He Thought Of Everything!

Yes, God thought of everything...

 

Number one ~ God is infinite and His ways above our understanding. Therefore, overlooking or minimizing any scripture because in our comprehension or opinion it does not seem to fit, is unwise and will hinder our walk, not help it. However, setting it aside a while as you seek God and grow in your understanding of God's ways and how it fits, is wise!

 

 

Number two ~ God is thorough. He is complete in and of Himself, with no deficiencies. He created you in His image, and knows you better than you know yourself...therefore He knows your deficiencies and your needs very well. This is exactly why He wanted you to see for yourself how the Old Testament law worked, and the contrast between it and grace...so you would welcome God's grace with your whole heart! Now, won't you let Him teach you what His grace is truly all about?

 

 

 

Number three ~ God thought of everything when He created His plan for us ~ He left nothing undone! There are no contradictions, no left over pieces, and absolutely no pieces missing in His plan!

 

 

 

Have you ever put a large puzzle together and then stood way back to view it? Could you tell it was a puzzle? In my mind our lives seem like a large puzzle with many scattered pieces...and we finite humans can only see a small portion of it. 

 

 

 

 

However, when that day comes when we can stand with unveiled face and see the whole picture...it will be complete, smooth and clear, and there will be no lines, gaps or raw edges in it! It will look like it never started out as a puzzle at all!  THIS is how utterly thorough and amazing His plan is!

 

 

Number four ~ God is intimately acquainted with each person. He knows how many hairs are on your head! He is so near you that you have His undivided attention. In fact, this is why He has the ability to show you what exactly is going on even in the littlest hiding places inside your heart! He knows you very well! 

 

Matt. 10:30 Indeed, even the hairs on your head have been numbered!

Hebrews 4:12 "For God's Message is full of life and power, and is keener than the sharpest two-edged sword. It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of the heart."

 

Number five ~ God is love. He is not just a God who loves...He IS love. Love is to Him an essential part of being. This is why He commands that we love...and likewise that we emulate Him as His dear children...because He wants us to identify with Him and participate in His likeness.

 

 

 

He does not do this so as to put another law on us...He does so because He knows what will make us complete and give us joy!! This is why God says that when we give out love, we fulfill all the requirements of the law! Love completes us.

 

Love is not hard or burdensome...which is why it is more than compatable with grace. It is a joy and a blessing! The Pharisees and Experts in the Law of long ago and those of today want to have some religious control and keep you and I from the knowledge of God's love and grace that would set us free -- so, they are misrepresenting God! They lie!

 

 

Luke 11:46 "Yes," said Jesus, "what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.

 

Luke 11:52 "How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in."

 

 

Command means: to give what is deserved. God deserves our obediance 100%...and will completely back up His words with us in mind.

Demand means: to give what is not deserved. Therefore the Demander is usually harsh, and will back up his words but with himself in mind.

The command to love can be likened to a loving Father who brings home several very precious and personal gifts for each of his beloved children...then commands that they not hold back, but open and use them! Now, how would this be burdensome or difficult?? This is just like God insisting that I be blessed!

 

 

Luke 12; 32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Now, sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

 

Acts 20:35 “And I have shown you everything, that it is necessary to labor and to take care of those who are weak and to remember the words of our Lord Jesus, who said, 'He who gives is more blessed than he who receives.'”

 

Do you believe the things God says? Can you plant your seed of faith in His command to love and be open for God to water it?

 

(click on image to enlarge)

1 Cor. 9:23 "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

 

 

 

1 John 5:3 "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome".

 

 

Matthew 11:30 Jesus said, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

 

 

 

The command to love in not under the law. A law can be measured, therefore we can tell when a law hasn't been obeyed. But love is not and can not be under the law -- because love cannot be measured like a rule can! So, where ever you are in your loving efforts, is JUST fine and good!! WHY? Because when we share God's love in any measure, it spreads like leaven all on it's own, and has the same power to perfect God's love in us, as well as rid us of any fears we still have of condemnation.

 

 

 

Col. 1 10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. 11Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other. 12No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13We know that we live in him and he lives in us because he has given us his Spirit. 14We have seen and testify to the fact that the Father sent his Son as the Savior of the world.

 

15God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. 16We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God's love live in God, and God lives in them. 17God's love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like him [with regard to love].

 

 

 

 

18No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn't have perfect love. 19We love because God loved us first. 20Whoever says, "I love God," but hates another believer is a liar. People who don't love other believers, whom they have seen, can't love God, whom they have not seen. 21Christ has given us this commandment: The person who loves God must also love other believers.

 

Love also creates intimacy with God.

 

John 14:21 Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father's love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them."

 

 

 

 

1 Thess. 5: 23 "May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." In the Greek 'blameless' means to be of mature stature in the things of grace - to the point where the believer has no need of or is not wanting of anymore grace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Wish Your Faith Was Bigger?

Which person in the picture has the most faith?

 

 

Luke 17: "Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith." 6The Lord said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself up by the roots, and plant yourself in the sea!' and it would obey you."

 

 

 

Size does not matter with faith. Size matters in our world, but not in God's. The faith the size of a mustard seed is no less faith than when the seed grows into a full grown plant. It is different with each person.

 

 

 

For the little girl, she could be expressing the exact same size faith as the man up on the high wire! Why? Because to her being off the ground and walking along a pole could be just as scary to her as the man's tightrope walking is to him.

 

 

It is not size that matters, it is that it's being used...being exercised!

 

 

If I said I trusted you and never did anything to show it...would it be hard to believe I trusted you? Well, of course! Faith is a verb...an action word. Faith in something has to have some sort of action to prove it.

 

 

 

 

Like I said, if I said I trusted you but never gave you any indication that I did...like asking you to do something that is really important to me - as in watching my house when I'm gone, or watching my child, or taking care of my animals, or giving you any of my personal information or asking important favors of you or asking your advice or taking your advice...would you believe I really had faith in you? How could you?

 

 

 

 

That is why the bible says that faith with out works is dead. It is just NOT faith without some sort of action (works) to prove it...some sort.

 

 

 

 

 

Rom. 1:17 "This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "The just will live by faith."

 

 

 

 

So, faith is believing in the things God says. Faith in God is telling Him you trust Him. Yes?! For instance, when we obey the New Commandment and love others in whatever measure we can (*love has no size either)...we are showing God we believe in His ways over our own.

 

 

 

*Love has no shape or size, so it cannot be measured. Like faith, it is ok in whatever way you begin expressing it. Then as you begin expressing it....it begins to grow from there, right under your nose!

 

 

I Love To Learn God's Ways!

 

 

 

 

 Isaiah 56 : "9Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!"

 

 

 

Can you imagine a cow attacking a tiger? Well, then how about a sheep feasting on a bear? Or a pig about to eat a mountain lion? Of course not...however, in the Kingdom of God this is exactly how things are done.  Metaphors and Opposites, and more.....all to give us clear pictures of God and how He does things!

 

 

Isaiah 55: 8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

 

 

When God says His thoughts and ways are as high as the heavens are from the earth, He means it! Therefore, they are so much higher than we can even imagine! Yes?  

 

 

 

When we think of the heavens, we think of the night sky that are filled with twinkly stars...but no, the heavens are way past what we can see. Therefore, the contrast here is immeasurable.

 

 

 

God is light...and He has no dimmer switch! He lives in "unapproachable light"(1 Tim. 6:16). In the following section of Exodus, God allows Moses to see just the back of Him after He passes by...because He is just too bright to look at - to the point where Moses would die.

 

 

 

 

 

So, think about the sun, it is millions of miles away, yet if we look at it for too long we can go blind. This gives us a perfect picture of God's brilliance...a brightness that darkness can not even look at, let alone be anywhere near! So, if we think we can willingly partake of the things that reside in darkness (as in Gal. 5: 19-21) and it would be OK with God...then we don't understand Him, His word or how different His ways are!

 

 

 

Meaning, if we do willingly partake, then in due time we'll be lovingly disciplined unless we decide to judge ourselves and do an about face in the opposite direction ~ and give our attentions back to God. 1 Cor. 11: 31"If we were judging ourselves correctly, we would not be judged. 32But when the Lord judges us, he disciplines us so that we won't be condemned along with the rest of the world."

 

 

 

 

Exodus 33: 17 "The LORD answered Moses, 'I will do what you have asked, because I am pleased with you, and I know you by name.' 18Then Moses said, 'Please let me see your glory." 19The LORD said, 'I will let all my goodness pass in front of you, and there I will call out my name 'the LORD.' I will be kind to anyone I want to. I will be merciful to anyone I want to.

 

 

 

 

20But you can't see my face, because no one may see me and live." 21Then the LORD said, 'Look, there's a place near me. Stand by this rocky cliff. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a crevice in the cliff and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take my hand away, and you'll see my back, but my face must not be seen."

 

 

 

 

Something I find so wonderful about God, and what I read in His written word...and see in His Son Jesus, is that when He says something, anything...it is heavy with meaning. His words are weighty. He is thrifty and therefore packs a lot of meaning into each word. Weighty to the point where He clearly wants us to understand the reasons He makes these contrasts about Himself!

 

 

 

OK, so, what are the reasons? For one, that He is nothing like the human-fallen nature, and thinks nothing like our human nature thinks. In fact He is the opposite. Therefore, if the world is going south, then He is going north, for no better way to put it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take any given set of verses...and you will most likely see some of these contrasts and words heavy with meaning that God has made about Himself and His ways. The following section of scripture in 1 Timothy verse 11, there are many such verses in scripture like this one instructing us to 'flee from', or 'lay aside', or 'make no provision for', or 'turn from', and 'die to'...the ways of sin and the flesh. 

 

 

 

 

Victory comes when things are done God's way. Man's way (and the reason we could not successfully keep the law) of dealing with sin is to set our minds on working hard at trying not to sin...but because of the weak human nature we have to try very hard over and over and over again to get even a little success! But then the law said that even one sin is too many! So, it is a hamsters wheel going no where!!

 

 

But our human nature still wants to give a lot of our attention to the sin we are struggling with....urgh!...to think and talk about it, muse over it, then try to discipline ourselves not to do it, then memorize scriptures pertaining to it, then pray and agonize over it and remind ourselves that it is sinning against God to do it, and it grieves Him to do it...and then on and on and on it goes. 

 

 

 

But, as usual, God's way is opposed to human nature's way...typically the direct opposite! God's way is to put it to death! Not talk about it over and over again! No, but giving the sin NO attention, and instead giving your full attention to the things of God whereby starving the sinful nature!  Gal. 5: 16 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

 

 

 

 

The following verse in Romans is a good example. Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." 

 

 

 

 

It says to make no provision for the flesh's survival...so, I turn from it and give the sin none of my attention...I starve it! OK! Good! But now what do I do?? "Put on' the Lord Jesus! Yes, put Him on! Think about His great love, Talk about Him, talk to Him, serve Him, imitate Him, rest in Him, think about Him, enjoy Him, learn from Him, think about the things that come from Him, talk to others about Him...and love others as unto Him!  The following verse is telling us to give these things our full attention (instead of giving it to sin).  

 

Phil. 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

 

 

 

 

 Can you name some other things of God to give your full attention to?  How about what comes from the Holy Spirit? 

 

Gal. 5: 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh (given no attention to the flesh - starved it!)  with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (given full attention to the fruits of the Spirit!).

 

 

1 Tim. 6: "11But you, man of God, (give no attention to) flee from all, and (give all your attention to) pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12*Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

 

 

 

When God tells you and I not to do something, He is telling us to not give those things ANY of our attention ~~ then to turn and give your full attention to those things He wants you to do! Yes!? THIS is the primary way we deal with sin now, by not dealing with it! Please consider keeping this in mind when reading scripture. :)

 

 

 

 

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

 

 

 

18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

 

 

I would encourage you to keep these things in mind when reading and deciphering scripture...so you will "take hold of the life that is truly life." 

 

 

 

*Fighting the good fight is still not paying any attention to sin....but to God - because we are fighting a spiritual warfare, where all our attention is still on the things of God.

 

 

What Defines You?

 

 

Do you overeat on a regular basis? Do you have a tendency to talk about other's oddities or faults? Then according to many Christians today you are a glutton or a gossip. Not a fallen person JUST like they are. No. You are the sin you do! Your besetting sin defines you.

 

 

 

But this is what we do, don't we?  The homosexual is nothing else but a homosexual. Have we have put a big scarlet letter on them so everyone knows that they are seperate from others? That some sinners are less sinful then others? So, I wonder; does this make us feel more spiritual or something? Because one thing it does do...is it lessens the power of God's grace and wisdom ~ as it says that God is not capable of redeeming some people as much as others. 

 

 

Please take a moment and read the following short article by J.S. Park~ 

 

http://jsparkblog.com/2013/03/27/question-10-thoughts-about-god-and-homosexuality/

 

 

God's Faithfulness & Our Salvation

Our Salvation-

 

 

When God saves someone...they are saved. They are not halfway saved...no, completely saved! It would take very specific and rare circumstances for someone to lose their salvation! Yes, rare. God invested so much into our salvation...so do you think He would change His mind or let someone go so easily?? NO! We get shaken by happenstance, He does not. We change our mind on a whim, He does not. His mercies are new every morning...and this was spoken even before the New Covenant! 

 

Lamentations 3:22-24

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;b

his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

 

 

Rom. 8: 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

 

2 Cor. 3:9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!

 

Romans 3:21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

 

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

 

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New converts-

 

 

Some people however will either come forward at an alter call or pray a prayer to be saved under very emotional circumstances, and not truly receive Christ...not unlike someone who would say almost anything under feelings of compulsion or hopelessness.  So, in the following verses, when he was giving instructions about choosing Overseers, this is what he had in mind concerning new converts.  

 

 

As God knows if someone has truly accepted Him, but we do not, so it is important for us to take these precautions. Then the scriptures after that is the parable Jesus told about the same issue....that there will be some that have not received Christ even though they appeared to have done so at the beginning.

 

 

 

This is my personal belief -- since I believe God meets us where we are, I also think some people are still teetering when they pray...meaning they are still in the process of being saved...and any slight wind can cause them to be swept away.

 

 

1 Tim.3: 6Must not be a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

 

 

 

 

Luke 8: 4While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.

 

 

 

6Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

 

 

  

11“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

 

 

 

14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

 

 

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The one unforgivable sin-

 

 

 

Luke 12: 8"I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God; 9but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.

 

10Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say; 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say."

 

 

Against - eis (a preposition) – properly, into (unto) – literally, "motion into which" implying penetration ("unto," "union") to a particular purpose or result.

 

 

 

 

God in the flesh died for us and therefore paid an extremely heavy price...therefore He does not take it lightly when His Holy Spirit makes His home inside our heart and life. It would be compared to setting something priceless and sacred inside the finest gold...therefore a union He never, ever planned would ever be touched or removed!! Can you picture it?!  

 

 

 

 

 

We can get mad at God and even allow our human nature to run at the mouth or have temper tantrums! However, blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is very different...it is essentially tampering with that one union that God deems as the most sacred....because it is that one thing...the union between God and man...that He died for!!  It is deliberately taking action against the Holy Spirit...like, trying to extract something highly sacred and priceless from pure and fine gold -- and in so doing causing irrepairable damage.  

 

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We are saved, and God is faithful to keep us that way. If we ever get even close (which is still far) to being close to the edge of losing our salvation...God is more than faithful then too.

 

1 Cor. 11:32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

 

Hebrews 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

 

 

Rejoice!!

 

Everything IS New!!

Absolutely Everything!!

A re-posting to encourage your walk...

 

Please revisit as often as you need to, as there is much to take in...

 

 

The Three Truths II

• Truth is precious and priceless...it is your treasure. Handing truth over to just anyone is more than unwise...it is foolish. Well, it could be God's truths that He has shared with you...you know, as you go about your day, or inside your prayer closet...those mysteries and that hearty meat of the word that is only for the mature! Oh...or a nugget of truth that falls from the sky and hits you squarely in the middle of your noggin! (Well, it feels like it anyway!:)

• Then you walk around for a few hours thinking, "Wow, God has really shared something with ME! AND I actually was able to hear it this time! Then I was reading scripture, and a WHOLE chapter about jumped off the page...and I knew it was a message for me!! Hurray!!"

• Or while you are visiting a friend they say something, and maybe just casually...yet, you know it is for you!

• God can tell you anything, anywhere, by any means!

 

 

In this chapter in Acts 11, notice the many ways God shares His truth with people: http://nlt.scripturetext.com/acts/11.htm

 

 

Truth is the most precious thing in the world...which is why God at times would block some people from knowing it! I think of it as a vase that you inherited. What would you do with it? You never even knew the relative...or the person that passed it to you. But you were told it was a priceless antique...so before you make room for it in your life and handle it which such value so it can be passed to your children, would you go and have it appraised to make sure it is the real thing?

 

 

Then, how would you handle it? Give it to your young children to play with? Put water in it with a bouquet of daisies...then place it in the middle of your kitchen table? Or safely put it up on the top shelf in your locking china cabinet for all to see? Handling it with the care it deserves still means it can be a blessing for anyone who visits...that is, anyone who values exceptional pieces such as that!

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• The truth of the gospel and the Person of Christ are the most wonderful of truths...and one that not all would comprehend. Think about it! Why would God send a King? Wouldn't it be to sit on a throne and rule...and pronounce death on wretched wrong doers?? BUT sending a Ruler to DIE on a CROSS FOR wretched wrong doers?? Yeah, right!!

 

Luke 18: 31Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said to them, "We're going to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. 32He will be handed over to foreigners. They will make fun of him, insult him, spit on him, 33whip him, and kill him. But on the third day he will come back to life." 34But they didn't understand any of this. What he said was a mystery to them, and they didn't know what he meant.

 

 The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, (1Pe 1:11). The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings...human thinking, self-focus, and a desire of worldly objects, close our understandings. http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/luke/18.htm

 

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Luke 8:10 He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

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However, those in Berea, were treating truth as valuable...which is why they made sure that it was the real thing they were taking for themselves!

Acts 17:11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

 

 

Once, as a young Christian, when I was with a group of others from church...we went downtown Mpls to do street witnessing. One person we came upon was a man that literally had a large cockroach crawling in and out of his shirt. We, of course were taken back by it, but we persisted. The man had a lot of demonic influence and not loudly, but nevertheless did heckle us and our message...so, needless to say, we were kind, but we didn't stay very long. This, we felt, was not because we were afraid of him...but because he was not ready at all to handle  even a portion of the truth. Moreover, we didn't want the enemy to keep us there, which would keep us from those who would be open and ready.

 

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Your own story...your truth. Be careful, as you would with any truth!

 

Quite a while ago I got a chance to hear Jan Frank, who had written quite extensively about incest and sexual abuse. When she was growing up she was regularly molested by family members. Then as an adult when she was able to get enough healing under her belt, she decided to confront some of them. Well, as you can imagine, they totally rejected her accusations and became angry whenever she brought it up.

 

 

She knew that she never wanted to live apart from the truth again, as it was too important...and she didn't want to live as tho it never happened either, yet she also didn't want to be confronted with how her family handled it! So what she shared about this is that she learned that even tho she did not usually talk about it with her family, or even with others, however, she said that 'whatever she does, no matter where she goes, she will always carry at least a measure of truth with her.' I like this!

 

 

• Matthew 7: 6 "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you".

 

Give not that which is holy - Το αγιον, the holy or sacred thing; i.e. any thing, especially, of the sacrificial kind, which had been consecrated to God. The members of this sentence should be transposed thus: - http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/matthew/7.htm

 

 

 

 

• On the other hand, God does not want you to be so apprehensive that you don't share it, as it can do wondrous things! Furthermore, we need to keep in mind that God entrusted you with it, so you would use it...to further His Kingdom!  Matthew 25: 14-29 -- http://nasb.scripturetext.com/matthew/25.htm

 

 

This is the story of Shirley Anne...this is her truth. I am sharing it with her permission. It is lengthy, and does contain content that may be too sensitive or difficult for some people to take-in:  http://minkyweasel.com/d-my-journey/

 

Those of us that are very open-hearted may need to be careful IF we share certain truths...as there are some things that the other would treat as trivial. Not because they are a stranger to you...however, they would be a stranger to how much they know what is in your soul...as compared to you and God.  Therefore, as the following verse states:

Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.

 

 

• The heart knoweth his own bitterness - מרת נפשו morrath naphsho, "The bitterness of its soul."  The stranger does not understand them: indeed they may be even foolishness to him...so there are some things we ought not share with anyone but God. http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/proverbs/14.htm

Blessings to you....

 

  

The Three Truths I

The truth that sets you free!

 

 

Do you love truth? It is not up to us to decide what truth is...it is up to God, since He gives it. It is a powerful gift from above. So, I am not talking about reading something in a magazine that rings true for you and loving IT. NO. I am asking if you love truth so much that you won't accept any substitute.

 

 

So whatever it turns out to be you will accept it...and you have the humble attitude that even when you think you've found it you hold on to it with an open hand - and not inside a tight fist as though you've attained and now have all the light you need! NO. Because when the truth has done what it was sent to do, it is then you will have found the truth!

 

 

Because as you closely follow Jesus and what He taught...then the truth that you find there will do more than just sit in your head...Jesus said that it will set you free! So, essentially, you can be saved...and still not be free. However, Jesus wants to be more than your Savior, so He bids you come closer, follow His teachings and therefore be exposed to the truths you will not find out there trying to make sense of things on your own! He wants you to abide (live, cling, remain) in Him!

 

 

John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Isaiah 55:10-11 "For just as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, yielding seed for the sower and bread for eating, so will my message be that goes out of my mouth— it won't return to me empty. Instead, it will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

 

 

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and the truth laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

 

 

Barnes Notes on The Bible: That truth has power to show what man is, and is like a penetrating sword that lays open the whole man; compare Isaiah 49:2. The phrase "the Word of God" here may be applied as the "truth" of God, however made known to the mind. In some way it will bring out the real feelings, and show what man is.

 

 

1 Cor. 4: 1People should think of us as servants of Christ and managers who are entrusted with God's mysteries. 2Managers are required to be trustworthy. 3It means very little to me that you or any human court should cross-examine me. I don't even ask myself questions. 4I have a clear conscience, but that doesn't mean I have God's approval.

 

 

 It is the Lord who cross-examines me. 5Therefore, don't judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will also bring to light what is hidden in the dark and reveal people's motives. Then each person will receive praise from God.

 

 

6Brothers and sisters, I have applied this to Apollos and myself for your sake. You should learn from us not to go beyond what is written in Scripture. Then you won't arrogantly place one of us in opposition to the other. 7Who says that you are any better than other people? What do you have that wasn't given to you? If you were given what you have, why are you bragging as if it weren't a gift?

 

 

 

 

The truth that saves you!

 

 

A number of years ago some representatives of a cult came to our door, and during our conversation I asked them how they helped people know God. I actually asked this several times because each time their answer was pretty much the same...- they would do bible studies with them,  invite them to church and give them literature about God and so on.

 

 

So, in their mind learning about God by trying to gain specific 'truths' would save them. Altho, years later I asked one of their followers if he knew he was going to heaven. His answer was slow in coming...but then he said, 'No, I guess I really don't'.

 

 

 

Because how would we know, that we know or practice enough 'truth' in order to be saved??? This is sad, because God made it pretty simple to find that one truth that saves us!

 

2 Thess. 2:10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love the truth that would save them.

 

 

 

 John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

 

 

 

Acts 4:12 There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved."

 

 

The truth that IS you!

 

 

Everyone has a story. Yes, because everyone has a personal history of living and being. Your story is your truth. Only you and God fully know it. Your truth only belongs to you and God, no matter who you are. Your truth consists of ~ You! So, this means you and no one else has any right to your body but you and God. If I ever talk about rights, this is it! You and I have a right to be on earth just merely via the fact that we were born and we ARE here! 

 

 

 

 

Therefore, we are also allowed to live and thrive, have a private life and make the decisions to follow God (or not) without manipulation, because God made it this way...and this is no matter the mistakes we have done, or what we believe, or what we look like...there is no one righteous, no not one...so, we are all in the same boat so to speak. 

 

 

 

 The only way someone else has a right to take any charge of my life is if I have deliberately #caused harm to someone else's rights...this includes gossip, slander, shunning, raging against, meddling and of course manipulation to just name a few.   

 

 

 

 

#Side note here. I am not talking about experiencing inconveniences, or the ofttimes need to be flexible and getting toes stepped on, no...because this happens merely by living around other people.  

 

 

 

 

2 Tim. 1:12 For this reason I suffer as I do. However, I'm not ashamed. I know whom I trust. I'm convinced that he is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

 

 

 

 

1 Thess. 5:23 May the God who gives peace make you holy in every way. May he keep your whole being-spirit, soul, and body-blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

 

 

 

 

1 Pet. 4: 19 Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good, entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

 

 

 

*That which I have entrust unto him-Greek, "my deposit"; the body, soul, and spirit, which I have deposited in God's safe keeping (1Th 5:23; 1Pe 4:19). So Christ Himself in dying (Lu 23:46). "God deposits with us His word; we deposit with God our spirit" [Grotius]. There is one deposit (His revelation) committed by God to us, which we ought to keep (2Ti 1:13, 14) and transmit to others (2Ti 2:2); there is another committed by God to us, which we should commit to His keeping, namely, ourselves and our heavenly portion.

 

 

 

Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

 

 

 

SO, what do we do with these three truths?? I submit these truths in your life and my life are so immensely valuable that we must treasure them...and to the point where we must be careful with whom we share them with and how. But this will be for next time...

 

 

The Three Truths II coming soon....