Tag: God’s way

The Light in Darkness. Always, God’s Holy Word

Christians must know the LORD and His Word more and more. We must Know HIM to have armor to stand against the schemes of the enemy, and having done all, to stand!

Read the Warnings. God has spoken:

“Don’t be misled;

remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it:

a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!

If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death;

but if he plants the good things of the Spirit, he will reap the everlasting life that the Holy Spirit gives him.

And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up” (Galatians 6:7-9).

As Christians, when we’re confronted with a pointed finger telling us we are oppressors, arrogant, ignorant, and defensive because of our faith in the Holy Word of God, we must stand our ground, in love (as the Lord gives us His Spirit, as we continue to walk in His grace and power),

and we must speak our heart’s desire: To please the Lord and to obey His Holy Word. What does God’s Word say?

“Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many” Hebrews 12:13-15.

Also, this is the heart of the Christ follower,

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord” Romans 12: 17-19.

And in this day of debt-free living, as believers in the risen Lord, we are exhorted:

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

(The Day Is Near) And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” Romans 13:8-14.

Thus saith the LORD.

“Today.”

“Today.”

Can we hear the warnings and instruction from the Lord and walk in it?

“Dear Lord, help Your people, God’s people, red, brown, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in Your sight, fill us with Your Spirit that we might glorify You in this noisy, dark world. In Jesus name. Amen”

The Hard Stuff: Love your enemies? “Christ in us, our hope of glory”

An empty glove can’t move. But with a hand in it, the glove is fluid to move in marvelous ways.

What’s natural in human nature, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Matthew 5:43), is evident all around.

But “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?” this is hard stuff in Matthew 5:44.

What if Jesus could sit with us this morning and have our ear and our whole heart for a bit:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  

that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous Matthew 43-45.

Is there evidence of God in Christ Jesus in us? Are we “children of our Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:45).

Do we love those who love us? Naturally, yes. This is easy. The Bible tells us that even tax collectors do that. 

But God calls us to impossible standards: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48.

 There’s no way, nada. Especially if we’ve been deeply hurt, there is often no willingness. 

We can’t naturally love our enemy. We’re much like the glove with no hand.

Jesus said multiple times, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believes” Mark 9:23.

“With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27. 

Who’s ready to believe big with me? Unity is what Jesus desires. Oneness of the Body of Christ, and salvation to the lost souls of the world. 

Time is short. Jesus is coming back again.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 
 
 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 
 
 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 
 
 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the worldJohn 17:21-24.
 

I want to believe God to work miracles of unity that “the world will know” that God sent His Son, and see that God loves everyone. His desire is that all should know Him and receive Salvation and grace in His name.

I want to believe in a revival of love and forgiveness one person at a time. 

This is big, but not too hard for God.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace Ephesians 1:7

If I don’t have a heart willing to forgive, God sees and He understands the struggle. He’s been hurt more than any human being through all of time, as He laid His life down at the cross.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34.

How can we get to such a place? 

“Christ in us is our hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

He rose from the dead. Jesus is alive. 

Christ in me. . .  my only hope to love in a “perfect” way. 

The Potter adds the water of the Spirit and repairs dried-up clay to create a vessel fit for the Master’s use.

What’s impossible in ourselves, is possible in Him.

Let’s go to God for our “impossibles.” His hand in our empty gloves = possibility of amazing grace and His love spread in all dark places.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13.

“We pray dear Lord, ‘let there be peace and love on this earth, and let it begin with me. You are our only hope. Christ in us, our hope of glory.’ In Jesus Name, Amen.”

 

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