Galatians 1

Paradigm for This Study:  Lessons in How to Walk Like Paul........

1:1  So as Paul was sent, not from men, but from God - so ought we to be sent by God....... to carry the good news, to make disciples, who carry the good news....... to fellowship in faith with those of the Kingdom of Peace.

Have we dared to stand in the audacious confidence which Paul had, knowing we are doing that which we have been called on to do, to be, to say, to pray......?  What is being 'on mission' in my life today - not yesterday - not tomorrow, but today?

Authoritatively Commissioned

.........

1:2  So Paul was a part of the Kingdom, aka: the 'brothers who are with me'.  Did they naturally have such a grave concern for the Galatian believers that they asked to be mentioned in the letter?  Had they prayed together fervently for the strife broiling in Galatia?  Did Paul help to inspire the devotion of those believers who were praying with him?  Did he call upon them to pray for the Galatian believers?  Did they pray specifically for the concerns which Paul mentions here in the opening of his relatively fiery letter to the Galatians?

Have we sought to know the concerns of believers elsewhere?  At the time of this writing, there are believers seeking refuge among the Kurds because of the horrid intensity of the persecution they are facing from ISIS.  Are we praying for them earnestly, and seeking to meet their needs through prayer and mammon?

Drawing the Hearts of the Kingdom's Brotherhood Together for Each Other

.........

1:3  So Paul didn't simply emphasize grace or peace.  Why?  What peace can there be in an imperfect world without grace?  There can be none!  Think of it!?!  We have no peace for ourselves before others without their forgiveness, whether we really like it or not.  Others have no peace with us without our forgiving others.

So it is in our hopes for peace in a relationship with God.  There must be grace.  Praise God, whose grace is more than sufficient to offer grace to us all - to all who will simply receive it......... and to all who receive that grace........ they also receive His peace.

Have we believed it yet?  Do we walk in that peace?

Reminding us of the Peace and Grace we Have through Christ Already

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

1:4  Ode to be rescued from this present evil age.  That has been done in part........, and the promise is that He will finish the task in full!

God 'Wills' or Will-Do This:  a Complete and Utter Rescue!

"Ponerou":  evil ..... evil age......:  with an emphasis on the pain-ridden life that comes with living in this age when evil is not yet bound........  Many decry the fact that evil is not yet bound, calling God unjust.  This is something I can hear clearly........ they do feel the pain-ridden life's real pain.......... But am I God's judge?  This cannot be until I am able to put order to this universe myself - which I will never be able to do.  So all I have left is to trust His promise that the rescue will come - and the pain-ridden work and trials of living in this present evil age will end.

Reminding us of the Hope to Come!

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

1:5  Paul has no thought as to judging God, only to praise Him!

So do we seek glory for ourselves still; or do we seek His glory?  What will it be today?

The Glory is All His!

.........

1:6  So Paul was astonished at those who walked away from the true gospel!  Did he give up on them?  No!  He sought to bring them back in line with truth - for only truth sets us free!

Do we give up on those who walk away from truth?

Do we sometimes walk the path of 'works salvation' or some social gospel of 'accepting' everything without consulting God's counsel first?

What about today?  Do we trust His salvation alone, but still, as Peter said, add to our faith in that salvation (II Peter 2)?  Paul certainly did!

What ought we to add to that faith today?  Is there anyone who should hear that we are astonished that they are giving up on the truth?  If so, say so!  If not, don't be complacent - the day might yet come!  Pray for those who do have a need to address those who are walking away from the truth!

Pray for those who *are* walking away from truth!

Calling All Believers to Renew Their Devotion to Truth

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

1:7  So Paul knew that the confusion came from those who seek to pervert the gospel!

Do we recognize the source of confusion when it arises?  Does the perversion from the truth bring true peace into the Kingdom of Peace?  Should we 'tolerate confusion' for the sake of ?peace?

Then what is to be done when confusion is brought in yet again, today, by those who seek to pervert the gospel?

And Recognize the Sources of Confusion Today

........

1:8-9  So Paul is not out cursing anyone......  But he is making it clear that some people come under a curse through their devotion to untruths and others through their devotion to actively twisting the truth.  Tender hearted Christians can feel the brokenness of letting them go - and thereby begin to judge God.    Others are more inclined to unleash a curse themselves.  Neither approach is what God has called us to.

We have only this:  to watch as those who choose to serve untruth come under the troubles of God's judgment.  May we pray that they are short-lived trials.

So We Can ............. Let Them Be!

Yes, there is a need to identify those whom we 'Let be'.  There is even a need to address why we 'let them be.'  But that is enough.  After the conflict is addressed, if peace is not possible 'as much as it is possible with us' (Romans 12), then it is time to 'let them be.'

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

1:10  Is it even possible to please all men in the church?  Paul wasn't speaking of trying to please men in the government, or in the 'politically correct world'.

Paul was admitting that he could not be about the business of trying to please men in the church.

All who try will almost assuredly fail - at least to some degree.  Men are horridly fickle creatures.  So move on when needed........

And be Servants of Christ - That's All

...........

1:11  Preaching a Divine Gospel!

...........

1:12  A Gospel Given by Jesus Christ Himself!

...........

1:13  No Longer at War with the Church

.........

1:14  No Longer Gaining Importance by Warring with the Church!

.........

1:15-16  No Longer Hearing from Men What They Want  -  Yes, seeking counsel can be a good thing, but when God's calling has been made clear, as His call to Paul was made clear; God will send those men whom He will to confirm His calling.  We do not need to seek them ourselves!

God Himself has all power to 'uncover, reveal, unveil' to us what He wills to show us.

*When/if* He does that in your life - He has revealed *Himself* to you:  apokalupto:  the same word for the apocalypse......... 'the unveiling of Him'!

Seeking Revelation/Unveiling of Jesus

This is the secret of having a relationship both with the body of believers and with Him.

.........

1:17  There are even times to distance ourselves from (at least some) believers in order to be prepared for the calling He has called us to - to listen carefully to know what message concerning the gospel we should be most prepared to share with the body - especially once we have heard what our calling is from God - and He has provided adequate witness as to what we have heard from Him!

Sometimes Only His Counsel Will Do!

..........

1:18-22  BUT.......... after that time, it is vital to reconnect with the leaders of the church before going out and fulfilling the calling of God!

That time alone is NOT to be a time of rebellion - but a time of fasting from various aspects of life.

But Then it is Vital to Reconnect with the Kingdom!

Not, however, to be a spectacle!  Paul could have truly created a sensation among as many believers as he would have been willing to expose himself to.  He did not seek to create a spectacle or a sensation.  He sought confirmation and support in prayer.  He sought to put the hearts and minds of the church at peace with the sense of mission which had been placed upon Paul by God Himself.

We must be ready to go out and serve quietly.

There might be a time to go back and reference such truths - but not for our own glory!  Only to substantiate the truth!

........

1:23  That is not to say that we must keep the glorious truth from believers who would praise God with us in spirit!

Seek Prayer for Those on Mission:  Make Known God's Miralces Among the Kingdom-Believers without Sensation!

........

1:24  And the Result?  God will be Praised......... because of ...... ?us?

AMAZING!

Staying Stretched to the Max in Love! - - - - - - - - I Peter 4:8-11; Good Morning Girls, Week 7, Tuesday

"Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another,  because love covers a multitude of sins."  (I Peter 4:8 - NAS)

Well.......  ya know, the first part of this verse doesn't seem terribly difficult in the English: it could be restated loosely by saying, 'the most important thing to do is to keep the light of love alive for the brethren'.......

But what does that have to do with love covering a multitude of sins?
.
Certainly Christ's sacrifice was made with fervent love....., and we should be like Him, but is there perhaps more to this than meets the eye...... What about context within this chapter and this letter?  What about the Greek?

Well, let's back up to I Peter 4:1, in which Peter tells us that Christ 'suffered'.  By clicking on the Strong's number for 'pathontos', we can realize how clearly it is said in this verse that His suffering was brought upon Him by others in this broken and fallen world, and that His suffering is something which He felt very, very deeply.

The same verse goes on to say that we should be of this mind:  that we should be *willing* to allow suffering from this broken world to be brought upon our flesh from the brokenness in the world outside of ourselves, and that we should feel that pain deeply whenever God allows that brokenness to weigh heavily upon us.

More importantly, the one having suffered (in the) flesh is empowered to be able to be finished with sin.  So much so, that, according to I Peter 4:2, the one who has suffered, if he has been obedient to 'be of this same mind' of Christ........, will be able to devote his time to the will of God without being drawn into men's lusts.  Ode to remaining in 'this same mind'........, in order to avoid adding unnecessarily fulfilling further the 'desire of the Gentiles' I Peter 4:3.

Oh, my soul, I would that mankind would no longer fulfill the 'desire of the Gentiles'!  But all too many still desire to fulfill those inclinations.  They even think it is strange that believers do not seek the desires of the Gentiles  I Peter 4:4, not realizing that they will have to give account of the fulfillment of their desires one day I Peter 4:5.

But that's just it, God has been merciful because they did not realize fully what they have chased after; they were 'dead' to the truth!

And here is where He lets us be a part of the solution!  Men who have been *willing* to allow the suffering from this broken world to be brought upon their flesh in such a way that they felt the pain deeply - with the same mind as Christ...... those men have been sent to warn those who still seek to fulfill the 'desire of the Gentiles'!  Those men have been sent so that they might live according to God in the Spirit!

But no man can be 'of this mind' on his own.  No man can 'be of this mind' without Christ changing his heart to a heart of flesh.  When Christ removes the dead heart of stone from within a man, and replaces it with a living heart of flesh, then that 'heart transplant' helps that man to truly live and to 'be of this mind' of Christ........

But not everyone has received this heart of flesh!

So many around us need the life that comes only through this 'heart transplant'!

'The end has drawn near, therefore be sober minded, and be watchful for the purpose of prayers.'  (I Peter 4:7)

And here, the context begins to become more and more clear........

We see that this phrase, 'above all, keep fervent in your love for one another' is couched in the middle of these two phrases:

'Be watchful for the purpose of prayers....... ......... because love covers a multitude of sins.'?  (I Peter 4:7b, 8b)

But how can our love combined with prayers aid in the covering of a multitude of sins?  Isn't Jesus the Great High Priest, whose sacrifice took care of the sins of the beloved who receive His grace through His gift of faith, available to us through His sacrifice?

Is the hymn wrong?  "Jesus did it all!  All to Him I owe!"?

Well, yes, Jesus did it all.  But for whatever all reasons, God wants us to be like Jesus!  He wants us to imitate His love for others!  And when we do, He celebrates our finally 'knowing good and evil' the only healthy way possible:

---to be broken, suffering, taking on the pain of mankind's brokenness in order to spare others' as much of the suffering as possible - able to bear one another's burdens only because of His *plan* of grace!

Back in the Garden of Eden, when we rebelled against God and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and evil?  Yes, back then, knowing good and evil broke our hearts - and our hearts died!  We had dead, stone hearts!  Our hearts broke, and rigamortis set in so deeply that our hearts became stone!  That's what 'knowing good and evil' our way did for us!

But knowing God's *heart* of grace not only for ourselves, but for others,  helps us to face 'knowing good and evil' with a heart of flesh.

A heart of flesh will still suffer under the 'knowledge of good and evil', just as Christ's heart of flesh suffered for us on the cross!

A heart of flesh will not become a broken heart though, it will be 'brokenhearted' for others, but not broken, lifeless, stone cold, deadness!

Christ was brokenhearted for us!  He truly suffered in the flesh of his brokenhearted state - - - for us!

We ought to be the same mind for others:  brokenhearted for them!  Willing to feel their pain, to bear their burdens as much as they will allow us to...........

In this brokenhearted state, in which we suffer the pain inflicted upon our heart of flesh by those whose hearts are dead, broken stone, our hearts can bear the burdens of others' sins before the throne of grace...... bearing the burden of sin directly to the High Priest, ...........

And here, we begin to see how, in verse 7, the 'purpose of prayers' begins to be made more clear......

We are to be priests before God, joining Jesus, the High Priest, our holy advocate, as He advocates for the forgiveness of a multitude of sins!  (verse 8b)

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

So, that is the context of this verse:  "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another."''

It is becoming more clear!!!

.........

But what of the original text?  Are there more clues which bring the light and life of these words into clearer focus?

.........

Hmmmmm, in Greek, the word which we render as 'fervent' is a compound word:  ektenes:  with its parts being:

ek - 'wholly out'

&

tenes - 'stretched - without slack' (related to 'tension')

Really?  Keep Stretched to the Max in Love!?!

Wow!  How many trainers would think that it is wise to keep a muscle stretched to the max all of the time?

But maybe we should check out 'keep' in the Greek too?

Hmmmm, in the Greek, there are two words which were rendered as these three words in English: 'Above all, keep'......  They are pro panton:  with 'pro' meaning 'before,' and panton having its roots in 'pas' meaning 'every part of the totality'!

So, thus far, we have 'before every part of the totality..........love, stretched out to the max'!

There is 'echontes', which is translated best as 'you having/holding/possessing'.

Then just the 'eis heautous' perhaps best translated as 'in/among yourselves'.....

So putting it all back together:

'Before every part of the totality, you having/holding/possessing love, stretched out to the max, in/among yourselves.'

So..... going back to the NASB:  "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another'.......  the word 'keep' is meaningful:  having/holding/possessing..... that's all an ongoing thing!

Staying, and staying, and staying stretched to the Max in love!  ........ in love which is in/among us all.........  STRETCHED TO ALL OF US........ STRETCHED TO THE MAX SO IT REACHES ALL OF US.......... ALL OF THE TIME, BEFORE EVERY PART OF THE TOTALITY......!!!!!

Oh, my soul........ that is so difficult........... Have you ever seen this done right?!?

But all things are possible to those who love Him!

Dear Father, OUR Father, help us to help each other keep that love stretched out to the max - stretched so fully that it reaches all of us all of the time, before every bit of the totality of time....... remembering the purpose of prayer:  prayer from the heart of flesh which you have given to us, and which you will place in all who put their faith in you........ prayer that love, as it stretches out amongst us all, all of the time, covereth a multitude of sins, as we pray for the lost, for those moments when our flesh wishes to go back and fulfill the 'desire of Gentiles'....... and so forth.....

Help us to 'be of the same mind as Christ', feeling the broken heartedness in our new heart of flesh, brokenheartedness for the pain which we all feel because of the horrid things done by hearts of stone.......

And as we feel some small part of the brokenheartedness which Christ bore on the cross, as we bear others' burdens before your mercy seat, seeking the Advocate, that His grace may take yet another fallen man in his heart broken state, and humble him, giving him a heart of flesh and allowing that heart of flesh to feel the heartbreak of life........., thereby becoming heartbroken.........

..........that he too may begin to recognize the intense need for us to intercede for the saints who are, and who are yet to be called........ to faith........ and that he too may begin to share the love, which we need to hold/possess more faithfully amongst all of us, each and every one of us, all of the time, before every it of the totality of this life...............

.......Staying Stretched to the Max - - - - in Love - - - - all of us....... together.....!!!!!

Driving Out Punishment & Fear! GMG: Week 7: I John 4:16-21

Oh, my soul, for weeks now, the heralds have gone out telling forth the good news..... :

Have you heard it yet?

........ that the God who *is* love, loves you! yes you!?!

Have you heard it echoing in the deepest chambers of your soul?

Do you believe it?  Or do you yet fear, that in some ways, here or there, that His love is not enough!?!

What have you to fear? You have confidence in the day of judgment!  You have confidence in His healing!  You have confidence in eternal life!

Then what has gone amiss?

Why are you hurt?  Why is your face downcast?

Oh, my soul, you know right well, that yet again, you felt fear rise up this week; you have wrestled again with the pain of those who judge you harshly and even falsely?

But, my soul, that fear cannot please God!  You can only please God with faith.

But what is it that one mere soul can do?

Give thanks!

Yes, Give thanks to the Lord God's tender mercies;
Give thanks to the gentle ministries of the Holy Spirit!
You, oh my soul, have been lead down the path of righteousness in spite of this fear!
He has helped to cast it out yet again!

By faith alone!  In Christ alone!  Through grace alone!

Yes, when fear sought you out!
When fear sought to carry you away!
When fear even got a grip on you for a moment!
Yes, then you felt its punishment this week!

(for fear involves punishment!)

You whose emotions died for decades at the tender age of seven.  You, who God guided gently, and carefully back away from the Abyss of the Tragedies; Aye, back from the wild, and twisted, and ragged Abyss of Tragedies, with its jagged edges, from aberration to aberration; with its varied crevasses of immeasurable depths...........;

Yes, You.

Yes, you, oh my soul......... who God challenged and nurtured, with the challenge to learn to ...

............ feel again........

Yes, you, oh my soul, who finally feel pain!

You finally discern more quickly which pain is the inherent grief over the brokenness of life.  Which is a healthy thing!

Such pain drives you to seek to share the good news of His grace!
Such pain drives you to pray fervently for His coming-again!

But more than that!

You, oh my soul, finally discern more quickly which pain is self-destructive........ which is Punishment-Self-Inflicted...... out of fear........ of others' brokenness....... of their brokenness breaking through and hurting you, precious soul created by God, yet again.

What did the Spirit's tender mercies reveal to you this week about this?

Oh, my soul, by His tender mercies, He revealed that:

In your moment of fear, in the fear of more pain from the rejection of those who call themselves 'brothers' and 'sisters'........ In that moment, you began to thrash yourself....... self-flaggelation!!! Not out of mis-informed penance, but out of fear!

How can it be, that out of grief of pain, by focusing on the pain, we thrash ourselves further with the whip of pain provided by those who have rejected us?

But that is so much the case........

And here it is........ The Solution!:

First!  To focus on His love for us........., aye, even for you, oh my soul!

For, again, if His love and saving grace is enough to heal us from our own sin, how can His love and saving grace be insufficient to heal us from the pain of those caught up in the throws of this broken world!?!

Second!  To focus on His love for us......., aye, even for them, and oh!!! their precious souls!!!!

So now, oh, my soul!, you ought to hope for that same confidence-in-the-day-of-judgment ..... for those others around you.

Do they have that confidence yet?  If not, seek to share it with them!

Oh...... but, if they do have that confidence already?  Celebrate it with them - in spite of their frailties!  Even when their frailties hurt you, oh, my soul.........

And if they will not celebrate it with you!?!  If, as much as it is possible with you, you seek to live in peace with them - - - but they reject such peace thus far.......

Celebrate the gift of grace provided for them - past, present, and future!  Even when their frailties hurt you, oh my soul.......  For you can trust Our Father to both heal you, and to correct them in time............

But how?  By being perfected in love...

But won't they hurt us again? ...... Does that matter?  Remember, it is in all these things that we Overwhelmingly Conquer!  Yes, IN those things!  Do we need to fear conquering in these things!?!

But there is more.........  Oh, my soul, have you not heard?  Perfect love drives out fear........

Oh, my soul!  Oh, my soul!  Oh, my soul!  Do you believe it yet!?!

Call upon the Lord!  Call upon the God of Peace!  Call upon the God who is with you!  Call upon the God of Righteousness!  Call upon the God of Healing!

Call upon the Lord our Banner!  Follow His banner wherever it leads you, and faint not!

Let His perfect love fill you and overflow through you........... to all those around you......

............ in All These Things.................

And yes......... in All These Things........... Overwhelmingly Conquer.......... in Love!

Oh yes.......

Faith, hope, and love..... abide these three............... but the greatest...............


........of these.........

........................is love.........!

...........................His love......!



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


 


Lord, Why Am I Anxious..........

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!

A Walk Through the Heart! - - - - - - - - - GMG Wk:5, Tuesday - - Proverbs 3 (esp. vs. 5-6)

Does the word 'detour' sound good to you when you are heading home, and you can hardly wait to get there?

I remember through the years, when my children were very young, when each of them, in turn, would wonder why we couldn't just go straight home, or straight to Grandma's and Grandpa's....... or - etc.  At those moments, I always brought up my father's chuckles about the phrase, 'as the crow flies.'  I never really had a sense that my children appreciated the term.... since they couldn't simply go 'as the crow flies....'

That simple little phrase has given rise to many a moment imagining finally taking off and going somewhere 'as the crow flies.'  Today, I still love to imagine levitating out of the car and heading out - 'as the crow flies,' looking down at all of the roofs and trees, and children bicycling, and cars moving along - but not keeping up with me!

Ode to innocent desires........ a longing to go home yes, and a longing to seek adventure along the way......, but sometimes we realize we really want a straight path home - as the crow flies, as it were.

........

Yesterday, the Good Morning Girls' study 'You Are Loved' brought us to Psalm 84, where we saw that

--Godly men long to finally arrive 'home' in His courts.....

&

--the highway to Zion, which takes us home to His dwelling place, runs through our hearts!

So often, it seems that there are many detours along the way!  But is that true?  Let's check out this relatively well known verse:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Does He mean that the paths, or highways in our hearts, those highways that will take us home, will be made straight!?!

Well, let's look at the first couple of verses in the same chapter:

"My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you."  (Proverbs 3:1)

Okay, backtracking to my younger years again...... when those around me would debate, 'length of days and years of life and pace'....... and what that meant...., the conclusions seemed to come to this:  That this is true of the general principles of life and living......, though in some instances, in our imperfect world, tragedies thwart the natural consequences of godly living.  Though statistically speaking, I'm not on the last leg of my journey (and Lord willing I ?am/not?), I have finally come to the point in my life when I don't think of 'length of days and years of life' in terms of this life.......

Rather, those things are things I look forward to in the hereafter......  and I can hardly wait!

Really, think about it, how long are the 'length of days and years of life' in eternity?  Forever long!

And how does one hope to obtain such length of days and years of life?

Well, the *heart*, where the highways to Zion run, needs to not only remember, but follow His commndments.

Yes, I can hear the antinomians at it already:  But the law is behind us! It is no more!

True, but Jesus, after His crucifixion, just before returning to His Father in heaven, commanded the disciples to .......Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them...., (and) teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

While the 'commandments' of Jesus and/or the New Testament do not mirror each other in form......., they are still to be remembered........

There are statements made that those who persevere and/or endure receive the prize.....

There is the parable of the sower, in which some receive the seed, but not into their hearts....... their endurance is lacking........

But the endurance, is endurance in love........ without condemning others..........

...........


Here, in Proverbs 3, vs. 13, one is encouraged to read, "How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding...."

But more, in vs. 26, it says, "For the Lord will be your confidence......"

And yet more, in vs. 35, it says, "The wise will inherit honor......"

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

In order to find wisdom; in order for our confidence to be established in Him; in order that we will be wise and thus inherit honor.......... we begin simply:

"Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart....."  (Proverbs 3:3)

And there it is, having to do with the heart again.......

If we are faithful to 'write kindness and truth.... on the tablet of your heart'......

then........ how does that help?

Are kindness and truth not the signposts to help us remain on the straight path through the heart, that straight path which leads to Zion!?

,,,,,,,,,,thus, as kindness and truth are written on the signposts of our heart......

......He makes all of our paths straight...........

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

He loves us enough to provide us the wisdom that leads us to kindness and truth, which in turn leads us to His dwelling place.......

Truly, His signpost work is truth.........

Truly, sharing His truth........... is kind...........

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

May we be more like Him.............

Let kindness and truth never leave us.............

Let us love............. as He loved............. and as He stil loves.................

Let us be able to say to others, not only with our words, but with our actions, "You are truly loved!"

.

The Source of Grace & Glory!...... Wk:5 Monday, Psalms 84, esp. vs. 11-12

So the post I haven't finished for last week (just one for last week)...... has to do with the EXULTATION!!! - - - that remains after victory........

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

But what comes next........ you know....... when the battles are all finished, and the victory is finally sealed with peace...... peace from grace (for there is no peace without grace......, which is important to remember when the people cry out, "Peace, Peace......" but there is no peace......)?

Oh, what comes next is the best part:  Going Home!

How many warriors, following their king wherever He leads them, are willing to follow Him anywhere......

But....... how many warriors, still long for home.........


And that is how it is for those of us who follow The Mighty Warrior - - - the King of Kings - - - !!!!!


Do we not also long for home, even though we have not yet seen our true home....... even though we still bivouac........ yes, bivouac............  in these temporary tents of ours........ ?

But where is that home?????

"How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You!"  (Psalm 84: 1-7)

So many people long for a lovely dwelling place...... a safe retreat from the world.......

And is that all wrong?

Absolutely not!

God made us with a yearning for peace, beauty, comfort, a safe place....... a place we can call Home!

But we must remember that the yearning He put in our hearts cannot be fully satisfied by anyone, or anything or any place on earth........

So while we may be home, or long for home as we know it - or merely dream of it....... is there no place we can call 'home' for the spirit of our new life here in this world????

Looking back to the psalm again....

Here we see that the swallow, in her nest, lays her young......where?  'His' altars! And finding themselves at home there, they know they are so very blessed........ so they are ever praising Him!  Singing His glorious praise..... accompanied by the rhythm of the trees clapping their hand....... what a glorious altar..../!!

Without His altars, both the altars which are their homes, and the altar which Jeshua haMashiach made effective?...... even the birds could not hope of finding escape from the struggles and corruption of this world...!!

But because of The Mighty Warrior's work on the cross...... fulfilling the work at the altar necessary to provide blood for the mercy seat????....... even those of us who brought this corruption into this world.... can find themselves 'at home at His altars.........'

O, sing His glorious praise!

Yes, we still long for the fullness of all that Home means to us....... we still yearn for more than the comfort of the shadow of 'home' that our childhood and/or dreams of a better life could ever offer........  we still yearn for more than the comfort of the shadow of the cross........

We still yearn for His dwelling place........ Home!

But like Dorothy with her ruby slippers, we have the way Home already with us.......

"How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion."  (Psalm 84:5-7)

Did you catch that?  What is more powerful than Dorothy's ruby slippers?

The highways to Zion, yes, Zion! ........ where His dwelling place is being prepared for us!

And where are those highways?  They are in our heart!

Those highways move through valleys empowered by life-giving rains, which refresh both living things and the springs that refresh them!

And those of us who have these highways in our hearts?

We have our strength in Him!  How securely will He guard that strength for us?

So securely that we will go from strength to strength!

And one day, we will all have the strength to go Home to His dwelling place......

O my soul!  What an incredible love He has for us!

...........

So, yes, it is a fine thing to rest at His altar... to rest in the shadow of the cross......
To sense the highways in our hearts........ to sense the refreshing rain there......
And the strength that comes thereby.......
But perhaps most of all......... it is a fine thing to think of finally arriving in His dwelling places......

.......

But.............

.......

Today, my flesh is sometimes weak........ and the darkness of this world looms ominously towards us....... and sometimes it even seems that I'm alone........ and His dwelling place seems so very far away....... and perhaps sometimes, it feels that it may as well not even exist..........

But at those times........ the Lord gives us something amazing!

"O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!"  (Psalm 84:8-12)

What amazing thing does the Lord give us?

Yes, He has given us the Light of Life!
Yes, He is a shield and buckler for us!
Yes, He lends us His ear!
Yes, He seeks *our* face!
Yes, He dwells in this tent with us, that we do not need to dwell in the tent of the wicked!
Yes, He gives every good thing.......

BUT THERE IS MORE!!!!!

What can be more than that?

He gives.............

Grace and Glory!

Glory!

Glory for us!?!

Glory be to God!

O, my soul praise Him!

For how blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Yes, my soul, you are..... so, so, so loved!

How Great is His Hope! - - - - - - - Ephesians 1:17-19 - - - - - - - GMG, Wk: 2: Monday

How Great is His Hope?

And, Oh! How much that question matters!........

Because the battle wears on!..... even though the war is won!

Many of us have read about wars which have ended, but men are still fighting and dying, because they do not know that the war has been decided already.

Today, we know that the Mighty Warrior has established every foundation for Complete Victory!...... but when the battles wear on and on, sometimes without reprieve........ battle fatigue can set in!

Without His hope...... we might wonder whether the war is really won!

So, is His hope enough?

How Great is His Hope?

Ephesians 1:16b-19:

In my prayers, I keep asking the God of our Lord Yeshuah the Messiah,
The glorious Father,
to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
so that you will have full knowledge of Him.
I pray that He will give light to the eyes of your hearts,
so that you will understand the hope to which He has called you,
what rich glories there are in the inheritance
......He has promised His people
and how surpassingly great is His power working 
........in us who trust Him.

There it is!  Just a glimpse into the greatness of His hope...... but what a glimpse!

It is the hope to which He has called you!  It's not a hope you have to ask for, earn, find, design, devise, establish, maintain, or otherwise provide for yourself.

He has called you to it!

Why has He called you to it?  .......  "For God so loved the world.......... that........." He has called you to a rich and glorious hope in not only His rich glories, but in how surpassingly great is His power working in us who trust Him.

Did you hear that, my soul?

You earned nothing!  He didn't need to give you anything!  But He has provided power which works in surpassingly great ways..........

And what do you need to do?

Simply receive it!

It is 'set before' you.............

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."

Keys to Overwhelming Victory! Revelation 12:10-12 - - - - - GMG, Wk 3: Tuesday

O my soul!  You who ran and had to be sought!
You who had to be sought, saved, and protected!
You who are loved by the Mighty Warrior who has already obtained Complete Victory!
You who can say with His beloved, "We overwhelmingly conquer!"

Who........ me?  What? ........
Why..............?
Because He delights in you!
Because you are so loved!

Is He not wondrous!?
What more could you want - or need......?

O my soul, want it or not, you need to be ready......

You, O, my soul, heard it again yesterday - the evil one is on the prowl!
---Be of sober spirit.....
---Be on the alert......
---Resist the evil one......
---Be firm in your faith......

.............all while you still .........

---Remember: it is 'IN' our various trials that 'we overwhelmingly conquer'......

Yes, be ready - - - - trials are a-comin'!

Yes, you may pray, even as He did in Gethsemane......
You may pray as bitter cups are a-comin'!
Pray that those cups may pass from you.........
As long as you know........ not all those cups...... will be passin' by you......

Trials are a-comin'!

Trials that we may overwhelmingly conquer!

Are you ready to count it all joy!?
Are you ready to be sober of spirit?
Are you ready to be on the alert?
Are you ready to resist the evil one?
Are you ready to be firm in your faith?
That is....... are you ready to 'overwhelmingly conquer'!?

Ode to being ready! ...... but how to be ready?

Where's that list?  That list of how to be ready?

........ firstly:  be of sober spirit!   But.........

..........How?........ How indeed!

What tale more sobering than that of the Mighty Warrior......
In contest with the dragon himself!  Yes, the Mighty Warrior........
Hung on the cross!........ His blood............ Given!
The only antidote for the poison His beloved took to herself......
His blood given........ for 'his beloved'.........

Yes, be sober of spirit!  Look again to the cross...with all sobriety - and with the warning that He gave: to remember the cross, and while remembering the cross, while approaching the Lord's bread and the Lord's cup.... to also be examining yourself that ye 'remember the body' so that ye come not under judgment!!! (and yes, here He was speaking about judgment to believers.....click and check with sobriety of spirit.....)... (I Cor. 11:23-32)

What is it then, to 'remember the body'?  What is the body of Christ?  What did Paul say?

"I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.  Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ?  Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?  Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread." (I Cor. 10:15-17)

So, while it is vital to remember His body broken for us; is it not also vital that we remember 'the body' - 'His beloved!' - - - 'His beloved' for whom He died! - - - - yes, even the many members in the one body - perhaps even those not yet reached?

How is it that we properly 'remember the body' - if it is not to comfort it, care for it, nurture it, when it is yet broken here on earth......  and more....... How can we properly 'remember the body'  if we do not seek its growth?

And here, to weep with those who weep (Romans 12)?  To show compassion with cheerfulness (Romans 12 as well)?

And here, again, is the need to Go! and make disciples (who make disciples)....... baptizing them and teaching them to obey all things whatsoever He has commanded!?  (Matt. 28:19-20)

Is this not what it is to both 'remember the body' and 'be sober in spirit'?  Not drunk with wine....... but by the Spirit leading our spirit...... to be busy about the task........ of remembering the body, tending to the needs of the body,........  of building the body...... and thus, of preaching Christ crucified?  (and here, preaching taking the 'lower case' meaning....... 'advocating for truth and action'..........  as opposed to a formally anointed calling......)

Is this building and serving as we 'remember the body' not a vital key to help us 'overwhelmingly conquer' through Him who love us!?!?!!

To be certain of the answer to this question, let us look to the promise given us through the pen wielded by the Holy Spirit......

"They defeated him (the evil one - the prowling lion) because of the Lamb's blood!"  (Rev. 12:11a)

......... yes realize that to 'be of sober spirit' is a vital key.....
......... to be so very sobered by the cross that we 'remember the body' and thus, we work together to add to it daily...........


Yes!  it is.......... it is a vital key........
......... a key to help us be strong......
......... to help us to be strong - - - to defeat the lion on the prowl......!!!!!


........

One key is powerful alone, but He has shown us more keys!

What is the next key?


TO BE CONTINUED.......... ON THIS PAGE........

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“Now have come God’s victory, power and kingship,
and the authority of his Messiah;
because the Accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them day and night before God,
has been thrown out!

11 “They defeated him because of the Lamb’s blood
and because of the message of their witness.
Even when facing death
they did not cling to life.

12 “Therefore, rejoice, heaven and you who live there!
But woe to you, land and sea,
for the Adversary has come down to you,
and he is very angry, because he knows that his time is short!”

We OVERWHELMINGLY Conquer!!!!! - - - - - - - I Peter 5:6-9 - - - - - - - GMG: Wk: 3, Monday

Complete Victory has already been proclaimed.  But what's this?

But there's more!  We OVERWHELMINGLY Conquer!!!!!

Why might God go so over the top and proclaim this overwhelming truth?

S.  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  I Peter 5:6-9

O.  But backing up a bit before exploring the overwhelming truth..

Here we begin to see so much of the reason why God pursued us..... He loves us, beloved - ......

But that is not the only reason He pursued us!  Nor is that why He made sure He told us that we OVERWHEMLINGLY Conquer!

Yes........ He is the ultimate Father who loves His children, but He pursued us when (as in Ps. 139) we have tried to run from Him...... yes, in part, so He could take away His judgments against us.  That is overwhelming!  (Zeph 3:15)

But that is still not all of the reason why He pursued us!

Why else did He pursue us - just so we can 'overwhelmingly conquer' when He has found us?  Just so we can rest in Him?

That hand that led us in Ps. 139, we now see in I Peter 5:6 as 'the mighty hand of God' - - - But here in the same verse, we are to be humbled 'under the mighty hand of God.'

The students in my music studio - - - being students of music, typically have to deal with pride not only in their lives, but also in relation to their music.  Vocal students in particular can even convey their pride through their voice.  Rather than teach them the techniques that can mask the 'symptom' of pride, we address it at its source.  To do so, we begin by defining it thusly:  Pride is the justification of our coveting.  (To date, no one has brought an example to my attention that did not fit with that definition - but it's not straight from scripture, so I'm open to correction if a biblical correction or a real life example contradicts this definition......)

So, keeping in mind the fact that pride's opposite is humility....... and now looking back at verse 6:  'Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God....' and looking ahead at why the might of His hand is referenced here:  because OUR adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour...... - - - - - One might begin to ask, "What can we be proud of when we were brought under the mighty hand of God... out of His love for us, to fellowship with us, and to protect us from an enemy that is too powerful for us?"  ...... And what is there to covet when we are in such a place?  There is *nothing* to be proud of save God Almighty Himself.  And there is nothing to desire, save God's presence to comfort us, protect us, provide for us, and on and on......  But more, He has even more of a plan for those who 'humble (themselves) under the mighty hand of God!

He plans to exalt us 'at the proper time.'  Now that might be exciting and encouraging, but that is even humbling, come to think of it!  Who am I to be exalted?!?  ......  I'm no one.  Then why will He exalt me? Because of His love...... (that love He has ....... for *us*........ think about it.....)

So, do we relax, those of us who are 'humbled under the mighty hand of God'? - - - Not in this life!  No!  We are to be sober and on the alert!  God's mighty hand is with us.  We can feel safe and secure, but there will be 'sufferings' (vs. 9) which will challenge our faith!

So!  We must be alert to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus - and stand fast in our faith, that we may resist him (remembering that even "Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation but said, 'the Lord rebuke thee'." Jude....)

Our faith is in the Complete Victory established by the Mighty Warrior for us, His beloved.... But the God who searched us out, gave us His Word that 'nothing can separate us from the love of God' - not tribulation, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword! ..... But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us!

God chose to honor faith!  Blind faith!  faith unable to physically see the promises because of the sufferings of this life.  Yet faith that can believe that those who say we don't have faith if we are going through trials are like Job's naysayers - yes, that faith can sustain us so that we may resist all attacks, AND EVEN REALIZE THAT IT IS *****IN***** THESE THINGS THAT WE OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER.....

THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US!!!!!!!

Through Him:  The Mighty Warrior........ Amen!

We might want to believe that being 'under the mighty hand of God' prevents such a need for a Mighty Warrior to aid us and protect us *in the midst of sufferings...,* but the Word of God is clear.  It is *in* these trials that we overwhelmingly conquer!  We already heard the news about the Complete Victory.... but look!  It IS more!

It is not just complete victory:

We Overwhelmingly Conquer!  Bless the Lord, O my soul!  And all that is in me!.....

And thus is faith honored........ when the faith is placed in the Lord Jesus Christ.......

Jeshua haMashiach!

The Savior!  The Promised One!........

So, through His pursuit, He is honored........ but why else did He pursue us?

When He reached us, and humbled us under His mighty hand, He knew we needed protection from the evil one.

But that is not the only reason He pursued us, beloved!

He also pursued us, those in such dire need, in part, to demonstrate how we are to pursue others who need His love.

It is time to be like Him!

Go!  Go now!  Go ye therefore!  ......

Look out your doorway.... have any nations come near to your door?  If they have, it is so much more simple to establish a mission to reach the nations that have come to you.

How many of us should have 'Gone!' but did not?

So the mighty hand of God has pursued many, and brought them to us, for their sake!

He is yet pursuing the nations!

It is time to pursue the nations with Him!

Yes, even in the midst of sufferings!  Did Jesus avoid suffering, or wait until any suffering was past, before He stood in faith, resisting the evil one?!?

May it never be!

But why?

Because it is ****in***** sufferings that we overwhelmingly conquer!

Oh, the flesh wants to cry out!  End the sufferings that we may rejoice in the victory!  But scriptures here is the proper tutorial for our hearts that would so much like to listen to the flesh.

Hear it!  Hear the truth!

Count it all joy!  ....... each suffering.......  Count it all joy!

For it is *****IN***** sufferings that we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us!

The light of His own life shines brightest in the darkness through the sufferings of His cross.

The light of His life in us shines brightest through the sufferings that come to us, which we take to His cross.

Now......... may we rest in His love...... and glorify His love before the nations..... more and more...... standing in His promise that We Overwhelmingly Conquer..... standing on that promise as we go........ and ......

....... counting it all joy!!!!!!!!

........every bit of it!!!!!!!

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)

You Are Summoned! Zephaniah 43:1, 4 - Wk: 1, Thursday

Oh, my soul...........

Rejoice in the Lord and forsake Him not!

Rejoice in the Lord....
Rejoice in Adonai who has created you!
Who created you while you were yet in darkness!
Adonai created you and called you by name!
You who were born a grasping ya'akov.
He has pursued you!
He has found you!
He has waged mighty battle for you!
He has won the battle for you!
He has blessed you when you sought to wrestle against even Him!
He has drawn you to Himself.....while you were.....
.....like Ya'akov...
..............flesh grasping after ........ what?.......
He has redeemed you!
He has drawn you to Himself.......while you were.......
.......like Isra'el........
.... struggling with God and with men along the way......
What could you have done to merit His favor? .........  Nothing!
Yet.........
He has taken on your struggles.
He took them on Himself!
 - - - the Mighty Warrior alone overcame them!
He overcame them and established Complete Victory over them!
He Himself, Jeshua haMashiach cast them aside...... And now......
He has renewed you!
He has grafted you in, by the power of life in Jeshua haMashiach!
He has grafted you in!
He has formed you, Isra'el.........
........so that now, it can be ever so true...........
........................you are summoned to His rest.....!

The fire and the river may cross your path.
The fire and the river may be at your feet!
But the fire will not burn you!
And the river will not overflow you!

The fire and the river may seem to be a struggle.
But you are summoned!
Step onward!
He has taken on your struggles!
So now you may call upon the name of the Lord!
Forget Him not as you face the fire and the river!
Be not weary of the Lord, for He has summoned you - in love!
He has summoned you to enter His rest!
Be not weary of the Lord!
Be not weary of His love!

But now, you are called to the nations!
You are called to share His love with the nations!
You are called to share His love with the nations who.....
Are grasping, who........
Struggle with God and with men.........
Whom He is pursuing yet...........
Who have eyes, but who do not see........
Who have ears, but who do not hear...........
Be His witness unto the nations!
He whose hand is ready to save you in His hand!
He is ready to do something new!
Be not weary of the Lord!
Be not weary of His love!
Close not your eyes or your ears to His love!
Close not your eyes or your ears to His rest!
Close not your eyes or your ears......
And witness the wonders of His redemption......
.........of the nations - - - for His name's sake!

Rise up in praise of the Mighty Warrior!
Rise up in praise of His Complete Victory!
Rise up in praise of His love!
Rise up in praise of........ the Lamb...........

S.  -  But now this is what Adonai says;
He who created you, Ya'akov,
He who formed you, Isra'el:
"Don't be afraid! for I have redeemed you;
I am calling you by your name;
you are mine.
(Zephaniah 43:1, 4 - CJB)







Wk: 1; Friday can be found here.

The Mighty Warrior is With You! Zephaniah 3:17: Wk: 1, Wednesday GMG

The Mighty Warrior is with you!

"The Lord your God is in your midst / a mighty warrior.....!" (Zephaniah 3:15b, and 17a - NAS/NIV....)

Hear it again and receive it!

The Mighty Warrior is with you!

What's more, the Mighty Warrior is more than just an ally!

The Mighty Warrior saves you!  (NIV)

Why does He save you?!?!!!

The Mighty Warrior loves you!

O my soul!  You must be safe indeed!  The Mighty Warrior who has won the battle to establish an eternal foundation for Complete Victory is with you forever and loves you eternally!

..........

This third meditation on scripture from Good Morning Girls in the series You Are Loved builds powerfully on the previous two.  The first study: celebrates His loving pursuit of us, and the second: celebrates complete victory through love.

And here, the study moves on, building on God's love and His victory...... we now focus on the Mighty Warrior who is the source of all of this transcendant love and eternal victory.

What more does Zephaniah say about this Mighty Warrior?

That he not only loves you, He delights in you!

O, my soul!  You heard it yesterday!  He doesn't just love your incorruptible spirit, He loves you, O my soul - to the point that He delights in you!  Do you believe it yet?  How many ways does He need to tell you?

O, my soul, You are so loved!

But what is this that is said of the Mighty Warrior next?

Ode to reading the Hebrew (maybe someday ...... *sigh*)!!!!  What an amazing array of renderings of this next little phrase telling so much about the Mighty Warrior.  Is this next little phrase so rich that no one can get it all into words...not in our flexible language repleat with the most varied vocabulary in the world...?

....in His love He will no longer rebuke you..... (NIV)
....with His love, He will calm all your fears...... (NLT)
....He will quiet you with His love..... (ESV, KJ200Bible)
....He will be quiet in His love..... (NAS)
....He will rest in His love...... (KJV, Jubilee Bible 2000, AKJV, ASV, DBT, ERS, WBT)
....In His love He will renew you with His love..... (ISV)
....He renews you by His love..... (Net Bible)
....renews you with His love....(God's Word Translation)
....He will be silent in His love.... (Douay-Rheims)
....He will calm you in His love.... (WEB)
....He doth work in His love.... (YLT)

Foreseen here:

The conflict - - -  now over!
The Complete Victory - - - obtained!
And still, the Mighty Warrior is moving, - working -
His love enveloping all He is doing;
His efforts, effectual, by, in, and with His love...... for us.........

for ........ you!



for ........    .........    me!



All rebukes past, yes......... but there's more!

His movements........ accomplishing what 'He will' do.......

But what is it that He is doing?

What is the Mighty Warrior bent upon doing with His masterful use of His love?

Why does any warrior with love in his heart go to war?

To safeguard those whom He loves and end all threats to their peace......!

So it is with the Mighty Warrior!

And when the clanging chaos of the battle is over, the quiet that comes........

The quiet that comes *with the love that finally proves to be the end of all wars*.........

Is a quiet of the celebration of peace..

And that is what we see here - 'quiet', 'calm', 'rest', 'renew', 'silent' ......

So what is it that He is doing?

He is resting in His love......

He is drawing us into His rest with His love.

He is and has been creating calm for you and is drawing you into it with Him.

He is renewing us in the silence of that calm.

He is joining us......... in that peace.......

...........

Still, that is only in the days foreseen...... Days not yet come......

Oh!  But those days are promised!

And for those who are loved!  Yes!  For those who are loved; for those who know His promise!

We hear as they did in the days of of the prophets:

Be still (or cease striving) and know that I am God.  (Ps. 46:10)

O, my soul!  Listen and hear!

He is!

He is love!

He is pursuing you with His love!

His is Complete Victory through His love!

He is the Mighty Warrior who brings you peace through His love!

He is the Mighty Warrior who relishes in the calm of peace, together,...... with you........

......

..............and there's more!

O, Yes! My soul!  There's so much more!

The Mighty Warrior cannot contain His joy in His Complete Victory which He obtained for you!

When the Mighty Warrior has obtained His Complete Victory for you, and you have relished in His peace together......... tasting the beauty of the silence....... tasting it together with you ......

Then the Mighty Warrior will not contain His joy any longer..........

............................Then the Mighty Warrior will rejoice over you with a great cry!

............................Then the Mighty Warrior will rejoice over you with singing!...................

But for now....... O, my soul.  Be still......... cease from striving..........

The promise of the Mighty Warrior will not fail, because there truly is something to the 'old fairy tale's telling, that:

True Love Conquers All!

What the old tales and fables have missed is this:

That True Love ........ is only from God.

His truest messenger........... who bears True Love to us.........

Is the Mighty Warrior!

The Mighty Warrior...... who loves us!



......... who loves.............. (me)!




...................sh................ it's time to be


still........

quiet.........



hush................









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

S.  -  The Lord your God is with you,
The Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.

(but so many other renderings of this portion of the verse make its meaning so much richer........ - especially when combined with this one.......http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/3-17.htm):

....in His love He will no longer rebuke you..... (NIV)
....with His love, He will calm all your fears...... (NLT)
....He will quiet you with His love..... (ESV, KJ200Bible)
....He will be quiet in His love..... (NAS)
....He will rest in His love...... (KJV, Jubilee Bible 2000, AKJV, ASV, DBT, ERS, WBT)
....In His love He will renew you with His love..... (ISV)
....He renews you by His love..... (Net Bible)
....renews you with His love....(God's Word Translation)
....He will be silent in His love.... (Douay-Rheims)
....He will calm you in His love.... (WEB)
....He doth work in His love.... (YLT)

O.  -  The Holy Spirit has been so faithful to guide the women who put together this study for us.

This meditation upon scripture is built upon those previous studies:  God pursues us with His love.  With that love, He obtains Complete Victory......

Today, we move on to celebrate the one who obtained that victory established in, by, and with His love for us......., and what do we find as we celebrate the one who obtained the victory.......?

O, my soul!  Rejoice!

The Mighty Warrior is with you.
The Mighty Warrior loves you.
The Mighty Warrior delights in you.
The Mighty Warrior, with the power of His love, has obtained peace for you, for your healing, calming, and renewing.
The Mighty Warrior, with the power of His love, has obtained peace for you, in order to enjoy and delight in peace with you!
The Mighty Warrior, after relishing in peace with us, will rejoice over you with a loud ringing cry...... - O, He will rejoice.......... with singing......

A.  -  Now we are to be like Him!

We need to face conflict with love - with Him!
We need to love Him - as He loved us!
We need to delight in Him!
We need to praise Him for His peace and receive His healing and renewing and calming from His love!
We need to relish and delight with Him in His peace!
We need to rejoice in Him!

We need to face conflict with His love - for others!
We need to love others - as He loved us!
We need to delight in others - delighting in those He has sent us to, to share His love!
We need to extend the peace of His kingdom - extending His healing - through the power of His love!
We need to delight in His peace with others - with Him!
We need to rejoice in the called - in His beloved - in His kingdom!

P.  -  Our Father!  You sent your Mighty Warrior to love us, save us, delight in us, heal us, bring us peace, and prepare us here on earth to be with you in heaven!  What a mighty, yet loving Father-God you are!

May your name be holy in my (our) life/lives: Faithful and True, and the name written on your crown which no one has yet known, and your name Word of God, and your name King of King and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:11-16).

Hurry and come again!  No other warrior can bring an end to chaos and put The Kingdom of peace on the map with mankind so that no one can again say, "There is no god," even while God graciously, again and again proclaims "Adonai" (I am......).  Mankind cries for peace, peace.  But without you, there is no peace.  Thank you for peace in your Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, and for bringing me into that peace with you.  Help me to further that kingdom here today!  Show me who in my path you mean for me to share the gospel with.  Show me who you wish to use to refine me - bringing me into greater obedience (both disciplers, and those who are enemies, who laugh at my being in the fire, while you are using the fire to refine and purify me!).  Show me who are my brothers and sisters in you - that I might fellowship with them!  Manifest your kingdom Lord - King of King and Lord of Lords!

Thank you for the glass through which we see, darkly, in joy, the glorious love of you as warrior (Zephaniah 3), and, in humility, the fearsome holiness of you as warrior (Revelation 19).  Help us to be moved both by your love and the fight that is ahead to preach peace through the cross.

Forgive us for not rejoicing with you when you rejoice, and for not seeking peace for others in response to your warning of the judgment to come.  Help us to grow in both your grace, and in your *truth* - empowered unto good works by your truth.

And lead us not unto temptation - - - - but lead us into the world as a light - - - - leading us in the path of righteousness.......... for your name's sake.

For thine is the kingdom of the power of love - the kingdom of the warrior revealed - the kingdom of the holy one - so glorious!

Amen.