Psalm 94: 16, 20
Who will stand up for Me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for Me against those who do wickedness?
Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, one which devises mischief by decree?
A "throne of destruction" is a government that "devises mischief by decree," it makes laws that promote unrighteousness and evil.
Like the ancient rulers who decreed human sacrifices to idols, and illicit sexual acts in worship of demons.
Or the official persecution of Jesus-followers.
Or the permitting of the destruction of the most innocent, and the forbidding of counsellors to counsel anyone who wants to get rid of unrighteous physical urges, or to make legal what used to be "controlled" because it alters the brain, or decrees that Christian businesspeople must promote ungodly lifestyles.
These are a few instances of the "mischief" which is "devised" "by decree."
Every generation has its share of "spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12), and these are not just spiritual places, but worldly political places; governments. No earthly government is immune to these spiritual forces, but are particularly vulnerable to their influence.
That is why "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
How can we stand up against these "evildoers"? What stand can we take against "those who do wickedness"?
To start with, we need to remember that our fight is not with people. The people involved in these devisings have been deceived, and are victims of the devil. They are still very dangerous, but the power behind them is the source we need to focus on.
That's why Paul told the Ephesians to put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (see Ephesians 6:10-18).
In a democratic government, your spiritual duty is to vote. In a republican government, your spiritual duty is to ensure that your representative is representing your views in their governing; or even run for office yourself.
In a kingdom or dictatorship, your duty is to pray for your leaders, and promote righteousness in your own circle of influence.
We all are to pray for our leaders, both governmental and spiritual (I Timothy 2:1-3, 8).
And we are all to be living according to the Righteousness of Christ, showing the World around us God's goodness and compassion and kindness; encouraging those in our circles of influence; promoting the Kingdom of God in all that we think, do, and say in the societies in which we live.
We cannot do this in our own human strength; we must rely on God's Holy Spirit Who resides inside our bodies in our spirits. He will give us the strength and power and ability to stand against all this wickedness and evil, and hold us up to stand after we've done everything we can do.
It won't be easy, but with our hand in His, we can weather every attack against us with victory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Monday, January 14, 2019
Pure Or Defiled?
Titus 1: 15-16
To the pure all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestible and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.
Those who know and follow the Lord can recognize what is holy and pure, and can see the good in everything God made. That's what they are to focus on.
Those who refuse to choose God are refusing what is good and pure, so they only see what is worldly; what is defiled, twisted, or just plain wrong.
Because we are all born into the Human family with damaged DNA, we all have a fallen nature, which Scripture calls "sinful flesh." This is what causes us to make poor decisions that transgress God's rules for us.
Then, those who persist in defying God deliberately harden their hearts like Pharaoh did when Moses confronted him. Just like him, they will reach a point that God will give them over: Pharaoh to a hardened heart that led to the destruction of his whole Nation; people today to depravity and detestible things (see Romans 1:18-32).
So this is all about our focus. Whatever we're looking closely at fills our vision and everything else fades into the background, whether our focus is on what is pure or what is defiled.
O my Father, please continue to teach me Your ways. Help me keep my focus on Your goodness that You pour into every day. Help me to see You in everything I see, and everyone I interact with.
Help me to always be positive, and not let the negative get the upper hand. Keep my words encouraging, especially with those I don't agree with, those who don't know You yet.
Show me how to communicate with every kind of personality and belief in a way that is not accusing or condemning, but encouraging and drawing to Yourself, Father.
Show me how to show Your Love to those in my circle of acquaintance who have so far been rejecting Your gracious and merciful offer of Salvation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
To the pure all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestible and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.
Those who know and follow the Lord can recognize what is holy and pure, and can see the good in everything God made. That's what they are to focus on.
Those who refuse to choose God are refusing what is good and pure, so they only see what is worldly; what is defiled, twisted, or just plain wrong.
Because we are all born into the Human family with damaged DNA, we all have a fallen nature, which Scripture calls "sinful flesh." This is what causes us to make poor decisions that transgress God's rules for us.
Then, those who persist in defying God deliberately harden their hearts like Pharaoh did when Moses confronted him. Just like him, they will reach a point that God will give them over: Pharaoh to a hardened heart that led to the destruction of his whole Nation; people today to depravity and detestible things (see Romans 1:18-32).
So this is all about our focus. Whatever we're looking closely at fills our vision and everything else fades into the background, whether our focus is on what is pure or what is defiled.
O my Father, please continue to teach me Your ways. Help me keep my focus on Your goodness that You pour into every day. Help me to see You in everything I see, and everyone I interact with.
Help me to always be positive, and not let the negative get the upper hand. Keep my words encouraging, especially with those I don't agree with, those who don't know You yet.
Show me how to communicate with every kind of personality and belief in a way that is not accusing or condemning, but encouraging and drawing to Yourself, Father.
Show me how to show Your Love to those in my circle of acquaintance who have so far been rejecting Your gracious and merciful offer of Salvation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, January 13, 2019
The Narrow Gate
Matthew 7: 13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
This is interesting. Why is it that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9), but only a few find this narrow gate. Why would this be? Why doesn't God just save everybody, since He loves everybody?
What I have learned about God's character is that He loves us too much to not let us choose for ourselves whether we want to respond to Him.
It must break His heart to see His loved human beings doing so much to hurt, harm, and destroy themselves and each other.
What impressed me the most when God showed me Jesus on the Cross so many decades ago, is how much God loved me, to let Jesus take the death I deserved. I had been living my life totally against what I knew were His standards. He loved me anyway, and I knew I had been breaking His heart with my rebellion.
It still amazes me that God loves even the most depraved mass murderer (like Hitler) that He would even save him, had he turned to Him instead of suicide.
"The ground is level at the foot of the Cross," which means that God has counted all of us as under sin, deserving death, so that His offer of rescue is available to every single person, regardless of the depth of their sin. Jesus paid it all when God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21), which means Jesus actually took upon Himself our very sin-nature; He didn't die for certain sins, He took the whole basket, and everything in it. For each one of us.
All the sins we commit, from entertaining that random thought all the way to mass murder, it all comes from that corrupted DNA the Bible calls the human sin-nature. We are all born with that propensity to stray in our own way.
But if the gate is small and the road narrow, how do we find it while we're among the crowd on Broadway?
We must want to find it. We must realize how much we need God, that we can't do it on our own. That's why only a few find it. A few compared to the masses on the broad road that everyone else is on.
Most people think that, I'm Okay, You're Okay, so I just need to deal with it or deny it or forget about it, and I'll be all right. They don't want to face the "bad news" that they are headed for destruction, so that they can turn to the "Good News" that Jesus paid their debt to God. If they don't think they have a debt, they won't look to see how to pay it. So they'll end up paying it for all eternity. Ignorance isn't bliss, it's deadly.
So if "only a few" of the billions are saved, I see in Revelation that they amount to an uncountable number! (5:9-11, read on through verse 14) They sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the Book, and to open the seals of it; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and Nation; and have made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the Earth. And I looked and heard the voice of many around the throne and the Beasts and the Elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. This is the largest number available to John, and it wasn't near enough.
Those who have been redeemed by Jesus' Blood are the only ones qualified to sing this "New Song," because Jesus became human to save humans. No angels or cherubim or aliens can sing this song, because they are not human.
You and I are human, so this great Salvation and Redemption is free for each one of us human beings, if only we would want it. It all starts in our will. If we will open our options to let God in, that's the beginning of our finding that small door that leads along that narrow path.
This narrow path is hemmed in; the word refers to a road lined by walls or hedges or some such, so that you cannot wander off of it, but follow it to its end.
O my Father, I trust Your wisdom and goodness. I do not understand why You would create so many billions of Mankind, and yet save only a few!
And yet the "few" turn out to be myriads and myriads, a number beyond counting!
I thank You, Father, that You set my feet on that narrow road, hemmed in on both sides. I want never to turn to the right hand nor to the left, never to run ahead nor lag behind You, never to wander off nor pull away.
Thank You that I can trust You to never let go of my hand, that Your Light brightens my path, so I can avoid all the stumbling stones and pitfalls.
Thank You for Your Spirit living in my spirit, to lead and guide me, to give me knowledge and understanding, to guard me from the wiles of the devil, the draws of the World, and the weaknesses of my own flesh.
Dear Father, continue to draw me ever closer to Yourself, every moment of every day, that I may be seen as in You; that those who look at me would see You, in Your sweetness and gentleness and graciousness and kindness; and not me in my frail flesh.
May my tiny thread in Your great Tapestry of Time shine brightly with Your Light against the black velvet of evil all around me.
And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the Earth, and under the Earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, Blessing and Honor and and Glory and Power be unto Him Who is sitting on the Throne, unto the Lamb forever and ever.
And the four Beasts said, Amen! And the twenty-four Elders fell down and worshipped Him Who lives forever and ever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
This is interesting. Why is it that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9), but only a few find this narrow gate. Why would this be? Why doesn't God just save everybody, since He loves everybody?
What I have learned about God's character is that He loves us too much to not let us choose for ourselves whether we want to respond to Him.
It must break His heart to see His loved human beings doing so much to hurt, harm, and destroy themselves and each other.
What impressed me the most when God showed me Jesus on the Cross so many decades ago, is how much God loved me, to let Jesus take the death I deserved. I had been living my life totally against what I knew were His standards. He loved me anyway, and I knew I had been breaking His heart with my rebellion.
It still amazes me that God loves even the most depraved mass murderer (like Hitler) that He would even save him, had he turned to Him instead of suicide.
"The ground is level at the foot of the Cross," which means that God has counted all of us as under sin, deserving death, so that His offer of rescue is available to every single person, regardless of the depth of their sin. Jesus paid it all when God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21), which means Jesus actually took upon Himself our very sin-nature; He didn't die for certain sins, He took the whole basket, and everything in it. For each one of us.
All the sins we commit, from entertaining that random thought all the way to mass murder, it all comes from that corrupted DNA the Bible calls the human sin-nature. We are all born with that propensity to stray in our own way.
But if the gate is small and the road narrow, how do we find it while we're among the crowd on Broadway?
We must want to find it. We must realize how much we need God, that we can't do it on our own. That's why only a few find it. A few compared to the masses on the broad road that everyone else is on.
Most people think that, I'm Okay, You're Okay, so I just need to deal with it or deny it or forget about it, and I'll be all right. They don't want to face the "bad news" that they are headed for destruction, so that they can turn to the "Good News" that Jesus paid their debt to God. If they don't think they have a debt, they won't look to see how to pay it. So they'll end up paying it for all eternity. Ignorance isn't bliss, it's deadly.
So if "only a few" of the billions are saved, I see in Revelation that they amount to an uncountable number! (5:9-11, read on through verse 14) They sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the Book, and to open the seals of it; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and Nation; and have made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the Earth. And I looked and heard the voice of many around the throne and the Beasts and the Elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. This is the largest number available to John, and it wasn't near enough.
Those who have been redeemed by Jesus' Blood are the only ones qualified to sing this "New Song," because Jesus became human to save humans. No angels or cherubim or aliens can sing this song, because they are not human.
You and I are human, so this great Salvation and Redemption is free for each one of us human beings, if only we would want it. It all starts in our will. If we will open our options to let God in, that's the beginning of our finding that small door that leads along that narrow path.
This narrow path is hemmed in; the word refers to a road lined by walls or hedges or some such, so that you cannot wander off of it, but follow it to its end.
O my Father, I trust Your wisdom and goodness. I do not understand why You would create so many billions of Mankind, and yet save only a few!
And yet the "few" turn out to be myriads and myriads, a number beyond counting!
I thank You, Father, that You set my feet on that narrow road, hemmed in on both sides. I want never to turn to the right hand nor to the left, never to run ahead nor lag behind You, never to wander off nor pull away.
Thank You that I can trust You to never let go of my hand, that Your Light brightens my path, so I can avoid all the stumbling stones and pitfalls.
Thank You for Your Spirit living in my spirit, to lead and guide me, to give me knowledge and understanding, to guard me from the wiles of the devil, the draws of the World, and the weaknesses of my own flesh.
Dear Father, continue to draw me ever closer to Yourself, every moment of every day, that I may be seen as in You; that those who look at me would see You, in Your sweetness and gentleness and graciousness and kindness; and not me in my frail flesh.
May my tiny thread in Your great Tapestry of Time shine brightly with Your Light against the black velvet of evil all around me.
And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the Earth, and under the Earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, Blessing and Honor and and Glory and Power be unto Him Who is sitting on the Throne, unto the Lamb forever and ever.
And the four Beasts said, Amen! And the twenty-four Elders fell down and worshipped Him Who lives forever and ever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Stop Living Like The World!
Colossians 3: 1-11
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, Who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Since you died, also put to death all the things that pertain to your Earthly nature:
Sexual immorality--fornication (sex outside of marriage);
Impurity--uncleanness;
Lust--inordinate affection (lustful longing);
Evil desires--evil concupiscence (ardent, sensuous longing for what is evil);
and Greed--covetousness (wrongly desirous of others' wealth or possessions),
which is Idolatry--(proritizing worldly things over God).
Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the children of disobedience.
And you also used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived, before you were saved.
But now you must also rid yourselves of all the things like these:
Anger,
Rage,
Malice (desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another),
Slander, blasphemy (cursing, using God's Name inappropriately, attributing God's qualities or authority to self or other),
and filthy language from your mouth (cussing, using "dirty words").
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge into the image of its Creator.
Paul is writing to the Christians in the City of Colosse, where he had established the church, and he knew these people. He knew that it was a very wicked city, and these Christians once were part of that evil society.
Now he's telling them that they don't need to conform to the ways of their society any more, because they have New Life in Christ; and now have the Holy Spirit's power to be able to live better lives, different from what they used to do.
Here (in God's family) there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free; but Christ is all and is in all.
So there is to be no prejudice against a brother or sister for genetic descent, for geographical origin, for cultural background, or for societal position.
Paul is also writing to us. We also, who have been placed into the Body of Christ, should also consider ourselves as set apart from all these worldly attitudes.
We also, like the Colossians, need to stay away from all sexual improprieties; any act or desire that conflicts with God's good intent for our bodies--the intimacy of a husband and wife within the shelter of marriage, given to no other.
And our minds are to be conformed to the thoughts God has for us, to consider others as God sees them: as fellow family members, or as sinners who need God's mercy and grace to be brought into His family. That's the only difference God sees.
So we need to take care that our attitudes and words not disparage either God or the person God made in His image. God values us at a very high worth, so we are to respect ourselves in not permitting any kind of filthy or slandrous words to form or be expressed, also showing respect for the worth of the hearers.
We need to remember that we have taken off the old man and have put on a new man that is holy, separated and washed clean from all evil and filth, and is being made more and more like Christ in knowing and doing things His way.
The more we learn of Who God is and His ways and thoughts, the better we will know Him and we will love Him back in response to the great Love wherewith He has loved us. And we will also love what and who He loves: primarily, Mankind. All of us. Every one of us, as children of Adam, in need of God's goodness.
God loves everything He made; the order He placed in the Universe is His love for it. He made this Earth for us, and put into it everything we need to live here. Then He made us of it (our bodies are made of all the same elements as the Earth, in the same proportions--Science), and gave us His rules for living here so that we could enjoy it's abundance.
And He sent His Son so we could face our sinful condition and let Him cleanse us of all the sinful filth by taking our paycheck, death, on His altar, the Cross; then giving us New Life as His Holy Spirit takes up residence in our spirits, making us God's own children in His family. That's why it's called a New Birth (see John 3:3-8).
And we who have been born into God's family need to think like our Father and live our lives here as His children with His values, not like those of the World around us.
And His Spirit in us will help us to do that. We only need to be willing to let Him change us, instead of those around us, or the World we live in.
That's why God will receive all the credit, all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise from every creature He has created (see Isaiah 45:34, Romans 14:11-12, Philippians 2:10-11, and Revelation 5:13-14).
Because He thought it all up, designed it, planned how it would all work out, then made it and worked it all out according to His plan, and finished everything perfectly, justly, fairly, generously, and completly. He got it done.
We are still in the midst of it, so we can look at history and where we are now, but we need to understand His Word to see how it will all work out.
He laid out how all the Nations would proceed from Daniel's day all the way to today.
And He gave all the sacrificial laws to show what Jesus would accomplish on our behalf, and how He would do it as the Lamb of God.
So we can trust God to tell us everything we need to know to live here with one another, to seek Him for rescue, and to reward us generously for what He enables us to do in His power.
And also trust Him to display His Love for us by righteously judging all that works against His good, and hurts, wounds and damages those He loves.
Since He loves all of us, He is patient with us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).
He is also a Gentleman, so He won't force Himself on anyone.
Whoever refuses to be willing to come to Him doesn't want anything of God; so since God is good, they have refused goodness, God is Beauty so they prefer ugliness, God is Light so they run to the darkness.
Everything God is, He is the Source, He is the Standard. So when they refuse God, they are left with emptiness and nothingness; pain and sorrow and dispair. Not what God wants, but what they have freely chosen.
O my Father, thank You for everything You are! Thank You for Your great Salvation from sin and Redemption from death.
Thank You for Your justice and fairness to grant even what You don't want, to those who have freely chosen it.
Thank You for Your generosity in offering release to all Mankind.
Thank You for Your patience, for Your faithfulness, for Your steadfastness, for Your constancy in not ever changing; so we can fully trust You to always be You, regardless of the circumstances and situations we may find ourselves in.
I know, Father, that You have my back, and no weapon, physical, mental, or psychological, that is formed against me will be successful (Isaiah 54:17).
Keep me close at Your side, my Father; Your protection over me, Your arm around my shoulders and Your hand over my mouth. Teach me more of Yourself, Father, that I can love You more and serve You better each day.
And I will be in that numberless throng praising and honoring and giving glory to You forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, Who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Since you died, also put to death all the things that pertain to your Earthly nature:
Sexual immorality--fornication (sex outside of marriage);
Impurity--uncleanness;
Lust--inordinate affection (lustful longing);
Evil desires--evil concupiscence (ardent, sensuous longing for what is evil);
and Greed--covetousness (wrongly desirous of others' wealth or possessions),
which is Idolatry--(proritizing worldly things over God).
Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the children of disobedience.
And you also used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived, before you were saved.
But now you must also rid yourselves of all the things like these:
Anger,
Rage,
Malice (desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another),
Slander, blasphemy (cursing, using God's Name inappropriately, attributing God's qualities or authority to self or other),
and filthy language from your mouth (cussing, using "dirty words").
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge into the image of its Creator.
Paul is writing to the Christians in the City of Colosse, where he had established the church, and he knew these people. He knew that it was a very wicked city, and these Christians once were part of that evil society.
Now he's telling them that they don't need to conform to the ways of their society any more, because they have New Life in Christ; and now have the Holy Spirit's power to be able to live better lives, different from what they used to do.
Here (in God's family) there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free; but Christ is all and is in all.
So there is to be no prejudice against a brother or sister for genetic descent, for geographical origin, for cultural background, or for societal position.
Paul is also writing to us. We also, who have been placed into the Body of Christ, should also consider ourselves as set apart from all these worldly attitudes.
We also, like the Colossians, need to stay away from all sexual improprieties; any act or desire that conflicts with God's good intent for our bodies--the intimacy of a husband and wife within the shelter of marriage, given to no other.
And our minds are to be conformed to the thoughts God has for us, to consider others as God sees them: as fellow family members, or as sinners who need God's mercy and grace to be brought into His family. That's the only difference God sees.
So we need to take care that our attitudes and words not disparage either God or the person God made in His image. God values us at a very high worth, so we are to respect ourselves in not permitting any kind of filthy or slandrous words to form or be expressed, also showing respect for the worth of the hearers.
We need to remember that we have taken off the old man and have put on a new man that is holy, separated and washed clean from all evil and filth, and is being made more and more like Christ in knowing and doing things His way.
The more we learn of Who God is and His ways and thoughts, the better we will know Him and we will love Him back in response to the great Love wherewith He has loved us. And we will also love what and who He loves: primarily, Mankind. All of us. Every one of us, as children of Adam, in need of God's goodness.
God loves everything He made; the order He placed in the Universe is His love for it. He made this Earth for us, and put into it everything we need to live here. Then He made us of it (our bodies are made of all the same elements as the Earth, in the same proportions--Science), and gave us His rules for living here so that we could enjoy it's abundance.
And He sent His Son so we could face our sinful condition and let Him cleanse us of all the sinful filth by taking our paycheck, death, on His altar, the Cross; then giving us New Life as His Holy Spirit takes up residence in our spirits, making us God's own children in His family. That's why it's called a New Birth (see John 3:3-8).
And we who have been born into God's family need to think like our Father and live our lives here as His children with His values, not like those of the World around us.
And His Spirit in us will help us to do that. We only need to be willing to let Him change us, instead of those around us, or the World we live in.
That's why God will receive all the credit, all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise from every creature He has created (see Isaiah 45:34, Romans 14:11-12, Philippians 2:10-11, and Revelation 5:13-14).
Because He thought it all up, designed it, planned how it would all work out, then made it and worked it all out according to His plan, and finished everything perfectly, justly, fairly, generously, and completly. He got it done.
We are still in the midst of it, so we can look at history and where we are now, but we need to understand His Word to see how it will all work out.
He laid out how all the Nations would proceed from Daniel's day all the way to today.
And He gave all the sacrificial laws to show what Jesus would accomplish on our behalf, and how He would do it as the Lamb of God.
So we can trust God to tell us everything we need to know to live here with one another, to seek Him for rescue, and to reward us generously for what He enables us to do in His power.
And also trust Him to display His Love for us by righteously judging all that works against His good, and hurts, wounds and damages those He loves.
Since He loves all of us, He is patient with us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).
He is also a Gentleman, so He won't force Himself on anyone.
Whoever refuses to be willing to come to Him doesn't want anything of God; so since God is good, they have refused goodness, God is Beauty so they prefer ugliness, God is Light so they run to the darkness.
Everything God is, He is the Source, He is the Standard. So when they refuse God, they are left with emptiness and nothingness; pain and sorrow and dispair. Not what God wants, but what they have freely chosen.
O my Father, thank You for everything You are! Thank You for Your great Salvation from sin and Redemption from death.
Thank You for Your justice and fairness to grant even what You don't want, to those who have freely chosen it.
Thank You for Your generosity in offering release to all Mankind.
Thank You for Your patience, for Your faithfulness, for Your steadfastness, for Your constancy in not ever changing; so we can fully trust You to always be You, regardless of the circumstances and situations we may find ourselves in.
I know, Father, that You have my back, and no weapon, physical, mental, or psychological, that is formed against me will be successful (Isaiah 54:17).
Keep me close at Your side, my Father; Your protection over me, Your arm around my shoulders and Your hand over my mouth. Teach me more of Yourself, Father, that I can love You more and serve You better each day.
And I will be in that numberless throng praising and honoring and giving glory to You forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, January 11, 2019
Does The Lord Delight In Your Way?
Psalm 37: 23-24
If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
This is a promise. God always keeps His promises. But this promise has a premise: the way we live our daily life must be in accordance with His ways, then He can delight in our way. Then He will make our steps firm. Then when we stumble, He will uphold us with His hand. When God takes your hand, He won't let go.
O my Father, teach me Your ways, so that when I stumble, You will hold me up with Your hand in mine. Teach me to lean on You, not my own understanding; keep me in Your realm, to see You in all You have made, and the people You have put into my path.
Show me Your face, I want to see You; I want to hear Your voice; I want to touch You; to embrace You, to dance with You!
Draw me to Yourself, Father, so that others who see me would not see me, but would see You in me, to draw them to Yourself. And, Father, please grant repentance to the unrepentant, and mercy and grace to the sinner.
And Your will will be done and Your Kingdom will come on Earth as it is in Heaven, when Your people walk in Your ways, and fully when Your Son arrives to establish His Throne to govern this World.
And Your Kingdom will last forever, and never ceast to increase throughout all eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
This is a promise. God always keeps His promises. But this promise has a premise: the way we live our daily life must be in accordance with His ways, then He can delight in our way. Then He will make our steps firm. Then when we stumble, He will uphold us with His hand. When God takes your hand, He won't let go.
O my Father, teach me Your ways, so that when I stumble, You will hold me up with Your hand in mine. Teach me to lean on You, not my own understanding; keep me in Your realm, to see You in all You have made, and the people You have put into my path.
Show me Your face, I want to see You; I want to hear Your voice; I want to touch You; to embrace You, to dance with You!
Draw me to Yourself, Father, so that others who see me would not see me, but would see You in me, to draw them to Yourself. And, Father, please grant repentance to the unrepentant, and mercy and grace to the sinner.
And Your will will be done and Your Kingdom will come on Earth as it is in Heaven, when Your people walk in Your ways, and fully when Your Son arrives to establish His Throne to govern this World.
And Your Kingdom will last forever, and never ceast to increase throughout all eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Be Careful And Take To Heart
Deuteronomy 4: 6, 9, 15, 23, 39
... Observe them carefully ...
... Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely ...
... Watch yourselves very carefully ...
... Be careful not to forget ...
... Acknowledge and take to heart ...
This Book is called, "The Second Giving of the Law." Moses gave the Law to the people when they came out of Egypt, at Mount Sinai, 40 years previous to this time.
Now they are getting ready to enter the Promised Land, and Moses wanted to make sure that they all knew what was expected of them. So he went over all the commandments, regulations, and precepts again, a second time.
Moses couldn't see into the future any more than we can, but he knew these people. People everywhere need reminders in order to stay on track. These Israelites were no different.
I am impressed with Moses' repeating to them so often to be careful, watch themselves, not forget. I also need to observe, to be careful, to watch, to acknowledge, to take to heart, to remember, to be mindful, and to not forget.
The Book of Judges tells us the story of the twelve tribes in the Promised Land before they had a king. God wanted to be their King, and when they did obey His Law and followed His ways in their individual and national life, God blessed them with great abundance. But when they became prosperous, their focus came off of God and on to their own possessions, that they had got them themselves. Then they got off track and looked at the other peoples ways, and fell into their attitudes and practices.
So God allowed their neighbors to enslave them. Then they cried out to God and turned back to Him, and God sent a Judge, a military leader to win their freedom. So they worshipped God again, and He blessed them again.
This cycle went around repeatedly, over and over, round and round.
This shows how easy it is for riches to blind us to God's love for us. Even when we have personally seen His goodness and miracles in our own lives, over time the excitement fades, our focus changes, and we can find ourselves in some kind of bondage.
That's why, the love of money is the root of many kinds of evil (I Timothy 6:10), and Jesus said that, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:25); because riches and material possessions tend to draw our attention onto them, instead of humbly seeking God.
So we need to be constantly reminded to keep our focus on what is most important: our life itself, which is spiritual, and our relationship with our Father.
Even when we do things His way and He allows our abundance to multiply, we really do need to continually welcome Him into our moments, to share every joy, every sorrow, every fun time, every hard time, everything we look at and listen to. Then we will be more likely to use that prosperity to promote His Kingdom, instead of our own comfort.
God blesses us so we can bless others. Money is not an end in itself, it's only a tool. We will give account for how we have used it (see for example, Matthew 25:14-30; the Parable of the Talents). So I want to be careful to use whatever my Father grants me to use primarily for others' benefit, and if my income increases, I will not upgrade my own lifestyle but live at the same level.
I would love to be able to finance God's Kingdom; the Lord knows that our enemy certainly has been financing his.
O my Father, I am weak--please strengthen me with Your strength, for I have none of my own! Teach me how to observe, to see with Your eyes; to be careful to keep my focus on You; to watch out for stumbling stones and potholes in my path; to acknowledge Your authority in my life; to take to heart all the lessons You are teaching me; to remember Who You are and Your goodness to me every moment; to be mindful of each step I take with my hand in Yours; and to never forget that I am Yours and You are mine, for time and all eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
... Observe them carefully ...
... Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely ...
... Watch yourselves very carefully ...
... Be careful not to forget ...
... Acknowledge and take to heart ...
This Book is called, "The Second Giving of the Law." Moses gave the Law to the people when they came out of Egypt, at Mount Sinai, 40 years previous to this time.
Now they are getting ready to enter the Promised Land, and Moses wanted to make sure that they all knew what was expected of them. So he went over all the commandments, regulations, and precepts again, a second time.
Moses couldn't see into the future any more than we can, but he knew these people. People everywhere need reminders in order to stay on track. These Israelites were no different.
I am impressed with Moses' repeating to them so often to be careful, watch themselves, not forget. I also need to observe, to be careful, to watch, to acknowledge, to take to heart, to remember, to be mindful, and to not forget.
The Book of Judges tells us the story of the twelve tribes in the Promised Land before they had a king. God wanted to be their King, and when they did obey His Law and followed His ways in their individual and national life, God blessed them with great abundance. But when they became prosperous, their focus came off of God and on to their own possessions, that they had got them themselves. Then they got off track and looked at the other peoples ways, and fell into their attitudes and practices.
So God allowed their neighbors to enslave them. Then they cried out to God and turned back to Him, and God sent a Judge, a military leader to win their freedom. So they worshipped God again, and He blessed them again.
This cycle went around repeatedly, over and over, round and round.
This shows how easy it is for riches to blind us to God's love for us. Even when we have personally seen His goodness and miracles in our own lives, over time the excitement fades, our focus changes, and we can find ourselves in some kind of bondage.
That's why, the love of money is the root of many kinds of evil (I Timothy 6:10), and Jesus said that, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:25); because riches and material possessions tend to draw our attention onto them, instead of humbly seeking God.
So we need to be constantly reminded to keep our focus on what is most important: our life itself, which is spiritual, and our relationship with our Father.
Even when we do things His way and He allows our abundance to multiply, we really do need to continually welcome Him into our moments, to share every joy, every sorrow, every fun time, every hard time, everything we look at and listen to. Then we will be more likely to use that prosperity to promote His Kingdom, instead of our own comfort.
God blesses us so we can bless others. Money is not an end in itself, it's only a tool. We will give account for how we have used it (see for example, Matthew 25:14-30; the Parable of the Talents). So I want to be careful to use whatever my Father grants me to use primarily for others' benefit, and if my income increases, I will not upgrade my own lifestyle but live at the same level.
I would love to be able to finance God's Kingdom; the Lord knows that our enemy certainly has been financing his.
O my Father, I am weak--please strengthen me with Your strength, for I have none of my own! Teach me how to observe, to see with Your eyes; to be careful to keep my focus on You; to watch out for stumbling stones and potholes in my path; to acknowledge Your authority in my life; to take to heart all the lessons You are teaching me; to remember Who You are and Your goodness to me every moment; to be mindful of each step I take with my hand in Yours; and to never forget that I am Yours and You are mine, for time and all eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Our Scent And The Hound Of Heaven
II Corinthians 2: 15-16 (The Message)
Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation--an aroma redolent with life.
But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.
We as Christians who carry the Name of our Lord must remember that we exude a fragrance. This scent is exquisite, sweet, and redolent with life to those who are chosen of God, even if they haven't turned to Him yet.
But the same scent is perceived completely differently by those who have determined their course against God. It is a stench of death. Because that is where they are heading, if God does not grant them repentance.
I believe there is hope for everyone who has breath. God works a miracle every time He saves anyone, so who am I to give up on someone who is still breathing and making choices, even if they have no more short-term memory (like my mother-in-law), or if they are railing against God's ways as Saul of Tarsis was.
God has been called the "Hound of Heaven" for His tracking down His lost sheep, even to mountain crags and brambles.
O my Father, I pray for my loved ones. And I pray for all Your wayward ones, who have yet to be found by you. And I pray for the little ones who are surrounded by evil, but loved by You.
When I see no way, Father, You have a way. When I see no possibilities, You know Your plans. I only see where I am today, You see all things from eternity past through to eternity future. I must trust You, Father; You have repeatedly shown Yourself to be faithful and true and compassionate and just and persistent. You know the end from the beginning, and I am still in the middle of it all.
I know we are all in Your hands: Your strong, protective, soft, firm, ready hands. Hands that will never let go.
And, Father, I will not stop praying for my loved ones who have yet to turn to You. I know that they know Your Truth, even if they choose not to believe You; please hound them. They can push me away, but they cannot push You away.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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