"How pleasant it is to float along the stream of Providence! There is no more blessed way of living than a life of dependence upon a covenant-keeping God. We have no care, for He careth for us; we have no troubles, because we cast our burdens upon the Lord." Spurgeon
Oh to float along on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. To allow God to steer and guide our way as we sorjourn this earth. We no longer need to trust in our "power". We no longer need be tossed about by the winds of culture and change but remain steadfast in the love and care of God while we stream along by His Providence in our lives.
Oh but to trust in Jesus for the whole of our lives.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Our Shepherd King
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3.
This familiar Psalm is often referred to as the Shepherd's Psalm. The entire psalm addresses what the Shepherd (Jesus) does for His sheep. Isaiah writes: "He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (40:11)
Ezekiel writes of IsraEl: "As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out My sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness." (Ezekiel 34:12) A beautiful promise to a nation, a people, that has been so scattered that some of the original tribes are considered "lost". But not to our God! Our Shepherd King. He will seek out, He will rescue, He will gather His flock.
John quotes Jesus: "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (10:11) And He did! Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus laid His life down for us; taking our place, receiving the wages of our sin; facing the wrath of a Holy God.
John writes in Revelation: "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear." (&:17) Jesus, Who was crucified and died in our place is alive and sitting on the throne! Our Hope. Our Life...all found in Jesus.
Spurgeon elaborates on this picture of our King Jesus as King Shepherd:
"Christ's reign in His church is that of a shepherd king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock;...He rules by the force of love but the energy of His goodness."
"His reign is practical in its character" for He is ""actively engaged in providing for His people and we His people can trust that He will "do everything expected of a shepherd: to guide, to watch over, to preserve, to restore, to tend and to feed."
"His reign is continual in its duration." His eyes never slumber nor sleep.He is always on His throne. "His hands never rest; His heart never ceases to beat with love, and His shoulders are never weary of carrying His people's burdens."
His reign is effectually powerful in its actions...He who stands today representing the interests of His people is very God of very God...Happy are we who belong to such a shepherd, whose humanity communes with us, and whose divinity protects us."
Hallelujah!
This familiar Psalm is often referred to as the Shepherd's Psalm. The entire psalm addresses what the Shepherd (Jesus) does for His sheep. Isaiah writes: "He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (40:11)
Ezekiel writes of IsraEl: "As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out My sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness." (Ezekiel 34:12) A beautiful promise to a nation, a people, that has been so scattered that some of the original tribes are considered "lost". But not to our God! Our Shepherd King. He will seek out, He will rescue, He will gather His flock.
John quotes Jesus: "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (10:11) And He did! Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus laid His life down for us; taking our place, receiving the wages of our sin; facing the wrath of a Holy God.
John writes in Revelation: "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear." (&:17) Jesus, Who was crucified and died in our place is alive and sitting on the throne! Our Hope. Our Life...all found in Jesus.
Spurgeon elaborates on this picture of our King Jesus as King Shepherd:
"Christ's reign in His church is that of a shepherd king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock;...He rules by the force of love but the energy of His goodness."
"His reign is practical in its character" for He is ""actively engaged in providing for His people and we His people can trust that He will "do everything expected of a shepherd: to guide, to watch over, to preserve, to restore, to tend and to feed."
"His reign is continual in its duration." His eyes never slumber nor sleep.He is always on His throne. "His hands never rest; His heart never ceases to beat with love, and His shoulders are never weary of carrying His people's burdens."
His reign is effectually powerful in its actions...He who stands today representing the interests of His people is very God of very God...Happy are we who belong to such a shepherd, whose humanity communes with us, and whose divinity protects us."
Hallelujah!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Jesus says, "Come away..."
Jesus has called us into a wonderful, indescribable privelege...time away with Him. Yet, how often we are neglectful of this unfathomable gift as we scurry about the doings of each day. We grow weary and disheartened. Our futile attempts to winnow away the unnecessary activities in our busy lives leave us weary with the effort.
Oh to sit at His feet, bask in His presence, covered by His glory, a sweet fragrance of Jesus, as time away with Him refreshes us, restores us and renews our strength. Jesus has called us to "come away" with Him to a lonely even desolate place where He is. Free of all distractions so that we may hear Him. But we postpone this time away and eventually forget this needful thing. We miss out on this "better portion" that Mary was commended for while Martha railed about her idleness.
Francis J. Roberts writes, "Weariness shall overtake thee on the smoothest road if it be not the pathway of My ordained will." God's will for our lives is to know Him, love Him, serve Him. Time with the one we love is how we grow to love them even more. As we spend more time with our King, our Lord Jesus, we find that He does indeed lead us beside still waters and to green pastures where He restores our soul. Then we know the pathway that He sets before us and yoked with Him, we find that His burden is not only light but easy-for our great Saviour shoulders it all as we walk with Him. The smooth road we were searching for we find is not for us. But even as we face the difficult climb, we realize that we can indeed do all things in Christ Jesus.
What can we do? What is our part? To make room in our lives for time with Jesus. Yes, His Spirit indwells each of us that belong to Him, we are not forgotten or forsaken, but are we making purposeful time with Him a priority? Are we making room in our lives for solitary time with Christ-making time spent with Him preeminent? I know I sorely lack in this. Many of you, like me, struggle being more able to relate to Martha's attitude toward life than with Mary.
Oh to apprehend the great truth to "rejoice to be granted the privelege so sacred a task, Count it most precious and guard against intrusion of distractions. Nothing is more important in [Jesus' eyes] of all the things you can do for [Him]. Cherish it and cultivate it, live in prayer." Francis J. Roberts
So we are to put down the anxieties of this world and come away with our Beloved Jesus. Trust Him for everything for He knows our needs and is fully able to supply our needs according to His riches. As we spend time and more time with our Lord, we find that anxiety and anxious thoughts fall away. There is no effort on our part...only respond to His call to, "Come away".
Another pearl of wisdom from Francis J. Roberts states, "He who does not habitually commune with Christ alone is almost sure to find true prayer impossible in public." Oh to apprehend the wonderful call of Jesus-"Come away..." In Him is peace and joy and strength for the day. His mercies are new each morning. Throughout the day, He will never leave us nor forsake us. Have we "left Him" in our busyness. Have we forsaken Him?
Oh to cherish and cultivate our time with Him. To answer His call to "Come away". Just think, the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God has invited us to "Come away". Today...even now...
Oh to sit at His feet, bask in His presence, covered by His glory, a sweet fragrance of Jesus, as time away with Him refreshes us, restores us and renews our strength. Jesus has called us to "come away" with Him to a lonely even desolate place where He is. Free of all distractions so that we may hear Him. But we postpone this time away and eventually forget this needful thing. We miss out on this "better portion" that Mary was commended for while Martha railed about her idleness.
Francis J. Roberts writes, "Weariness shall overtake thee on the smoothest road if it be not the pathway of My ordained will." God's will for our lives is to know Him, love Him, serve Him. Time with the one we love is how we grow to love them even more. As we spend more time with our King, our Lord Jesus, we find that He does indeed lead us beside still waters and to green pastures where He restores our soul. Then we know the pathway that He sets before us and yoked with Him, we find that His burden is not only light but easy-for our great Saviour shoulders it all as we walk with Him. The smooth road we were searching for we find is not for us. But even as we face the difficult climb, we realize that we can indeed do all things in Christ Jesus.
What can we do? What is our part? To make room in our lives for time with Jesus. Yes, His Spirit indwells each of us that belong to Him, we are not forgotten or forsaken, but are we making purposeful time with Him a priority? Are we making room in our lives for solitary time with Christ-making time spent with Him preeminent? I know I sorely lack in this. Many of you, like me, struggle being more able to relate to Martha's attitude toward life than with Mary.
Oh to apprehend the great truth to "rejoice to be granted the privelege so sacred a task, Count it most precious and guard against intrusion of distractions. Nothing is more important in [Jesus' eyes] of all the things you can do for [Him]. Cherish it and cultivate it, live in prayer." Francis J. Roberts
So we are to put down the anxieties of this world and come away with our Beloved Jesus. Trust Him for everything for He knows our needs and is fully able to supply our needs according to His riches. As we spend time and more time with our Lord, we find that anxiety and anxious thoughts fall away. There is no effort on our part...only respond to His call to, "Come away".
Another pearl of wisdom from Francis J. Roberts states, "He who does not habitually commune with Christ alone is almost sure to find true prayer impossible in public." Oh to apprehend the wonderful call of Jesus-"Come away..." In Him is peace and joy and strength for the day. His mercies are new each morning. Throughout the day, He will never leave us nor forsake us. Have we "left Him" in our busyness. Have we forsaken Him?
Oh to cherish and cultivate our time with Him. To answer His call to "Come away". Just think, the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God has invited us to "Come away". Today...even now...
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Vessels of Grace
C.H. Spurgeon wrote:
"Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and does not for a solitary instant withdraw His hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be stayed. He is sun ever-shining; He is manna ever falling round the camp; He is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from His smitten side; the rain of His grace is always dropping; the river of His bounty is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of His love is constantly overflowing. As the King can never die, so His grace can never fail...His mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening."
from May 16th Morning and Evening Daily Readings
I Timothy 6:17
2 Cor. 4:7-11
"Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and does not for a solitary instant withdraw His hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be stayed. He is sun ever-shining; He is manna ever falling round the camp; He is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from His smitten side; the rain of His grace is always dropping; the river of His bounty is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of His love is constantly overflowing. As the King can never die, so His grace can never fail...His mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening."
from May 16th Morning and Evening Daily Readings
I Timothy 6:17
2 Cor. 4:7-11
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Old Patterns...New Woman
During our life before Christ, we lived a life independent of God. We learned patterns of behavior and even "defense mechanisms" to get us through each day or through life. Some of these patterns are very positive and altruistic, most are self-centered and destructive.
As Christians, we know we are declared by God to be new creations in Him. So why do we struggle with our old nature? We know the good we want to do. We know how we are to live. We know God's Word declares who we are in Him yet the battle persists with the old tries to dominate the new. You see, when we by faith come to accept Christ's free gift, we are immediately born-again, new creations BUT our old nature is not suddenly deleted from our being. The old ways and old patterns of our life are still our default setting if we do not walk worthy in the calling of Christ Jesus on our lives.
In many ways it would be grand to press a delete button and have all our old ways erased, yet God in His perfect wisdom, knows us well. He wants us to walk by faith and to cling to Him in dependence, rejecting the independence in which we once lived. He is Sovereign over all, even our past and who we once were. He can redeem beauty from ashes. He can restore what the locusts have eaten. He will use all that is in our lives for our good and His glory. So though covered by the blood of Jesus and forgiven, our past may at times plague us. Do not allow the enemy to use it to accuse you but allow God to use it all.
We must allow God by His Holy Spirit to "clean house". Things of our past won't necessarily be erased but their strength will be dimished. And this "housecleaning" must also include a filling of the things of God. The fruit in our lives will be the Fruit of the Spirit. A beautiful thing to behold and a testimony to the world of God.
We do not want to continue to default to our old ways. This is our old nature and very "natural" to live this way, but this is our sin nature at work. It no longer reigns over us but sin has it's influences. Rather we are now supernatural beings empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to live as saints and holy ones, just as He has declared us to be.
This is not an easy task for we live in these earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4: 7) holding the treasure within...Christ with us! These earthen vessels are fragile and will one day perish. Yet in our fragility, Christ is glorified for it is by His strength we go on. A modern day picture of earthen vessels is word painted by an author who likened our bodies as cardboard boxes that hold a treasure. What we see is just the packing material and no one really treasures a cardboard box but what is inside. It is the same with our lives. We will one day "discard" these bodies and receive from Christ our new bodies, perfect and without the sin nature!
For now, as earthen vessels, we hold the treasure of the Holy Spirit of God in us. (John 14:16-17, 26) And by Him we can refuse to allow the old patterns and old ways of our life become what we default to without a thought. We must allow the Spirit of God to retrain our hearts and minds. We must not be conformed to the ways of this world but by the Spirit transformed as He renews our minds by His Word. (Romans 12:1-2)
Christ must be central to our lives. The "disciplines" we would be wise to use are the ones which draws us to Him. For instance: prayer, which is communication with God Himself! Study of His Word is how He speaks to us and teaches us and leads us. Memorization of His Word is what keeps us from falling into sin. We are told to bury His Word in our hearts so we will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:9,11). Fellowship with other beleivers so that we can encourage one another and hold one another accountable...no hidden sins. Serving and loving our God by works. Works do not save us but is just evidence of our new life in Christ and Paul tells us that faith without works is dead. Sharing the Gospel not only so others will hear the Good News of God's grace but also to build our faith as we share.
Continue on the journey dear saint! God is able to sustain you. We possess, in Christ Jesus, all we need to live a holy life and a life wholly unto Him.
As Christians, we know we are declared by God to be new creations in Him. So why do we struggle with our old nature? We know the good we want to do. We know how we are to live. We know God's Word declares who we are in Him yet the battle persists with the old tries to dominate the new. You see, when we by faith come to accept Christ's free gift, we are immediately born-again, new creations BUT our old nature is not suddenly deleted from our being. The old ways and old patterns of our life are still our default setting if we do not walk worthy in the calling of Christ Jesus on our lives.
In many ways it would be grand to press a delete button and have all our old ways erased, yet God in His perfect wisdom, knows us well. He wants us to walk by faith and to cling to Him in dependence, rejecting the independence in which we once lived. He is Sovereign over all, even our past and who we once were. He can redeem beauty from ashes. He can restore what the locusts have eaten. He will use all that is in our lives for our good and His glory. So though covered by the blood of Jesus and forgiven, our past may at times plague us. Do not allow the enemy to use it to accuse you but allow God to use it all.
We must allow God by His Holy Spirit to "clean house". Things of our past won't necessarily be erased but their strength will be dimished. And this "housecleaning" must also include a filling of the things of God. The fruit in our lives will be the Fruit of the Spirit. A beautiful thing to behold and a testimony to the world of God.
We do not want to continue to default to our old ways. This is our old nature and very "natural" to live this way, but this is our sin nature at work. It no longer reigns over us but sin has it's influences. Rather we are now supernatural beings empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to live as saints and holy ones, just as He has declared us to be.
This is not an easy task for we live in these earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4: 7) holding the treasure within...Christ with us! These earthen vessels are fragile and will one day perish. Yet in our fragility, Christ is glorified for it is by His strength we go on. A modern day picture of earthen vessels is word painted by an author who likened our bodies as cardboard boxes that hold a treasure. What we see is just the packing material and no one really treasures a cardboard box but what is inside. It is the same with our lives. We will one day "discard" these bodies and receive from Christ our new bodies, perfect and without the sin nature!
For now, as earthen vessels, we hold the treasure of the Holy Spirit of God in us. (John 14:16-17, 26) And by Him we can refuse to allow the old patterns and old ways of our life become what we default to without a thought. We must allow the Spirit of God to retrain our hearts and minds. We must not be conformed to the ways of this world but by the Spirit transformed as He renews our minds by His Word. (Romans 12:1-2)
Christ must be central to our lives. The "disciplines" we would be wise to use are the ones which draws us to Him. For instance: prayer, which is communication with God Himself! Study of His Word is how He speaks to us and teaches us and leads us. Memorization of His Word is what keeps us from falling into sin. We are told to bury His Word in our hearts so we will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:9,11). Fellowship with other beleivers so that we can encourage one another and hold one another accountable...no hidden sins. Serving and loving our God by works. Works do not save us but is just evidence of our new life in Christ and Paul tells us that faith without works is dead. Sharing the Gospel not only so others will hear the Good News of God's grace but also to build our faith as we share.
Continue on the journey dear saint! God is able to sustain you. We possess, in Christ Jesus, all we need to live a holy life and a life wholly unto Him.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wrestling
God's Word is Truth and it is full of promises. The following one is one that we must be aware of:
We will wrestle "against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 (b) This is a guarantee from Scripture. It is Scriptural truth therefore we must expect it and be prepared. Author of The Bondage Breaker, Neil T. Anderson states,"If we are ignorant of Satan's schemes, we can only come to the conclusion, "Any problems in the mind must either be a chemical imbalance or a flesh pattern."'
Mr. Anderson's point? The enemy can influence us in subtle ways to the point that we are not living in the full victory that Christ purchased for us. We also may not be using His gifts or glorifying His name as we should. Therefore, we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus. If the thought is not true-and we will know it by knowing God's Word-we don't believe it.
One powerful step in taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ is to remember our position in Him. Paul, writing to the Ephesian church elaborates on who we are in Christ beginning in Ephesians 1:3-14- (God's Word is italicized, my comments are not.)
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Read that slowly...in Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing because we are united with Him! Everything we need is found in Him. We have not if we ask not. We are His children...ask Him. Come to Him on the basis of who we are in Christ Jesus.
Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy without fault in His eyes. God chose us! What a wonderful truth. Most all of us have experienced feeling left out, yet the Creator of the Universe, Creator of all things seen and unseen, chose us!
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it have Him great pleasure. God adopted us! We are part of His family, chosen by Him because He wanted to. What does that truth do to you? He wanted you...He wanted me! We are chosen by Him!
So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Read those words...God poured out his kindness and grace on us, showering us with His love along with wisdom and understanding. And incredibly, He purchased our freedom by His One and Only Son dying in our place! We are free because Christ died for us. How the praises flow with that Truth!
God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure. And this is the plan: at the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and on earth. The mystery, God's own good pleasure, Christ reigns. He will rule over all. He has authority over all His creation. Satan only has limited time and limited power and soon his time will end. God reigns Supreme!
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan. God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. Knowing that the Jews were God's chosen people, I wanted to convert...but thankfully this good news is spread also to the Gentiles.
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. Hallelujah!
And when you believe in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. How awesome is THAT? We will stand before God and be identified as His by and through Christ Jesus because we have His Holy Spirit indwelling us.
The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him....we are guaranteed entrance to Heaven because of God's Spirit indwelling each one of us. We are sealed for the day of redemption when we are called Home.
Paul continues with a prayer that we should pray for one another and ourselves...
(vs. 18-23) I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called---His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. Jesus calls us His rich and glorious inheritance! He values us...not because we have done anything but because we belong to Him by believing and receiving His work completed at the cross and His resurrection! How incredible is that statement?
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in Him. We are wise to meditate on the character of God...to learn more of Him by time with Him and in His Word. Do a word study on the Names of God which describe His character.
This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead (and we serve this same, powerful God! He has not and does not change!) and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else---not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself." We are complete in Christ Jesus. Lacking in nothing...anything else is a lie. Those lies we take captive to the obedience of Christ and cling to the Truth.
We must also remember that God has provided His armor for spiritual warfare. We are told to put it on but nowhere in Scripture have I found where we are to take it off! (Tell me if I am wrong!) Ephesians 6:10-18 describes each piece. Paul's reference is to the Roman soldiers armor. Each piece essential for survival. So, put it on dear one and do not take it off! Learn to use each piece well.
So, we Christians must remember that we can indeed be deceived. We can be influenced and at times oppressed. We may be leading relatively "normal" lives yet experiencing personal and perhaps interpersonal problems for which no cause or solution has been found and we are left thinking there is something wrong with us and why can't we just "do better"? We may also be experiencing physical afflictions for which no cause can be definitively identified. This is where we must know and cling to God's Truth.
Keep walking in the truth dear pilgrim. God's Word is truth...a light to our feet and lamp for our path.
(todays Scripture is from the New Living Translation)
We will wrestle "against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 (b) This is a guarantee from Scripture. It is Scriptural truth therefore we must expect it and be prepared. Author of The Bondage Breaker, Neil T. Anderson states,"If we are ignorant of Satan's schemes, we can only come to the conclusion, "Any problems in the mind must either be a chemical imbalance or a flesh pattern."'
Mr. Anderson's point? The enemy can influence us in subtle ways to the point that we are not living in the full victory that Christ purchased for us. We also may not be using His gifts or glorifying His name as we should. Therefore, we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus. If the thought is not true-and we will know it by knowing God's Word-we don't believe it.
One powerful step in taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ is to remember our position in Him. Paul, writing to the Ephesian church elaborates on who we are in Christ beginning in Ephesians 1:3-14- (God's Word is italicized, my comments are not.)
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Read that slowly...in Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing because we are united with Him! Everything we need is found in Him. We have not if we ask not. We are His children...ask Him. Come to Him on the basis of who we are in Christ Jesus.
Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy without fault in His eyes. God chose us! What a wonderful truth. Most all of us have experienced feeling left out, yet the Creator of the Universe, Creator of all things seen and unseen, chose us!
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it have Him great pleasure. God adopted us! We are part of His family, chosen by Him because He wanted to. What does that truth do to you? He wanted you...He wanted me! We are chosen by Him!
So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Read those words...God poured out his kindness and grace on us, showering us with His love along with wisdom and understanding. And incredibly, He purchased our freedom by His One and Only Son dying in our place! We are free because Christ died for us. How the praises flow with that Truth!
God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure. And this is the plan: at the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and on earth. The mystery, God's own good pleasure, Christ reigns. He will rule over all. He has authority over all His creation. Satan only has limited time and limited power and soon his time will end. God reigns Supreme!
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan. God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. Knowing that the Jews were God's chosen people, I wanted to convert...but thankfully this good news is spread also to the Gentiles.
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. Hallelujah!
And when you believe in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. How awesome is THAT? We will stand before God and be identified as His by and through Christ Jesus because we have His Holy Spirit indwelling us.
The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him....we are guaranteed entrance to Heaven because of God's Spirit indwelling each one of us. We are sealed for the day of redemption when we are called Home.
Paul continues with a prayer that we should pray for one another and ourselves...
(vs. 18-23) I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called---His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. Jesus calls us His rich and glorious inheritance! He values us...not because we have done anything but because we belong to Him by believing and receiving His work completed at the cross and His resurrection! How incredible is that statement?
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in Him. We are wise to meditate on the character of God...to learn more of Him by time with Him and in His Word. Do a word study on the Names of God which describe His character.
This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead (and we serve this same, powerful God! He has not and does not change!) and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else---not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself." We are complete in Christ Jesus. Lacking in nothing...anything else is a lie. Those lies we take captive to the obedience of Christ and cling to the Truth.
We must also remember that God has provided His armor for spiritual warfare. We are told to put it on but nowhere in Scripture have I found where we are to take it off! (Tell me if I am wrong!) Ephesians 6:10-18 describes each piece. Paul's reference is to the Roman soldiers armor. Each piece essential for survival. So, put it on dear one and do not take it off! Learn to use each piece well.
So, we Christians must remember that we can indeed be deceived. We can be influenced and at times oppressed. We may be leading relatively "normal" lives yet experiencing personal and perhaps interpersonal problems for which no cause or solution has been found and we are left thinking there is something wrong with us and why can't we just "do better"? We may also be experiencing physical afflictions for which no cause can be definitively identified. This is where we must know and cling to God's Truth.
Keep walking in the truth dear pilgrim. God's Word is truth...a light to our feet and lamp for our path.
(todays Scripture is from the New Living Translation)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Corridor of Faith
How blessed I have been and am to have such great teaching to help me grow in my walk with Christ. How loved I am that He would be so very patient with me for I seem to be such a slow learner.
Recently I read an author who used an analogy that ministered to me. We know that we are called to walk the narrow way in Christ Jesus. The other ways lead only to eventual misery and certain judgment and destruction. Jesus Himself said He is the Way and the Truth and the Life and that no one comes to (God) the Father except through Him. He is the Only way, yet...
Yet His invitation is inclusive! It is to all who would receive. God sent His only Son (Jesus Christ) that whoever would believe in Him would receive life! An inclusive invitation to an exclusive engagement to those who would believe and receive Him.
The analogy addresses the new life in Christ that we walk in while here on this Earth. We are new creations in Christ Jesus. We are walking the narrow path with eternity in view...our Saviour leading the way. Yet, for now we walk in enemy territory. Belonging to Christ, we are sealed by His Holy Spirit, but the enemy still attempts to influence if not oppress us.
Imagine our walk as if in a large city with skyscrapers looming, making our way a bit dark and dreary yet we walk in the Light and toward He Who is the Light. We walk the way of Christ, keeping our eyes on He who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. As we walk, there are cat calls and distractions from the apartment buildings and alleyways. We may get momentarily distracted by these voices but we can choose to walk on. This is where we must take EVERY thought captive to the obedience of our Lord Jesus.
As we walk, we may get so distracted-especially if we do not take each thought captive because we can become influenced- influenced so much that we stop and tarry, looking toward the voices and listening. We do not want this to become a habit for it is detrimental to us. We may listen long enough to lies that we begin to believe them. And if we become distracted long enough, we may even venture down the alleyways. The allure is to our flesh, to the lust of the eyes. Our pride of life tells us that we can handle a temporary detour. Don't believe it! Though our enemy, the devil and his minions, cannot read our minds for only God is omniscient, the enemy can influence our thoughts. He knows humanitites weaknesses...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the sinful pride of life and he knows how to tempt each one of us.
So, dear pilgrim, keep walking on with eternity in view, down the corridor of faith. Saints before you traversed this way. You are in good company! Keep your eyes on Jesus and walk worthy of Him. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
I too am on this pilgrimage with you! Stay in the Word. Be obedient to God's commands, taking every thought captive to Him. Stay in prayer and in fellowship with other believers. Receive solid, Biblical teaching and use the gifts you have been given for the glory of God. Don't give the enemy any ground...don't make his day. Do all that you do for the glory of God Almighty!
We must keep walking with our eyes on our Saviour. We must stay on His narrow path. If we stumble, fall, tarry where we shouldn't, we must quickly repent, receive our Lord's forgiveness, take EVERY thought captive to His will and move on toward Him.
Recently I read an author who used an analogy that ministered to me. We know that we are called to walk the narrow way in Christ Jesus. The other ways lead only to eventual misery and certain judgment and destruction. Jesus Himself said He is the Way and the Truth and the Life and that no one comes to (God) the Father except through Him. He is the Only way, yet...
Yet His invitation is inclusive! It is to all who would receive. God sent His only Son (Jesus Christ) that whoever would believe in Him would receive life! An inclusive invitation to an exclusive engagement to those who would believe and receive Him.
The analogy addresses the new life in Christ that we walk in while here on this Earth. We are new creations in Christ Jesus. We are walking the narrow path with eternity in view...our Saviour leading the way. Yet, for now we walk in enemy territory. Belonging to Christ, we are sealed by His Holy Spirit, but the enemy still attempts to influence if not oppress us.
Imagine our walk as if in a large city with skyscrapers looming, making our way a bit dark and dreary yet we walk in the Light and toward He Who is the Light. We walk the way of Christ, keeping our eyes on He who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. As we walk, there are cat calls and distractions from the apartment buildings and alleyways. We may get momentarily distracted by these voices but we can choose to walk on. This is where we must take EVERY thought captive to the obedience of our Lord Jesus.
As we walk, we may get so distracted-especially if we do not take each thought captive because we can become influenced- influenced so much that we stop and tarry, looking toward the voices and listening. We do not want this to become a habit for it is detrimental to us. We may listen long enough to lies that we begin to believe them. And if we become distracted long enough, we may even venture down the alleyways. The allure is to our flesh, to the lust of the eyes. Our pride of life tells us that we can handle a temporary detour. Don't believe it! Though our enemy, the devil and his minions, cannot read our minds for only God is omniscient, the enemy can influence our thoughts. He knows humanitites weaknesses...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the sinful pride of life and he knows how to tempt each one of us.
So, dear pilgrim, keep walking on with eternity in view, down the corridor of faith. Saints before you traversed this way. You are in good company! Keep your eyes on Jesus and walk worthy of Him. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
I too am on this pilgrimage with you! Stay in the Word. Be obedient to God's commands, taking every thought captive to Him. Stay in prayer and in fellowship with other believers. Receive solid, Biblical teaching and use the gifts you have been given for the glory of God. Don't give the enemy any ground...don't make his day. Do all that you do for the glory of God Almighty!
We must keep walking with our eyes on our Saviour. We must stay on His narrow path. If we stumble, fall, tarry where we shouldn't, we must quickly repent, receive our Lord's forgiveness, take EVERY thought captive to His will and move on toward Him.
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