Romans 8: 11
But if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who indwells you.
The Spirit that came to indwell the disciples on the day of Pentecost has been indwelling the members of God's church ever since. This is the same Holy Spirit that has been working in God's people ever since Creation.
There is one Holy Spririt. So the same Spirit Who helped with Creation, Who guided and protected and defended God's heroes in times past, Who raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him His Resurrection body, is the same Spirit that indwells you and me today.
O my Father, You are so great and glorious! Your power, wisdom, and control are perfect! You have created everything, and Your purposes for everything are being carried out and fulfilled according to Your grand Plan of the Ages!
Mere Man can do nothing to deter Your purposes, no matter what we think we can do!
And Your Spirit, Who indwells Your chosen ones, will preserve and give life to our mortal bodies, overcoming our mortality with immortality; changing our very bodies into Resurrection bodies, like Jesus'.
And we will live and reign with Christ Jesus our Sovereign King for the thousand years of this Earth's Golden Age!
Your Program that You plotted out before You even created us is being carried out and accomplished before our very eyes, just as You told us beforehand it would!
Hallelujah!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 31, 2018
Sunday, December 30, 2018
God's Search Light
Psalm 139: 23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts, and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
Proverbs 20: 27
The spirit of Man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.
This was my prayer several years ago, and it is still my prayer today.
Have you ever asked God to shine His searchlight into your most secret and private parts of your life and thinking? It's a scary prayer, to be sure. But I consider it necessary, to be the child of God He wants me to be.
I know that my Father loves me more than I can imagine, and His ways for me surpass anything I can choose for myself.
So I want to think His thoughts, have His attitudes toward me, and do all the things that will fulfill His pleasure for me according to His Plan of the Ages.
My prayer:
O my Father, I pray that You would shine Your lamp into my innermost parts to show me my anxious thoughts and whatever hurtful way I still harbor within me; that I may confess and forsake every way in me that does not conform to Your pleasure in me!
Then I will be prepared to share with others Your gracious and patient and gentle care for each of us, and You in me will draw others to Yourself, and sinners to repentance.
And God will receive all the credit--all the glory and honor and praise--for everything He has done; to complete every project, to finish every plan, to achieve all His goals in everything He has made in all Creation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts, and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
Proverbs 20: 27
The spirit of Man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.
This was my prayer several years ago, and it is still my prayer today.
Have you ever asked God to shine His searchlight into your most secret and private parts of your life and thinking? It's a scary prayer, to be sure. But I consider it necessary, to be the child of God He wants me to be.
I know that my Father loves me more than I can imagine, and His ways for me surpass anything I can choose for myself.
So I want to think His thoughts, have His attitudes toward me, and do all the things that will fulfill His pleasure for me according to His Plan of the Ages.
My prayer:
O my Father, I pray that You would shine Your lamp into my innermost parts to show me my anxious thoughts and whatever hurtful way I still harbor within me; that I may confess and forsake every way in me that does not conform to Your pleasure in me!
Then I will be prepared to share with others Your gracious and patient and gentle care for each of us, and You in me will draw others to Yourself, and sinners to repentance.
And God will receive all the credit--all the glory and honor and praise--for everything He has done; to complete every project, to finish every plan, to achieve all His goals in everything He has made in all Creation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Repent!
Revelation 2: 5, 16, 21, 22; 3: 3, 19
... Repent ... repent ... repent ... repented ... repent ... repent ... repent ...
The Revelation of Jesus Christ as given to John records in chapters 2 and 3 messages to seven churches in that day. And seven times God says to repent.
The word "repent" literally means "to turn around." It is used to describe what our thinking is doing when we change our minds to turn away from one thing to embrace something else.
God wants us to turn our focus around to not be obsessed with Worldly things, but to consider God's spiritual things the most important: to think His thoughts and have His attitudes.
Thoughts are not material things, but spiritual. And our attitudes are produced from our thoughts.
And all the things we do come from our attitudes and thoughts. So when we're doing things that are hurtful or harmful or damaging in any way, that means that our thinking patterns are faulty.
Then we are to confess these wrongs, and agree with God about how they have woefully missed the mark--"sin" means to miss the bulls eye with your arrow.
God wants us to forsake all the wrong attitudes that draw us away from the good things He wants to give us. He made this Earth for us to build our World upon it, and He put in it everything we need to get along with one another and prosper.
He gave us His Manufacturer's Instructions to teach us how to cooperate with how He designed things here to work, and it's all based on our loving God back and loving one another. When we think God's thoughts for us (Philippians 4:8-9), how He loves us and wants all that is good for us; then we will also love our neighbors, wanting only what would be good for them.
And we will be obeying all the Law.
O my Father, I pray for the leaders of Your church today, that they would open their eyes to understand the crucial importance of repentance in preaching the Gospel!
I pray that they would refuse to modify their teachings to barely mention repentance, and return to the fire and passion of the necessity of repentance in facing their own (the listeners, readers) sinfulness and allowing Jesus to take their place on the Cross because their own culpability deserves the death penalty He paid on their behalf.
And, Father, I pray for my own family members who have not yet turned to You. Please open their eyes to see Who You are, and what Christ has done on their behalf; and grant them that repentance and faith to draw them into Your glorious Kingdom and Family.
And, my Father, whatever else I am still lacking, please supply, open my eyes to see what You have already provided, and appropriate it to my use that I may serve You in spreading Your Gospel in whatever way You have planned for me to do so, according to Your pleasure.
And You will receive all the glory, honor, and praise for You have done all things and brought all Your Plans to completion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
... Repent ... repent ... repent ... repented ... repent ... repent ... repent ...
The Revelation of Jesus Christ as given to John records in chapters 2 and 3 messages to seven churches in that day. And seven times God says to repent.
The word "repent" literally means "to turn around." It is used to describe what our thinking is doing when we change our minds to turn away from one thing to embrace something else.
God wants us to turn our focus around to not be obsessed with Worldly things, but to consider God's spiritual things the most important: to think His thoughts and have His attitudes.
Thoughts are not material things, but spiritual. And our attitudes are produced from our thoughts.
And all the things we do come from our attitudes and thoughts. So when we're doing things that are hurtful or harmful or damaging in any way, that means that our thinking patterns are faulty.
Then we are to confess these wrongs, and agree with God about how they have woefully missed the mark--"sin" means to miss the bulls eye with your arrow.
God wants us to forsake all the wrong attitudes that draw us away from the good things He wants to give us. He made this Earth for us to build our World upon it, and He put in it everything we need to get along with one another and prosper.
He gave us His Manufacturer's Instructions to teach us how to cooperate with how He designed things here to work, and it's all based on our loving God back and loving one another. When we think God's thoughts for us (Philippians 4:8-9), how He loves us and wants all that is good for us; then we will also love our neighbors, wanting only what would be good for them.
And we will be obeying all the Law.
O my Father, I pray for the leaders of Your church today, that they would open their eyes to understand the crucial importance of repentance in preaching the Gospel!
I pray that they would refuse to modify their teachings to barely mention repentance, and return to the fire and passion of the necessity of repentance in facing their own (the listeners, readers) sinfulness and allowing Jesus to take their place on the Cross because their own culpability deserves the death penalty He paid on their behalf.
And, Father, I pray for my own family members who have not yet turned to You. Please open their eyes to see Who You are, and what Christ has done on their behalf; and grant them that repentance and faith to draw them into Your glorious Kingdom and Family.
And, my Father, whatever else I am still lacking, please supply, open my eyes to see what You have already provided, and appropriate it to my use that I may serve You in spreading Your Gospel in whatever way You have planned for me to do so, according to Your pleasure.
And You will receive all the glory, honor, and praise for You have done all things and brought all Your Plans to completion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 28, 2018
A Brother Offended
Proverbs 18: 19
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle.
The ones who are closest to us, like in our own family, are the ones we wound most, and they us.
We don't expect much of a stranger, we are not vulnerable to them. But those in our own close circles we are the most vulnerable with, and the hurts we inflict upon one another cut deeply.
To heal those wounds and mend our relationships is a very difficult thing. It takes God's own wisdom and patience and compassion, and humility on our part.
And it could take a lot more time than we would expect. And consistency in our resolve to come to a resolution.
And it may not smooth out in this life; we have but a few days to live our lives before we face eternity, and it takes a miracle of God to mend these deeply cut wounds.
O my Father, please show me what I must do or refrain from doing to make amends to those I have wounded. Please work in their hearts and thoughts and spirits to draw them to Yourself, and reveal Your Truth to their understanding.
I know that I have often presented myself as the "expert" when I know that there is much I can learn from them. Teach me how to humble myself before them, to stay out of Your way in working on and in them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle.
The ones who are closest to us, like in our own family, are the ones we wound most, and they us.
We don't expect much of a stranger, we are not vulnerable to them. But those in our own close circles we are the most vulnerable with, and the hurts we inflict upon one another cut deeply.
To heal those wounds and mend our relationships is a very difficult thing. It takes God's own wisdom and patience and compassion, and humility on our part.
And it could take a lot more time than we would expect. And consistency in our resolve to come to a resolution.
And it may not smooth out in this life; we have but a few days to live our lives before we face eternity, and it takes a miracle of God to mend these deeply cut wounds.
O my Father, please show me what I must do or refrain from doing to make amends to those I have wounded. Please work in their hearts and thoughts and spirits to draw them to Yourself, and reveal Your Truth to their understanding.
I know that I have often presented myself as the "expert" when I know that there is much I can learn from them. Teach me how to humble myself before them, to stay out of Your way in working on and in them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus
Thursday, December 27, 2018
A Stronghold Or Ruin
Proverbs 10: 29
The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity.
A stronghold is a well-fortified place, a fortress.
When someone lives their everyday life according to the way of the Lord that He has shown us in His Word, then it is like we are surrounded by strong walls of protection.
God has told us in Isaiah that no weapon that is formed to harm us will succeed. Every time someone falsely accuses us, we will refute their allegations and it will turn around to be against them:
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity.
A stronghold is a well-fortified place, a fortress.
When someone lives their everyday life according to the way of the Lord that He has shown us in His Word, then it is like we are surrounded by strong walls of protection.
God has told us in Isaiah that no weapon that is formed to harm us will succeed. Every time someone falsely accuses us, we will refute their allegations and it will turn around to be against them:
Isaiah 54:17: No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me, declares the Lord.God will see to it that His servant who has done no wrong will be able to refute any accusation without having to defend himself.
It's called "poetic justice," and you can see one way it worked out in the book of Esther, to Haman.
So the Way of the Lord that is a stronghold to the upright will be the ruin of those who are trying to harm God's people. The Lord will turn it around, and it is a wondrus thing to behold how God uses our "free" choices to further His purposes.
O my Father, You really are amazing! Your ways are astounding! Your intimate knowledge and Your intricate power to do the fine, meticulous things, as well as the huge, monumental things, just blows my mind!
You weave together all the individual strands of our lives into the great pattern of history. When we open our eyes we can see how all the world happenings up to today accurately describe what You told Your prophets to write down so long ago.
And Your Son Jesus, Your Christ for us, told us what to look for at the end of this Age, and we have seen these signs in the Earth and the World since He ascended. Now we see all the signs, all the events, all the geological and political and spiritual signs that are extant today: Jesus is returning soon.
Father, I fully expect You to continue to do everything You said You would do. So I am watching to see Your servants vindicated and the workers of iniquity suffer the consequences they wished upon Your people. I'm watching to see all that You told us work out on this Earth, in our World, in the Nations, and in the events of our lives.
Thank You, Father, for being our stronghold in this time of trouble and peril. You are so good to me, and to the others who belong in Your Family.
My Lord God Almighty, I pray for all those who will turn to You in the perilous times that are coming and are even now upon us in some ways and in some places. Continue to vindicate the righteous; and pound on the workers of iniquity, that they may learn and confess the error of their ways.
Continue to send out Your workers into the fields already so white to harvest. Continue to call out and draw to Yourself those who You have chosen, who have desired to know the Truth, that they will turn to You Who are Truth. Let them come to You into Your stronghold.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord God Almighty, King over all kings and Lord over all lords.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory, all the honor for everything You are and do and accomplish and complete.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Our Priorities
I Timothy 4: 15 (KJV, NASB, ASV)
Meditate on these things;
Take pains with these things;
Be diligent in these things;
Give thyself wholly to them;
Be absorbed in them;
Give your whole self to them;
That thy profiting may appear to all.
That your progress may be evident to all.
That your progress may be manifest unto all.
Paul wrote to his young protege to really concentrate on his Bible studies. As a pastor, Timothy needed to understand well what God was saying to him so he could faithfully teach his congregation how to live their lives to please the Lord. His studies were to mold him into a spiritual leader who would show them by example.
We are all not pastors and teachers. We are all to study God's Word regularly and deeply. But if the only reason we do that is to be seen by others, then that would be our only reward. But we shouldn't hide our spirituality from others, because we are all His witnesses, and we need to be examples of how following God's rules benefits us.
He told Micah: He has told you, O Man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (6:8).
And Jesus told us: You shall be My witnesses ... (Acts 1:8).
So there is a balance here: we are to diligently study the Bible to get to know God better, to love Him more, and serve Him better; then our lives will show others how good He is, and encourage them to seek Him, too. That is the proper order. That is what God wants of us.
So our priorities are to be:
1) Our personal relationship and fellowship with God, resulting in our attitudes and daily lives being according to His righteousness in everything;
2) Our life partner (husband/wife);
3) Our family (and Our business, to support the family); then
4) Our ministry.
Sometimes a full-time Christian minister, like a pastor or a missionary, will put their ministry in first place, and end up losing their family, and then their ministry, too.
Those of us Christians who do not work full-time in ministry and need to support our families with a paycheck still need to find the time to do part-time ministry, starting with our example of a high moral standard and kindness at work.
O my Father, I want to study and learn and live each day according to Your Word; not that my progress may be evident to all--to be seen of men! But to be found by You a worker who does not need to be ashamed.
And if my progress is evident to others, then let it encourage them to also seek You!
Please let me not glory in any accolaides of mere men, but seek only Your approval, Father.
But let me not hide my good deeds, either! Teach me that balance, that I may not be lifted up in pride, nor deprive others of the inspiration to seek and follow You through my drawing closer to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Meditate on these things;
Take pains with these things;
Be diligent in these things;
Give thyself wholly to them;
Be absorbed in them;
Give your whole self to them;
That thy profiting may appear to all.
That your progress may be evident to all.
That your progress may be manifest unto all.
Paul wrote to his young protege to really concentrate on his Bible studies. As a pastor, Timothy needed to understand well what God was saying to him so he could faithfully teach his congregation how to live their lives to please the Lord. His studies were to mold him into a spiritual leader who would show them by example.
We are all not pastors and teachers. We are all to study God's Word regularly and deeply. But if the only reason we do that is to be seen by others, then that would be our only reward. But we shouldn't hide our spirituality from others, because we are all His witnesses, and we need to be examples of how following God's rules benefits us.
He told Micah: He has told you, O Man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (6:8).
And Jesus told us: You shall be My witnesses ... (Acts 1:8).
So there is a balance here: we are to diligently study the Bible to get to know God better, to love Him more, and serve Him better; then our lives will show others how good He is, and encourage them to seek Him, too. That is the proper order. That is what God wants of us.
So our priorities are to be:
1) Our personal relationship and fellowship with God, resulting in our attitudes and daily lives being according to His righteousness in everything;
2) Our life partner (husband/wife);
3) Our family (and Our business, to support the family); then
4) Our ministry.
Sometimes a full-time Christian minister, like a pastor or a missionary, will put their ministry in first place, and end up losing their family, and then their ministry, too.
Those of us Christians who do not work full-time in ministry and need to support our families with a paycheck still need to find the time to do part-time ministry, starting with our example of a high moral standard and kindness at work.
O my Father, I want to study and learn and live each day according to Your Word; not that my progress may be evident to all--to be seen of men! But to be found by You a worker who does not need to be ashamed.
And if my progress is evident to others, then let it encourage them to also seek You!
Please let me not glory in any accolaides of mere men, but seek only Your approval, Father.
But let me not hide my good deeds, either! Teach me that balance, that I may not be lifted up in pride, nor deprive others of the inspiration to seek and follow You through my drawing closer to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Christmas Morning
Luke 2: 1-20
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the World should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, each to his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the City of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David); to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and placed Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
And the Angel said unto them, Fear not! for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward Men.
And it came to pass as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all who heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
This is the most-repeated Christmas story, in full. It gives the most detailed account of the Birth, probably from His mother's point of view, written by Doctor Luke, who researched everything thoroughly (1:1-4).
Luke presents the story of Jesus as the Perfect Man (as compared with Matthew who presents Him as the King, Mark who gives us the Servant, and John, writing last, shows Jesus to be our Lord God Himself in human form).
So Luke gives us Jesus' genealogy through His mother Mary, who descended from King David through Solomon's brother Nathan, and all the way back to the first human, Adam.
This compares with Matthew's record of His genealogy through His legal father, Joseph, who is in the direct Regal line of David through Solomon and the other Kings of Judah. Joseph was not eligible to take the throne because the last sitting king of Judah, Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, and his father were so evil and rebellious that they were cursed in that none of his "seed" would ever again be able to claim the throne (Jeremiah 22:30).
But, as His legal but not biological father, Joseph does give Jesus the right to claim the throne of David.
As Lord God Jesus is the eternal Person Who can pay our eternal debt in time, that would take us forever to pay. And as genuine Man He qualifies to die a human death in the place of each one of us. That's why He is the only One Who can be our Savior.
Each one of us is born to live. Jesus was born to die. He loves you and me that much!
Merry Christmas!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the World should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, each to his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the City of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David); to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and placed Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
And the Angel said unto them, Fear not! for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward Men.
And it came to pass as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all who heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
This is the most-repeated Christmas story, in full. It gives the most detailed account of the Birth, probably from His mother's point of view, written by Doctor Luke, who researched everything thoroughly (1:1-4).
Luke presents the story of Jesus as the Perfect Man (as compared with Matthew who presents Him as the King, Mark who gives us the Servant, and John, writing last, shows Jesus to be our Lord God Himself in human form).
So Luke gives us Jesus' genealogy through His mother Mary, who descended from King David through Solomon's brother Nathan, and all the way back to the first human, Adam.
This compares with Matthew's record of His genealogy through His legal father, Joseph, who is in the direct Regal line of David through Solomon and the other Kings of Judah. Joseph was not eligible to take the throne because the last sitting king of Judah, Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, and his father were so evil and rebellious that they were cursed in that none of his "seed" would ever again be able to claim the throne (Jeremiah 22:30).
But, as His legal but not biological father, Joseph does give Jesus the right to claim the throne of David.
As Lord God Jesus is the eternal Person Who can pay our eternal debt in time, that would take us forever to pay. And as genuine Man He qualifies to die a human death in the place of each one of us. That's why He is the only One Who can be our Savior.
Each one of us is born to live. Jesus was born to die. He loves you and me that much!
Merry Christmas!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 24, 2018
Christmas Eve Musings
Luke 1: 26-35
And in [Elizabeth's] sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the Angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blest art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast about in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the Angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David:
And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.
Then Mary said unto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the Angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy child which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
I find it interesting that Mary asked the same question, using the same words, as Zechariah had six months before (v. 18), but Gabriel's response was completely different.
Obviously Zechariah didn't believe it was possible, and doubted the Angel (vs. 19-20). Mary was not doubting, but asked, essentially, "Wow, How is He going to do this? It can't be the usual way, because I'm still a virgin!"
So Gabriel told Mary that the power of God's Holy Spirit would overpower the usual physical process and directly implant God's own Seed into her womb (see Hebrews 10:5), so the Father of Mary's child is God the Father, and she became the mother of the Son of God (not the mother of God; God is Jesus' Father).
Since the damaged part of our DNA that Scripture calls the sin-nature comes from our fathers through Adam (Romans 5:12, Through one man [not "woman" or "couple"), so His mother gave Him a genuine human nature, but without the sin-part, because Jesus didn't have a human father.
Jesus is genuine God, because God is His Father, and He got His Father's Blood-type, which He shed on Calvary. And He is genuine Man from the human nature of His mother, Mary.
This Christmas Eve, let's remember how Mary submitted to God's plan for her, even risking her reputation and even her life by stoning. Her trust was that strong.
May we also trust God by submitting to what His plan is for each of us, even if it looks like a difficult road to walk.
Merry Christmas.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
And in [Elizabeth's] sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the Angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blest art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast about in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the Angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David:
And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.
Then Mary said unto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the Angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy child which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
I find it interesting that Mary asked the same question, using the same words, as Zechariah had six months before (v. 18), but Gabriel's response was completely different.
Obviously Zechariah didn't believe it was possible, and doubted the Angel (vs. 19-20). Mary was not doubting, but asked, essentially, "Wow, How is He going to do this? It can't be the usual way, because I'm still a virgin!"
So Gabriel told Mary that the power of God's Holy Spirit would overpower the usual physical process and directly implant God's own Seed into her womb (see Hebrews 10:5), so the Father of Mary's child is God the Father, and she became the mother of the Son of God (not the mother of God; God is Jesus' Father).
Since the damaged part of our DNA that Scripture calls the sin-nature comes from our fathers through Adam (Romans 5:12, Through one man [not "woman" or "couple"), so His mother gave Him a genuine human nature, but without the sin-part, because Jesus didn't have a human father.
Jesus is genuine God, because God is His Father, and He got His Father's Blood-type, which He shed on Calvary. And He is genuine Man from the human nature of His mother, Mary.
This Christmas Eve, let's remember how Mary submitted to God's plan for her, even risking her reputation and even her life by stoning. Her trust was that strong.
May we also trust God by submitting to what His plan is for each of us, even if it looks like a difficult road to walk.
Merry Christmas.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
God's Holiness And Our Holiness
Ezekiel 44: 19; 46: 19-20
And when [the priests] go forth into the outer court, the outer court to the [common] people, they shall put off their [holy] garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments--they shall not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.
Then he said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meal offering; that they not bear them out into the outer court, to transmit holiness to the people.
This is part of the vision God gave to Ezekiel of the future Temple. There is extreme detail given concerning the size, measurement, structure, and layout of this future place of worship, described in six whole chapters.
What I am looking at is how God is so protective of His holiness that He will not permit the holy priests to transmit holiness to the common people.
God's holiness is sacred. It is very clear and emphatic that His priests in that Day, who minister to God in His holiness, must take careful precautions to separate the holy garments and the holy sacrifices from any contact with the common people, that they may not transmit holiness to the people!
There must be great danger concerning God's holiness upon common people. We must take the initiative to make ourselves holy; we would not be able to withstand God's holiness transmitted directly to us, any more than we can look directly into the Sun without destroying our eyes!
Yes, we are to be holy as God is holy, but not by gift or transmittal, but by desire, seeking, obedience, and working in the power and enabling God provides through His Holy Spirit in us.
We are still living in our mortal bodies, which are frail and very limited. We need to make the effort to care for our physical dwelling while we're here, even knowing that this mortal will put on immortality, in our Resurrection which will take place when Jesus returns and calls us out (called the Rapture, I Corinthians 15:53; see also I John 3:2).
We will eventually be living in bodies of Light, shining like the Sun (Matthew 13:43). But until then, we cannot even look at God without being destroyed (Exodus 33:20). Right now our corruptible, mortal, frail eyes cannot see what is Light without shadows to define what we're looking at, and God is pure Light, without any shadow of turning (James 1:17; I John 1:5), that would glare out our vision.
God's holiness is like that--we cannot withstand it directly. That's why we need to put forth the effort to be holy as I am holy.
O my Father, You are a God Who is so far above and beyond anything I can even imagine, and yet You see me, You know me, and You still love me more than I can know. You are faithful and trustworthy to always keep Your Word. You have designed and shaped all Creation according to Your will and desires, and everything operates just as You made it to.
And You have given us Your Manufacturer's Instructions to show us how to cooperate with how You made this Earth to work, to build our World upon it and love each other as You love us, in order to make our lives work as You designed them to. That's why all Your Law and Prophets have their foundation in Love (Matthew 22:37-40).
Father, You are Love (I John 4:8), everything You do You do in Love, even the things we might consider harsh or cruel. But we don't see the whole picture, we don't know the whole story. Eventually we will see and understand how everything You do is Right and True and Loving.
You alone are God. All Creation is Your imagination: If You were not thinking about us, we would not exist! So You will have all the thanks, all the praise, all the credit, all the glory, all the honor, all the worship for You have accomplished all Your purposes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And when [the priests] go forth into the outer court, the outer court to the [common] people, they shall put off their [holy] garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments--they shall not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.
Then he said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meal offering; that they not bear them out into the outer court, to transmit holiness to the people.
This is part of the vision God gave to Ezekiel of the future Temple. There is extreme detail given concerning the size, measurement, structure, and layout of this future place of worship, described in six whole chapters.
What I am looking at is how God is so protective of His holiness that He will not permit the holy priests to transmit holiness to the common people.
God's holiness is sacred. It is very clear and emphatic that His priests in that Day, who minister to God in His holiness, must take careful precautions to separate the holy garments and the holy sacrifices from any contact with the common people, that they may not transmit holiness to the people!
There must be great danger concerning God's holiness upon common people. We must take the initiative to make ourselves holy; we would not be able to withstand God's holiness transmitted directly to us, any more than we can look directly into the Sun without destroying our eyes!
Yes, we are to be holy as God is holy, but not by gift or transmittal, but by desire, seeking, obedience, and working in the power and enabling God provides through His Holy Spirit in us.
We are still living in our mortal bodies, which are frail and very limited. We need to make the effort to care for our physical dwelling while we're here, even knowing that this mortal will put on immortality, in our Resurrection which will take place when Jesus returns and calls us out (called the Rapture, I Corinthians 15:53; see also I John 3:2).
We will eventually be living in bodies of Light, shining like the Sun (Matthew 13:43). But until then, we cannot even look at God without being destroyed (Exodus 33:20). Right now our corruptible, mortal, frail eyes cannot see what is Light without shadows to define what we're looking at, and God is pure Light, without any shadow of turning (James 1:17; I John 1:5), that would glare out our vision.
God's holiness is like that--we cannot withstand it directly. That's why we need to put forth the effort to be holy as I am holy.
O my Father, You are a God Who is so far above and beyond anything I can even imagine, and yet You see me, You know me, and You still love me more than I can know. You are faithful and trustworthy to always keep Your Word. You have designed and shaped all Creation according to Your will and desires, and everything operates just as You made it to.
And You have given us Your Manufacturer's Instructions to show us how to cooperate with how You made this Earth to work, to build our World upon it and love each other as You love us, in order to make our lives work as You designed them to. That's why all Your Law and Prophets have their foundation in Love (Matthew 22:37-40).
Father, You are Love (I John 4:8), everything You do You do in Love, even the things we might consider harsh or cruel. But we don't see the whole picture, we don't know the whole story. Eventually we will see and understand how everything You do is Right and True and Loving.
You alone are God. All Creation is Your imagination: If You were not thinking about us, we would not exist! So You will have all the thanks, all the praise, all the credit, all the glory, all the honor, all the worship for You have accomplished all Your purposes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 22, 2018
the Imperfect Made Perfect
Hebrews 4: 16
Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
God is good and gracious, and wants us to approach Him with the confidence that we can trust Him fully to love us and do for us what He knows is the very best for us.
Jesus bought us with His precious Blood poured out as His possession, and He redeemed us with His Blood sprinkled on the sides of His altar, the Cross.
So I belong to Him at three levels: He is my Creator, my Maker; He is my Owner, my Judge; and He is my Savior and Redeemer.
He is Creator and Owner of all Creation, everybody; and He is Messiah to those who have recognized His authority over them and took their place in death so He could give them His Life.
So that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of all (see Isaiah 45:22-24, Romans 14:10-12, Philippians 2:9-11, and Revelation 5:12-13).
That is the Source of our confidence; we need have no doubt, no fear, no hesitation. Once God has given us Jesus to take our death, the greatest thing He could do, then He will not withhold any other, lesser good thing from those who love Him.
We can trust Him fully and completely, the way He deserves. That is what He wants us to do, and what we must do to make Him Lord (Boss) in our lives.
When we approach Him with confidence, then He will respond in mercy and grace to meet our every need, every time.
O my Father, thank You so much for all You are and all You do. You planned, You devised, You designed, then You created, and You cared for and provided for what You made. Then You made the most wrenching decision to send Your own Son to redeem what had been lost, and gave Your Law to show us what He would do so we would recognize Him.
Father, You have done everything You could to show us and teach us and convince us of Who You are. And yet, so many still refuse to see.
But those of us who have turned to You have found You so much more! More than we could ever imagine. And what You have planned for us to reward us for submitting to You and letting You have Your way in us is so much better than we would be able to understand.
Father, You will receive all the glory, all the honor, all the praise; because You have done all things perfectly, even using us, your imperfect creatures who You are making perfect.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
God is good and gracious, and wants us to approach Him with the confidence that we can trust Him fully to love us and do for us what He knows is the very best for us.
Jesus bought us with His precious Blood poured out as His possession, and He redeemed us with His Blood sprinkled on the sides of His altar, the Cross.
So I belong to Him at three levels: He is my Creator, my Maker; He is my Owner, my Judge; and He is my Savior and Redeemer.
He is Creator and Owner of all Creation, everybody; and He is Messiah to those who have recognized His authority over them and took their place in death so He could give them His Life.
So that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of all (see Isaiah 45:22-24, Romans 14:10-12, Philippians 2:9-11, and Revelation 5:12-13).
That is the Source of our confidence; we need have no doubt, no fear, no hesitation. Once God has given us Jesus to take our death, the greatest thing He could do, then He will not withhold any other, lesser good thing from those who love Him.
We can trust Him fully and completely, the way He deserves. That is what He wants us to do, and what we must do to make Him Lord (Boss) in our lives.
When we approach Him with confidence, then He will respond in mercy and grace to meet our every need, every time.
O my Father, thank You so much for all You are and all You do. You planned, You devised, You designed, then You created, and You cared for and provided for what You made. Then You made the most wrenching decision to send Your own Son to redeem what had been lost, and gave Your Law to show us what He would do so we would recognize Him.
Father, You have done everything You could to show us and teach us and convince us of Who You are. And yet, so many still refuse to see.
But those of us who have turned to You have found You so much more! More than we could ever imagine. And what You have planned for us to reward us for submitting to You and letting You have Your way in us is so much better than we would be able to understand.
Father, You will receive all the glory, all the honor, all the praise; because You have done all things perfectly, even using us, your imperfect creatures who You are making perfect.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 21, 2018
Know Your Business
Proverbs 27: 23-24
Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.
This tells us to take care of business, to stay tuned to our own wherewithal, our income and support. Then we will be free to focus on others' needs, also.
No one is concerned for your well-being as much as you are, and no one else is responsible for your happiness. We all have responsibility for ourselves first, to love ourselves properly, then love others as ourselves.
If we don't take care of our own business, how can we ever help anyone else?
O my Father, please help me to be aware of all You have blessed me with. Help me to use the talents and abilities You have given me to be responsible for all I find in my hand. Teach me, Father, to be consistent with what I do, and use my efforts to bless others as well as meet my needs.
You are so generous, Father; show me how I can be generous as You are. Let me see what I have to share, and release it from my grasp, so I won't hoard.
I know I tend to be stingy, holding on to whatever comes into my purview. But You have shown me to hold what I have in an open hand, to be ready to release and share what I would otherwise grasp. Only then will Your blessings be broadcast afar.
Continue working Your Plan, Father, to bring all Your Creation to the denouement that will climax the accomplishment of Your will; that will bring to the finish this whole Era of Man.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.
This tells us to take care of business, to stay tuned to our own wherewithal, our income and support. Then we will be free to focus on others' needs, also.
No one is concerned for your well-being as much as you are, and no one else is responsible for your happiness. We all have responsibility for ourselves first, to love ourselves properly, then love others as ourselves.
If we don't take care of our own business, how can we ever help anyone else?
O my Father, please help me to be aware of all You have blessed me with. Help me to use the talents and abilities You have given me to be responsible for all I find in my hand. Teach me, Father, to be consistent with what I do, and use my efforts to bless others as well as meet my needs.
You are so generous, Father; show me how I can be generous as You are. Let me see what I have to share, and release it from my grasp, so I won't hoard.
I know I tend to be stingy, holding on to whatever comes into my purview. But You have shown me to hold what I have in an open hand, to be ready to release and share what I would otherwise grasp. Only then will Your blessings be broadcast afar.
Continue working Your Plan, Father, to bring all Your Creation to the denouement that will climax the accomplishment of Your will; that will bring to the finish this whole Era of Man.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Fear Of Death
Hebrews 2: 14-15
Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
This letter is to the Hebrew Christians, who were children of Israel. The writer is telling them how, because they all lived in their human bodies, flesh and blood, so Jesus, the Lord God, also took upon Himself a human body, subject to death; and died our human death in order to conquer the devil's power to enslave us with the fear of death.
Fear is enslaving. People have done horrible things because they were afraid.
Because Jesus has conquered death, we no longer need to fear it. Death has been rendered powerless, and it will be our last enemy to be destroyed totally (I Corinthians 15:26).
Now God has given us His Holy Spirit to live in us. This is not a spirit of fear, but the Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). So we need never be afraid of anything any more, even death.
Since we can't "know" what happens at death, until it happens, we can only believe the ideas others have about what they think it will be like. But no one has actually died and been buried, then later come back, except Jesus.
There are lots of stories out there from ancient manuscripts to modern-day near-death experiences. And a lot of people fall into error listening to these tales, because they don't know God's Truth.
Those of us who know God and are acquainted with His written Word, and have been born into His personal Family and received Life in His Holy Spirit, can trust what He has told us about what comes after this life.
We can trust Him when He tells us about these Last Days we are living in. We can trust Him when He tells us that King Jesus will return to this World to rule for a thousand years. We can trust Him when He tells us that His justice will settle every dispute, pay every debt, level every ground. The evil will be fairly dealt with, and the Redeemed will be rewarded. Everything will come out in the wash: He will cleanse this whole Universe, re-making it totally different.
The knowledge of this Universe will become obsolete (see I Corinthians 13: 8, Whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away.) when the New Heaven and New Earth are designed according to the First Law of Thermodynamics, but not the Second.
The First Law is "Conservation," what is, is, no more can be, and none can be obliterated, it only changes form. This is Creation: What God has made, man cannot add to or subtract from. It is.
Then sin entered the picture, and God cursed Man, the World and the Universe it resides in with death. This is the Second Law: "Entropy," everything degrades over time from order to chaos, it wears out, it wears down. This is death. This is why all living things die. This is how a Savior can die for us, in our place, so we can live forever.
So we no longer need to fear death, it no longer has any power over us. This enemy has been defeated, and will be destroyed utterly. Halleluia!
O my Father, thank You so much that we can trust what You have told us. That we no longer need to listen to anyone else, that we can trust Your written Word to be True. We can rely on everything it says will happen, because You see the end from the beginning. Father, You gave Your people Your Law, so they would know what Your Messiah would do and recognize Him.
Some did, but most of them didn't. Even today, many do trust You, but the great masses do not.
I don't know why You allowed Lucifer to draw away only a third of Your Angels, reserving twice as many for Yourself; yet among Mankind, Your pinnacle of Creation, You draw only a few among the many to be Your own.
Even though You are not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (II Peter 3:9), yet many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16).
I trust You, Father, to be Who You say You are, and that everything You do comes from Your Nature of Love; so it is good that You have given us a will that is free to choose or reject Your Love. And all Your children have freely chosen to love You back.
All the rest, who don't want anything to do with You, will not be forced. They have freely chosen, and You will allow them to experience the consequences of their choices: Since You are Light, they will have darkness. You are peace, they will have no peace. You are Love, they will know only hatred. You are Good, they will be bereft of anything good. You are our Source of everything, they will possess nothing.
And we who love You and desire Your Presence will enjoy forever all Your Goodness lavished upon us.
O Father, You are just and fair. You are beautiful and generous. You have chosen to lavish Your Love upon us, giving up Your own Son to redeem us. You have loved us with a Love so far beyond what my feeble mind can comprehend, I worship You as the only God. There can be only One above all, and You are.
Thank You, Father, that I need not fear anything in this life, this Earth, this Universe. You have conquered all that has been against me, even myself, and given me the right to become Your own child, in Your own Family. You caused me to be born spiritually, giving me Your Holy Spirit to make my dead spirit alive, able to see and understand Your Truth. And not be afraid of anything.
Continue, Father, to work Your Plan, use me in any way You know I can do, and You will receive all the thanks, all the credit, all the glory, forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
This letter is to the Hebrew Christians, who were children of Israel. The writer is telling them how, because they all lived in their human bodies, flesh and blood, so Jesus, the Lord God, also took upon Himself a human body, subject to death; and died our human death in order to conquer the devil's power to enslave us with the fear of death.
Fear is enslaving. People have done horrible things because they were afraid.
Because Jesus has conquered death, we no longer need to fear it. Death has been rendered powerless, and it will be our last enemy to be destroyed totally (I Corinthians 15:26).
Now God has given us His Holy Spirit to live in us. This is not a spirit of fear, but the Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). So we need never be afraid of anything any more, even death.
Since we can't "know" what happens at death, until it happens, we can only believe the ideas others have about what they think it will be like. But no one has actually died and been buried, then later come back, except Jesus.
There are lots of stories out there from ancient manuscripts to modern-day near-death experiences. And a lot of people fall into error listening to these tales, because they don't know God's Truth.
Those of us who know God and are acquainted with His written Word, and have been born into His personal Family and received Life in His Holy Spirit, can trust what He has told us about what comes after this life.
We can trust Him when He tells us about these Last Days we are living in. We can trust Him when He tells us that King Jesus will return to this World to rule for a thousand years. We can trust Him when He tells us that His justice will settle every dispute, pay every debt, level every ground. The evil will be fairly dealt with, and the Redeemed will be rewarded. Everything will come out in the wash: He will cleanse this whole Universe, re-making it totally different.
The knowledge of this Universe will become obsolete (see I Corinthians 13: 8, Whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away.) when the New Heaven and New Earth are designed according to the First Law of Thermodynamics, but not the Second.
The First Law is "Conservation," what is, is, no more can be, and none can be obliterated, it only changes form. This is Creation: What God has made, man cannot add to or subtract from. It is.
Then sin entered the picture, and God cursed Man, the World and the Universe it resides in with death. This is the Second Law: "Entropy," everything degrades over time from order to chaos, it wears out, it wears down. This is death. This is why all living things die. This is how a Savior can die for us, in our place, so we can live forever.
So we no longer need to fear death, it no longer has any power over us. This enemy has been defeated, and will be destroyed utterly. Halleluia!
O my Father, thank You so much that we can trust what You have told us. That we no longer need to listen to anyone else, that we can trust Your written Word to be True. We can rely on everything it says will happen, because You see the end from the beginning. Father, You gave Your people Your Law, so they would know what Your Messiah would do and recognize Him.
Some did, but most of them didn't. Even today, many do trust You, but the great masses do not.
I don't know why You allowed Lucifer to draw away only a third of Your Angels, reserving twice as many for Yourself; yet among Mankind, Your pinnacle of Creation, You draw only a few among the many to be Your own.
Even though You are not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (II Peter 3:9), yet many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16).
I trust You, Father, to be Who You say You are, and that everything You do comes from Your Nature of Love; so it is good that You have given us a will that is free to choose or reject Your Love. And all Your children have freely chosen to love You back.
All the rest, who don't want anything to do with You, will not be forced. They have freely chosen, and You will allow them to experience the consequences of their choices: Since You are Light, they will have darkness. You are peace, they will have no peace. You are Love, they will know only hatred. You are Good, they will be bereft of anything good. You are our Source of everything, they will possess nothing.
And we who love You and desire Your Presence will enjoy forever all Your Goodness lavished upon us.
O Father, You are just and fair. You are beautiful and generous. You have chosen to lavish Your Love upon us, giving up Your own Son to redeem us. You have loved us with a Love so far beyond what my feeble mind can comprehend, I worship You as the only God. There can be only One above all, and You are.
Thank You, Father, that I need not fear anything in this life, this Earth, this Universe. You have conquered all that has been against me, even myself, and given me the right to become Your own child, in Your own Family. You caused me to be born spiritually, giving me Your Holy Spirit to make my dead spirit alive, able to see and understand Your Truth. And not be afraid of anything.
Continue, Father, to work Your Plan, use me in any way You know I can do, and You will receive all the thanks, all the credit, all the glory, forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Good To Be Afflicted
Psalm 119: 71, 80
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Thy statutes.
May my heart be blameless in Thy statutes, that I may not be ashamed.
God singles out each one of us with the trials and afflictions each of us is subjected to. God doesn't tempt anyone, but He allows our own flesh, this World around us, and the devil to tempt us with all manners of troubles and sorrows.
Life in this World is our school, to learn God's ways and get to know Him.
When I am taking a class and there is a test I need to study for, I find that when I give a wrong answer, that's when I learn the right answer, because it was on the test.
God uses things in our world to show us His goodness and care for us through negative experiences, like taking a test in school.
When God let me break my hip, I was greatly hindered in living my daily life; I couldn't do anything automatically any more, I had to think about how I could accomplish every little thing I need to do each day.
That was a real test, and I found that the discipline of thinking about how to do even simple things could carry over into thinking before I speak, also.
So, I can say with David, that it was good that I was afflicted, so that I could learn how to interact with others with the Love that God loved me with through this whole healing process.
O my Father, help me to continue to learn from that mishap, to remember to think before I speak, even in the heat of the moment. Help my attitudes toward others be according to how You see them, and may I think Your thoughts for them. Then my words will be Your words, and relationships will be able to go on that path of healing.
Thank You, my Father, for all the ways You work in me, and on me, so that You will be able to also work through me. Help me to continue to grow in Your Love, so that my heart will be blameless according to Your rules, and I may not be ashamed.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Thy statutes.
May my heart be blameless in Thy statutes, that I may not be ashamed.
God singles out each one of us with the trials and afflictions each of us is subjected to. God doesn't tempt anyone, but He allows our own flesh, this World around us, and the devil to tempt us with all manners of troubles and sorrows.
Life in this World is our school, to learn God's ways and get to know Him.
When I am taking a class and there is a test I need to study for, I find that when I give a wrong answer, that's when I learn the right answer, because it was on the test.
God uses things in our world to show us His goodness and care for us through negative experiences, like taking a test in school.
When God let me break my hip, I was greatly hindered in living my daily life; I couldn't do anything automatically any more, I had to think about how I could accomplish every little thing I need to do each day.
That was a real test, and I found that the discipline of thinking about how to do even simple things could carry over into thinking before I speak, also.
So, I can say with David, that it was good that I was afflicted, so that I could learn how to interact with others with the Love that God loved me with through this whole healing process.
O my Father, help me to continue to learn from that mishap, to remember to think before I speak, even in the heat of the moment. Help my attitudes toward others be according to how You see them, and may I think Your thoughts for them. Then my words will be Your words, and relationships will be able to go on that path of healing.
Thank You, my Father, for all the ways You work in me, and on me, so that You will be able to also work through me. Help me to continue to grow in Your Love, so that my heart will be blameless according to Your rules, and I may not be ashamed.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Your Commandments Enlarge My Heart
Psalm 119: 32
I shall run the way of Your commandments, for You will enlarge my heart.
God is the One Who designed this whole Universe, and He formed the Earth to be our home, and put into it everything we will ever need while we're here. He designed it to give us all an abundance of the prosperity He put into it, and He gave us all the rules and directions on how to operate it.
His commandments are some of the rules we are to follow to access this prosperity, and it's all based on Love. We are to recognize how much God loves us, and love Him back; then we are to love our neighbor as we care for our own needs. Our neighbor is anyone in our world that needs the kind of help we can give.
O my Father God, my Creator and Source of everything I need or desire, thank You for Your great Love for what You have made, including me. Thank You for supplying all that we need in this Earth You made for us.
Teach me, Father, how to operate in this World to access the bounty You have placed here for our benefit. Let me use this bounty to help those who have need of it, to share and to teach and to love on them with Your Love.
Enlarge my heart, Father; find whatever hard places reside there, and soften them. Remove the stony places and replace them with vulnerable flesh, soft and approachable.
Enlarge my borders, the world I live in, to give me access to many more who need what I have to share; who all need You, Father. We are all so desperate for You! Bring me to those who You have prepared to receive the benefits You have given me to share; material, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
I want to run hard on Your heels, my Lord, according to Your commandments and precepts. Show me Your way, lead and guide me straight on, not turning to the left or to the right, not running ahead or lagging behind, not wandering off or pulling away.
Work Your plan through me, Father, to bless many with Your blessings; and You will receive all the glory, all the honor, all the credit for everything You have done; for it is You Who have done everything that is done to complete and finish this Story of Man on this Earth. And Your Kingdom will never cease to grow and increase.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I shall run the way of Your commandments, for You will enlarge my heart.
God is the One Who designed this whole Universe, and He formed the Earth to be our home, and put into it everything we will ever need while we're here. He designed it to give us all an abundance of the prosperity He put into it, and He gave us all the rules and directions on how to operate it.
His commandments are some of the rules we are to follow to access this prosperity, and it's all based on Love. We are to recognize how much God loves us, and love Him back; then we are to love our neighbor as we care for our own needs. Our neighbor is anyone in our world that needs the kind of help we can give.
O my Father God, my Creator and Source of everything I need or desire, thank You for Your great Love for what You have made, including me. Thank You for supplying all that we need in this Earth You made for us.
Teach me, Father, how to operate in this World to access the bounty You have placed here for our benefit. Let me use this bounty to help those who have need of it, to share and to teach and to love on them with Your Love.
Enlarge my heart, Father; find whatever hard places reside there, and soften them. Remove the stony places and replace them with vulnerable flesh, soft and approachable.
Enlarge my borders, the world I live in, to give me access to many more who need what I have to share; who all need You, Father. We are all so desperate for You! Bring me to those who You have prepared to receive the benefits You have given me to share; material, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
I want to run hard on Your heels, my Lord, according to Your commandments and precepts. Show me Your way, lead and guide me straight on, not turning to the left or to the right, not running ahead or lagging behind, not wandering off or pulling away.
Work Your plan through me, Father, to bless many with Your blessings; and You will receive all the glory, all the honor, all the credit for everything You have done; for it is You Who have done everything that is done to complete and finish this Story of Man on this Earth. And Your Kingdom will never cease to grow and increase.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 17, 2018
Joy Or Terror
Proverbs 21: 2, 15
Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
The execution of justice is joy for the righteous, but terror to the workers of iniquity.
Everyone must live with himself, so we tend to justify all our decisions, so we think we're all right. But God sees our hearts, and recognizes the selfishness and greed and deceptiveness that resides there.
So when justice is done concerning the crimes that have been perpetrated against us all, then those who have done right can rejoice, but those who have done or agreed with the ones doing the unrighteousness and evil will fear for their own safety.
When we allow our own hearts to lie to us, to deny the truth of our ways to ourselves, we subvert and sabotage our own successes.
But God searches our innermost hearts and shows us the Truth of what is right and straight, and what is crooked and twisted. Then we can confess the wrongs and forsake those ways, turning to the righteous path to walk in it.
O my Father, thank You for Your Truth, thank You for showing us what is straight, and what is crooked. Thank You for Your great Love and compassion for us to tell us ahead of time everything You are doing in this World, so we can be prepared to face each day with courage and confidence.
Thank You, Father, for providing our every need; designing and making this Earth to produce our temporary material needs, and sending Your beloved Son to take care of our real spiritual needs.
Thank You, Father, for leading us into Your straight paths, so that we will rejoice when true justice is administered; and not be terrorized by the prospect of being caught in our iniquities, having already turned from them and cleansed of all our stains in the Blood of Christ.
Thank You, Father, for all that You do. Everything You do is right and just and fair. Your purposes guide Your great Plan of the Ages, and You are working out all the details using our choices.
Father, You use the doings of both the righteous and the wicked to further Your plans. Those who choose to do right will be rewarded, and those who choose to rebel against what is good will face Your wrath. And they will be terrified to face Your justice.
O Father, please send out workers into the fields that are even now white to harvest; send out Your under-shepherds to seek out and find Your lost sheep who have wandered into thorns and brambles and other dangers, to rescue them from being destroyed by the enemy and having to face Your wrath.
Draw them into the safety of Your one fold and one Shepherd, to know You and love You as You love them.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory, all the honor, for designing and making and shaping and doing all Your will in all Creation. And Your Kingdom will never cease to increase.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
The execution of justice is joy for the righteous, but terror to the workers of iniquity.
Everyone must live with himself, so we tend to justify all our decisions, so we think we're all right. But God sees our hearts, and recognizes the selfishness and greed and deceptiveness that resides there.
So when justice is done concerning the crimes that have been perpetrated against us all, then those who have done right can rejoice, but those who have done or agreed with the ones doing the unrighteousness and evil will fear for their own safety.
When we allow our own hearts to lie to us, to deny the truth of our ways to ourselves, we subvert and sabotage our own successes.
But God searches our innermost hearts and shows us the Truth of what is right and straight, and what is crooked and twisted. Then we can confess the wrongs and forsake those ways, turning to the righteous path to walk in it.
O my Father, thank You for Your Truth, thank You for showing us what is straight, and what is crooked. Thank You for Your great Love and compassion for us to tell us ahead of time everything You are doing in this World, so we can be prepared to face each day with courage and confidence.
Thank You, Father, for providing our every need; designing and making this Earth to produce our temporary material needs, and sending Your beloved Son to take care of our real spiritual needs.
Thank You, Father, for leading us into Your straight paths, so that we will rejoice when true justice is administered; and not be terrorized by the prospect of being caught in our iniquities, having already turned from them and cleansed of all our stains in the Blood of Christ.
Thank You, Father, for all that You do. Everything You do is right and just and fair. Your purposes guide Your great Plan of the Ages, and You are working out all the details using our choices.
Father, You use the doings of both the righteous and the wicked to further Your plans. Those who choose to do right will be rewarded, and those who choose to rebel against what is good will face Your wrath. And they will be terrified to face Your justice.
O Father, please send out workers into the fields that are even now white to harvest; send out Your under-shepherds to seek out and find Your lost sheep who have wandered into thorns and brambles and other dangers, to rescue them from being destroyed by the enemy and having to face Your wrath.
Draw them into the safety of Your one fold and one Shepherd, to know You and love You as You love them.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory, all the honor, for designing and making and shaping and doing all Your will in all Creation. And Your Kingdom will never cease to increase.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Strength And Song And Salvation
Psalm 118: 6, 14
The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can Man do to me?
If you know that the Lord God Almighty is on your side (because you're on His side), then you don't need to be afraid of anything anyone else can do to you.
The Lord is my strength
Wherever we find ourselves unable to do something we need to do, He is strong enough to do it through you.
and my song,
He is the One Who is to be praised with music, His fame spreads throughout the whole of Creation through the songs of Men and Angels.
and He has become my Salvation.
And He has come as our Redeemer, and acquired the Name of Jesus, to
be sin for us, Who knew no sin;
Jesus is the Son that was given to us when the new Child was born (Isaiah 9:6), and God the Son, the Lord, has become our Salvation as the Lamb of God. He bore our very sin-nature, encompassing all the sins that result from it, for each of us individually, as God saves people one-by-one.
that we might be made the rightousness of God in Him (II Corinthians 5:21).
His Blood washes us as white as snow, pristine, without a spot or wrinkle, perfectly pure. To fit us to live with Him where He lives.
So He has become our Salvation, our rescue from the power of sin right now in this World.
O my Father, You are my strength, I am powerless and weak. Because I trust You, because You have chosen me, I will not fear whatever happens to me in this World.
You are for me, so You will continue to hold me in Your hand, protecting me from Your wrath that shall come upon the whole World in the Day of Wrath.
You are my song that I will sing until the whole World hears! Or until You deem my purpose here finished.
And You will receive all the honor, all the glory, all the praise, forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can Man do to me?
If you know that the Lord God Almighty is on your side (because you're on His side), then you don't need to be afraid of anything anyone else can do to you.
The Lord is my strength
Wherever we find ourselves unable to do something we need to do, He is strong enough to do it through you.
and my song,
He is the One Who is to be praised with music, His fame spreads throughout the whole of Creation through the songs of Men and Angels.
and He has become my Salvation.
And He has come as our Redeemer, and acquired the Name of Jesus, to
be sin for us, Who knew no sin;
Jesus is the Son that was given to us when the new Child was born (Isaiah 9:6), and God the Son, the Lord, has become our Salvation as the Lamb of God. He bore our very sin-nature, encompassing all the sins that result from it, for each of us individually, as God saves people one-by-one.
that we might be made the rightousness of God in Him (II Corinthians 5:21).
His Blood washes us as white as snow, pristine, without a spot or wrinkle, perfectly pure. To fit us to live with Him where He lives.
So He has become our Salvation, our rescue from the power of sin right now in this World.
O my Father, You are my strength, I am powerless and weak. Because I trust You, because You have chosen me, I will not fear whatever happens to me in this World.
You are for me, so You will continue to hold me in Your hand, protecting me from Your wrath that shall come upon the whole World in the Day of Wrath.
You are my song that I will sing until the whole World hears! Or until You deem my purpose here finished.
And You will receive all the honor, all the glory, all the praise, forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Confess And Believe
Romans 10: 9-10
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
If you say out loud your belief that Jesus is the Lord God Almighty.
And believe in your heart
Believe all that Jesus did in fulfilling the Old Testament Law.
That God raised Him from the dead
That the Father accepted His payment on your behalf by raising Him with Resurrection Life, to give us that same Resurrection Life.
You shall be saved;
Rescued from the power of sin and cleansed from every stain of sin.
For with the heart Man believes, resulting in righteousness,
With our will and emotions we choose to trust that Jesus did all the work for us, and let Him do it all, not trying to save ourselves; that results in God putting on our account Jesus' perfect Righteousness, because He put on Jesus' account all our sin.
And with the mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation.
We must have enough faith to be able to tell others of what God has done for us. Enough trust in Him to give us the confidence to share with someone else. Even faith as small as the Mustard Seed, the smallest seed that is planted, is enough; because it's not our faith at issue here, it's Who our faith is in--our great God of the Universe! He is the One with all the might and power to do everything He has planned, including rescuing you!
O my Father God, You have told us so plainly and clearly what You require of us. You grant us that faith to believe, and You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit to power the New Life given to us to break the bondage of the power of sin over us.
It is You, Father, that has molded me into a vessel to bear Your honor, when I was a dishonorable vessel, dishonoring my own body and others.
It is Your will that I be rescued from that life of slavery and changed it into a life of honor to You, leaving the sin that has no more power over me, to walk in Your path, according to Your ways, in Your power to do those things in Your Name that You have prepared beforehand for me to accomplish.
Thank You so much, Father, for choosing me. I can claim no credit at all for what You have done and are doing in me, and will continue to do, until Your purposes for me have been finished.
Don't let me get in Your way, my Lord; do Your will in and through me, keeping me humble before You all my days.
And may You receive all the credit, all the glory, and all the accolaides for doing everything You designed and planned and carried out to completion. When the final credits roll at the end of this "movie" of Mankind, You will take every slot, every position in the list of "who did what" in making it all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
If you say out loud your belief that Jesus is the Lord God Almighty.
And believe in your heart
Believe all that Jesus did in fulfilling the Old Testament Law.
That God raised Him from the dead
That the Father accepted His payment on your behalf by raising Him with Resurrection Life, to give us that same Resurrection Life.
You shall be saved;
Rescued from the power of sin and cleansed from every stain of sin.
For with the heart Man believes, resulting in righteousness,
With our will and emotions we choose to trust that Jesus did all the work for us, and let Him do it all, not trying to save ourselves; that results in God putting on our account Jesus' perfect Righteousness, because He put on Jesus' account all our sin.
And with the mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation.
We must have enough faith to be able to tell others of what God has done for us. Enough trust in Him to give us the confidence to share with someone else. Even faith as small as the Mustard Seed, the smallest seed that is planted, is enough; because it's not our faith at issue here, it's Who our faith is in--our great God of the Universe! He is the One with all the might and power to do everything He has planned, including rescuing you!
O my Father God, You have told us so plainly and clearly what You require of us. You grant us that faith to believe, and You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit to power the New Life given to us to break the bondage of the power of sin over us.
It is You, Father, that has molded me into a vessel to bear Your honor, when I was a dishonorable vessel, dishonoring my own body and others.
It is Your will that I be rescued from that life of slavery and changed it into a life of honor to You, leaving the sin that has no more power over me, to walk in Your path, according to Your ways, in Your power to do those things in Your Name that You have prepared beforehand for me to accomplish.
Thank You so much, Father, for choosing me. I can claim no credit at all for what You have done and are doing in me, and will continue to do, until Your purposes for me have been finished.
Don't let me get in Your way, my Lord; do Your will in and through me, keeping me humble before You all my days.
And may You receive all the credit, all the glory, and all the accolaides for doing everything You designed and planned and carried out to completion. When the final credits roll at the end of this "movie" of Mankind, You will take every slot, every position in the list of "who did what" in making it all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 14, 2018
Overcoming Evil
Romans 12: 21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
There is so much error and dishonesty and hatred and downright evil all around us in this World. It's in our nation, our neighborhoods, and even in our own families.
I need to start at home, with my own family and neighbors. I must not retaliate when others injure or insult me, and I must take great care to not injure or insult them in any way.
I need to learn how to gently and graciously help others to correct the errors they have been caught by, with compassion and gentleness. A soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). To have a "soft answer" I need to pause and consider how my response may be received by the hearer. Not easy to do in the heat of the moment.
If we are to "overcome evil with good" we will need to be strong to not give in to what is easy, to struggle against our own propensities to wander.
We all have pain and wounds that need healing, so we must not speak from our pain and fear; our Father is the Great Physician Who heals all our wounds (Isaiah 53:5), and when we remember how much He cares for us (Perfect love casts out fear, I John 4:18), then we'll be able to trust Him to guide our responses.
So we need to continually draw close to God, and He will draw close to us (James 4:8). To know Him better is to love Him more, every day.
O my Father, please help me to learn, help me to be open to Your teachings, to not just know them, but to be able to apply them in my living and interacting with my loved ones and with others every day.
Father, help me to think Your thoughts, to believe Your Truth even in the little things, to have Your attitudes. Then Your words will be in my mouth, and Your kindness will be under my tongue. Wash away my harshness and sharp edges in that cleansing Flood, and continue to mold me into the very image of Your dear Son, my Savior, my Redeemer, my King, and my Lord; and my best Friend, my Brother, and my Husband, Who knows me intimately and loves me passionately and unconditionally.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
There is so much error and dishonesty and hatred and downright evil all around us in this World. It's in our nation, our neighborhoods, and even in our own families.
I need to start at home, with my own family and neighbors. I must not retaliate when others injure or insult me, and I must take great care to not injure or insult them in any way.
I need to learn how to gently and graciously help others to correct the errors they have been caught by, with compassion and gentleness. A soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). To have a "soft answer" I need to pause and consider how my response may be received by the hearer. Not easy to do in the heat of the moment.
If we are to "overcome evil with good" we will need to be strong to not give in to what is easy, to struggle against our own propensities to wander.
We all have pain and wounds that need healing, so we must not speak from our pain and fear; our Father is the Great Physician Who heals all our wounds (Isaiah 53:5), and when we remember how much He cares for us (Perfect love casts out fear, I John 4:18), then we'll be able to trust Him to guide our responses.
So we need to continually draw close to God, and He will draw close to us (James 4:8). To know Him better is to love Him more, every day.
O my Father, please help me to learn, help me to be open to Your teachings, to not just know them, but to be able to apply them in my living and interacting with my loved ones and with others every day.
Father, help me to think Your thoughts, to believe Your Truth even in the little things, to have Your attitudes. Then Your words will be in my mouth, and Your kindness will be under my tongue. Wash away my harshness and sharp edges in that cleansing Flood, and continue to mold me into the very image of Your dear Son, my Savior, my Redeemer, my King, and my Lord; and my best Friend, my Brother, and my Husband, Who knows me intimately and loves me passionately and unconditionally.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 13, 2018
The Redemption Of Creation
Romans 3: 24
Being justified as a gift by His grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
God's grace is truely amazing! His gift of Justification, granted freely and generously, has come about through the whole Redemption which has been accomplished by God's Christ, Who is Jesus!
O so rich, so full, so all-encompassing is the Redemption that has solved every problem, paid every debt, answered every question, healed every wound and sickness, restored everything that has fallen from the glory He originally gave it.
Our Lord Jesus, as the Lamb of God, has Redeemed all of Creation from its fallen state by His precious Blood voluntarily shed at Calvary!
I find it so thrilling to see the beginning of the outworking of this Redemption as it is appearing in our World today; to see the Nations being drawn into position to receive our Sovereign King and His Righteous judgment on the wickedness and rebellion and His just rule over all He has made.
O my Father, thank You for Your great, grand Plan of the Ages, and the ability to see it beginning to work out, just as You have told us it would. History really is Your Story of this Creation. You have told us our whole timeline, from before it began all the way through to beyond this Epoch of Mankind on this Earth.
And from Your storyline, we must now be very close to the end of the story: It's the climax of the final scene, and everything looks utterly hopeless--until the Hero enters the stage, at the last possible moment, to rescue us.
And that final Battle will be amazing! (See Revelation 19, and Isaiah 30:31-32.)
O Father, I long to be with You, to see King Jesus coming, to be following Him in His Battle of Armegeddon, and to help Him set up His Kingdom here on this Earth! Finally the Golden Age! The Redemption of the Earth itself.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Being justified as a gift by His grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
God's grace is truely amazing! His gift of Justification, granted freely and generously, has come about through the whole Redemption which has been accomplished by God's Christ, Who is Jesus!
O so rich, so full, so all-encompassing is the Redemption that has solved every problem, paid every debt, answered every question, healed every wound and sickness, restored everything that has fallen from the glory He originally gave it.
Our Lord Jesus, as the Lamb of God, has Redeemed all of Creation from its fallen state by His precious Blood voluntarily shed at Calvary!
I find it so thrilling to see the beginning of the outworking of this Redemption as it is appearing in our World today; to see the Nations being drawn into position to receive our Sovereign King and His Righteous judgment on the wickedness and rebellion and His just rule over all He has made.
O my Father, thank You for Your great, grand Plan of the Ages, and the ability to see it beginning to work out, just as You have told us it would. History really is Your Story of this Creation. You have told us our whole timeline, from before it began all the way through to beyond this Epoch of Mankind on this Earth.
And from Your storyline, we must now be very close to the end of the story: It's the climax of the final scene, and everything looks utterly hopeless--until the Hero enters the stage, at the last possible moment, to rescue us.
And that final Battle will be amazing! (See Revelation 19, and Isaiah 30:31-32.)
O Father, I long to be with You, to see King Jesus coming, to be following Him in His Battle of Armegeddon, and to help Him set up His Kingdom here on this Earth! Finally the Golden Age! The Redemption of the Earth itself.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Kindness
Ephesians 1:5, 9; 2:7
... The kind intention of His will ... According to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ... The surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
I know that I tend to be direct. And my directness can be taken as harsh and abrupt.
But God's kindness is gentle and compassionate.
O my Father, thank You for Your kind and compassionate grace. Thank You for showing us Your gentleness and sweetness in Your agape Love.
Father, teach me how to be kind and gentle in my compassion for Your Truth, and in sharing Your Truth to others. Temper my hard directness with a softening of kindness toward others.
Teach me Your thoughts, Father, let me see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears; help me to think clearly to express Your thoughts and attitudes in Your Spirit of gentleness and kindness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
... The kind intention of His will ... According to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ... The surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
I know that I tend to be direct. And my directness can be taken as harsh and abrupt.
But God's kindness is gentle and compassionate.
O my Father, thank You for Your kind and compassionate grace. Thank You for showing us Your gentleness and sweetness in Your agape Love.
Father, teach me how to be kind and gentle in my compassion for Your Truth, and in sharing Your Truth to others. Temper my hard directness with a softening of kindness toward others.
Teach me Your thoughts, Father, let me see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears; help me to think clearly to express Your thoughts and attitudes in Your Spirit of gentleness and kindness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
The Lord's Bondservant
II Timothy 2: 24-26
And the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance, leading to the knowledge of the Truth,
and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
As those who are being transformed into the image of Christ, we must never pick a fight or argument, but be aware of where that person is coming from and do or say what would be appropriate.
Even when they work against us, we can't afford to get riled up, but be patient with them, speaking quietly, reasoning with them. And perhaps God will open their minds to understand, so they can come to their senses and reason with logic, instead of the twisted thought processes promoted by our enemy.
We all think that we're making our own decisions, but our choices are influenced by outside forces--they're either God's ways or the devil's. We're never free of their domination, pushing our thinking processes.
We need God's Love to push us into doing what is right, to think along reasonable lines, and break free of the captivity of our enemy who wants to destroy us.
O my Father, I know that even though I have Your Holy Spirit living in me, I still am vulnerable to the clever twistings of the enemy, so I need to lean only on You. You have made this Earth for us, and You have told us how to function in it. But our pride and independence lead us to rebel against You in our thinking.
How we think is foundational to how we live our lives moment to moment, and we need You, Father, to guide us. I don't want to veer off Your path for me even a little, I want to stay in Your footsteps, my hand in Yours, my pace matching Yours. Keep me close, Father, as I seek to draw close to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance, leading to the knowledge of the Truth,
and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
As those who are being transformed into the image of Christ, we must never pick a fight or argument, but be aware of where that person is coming from and do or say what would be appropriate.
Even when they work against us, we can't afford to get riled up, but be patient with them, speaking quietly, reasoning with them. And perhaps God will open their minds to understand, so they can come to their senses and reason with logic, instead of the twisted thought processes promoted by our enemy.
We all think that we're making our own decisions, but our choices are influenced by outside forces--they're either God's ways or the devil's. We're never free of their domination, pushing our thinking processes.
We need God's Love to push us into doing what is right, to think along reasonable lines, and break free of the captivity of our enemy who wants to destroy us.
O my Father, I know that even though I have Your Holy Spirit living in me, I still am vulnerable to the clever twistings of the enemy, so I need to lean only on You. You have made this Earth for us, and You have told us how to function in it. But our pride and independence lead us to rebel against You in our thinking.
How we think is foundational to how we live our lives moment to moment, and we need You, Father, to guide us. I don't want to veer off Your path for me even a little, I want to stay in Your footsteps, my hand in Yours, my pace matching Yours. Keep me close, Father, as I seek to draw close to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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