“...peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin. The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.”
Remembering, reminding my own thoughts, that the glories to be known in heaven far outweigh the sufferings experienced here.
My eyes drop to circumstances, to pain, to hurt, to future unknowns, to madness, and peace flees.
When Jesus tells us to, “Look and live...” He’s including eternal salvation as well as the day-to-day saving. He wouldn’t have told us that we’ll have troubles in this life unless He knew we’d have troubles in this life, and that those troubles would have myriad of impacts on us - debilitating, aching, questioning, doubting, fighting, hating, drowning, fearing, worrying, struggling. So He followed that with a promise, a bright star. “...but take heart! I have overcome the world!” The worries and troubles we’ll have are a custard dish in comparison to His enormous vat of hope and abundance.
He is enough. Has always been enough. Will always be enough.
His “enough” is our abundance - of which He doles out abundant peace, peace beyond understanding. He knew we’d need it. We’d need Him. Desperately.
10.27.2019
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
exulting at the cost of others' mistakes or trials
so her pride was melted before the world.
so she was publicly embarrassed.
so now people, strangers to her, feel a right to hold her down and heap on more ridicule?
why?
If God commands in 1 Peter 2:17 " Show proper respect to everyone..." where do we get our justification to exult in others' failure? This is in direct opposition of God's other command to love our neighbors.
We ought not to lower ourselves to such disrespectful words and actions.
After all, as Jesus says "the world will know that you're my followers by the way you love."
Our treatment of others reflects Christ.
so she was publicly embarrassed.
so now people, strangers to her, feel a right to hold her down and heap on more ridicule?
why?
If God commands in 1 Peter 2:17 " Show proper respect to everyone..." where do we get our justification to exult in others' failure? This is in direct opposition of God's other command to love our neighbors.
We ought not to lower ourselves to such disrespectful words and actions.
After all, as Jesus says "the world will know that you're my followers by the way you love."
Our treatment of others reflects Christ.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
caveats and conditions and commiseration
There's a major hitch in God's command to husbands and wives, and that hitch is the thing that feels most restrictive, most difficult. It's the thing that fuels the rebellion stirring in our selfish hearts.
God says, "Wives, respect your husbands in everything," there is no caveat, no "out." He doesn't say to show respect if the husband is respectable, respectful, or good. He doesn't command respect when a husband loves his wife well, lives a godly life, or goes to church every week. He simple tells wives to do it - respect. That's what's hard. We want there to be a condition. We want the husband to earn any and all respect we send his way, because that's generally how this earthly life works. We perform well: we are rewarded well (or we expect to be). We are kind to some stranger: usually kindness is reciprocated.
But with this simple command, there is no prerequisite. It's simply a matter of obedience on the part of the wife. The other command of husbands loving their wives has the same application. There are no conditions to extending love; it is only that we are to love.
Aren't you thankful there are no conditions to God's grace? I guess if there were, it would not be grace.
God says, "Wives, respect your husbands in everything," there is no caveat, no "out." He doesn't say to show respect if the husband is respectable, respectful, or good. He doesn't command respect when a husband loves his wife well, lives a godly life, or goes to church every week. He simple tells wives to do it - respect. That's what's hard. We want there to be a condition. We want the husband to earn any and all respect we send his way, because that's generally how this earthly life works. We perform well: we are rewarded well (or we expect to be). We are kind to some stranger: usually kindness is reciprocated.
But with this simple command, there is no prerequisite. It's simply a matter of obedience on the part of the wife. The other command of husbands loving their wives has the same application. There are no conditions to extending love; it is only that we are to love.
Aren't you thankful there are no conditions to God's grace? I guess if there were, it would not be grace.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Joy!
Knowing that you're following what God wants you to do brings joy -- it's obedience. Joy does not live alone - it shares tight quarters, or even depends upon, obedience.
5.5.2011
5.5.2011
Jesus - Power!
Blind Bartimeus -- Sight!
Lame man -- Walks!
Lazarus -- Alive!
Debts -- Paid!
Sins -- Forgiven!
10 Lepers -- Clean!
Centurion's Son -- Healed!
Daughter of Jairus -- Awake!
Lame man -- Walks!
Lazarus -- Alive!
Debts -- Paid!
Sins -- Forgiven!
10 Lepers -- Clean!
Centurion's Son -- Healed!
Daughter of Jairus -- Awake!
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Fall on your knees...
The Just
The Holy
The Right
The Good
The King
The Humble
The Creator
The Savior
lies here before you in a manger.
a simple bed
for feeding animals
a simple bed of nourishment for others
hope for eternal promise
The Master
The Judge
The Exalted
The Victor
The Life
The Conqueror
The True God
The Great I AM
sits before you at his throne.
at the right hand of the Father
holy in all he does
right in what he determines
perfect in what he creates
worshiped for who he is
Come, fall on your knees before such a God, such a King, such a Baby as this Jesus, such a Savior.
Fall on your knees
this holy night.
This ground is sacred
The Holy
The Right
The Good
The King
The Humble
The Creator
The Savior
lies here before you in a manger.
a simple bed
for feeding animals
a simple bed of nourishment for others
hope for eternal promise
The Master
The Judge
The Exalted
The Victor
The Life
The Conqueror
The True God
The Great I AM
sits before you at his throne.
at the right hand of the Father
holy in all he does
right in what he determines
perfect in what he creates
worshiped for who he is
Come, fall on your knees before such a God, such a King, such a Baby as this Jesus, such a Savior.
Fall on your knees
this holy night.
This ground is sacred
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
living water
Living water
Feeds
Grows
Nourishes
Washes
Cleanses
Sustains
Satisfies
Quenches
Moves
Refreshes
Transports
Regulates
Circulates
Opens
Restores
Where there is Jesus, there is hope. There is living water, active, powerful, keeping.
“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””
John 4:13-14
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