(Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.~ Psalm 37:3-5) 

 

Sign of the times?

As I was stumbling through my StumbleUpon today, this picture appeared.  It struck me at 2 levels, of course:  natural and spiritual. 

In the natural, it reminded me of all the political activity.  Between the large stimulus package and HR 1388, and now the Internet Security bill giving the president control over Internet activity...it's enough to make our heads spin (and that's putting it mildly).  There is so much in the works that should be given opportunity for fair debate; but that won't happen.  Everyday there is something more on the roster to look at.  And it's all like that sign:  sharp edges preventing handling, an overpowering message portraying fear and calamity, out-of-touch with the reality of the issue, which happens to be in fine print...how convenient.

In the spiritual, I'm reminded of several things. One is all the activity that works to occupy us and keep our attention away from our reality; albeit in the sign, the reality is a warning ~ but in the spiritual, our reality is our ultimate destiny.
Another reminder is false teaching that steals our attention while the truth is narrow (represented by the fine print).  Such teachings are broadly capturing the Bride's undivided attention...it is "touchy", in that it refuses to be rebuked/corrected and doesn't care if it harms the hands of those who attempt to remove it...and the ultimate destination of those not seeing the fine print/truth is fatal. 

I mentioned to my daughter that I have no pictures of Adel (my newest grandbaby) and no current pictures of our family...PERIOD!
She apologized, saying it takes a long time to upload on the computer from their camera.  She also mentioned her MySpace, which I had forgotten about.
So, here are some things from her MySpace:

This video carries a message about God's grace and invites us to examine what the bible says.
The speaker addresses the idea that we've been meandering with God, thinking that "grace" is like this big blanket covering us...many in the Body thinking it covers disobedient lifestyle ("Well, thank God for His grace."..."I know I'm not living as I should, but thank God for the grace of God.")

Hebrews 12:14 AMP   ¹⁴Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

OUCH? 

I don't believe the speaker is being legalistic; he portrays grace as empowerment to overcome disobedient lifestyle...something much needed for the Bride as she prepares to meet her Bridegroom.

Two things to consider:
1) Moses gave the law; Jesus gave us grace and truth. Jesus fulfilled the law; not annulled it. In OT times, adultery was only a sin when physically committed. In NT times, all it takes is a thought (an intentional thought...not temptation).  The speaker asks:  "Which one is the higher standard?"
2) Ten virgins were waiting for the Bridegroom; each had oil lamps; only 5 were ready; the other 5 were turned away.

Blessings to you and yours,
Judy

4/18/09 Personal note:  I have lived under what have become (in my opinion) cliche's about grace with which we've come to cover ourselves with when faced with a sin. I pray not to be misunderstood, for I fully realize that we do not arrive in this lifetime...we will not be perfect or fully transformed until Christ returns...everyone is at a unique place in their walk with the Lord.
Yet I come under conviction hearing this message.  Am I the only one?  Am I alone in my convictions?
So I pray that the reader won't see this for more than it is: a deeper/higher calling to consecration/sanctification. We are to work out our own salvation and I am grateful for God's amazing grace, which does cover us...yes. But does grace excuse us? 
May we not settle for a walk where we remain on the same plateau...if we don't make effort to continue, it can encourage apathy. Simultaneously, we need to understand what it means to cleanse ourselves (2 Corin 7:1, James 4:8) and what it means to allow Him to cleanse us (1 John 1:6-10).
May we come to understand God's treatment of amazing grace, unconditional love and forgiveness. May we do this without thinking that God is not for us, because He is...and we have a Great Cloud of Witnesses and angels cheering us on. May we do this without thinking that God has a hidden sledge hammer, ready to strike if we make a mistake...for truly, God is in covenant relationship with us, loving us and dying for us even while we were yet sinners.
May we come to understand there is balance to walking in sanctification, and may we be able to receive God's correction when we miss the mark, knowing full well it is without condemnation. And may we come to understand the difference between 70-times-7-forgiveness for the same besetting sin/offense and grace-taken-for-granted. And may we know that it is God's goodness that leads us to repentance.

 

          

Jars of Clay - Worlds Apart

I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
and wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain...
More and more I need You now,
I owe You more each passing hour,
The battle between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago...
So steal my heart and take the pain
and wash my feet and cleanse my pride...
Take the selfish, take the weak,
and all the things I cannot hide...
Take the beauty, take my tears,
the sin-soaked heart, make it Yours...
Take my world all apart,
take it now, take it now...
and serve the ones that I despise,
speak the words I can't deny...
Watch the world I used to love
fall to dust and blown away...
I look beyond the empty cross,
forgetting what my life has cost...
So wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain...
So steal my heart and take the pain,
take the selfish, take the weak,
and all the things I cannot hide,
take the beauty, take my tears,
take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray, I pray, I pray
take my world apart...it's worlds apart.
~ Dan Haseltine ~

It was finished in the Garden. 

It is finished on the Cross.

What is this "is"? 

Well, it incorporates a lot...one being our beautiful walk with God.  "Is" will be our life as we lose it (die to self),,,only to find it in Christ.  "Is" will always be distinguished by Christ's character and be as uniquely personal as God fearfully and wonderfully made you...and me. 

Here is "is":  Luke 9:23-25

  ²³And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

 ²⁴For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

 ²⁵For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

May we come to identify with Paul as he wrote:

^{Philippians 3:7-11 (NASB)   7}But ^(A)whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

 ⁸More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of ^(B)knowing ^(C)Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

 ⁹and may be found in Him, not having ^(D)a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, ^(E)the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

 ¹⁰that I may ^(F)know Him and ^(G)the power of His resurrection and ^(H)the fellowship of His sufferings, being ^(I)conformed to His death;

 ¹¹in order that I may ^(J)attain to the resurrection from the dead.

A prayer for us all: 

 Ephesians 1:2-23

 ²Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

 ⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

 ⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

 ⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 ⁷In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

 ⁸Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

 ⁹Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

 ¹⁰That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

 ¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 ¹²That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

 ¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

 ¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

 ¹⁵Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

 ¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

 ¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

 ¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

 ¹⁹And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

 ²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

 ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

 ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

 ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

May God be pleased with our lives as we find ourselves in Christ.  And may His richest blessings be yours today.

Is today a day of opposites, so to speak?  Good Friday is the day Christ's death is remembered. From 12 noon through 3pm, Jesus hung on the cross...the Crucifixion being the reason Jesus was born...to die for the sin of the world.

This taken from today's Days of Praise devotion from the Institute of Creation Research::

Why It Was a 'Good' Friday

April 10, 2009

 

"And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council." (Luke 22:66)

 

The origin of "Good Friday" ceremonies are somewhat muddled in history. ...  Beyond that, there is a good bit of controversy about the title itself. ... why "Good" Friday? Why not "Sad" Friday, or "Awful" Friday? ...the truth may well lie in the sovereignty of God Himself.

 

On that day in history, the sins of the world were paid for! This was the day that "it pleased the Lord to . . . make his soul an offering for sin" (Isaiah 53:10). That day, "the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6).

 

Yes, there was great sorrow and travail that day. During the awful physical darkness from noon to 3:00 p.m. (Matthew 27:45), Jesus had cried out in utter anguish: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). The earth itself shook and rumbled as the creation was torn asunder in reaction to the horrific judgment of the Creator for sin (Matthew 27:51).

 

But then came the victory cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30), and, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46). His suffering ended, the payment completed, eternal propitiation accomplished, Jesus laid down His human life to await the great resurrection that God might give "assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). HMM III

So...is today a day of opposites?  Perhaps not in God's eyes.  May we see today not only as the day Jesus died for us, but may we come to see it as primary testimony of how God's ways are not ours

The following is based on a post written almost 2 years ago:

 

"It is Finished."

I can't get past this scripture.  I just can't!  What does it mean for you?

Colossians 1:12-20 (KJV; emphasis mine)

12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

So....."It is finished"... Jesus' last words on the Cross...before He died.  He accomplished all that He came to do before taking His last breath.

In John 17:4, in the Garden, Jesus said "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."  The Greek for "finished" in this verse is teleioo and means consecrate, fulfill, (make) perfect.  It is here in the Garden where Jesus declared that He had consecrated the work God gave Him to do...he declared it sacred and further, made it inviolable.  And then He was put on trial and went to the Cross, as a lamb led to slaughter.

In John 19:30, on the Cross, Jesus received the vinegar and "...he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."  The Greek for "finished" in this verse is teleo and means accomplish, make an end, expire, pay, perform, complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt).

It is finished. 
What is finished?  Everything (Colossians 1:20).  He reconciled ALL THINGS unto Himself.  Period.

It is finished. 
It was finished?  It will be finished?  No....It IS finished...past, present and future.  It was "IS" before Creation...it was "IS" when man fell...it was "IS" when originally penned..."IS" yesterday...and it will be "IS" when we read it tomorrow, a 100 years from now...and for all eternity...HALLELUJAH!!!!

It is finished. 
It is ended...expired...completed.  His inviolable work cannot be violated.  Period.

The Cross...that beautiful, glorious and, more accurately, indescribable Cross...

Colossians 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

May the Lord always be honored and glorified as we live our lives unto Him...as we live, move and have our being in the "IS"...

 

May God richly bless you this day,
Judy

Please take a moment to visit this site and light a candle to stand against online child pornography.

http://www.lightamillioncandles.com/

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

                  ~ Matthew 18:10 ~

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns -- April 3, 2009:
Stand on the truth of My Word without allowing religious concepts based on
sentimentality to pervert its purity. If you are open and willing to see, hear
and walk in the Spirit, I will reveal false concepts and establish you on a new
level of spiritual actuality. This will, in turn, release you to demonstrate My
kingdom in greater power, purpose, and freedom. Loose yourself from all that has
brought confusion, and allow Me to bring clarity as I transport you out of
darkness into the light of truth, says the Lord.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,
but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will
heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the
truth, and be turned aside to fables.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

http://occupyingforjusticeandfreedom.vox.com/library/video/6a00fa969e3c370002011\
01676557f860d.html

Paul Washer speaks from a burden placed on his heart:
"We need revival...we need an awakening...but we cannot simply expect the
Holy Spirit to come down and clean up all the mess we've made. We have clear
direction from the word of God with regard to what He has done through
Christ...how He expects us to live...how He expects us to order His church...and
it does little good for men to cry out for extra-biblical manifestations when
biblical principle is violated all around us. I want you to know this: there is
little need for the devil and evil men to oppose a man praying for revival
unless he is also laboring for reformation."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

In order to see nationwide revival, nationwide repentance must be the prologue.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
April 3, 2009

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. (Proverbs
16:9)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for guiding me through all things despite my
foolishness. You know all my sorrowful ways, and yet, You continue to love me in
spite of them. Father, continue to touch my heart and bring me to a right
understanding of Your gracious love! Direct my steps that I may give all honour
and glory to Your name! Amen.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Father God,
Thank You for sending Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank You for such a sacrifice as this: that He would lay His life down, considering us friends, taking the weight of all our iniquities and sins upon Himself so that we could have a relationship with You, Father.
Such love...such mercy...and such grace undeserved.
Help us, Lord, to return to our first Love...and as a well-worn relationship would need, please refresh us...help us to see You newly today...for Your mercies are new every morning.
Give us, please, Your eyes, Your heart...so that we can see and love one another as You do.
Help us with this country...to turn it back to You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Mark 13:5-6
5And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
6For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

2 Corinthians 11:2-4
2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ.
4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or
if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel,
which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Below is an article I received in my email. Although the grammar isn't perfect and all is not worded perfectly, the heart of the matter is covered. If you find yourself reacting to it, just ask the Lord to show you why. Remember, the Holy Spirit's ministry is to lead us into all truth. Also, we are encouraged to try every spirit and to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. So...which Jesus are we serving and do we want to risk hearing this on that day:  
Matthew 7:21-23 ²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

WHICH JESUS Do YOU SERVE??
-Posted by Brendon Powell on prophetic@revivalschool.com

There seems to be more than one Jesus to choose from these days.
Which one is the true Jesus and who am I following?

·    There’s a ‘seeker friendly’ Jesus, he’s the one who will not
offend anyone in anyway. He loves everyone no mater what they do.
·    There’s a ‘sow and reap’ Jesus, he made a covenant with man
so that man could sow his seed and reap wealth and happiness on
earth and then go to heaven when he dies.
·    There’s a ‘blend in with the world’ Jesus, he wants us to look
like, act like, and be like the world in order to reach the lost.
·    There’s a ‘neverending grace’ Jesus, his ‘grace’ covers us no
matter what we do or how we live.
·    There’s a ‘just believe’ Jesus.  As long as you truly believe
in your heart, you’re saved.
·    There’s a ‘name it claim it’ Jesus.  You name it; anything and
it’s yours!  If you don’t get it, it’s because you lack faith. It’s your fault.
·    There’s a ‘carnal’ Jesus.  He doesn’t expect you to overcome
sin, he understands you’re just carnal.
·    There’s a ‘heart dwelling’ Jesus.  All you have to do is ask
him into your heart and voilà, he’s there.  You’re going to heaven!

Truth:

There’s the Jesus who said “Repent and believe the gospel,
   the kingdom of God is at hand.” -Mark 1:15
He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him.” -Lk 9:23-25
He said without Him you are already condemned.  -John 3:18
He said He came to save the world -John 3:16
He said unless you forsake all you have, you cannot be His disciple.-Luke 14:33
He said if we love anyone more than Him we are not worthy of Him.-Matt 10:37-39
He said if you love this life you’ll lose it. -John 12:25-26
He said you cannot serve God and money. -Matt 6:24
He said fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. -Mt 10:28
He said be extreme in your war against sin. -Matt 18:8-9
He said love God with all your heart, soul and mind and your
    neighbour as yourself. -Matt 22:37-39
He said He is the light of the world. –John 8:12
He said the gate is narrow and the way is difficult and few find it.-Matt 7:13-14
He said those who believe in Him but work iniquity will be cast out. -Matt 7:21-23
He said you’ll be hated for His name’s sake, but if you endure to
    the end, you’ll be saved. -Matt 10:22
He said I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to
    the Father but by Me. –John 14:6

Which Jesus do you serve?

 

Another article of interest:
 http://occupyingforjusticeandfreedom.vox.com/library/post/another-jesus-draft.html