary in Heaven,
Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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.
Hebrews 7:21b-25 NKJV “The Lord has sworn And will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek’ ”, 22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Bishop Drew brought up the “covenant” word a number of times in his sermon. It is the key to Father God’s will to impart “For Christ’s Sake” all He desires to those who call themselves Christians.
How many things has Father God protected me from that I never knew was a threat. How many illnesses never were given the opportunity to thrive as they attacked me. The job I was on before the one I have now was about to go belly up after the BP oil spill. If not for that the inevitable would have happened sooner because of a decline in the oil industry along the gulf coast. At one point they had a dozen tugboats and 8 crew boats completely staffed and working. In the end, NO boat had a job and they had let go all the captains and deckhands that had been with them for many years more than the three I was there. I was the last captain employed there before the doors closed. I didn’t go out on a job, there were none, for a few months but still got my regular 14 days on/ 7 days off pay and schedule. Not even a reduction in my pay rate or benefits.
I could see the writing on the wall, some day they would have to let me go too if nothing changed but something did change. One day I got a call from someone that use to work where I was working to ask me if I would be interested in taking a crew boat job that had opened up where they had been for the last couple years. I took it and have been working there for the last 8 years. I didn’t even pray for a new job but one found me in a depressed oil field, imagine that.
Some might wonder why I read, listen, watch almost only things that are connected to God, His Word and Praising or Worshiping Him so much. I’ve tried and lived the other way. It didn’t work out well for me. In fact it almost took my life a couple of times I know of, no telling how many I am not aware of. I hurt and betrayed people I dearly loved when my selfish desires were priority #1. Now I cling to God for dear life and give NO Place for the enemy of my soul to get a foothold that he can then turn into a stronghold.
Like Mephibosheth sometimes I kneel before God and humbly ask in my own words, 8b “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” Once God answered me in my mind and said, “Read Hosea.” After I read it I knew I looked alot like Gomer and Jesus is my Hosea that bought me back even in my decrepit condition.
H1954, my birth year, is Hosea in Hebrew is in “Deliverer” and is a variation of Hoshea and Oshea. Oshea is the name of Joshua in Numbers 13:8 and 13:16. Joshua in Hebrew is Yehoshua meaning “Jehovah-saved.”
Today I learned a little better why my Dear Heavenly Father is so kind to me, it’s “FOR CHRIST’S SAKE.” It’s why there is nothing I desire more than to walk in Covenant WITH His Christ.
Bishop Drew preached a wonderful message that only touched slightly on my post’s topic. Bishop Drew is hearing from God’s Throne of Grace for these last days and what Father God wants us to address in our lives. Bishop Drew tells of how hearing and obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit effected his life and totally changed, delivered and blessed the life of a fallen minister of God’s Word. We Serve An Awesome God who Can BE Touched by our infirmities, even those we bring on ourselves if our heart is in the Right Place.
1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
Some people like to flirt with the world, wink at or tip God every now and then to stay connected at least a little with Him. It’s like walking on thin ice, they like a little slip every now and then. It isn’t so bad? Right? The whole world does it, Right? One day you wake up and the little slip you enjoyed every now and then has ruined your life or worst, not only yours but those around you too. Satan laughs, mission accomplished.
Are you greater than Moses? God might let your willful slips all go unaddressed. Don’t count on it.
Deuteronomy 32:48-52 NKJV Then the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; 51 because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. 52 Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”
Deuteronomy 34:1-7 NKJV Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”
5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. 7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.
In The Word 