Healing at the Cross Posts

  “Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art, Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence, my light.” Be Thou my wisdom, Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee, Thou with me Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou with me dwelling and I with Thee one. Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for the fight; be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight; Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high-tower; raise thou me heaven-ward, O Power of my power. High King of heaven, Thy victory won; may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Son; Heart of my own heart, whatever befall; still be my vision, O Ruler of all.” I’ve always loved the words of this song; So much content , So much meaning — “My best thought, Thy presence, my life, My wisdom, My true word,…

Joshua would be 40 years old on April 10 if he had survived his bout with cancer. 14 years have past since his untimely passing. We remember him today. I have thought of Josh much this past 14 years, but I am okay. God has allowed my imperfect life to continue and has paid me back with many blessings of the spiritual  and physical sort. I have enjoyed the friendship of God’s Spirit, of Jesus, and the Father. I have been allowed to simply be myself, to speak transparently, to have a ministry with the broken hearted. I have felt God’s loving comfort for grievers; I have identified with their pain. These things we have learned from Joshua’s life and dying: The events of life, thrills or tragedy, are not mere speed-bumps to recover from, but are doorways which open to new worlds. Many hidden gifts and desires opened for…

  Do you often grapple over the many decisions, including non-decisions, that brought you to your present circumstances? Lets try. There was the life changing time when Christ became real, the decision to marry, and the decision to have children. There was the decision for Bible College, moving to another state, finding a new job. These events are on the positive side of planning. Then there was the unforeseen happenings: the departure of a spouse, the death of a child, the loss of a job, the pains of sickness. On top of that are the many unthinkable mistakes, abuses, betrayals, and cowardly opting-outs. These were the lessons, hard to be learned, and may have stolen a large part of our lives. Nevertheless here we are. What are we to think about it all? The Apostle beautifully says: ” But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of…

  “Feeling the stress of a fallen world is part of existence. We might call this the’blues.’ Romans 8:23 teaches, ‘we groan.’” “The blues are common to the lot of a fallen human race.” “… Expectation of a carefree life or constant euphoria and excitement are neither scriptural nor true to experience.” Steven Waterhouse “The fact that you have become a Christian does not mean that you cease to have to live with yourself — You will have to live with yourself as long as you are alive. ” Martin Lloyd Jones Depression is related to 1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things, 2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless, 3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much, 4. Feeling tired or having little energy, 5. Poor appetite or overeating, 6. …you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down, 7. Trouble concentrating on things, 8. Moving or speaking so slowly,…

Galatians 5:7 could be read this way , “Who has been breaking up the road you were traveling so well, and who has stopped you from advancing?” The devil likes to stop the Christian in his tracks — creating an attitude of uncertainty about the path in which God is leading… He also aims to impede their relationship and fellowship with God.  Methods include: Mental strain — The devil induces believers to toil in their thoughts — Unexplained tiredness and a lack of emotional control — Details cause tension — The person often complains about being overworked –He feels too drained to pray or to study. …an attitude of carelessness —  Results in a contempt For discipline and leadership — a lackadaisical disposition. Anxiety Nervousness materialism. all taken from Dr. Carl H. Stevens Sometimes our faith-practices don’t seem to work out as usual. Is God pulling the plug on this…

“God just doesn’t throw a life preserver to a drowning person. He goes to the bottom of the sea and he pulls a corpse from the bottom of the sea, takes him up on the bank and breathes into him the breath of life and makes him alive.” R.C. Sproul “Men will never worship God with a sincere heart, or be roused to fear and obey him with sufficient zeal, until they properly understand how indebted they are to his mercy.”  John Calvin “We shall never be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, except we first know assuredly that we have no righteousness of our own.”  John Calvin “You contribute nothing to your Salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”   Jonathan Edwards “The ultimate test of our spirituality, Is the measure of our amazement at the grace of God.” Martin Lloyd Jones “Faith, repentance and holiness are no less…

  David spoke, “I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord.” Psalm 26:6  David desired and sought the presence of God. However, Cain didn’t, much earlier in history. “Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden.” Genesis 4:16   Our life presents these two choices; we can wander or we can seek the presence of God . “When thou saidst, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”  Psalm 27:8   “Who may go up on the mountain of Adonai? `Who may stand in His holy place? One with clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully.” Psalm 24:3-4 Job_17:9 teaches: “The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.” But Cain, built a city.…

Son

  “And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said,” “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” 2 Samuel 18:33 A father loves his son most powerfully.  King David weeps for his son even though this son had conspired to kill him. A grown man remarked: “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”memesbams We may not believe in ourselves — but our father may. In us? Our heavenly Father believes in what His nature can produce in us — in spite of our disbelief! He’s the Father of fathers. He is Love above love. Romans 8:14 teaches: “For those who are led by God’s Spirit are, all of them, God’s sons.” …

  Jesus met some fishermen one day and said to them “I will make you Fishers of men.” Over time, these men became Great evangelists and fishers of men. The only thing required was the Holy Spirit. Prior to the Holy Spirit being added to them, they could not be fishers of men. Why? Let’s examine what the Holy Spirit brought, and some aspects missing without Him . Taken from Doctor Carl H Stevens. ” Without the Spirit, a man is left to his “Old Sin Nature.”  ( OSN.) The OSN is insecure-not well adjusted-lacks confidence in God’s plan and details of providence. The OSN Is overly sensitive. Does not trust in the purpose of the steps that God leads us. The OSN is paranoid: Suspicious and easily irritated. The OSN produces a negative attitude which produces negative reactions. The OSN interferes with the digestion of categories (of The Scriptures), and…

  “Not one time will the believer ever face condemnation.” “Don’t Ever let Satan detach your self-image from the kingdom of God’s finished work.” God says, “I’ve not only taken care of everything you’ve done, but I’ve taken care of everything people have done to you. I’ve taken care of everything you are …I’ve taken care of everything Satan has done.” Dr. Carl H. Stevens This year we must know who we are in Christ. This year we must draw nigh the mercy seat. This year we will be challenged to doubt, to question, to fall into “second-rate citizen” status. Steve Gruber, conservative talk show host, comments on 2019: “This will be a political war like you have never seen because in the end it is really about the heart and soul of America … about the future of the republic and whether America will be a nation of individuals…