Daily Bread 9-2-16

1 Peter 2:3-5

3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious.

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

ref. - Heb 6:5 - And have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

Eph. 2:21 - In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the Lord.

Isa. 66:21 - And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.

Mal. 1:11 - For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

Phil 4:18 - But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.

If we have tasted the great and mighty mercies of our Lord then we know that he is gracious. We know that we have been chosen and set apart. Set apart from a world full of failure, misery, and sin. We also know that the things that we would not accept of Godly people before we got a taste will not be accepted by worldly men as we offer them. But we also know that our sacrifice is no longer unto men, but unto God. We have been set apart from the world in the name of a man called Jesus Christ. Given the ability to no linger live under sin or under the ways of the world, but to live unto God through our obedience and acknowledgement of a way. A way that was given to us in Jesus Christ. All things in our minds, hearts, and souls, will begin to make sense and we will begin to see that we are capable of a good life and improving to the point that we may, someday, reach eternal life. Our offerings must be pure and from the heart. Not out of necessity but of willingness of heart. Our offerings shall continue on until the end where we know that our Lord will be waiting in a place that he prepared for us! Our lives have been set apart for a purpose; so that the name of the Lord will me made great even among they who do not serve him. Even the scornful and disobedient will se the difference that God makes in a man through the changes he made in us! Our example will be the only thing that some will ever see of God and he created us to be a shining example. The way that, even though some of our customs and traditions, our races and colors don't match, we take care of one another. The strong bearing the burdens of the weak. The spiritually gifted taking care of the weakest lamb. No matter what our lineage, background.......no matter where we came from. A family of God, the body of Christ, each member saved by grace, fitly framed together to build a spiritual house that is fully capable of giving pure offering that is acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The good news of our lives being a sweet sacrifice to God is what we need to realize that we are within his will, he approves, and he is pleased with us!! So let us move forward from the basics of repentance and let God turn us into the fruitful souls that God created us to be!! Have a great day!!