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Hebrews 1: 1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

³ Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

God had in the old testament used prophets to speak to the people.  He had spoken directly to these prophets and also had directed spoken to some of the leaders.  But now and within the new testament He has spoken through the life of Christ-His Son.  Christ who is Himself God within the Triune Head of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  This same Christ who formed the earth and when spoken to by the Father was reminded of His deity "⁸ But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

⁹ Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

¹⁰ And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:" 

Christ displayed in His life upon this earth, in His Suffering on this earth, and in His death upon the cross to pay the penalty for man’s sin –He displayed the brightness of God’s Glory and the image of His person.  He was perfect Righteousness who pay the penalty for man’s sin so that whosoever will accept the Gift of Salvation might be saved.  Salvation, so simple; yet, for many so unreachable.  Christ finished the work and sat down on the right hand of God the Father.  Mankind so often remains so caught up in his own self-pride that he cannot accept the fact of his utter unworthiness before perfect righteousness and perfect Glory of God; so, he continues to try to prove to God his own worthiness rather than accept the gift. I have no righteousness but that which is imparted to me by the Son.  The more I know of Christ and His Glory the more unworthy I realize that I am; yet, in that same moment the overflowing love that He has given to me becomes my guide through life.  He has become my greatest treasure and my greatest love.  That fact draws me to seek Him and savor Him more as He continues to complete the work within me of transforming me into His image.  Do you know Him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFlKG2HUeUc&feature=related

I Timothy 1: 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

² Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

³ As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

⁴ Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

⁵ Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

⁶ From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

⁷ Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

⁸ But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

⁹ Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

¹⁰ For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

¹¹ According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

¹² And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

¹³ Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

There are at least 4 messages found within these verses; but my focus will lie on verse 11.  This does however require an introduction so that you might understand the true depth of this verse. In this letter, Paul has written to Timothy a younger minister.  He had left Timothy behind in Ephesus because there were so many people teaching a false doctrine.  There were many trying to separate into sects according to "which was their teacher" and by thus giving glory to the teacher rather than to Christ.  This was a heresy in the eyes of Paul.  He also was concerned about those who were teaching "legalism" as a part of salvation and of them he said they had no understanding of what they were saying nor where they found any foundation for that teaching.  He knows that the law is important only in it’s ability to show the sinner that he is a sinner; but, was not a part of the "Gospel" provided to those for whom Christ had imparted His righteousness because of faith.  Ok, now stop for a moment and savor the words of  verse 11.  Look at how Paul refers to the gospel which was committed unto him to protect, to teach, to spread and to never compromise in it’s truth where ever he went and at whatever cost to himself.  It is that same Gospel which I seek, savor and love.  It is the glorious Gospel-pouring forth the Glory of God in the Face of Christ’s Glory.  None could ever be so deserving of Glory as the spotless lamb who would pay the penalty for sinful man.  Salvation is seeing God’s Glory and seeking Him as the greatest treasure of our lives. But there is more note that it is the glorious gospel of the blessed (Happy, Joyous) God.  The word translated blessed here is the same word which means Happy, Joyous God.  It is this Joy that Christ hath promised when he said in Matthew 25:21 to whomever had used the talents given them to gain more for His kingdom, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."  What sacrifice is too much, what counterfeit joy too alluring, or what earthly treasure so important to prevent you from spreading the Glorious Gospel of the Joyous God with what talents you have been given and in the place where God has placed you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LToxyUVhPhQ

Isaiah 43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

² When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

³ For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:

This scripture was particularly written to the Israelite by the prophet Isaiah as he wrote down the words God had for them.  Yet, this scripture was to foretell also of the coming of the Savior who was to be God Himself.  Christ, the only Holy One of Israel was to come to be the Savior who would pay the penalty for our sins so that we might be given the chance to be restored into that relationship with Him that was fractured by sin.  Now instead of God’s just wrath against the sinner (all of us) for those who would accept His atonement we are now to share in His Righteousness and become adopted into His family to share in His Joy, His Glory and His Peace.   He is our creator.  He formed us.  He redeemed us.  He called us and for all who accept Him, we are His. If God was willing to sacrifice Himself to perform everything needed to provide our atonement and if our Creator would love us so much as to do everything needed to be able to share with us His own Glory; then what should we have to fear?  If the omnipotent, omniscient God who created heaven and earth is on your side; what are you afraid of? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vMYP4uJAqY&feature=related

James 1: ²¹ So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

²² But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

²³ For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

²⁴ For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

²⁵ But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

How many church goers or people who proclaim Christianity have heard of God’s plan for salvation and have never asked Him into their hearts?  They hear the word, they may even join the church and go about their days never realizing that they never asked Christ into their hearts.  They "pull up their boot-straps and go about trying to live a good life" but never have the power within to guide them; because they never really saw with the eyes of their heart the "glory of God" by which they then see their own depravity and then come to God with a heart broken by sin to receive His gift of righteousness purchased on the cross.  Those who truly know Him, love Him.  It is that love that compels the true believer to  study to learn more of Him, to live out the life of righteousness that has been bestowed upon the believer.  So many may know of Him but like Adam are seeking only His gifts and choose to love the creation more than the creator.  We know the results of that choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI_1YliutzA

Amos 8: ³ And the songs of the temple shall be wailings in that day, saith the Lord Jehovah: the dead bodies shall be many: in every place shall they cast them forth with silence.

⁴ Hear this, O ye that would swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,

⁵ saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit;

⁶ that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

⁷ Jehovah hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

⁸ Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? yea, it shall rise up wholly like the River; and it shall be troubled and sink again, like the River of Egypt.

⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.

¹⁰ And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

¹¹ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah.

¹² And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of Jehovah, and shall not find it.

They attended the temple, they worshiped God with their words; but not their hearts.  They sought after prosperity at any cost and with no concern for the poor and the needy.  They failed to see God as the treasure of their lives and they failed to see that His words were truth, hope, and joy.  Instead they sought after self gain and the more they sought the more they heard only their vain voices of "prosperity gospel", "new age philosophy" and "watered down doctrine".  This they continued until God caused a famine of His Word to be present in the land.  Sound familiar.  Is that not what we have begun to see in our own land?  Thousands of churches present in a city with little truth being taught.  After all, if we were to preach the truth would we be able to fill our offering plate?  Is it not also so true of our government?  What does it matter were we to lie or cheat, as long as we proclaim our greatness?  As a people, what does it say?  Is that desire to proclaim our prosperity and our need to buy a house larger and finer than we can afford part of the dilemma that drives the financial crisis we are in? Have we a created a society of people who believe they are "entitled" and do not appreciate the need to work and sweat that we might have bread?

Do we all believe that we should be entitled to more for less work?  Where are our work ethics?  We need to awaken from this slumber, put God as foremost–His truth, His Honor.  If we all began to do our jobs and live our lives as though we are living and working for God and if we begin to treasure God’s truth as supreme; then and only then will we truly prosper with that which is worth while.  We need to each one declare war within our own hearts and let God reign supreme in our own hearts–casting aside those desires for treasures that water down His truth and stand firm for Him. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvrucWIKFv4&feature=related