“…Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Romans 4:7 ” … even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 1 John 2:12 These verses and others place God’s forgiveness of us as a finalized deal which needs no asking or beckoning. But, forgiveness could rest beyond our conscious awareness, outside of our hope; Nevertheless, never beyond faith’s perceptive enablement. Romans 8:24 speaks,” For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” Proverbs teaches, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” But Abraham, “against hope believed in hope” because, “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Delitzsch reminds us, “Better is he who begins to help than he who remains in…
Healing at the Cross Posts
We get a picture of true grace when we examine the counterfeits. Fyodor Dostoyevsky helps us see some of these in “The Grand Inquisitor,” a segment from “The Brothers Karamazov” Dostoyevsky sites “freedom of conscience” as man’s greatest seduction, and for this is offered three false graces: miracle, mystery, authority. All of these appeal to the masses of humanity who flee the responsibility which comes with true freedom — The grace offered all men through Christ. In short, our miracle could be a free food handout, a lottery hit, a long lost uncle’s death and inheritance. As men followed Jesus for the bread of a miraculous multiplication, so men seek the peace of full stomachs. Selling of one’s body for gain finds justification in a hopeless “waiting for my miracle” existence. Mystery and its mesmerizing allows folks to have purpose, though the purpose has no ultimate fulfilling, it provides enough…
“There is a ‘simplicity’ which is merely a fault, and there is a ‘simplicity’ which is a wonderful virtue.” On the one side: “a lack of discernment. “an ignorance of what is due others.” “…foolishness, ignorance, credulousness.” On the positive side: “…an uprightness of soul which prevents self-consciousness.” “…a happy medium …not overwhelmed by external things …not given up to endless introspection…” “…looks where it is going, without losing time arguing over every step…” all quotes from Fenelon, ‘The Royal Way of the Cross.” Says Trench in his book on synonyms, “A mind alien to cunning, fraud, pretense, deceit, evil and the desire to harm others”– equals simplicity. So, what’s the deal? O. Chambers educates us, “Beware of believing that the human soul is simple; look at yourself or read Psalm 139, and you will soon find the human soul is much too complex to touch.” “When an intellectualist…
The believer walks (in dependence), on the Spirit, so does not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We can grieve the Spirit through unconfessed sin. We can quench the Spirit by operating outside of His will. The power of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes us free from the power of sin and death. If we be carried by the Spirit, we are not under the Law. The power of sin shall not dominate us; we are not under the Law, but under grace. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no Law. The strength of sin is in the Law, but we have victory through Jesus Christ. We live by the faith of the Son of God. Faith is the under-establishment of things expected, the convincing of things not seen. So, where does Bible language…
I flew the small way this week — 8 seater. Not bad, a beautiful day, winds were at a minimum. Three seats actually carried travelers — two others and me. A pilot and co-pilot manned the front seats. We flew not by the “seat of our pants,” but for me it was an adventure. The term (flying by the seat…) emerged in the 1930s and was first widely used in reports of Douglas Corrigan’s flight from the USA to Ireland in 1938. “Douglas Corrigan was described as an aviator ‘who flies by the seat of his pants.” “The old flying expression of ‘flies by the seat of his trousers’ was explained by Larry Conner — means going aloft without instruments, radio or other such luxuries.” phrases.org. The phrase conjures up a ton of metaphorical pictures for believers. We believers must go many times without connective guides — gauges for equilibrium, location…
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals…” “…Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?…” “…And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Revelation 5:1-2, 9 “And when he had opened the seventh seal, (of the book), there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour…” “…Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and flung it to the earth, and there followed peals of thunder with its rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.””And the seven angels with the seven trumpets…
Can this person be Job? Discover this and more from my just-released book, “Job, Wisdom from the Pit.” The work is an effort to try to make “Job” readable– palatable might be a better word for the majority of us non-scholars. Many times I have advised friends to read “Job” knowing full well they wouldn’t, couldn’t, or having read it, still gain little understanding, and more importantly, minimal help. My version tells “Job” from my heart-strings of personal pain and loss, I identify with Job’s struggle; however, Job’s trial pushes all trials “over the top.” I see the Job story like this: God meets Satan walking, and with bragging voice-tone, recommends Job — a consideration for the Evil One. Satan wants an involvement, and God says, “go!” Satan orchestrates disaster and Job keels over, body and soul. After a few remarkable verbal positives, Job faces bitter music; 3 friends…
Many things we do and don’t do because of unwritten rules. Brian Dozier wrote in an article on “unwritten rules” at espn.com: he lists a few used in Baseball: “Don’t yell ‘Ha!’ right when we’re about to catch a popup because that would startle us and we might drop it.” I’m sure it would! “Don’t bunt 10 times at our pitcher who has the yips, (can’t pitch accurate) because he’ll probably mess up and you’ll get on base.” “Don’t quick pitch — I’m not ready!”(pitching before the batters ready). Also, don’t steal bases in a blowout, (game is out of reach) , because then we have to keep trying to make sure you don’t. And no hustle-doubles (running very fast to extend a one-base-hit to a two) in blowouts. Take it eaaaasy.” For those who don’t grasp the game of baseball, lets just say, these unwritten rules are about fair play,…
Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove, Stay right here with us, Filling us with your love. What’s up when you go numb? Is it an enforced numb or “I don’t care anymore.” “Dazed and confused? — or “I’m outta here!!” Believe it or not, “I don’t care anymore” might be better and “I’m outta here” at least moves us. Numbing is a passive state overcome by the volition, we drag our uncooperative side with us till it indeed cooperates again in activity. Paul notes that confidence comes from a determination to continue speaking truth, even if discouraged — Hebrews 10:35. Elijah got a heavenly visit in his numb state after running from the evil Queen. “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights…” 1 Kings 19. God sent him on a new assignment. With a new outlook, He got up!…
“Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love.” “and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness.” “I made my vow to you.” “I entered into a covenant with you.” “you became mine. “ Ezekiel 16 Love comes without many things: a set of rules, conditions, or inhibitions. “I read the story of a young bugle boy and a soldier. They both served in the army during the Boer war. The bugle-boy, Willie Holt, was 12 years old when he was assigned to a tent with seven godless soldiers.. One of these men was Bill. However, unlike Bill, Willie was a devoted believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Each night he knelt by his bed to silently pray and read his Bible. “…a thief had been traced to the tent where Willie and Bill had been…