“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Philippians 4:11-12 I’m good at abounding but not so much with abasement. Why does God allow abasement? It means “to humble,” which conjures up thoughts of pain, so this is why most folks don’t get content with it. Yes, pain we cringe at, but humility itself brings something special. Paul became content since humility brings self-satisfying; it brings us closer to God . “The perfect meekness that comes from self-humbling brings with it an all-embracing concentration on the goodness and love of God.” “None of the acts of God, whether in…
Category: <span>Personal God</span>
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4 Why does God allow us to comprehend the fact of being chosen? Isn’t it confusing? — answer: to bless us with a sense of destiny — To bless us with the sense of our special calling — To give us a sense of value — and, because it is true. We are: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. 1 Peter 1:2 Aha, I was in God’s foreknowledge. He knew me before I was born, He knew about my choice, when I was 25 years old, for Him . Can we say that God chose me based on His prior knowledge of my choice? Yes! …Through sanctification of the Spirit. God’s election was carried out as He snatched me out of this world, and separated me unto Himself, once for all. Hebrews…
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. Luke_7:39 What kind of prophet? An ethics policeman? Greg Boyd makes an insightful observation in His article on “The Point of the Book of Job.” “Most of us do not like ambiguity. Life is generally easier if we convince ourselves that everything is clear and simple. This, I believe, is part of our legacy of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 3:1-7). In our fallen delusion, we feel it our rightphet, and within our capacity, to declare unambiguously who and what is “good” and who and what is “evil.” We are not omniscient, but having eaten from the forbidden tree, we have a fallen misguided…
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. John 1:16 “Grace is more than love, it is love set absolutely free and made to be a triumphant victor over the righteous judgment of God against the sinner.” “The grace of God belongs to the realm of the infinite. His measureless love and goodness are released from every restraint. They are unshackled and free.” “The supreme divine objective is then, that infinite love may manifest itself in superabounding grace.” Chafer –Grace The Glorious Theme “Grace is God acting freely, according to; His own nature as Love; with no promises or obligations to fulfill…” William Newell “Grace means the overflowing nature of God…we have no words to describe the lavishness of God.” Oswald Chambers ” The religion of legality is as though a man should decide to have an apple orchard and should try to make one by…
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. John 1:16 “Grace is more than love, it is love set absolutely free and made to be a triumphant victor over the righteous judgment of God against the sinner.” “The grace of God belongs to the realm of the infinite. His measureless love and goodness are released from every restraint. They are unshackled and free.” “The supreme divine objective is then, that infinite love may manifest itself in superabounding grace.” Chafer –Grace The Glorious Theme “Grace is God acting freely, according to; His own nature as Love; with no promises or obligations to fulfill…” William Newell “Grace means the overflowing nature of God…we have no words to describe the lavishness of God.” Oswald Chambers ” The religion of legality is as though a man should decide to have an apple orchard and should try to make one by…
Jonah slipped outta God’s directive and wound up jailed, in a fish; cried out for God’s help, became fish-disgorge, bleached and beached, opted to go preach, saved the Ninevites nation. What can we learn? Folks squirm outta life daily only to enter self-incarceration; self-reproach, fright, despondency. These we try to lighten with encouragement; sometimes these hide away, we lose touch with them. Through probation, prison, parole, or local jail, 6.7 million Americans wear the dregs of cement and bars — 2.7% of adult population or 1 out of every 37 Americans have been sent “up the river,” (as of 2015). What’s up with these? — Scott Rasmussen reports. Some questions crop up: did not God throw a mighty tempest toward Jonah’s run-away boat and sailor friends? Did the bloody blokes not become suspicious of Jonah? Did they not, in turn, throw the fugitive overboard? Let’s review: So far,…
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly), does not act unbecomingly. does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it, [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. 1 Corinthians…
It lurks in the recesses of a man’s heart and will surely appear when provoked by circumstance, and Job’s stuffing came out a display of abject transparency. We can say that Job’s transparency painted him badly; three acquaintances felt this, but his plight had baffled his sense of justice. “Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in other social contexts, implies openness, communication, accountability. Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. It has been defined simply as “the perceived quality of intentionally shared information from a sender”.[1] “The thing about transparency is that it shows. Period. When you’re open and direct, it shows; when you’re obtuse or avoidant, it also shows.”Beth Levine writes at http://www.smartmouthcommunications.com/the-thing-about-transparency/ I say, when our junk makes it’s appearance we can’t just display it, but we must be honest about it, but……
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. The “kingdom of God” refers to personal governmental authority, the operational will of God. Personal authority, to be lasting, must be of the same order of Jesus Christ. not the authority of autocracy or coercion, not a superstitious nature. Autocratic authority is to rule by right of insistence and not by right of personal integrity. Chambers Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to act in an involuntary manner by use of intimidation or threats or some other form of pressure or force. Wikipedia Another kind of authoritative practice is Sophistry which is self-government- self realization Superstition is any belief or practice that is irrational – i.e., it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a positive belief in fate or magic,…
A football player rode the bench. He never played, never planned to play, he was third string. In this game the first stringer went down, broken leg. Bad for the team but no worries for our guy, second string went in. Before long this halfback twisted something. Oh no, the bench rider was up. “George, put on a helmet,” the coach shouted. “But coach, I can’t do it, I have never played.” “Just get in there, you’ll be fine.” “Can’t, sorry coach, I’m afraid.” Coach had to call for a time out, and then he spoke these words: “George, relax, you’re gonna be my secret weapon.” “Whatta ya mean coach?” “I’m gonna put the spirit of a great running back in you.” “How?” “Trust me.” “Who?” “Franco Harris” “Now get in the game.” The story makes us laugh. It’s a fairy story to a lot of us. Some vital points…