Being Glorified! - - - GMG: Wk: 5 - Romans 8:28-30

So here it is!  He is working in us, and how surpassingly great is His power working in us who trust Him, Him who has provided a light to the eyes of our hearts!  That, through the eyes of faith, we may see the riches of His glories which He has prepared for us!  And when we look through the eyes of faith, through the eyes of our new  hearts, we see that we are on the path of hope, a path called straight, running straight through our heart, heading straight Home!  Yes, Home! Where Freedom reigns!

And even before arriving Home, we find that He has already provided Freedom for those on the Path called Straight!  Freedom from condemnation and death, and freedom to eternal life, and freedom from sin, and even freedom to examine ourselves and come to Him honestly and openly......, so that.........

.....yes, so that........ we can be Free to Lift Up and Build Up a Brother - thereby helping establish peace in the Kingdom of God!

And here on this path, this path called Straight, the Mighty Warrior is with us!  Yes, our Beloved (who calls us 'Beloved'), the Mighty Warrior, who has already achieved Complete Victory - a victory He calls us to share with Him - and on our way to join in the fullness of His Victory, there are still some residual battles being waged by those who have not yet received the official news that they will finally have to submit to His Victory.......... battles through which we may draw men of peace out of the ranks of those attacking us...... or...... rather, those who have been attacking Him (unwittingly or not........)..........

And along the way, on this path called Straight, He guides us on through various battles and through our various trials - *in* which we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us, trials in the midst of which He helps us to pursue those things which make for peace and the building up of one another...., in the which we find great Exultation!

.............And thusly we move on together, building up each other, being sober of spirit (knowing that a lost and dying world needs the truth of the cross and its redemptive power), being alert (watching for His soon return - and praying for it as He commanded), resisting the evil one (telling him, "May the Lord rebuke thee," - for even Michael did not rebuke the evil one himself), standing firm in our faith (which is still a gift of God)..........., for trials are a'comin.....

And thusly, we also move on together, because of the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, not loving life, even when faced with death........, and moving on together, awake, righteously, examining ourselves that we come not under judgment....... as we move Home.........

Home, furnished with an abundance of grace and glory!

.........

So then, are we prepared to walk into a realm of such grace and glory?!?!

While it is true that we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, changed to a blessed state in which we are holy and imperishable, it is also true that He marked our horizons prior to creation (aka: predestined us), to be morphed-to-be-like/with Him, it is also true that, towards these ends, 'We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose......For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.....and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified!

Thus, we are 'morphing-to-be-like/with Him' - - - 'in all these things' through which we Overwhelmingly Conquer' through Him who loved us........... that we might be glorified.........

,,,,,,,,,,readied, through His handiwork in our lives, to walk into His realm of amazing grace and glory!

Oh, my soul....... are you seeking it?
Are you seeking as much Morphoses Most Glorious as you can receive each day?
Have you grown in His glory....... today?

Ode, Ode, Ode, to the redemptive power of His loving sacrifice...... which makes the Morphoses Most Glorious ........... available to us!

Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! - - - - Romans 8:1-4 - - - - GMG: Wk 3: Wednesday

For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you FREE from the law of sin and of death...... (Romans 8:2)

......

Free from the law of sin and of death? And free unto what?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord!  (Romans 6:23)

Ode to the peril of the struggle of life and death!

And the eternality of both life and death!  Eternal joy!  Eternal suffering!

And the body of Christ should be seeking eternal life for all men of peace, for all men who will listen to and receive the gospel of peace.........

What an epic struggle it has been and will continue to be as long as this earth endures....

..........

Then, how is it, again, that we overcome death.......?

.........only with the free gift of God.......

Which is eternal............ Life.


But what is this....... 'Life'?


It begins with death!  Death to sin!

The Mighty Warrior!  He has Complete Victory!

What did He conquer?

He conquered sin and death!

He drowned death for victory!  (I Cor. 15:54 - and note, 'victory' in this case necessarily denotes a conquest..... thus, death is indeed conquered!)


Now it is our turn........ by His power.......

To Overwhelmingly Conquer through Him who Loved Us!

He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.  Rev. 2:11
But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer.  Rom. 8:37
He who overcomes, I will grant him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.  Rev. 3:21

.........

And they overcame him because of the blood of the lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.  Rev. 12:11
.........

Ode to balancing truth.........

O my soul......... have you remembered today?

NOT because of what you have done today....... but because...... yes..... only because...

......yes....... the 'cause' is the Promised One!
......yes....... the 'cause' is and will 'be'.........Him and Him alone!

......yes....... because........

......because 'you have the Spirit of Christ'......
......because 'He shared His Spirit with you!'.......
......because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you!  (Romans 8:2)
......because of the law that requires faith, which He gave you! (Romans 3:27-31 / Ephesians 2:8)


Repent!

He came to call sinners to repentance!  (Matthew 9:13)

And now, we are to be like Him!  We are to have the Spirit of Christ!

How to be like Him?  Bringing truth and understanding about God to others!

What is it to have life?  If sin is death, then sin is to be left behind..... coupled with grace.

"Awake righteously at once - and be not sinning! For some have a fullness of ignorance about God!  I am saying this to excite your shame!"  (I Cor. 15:34)

And here in I Corinthians 15:34, He was speaking to believers...... who should have been aware of the shame that we can still experience when we fall into sin.

"If we would examine ourselves, we would not come under judgment.  But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, so that we will not be condemned along with the world."  (I Cor. 11:31-32)

And here in I Corinthians 11:23, the Word says that we are judged by the Lord and disciplined when we have fallen into sin....... a process which demonstrates His grace, "so that we will not be condemned along with the world."

It grieves my heart so to think of young believers hearing that, because there is now no condemnation, there is also now no shame or judgment or discipline possible for the believer.

What a lie this is!!!!!  Down deep inside of one's very soul, this dangerous lie must be apparent.  It might be tucked away so far that one will not listen....... especially when their mind is shouting out Romans 8:1 so loudly that it drowns out all truth.

.........

This is not to say that the existence of sin in a believer's life must be ruled by the law.  May it never be!

This is not to say that we should be bringing cruel accusations on others in order to have them walk in shame......  even Paul, when he spoke of 'exciting shame'....... it was not for anyone to walk in shame, but rather, as gently as possible, to correct them in love - - - to encourage them to look more closely and realize where we have fallen into sin, and leave it behind, so that we would not come under judgement.  Though earlier in the same letter, he spoke of the Lord judging and disciplining......

So then the Lord is righteous and just to both judge and discipline His children, correcting them and their walk so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

But it is better to address the shame of our own sin before it comes to that:  examining ourselves that we might not come under (His) judgment.

..............

This term 'judge', in the Greek, has its roots in the word krino, which means 'discern or determine'.... and if you read through the notes at the subsequent link for 'judge', there is a sense of the meaning which can recognize goodness, or come to a negative decision which contains a rejection.....

.........

And here is the grief of it.......... that on the one hand, there are those who preach a gospel of works, while on the other hand, there is a gospel in which there is no shame left in this life........ that, sure we'll still sin, but there is no shame left for it because it is already forgiven..........

How can I Corinthians 15:34 (above) be true, and this false ?edge on the? gospel be true?

............

Romans 8:1 is true in that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!

yet...... Paul was not amiss in I Corinthians, when dealing with what many have called 'carnal Christians', therefore he spoke of his 'exciting shame' that believers would examine themselves and avoid judgment.

and....... Paul was not amiss in I Corinthians when he spoke of the Lord 'judging' and 'disciplining' His own for their safety.

So........ is there any way in which we ought to determine what is right or wrong in another's life?

And even to disassociate from them (if they will not respond to correction given with grace, that is)?

 "But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler -- not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside God judges.  Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."  (I Cor. 5:11-12)

So........... a believer ought to examine himself to recognize his own sin and shameful behavior - and thereby correct it; that others do not need to (gently) come alongside and 'excite their shame' (to protect them from judgment from God).

And........ if a believer does not examine himself, then the Lord will judge and discipline His own so that they will not be condemned along with the world.

And........ if one claims to be a brother, and will not receive correction for immorality, covetousness, idolatry, reviling, drunkeness, or swindling....... he should be put out...... that the church's doing so is judging those within....... and sending them out .........

Then is that when God does much of His judging and disciplining, and correcting of His own, and possibly even His own Spiritual work in 'exciting shame'?

.................

While I hold firmly to the obvious scriptural quotes above, .......... :

This last question is a question ----- not a statement of dogma............  I welcome responses..........

Pray for me, pray for the church, pray for our souls to respond with wisdom, and pray for His soon return!

..........

SO FREEDOM!  FREEDOM!  FREEDOM!

The freedom is from condemnation.

The freedom is from death.

The freedom is to eternal life........ after the second death has passed us by unscathed!

The freedom is from sin........., but with it comes the freedom to self-govern..........

To 'examine self' ourselves.........

What kind of love does that require?  A freedom loving love indeed..........., and not a controlling one.

.........

But if a brother is walking towards slavery...... in the flesh......... those who are spiritual are to help awaken his sensibilities to shame with a kindhearted spirit.......... in order that he will have ample opportunity to return to their proper course of freedom......

To.......... freedom from sin, and from death, and unto righteousness.......

Truly, FREEDOM, FREEDOM, FREEDOM ........ Indeed!


.

To Rejoice! -or- to Weep! -or- to Cheer!

LONG TERM PROJECT - WORD STUDY PROJECT

...........

How much of this choice (to rejoice, to weep, and/or to cheer) is really effective without the 'us', the 'our', and the 'we' of the body of Christ being engaged together?

...........

How to know when to rejoice, when to weep, and when to give cheer when showing mercy? (Romans 12)

So, the question between rejoicing and weeping, that does not seem so complicated.......

But what is this 'showing mercy' by giving cheer?  While I have some sense of this, I feel challenged to grow more....... perhaps much more, in understanding this both in principle and in action.......

..........

This is not an entry to declare having arrived....... at anything........ but more just an entry to declare the question itself.......

Thus, this is a 'catchall' blog to which I hope to add extra verses over time..... (in three sections after a bit of thinking out loud......):

.........

Rejoice with those that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.  

Be of the same mind one with another....... (ooooo, good clue there......, leaves me thinking of the informal study one author wrote out past the page and onto my heart - once upon a time in my life - again, not having arrived, but my heart is set on growing in this:  the study?  who was the person in a given crowd who the most people felt comfortable being around, and why?  ....... the answer left me a bit stunned:  the person who people were most comfortable being around did simply this:  they ate at the same pace as the people around them...... if they were eating with a fast eater, they ate quickly; if they were eating with a slow person, they ate slowly...... so, 'be of the same mind one with another'....? this is somewhat clear..... - not automatic for me, but somewhat clear.....)

But to show mercy by giving cheer? My mind wanders to the lovely girls who bathed my father when he was on his deathbed in ICU.  They cheerfully chatted together while still showing both my comatose father and myself great respect and regard...... happy to serve my father by bathing him and doing all they could to make him comfortable before they moved on to cheerfully serve another........

That picture is quite clear to me .......

But how those principles apply to other scenarios?

When to move from rejoicing, to weeping, to eating quickly, to eating slowly, to being a bit sombre, to being cheerful while showing mercy?

That is not so much my grace.

I so admire those two girls who ministered to my father.  They are on my heart and mind often.  I desire to be more like them, and to think, "What would they do in this case, or that?" - - - not to idolize them, but to try to see if the spark-of-God that is so strong in them in this area might help me to leave behind my past, and press on to grow at least somewhat in this area in my own life.......

...............

Towards that end.......

REJOICE

Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep. (Romans 12)

If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.  (Proverbs 27:14 NIV)

WEEP

"Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow."  (II Cor 2:7)

SHOW MERCY WITH CHEERFULNESS

"Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow."  (II Cor 2:7)

Ann Voskamp said of this verse:  "The King James Version uses the phrase 'swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." As I pursued the thought, I discovered that overwhelmed is the same Greek word that Peter uses when he says that Satan seeks to "devour" us (I Pet 5:8).  "Lord, is my grief over my failure excessive sorrow? And does it make me vulnerable to enemy attack and accusation?"  I asked."

Where's the Peace? - - - - - - - - Psalm 86:14-16 - - - - - - - - Romans 14:17 - - - - - - - - - - - GMG, Wk: 1, Friday - - - - - - - -

Ode to peace!

But where to find peace?

O, my soul, the answers to peace must be in the Word of Truth......, but where?

"For the kingdom of heaven is ...... righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.... -  so then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.... - do not destroy the work(er) of God (because..... of different opinions about what is right.......)" Romans 14:17, 19, 20a (NIV/NAS/NETBible)

So often, we want to say in our 'self-talk': "What can I do to obtain peace?"

Looking closely at this sort of self-talk, in which many of us have engaged, one of the main problems clearly turns out to be the pronoun.  Is the instruction in Romans 14 above all about what 'I' should do, or is it about what 'we' should do?   .........'so then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another......'

But more than that, the focus ought to be, "What can we do in the Holy Spirit!"

O, my soul, do you know as well as you ought, what we can do in the Holy Spirit?

For He can do far and above that which 'I' or 'we' are ever going to be able to do!

Ooooohhhhh, but...... backing up for a moment...... looking back at what goes wrong........ in our 'self-talk':

'I' terminology can lead to problems such as selfishness, idolatry of various sorts, coveting, and self-righteousness ----- 'we' terminology can lead to problems such as self-righteous Pharisee'isms, etc. ------

Wretched man that I am, who will set me free from the bondage of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, who has set you free! (Romans 7:24...)

Sure enough, the 'I' is wretched!  But, O, my soul......., Jesus has set you free!  You are free from the wretched one that is 'I'! So......

Stop the 'self-talk'!

Engage prayer!  Engage scripture talk!  Engage 'soul talk'!

Engage in Spirit walk! Learn the kingdom walk! Learn the Jesus walk!   For the kingdom of heaven is ...... righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.........

..............and..........

............ well........... and what?

What is the 'righteous' thing we should be pursuing through a Jesus walk, a kingdom walk, a Spirit walk?????

 ......pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another......

But how do we get there?  What is it that gets in the way of our efforts to find peace?

Do we have a desire to build up one another - you know *each* one?  O, my soul!  Who does God not love?  He said it Himself, "For God so loved the world......!"...... and "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all things I have taught you!"  Soul!  Who did He not call you to disciple!?  Soul!  What is worthy of getting in the way of that!?  Who do you *think* is so beneath you that the path to peace is over your head, utterly beyond your reach?

Do you miss out on peace that way?  If you do, where is the righteousness and the joy?

Father, God Almighty, who made heaven and earth, who put a desire to make disciples in my heart years ago..... who left me aching to reach the nations........ but who called me to wait!  For you are God Almighty - who shakes the foundations, and brings the nations jumbled upon nations!  And you had plans for me!  Things I must do before you jumbled the nations together 'just-so' ...........

Help me to seek your peace yet again today!

.............

O my soul!  Do you have a willingness to pursue the things which make for peace?  Hallelujah, that I do!

But...........   Now the time has come!  So now!  O, my soul!  Add perseverance to your faith!

Carry the light!

..............

His people perish for lack of knowledge!

The destruction of peace comes with another destruction........:

How much peace is there if the work(er) of God is being destroyed?  How much righteousness or joy is there if the work(er) of God is being destroyed without our having lovingly pursued the things which are able to make for peace (not that we can force anyone/anything into peace - but 'in as much as it is possible' with us we ought to seek peace with all men)?

If a work(er) of God is off course and heading away from righteousness, is that work(er) inclined to be heading towards peace and joy?  If not, what should our response be?

Asking the Holy Spirit to help us share the peace and joy that comes mingled with righteousness perhaps?

How much righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit have we obtained if we have not pursued the things which the Holy Spirit wishes to show us regarding righteous, peaceful, and joyous ways of seeking to build up another who is swerving off course to any degree?

How often does each of us need the Holy Spirit to come alongside each one, mingling righteousness, peace and joy together?

So then should we pursue being "right"?   - - -

Or then should we pursue being filled with "joy"?  - - -

No....... we need to pursue enough humility to follow the Holy Spirit - to join *in* the Holy Spirit's efforts to mingle righteousness, peace, and joy in one another's lives - each of us, by the other's faith - encouraged!

In that way, and in that way alone, can we mingle our hearts with God's righteousness, peace, and joy in His full measure in this world.

............

Peace is one of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  The fruit of the Spirit is something God expects His people to produce (Matthew 21:43).

So there it is, God has expectations.

But as it turns out, our expectations get in the way.

All too often, people who have been taught to have faith in a democratic, fair, or otherly utopian life to any greater *or* lesser degree, are frustrated and thus out of reach of peace, because, while they may or may not believe in God, and they may or may not even have faith in God for many things, they place their faith in fairness or etc.  They become so hurt by the injustices of life that, until they learn to place their faith in God alone - knowing that the God in whom they trust will not fail them in spite of the griefs and trials before them - that there is a certain something that comes between them and .... peace.

.........

Scripture:

God, arrogant men are rising against me,
a gang of brutes is seeking my life,
and to you they pay no attention.
But you, Adonai,
are a merciful, compassionate God,
slow to anger
and rich in grace and truth.
Turn to me, and show me your favor;
strengthen your servant, save your slave-girl's son.  (Psalm 86:14-16)

Complete Victory! Romans 8:35-39, esp. 37-39; Wk 1: Tuesday

Ode to the Complete Victory!

Didn't you know?  It's in the news - the Good News, that is!

Check out the NET Bible's telling of it in Romans 8:37:

"In all these things we have complete victory through Him who loved us!"

But we don't always act like it, do we?

Do we not believe it?

Yesterday, Good Morning Girls led a study on Psalm 139, focusing on vs. 7-10 (my blog for that amazing study is here).

During that study, God really brought my attention (again) to the fact that we are terribly inclined to have it all backwards in our thinking (We need that 'renewing of the mind' thing happening way more than we think, huh?).  So often, we try to run and hide from God when He is seeking our good.  We forget at such times that God is love.....  That we are loved!  What a thing to forget!  But we do....., well, I do anyway.....

Now, here today, the next Good Morning Girls in this series, "You Are Loved," is pointing out another thing we often lose track of:  We have complete victory....... through Him who loved us!

Now, have we forgotten just the victory, or have we also forgotten that:

We are loved!?

From my own experience, I'd have to admit that when I've forgotten that We Have Complete Victory, it is because I don't feel one bit loved.

At such times, MacLaren's commentary on Romans 8:19 seems to explain and/or describe my life so well:

"There is always a difference between appearance and reality, between the ideal and its embodiments.  For all men it is true that the full expression of oneself is impossible.  Each man's deeds fall short of disclosing the essential self in the man.  Every will is hampered by the fleshly screen of the body.  "I would that my tongue could utter the thoughts that arise in me,' is the yearning of every heart that is deeply moved.  Contending principles successively sway every personality and thwart each other's expression.  For these, and many other reasons, the sum-total of every life is but a shrouded representation of the man who lives it; and we, all of us, after all efforts at self-revelation, remain mysteries to our fellows and to ourselves.  All this is eminently true of the sons of God.  They have a life-germ hidden in their souls, which in its very nature is destined to fill and expand their whole being, and to permeate with its triumphant energy every corner of their nature.  But it is weak and often overborne by its opposite.  The seed sown is to grow in spite of bad weather and a poor soil and many weeds, and though it is destined to overcome all these, it may to-day only be able to show on the surface a little patch of pale and struggling growth.  When we think of the cost at which the life of Christ was imparted to men, and of the divine source from which it comes, and of the sedulous and protracted discipline through which it is being trained, we cannot but conclude that nothing short of its universal dominion over all the faculties of its imperfect possessors can be the goal of its working.  Hercules in his cradle is still Hercules, and strangles snakes.  Frost and sun may struggle in midwinter, and the cold may seem to predominate, but the sun is steadily enlarging its course in the sky, and increasing the fervour of its beams, and midsummer day is as sure to dawn as the shortest day was."

On the coldest of nights, the sun doesn't convince me that it will be warm soon, if at all.  Really, I'm rather inclined to overcome most of my natural fears, but I am inordinantly fearful of the cold.  When I am warm, I shake my head at the thought, but when I have occasionally found myself so cold that I couldn't warm myself up, and I had no immediate hope of help in becoming warm, I trembled from more than the cold.

Where is my faith at such moments?

Where is my faith when the chaos of life threatens the peace of not only my life, but the peace of those whom I love dearly?  At such times, I do find my *confidence* anchored on the rock - *sometimes*, but not always.

Ode to the next question:

When not - - - - why not?

Does the rock change between times of faith and times of doubt!  No!

Does His love change?  Never!

Does the fact of His victory change?  Absolutely not!

But sometimes I do forget that He Is Love, and that I Am Loved - simply because I am His......., and all because I am not busy *seeing the unseen victory*.

......... *sigh*.............

So what is lacking?

Well, let's read on:  Romans 8:38 says... what?

"For I am convinced!"........

Ah....... there it is then....... I am not as convinced as I ought to be.

Convinced of what?

Convinced of His invincible love!

May I rest in His love.  May I rest in the convincing testimony of His love.  May I rest in the victory which His love affords.

And then will I perhaps better remember that we have:

Complete Victory - ........ because of that deep, deep, eternal, boundless love of God!

.........

Sure enough, in his commentary on Romans 8:37, MacLaren calls all of the challenges which we face not only the 'heterogenous mass (which) the Apostle brigades here together,' but more importantly, he also calls them 'the impotent enemies of love.'

It is important to note that it is not our love that makes our enemies' efforts 'impotent'.  Our love is not steady enough for any such victory.

It is only the unchangeable, immutable, eternal, infinite love of God in Christ Jesus that can vanquish all of our foes.  But vanquish them all it will, and Paul's confidence should be our goal.

Such is the calling of the love of God.  And yes....... beloved:

You are so loved!

.........

So, if we have complete victory, might we merely scoff at our enemies and foes?

Certainly not!  We must oppose them with soberness of spirit, filled with God's love.

With that kind of love, we can hold out hope for the lost and dying, for the suffering and afflicted, for those who do not yet realize that there is any such thing as real hope in the midst of even the most horrid suffering.

Can we find such love in our hearts?

Absolutely!

Because that love comes from an eternal well of love.

That love comes from an eternal God of love.

And that love of His surrounds us, and fills us more than we know.

We must simply remember it and stand upon it - the love of the living rock which was broken - the love of the living rock which poured forth water for all those called by Him into the wilderness - the love of the living rock which provided more than enough life for everyone when death seemed to be the only result of a wilderness calling.

Wilderness calling or no.......

You are so loved!

Convinced you ought to be!  But convinced or not.........

You are so very, very, very, very, very, very much ......... loved!

Now may we share the light & life - yes, the love that He calls on us to share - so that others can become convinced that they are also loved........

So that together with them, we will have Complete Victory......

In Him!

...............

S. - Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered."  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principlaities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

O. - O my soul!  Look closely!  It might  only be seen through a glass darkly, but it is there!

Complete Victory! through Him who loved us!  There might well be tears in times of tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, attacks, concerns about tomorrow, the hate of others....... and whatever else there might be which this does not readily sum up, but which can bring turmoil into life in this world.

But neither smiles, nor dry eyes, nor even tears are the measure of my faith.

So there it is:  Tears or no tears, I am loved!  And I am *the beloved* of the Victor who will win Complete Victory for His glory, for His Father's glory, ........ and to share ....... yes, to share ...... with us.....

His beloved.

Oh my soul!

You are so loved!

When the distresses of life come, even when the worst of wilderness walking comes, and death is looming for lack of necessities, we only need to look to the Rock of our Salvation!  Yes, look!  Look to the lover of my soul!  He has more than the necessities of life for us!  He is the Rock split in the wilderness, pouring forth living water!  He is the one who *died* to share glory with *you* - oh my soul!

Oh my soul!  Don't you see it yet?  Don't you feel it yet?

Oh my soul!  Say it over and over again!

You, oh my soul, are so loved!

It's not just the incorruptible spirit He provided for you, oh my soul, that is sooooo loved......

You, - yes, ..... you ......  oh my soul, are so loved!



A. - It's time to grow in soul keeping.  It's time to focus less on self, and more on being a keeper of my soul.

And the power to do that well?  It's the unstoppable power of the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord!

Do more of that soul talking, o my soul, and remind yourself, o my soul,

That you are so loved!


P. - Our Father, You are so great and so powerful that the fallen angels shudder with fear. Who am I to call you Father? Yet You have said that I have no need to fear, because You have called me daughter.  You have said I am Yours, and You love .... me.....

When it comes to the bully down the street, or even the bully in the heart of Satan himself, I have no need to fear, because you have promised to take care of me, and you can do all of that, because you, my Father, - my papa, - are bigger, better, stronger, wiser, and what's more, as if that isn't wonderful enough all by itself - - - you won't get too old for any and/or all of the bullies in the whole universe and beyond!  Your love, power, and wisdom are eternal.  They all last forever, so my confidence in your protection and love will last forever too.  Hallelujah!  Thank you for the peace that such confidence provides.  Please, dear God, help me to stand in that confidence so that your name, El Shaddai, Almighty God, might be glorified in my life.

Though I don't deserve your love, you have called me to stand confidently in faith, letting your love and light shine through me. Let that life and light shine clearly for others (believers and unbelievers) so they can rejoice with me and stand confidently in the power of your love and grace too - establishing the kingdom of heaven more boldly here on earth.  If there is anyone here today who does not know you, Father God, help them to know that as you have been pursuing them, you are seeking Complete Victory for them.  Help them hear you say, "You are so loved!"

Thank you for this joyous banquet! Help me to rejoice in each portion of each course which you have prepared for me, and help me to draw all of the nourishment from it that you mean for me to receive - that I may grow more in your wisdom and love and be prepared for every good work.

Lord, you know that in my life, there have been times when I did not put faith in your complete victory, and that without faith, I walked in sin.  Thank you for Jesus' forgiveness for those sins.  I trust His forgiveness and am grateful for it.  But Lord, I just have to say to you that I am so sorry that I grieved your spirit.  It breaks my heart to have grieved you.  I know I need to press on, forgetting the past, and I need you to help me do that - but on the way by, I just have to say I'm sorry.  Nothing I could ever say or do could ever be enough, which is why I so desperately need Jesus, but I just have to say it sometimes anyway......  Help me to both walk in your forgiveness and walk in your truth - in faith.  Help me also to forgive others whose lack of faith has brought sin into their lives which brought hard consequences into my/their lives - and help me to have compassion for their slipping, as I need compassion for my own.

And Lord, help me (us) to walk in the paths of righteousness *today* - protecting us in your glorious kingdom through the whole day, for yours is the glory of the Complete Victory of Infinite and Eternal Love.  May it establish your kingdom soon....... oh, so very soon........

Amen.



Wk 1: Day 3's study can be found here.











.