Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. “ As we muse about God’s appearance at the end of the book of Job, chapter 38-41 what is it that we learn? Is it his sovereignty, his omnipotence, is omniscience or even His omnipresence? I will venture a guess here, it is Him, it is God. Simply God is enough. Yes, founding every doctrine, every parable, every principle outlined in the Word of God, is the essence of God. We must realize that every judgment is rooted in who God is, as well as every blessing. God’s eternal Being, limiting him to perform only things that are…
Category: <span>Personal God</span>
” I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. “John 17:9-10 “Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, whom Thou hast given to me, that they may be one as we; when I was with them in the world, I was keeping them in Thy name; those whom Thou hast given to me I did guard, and none of them was destroyed, except the son of the destruction, that the Writing may be fulfilled. ‘And now unto Thee I come, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves; I have given to them Thy Word, and the world did hate them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of…
I woke up in fog, in a foreign land. I think it was somewhere like Europe and the conversation had many presumptions. There pervaded an atmosphere, a terrible feeling of doom and gloom. The background dialogue implied fault, mostly of my own. The voices were of unknown caretakers. Not to panic, however, my soul had been trained to yield (attitude positioning), to the Precious Spirit. That seeming real world of dread soon faded and vanished far behind comforting thoughts of love and safety from God’s Word. Romans 13:11 has taught us, ” …knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”1Corinthian 15:34 also, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not.”Ephesians 5:14 follows, “…Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Awake: Friends we are to “Walk in the light as…
Some folks always seem to want to assert their independence. (Self-dependence, self-reliance self-subsistence self-sufficiency self-support); these can do it all themselves without any help from others. They annoy us, especially when we see a need or way to assist them, and they refuse. It appears to be a betrayal to their true nature, which could allow for more “humility.” People do things for all kinds of reasons: personality, upbringing, environment, or genetics could all play a part. But, let’s consider the words of Paul to the Corinthians. ” For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in…
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Companionship is that which teaches mortals everything.” Euripides ” …intercourse with other men influences the manner, appearance, deportment, and character of a man, sharpens his wits, controls his conduct, and brightens his very face.” Pulpit Commentary Proverbs 27:1 teaches, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” “what was the secret of the power (of Paul, the Apostle)? “It is given in his own words, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) He was able to fling himself with that passionate confidence into the present duty, he was able to preach the word with that victorious vigor in season and out of season. ” … the whole burden of the unknown future was rolled away from him, and he, more than…
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1Cointhians 1:18 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 1Cointhians 1:23-24 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1Cointhians 2:2 Paul was not a people pleaser. Jews hoped for a “sign” and Greek folks sought wisdom. But Paul instead chose to proclaim the power of God and the wisdom which was God’s alone. It was Paul’s topic of choice. His preaching posture came with “feebleness (of body or mind); and, by implication, ‘malady’ or moral frailty.” “ (Paul), not only eschewed all affectation of cleverness or grandiloquence, but went to the opposite…
Because life is a narrow way, few find it. Mostly a broader way finds a person, and many are defiled thereby. It leads to destruction. Proverbs 22:5 teaches that thorns and thistles await such, and verse 8 tells us that abject nothingness rewards the sower of emotional rebellion. For wide is the gate — easily entered, and broad is the way — easily trodden. “Enter ye in at the strait gate — as if hardly wide enough to admit one at all. This expresses the difficulty of the first right step …involving, as it does, a triumph over all our natural inclinations.” JFB on Matthew 7:13 The one road caters to ease and self-indulgence, the other bends to eternal safety. The narrow way involves an intense “keeping” of one’s soul — a hedging about with protection. Proverbs 22:5 In Luke 13:24 Jesus teaches, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate.”…
But (Jesus), made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:7-8 Jesus “emptied Himself, taking upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.” JFB In His incarnation: ” …when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou would not, but a body hast thou prepared me. Hebrews 10:5 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same” Hebrews 2:14 John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. “ Jesus took…
Joy eclipses just feelings. Joy emanates out of something deep, a grace which covers all of anti-joy. Yes, all joy inhibiters are broken in the conscience, all doubts in the mind. Even death has no stinging dominance over the care free soul. Joy comes as a by-product of grace, which carries out the wonderful effects of unconditional love, removing all conditional “ifs, ands, or buts.” It comes from God, the ultimate source of all things. “And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. “1Samuel 18:6 Joy came as the warriors defeated the enemy of the people. Indeed there was singing and dancing. So it is with our joy, released when all of our enemies…
Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. Psalm 45:10-11 Listen, set your affections upon, ready your ear, mislay or be oblivious to thine own people and thy father’s house. Put them out of your mind. Don’t remember them any longer. The king will take pleasure in this beautiful sight; your humble attention, removing distractions of former attachments, entering into a concentration on him alone. Beloved, as we lay aside our identity in Adam, including our natural upbringing, genetical makeup, personality traits, cultural traits, and persona, we set a gaze on a new identity, which is — the state in which we are being loved, receiving affection, and being admired by another. Not resulting from our observable qualities, but from looking away from these…