How’s that for a statement? Exclamation point! Ha! Take that stress! I wake up in the knowledge that I am loved by Creator God who makes such stunning displays of beauty. He reigns.
I remember when this song came out, my kids would belt this song out and one day I asked them what it meant that He reigns. O, Mom, you know, it means we are so thankful that it “rains”. The song takes on some interesting new connotations…
My kids all have certain ways that they like to go to bed. We have routines. They don’t like falling asleep without them. As they get older, the need for a certain routine seems to fade but the younger ones need the stability. Love you, see you in the morning, have a good night, it’s going to be a good night…repeated by each of them (well, except for my eldest). Each need, I believe, the assurance that they are loved.
When my world is caving in, I need reassurances that no matter how much rain falls, my God reigns. He makes it rain. He made this world.
The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6]. He is ·clothed [robed] in majesty.
The Lord is ·clothed [robed] in majesty
and ·armed [girded] with strength.
The world is ·set [established],
and it ·cannot be moved [will not totter]. 2 Lord, your ·kingdom [L throne] was ·set up [established] long ago;
you are everlasting. Psalm 93 EXB
Tears may flow from my eyes from life’s messes but I know, I know, I declare that my God is faithful! He is Lord Almighty!
My Pandora mix today are all these songs. I think maybe my Lord wants to me remember this all. SO I’m sharing these songs because they are such good reminders. Remember, beloved. Nothing compares to His embrace. Light of the World He forever rains. (Just kidding..)
9 ·Worship [Bow down to] the Lord ·because he is holy [L in the splendor of his holiness].
Tremble before him, everyone on earth. 10 Tell the nations, “The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6].”
The earth is ·set [established], and it cannot be moved. Psalm 96 EXB
Worship Him. Tell the world that our Lord is King.
There was a whole lotta hoopla about History Channel’s The Bible debut of Satan this week. That the man’s makeup is designed to make him look like Obama. Whatever. For my brain, remembering that our God’s power is triumphant. Are Satan’s tactics hard to cope with? Yes. God lifts us higher. Lifts you higher than your circumstances.
So my thankfuls today:
230. A beautiful bathroom painted by my lovely Mother..
231. A neighbor who brought me yummy slippers and workout pants.
232. What’s In the Bible with Buck Denver..what a gift.
Praying for our Pastors and their wives:
Pray that your pastor and his wife will practice servant leadership, edifying the congregation with wisdom and serving with God’s “agape” love. (Gal. 5:13b; Eph. 6:7; Mark 10:43b-45, 9:23-24; John 13:5-9; Phil. 2:3-4) (ROH)
In Nockamixon State Park, which is five miles east of Quakertown and nine miles west of Doylestown in PA. Photo by gailf548
Good morning, beloved,
Ever notice how when life is quiet, peaceful, everyone is healthy, money in the bank, how easy it is to come to rely on this? Slowly but surely we can remove our trust in God and put our trust in these very temporal circumstances. The picture of this tree is such good reminder to me. This tree is quite alive, healthy, roots firmly established by the water. Can you imagine this tree picking up it’s roots and saying, “I don’t like the water. I’m good on my own.” ? Of course not. This tree relies heavily on the water in good times. And in bad. However, when the waters stir, when the downpours come, when health issues arrive that are not solved, when money is NOT in the bank, we look up to heaven and begin to panic.
Or not. When downpour after downpour come on the Bruinius family, I have to be honest I get overwhelmed. I can type it all out, make a good story for our family but yet I am finding as I type it out, I begin to find reason to be upset with God. Yet, within the span of a day, such good, such stress poured down on our family. As I watched the emails come, as I listened on the phone to another issue, I had to just keep saying…
My friends, you have so many choices in your day, choices for life, for joy. I know I can resonate with Robert Robinson’s hymn..
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. Robert Robinson
So, join me this day.
Make known your declarations to God. Lift up your debtor’s heart. Don’t forget to keep worship. Refuse the whispers of Satan.
7 “But the person who ·trusts [has confidence] in the Lord will be blessed.
·The Lord will show him that he can be trusted [L …whose trust/confidence is in him]. 8 He will be like a tree planted near water [C vital and strong]
that sends its roots by a stream [Ps. 1:3].
It is not afraid when the ·days are hot [L heat comes];
its leaves are always green.
It ·does not worry [is not anxious] in a year ·when no rain comes [of drought];
it always produces fruit. Jeremiah 17 EXB
Trust. The Lord HAS shown Himself so faithful. I want to be that tree at the top of my post. Vibrant, strong, trusting in my God to provide for each and every need we have. He is so faithful.
227. Tears of my children that with comfort and reminders of joy a smile can be found..
228. My Ella girl finishing her AWANA book..so proud.
229. Chocolate pudding that was all mine from start to finish.
Please continue to pray for Micah Ahern. His parents are sitting in a hospital holding their breath, wondering if the cancer truly has returned.
Prayers for our Pastors and their wives:
Day 21 Pray that your pastor and his wife will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing themselves into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23) (ROH)
Dawn at Swifts Creek. Photo by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos
Good morning, beloved,
How do you understand a peaceful, quiet, restful day when the day earlier was the antithesis? Grateful. I begin thinking what did I do differently? Questioning. Not sure, wondering. So I begin with…
Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.
Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.
Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
To praise: 2 express one’s respect and gratitude towards (a deity), especially in song:we praise God for past blessings (Oxford Dictionary)
My thankfuls today (what are yours?)
211. For my parents coming and helping us.
212. For dear friends’ blessings.
213. For loaves (notice plural) of bread in the freezer.
For our Pastors and their wives:
Ask God to protect your pastor from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that he will not be corrupted as he rubs shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Is. 54:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:12; Ps. 9:9-10, 91:9-11) (Revive Our Hearts)
The Second Severn Crossing carrying the M4 motorway across the River Severn between Severn Beach near Avonmouth in south west England and Caldicot in south Wales. This view, composed from 16 separate images, is looking west from the English side. The bridge has a total span of 5.1 km and includes a cable-stayed section called the Shoots Bridge which spans the shipping channel between the two towers. The River Severn has a vast tidal range – the point from which this photograph was taken would be covered at high tide. Photo by Yummifruitbat
Good morning, beloved,
Snow day! Beautiful, fluffy snow has covered our landscape. Yesterday was a fun day filled with school, playing outside, listening to our books and shockingly, I made bread. Ok, well, Joshua helped but it worked. I, of course, used a recipe. I am a recipe girl. I cannot seem to veer off the recipe more than just a smidge. We made it and it was good. Gluten free, dairy free bread smells filled our house.There is pleasure for me to have baking work for me.
I want that for my children. I want that we do this and this and this and they will pop out of the oven (well, ok, leave us to make their way in the world) as devoted followers of Christ. I read books, I listen to people farther along in the journey, I want reassurance. I realize what I’m doing. I’m living in our tomorrow when God has given us grace for this day. This moment. Today.
Lamentations 3:
22 The Lord’s ·love [loyalty] never ends;
his ·mercies [compassion] never stop. 23 They are new every morning;
Lord, your ·loyalty [faithfulness] is ·great [abundant; Ps. 33:4; 92:2; 143:1].
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is ·mine [L my lot/portion],
so I hope in him.”
I cannot place my hope in a program. I cannot place my hope in a book I read and the formula there-within. Friend, where do we place our hope? The Lord.
So, lets say to ourselves, the Lord is mine. (He’s yours too.)
Place not your hope in your circumstances. Do not allow yourself to wander in the fields of hopelessness. Come back into His mercies. His faithfulness. His loyalty. His hope.
Hearing In Christ Alone…reminding myself, I live in Christ. This is truly living. Not allowing Satan to be the whisper in my mind, but rather His word, His life. Join me today? Step on the snake today. (Ann Voskamp)
My thankfuls (what are yours?)
205. Thankful for worship. Taking my mind off me. Placing it on worship of God Almighty.
206. Thankful for the convictions of the Holy Spirit. Humbled.
207. No matter what the news says, the earth is filled with His glory. Praise God!
Where can you find peace in this day? As I write, I am praying for God to come and dwell. May His Holy Spirit fall fresh on this house. I love remembering these verses:
35 ·Can anything [or Who can] separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can ·troubles [trials; tribulations] or ·problems [distress; hardship] or ·sufferings [persecution] or ·hunger [famine] or ·nakedness [destitution] or danger or ·violent death [L sword]?36 As it is written in the Scriptures:
“For ·you [your sake] we are ·in danger of death [L being put to death] all the time.
·People think we are worth no more than [L We were considered like] sheep ·to be killed [about to be slaughtered;Ps. 44:22].”
37 But in all these things we are completely victorious through ·God [or Christ; L the One] who showed his love for us. 38 Yes, I am ·sure [convinced] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ·ruling spirits [or heavenly rulers; or demons; L rulers;T principalities], nothing ·now [in the present], nothing in the future, no ·powers [or spiritual powers/authorities], 39 ·nothing above us [or no powers in the sky], ·nothing below us [or nor powers in the depths], nor ·anything else in the whole world[any created thing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8 EXB
Nothing can remove His love for us. Nothing. I know a great lies that Satan likes to tell us. Oh, God could never forgive that. Oh, that sin? No way. You haven’t had a quality time with the Lord? No, don’t even try to come back because it is all about your quiet time with the Lord looking like this, this much time, this time of day. You are plagued by fear? Yes, God could never forgive, could never love someone like you.
As I type those lies, maybe they are the lies whispered to you. Your lies may sound a little different, but these are the lies that we listen to, we believe and we ingest. Why is it easier to believe the evil one’s lies then believe God’s truth, God’s Word?
Mindy McCready believed the lies of the evil one last night. Her life was plagued by problems, by pain, by sadness. The whispers of the enemy..are powerful. Yet, they are no match for God’s love. I can imagine those last moments…I can imagine what life will be like for her two sweet boys she leaves behind. Anger, depression..
Yet God’s word says we can be completely victorious. Have you faced this? You, I, are loved. Satan’s lies cannot separate us. You may try to build a wall to Jesus but He is there. He is waiting. He is also whispering…
neither death,
The German military cemetery in La Cambe, Normandy. Picture taken in the summer of 2003. The cemetery is the resting place for about 20000 German soldiers. Photo by Bjarki Sigursveinsson.
Nor life,
A two minutes old newborn-baby girl with her midwife in a delivery-room in Jerusalem. Photo by משתמש כבד
Nothing now! Nothing in the future! No powers! Nothing above! Nothing below!
Nor anything else in the whole wide world!
His love is..
17 I pray that Christ will ·live [make his home] in your hearts by faith and that your life will be ·strong in love and be built on love[L rooted and grounded in love]. 18 And I pray that you and all ·God’s holy people [T the saints] will have the power to ·understand [comprehend; grasp] the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is ·greater than anyone can ever know [beyond comprehension/knowledge], but I pray that you will be able to know that love. ·Then [L …so that] you can be filled with the fullness of God. Ephesians 3 EXB
How do we do this? How do we grasp? We live in the truth. We hear the whispers of the enemy and we say NO.
186. My Bible that has nearly 10 years of writing…
We pray for others, we focus less on ourselves and more on the hurting world around. We lift up our pastor and his wife!
Pray that your pastor will be a man of prayer and worship, and that he will lead by example—teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matt. 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46)
Ask God to provide for the financial needs of your pastor and his family. Pray that your
pastor’s wife will be a wise steward in caring for her family and using funds entrusted to
her care. Pray that her heart will be turned away from selfish gain and worthless things.
(Phil. 4:19; Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:11; Ps. 37:25; 119:36-37) Revive Our Hearts
We keep His word in our minds to do battle! Notecards. Songs that extol His Word.
View from the observation tower, Brown County State Park, Indiana, USA by Poco a poco
Good morning, beloved,
I come to the garden…does it ever surprise you how amazingly sinful you can be? I’m not talking about murder, or some horrible sin. I’m talking about..and then about…and then about…you know, here’s the deal: we’ve done this before. We’ve looked at how Jesus viewed sin.(Sermon on the Mount) He saw no difference in the thought life and the actual deed of murder, adultery, etc. We’ve looked at how God the Father sees sin. It’s bloody, it’s messy, He hates it. How many animals lost their little innocent lives because of the sin of Israel? How about the precious blood of Jesus? The last sacrifice, for all mankind, for all time…He was all we all needed.
Yet, we look at our sin and put up walls. He couldn’t forgive that. I’ve sinned too many times. And, guess what? We listened to the lies..
Look up! See the risen Son of God!
I forget sometimes how to love. I forget how to be Jesus with skin on to those around me. John has some words for me. Maybe for you?
1 John 4
19 We love because ·God [L he] first loved us. 20 If people say, “I love God,” but hate their brothers or sisters [C fellow believers], they are liars. [L For] Those who do not love their brothers and sisters[C fellow believers], whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen. 21 And ·God gave us this command [L we have this command from him]: Those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters [C fellow believers; John 13:34]. EXB
Friends, I need these words this morning. I believe the Lord is lifting me up. Lifting my head, saying, Daughter, you are better than this. You are more than this.
So, for me, maybe for you, we need to remember we are more than the mud pile Satan invites us to play in (that actually is a tar pit). God has gardens for us to play in. His Spirit is here to guide us. Give us ways out of the temptation. His hand extends to you, to me.(See, I have ·written [engraved; inscribed] your name on my ·hand [palms].Isaiah 49:16) His Word in our hearts showing us the strength that resides in those who call God Father.
Love Him? Love those who surround you whom God has called.
109. He holds His scarred, strong, merciful hand to His daughter, always.
110. His Word, so thankful for His Word.
111. His Spirit, guiding, directing, moving me towards my heavenly home.
We all have people and situations that will be challenging us. Pushing us to new growth, not to wallow in pity or anger that people aren’t perfect like us. I think, wait, I know whom God graces to put in our lives, there is a purpose for us. We can’t wait until the pain is over. We can’t wait until people start acting better, doing better. Then we can check that off our list, right? No, John said it. We love God? Well, then, we love those whom God puts in our lives. All of ‘em. Not just the easy ones.
Today finds me grateful for yesterday. My world is spinning, my symptoms are intense today. However, yesterday, at church, at home, I was feeling better than I have in such a long time. Yesterday was a gift. Worshiping the God of heaven and earth brought our family such encouragement. There is an elderly woman at our church whom I always run to give her a hug. She always calls me honey and reminds me to stay encouraged. “I’m having surgery soon, honey, now I don’t want you to worry because I have the Lord by my side..” I love looking into her eyes and seeing such hope and love. She makes me think of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:
42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. [The body] that is sown is perishable and decays, but [the body] that is resurrected is imperishable (immune to decay, immortal).
43 It is sown in dishonor and humiliation; it is raised in honor and glory. It is sown in infirmity and weakness; it is resurrected in strength and endued with power.
44 It is sown a natural (physical) body; it is raised a supernatural (a spiritual) body. [As surely as] there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.
Well, it is December 3rd, unbelievable how quickly this year has passed me by. I found a fabulous website that walks through the prophecies of the Old Testament about Jesus. I want to go through these prophecies on day at a time.
First, my thankfuls:
15. I’m thankful for Christmas music that points to my Savior. Normally, I kind of get tired of the music but this year I need all the reminders I can get. K-LOVE has a Christmas music station!
16. I’m thankful for Christmas cookies that my Mom and my kids made.
17. I’m thankful for our church and the community we share.
Views from Givat HaArbaa, near Hebron road, Jerusalem by Deror avi
So, the first prophecy occurs in Genesis…
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her[a]Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. (Christ fulfills through his victory over Satan the wonderful promise here spoken. See also Isa. 9:6; Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31; Rom. 16:20; Gal. 4:4; Rev. 12:17.)
4 But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law,
5 To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to [a]atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons]. (Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this as a definition of “redeem.”)
Most conservative writers agree this is the Prot-evangelium (“First Gospel”), which
1) Prophesies hostility between “your seed” (Satan & unbelievers, cf Jn 8:44) and her Seed (Christ & all “in Christ” by faith)
2) Promises the good news that the woman’s seed (Christ) would crush the Devil’s head, a mortal wound spelling utter defeat on the Cross where Jesus forever triumphed over Sin, Satan & Death. Satan bruising of Messiah’s heel pictures His suffering. Note God’s mercy to promise the Messiah before pronouncing sentence! The rest of the Old Testament proceeds to point ahead to the Seed, the Messiah.
W H Griffith Thomas writes that Genesis 3…
“is the call of Divine justice, which cannot overlook sin. It is the call of Divine sorrow, which grieves over the sinner. It is the call of Divine love, which offers redemption for sin.” (Genesis, A Devotional Commentary)
So today, as you go about your day, remember you are His child. You were bought at a price. Now you have been adopted. You belong to the King of Kings. I’m so excited to walk through these prophecies together! Remain here all month and we will keep looking for Jesus through the Old Testament.
We are in the week of Thanksgiving. How did we get here? As I roam around Facebook, watch the news, read the news, I realize that the greatest thing I have to be thankful for this year and all the years in the past and the years to come is salvation.
When Satan comes prowling, I believe the lies I am most willing to accept are lies about my salvation. Stay with me here. We know we have been saved by Jesus’ blood. Yet when we are in the midst of life, our problem is two-fold.
1. We gloss over the sin. Try to forget the sin. Hope God forgot too and shove it under the carpet. Somehow, we have convinced ourselves that certain sins are not really sin. We lie to ourselves, to others and we call it white lies. We judge so often we forget that is what God calls it. How we look at people, judge their character, discern things that we have no business meddling in. We want revenge, think it is just to think this way. In essence, we ask God to move out of His spot in our lives and take over. Do we consciously do this? no.
2. We forgot the power of salvation and all that it includes. I’m going to include a chart from Precepts Ministries International that has been rocking my world. I’m thinking of tattooing it on my arm.
There is so much GIFT in this table. I love it! I’ve been staring at it for two days now, reveling. Let’s take it apart.
Tense
Free From Sin’s
When
Doctrine of
Past
I have been saved
Penalty-by His death
Romans 3: 21-24
Dominion-by my death
Romans 6:3-7
When I receive Christ
Justification
In the past, you and I were saved from the penalty of sin by one death. One life.
Romans 3:
21 But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,
22 Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
23 Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.
24 [All] are justified andmade upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
God’s righteousness was your gift the moment you said. I believe. I trust. I am going to confidently rely on Him. We all fall short.
YET, here’s the beauty we are all made upright. We all are in right standing with God. Not because of anything we did but by His unmerited favor and mercy..thru redemption ( a releasing effected by payment of ransom. ) Jesus payed our ransom. We are redeemed!
Tense
Free From Sin’s
When
Doctrine of
Present
I am being saved
Power-by indwelling Holy Spirit Romans 8:2-14
As I walk in the Spirit
Sanctification
Now, today, right now, breathing, we are being saved. Constantly, without fail, because of the gift of the Holy Spirit. His indwelling Spirit in our lives, as we walk in the Spirit, we are being saved.
Romans 8:
2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3 For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [[a]the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [[b]subdued, overcame, [c]deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],
4 So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].
5 For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and[d]pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and[e]seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
6 Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that [f]comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].
7 [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.
8 So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.
9 But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God].
10 But if Christ lives in you, [then although] your [natural] body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of [the] righteousness [that He imputes to you].
11 And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh.
13 For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Receive that truth, friends. Thank You, Lord for this beautiful gift of the Spirit!
Tense
Free From Sin’s
When
Doctrine of
Future
I shall be saved
Presence-by redemption of my body Romans 8;22-25
When I get a new body
Glorification
What hope we have, no matter what our present circumstances, we also can look forward to the day when…
Romans 8:
22 We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now.
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God’s sons).
24 For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure.
Paul knew, this wasn’t the end of the story. Suffering, hard times, persecution..this wasn’t the end. No matter how bleak your circumstances appear, this is not the end of the story. We place our hope, our faith in what is to come.
Heaven.
Romans 8:
28 We are assured and know that [[j]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
29 For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was [k]aware and[l]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.
30 And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].
31 What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]
Let your faith arise. Let your hope swell. Lift up your hands and praise God, for He is faithful God. Always.
Rauschelesee vom Plöschenberg aus fotografiert by Florian Fuchs
Good morning, beloved,
Well, my last round of tests is complete. Oh, I am so thankful that is over! I gained a new appreciation for ears, our balance system and how intricately God planned our bodies. The audiologist who worked with me was passionate about her field. It was cute. She was so excited to see a case like me, and talk with me about it. In a way, it was therapeutic for both of us. The tests gave them all the information they need to proceed with the surgery. Now my prayer is that I can have the craniotomy done this month. Will you join me in praying for that?
When I opened Bible gateway today, I saw the verse of the day and thought, yes, that is wonderful but I can’t write anything about that. Yet, the Lord kept drawing me back and back. So here I sit…
“Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.”Isaiah 1:18AMP
Oh Praise the ONE who paid my debt! And raised this life up from the dead! Praise Him! Lead on, Lord. You are the magnificent One. You are the One. The conqueror of death, the sacrificial One, praise You Lord Jesus! You are the renown.
Jesus. His name, o friends, has the power. Has the glory. Grasp it. Hold tight.
The Lord God has eternally entered a discussion with us. He welcomes us into His kingdom, He welcomes us and leads us to repentance and purity. My sins are like scarlet. The word scarlet actually means : properly, the insect ‘coccus ilicis’, the dried body of the female yielding colouring matter from which is made the dye used for cloth to colour it scarlet or crimson. What a picture, our sins, God says, are red, the color everything but entering into a relationship with the Lord brings…
Snowed trees on mount Brocken, Harz, Germany by Andreas Tille
White as snow: to make white, become white, purify…the Lord can make you pure. There is not one sin you have committed that God cannot purify and make clean. The whitest white, the purest…that is you with…the Lord’s cleansing flow.
We get lost in the whispers of the liar. God can’t forgive that. Whispers tailored specifically for you. We don’t even realize the lies until they are buzzing around us like flies. Pestering. Poking. Getting us to believe…bottom line, we are not forgiven. It is not true.
Hear the truth…
Wool by florival fr
White as wool…whiteness…a picture..the Lord wants you to see His forgiveness is real. You are forgiven. Claim it, hold it. Receive it.
Ephesians 1:
6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the richesand the generosity of His gracious favor,
8 Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),
It was Jesus’ blood that gave us deliverance…it was His stain, His crimson, His scarlet that gave humanity the greatest gift.
So when Satan whispers in our ears, remember this…His glorious grace, so freely bestowed on us…Tell that liar..I have grace, I have redemption, deliverance, salvation…flee from me.
Herbert Lake at Icefields Parkway by Florian Fuchs
Good morning, beloved,
The life of the beloved..I have spent this morning contemplating this life in the light of a passage given to me this morning. When I get to heaven, I really want to meet Paul. Truly living, asking the Lord to make His home in our heart. This song kept coming in my mind as I was studying a passage in Ephesians.
Come, Lord, come make my heart Your home. Come and be everything I have and all I know. Search me through and through til my heart becomes a home for You..
16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].
Dobratsch in autumn by Florian Fuchs
17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [f]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [g]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
Johnston Canyon-Lower Falls (Banff National Park) by Florian Fuchs
20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we
[dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—
21 To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
What are the gifts found in a relationship with the Father?
Starting at verse 16, we find that God has a rich treasury..
We are very blessed, are we not? We have His glory, His strength, His mighty power, His Holy Spirit…all indwelling in us.
Yet, the next verse is life to me as well. Christ makes His home..brings His coffee cup, His pillow…ok, maybe not His pillow, but I gotta believe coffee will be available in heaven. He makes my heart, your heart His home. Oh, precious one, (I’m pulling a Kay, there) do you feel alone at times? Put your hand on your heart and listen. The beating of your heart can be your prompting…His home. You are never alone.
Waterfowl Lakes at Icefields Parkway by Florian Fuchs
So plant your roots deep in Him, for the roots find their strength deep in His love. His overwhelming love for you and I. Allow that truth to wash all over you.
Now about that alone feeling, the next verse indicates a way to discover and be filled with His love. Community: together with all the saints..experiencing His love in community. My family, my church, my dear friends help me understand Christ’s love in a powerful way. Is it perfect? No, Paul isn’t discussing that..He is saying we can understand “…the breadth and length and height and depth..” of agape (love) as defined by Blue Letter Bible: affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love.
We comprehend agape when we comprehend love in community. When we are real, when we open our lives up to the beloved, when we allow people into our mess…then can there be ministry. When God leads me to pray for someone, I feel the blessing more than anyone else. God’s love pouring through me to minister to His church..it’s not about me. It’s about showing the love of Jesus. Allowing His Spirit to move.
When people ask, how can I help? I need to be humble and take the offer. Say yes. We forget that when we are the ones helping how blessed we feel…allow others the gift of that blessing. So precious, so beautiful, so Jesus.
For then we comprehend His love, this just gets me so excited, the blessing is two-fold. We understand, the one who helps us or we help, brings an understanding of God’s love for us. If you don’t have that experience, you miss the richness, the depth of His agape.
Think of it, our church can experience “.. the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!” How about that? Are you going to allow Satan‘s lies to keep you from this? Are you going to live under the chains of unforgiveness? Petty arguments? What is keeping you from experiencing His love?
Don’t let another day go by…find community, seek it, pray for it, hope…the day we chose to leave the mega church and find a little home church was a turning point in our lives. Don’t get me wrong. I loved that church. But we needed community, where if you don’t show up, people began calling. People know your kids, know your requests, give help, give hugs, welcome you like family.
Yes, Satan will do everything in his power to hide that truth from you. But this love is real, and it can be found. As I type this, the sun is breaking over the houses, flooding my eyes with beautiful beams of light. Allow His Light to shine upon you and fill you with His love.
We know we have been saved by Jesus’ blood. Yet when we are in the midst of life, our problem is two-fold.
