Dance with Me in the Fire

 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad…  Matthew 5:12a

Dear Brothers and Sisters in our glorious LORD,

We all have people in our life I refer to as ‘extra-grace-needed’ people. I was scheduled to meet with such a student this week to explain some things to help her get over being offended last Thursday. All week I prayed over this strained situation, knowing I have an inborn ‘need’ to be understood. I expecting God to be my defense and do something amazing!!

Thursday morning God met with me in my quiet time and later as I was in the kitchen, I suddenly felt the need to get on my knees and cover my face. What I did not expect I was to hear Him speak, “Arlene, Today you will share My sufferings.” My response was silence as I struggled to understand. Even as I pondered what I heard, I knew. This was a holy invitation, but it didn’t seem to fit with my morning?

“Wait a minute, Lord, what about this morning and my sweet time with You? You allowed me to feel Your pleasure and the sweetness of Your Spirit! I treasure those moments, Lord.” As I questioned His words, I knew He was inviting me to dance with Him in the fire. “God, I am yours.” I had peace all day, along with the niggling curiosity of what He might allow. Was He asking, “Arlene, are you willing to be misunderstood? Are you willing to dance with me in the fire?”

I went to meet my student as soon as she entered the foundry. I thought, ‘now what Lord?’ But in my knowing I determined to obey God’s promptings, even if it meant being wounded in the process. This was not about who is right or about being exonerated, but obedience! As I approached her, again I heard, “Today you will share my sufferings.” And I had a niggling feeling this did not include her being open to Truth. I knew I was going to be skewered.

We locked eyes and I softly said, “We need to talk.” Her eyes lit up and there was no turning back.

I apologized for shortening her first name and I ask why she did not make clear what she preferred to be called, before this. She said she did. I responded that I had not heard her, but she did not accept this. Then I began to explain about the class demo that offended her last week. It was designed for the whole class, but because she was leaving early, I wanted to quickly cover some class disciplines. As I attempted to explain, she cut in and accusing me of treating her as a child and of being harsh with her and she didn’t understand why I would treat her this way. She even claimed she had ‘witnesses’. I tried one more time to ask if it could just be ‘her perception’. But she was not finished. Then God told me to be silent and I understood she was not about to listen. She continued in a sugar-sweet voice chiding and accusing. Finished, she pronounced me forgiven of my many offenses, quoting scripture at me, as if absolving me from all my sins. “I forgive you.” She proudly announced.

I was unfairly judged by one who could not or would not see my heart attitude. The confrontation railed against my need to be understood and threatened to undermine the peace of His Presence. I stood silent and wounded. I did not expect what happened in the next instant!

 The power of my God, as He drew me near, wrapped me in joy unspeakable!! There are no words to explain! One must experience it for themselves. I danced with my LORD in the fire. And there is no where I would rather be.

Suffering isn’t just something to endure; it’s something we can trust God to use for His purposes RA

  Emmanuel Ndikumana suffered much. He stated that in our suffering, it is disobedience we should fear, not death. We are to die daily, instead most of us live in a half obedience.

As I moved to other students, I thought immediately of King David fleeing Jerusalem and Absalom his son. Shimei, hateful toward David, walked along side the fleeing, dethroned, King and his entourage, throwing stones and curses, and heaping insults on him. David’s man Abishai wanted to cut off his Shimei’s head. Read and receive David’s response:

Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him. Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.” So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him.

David’s words can only come from the heart of a God-lover, a God-follower, one who is more concerned about obedience than safety. Are you in the fire? We are never alone in the fire. Think of the three Hebrew captives in the fiery furnace!

When we pray directing God to move in a specific way and God answers in His way, we often perceive it as failure. Could it be our definition of success is skewed?

What actually requires more faith? If we get a no or a yes to our prayer? Scripture is about walking by faith, not name it and claim it. Some people are healed from cancer, some are not. Is it their lack of faith or God’s sovereign, loving answer, because He has a higher plan? We must understand scripture as a whole and not take it out of context. I have found Hebrews 11 a wonderful focus. Faith is not Fi God has given us to manipulate or control Him. He is God and we are not.

 David not only trusted in God, he trusted God. It’s not for me to keep safe or to please others or strive to be understood and accepted, it is for me to please an audience of One. The rest falls into it’s proper significance. 

Psalm 65:4 How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You

Father, Thank You for inviting me to dance in the fire with You. You were misunderstood, accused, and You remained silent. You promise suffering and you fulfill that promise. Use our suffering to enlarge our testimony that our life may shout your great goodness and glory! Tune our hearts to live to please an audience of One, you. Thank You too, we are never left alone to suffer or to figure out life; we are not even expected to produce strength to endure it. It is hard to settle for anything less than sensing Your nearness, though I know You are with me always, Thank You for never making a mistake. I pray in Jesus name and for His glory. Amen

…  knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by ^]sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. II Cor 5:7-9

much love, az

 email devotional: http://az-doveseye.blogspot.com/

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The Simple Gospel (Good News) Message

The Gospel (or Good News) message of Jesus Christ is so simple that it almost defies understanding. By evidenceofdesign| 1 video

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FEAR NOT

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

Fellow Lovers of our King, Jesus,

Someone knocks on your door to hand deliver a letter from an attorney’s office. It looks important. As you quickly scan the contents it informs you that an uncle, you never knew existed, has put you in his last will and testament. You are astounded and excited to find out, at the reading of said will, that you have inherited a lot of money and a house in the country.

Good News! I thought of how our king, Jesus, put us in His will. We are His heir, inheritor, legatee, recipient, receiver, and beneficiary for all eternity! Not just a friend, but His child! Placed in Christ the moment we believed. There is no safer place.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into aninheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you… I Peter 1:3-4

An inheritance no one can revoke and thieves cannot break in and steal. And it is ours! An inheritance is being kept, just as you are being kept, by the power of God until that day He brings you home. I am dancing. O glorious day! Let this meld into your heart.

We are beneficiaries of precious things eternal. People get excited when an uncle leaves them something in his, but no matter what its value, it is temporary and will fade, be lost, rust, be stolen or even squandered and it will definitely be left behind. What King-Jesus has for His beneficiaries, and greater still, for His children, will never fade, grow old, be misplaced or stolen. Let’s not be entangled in the snares and reasoning of this world, for that invites  fear to take root and multiply and we become  unfruitful.

Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of what we choose to do with it! (our attitude)

Unlike the world, I have no impetus to live in fear. Fear is crippling and robs me of clarity, stifling my ability to think and act. Any fear I allow warps my God reality. Stealing my joy, peace, contentment and highly affects my spiritual growth. The first step for me is to consciously recognize the fear. Speak it aloud and lay it at the Cross. ASK: Why am I afraid? Where did it come from?

I must choose to refuse fear and run to the word of God, no matter how I ‘feel’. Run to the Truth and refuse any lies. God’s word tells us again and again not to be afraid. Fear is part of satan’s arsenal to defeat me, but God has already defeated my enemy. I am not told to fight satan; I am to resist him strong in my faith! My fight is the good fight of faith’. Believing faith will ‘receive from God, His Victory. When I am in the fog of fear, it is very hard to act against my feelings and choose with my ‘will’ to focus on the most powerful weapon I have: God’s word. I know it delivers, for I have proved it true over and again, but it never gets any easier.

Charles Stanley shared thoughts on fear: Besides the obvious fears there are others we do not label as fear, for they have an alias. Such as:

Greed: my fear of going without.   

 Rejection: my fear I will not be accepted

Indecision: my fear I will make a wrong decision

Procrastination: my fear of failure

Guilt and shame: my fear of being found out

Anger and anxiety: my fear of not being in control

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers and decided to go forward anyway.” Jm

Another way of saying ‘Fear not” is found in Philippines 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We guard our minds with Truth. Our mind is the main artery the Holy Spirit uses to work His will and purpose in our lives. He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. Our mind is the main vehicle to feed the ‘new man’ living in us, with God’s word and thereby receive wisdom and strengthening of our faith.

“You've gotta dance like no one’s watching,
Love like you have never been hurt,
Sing like there is no one listening,
And live for the Savior here on earth.”  (My paraphrase)

“It is not about reading the Word. It is about obeying the Word.” JM

“No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear.” CSL

Happiness is not a feeling, but a choice. We choose how we will respond to our circumstances. We cannot walk in fear and faith at the same time. Refuse fear. Focus on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute, if there is any excellence and I anything is worthy if praise, think on these things. (excerpts: Philippians 4:8)

Precious Father, You who keep and deliver and save! I bow in awe that You love me so deeply and have given me an inheritance I cannot begin to understand. My name is in the book of life. I inherit all I do not deserve and You have removed the hell I do deserve by Your holy sacrifice. You are teaching me to walk by faith and these lessons are difficult to say the lease, but they are laced with Your lovingkindness and mercy and grace. Thank You for your patience and tender watch-care over me. I pray in the name of my Savior and King, Jesus. Amen

“I, even I, am he who comforts you.
  Who are you that you fear mere mortals, that you forget the Lord your Maker,
  who stretches out the heavens  and who lays the foundations of the earth, Isaiah 51:12-13a

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

Child of the King of kings,

az

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The Simple Gospel (Good News) Message

The Gospel (or Good News) message of Jesus Christ is so simple that it almost defies understanding. By evidenceofdesign| 1 video

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Give Thanks to the LORD, for He is good.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

‘For His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ Psalm 118:1

My Precious Brothers and Sisters, you are loved!

Recently, I find myself running again and again to Psalm 118 and the message to my heart is ‘Give thanks’. One of those lifelong lesson we continue to learn, albeit slowly, as we grow in faith. I found it interesting that verse one of Psalm 118, also ends the Psalm. In verse two it speaks of what Israel should declare repeating this phrase ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; ‘For His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ Three more times this is repeated. When the scripture says something once it is important, but when it is recorded more than once, we should sit up and take notice.

Anyone suffering will find there is great comfort in the Psalms. I believe it bolsters our faith and comforts abundantly because it overflows with encouragement to give thanks to the LORD. There are more verses on giving thanks to God in Psalms than any other book of the Bible.  Giving thanks does not come naturally! We are more inclined to complain and grumble and fret. Giving thanks enables us to turn in faith to the Creator, rather than be swallowed up by negativity. Where grumbling pulls us under; praise and thanksgiving lifts us up.

 A thankful heart is a singing heart. And according to Colossians 3:14 a singing heart is the result of ‘Letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom...’ If we are deep in Him who indwells us, then we know Him as our daily strength, our joy and our song. Do I hear some ‘amens!’ ?

The Lord is my strength and song…. Psalm 118:14

Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. Psalm 118:19-21

True thanksgiving is choosing to allow Christ Jesus to live through us in His righteousness.  The best training is to learn to accept everything as it comes, as from Him whom our soul loves. ac  My mentor taught me the same thing in a slightly different way: “Acceptance is half the battle.”  Acceptance can be the most difficult thing we do; the letting go, the shaking free of our consuming need to control and the deliberate choice to refuse to fight what God allows in our life!  Only grace can carry us through.

 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

The little tests can be the ones that undo us. As Amy Carmichael puts it, “ the common little rubs of life, silly little nothings, things you are ashamed of minding one scrap. Yet they can knock a strong man over and lay him low“.

My mentor and I were out to have lunch. While glancing at our menu, a waitress was threading her way through a busy section as she balanced a heavily laden tray. A man stood abruptly, bumping her arm and she almost dropped it all. My mentor looked at me over her menu and ask a strange question: “What spilled when she was bumped?”

I gave the obvious answer, “the soup of course.”

She responded with a ‘yes’ and then explained, “ It is a picture of life. When we get bumped, the only thing that spills is what is in our heart.”  I understood that when life bumps me and my reaction is negative and complaining, it is a red flag to lead me to repentance. When Jesus is filling me with His Holy Spirit, He is in control and no sin can spill out. Sin tells me something very important, that I am on the throne of my heart, rather than the Lord. I need to confess and receive the forgiveness awaiting me.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

Feelings can shake us up but good! Living by our feelings is like inviting the enemy in to have a cup of tea. We are instructed not to be surprised by trials, but notice it takes us further!! My feet are dancing….  We are to do more than ‘not to live by feelings’, we are to rejoice that we are privileged to share His sufferings. Do you know anyone who is rejoicing in their suffering? Read the following verses, as if for the first time dear ones…

Answer: ‘Is suffering ever God’s will?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. I Peter 12:13-14 & 19

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. I Peter 12:13-14

Do you hear thankfulness in the words: “but rejoice”?  Let’s use the ‘great exchange’ and turn it into a blank to be filled in by you. Put the numbered words in the blank.

      1.  give thanks  2. worship 3. count it all joy 4. sing His praise

But __________________ inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 

Remember Jesus endured great suffering for the joy to come! We are to rejoice and endure now to be overjoyed when His glory is revealed! Hang on He is coming.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2-3

We endure, by considering Him (Hebrews 12:3, our focus on Christ)

If we focus on circumstances it will wear us to a frazzle. Consider Him, make Him your focus. Sing, praise, give thanks, rejoice, dance, worship… God is forever worthy!

ADVERSITY WITHOUT SURRENDER IS MISERY!

Thank You Father that this is the only Hell I will ever know! Thank You for every trial, no matter how bitter. Whatever You allow, you will use for Your good purposes in my life. Teach me to give thanks because You are good. Keep me faithful. Thank You that even my sorrows are not wasted, but all things serve You. Your provision is enough. Blessed be Your Name. Thank you for coming to live, die and rise from the dead to save me. I give thanks in your Holy name, amen 

You are in my prayers, az

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The Simple Gospel (Good News) Message

The Gospel (or Good News) message of Jesus Christ is so simple that it almost defies understanding. By evidenceofdesign| 1 video

Waiting

Oh my soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him. Psalm 62:5

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If I handed you a pencil and paper and instructed you to write down all your expectations for this week… what would you write? How long would you have to think about it before you knew what to put on your list?

Many years ago, frustrated in my relationship with another person, I experienced memorable disappointment.  I did not know what to do about it. Relying on my need to work out an answer that would satisfy me, I was not aware that I relied on my ability to manipulate people, until God held up his holy mirror and stopped me in my tracks! A revealing light brought me to my knees, and in His sweet Presence I wept, but not out of disappointment. It was seeing myself as I am. God’s light revealed my manipulation in all its ugliness, all that was flesh about it. Manipulation is what our osn falls into as we strive to ‘control’ situations and other people. Where is our trust in God in our trials? There is none. Manipulation is another word for ‘unbelief’. That is what broke my heart. Instead of trusting God, to work it out in His time, in His way,  I, in putrid unbelief, grieved my Savior. Where was the waiting?

 After the believer enters into the faith-life, he wonders why it was so difficult for him to understand that it was all of Grace- a humble reception of a finished work. And yet he goes through the faithless struggle once again before he sees that his daily Christian life is also a ‘finished work’, complete in Christ! mjs

Have you ever had success trying to change another person? Moving to the spiritual realm, what is our response to what life has dealt us? Have we grabbed control and told God exactly how He is to answer our prayers? We short circuit waiting on the LORD and replace it with controlling and manipulating to get relief or gain control. We are instructed to ‘wait’ on God. Jesus is the answer to every need and every trial. Waiting requires faith. Waiting requires death to the osn, the flesh. Waiting is hard. It feels like you are not doing all you can. Waiting will always reveal a lack of faith in the One who has never failed or made a mistake.

When people get married they expect the person they wed to make them happy. Instead they find themselves in a constant struggle for control. It began in the garden. We expect our spouses to do and be what we feel is right. We come into the world, with our entitlement list clenched in our small, wet fist. We are born with a self-centered attitude. We may not admit it, but our list is comprehensive: a pain free life. Health. Wealth or win the lottery, control over all that happens to us and others are to serve us. We are here to be happy!

When Corrie ten Boom was asked ‘what’ enabled her to endure the horrors of the concentration camp, she amended, not ‘what’, but ‘Who’.” She then added, “The devil is strong, but his power is limited; Jesus’ power is unlimited.” Jesus sustained Corrie in Ravensbruck. She believed His words, “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.”

We unfairly place expectations on others; intentionally or subconsciously. Our attitude is the same as if we were trying to fix everything about them that bothers us! Damaged relationships result in people being handicapped. The feeling of never measuring up, never being good enough, robs us of dignity and fills us with shame. Shame is abrasive, not a positive catalyst to bring about change. Christ gives grace, the freedom to mature in faith and fully surrender to God. God gives us grace and we are to give others grace. Only God is good enough, wise enough, and holy enough to ‘fix’ anyone. Only God can meet our deep need to be loved and have purpose. Only God has power to change us and redeem our wounds and failures. We will know rest and freedom as we surrender our expectations, waiting on Him. But in the waiting is the knowing. Imagine knowing Him more and more intimately! O how He loves you.

A person may easily know his sins are forgiven, but it is a further truth to know that he himself has ‘died to sin’. He finds this conflicts with his experience. Suppose I tell you, a great $ debt you owed was paid by someone, it would not be a question of experience, but of simply believing my statement. Just so with God, He tells us our sins are forgiven, and it is question whether we believe Him. But when He tells us we have died to sin, we look inside and say,

’Ah, sin is still at work; how is that?’ A person must be taught of God to really know the truth that he has died to sin.” JND

 My soul, wait in silence for God alone, because my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I won’t be moved.

My safety and honor rest on God. My strong rock and refuge are in God.
Trust in him, people, at all times; pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. (Selah)  Psalm 62:5-8

Doesn’t it just bless your socks off! Let these truths warm your soul and fill you with AWE!  My feet are dancing…

Yeshua, Keeper of my heart, full of grace and Truth, You who are Eternal Light, I am in awe of You. My heart cries “Change me, Lord”. And you gently and tenderly transform me like a silver smith, who heats the metal until it is pure and his reflection can be seen! So You allow our trials to heat our metal, purifying us until the likeness of Jesus can be seen. Establish us in simple faith. And free me from placing unfair expectations on others. It’s grace that humbles us, not our sin. Shame doesn’t move us to change, but Your grace transforms. Thank You for who You are, unchanging, faithful and good. I pray in your Blessed Name of the LORD,

May you be encouraged to ‘wait’ on the One who is waiting for you, list and all. 

  

Much love,

 az

Daily Bread

‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Matthew 6:11

Brothers and Sisters, whose names are written in the book of life, greetings in Jesus,

 Wow! That sentence is overflowing with truth eternal. Our names are written in the book of life! My feet are dancing, my heart rejoicing, for He is near and because He is near, we are told to stand firm in the Lord and rejoice in the Lord always! Paul repeats his instruction: ‘Rejoice,’ and it is ‘in’ the Lord we are to rejoice. Whether circumstances encourage us to rejoice is irrelevant. We are to rejoice in the Lord and not be anxious about our circumstances but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests (circumstances) to God and the peace of God which transcends all (our circumstances) understanding, will guard your hearts and minds (with peace) in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil 4:1-7)

Just as God provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness, giving them, their daily bread, so too, He provides our daily bread. Think outside the box and consider how and why our wonderful Savior meets our needs. Heart hunger precipitates partaking of our daily bread. God knows what we need before we ask. We cannot value heart hunger to highly. Developing heart hunger depends greatly on God’s standards being revealed to us through His word.  (Time in His word)

We advance (mature by growth) spiritually by becoming increasingly aware of what we really are (in Christ) not by trying to become what you hope to be. That goal you will never reach, no matter how much self-effort is applied.

It is when you see you are dead to sin that you die to it (daily); it is when you see you are risen, that you arise; it is when you see you are a new creation, in Him, that you (progressively) grow. Seeing the accomplished fact in the Word determines the pathway to the realizing of that fact. The only possibility of spiritual progress lies in our discovering the truth as God sees it; the truth concerning Christ, the truth concerning ourselves in Christ. wn

God carefully shows us our sin and need…. daily and waits for us to run to Him for all we need, He then reveals through His word and Spirit, who we are in Christ and what we have in Christ! What is your need today? Do you need the bread of courage? Or is it the bread of humility to apologize to someone you have hurt? What daily manna is t he Lord providing you today? Is it the daily bread of strength in your weakness? Calm for your fear? Wisdom for a misunderstanding? Or the bread of encouragement, as you find yourself at the point of giving up? I cannot count the times I have cried, ‘LORD, I can’t do this anymore.’ But the bread of Philippians 4:13 fed me. Truth: In Christ we have all we need. Carefully read this verse in Ephesians 1:3 and receive this daily bread.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

God is always working for our holiness, not our happiness, as He has our best in mind. There is not a sorrow or test you will ever face that will not benefit you, if you trust Him with it.  He makes no mistakes! Suffering most often results in a hungry heart. A hungry heart is one that seeks God and finds itself on its face before the throne, in awe. Who can rape you of His promises, or twist the truth from your grasp? Who can separate you from His love?  NO one and nothing! (Romans 8: 35-39) You will not look to Him for daily bread as long as you are kneading the dough of self-confidence and heating the ovens with your own cleverness. Whatever your need, He has the exact bread you need. Look for His provision in His Word, in song, in words from a friend, or from the Holy Spirit moving in your life. ‘Tell Him all your troubles’. (Gospel tune) Look to Him.

To have life is not enough: the life of the Lord Jesus demands the death of the flesh, if that life is to be fully developed and become fruitful in us. Here is the crux of the whole matter. ms

You will know if you are willing to accept crucifixion with Christ when you are willing to count everything as loss for the sake of Christ. Paul records these rich words in the bread of Philippians 3:7-9,

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Paul had so much to lose from the world’s perspective. All that he had worked for his entire life, he counted loss, counted it as rubbish, for the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as LORD.  His whole attitude reflects that he was trusting Christ in difficult circumstances, for he was unfairly imprisoned in a stinking jail. Still, he rejoiced in Christ. He could not see the future to know how things would work out! Are you in a prison? Are you rejoicing or complaining? Lift up your hands to Him who knows your struggles and receive the Bread you need. Remember in Ephesians it says we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ? The Lord’s prayer says we are to ask for daily bread… now look at the words of Jesus, I love it:

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. John 6:35

What a beautiful picture emerges of Jesus, Bread of Life, all sufficient, richly satisfying and complete in His provision.

LORD, you who are the brightness of uncreated Light, You who reveal Yourself as the Bread of life, revealing to us in Your word how great You are! Enable us to apprehend You as the supply of our daily need and believingly lay hold of You Bread-Giver. Lord, we always see You through the eye of need. Thank You for the comfort Your Sovereignty brings to me. Great is Your loving kindness and goodness. You are my mighty Warrior, Lord Sabbaoth! Thank You for loving me so perfectly. Amen in Christ Jesus.

az

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The Simple Gospel (Good News) Message

The Cross

Dear Ones, 

‘Calvary is the secret of it all’ has been my dominating thought this week. All Jesus accomplished on the Cross is His provisional force in our lives when we appropriate this truth by faith. Our daily walk is transformed by His resurrection power; as we count (appropriate) the truth that we are crucified with Christ and we are risen with Christ and hang on, we are ascended with Christ. You and I are seated at the right hand of the Father, ‘in’ Christ. The heavenly Father sees us in His Son, Jesus…. Perfect.

Understanding this phase of our Christian walk and appropriating the facts of the Cross is a most difficult time for the believer who is verdantly pursuing the God. Our Lord holds great treasures within Himself, which He promises to disclose! Glory to God!

John 16:13- 15  But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Today we hear much about church life that consists of programs and numbers and much ado about nothing!  Where is Christ? Where the Cross? No Cross, no life. No Cross, no Christ centered growth. Just people asking God to bless their ideas and programs. Where is the beholding Him? The Lord does not disclose Himself to those who know nothing of the Cross, nothing of “Not I, but Christ”. There is no victory for us that was not first His. The provision we are to ‘know’, He purchased. What He purchased, we should be experiencing. I hope the Lord disclosed Himself to you in wonderful ways, as you met with Him in His Word! I want to share my thoughts from scripture this week:

Jesus revealed as the Word is the expression of Truth.

Jesus as revealed in the Word is the expression of Thought.

Jesus revealed as an infant born is the expression of deity.

Jesus revealed as the Shepherd is the expressions of loving watch care.

Jesus revealed as the Bread and living water is the expression of daily Provision.

Jesus revealed as Light is the expression of eternal Glory.

Jesus revealed as ‘I AM’ is the expression of Omnipotence.

Jesus revealed in nature is the expression of the Creator God.

Jesus revealed as the Healer is the expression of great Compassion.

Jesus revealed as Heavenly Father is the expression of relationship.

Jesus revealed as Teacher is the expression Forbearance.

Jesus revealed as Servant is the expression of Humility.

Jesus revealed at the Cross is the expression of Sacrificial Love.

Jesus revealed as the resurrection is the expression of Omnipotence.

Jesus revealed as LORD of all is the expression of His Purpose

Jesus revealed in miracles is the expression of the merciful, Most High God.

These thoughts inspired me to behold Him in all His beauty; as I waited on Him to disclose Himself to me, by His Spirit, through His word. My heart cry echo’s that of Paul in Philippians three,

‘All I want is to know Christ and the power of His resurrection… becoming like Him… ‘

Lord, You who know me and still love me, I bow in awe of Your greatness, for it is immeasurable. Thank You for revealing Yourself in a myriad of ways. I long to know You. Teach me who You are! Disclose Yourself to me. Thank You for the hard times that drive me to You. I hunger for You. I do not have to look any farther than the face of Jesus to see You. I love the name, “I AM”. It has no beginning and no end, but goes round and round! Just as You have no beginning and no end.  I have heard it said that, “You are not ‘I WAS’ or ‘I WILL BE' but 'I AM’, for You are forever present, outside of time! On my face, I cry ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ and pray in the holy name of ‘I AM'.

“…When the Lord Jesus said this word to the Jews, He dared to claim to be the great I AM of the old testament, whom they all knew to be the covenant God of their fathers. He went farther, saying that for them heir own eternal destiny would depend on their accepting Him as such, for He said,

“If ye believe not that I AM, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)  RH

God’s personal name became Jehovah and Jesus claimed this for Himself. The meaning of the name Jehovah, in all it’s greatness, is two-fold. First it means all that He is, the Ever-present One, who stands outside of time, to whom there is no past, nor future, but to whom every thing is ‘present’.   “Before Abraham was, I AM.” The name Jehovah is also connected with Israel, as His people, the Chosen Ones, whom He brought into covenant relationship with Himself.

Jesus wants to ‘Be’ all those things and more, to each of us. Oh that we are willing and ready to welcome Him, who delights to turn our sorrows into that which will bring about the likeness of Christ in us! He longs for fellowship with us. He does not want patronage.

It is a good thing to go through hard times, and even to experience grief and loss. Of course it doesn’t seem like a good thing to our flesh. But adversity makes us realize this world is not our true home, for here we have no lasting peace of comfort. TK

Brothers and Sisters I have prayed for you this week. Especially you who live in countries closed to the Gospel of Christ and are called to lay down your lives for the sake of Jesus. May God give you endurance and fill you with faith to trust Him even unto death.

We walk by faith and not by sight,

az

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