The Lord is Here!

      Sometimes I don't understand people.  Guess that's okay since half the time I don't understand myself.  Why did I do that, or say that?  Where did that response come from?  I guess we spend our whole lives dealing with issues, past, present and future and I'm so grateful the Lord is here to help us through it all.  Emmanuel- God with us.

 

       This is just a small list of those who personally met with the Almighty.  Notice they met with Him in gardens, mountains, wilderness, and even on the water.  He met with men, women, single persons and large groups.  He met them at work, at home, in a field, in an alley.  God met them at all ages and whether they were slaves or Kings. 

 

       Jd. 6:11,12 God met with Gideon at work in a field
       Gn. 2:22 God met with Adam, Eve in the garden
       1Kn. 11:9 God met with King Solomon
       Gn. 17:1  God met with Abram at home
       Ex. 19:20 God met Moses on a mountain
       Mt. 14:29 Peter walks to Jesus on water
       Gn. 16:7 God met Hagar in the wilderness
       Gn. 32:30 God met Jacob when he was alone
       Ex. 24:9,10 God met with a large (70+) group
       Nm. 22:31 God met Balaam in an alley

       The point is this: His name is Emmanuel meaning God with us.  If we truly understand that the Creator of the universe is with us and His Spirit dwells in us (1Cr. 3:16), then dealing with all the issues of life becomes less burdensome for we now share the load (Mt. 1:28-30) with another (who is all powerful! Rv. 19:6).  "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."  God is with us anywhere, no matter what we are doing, how old we are, who we are with, and whether we're popular or not.  God is always with us.  He is here!

 

 

And, behold, I am with you
all the days until the end of the world.
Amen.

Mt. 28:20

Convicted...

 

I often feel like he looks!

      Of late, I am working on the first of a four part Precepts Bible study of Revelation.  At first I wasn't thrilled to HAVE to do the first part (mostly the 7 churches) because I've read them a kajillion (exaggerating) times and can't possibly learn more (right?) so it will be a major waste of time.  Reality and warning- intensive, inductive study on the churches will bring A LOT of conviction in your own life and MAJOR concern for the modern Christian church.  At least, our 20+ group is feeling that way...

 

       Anyway, I really enjoy Wed. night services especially as the Spirit seems to move, and last night was no exception.  So with all the conviction of late it was no surprise that the Lord brought up the root of an old problem in me that I thought was dealt with long ago.  Ouch!  Really?  Still? 

 

       I surrendered to Him, and the realization of MY sin in the matter came to the forefront.  Of course my natural reaction was to try and justify myself, but all that I've learned of late flooded in and I acknowledged, confessed, asked forgiveness and determined to change my ways (repented).  Suddenly a dam broke inside of me, the breaking of another bondage I didn't realize was there, and more freedom came pouring in.  (Thank You Lord!)  For the first time in forever I can love a particular individual with real feeling and, I hope, the last of the bitterness is gone.

 

(Holy Spirit) And when that One comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment. Jh.16:8
...the kindness of God leads you to repentance... Rm. 2:4
Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, double-minded ones. Be afflicted, and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness. Be humbled before the Lord, and He will lift you up. Jm. 4:7-10

 

       Like Peter who denied Jesus then went out and wept bitterly (Mt 26:74,75) we sometimes feel convicted of wrong, sin, error, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc.  When this happens we can do three things: accept and deal with it, deny it is a problem, or ignore it totally.  If we deny it we call God a liar and His Word untrue since He declares these things as wrong and says to acknowledge (Ps. 32:5 H3045- admit), confess (Pr. 28:13), ask forgiveness (1Jh. 1:9) and repent (Ps 28:13).  Ignoring it will allow sin to remain in us intentionally and kill us spiritually.

 

And in this I exercise myself, always to have a blameless conscience toward God and men. Ac. 24:16
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jh. 1:9
...let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith... Hb. 12:1,2

 

       Let us deal with our issues immediately so that we may continue to be in God's fellowship with clean hearts and blameless consciences.  Let us lay aside ANYTHING which will hinder our relationship with Him, and patiently run this race together with our Lord Jesus.  God is no respecter of persons (Ac. 10:34; Rm. 2:11).  What He's done for me, He can do for you!  Only in Him is true freedom!!!

 

 

And the Lord is that Spirit;

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Cr. 3:17

A Parent's Joy

       What do I want for my children that would bring me great joy?  First and foremost I want them to be saved, be passionate for and have an awesome relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Father and the Spirit.  After that I would like for them to be honest, hardworking people of integrity full of the fruit of the Spirit and most of all love toward man.  Success, health, joy, married to good spouses, grandchildren...  not so important because I know that if they have the first thing, they have everything they need and their desires will be fulfilled in the Lord; and they should become the people they ought to be.

 

I have no greater joy than these things, to hear that my children walk in the truth. 3Jh. 1:4
Teach me Your way, O Jehovah; I will walk in Your truth... Ps. 86:11

       John found joy in knowing that his spiritual children (those he taught and became saved because of it) were walking in the truth.  So what exactly is walking in the truth, and should we be doing it?

 

walk- peripateo- (lit.) walk, tread all around. (fig.) To live, deport oneself, follow, go be occupied with.

 

       Obviously we can't literally walk in a thing called the truth.  That leaves the figurative meaning for walk which is to live, behave oneself, follow and be occupied with the truth.  Our behaviour should be based on the truth.  We should follow after the truth.  We should engage or employ the mind, energy, and attention to the truth.  None of these definitions mean 'sitting back on our laurels' and only thinking about the truth.  It is active: walking, follow after, to be busy, active with...

 

truth- aletheia- what is true in a matter, of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly, esp. In things pertaining to God, the duties of man, moral and religious truth; and basically, the Gospel

 

Sanctify them through Your truth. Your Word is truth. Jh. 17:17
...hearing the Word of Truth, the gospel of our salvation... Ep. 1:13
The sum of your word is truth...  Ps. 119:160 ISV
...O Jehovah, the God of truth.  Ps. 31:5
For the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jh. 1:17
...truth is in Jesus. Ep. 4:21
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth... Jh. 16:13
The truth of Christ is in me... 2Cr. 11:10
Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life... Jh. 14:6

 

       So the truth is the sum (entirety) of God's Word, the gospel of salvation, from God, Jesus and the Spirit of truth, which was brought to us through Christ Jesus when He came down as mortal man to show us the way.  Because of what He's done, we now have the Truth of Christ!  And because we have the Truth (Word) to read, the Truth (Father, Son, Spirit) to communicate with, the Truth of who God is and salvation He provided, we can now choose to walk in the truth, and that truth shall make us free! (Jh. 8:32)  Thus together with the psalmist we can pray:

Lead me in Your truth, and teach me;
for You are the God of my salvation;
on You I wait all the day long.

Ps. 25:5

Chinese Buffet

       One time when the kids were young, maybe sixish, we went to the Chinese Buffet in the city.  Both of them ate until they were full, but then decided they wanted more.  I told them they shouldn’t stuff themselves or they might get tummy aches. They still wanted more so I said they could try jumping up and down for a while to see if what they ate would settle and give them a little more space :)  Of course, I was just trying to get them to stop fussing…

       We should have charged for the entertainment we provided for the diners as they watched our young ones bouncing up and down while giggling.  (It’s always funny to watch kids do crazy stuff to achieve what they want, and these two were determined to eat more treats… and they did!)  At the end of the meal, they were full up to the tops of their heads, and happy they completed their goal.

(God gave gifts) for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Ep. 4:12,13

unity- one

knowledge- precise, correct knowledge (NT- of ethical and divine)

full grown- complete in labour, growth, mental and moral character etc. mature wanting nothing necessary to completeness  consummate human integrity and virtue

stature- maturity

fullness- that which has been filled, NT- that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ

Cool thought borrowed from someone!!!

       In other words, the gifts in use are supposed to help us become one in Christ, truly know Him, growing until we are complete in mental and moral character such as integrity and virtue, and mature.  All this leads to our having the fullness of Christ in us.  Not just a bit of Him, not half full, but completely full of His Spirit.  Isn’t that what we want, to be so full of Christ that everyone wants what we have and so become saved?

       And if we are so “filled full with Christ” (TLB) then we have no space for sin, selfishness, and walking out of God’s will.  See, my kids couldn’t have stuffed any more food in them because they were already ‘full up’.  We should be ‘full up’ with Christ so that the enemy and his kingdom of darkness have no more room in our lives!  “neither give place to the Devil.” (Ep. 4:27)

 

       Also, when we spend time in God’s presence, in His Word and communicating with Him, it is like we are jumping up and down to make more room so that He can fill us more.

      There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be so full of the Spirit that it flows out to the world touching all the people around us.  After all, isn’t that what Jesus was like?