GRACE and MERCY
Faith. Grief. Repentance. Grace and Mercy.
(NOTE: My Faith will stay, my faith will grow, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Through the wind and through the rain, by Your grace my faith will remain!)
For all have sinned and fallen short of the GLORY of God. (Romans 3:23) Nothing compares to our wondrous Father, or creator, our Savior and our Lord. God has mercy on all.
For God has bound us over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on us all. (Romans 11:32) Grace that covers and removes and changes a life of sin. Keith Green says that he’s sure that he would have fallen, had it not been for Grace, by which he stood. Standing on Grace, God’s unmerited favor, is where we are as Christians today!
The Bible says that Mercy brings Grace along with it. But does grace have to be accompanied by repentance? What think ye?
Genesis 6:6 – What God had made caused Him to repent of making it, due to the grief He had in His heart over their constant evil. It was all creation thought about.
There are many accounts, in the Bible and in my very own life, to which God’s grace is attributed.
The thief who showed REPENTANCE on the Cross found grace. The other thief exhibited rebellion and Christ could not save him. “Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth.” (Romans 9:18) That verse was taken out of context, in that it was referring to Pharoah, but it applies to all who harden their hearts to the wooing of the Holy Spirit, Amen?
Verse 22-23 of Romans Chapter 9: 22) What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23) And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”…There appears to be a comparison being made here in Romans as to the difference between the grace of God and His destiny…but His Sovereign power over all is not to be debated—God is always God, to Moses, as well as to Pharaoh.
Was not God grieved by the life of that once-rebellious thief who’s life culminated in being hung on a cross? And were not both thieves also grieved by their own life’s consequences? To say the least.
Although God was grieved by what He had found the earth to have become, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6: Vs 8).
Although Jesus hung on the cross dying, He too gave grace to the repentant thief and even made him a promise: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
You can be regretful of much and grieved, and STILL show mercy and grace….As God has made us in His image and as much as we are to be Holy, as He is Holy, and perfect, as He is perfect, God would expect such mercy and grace from us.
Grief on the part of the thief brought repentance. Godly sorrow and God’s grace opened his eyes to see who that man—that spotless lamb on the cross--really was.
In Genesis 6 verse 9, the Word of God says Noah was just and perfect in this generations, and that He walked with God. The faith and righteousness of Noah, and the repentance of the thief reaped for themselves Grace—by which they were saved, salvaged, set apart, rescued!
Shall we sin so that grace will abound? God forbid. (Romans 6:1 & 2) Indeed, Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Verse 13: God spoke directly to Noah and explained that …”ALL flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
God’s grief alluded to a terrible power and to a decision to do away with all that God had made, man and planet. And yet, His love still shone through in His provision for Noah and his family.
Grief and mighty power and provision for the innocent. God truly is an awesome Father and Creator.
Lord, I love you for saying that:
…”But Take Heart! I Have Overcome the World”
I’m praying that we will all be spiritually fed and that Christ will reign supreme in this Bible study. May all our people be led to come by the Spirit, and may hearts, minds, and lives be touched, as we all are believers in Jesus Christ and are all in one accord. Amen!
John 14:19b: “Because I live, you also will live.” What does that mean to us today? It means that Christ is telling us that his triumph over death has opened up our own triumph over death and the grave.
Vs. 21: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”
Vs 23: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” What does that mean? How can we prove our love for God? What are some of the instructions that God has given us to do in order to prove our love for Him?
(My Father will love him, and) “We will come to him and make our home with him.” How does God make a home with us? Where does the spirit of God live? How do we converse with Him? What is God’s Holy Word?
VS. 26:…”But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” What does the Holy Spirit remind us of? How does this make the Word of God valid to us? Does God take away our individuality, or, our perspectives on things? How does the Holy Spirit help us in our studies of the Bible?
1) By planting truth in our minds
2) Convincing us of God’s will
3) Reminding us when we stray from God’s will
What is the end result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives? (Verse 27)
(Philippians 4:6, 7) What is the definition of Holy Spirit peace? No need of fear, in the present or the future; confident assurance in any circumstance.
How do we achieve such peace? What will bring us the peace that “passeth all understanding”?
Vs 30: “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31) but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” Just as Christ triumphed over death and the grave, we must also. What about obedience? Why did Jesus stress that the world must learn that obedience to the Father is necessary on His part? How can we remove Satan’s power over us?
By obedience and alignment closely to God and His purposes, we can overcome Satan’s power.
What happens to the branch of a vine when it is plucked away from it and cast aside? How do the branches receive their nutrients?
What do grapes symbolize in the New Testament? (The Israelites’ fruitfulness in doing God’s work on the earth)
In the Passover meal, the fruit of the vine symbolizes what to God’s people? (God’s goodness)
How is it that we bear fruit? What sort of Christian bears fruit? (True Believers who bear much fruit due to their union with Christ)
Pruning a branch involves what in context of caring for a grape vine? What does pruning symbolize? (Disciplining to strengthen our character and faith)
What sort of Christian becomes unfruitful?
What happens to them?
What happens when the vine is separated at the trunk, and why does this sometimes happen? –Because it can sometimes infect the rest of the tree.
What sort of people won’t bear fruit? How can we detect them? They don’t bear fruit and they block the efforts of God’s followers.
Chapter 15: Verse 5: what are some of the types of fruit mentioned in this chapter?
- Answered prayer
- Love
- Joy
- Soul winning
Vs 13: “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”
How is it that we can lay down our lives? Name some ways you can do that for your friends.
How did Christ lay down his life? What were some of the accomplishments of that sacrifice?
What does remaining in Christ mean?
- Believing He his God’s Son
- Receiving Christ as Savior and Lord
- Doing what God says to do
- Continuing to believe the Gospel
- Relating in love to the community of believers
What is the “Body of Christ?”
How do we receive the nourishment and life offered by Christ? How do we receive that special gift? –By staying close to Him, abiding in the vine.
How do we bear much fruit? –By coming into a right relationship with God…Who gives the increase, and who is glorified?
Daily, God sends the rain, the sunshine, to make the crop grow, and constantly He nurtures each tiny plant, preparing it to blossom.
What happens when the crop matures and becomes ready for use?
Vs. 13: What are other ways to lay down our lives? –By taking time out of our busy schedules to listen to one another, help one another, encouraging one another, and giving of our substance to one another.
Do you have anyone in your life that would benefit from such kinds of love today?
While it is still called today, extend a hand of love and see a life revived.
Vs. 15: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. 16) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17) This is my command: Love each other.
What is the name Jesus chose to call us, and why? What is the main reason we should obey Jesus? –Because we love Him.
What choice did Jesus have to make before we could choose to accept eternal life?
Vs. 17: What are some problems you are having in loving your brother or other believers? How do we get strength to love our enemies?
Why do people persecute Christians? –Because they do not know God. How do you know when people will accept you and when they will not, or whether they will obey you? –Based on whether or not they obeyed Jesus.
Which is guilty, the one who doesn’t know any better, or the one who has been taught what to do and still does not do it?
How did the miracles affect the people of Jesus’ Day? –Some believed, while others rejected and hated both Jesus and the Father who sent HIM.
Who is the Spirit of Truth? Where does He come from?
What was the “great commission?”
Chapter 16: Vs. 7: “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
Why was it important that Christ go away?
How did the Gospel ever get written? How were our sins removed? How did Christ’s leaving make him present to the whole world?
What are three important tasks of the Holy Spirit?
- Conviction and calling the world to repentance
- Revealing the standard of righteousness to all who believe
- Demonstrating Christ’s judgment over Satan.
What is not believing in Christ called, according to the Son of God?—A sin
What are some qualities of the Holy Spirit? (Vs. 13)
- Guides us into all truth
- Doesn’t speak on his own (speaks only that which He hears)
- Tells us what is yet to come.
In what ways did the Holy Spirit of the early church tell them what was yet to come?
- The nature of their mission
- The opposition they would face
- The final outcome of their efforts.
How does the Holy Spirit bring Glory to Christ? –By taking from what is His and making it known to us.
“In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” What did Jesus mean when he said that to His disciples?
He meant that they would believe in their souls that He had passed away--that they would never see him again in this life. But he also described, in an understatement, that they would see Him after He had risen from death, in only three days!
“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”
How does this analogy apply to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
What brings joy to the Christian life? Jesus! Can anyone take away that joy?
Did Jesus promise to ask for whatever we needed, to make our supplications known to the Father? No, He promised that when we needed something, we could ask for it ourselves, in His Name, and it would be given to us.
Did the disciples believe that Jesus was from God?
Where was Jesus going? What was the event that had to take place before Christ could go back to the Father? Did His disciples stick with Him, or was it ordained, in your opinion, that Jesus would have to suffer the cruelty of crucifixion alone?
“No scenes of stately majesty, for the King of Kings. No nights aglow with candled flame, for the King of Love. No flags of empire hung in chain, for Calvary. No flowers perfumed the lonely way…that led Him to, a borrowed tomb for Easter Day.
No wreathes upon the ground were laid, for the King of Kings. Only a crown of thorns remained, for the King of love. A message scrawled in irony: “King of the Jews”, they trampled when they turned away…and no one knew, that it was the first Easter Day.
Yet, Nature’s finest colours blaze, for the King of Kings. And stars in jeweled clusters say, “Welcome Heaven’s King”. Two thousand Springtimes more have bloomed, is that enough? O how can I be satisfied, until He hears, the Whole World sing of Easter love?
My prayer shall be a fragrance sweet, for the King of Kings, my love the flowers at His feet, for the King of Love. My vigil is to watch and pray, until He comes…my highest tribute to obey…and live to know, the power of that first Easter Day.”
“No Scenes of Stately Majesty”, --Graham Kendrick
How Deep (Continued)...
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the chosen One
Bring many Sons to Glory....
Stuart Townsend penned "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" around five years ago, and it is a traditional hymn, something that is not written much nowadays. The author said that he was glad he wrote it, because it targeted the church as a whole, and not just part of it, as many Christian Contemporary songs do.
He said that the melody jumped into his mind, so quickly so that he had to check and see whether it belonged to someone else! To me, that means that the song was God-given, a gift of the Holy Spirit...what a great God we serve!
The theme for this song is the contemplation of God's great sacrifice, giving up His only Son to save the world. The actual act of sacrifice must have been excruciatingly painful for the Father, who watched His Son take those stripes on his back and Who had to turn his face away at the end of that ordeal. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin, and many Sons were brought to glory on that day.
The Bible says that He was bruised for our iniquity, wounded for our transgressions. It says that Jesus had no form or comeliness, that he should be desired...this is because of the terrible transfiguring stripes he endured. The Father abandoned Jesus while he hung there on the cross, so that the sacrifice would be fulfilled and the sins of the world could be removed from the earth.
How great the pain of separation from God Christ must have felt! We as children of God know the comfort of God's presence in our lives; we are accepted, protected, and assured of salvation, but if you don't know God, someday you will feel separation from Him, something that up til now none of us have felt...don't let that happen to you. Be reconciled to God today. Make your heart an open door to Him today. He's the reason you live and breathe...please don't wait.
How Deep...
The Bee Gees had a song back in the eighties that asked, “How Deep is Your love?”
Today it goes a bit more differently; today I exclaim, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us!”
…how vast--beyond all measure,
That He would give His Only Son
And make a wretch His treasure.
How deep is Your love, Jesus? Should I define, or meditate upon, the deepness, the immeasurable gift of salvation? I know that You died for me, that you shed precious, Holy Blood on Calvary for me; that tells me that Your love was sacrificial. It tells me that you truly were what John the Baptist called the “Lamb” of God, which took away the sins of the world.
It tells me that You did not fight against those who offended and utterly abused and forced the life from your body…God, you tell us not to fear those who can kill the body, but to fear the One who can cast both Body and soul into hell. And yet, on that day, O Humble and meek and lowly Servant of God, Jesus, You let them do all of this to You.
You must have shown no fear. You must have shown only love, mercy, and compassion. Even in the midst of this, you showed a thief salvation…You assured him, repentant as he was, that “Today you” (he) “will be with me in Paradise”. Even in that horrific state of pain and agony, You provided a wretch, with salvation.
This is most assuredly wondrous and vast! Great is Your Glory! Who would die for a thief? The Word of God says that some would die for a good man, but what about those who are not worthy of sacrifice—people like you and me, at times, when we are not? When the days reveal in us a defect of character, a childish selfishness, when all of the works of the flesh make us hard to deal with, even with those that we supposedly love? What about that, Lord?
Even then, YOU say, You treasure us. You take what life has washed ashore and left for dead and revive us again. Our choices and our free will nearly annihilate us; You stand in our stead, as a matter of fact, and pray for our souls, or hearts, our minds, our character to be more like you, Jesus. And YOU have the power to make us who You are, in many, many ways that we cannot see or comprehend, by Your GRACE.
Keith Green said in a song, “Here am I, send me”; but You, Jesus were the first to say that. Before the beginning of time You agreed to stand in the gap and be a Savior to all the world, a world that had become deluded and lost. We can only echo your volunteering voice by reaching out for those who are lost. We have not been sacrificed as You were, we have only given up the “trashy way of life” we had for trials made of gold, which turn us into the godly men and women you envision for all of us.
The ocean of love YOU have for us fills every cup we hold out with infinitely much more to spare. And You wait patiently in the wings, with a heavy heart, at times, whenever we disappoint YOU or fall, lovingly knowing the moment when we will return and ask to start over again. And when we call upon YOU at that moment, You rejoice as the Father who rejoiced when his prodigal son came home again, putting on him the best robe, the finest ring, and sandals for his feet. When we call on You, Lord, you come. You answer. You open the door to us when we knock.
The salvation that we treasure is also part of the reward YOU have in store for us, your precious ones. You save us from all our distresses, Lord, and YOU never let us down. Your angels bear us up, lest we dash our foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:12) A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Psalm 91:7) The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)
Isn’t this just how the Lord would treat one who is His treasure??
God's love is indeed immeasurable, and God's love never disappoints! Blessings to all, Teresa
The latest
Victory Family Outreach, among others in our church, attended a Revival at Midway Church of God outside Forest on Wed, Thurs, and Friday nights of this past week, also. Pastor Jack Foster preached, and the Holy Ghost was there, His Word and His Works were seen in the congregation and in the Sermons preached. Pastor Jack stirred us emotionally and spiritually with Revival Themes, such as "Og, of Bashan", or the complacency that is the enemy of Revival, and "don't look back, and don't stay on this level". We were so very blessed to take part in this event, in which God showed up, showed out, and showed off!
The ladies of the Christian Women's Job Corp had their last night of schooling on the same night in which Sister Ruth passed. Their course was 16 weeks in duration. A graduation ceremony was held in their honor tonight at the City Limits Restaurant, in Philadelphia, Miss. (May 8th, 2012)
Our last Mentor class was held last week on Wednesday, to end a 13-week course of study. Ms. Mary Watson and I were so very honored to be passed and to be tutored by Sister Sandi Lewis, the Site Coordinator for the CWJC here in Philadelphia.
Mike's classes in Bible studies are still taking place on Mondays, as are mine on Thursdays every week.
On Thursday of last week a dear friend's husband had a heart attack and was rushed into the OR for triple-bypass surgery. Over the course of days following surgery, he seemed to improve, but the fluid in his body was not flushing out of his system and his kidneys failed and he passed away; he was a good man and his wife is part of my family by marriage. This man's wake and funeral will take place tomorrow.
When faced with so much, it is important to have a prayerful attitude at all times. I'm not saying that i have achieved such a thing at this point in my life, but that is what the Bible advised and invites us to do. I will trust in my God and cling to His tender mercies and lean on Him during this time of trial, until the storm passes by.
Meanwhile, I'll pray for His goodness and mercy to follow you and yours. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
On Suffering...
DARK THREADS THE WEAVER NEEDS
BY HERBERT LOCKYER
This book that I have been reading speaks of suffering in a whole new light. It stresses that there are several reasons why we suffer, among other helpful suggestions. One reason in particular is the first to jump into mind, and that is our behavior.
“Suffering is as old as sin and vitally connected with it. The sorrows of life that have deluged the world since Adam and Eve are directly or indirectly the fruit of their sin.”
This we already know. The author compares a window to a mirror and asks of the reader whether, when faced with suffering, they look into a mirror or out a window—upon a sea of faces. Do we—I, for that matter—look into myself and become self-pitying, seeing only my sorrow, need, my pain, urgency, or my injustice? Or are we unselfish in heart, replacing the mirror with a window through which we see the needs of others around us? “Without windows, the great bonds of sympathy and understanding that sweep around the world would be impossible.” The author states that “the longer love suffers, the kinder it becomes toward those who have a heavy load to carry. Love,” he states, “suffers long, because it suffers deeply.”
9/10 of suffering is not seen, it is like an iceberg. Some of the greatest sufferers possess the gift of silence, hiding their secret till they die. If the world revealed its suffering, it would be a very unhappy place in which to live. Suffering stays mostly hidden. Have you ever thought of it that way?
No mystery is the suffering of godless, evil-minded persons. Uncertainty as to the permissive Will of the Father, however, often produces much mental and spiritual suffering. Why would God allow the righteous to suffer? Many have asked this question over their undeserved pain. “But what if Christians were infallibly spared from pain and sorrow? Would this not be a degradation of all that is truly called Christian? In order to be included in the “Fellowship of His Sufferings”, the disciples considered it an honor to be beaten, flogged, and stoned, imprisoned, and yes, even lost their lives while professing their devotion and zeal for Jesus Christ.
People such as C.H. Spurgeon, Fanny Crosby, Thomas Carlyle, even DAVID, suffered for the cause of Christ. David cried, “Lord, how long wilt thou look on?”…Psalm 35:17. And the prophet Habakkuk prayed to God when so heavily burdened: “…wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue…?” (Habakkuk 1:13)
Not only are we as a society experiencing famine, cyclones, earthquakes, wars, national crises, lawlessness, crime, as well as the utter inability of leaders to rule, but personal tragedies and calamities, which call forth the same questions.
The nonintervention of God in these matters, we seem to forget, is because they are not of his making. Furthermore, how can God intervene, as He endowed man with free agency and an independent will, to which man has responded in producing the suffering of which the world has been afflicted? And yet, we blame an all-powerful, all-knowing God for the actions of our fellow man.
God’s delays, however, and inaction, weaken the faith of many. “When all around us is a world of woe and wickedness so adverse to His sovereignty, why does He not show His hand and demonstrate His power?”…”If He is the Good Samaritan to multitudes on the Jericho road of life, why does He not do something about the tragedies and sufferings of the travelers?” –H.L.
“Prominent among God’s virtues are His love, wisdom, and justice, and such must always characterize His dealings with men, whether, as sufferers, they are godly or ungodly.”
God is love. Love is the texture of God’s very being. Unselfish benevolence that goes out to a lost world, that’s WHO God IS. When we are going through suffering, we are in error when we charge God with indifference to our pain or anguish, or spiteful and vindictive. Because He is love, we can trust ourselves to His providence—however silent and mysterious it may seem to be. We must believe that “all things”, even the worst and the most unwelcome experiences in life, are working together for our good. (Romans 8:28) “His is the love that will not let us go, and He chastens us that we may have the very best such love can bestow.”
In the times of suffering, Brother Jesus will allay our fears, bear with our infirmities, meet our needs, console our hearts, and encourage our faith.
In spite of the most affectionate relationship between Jesus and the Father, the Father did not intervene by sparing His Son from a cross of anguish and shame, but THROUGH it did something far better for him. He made Jesus perfect through suffering, an example to all sufferers, and the Savior of all the world. In the continuing salvation of countless numbers of lost souls, He sees the travail of His soul and is satisfied.
God is Wise. To err is human, because of the mind’s involvement in original sin. Having infinite knowledge and being inconceivably wise, God’s ways are perfect. He cannot be ignorant of his children’s trials and troubles, and cannot make a mistake in the ordering of their lives. “My son, suffer me to do with thee what I please. I know what is expedient for thee.”
I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75) “Ignorant of the long-term blessings of what He allows us to endure, or in some trials He sends, we may deem Him unwise in the operation of His will. ‘What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter’”. (John 13:7) Our prayers, cooperating with God and His sovereignty to accomplish His will in the wisest way, should always be, “Here am I. Do with me as seemeth THEE good.”
A.T. Pierson wrote,
“It is in the deepest darkness of the starless midnight that men learn how to hold on to the hidden Hand most tightly and how that Hand holds them; that He sees where we do not, and knows the way He takes; and though the way be to us a roundabout way, it is the right way and leads to the city of habitation….
Trial is the school of trust. Faith gets new purity, temper, and tenacity in the furnace fires.
When I can trust my all with God,
In trial’s fearful hour,
Bow, all resign’d, beneath His
rod,
And bless His sparing power,
A joy springs up amidst distress,
A fountain in the wilderness.”
God is Just. Not one of God’s children suffers unnecessarily. “His love, mercy, and wisdom never imperil His justice.” Men may speak of injustice, the reticence of heaven as to the wrongs of the earth, and of the withholding of punishment on those who cause His own children to suffer, but as the judge of all the earth, He is ever consistent in such an office.
Elisabeth Barrett Browning could write about this very thing,
God’s fruit of justice ripens slow:
Men’s souls are narrow—let them grow!
My brother, we must wait!
God’s justice inevitably ripens slow, for saint and sinner alike. Not only is He inconceivably wise, but inflexibly just. One must remember that mercy and justice are often linked together. Anne Ross Cousin has penned these words,
“With mercy and with judgment
My web of time He wove.”
In God’s chastening, God is just in that He never applies more stripes than merited. All the pain and anguish of the cross became:
“Heaven’s trysting place,
Where Heaven’s love and justice meet.
“Justice demanded punishment for sin, and in His love God provided the One who should suffer death for every man. But His justice did not imperil His love and mercy. If a suffering heart is tempted to feel that God has not acted kindly or justly with him, let him remember Calvary.” –H.L.
Crushed hopes, trials, sickness, and suffering is not necessarily the punishment of God for some sin in our lives. Job 1:1 states, “…was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil”. Often the godliest suffer most because they are most able to bear their sorrow nobly. John the Baptist, although “a prophet of the Highest”, was not exempt from anguish, and finally silenced by an unjust king.
We often readily admit that we deserve some of the anguish we have to bear. If you play with fire, you will get burned. What we sow in the flesh, we will inevitably reap. But often a surprising amount of the suffering in our lives comes from the thoughtlessness of those near to us, who become a “thorn in our flesh”. Acquaintances, who are envious of our success and possessions, can make it unpleasant for us. As Paul testified in 2 Corinthians, he bore his “thorn” from Satan, because the Lord promised to bear him. Thus he came to “take pleasure” in the severe trials he had to face.
Sooner or later, the legacy of suffering must be paid in installments, large or small. Suffering has no respect of persons.
“As God’s sun shines on the evil as well as the good, and His rain falls impartially on the just and unjust, so pain overtakes, without discrimination, saint and sinner alike.”
It would do us well to ascertain, when trials and afflictions are permitted, if there is any reason they could be sent, or to learn the lessons they were meant to teach. We should acknowledge the fright of God to chasten, His love in doing so, and His wisdom in the time, duration, and the nature of the trial.
By God’s grace, we should submit cheerfully, or at least silently, and endeavor to glorify Him in it and after it takes place.
Just what does the Psalmist mean in Psalm 91:7,8,10, and 16? It simply does not work out that no plague comes nigh the dwelling of the righteous and that they are invariably satisfied with long life.
It is true that righteousness leads to saner, longer, healthier life. A life lived in the Christian way fits the facts of the universe better, makes a man happier, and therefore on the whole gives longer life.
But a life of holiness requires the refining fire of suffering to provide a closer fellowship with God, a clearer revelation of Him, and a more effective service for Him.
“Some aspects of suffering are times of spiritual uplifting, like the dawn after a dark night of unbelief. The godliest, then, are not spared the action of the ‘Purifier of Silver’”… (E. Stanley Jones)
God’s wise purpose being accomplished is more important than our deliverance or immunity from suffering. Perhaps the question should not be, “Why do the godly suffer, but Why Not?” Seeing that we suffer towards the end that we are perfected, and our fellowship with Christ requires it, we shall continue.
Job, Joseph, Daniel, even Ezekiel—who was denied even the human characteristic of mourning the death of his wife. “In the captive prophet, smitten with grief, we have a wonderful illustration of the transforming ministry of sorrow. Ezekiel became a channel of grace, and a sign of God’s will to the people of his day.”
Job was plagued as few men have ever been. What an example of affliction! He was an object lesson in patience and faith before God, family, friend, and foes. The suffering produced in Job some of the most sublime of all scripture:
Job 13:5 – “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. . . .”
Job 23:10 – “When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Job 19:25-27 – “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy my body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”
“Job portrays why the godly should suffer. It is because trial is a trust from the Giver of every good and perfect gift to be borne for His glory….The end of conflict is character heightened in its spiritual perceptions and deepened in its capacity to share with others.”
Dr. John R. Stott gives the satisfactory answer to suffering: “When faced with calamity or stricken with sickness, the mind must not be engrossed in our sickness (for that his morbid self-pity), nor in our sins (for that is introspective self-accusation), but partly in the moral and spiritual profit to be derived from suffering, which is valuable self-discipline, and best of all God Himself. This is humble self-surrender to the God of power and wisdom and love, Who has been fully and finally revealed in the Cross. This is the sober, wise realism of Christian worship.”
Christ himself knew suffering beyond that we could bear, even separation from God the Father as He hung on the cross. Just what were the sufferings of Christ?
1) He knew poverty. He worked long and hard as a carpenter in Nazareth, had no where to lay his head, and when he died, He had nothing to leave for others to divide but His seamless robe.
2) He knew loneliness. When He was delivered up to be crucified, Jesus was utterly alone. (Matthew 26:56) He died alone, totally alone, for our sins.
3) He knew fatigue. One day Jesus was so tired that he slept in a small boat during a storm. There was also the time when, “wearied from His journey, He rested on the curbing of Jacob’s well.
4) He knew hunger. Not only did he suffer hunger in the wilderness when fasting and facing the devil, but also Jesus could not find a fig among the leaves of a fig tree on the way to Bethany.
5) He knew thirst. He expressed his thirst to the woman at the well and to His tormentors at the foot of the cross.
6) He knew ill treatment and unbelief of family and friends. They said He was “beside himself”, or out of His mind. His own brothers did not believe in Him and His disciples were slow of heart to believe.
7) He knew pain. He sensed its coming and set His face to meet it. He suffered the most terrible kind of actual mental and physical pain when He was scourged, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a tree.
Having tasted suffering in this way, Christ is our intercessor and High Priest, the glorified Lord, able to strengthen and sympathize with His own in their suffering.
Back in the third century, Gregory of Nazianuzus gave the following vivid picture of the contrasts between the life of Christ and the church:
“Christ hungered as man, and fed the hungry as God. He was hungry as man, and yet He is the Bread of life; He was athirst as man, and yet He says, “Let him that his athirst come unto me and drink”; He was weary, and yet Hs is our rest; He pays tribute, and yet He is a King; He is called a devil, and yet casts out devils. He prays, and yet hears prayer; He weeps, and dries our tears; He is sold for thirty pieces of silver, and redeems the world. He his “led as a sheep to the slaughter,” and is the Good Shepherd; He is mute like a sheep, and yet He is the Everlasting Word; He is the “Man of Sorrows”, but He heals our pains; He is nailed to a Tree and dies upon it, and by the Tree restores us to life; He has vinegar to drink, and changes the water into wine; He lays down His life, and takes it again; He dies, and gives life, and by dying destroys death.”
“He felt, as no other, the pain of a lost, guilty world. That weight of human guilt finally broke His heart.” Christ gave to us, His sheep, the opposite of what the world can give. Suffering…let it spur you to good works and not toward self-pity and bitterness. --TR
Once Again....
POUR OUT YOUR SPIRIT, LORD!
It’s 3:08 a.m., and I just cracked open the Word of God to find all sorts of nuggets in 1 Peter 1:1. I jumped ahead, to the part about being holy, but then decided to read this whole chapter in order and with all the footnotes and commentary, so that I would be completely and totally, spiritually fed. I enjoy the Word of God and am grateful to Him for drawing me to His side this morning. I guess we could all use more of His Word.
In the greeting of 1 Peter, he is referring to the great scattering of the Christians throughout the world: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. These beloved of God were being sanctified by the work of the Spirit, according to verse 2.
Peter encouraged his readers by this strong declaration that they were chosen by God the Father. Our salvation and security rest in the free and merciful choice of almighty God; no trials or persecutions can take away the eternal life He gives to those who believe in HIM. (John 10:28—“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”)
The sanctifying work of the Spirit is referenced in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, stating, “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
Ephesians 1:4-5 also states, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—“
God “chose us in Him”, meaning that salvation depends totally upon God. Because God is gracious and freely gives salvation, we are saved, not because we deserve it or have done something to achieve it. We did not influence God in our salvation; it was according to HIS plan. Thus there is no room for pride or taking credit for it. Salvation took place in the mind of God before we ever existed. Because of Christ we are holy and blameless in His sight. All we can do is express our thanks for his wonderful love and live our lives in obedience to His Word, as a result. We are adopted as sons and daughters because we are joint heirs with Christ. This is to include life after death, just as Christ lives today!
What the following passage is telling me is that the sanctification process of the Holy Spirit also includes the raising of Christ’s followers from death. 1 Corinthians 15:20: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Firstfruits were the first part of the harvest that faithful Jews brought to the temple as an offering. Although Christ was not the first to rise from the dead (he raised Lazarus and others), he was the first to never die again. He is the forerunner for us, the proof of our eventual resurrection to eternal life.
1 Peter 1:3 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”….
“The term “new birth” refers to a spiritual birth (regeneration)—the Holy Spirit’s act of bringing believers into God’s family. Jesus used this concept of new birth when he explained salvation to Nicodemus.” (NIV Commentary, Life Application Study Bible)
Not only was Christ the first to rise from the dead; in Acts 26:23-24, Paul is witnessing to King Agrippa: …”that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
“Paul was risking his life for a message that was offensive to the Jews and unbelievable to the Gentiles. Jesus received the same response to His message, and He also poured out his life, even unto death, to proclaim that message. To a worldly, materialistic mind, it seems insane to risk so much to gain what seems to be so little. But as you follow Christ, you soon discover that temporary possessions look so small next to even the smallest eternal reward.”
Again, in 1 Corinthians 15: 23, Christ is referred to as “firstfruits”…”But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Isn’t it exciting to know that we are numbered with the Saved? That Jesus has indeed risen from the dead, and that because of His Sacrifice, we, too, can go free and have life eternally with God?
“And He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”—Colossians 1:18
Revelation 1:5 – “and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Jesus was the first to rise from the dead in an imperishable body (1 Corinthians 15:20), never to die again. Christ is the firstborn from the dead.
Luke 2:32 – “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
“The Jews were well acquainted with the old Testament prophecies that spoke of the Messiah’s blessings to their nation. They did not always give equal attention to the prophecies saying that he would bring salvation to the entire world, not just the Jews. (Isaiah 49:6) Many thought that Christ had come to save only his own people. Luke made sure his Greek audience understood that Christ had come to save ALL who believe--Gentiles, as well as Jews.”
Isaiah 42:6 – “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,”….
Isaiah 49:6 – he says: “it is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
These passages prove that God’s will was and is to spread His good news to all the nations, peoples, and tribes of the earth.
God had planned for Israel to be His light. Through Israel came Jesus, the light of the nations. This light would spread out and enlighten the Gentiles.
Acts 13:47 – For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
1 Peter 1:4-5 – “and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade –kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
“The Jews had looked forward to an inheritance in the promised land (Canaan). Christians now look forward to a family inheritance in the eternal city of God. God has reserved the inheritance. It will never fade or decay; it will be unstained by sin. The best part is that you have an inheritance if you have trusted Christ as your Savior.”
God will help us to remain true to our faith no matter what difficulties we might face. “The “last time” is the judgment day of Christ, described in Romans 14:10 and Revelation 20:11-15. We may have to endure trials, persecution, or violent death, but our souls cannot be harmed if we have accepted Christ’s gift of salvation. We know we will have the promised rewards.”
Romans 14:10 – “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”
Revelation 20:11-15 – “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 19) The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14) Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15) If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Again, Jesus has promised us that nothing can snatch us out of His hand. (John 10:28)
Just as a shepherd protects his sheep (just as David did) Jesus protects his people from eternal harm. While we may expect to suffer here on earth, Satan cannot harm our souls or take away our eternal life with God. If you have reason to be afraid here on earth because of the enemy, remember that if you choose to follow Jesus, He will give you everlasting safety.
1 Peter 1:6 – “in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” James 1:2-3 puts suffering into a new perspective: “Count it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
James is not saying you may face trials, but that you will, and whenever you do, remember that you will profit from them. It’s not a matter of putting on a happy face, but maintaining a positive outlook (considering it pure joy) because of all that pain produces in our lives. Turn your hardships into times of growth and learning. Perseverance is also termed, “patience and steadfastness.”
“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” – Romans 2:7
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5) And hope does not disappoint us, because gold has poured out his live into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” – Romans 5:3-5
Romans 8:24-25 – “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25) But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
2 Corinthians 6:3-7 – “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4) Rather as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5) in beatings, imprisonment, and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6) in purity understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7) in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;”…
…”For if you possess these qualities in qualities in increasing measure (faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love), they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” 2 Peter 1:8-9
Not only do these trials produce all of this, but the Word of God says in John 20:29, “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed.”
Some believe that if they could see Christ in the flesh or a miracle, they would somehow believe. But Jesus says we are blessed if we believe without seeing. The testimony of fellow believers and the Word of God are proof enough. His physical appearance would not make Jesus any more real to us that He is now.
1 Peter 1:9 – “For you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. “
Romans 6:22 – But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
As a slave to God, this means being obedient to Him in all your words, thoughts, and deeds. This is important because God alone knows the plan and purpose for your life and can help you to avoid the wrong pathways, which can lead your soul astray. He died so that we could have life in abundance!
1 Peter 1: 10-12 – “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11) trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12) It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”
(I’ve covered this scripture before…)
Although the plan of salvation was a mystery to the Old Testament prophets, they still suffered persecution, and some even died for God. Some had read Paul’s letters and had seen Christ for themselves and understood the salvation message. They knew why he came. They based their reassurance on Christ’s death and resurrection. With their firsthand knowledge and personal experience of Jesus, their faith was even stronger than that of the Old Testament prophets.
“BE HOLY”
“13) Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14) As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance, 15) but just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16) for it is written: “ Be holy, because I am holy.”’
1 Peter 1:22-23 – Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23) For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
VERSE 24: FOR, “ALL MEN ARE LIKE GRASS, AND ALL THEIR GLORY IS LIKE TH FLOWERS OF THE FIELD; THE GRASS WITHERS AND THE FLOWERS FALL, BU THE WORD OF THE LORD STANDS FOREVER.
AND THIS IS THE WORD THAT WAS PREACHED TO YOU.
This morning’s word of God has told me that some hardships are on the horizon, but that my God will never let me down. He is the Good Shepherd, and ‘nothing can snatch me out of his hand’. I am to be obedient, heeding the Word of God and the counsel of my Lord and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray to be ready for whatever may happen with a positive outlook, the patience and the joy unspeakable that God has promised those who love Him. God does the work…He calls us, He sanctifies us, He led me out of the pit! May your and my fruits of the spirit continue to be added to daily. Lord, make me a godly woman. Give me the deep, all-encompassing love for my brothers and sisters and a passion for the lost. I look forward to the heavenly kingdom of God, even though many will wake to everlasting contempt because they didn’t accept the free gift of salvation. Why? Pride? Fear? A contempt of their own? Or just a desire to continue in their sin, which has its pleasure only for a season? Don’t let “old hat” keep you from a new life, a new kingdom, and a new inheritance!
Thank you, Holy Spirit of Christ, for doing all that You do, for being our discerner of truth, our comforter, for leading, guiding and directing us in all our endeavors. Make us ever aware of You, Lord. Come into the lives of those who are reading this and sup with them, show them your way, Lord! Surely they cannot reject the Lord, the King of Glory.
In Jesus Name, Amen. --TR
Today is the Day of Salvation
There are many out there who have done such as that, having borne no fruit as to their Salvation. Are you one of those? Do you go to Church, profess Christianity, but have no outward signs of change in your life? Do you still struggle with sin? Have you freely surrendered to the Saving Grace of the Law of the Spirit of Life, or do you fear and walk in defeat in the works of the Flesh? If you should die today, where would you spend eternity?
Death comes to everyone,although no one likes to think about it. According to Hebrews 9:27, "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Knowing that death for us all is certain, an end to this life on earth, we must be prepared to meet God.
Let me say here that God is real. There have been children who have asked me openly, "Does God really exist?" And I tell them, "Of course! He's as real as you or I". We believe at VFO in a God we cannot see and the Word of God says we are blessed because of it. The Word of God is truth!
According to God's Word, you will spend eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. Matthew 25:46 records the Words of Christ, saying, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment (hell); but the righteous into life eternal (heaven)".
Because everyone born into this world inherits the sinful nature--that is, wrongdoing and guilt associated with it--the sinful nature produces all sorts of evil deeds. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23)
Admission of the guilt you possess is the beginning of your road to salvation! Without confession of sin, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). James 1:15 states it this way, "...and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
If you are the type who likes to fix things, if you're a "Mr. Fix-it", this is one instance where you can do nothing to save your life from an eternity separated from God in your present state. You cannot be good enough. Romans 3:12 says, "...There is none that doeth good, no not one." Joining the Church and being baptized, as mentioned earlier, cannot ensure your salvation. Galatians 2:16 states, "...by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." In the struggle for your soul, you are completely helpless!
But God! Here is the good news of the Gospel: In spite of your sin, God has made all the necessary arrangements for you to accept salvation, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:6 states, "For when we were yet without strength (helpless), in due time Christ died for the ungodly." 1 Peter 3:18 also states, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
Just believing in your mind, intellectually, that God loves you and that Jesus died for you, a sinner, is not enough. You must apply this knowledge to your personal life and repent from the sin, meaning "to turn away" from or to cease from sinning. Repentance is a "change of mind" brought to your heart by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Luke 13:3 states, "...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Another promise of God's Word is this: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12
Don't put off this time God has allocated to give you the Good News; repent and be saved today! "Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13
Wherever you are right now, tell God that you are a lost sinner, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Claim salvation by faith.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Pray this simple prayer, and believe you have it with all your heart:
Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I am sorry for my sins. I believe that the Lord Jesus died for me and rose again, and with all my heart I turn from my sin and receive Him as my Savior right now. Thank you, Lord, for saving me! Amen.
This is the Day that the Lord has made, and it was very special; it was allocated to save YOU!
The Old Paths...
AND YE SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS
Every Monday and Thursday in Union, Miss. House of Hope there is a Bible study, and on Thursday, a man I only know as “Mike” brought up in our discussion the passage of Jeremiah 6:16. I liked the verse so much that I decided to quote it tonight:
“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls….”(KJV)
The belief today that there are many roads which lead to God is just some of what this scripture addresses. We have to get back to where we once were in this Country, in word, thought, and deed, if we ever hope to return to true values and quality of life. (2 Chronicles 7:14) “The ways” are our many choices, and the tried and true ways seem, to some, antiquated, but to us as Christians, they are a fragrant aroma, the way that leads us to everlasting life. God will honor the old paths, because the way of our forefathers was to honor and acknowledge Him in all that we do. (Proverbs 3:6) In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. This is where our country needs to be headed, not into a new frontier, of haste and waste and regret.
I liked the NIV version of the scripture from Jeremiah, because it reminded me of a time when I was at the crossroads of my life: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ’We will not walk in it’”. –Jeremiah 6:16
In the Amplified Bible, this selfsame verse then references Matthew 11:29, stating, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Verse 30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (KJV)
“The right path for living is ancient and has been marked out by God. But the people refused to take God’s path, going their own way instead.
We face the same decision today, going God’s old, but true way, or following a new path of our choosing. Don’t be misled; the only way to find peace and rest for your souls is to walk God’s path.
A person may be carrying heavy burdens of:
1) Sin
2) Excessive Religious Demands of our Leaders
3) Oppression and persecution
4) Weariness in the search for God.
Jesus heals us from all these yokes, or heavy burdens. “Rest” involves Love, Healing, and Peace with God, not the end of all labor.
A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.”
Proverbs 14:1 – The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
A positive viewpoint can do wonders in any given situation. In the last week I have read a story about a little girl who was always positive in all that she said. She went to a little old ladies’ house one day and was complimenting her flowerbeds, her furniture, etc. The lady had a little scruffy dog with matted hair and one eye was cloudy. Curious, she thought, I’ll ask her what she thinks of my dog. So she did, and the little girl took a long look at the dog and said, “Well, she certainly knows how to wag her tail.” This is a person who sees the glass half full; the person who tears down her own house does so to her own demise.
If you’re reading this, Sister Julie, I still remember the time you quoted Proverbs 14:1 to your Bible Study; it is not easily forgotten J
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refraineth his lips is wise.—Proverbs 10:19
This means that sin lurks in our words and we’d do best to keep our self-expression to a minimum. Oh, my! What wisdom.
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23
The NIV puts Proverbs 14:9 this way: “Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.” The KJV states, “Fools make a mock at sin; but among the righteous there is favour.”
“The common bond of God’s people should be goodwill. Those with goodwill think the best of others and think that they intend to do what’s right, that they have good motives. When someone crosses you, do you ask yourself, ‘How can I show goodwill to this person?’?”
Making amends means that we make up to God and to the person we have wronged with kind gestures and a new attitude, one of goodness and a penitent heart.
(Proverbs 15:1)---A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger.
It is difficult to argue with someone who refuses to speak angrily. To turn away wrath and seek peace, choose gentle words.
(Proverbs 12:14)—A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man‘s hands shall be rendered unto him.
(Ephesians 4:28) is a verse that instructs the man who works with his hands to share with those in need. These scriptures are positive in their theme.
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.—(Psalm 34:13) David said that the person who loves God doesn’t lie, turns form evil, does good, and promotes peace. (Proverbs 13:3)-– He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. You may not have mastered self-control if you cannot control what you say. Words can cut and destroy. James 1:26-- If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. If you want to be self-controlled, begin with your tongue. Stop and think before you ask or speak. If you can control this small but powerful member, you can control the entire body.
There are four common speech patterns described in Proverbs. The first two should be emulated, while the last two should be avoided.
1: The Controlled tongue: those who think before they speak, know when silence is best, and give wise advice.
2: The Caring tongue: those who speak truthfully while seeking to encourage.
3: The Conniving tongue: filled with wrong motives, gossip, slander, and a desire to twist the truth.
4: The Careless tongue: filled with lies, curses, quick-tempered words,--which can lead to rebellion and destruction.
(Psalm 139:4)---For there is not a word on my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
And every tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:11
Now, these last two verses are Gloriously Godly (Psalm 139:4; Philippians 2:11)! What a truth, and how awesome, that the Lord of All the Universe knows our words before they ever come out of our mouths! Completely, “altogether”…sometimes we hide our true selves from one another, but God! He knows who we are completely, and still loves us just as completely. He accepts and loves us, in every trial. He protects, loves and guides us in any and all situations.
At the last judgment, even those who are condemned will recognize Jesus as Lord, with all authority and the right to rule. Choose to regard Jesus as Lord now, as a step of willing and loving commitment. Don’t wait. He may return at any moment!
When We Fall...
True Freedom is being unhindered by the selfish desires and worldly offerings we encounter in life. Without it, we are in bondage, and falling is a thing we will do with regularity.
Instead of being and doing as we were taught to do, bondage dictates that we do what we want the most. This is because of a life without the Holy Spirit. It’s a state of being that is just the opposite from “narrow-mindedness”; a “wild and free” attitude that quite often accompanies youth. It leads to often horrendous consequences, both concrete and abstract, in some cases. Lost friends, harsh judgments, unemployment, evictions, poor relationships are some of the tangible hardships one may encounter.
Sometimes the stress experienced will lead to unhealthy thought processes. Depression and anxiety, eating disorders, etc. sometimes result from the bondage of sin—because that’s what it is, pure and simple.
A person who is going through such things may want your pity, your assistance, your guidance—but the best we can possibly do for those who keep “falling” is to love them through it all, remembering that God could have just as easily removed our Grace, which is keeping us from the same such situations. But doing “whatever” is something one needs to advise others to avoid, at all costs.
It is not impossible for the hammer to fall in your life, as well, so don’t be so quick to judge and condemn.
When someone experiences all of these changes in life, one can be tempted to get mad at God, blame Him for their misfortune. If such things are happening to you, remember that the World, your family, and God are three different things. The World cannot help you; as a matter of fact, it is judgmental and hypocritical. Your family may have washed their hands of you, but what about God?
Well, God can and does bear our burdens, if we so desire to come to Him humbly and ask His forgiveness and His guidance. He cares for you and your needs compassionately and with Great Love. It is our own integrity that should never be compromised in life. Get back your true self!
Some are in what seems to be a hopeless situation and have mental torment over and above their real life situations. It is not Christian to abandon them, ridicule them, tell them to “get over the drama”, or tell them that God has condemned them, and that they got what they deserved. Just to care means so much to a person who is suffering from these characteristics. They need love, not ostracization, not condemnation!
The mercy of God and His great strength for those with special needs such as depression and mood swings is unsurpassed, as well as your heartfelt careful prayers over them. Encourage them and lift them up as much as you can.
A woman once said that she raked her daughter over the coals about her relationship with a young man, and because of her condemnation, the girl ran away and married him. She realized too soon that she had needed to love her daughter through the relationship, no matter how hard that would have been. Looking back, I realize that these were words of wisdom; convict if you want to see a life changed, for condemnation only brings guilt and shame.
Another positive aspect of “Falling” is the great perseverance you develop after each episode. If you are a Christian (and if you aren’t, I would advise you make your way to God tonight!), you learn to call upon the name of the Lord. Don’t go in the opposite direction when you fail Him. I find God to be strong and able to accomplish all my needs, supply all my desires, and fight all my battles. There’s no one on this earth who can care about your situation more than God.
If you are trusting in a person, you may be sadly disappointed. People will sometimes make it worse by accusing you of loving ‘drama’ and leave you stewing in your own juices, BUT GOD! He’s right on time!
You may be going through a time of brokenness from a great fall from Grace this morning. The entry on this blog entitled, “When We Fall, God forgive us our Mistakes”, is the number one entry, with over 101 hits a week.
When I think of how my behavior must have grieved the Holy Ghost when I was young, I realize the time God gave me and the patience He had for me while I was trying to “search” and to “find” out who I was, really.
When God seems to be a “Big-Bad Meany”, and you haven’t read the Bible, a book that God lovingly wrote for you, and prayer is not a big pastime in your life, you are more than likely a baby, or carnal Christian. You are also undeveloped if you only think about the Spiritual on Wednesdays and Sundays, or pull out “Ben Hur”, the “Ten Commandments”, or “The Greatest Story Ever Told” on special occasions, such as Holidays. I’m not here to preach, but I am concerned for those who think it’s a matter of accepting Christ and then, shaking hands, and saying to Him, “I’ll see Ya on Judgment Day!”, then going your way. For too many years I ignored the scripture that those who love the world have enmity with God. Too long I dabbled with eternal life. These sorts of people, just as I did, just give Jesus the “nod” and then go about their business. They are worldly. They don’t understand the superlative relationship they could have with the King of the entire Universe, the Risen Lord! They give no thought to the things pertaining to everlasting life. Sadly, some believe that Christianity is reserved for the elderly, who are trying to avoid hell and “make it” into Heaven!
Don’t think for one minute that I don’t know that only God’s grace keeps me on this pathway. Whenever you think of me, think of one who has been RESTORED. My scars come with a roadmap, which can prevent you from making the same mistakes, just ask me.
How does God forgive, you may ask. He lets you start all over! Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. (Psalm 34:19)
This entry is written in honor of Jesus Christ and for all who are seriously repentant and need Him. May God bless you and keep you until you are safe in the arms of LOVE, which come from the Precious Lamb of God—from the beginning of time! Amen.
