Deuteronomy 28:14 reminds us, “… thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. ” But, “the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.” v. 13. We walk circumspectly; we walk in love. We walk in His light; we walk by faith. We stand in liberty; we put on the armor of light — in patience we possess our souls. We walk, not as the Gentiles, in the vanity of their mind — we neglect thoughts and paths that minister questions, that end up in circles, or unresolved conflicts. If we walk to please people, we become slaves to them. The right pathway is one which glorifies God only. Is that path proceeding to…
Healing at the Cross Posts
John 8:31 -12 teaches us: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. “ Sadly, others, in 2Timothy3:7 were: ” Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” New Testament writers faced falsehoods of all kinds. The subtlety of Gnosticism was addressed often by both Paul and John. Gnostic elites claimed to own “salvation by knowledge.” Their name which means, “good knowledge” implies this. .newadvent.org “A gnostic learner entered a knowledge-path which would lead to a deeper knowledge which could not be attained to without the path, since indeed, the leaders had not even seen it in totality as of yet. So a gnostic is on a path of “knowing.” Of course there was some promise of a future “utopian” ideal which…
“For we are human, weak and prone to wrong,And by Thy grace alone are we made strong.”Henry Coyle, Thankful Heart In the midst of our failed attempts at loving Jesus, His grace covers us. Francis Chan, Crazy Love Grace needs nothing added to it. It’s either you believe it’s all God’s grace or you believe you have to help God do his work. God saved the believer by his grace, and the believer cannot take any credit for it – none whatsoever. It is totally a gift from God, and you have to understand that you don’t pay for a gift nor do you work for a gift. Thomas Young, The Truth About God’s Grace “Grace is more than love; it is love set absolutely free and made to be a triumphant Victor over the righteous judgment of God over the sinner.” Chafer “Grace, the glorious theme.” “God answers the mess of…
Elijah ” came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die.” However, Job spoke, “Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.” And then “Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. “ In summary, we see a fearful man seeking the relief of death, a shattered man seeking the relief of non-existence, and a man experiencing the rude awakening of being disconnected from God. We may add also these: Jesus faced an agony preceding His death, Paul and Silas sang songs in a prison, Jeremiah cried many tears for…
Romans 6 teaches us “If we be dead with Him, we believe we will also live with Him.” Dead men can believe? Only dead men, who have died in Christ have access to “the faith of the Son of God” as described in Galatians 2:20. We live and believe through Christ, who is our life. The book of Paul to the Galatians speaks of many obstacles to this faith, mostly self-motivated philosophies, some of natural faith. First of these, Paul mentions in Galatians chapter 1:6. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” The referral to “removed” means simply to “change sides.” The Galatians left off the faith that pleases God and took on a “man pleasing” substitute. Read Gal 1:1-10. Next in Galatians 2:21, they “frustrated” grace. They sought righteousness through the Law. They “disesteemed”‘ the…
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 “In his book “The Latent Power of the Soul’ Nee quotes G.H. Pember who quotes “Wild’s Spiritual Dynamics.” “‘An adept can consciously see the minds of others. He can act by his soul force on external spirits, he can accelerate the growth of plants and quench fire. …subdue ferocious wild beasts .” ” He can send his soul at a distance, and there not only read the thoughts of others, but speak to and touch those distant objects…” While none of us ponder the possibilities of Astral travel, creating…
Are we having fun yet? In the generation in which we find ourselves living, wholesome fun seems to have been given a secondary role. Indeed, serious issues dominate our headlines — no one says that they are not. However, at what point is fun to be shelved and straight facedness to be donned permanently? If gone, will fun ever return or has it seen it’s final quash? Is fun done? These questions must find their answers in the nature of God Himself, His creation of Men in His likeness, and also in His redemption of our fallen human race. Websters on Fun : 1 what provides amusement or enjoyment — specifically: playful often boisterous action or speech 2: a mood for finding or making amusement. 3a: AMUSEMENT, ENJOYMENT On “joy” “The validation of earthly joys and the grateful acceptance of them is grounded in the Biblical doctrine we affirm in the “Creed” when we…
“Frustration” defines a “deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs.” Websters James A. Pike in his book “Beyond Anxiety” writes, “…it is wrong to assume, as we sometimes do, sympathetically, that cripples are persons of inspiring character. Some are and some aren’t; some are serene and towers of strength to others; some are crotchety, and a spiritual, no less than a material burden on others.” Thus we cannot make a direct correlation between limitation and frustration. Frustration does not come from having limitations, it comes from a wrong spiritual orientation to one’s limitations.” With our limitations, “some will piously say, it is the will of God and I must bear it.” But this resignation, “…cuts the nerve of thoughtful and strenuous action to change the situation insofar as is humanly possible.” Also, “…it is the expression of, or foundation of a…
“. Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Psalm 3:1-3 Many say, “there is no help in God?” Then where? First thought — we need help. Help Lord! Long ago we have realized impotence, powerlessness in the fight for our think-ability. Our vulnerability apparent, our value diminished, our head bowed, we have battled on the opponent’s home field. In that venue, one where will power and natural strength matter most, we fight a losing battle. The common phrase war of attrition refers to a sustained effort to steadily wear down the defenses of an opponent, with the result that they are rendered weaker and less effective. From this sense…
Because our God authored Mercy, He has the authority to visit individuals, regardless of their dire circumstances or foolish actions. Mercy in the courtroom equals a judgment of pardon. As a policy however, mercy allows such a freedom of action that it beckons a person to the very seat of God, to surrender to mercy’s reality, in spite of shame or guilt, in order to commune with Him, face to face. “there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of the people in this hospital corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him… there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned…