The Atoning Sacrifice - Living For Jesus

 

1 John 2:2

He Himself is The Atoning Sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 

The Atoning Sacrifice: Propitiation: sin offering/Christ's atoning blood that appeases (averts) God's wrath, on all confessed sin. 

     Only confessed sin is forgiven. We must confess all sins to God when we admit that our thoughts, and our actions, and our words have sinned against His Word. 

     His Word was nailed to a cross. His Word was beaten, bruised, and marred beyond recognition. His Word forgave the men who had done these things to Him and put Him on that cross. 

     His Word ministered to the lost, the found, the seeker, the dying, the dead, the weak, the hungry, the imprisoned, the homeless, the poor, the wealthy, the forsaken and the sick. 

     His Word is The Atoning Sacrifice Who died on the cross bearing the weight of sin of the whole world: from Adam until the present day and the future day. He died so we could live. 

     Live in Him and He in us. Live a life worth living. A life of hope of a resurrected life eternal through Him. A life of peace that passes understanding. A life which expresses joy in our salvation through the blood which He shed on Calvary. A life which is committed to obeying God's commandments with love and faithfulness. 

    Do you have this Life in Christ living in you? Do you want it? Come to Jesus. And Live. 

LIVING FOR JESUS - Marjorie Van Hoef 

Diving Into Surrender - The Color of Worship - The True Worshipper

 John 4:23

"But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship The Father in spirit and in truth: for The Father seeks such to worship him."

    While searching for photos or pic to align with this post, I stumbled across a NASA Science page on the colors of the ocean, with the help of the Holy Spirit. He is, after all, my Guide. See, I always thought that the deeper the ocean, the darker the green. I knew that some oceans were blue near the top, but I had believed that all oceans are eventually green after that. But the deeper you get into the ocean, not only is there less color, there is less light.

     Turquoise Plankton in the water reflect the light of the sun.

    Azure How many plankton living in the water decides what color the water is.

  Green Black Light Absorbed and light reflected.

Blue-Green Spiral  Type of plankton reveals color of water. In this photo, two types caused the blue-green effect. The spiral is because they are alive and in motion. Pretty cool, huh? This is my favorite.

    There is an emerald rainbow around the base of the throne of God. Revelation 4:5 "And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Ezekiel 1:28 "As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of The LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake." John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

     In the previous verse, John 4:23, Jesus stated not only that the true worshippers worship The Father in spirit and in truth, but that this is the worshipper God is seeking, or looking for. Am I that true worshipper yet? Are you that true worshipper God is seeking? What does it take to be a true worshipper of God?

💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

     The true worshipper walks in The Spirit, not in the world. In other words, he walks the walk. Romans 8:4 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after The Spirit.". 
     The true worshipper not only walks in The Spirit, but lives in The Spirit. Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in The Spirit."
     The true worshipper rejoices in Jesus, and trusts Him. Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in The spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
    The true worshipper has a circumcised heart and lifestyle. Colossians 2:6-23 and Colossians 3, but just let me whet your appetite with the first few verses in it. You can continue in your own Bible, okay? Colossians 2:6-11 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus The Lord, so walk ye in Him. (7) Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (9) For in Him dwells all the fullness of The Godhead bodily. (10) And you are complete in Him, which is The Head of all principality and power: (11) In Whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.
     These scriptures are speaking to the Christian, the person who repents of their sins and accepts the forgiveness of God for such. So, we see here that the true worshipper to whom Christ is referring to in John 4:23, is a Christian not just in name, but in heart and mind and spirit, which make up the soul of a person. In John 3:3 Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born again. What follows in John 3:4-21 is Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus.
     As we have already covered what it means to be Christian, we will continue from here to verse 7 in Colossians 2. This verse tells us that the Christian is also not a newbie, or newly born again Christian, but one whose faith is visible to others, a Christian who is always thankful for everything in their lives. But it is hard to be thankful for every little thing, isn't it? Unless you determine to be thankful; having that "Gratitude Attitude". Verse 8 warns us to be careful, and not believe those who would turn us away from the truth of God's Word according to their logic and flattery. Verse 9 reveals to us without reservation that Jesus Christ is the fullness of The Godhead: God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit.
      Verse 10 reminds us that we are complete in Him. Which is what He prayed for in the garden of Gethsemane, later on in this book: John 17:21 "That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." Finish reading this chapter through verse 26, it's really awesome how every Word of God comes together when the Holy Spirit is active in your Bible studies.
     Verse 11 tells the Christian that God circumcises the heart, not the body. Ezekiel 11:19, 20 "And I will give them a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh. That they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep my judgments, and do them."
     The true worshipper is strong in The Lord, strong in The Spirit, strong in The Word. Their heart is focused on the things of God, not on the things of this world. The true worshipper reads their Bible for to profit the soul, not to seek monetary gain. The true worshipper surrenders not only their heart to God, but their whole life. And having surrendered one's heart and given one's life to worship and thankfulness, the next goal is to see the glory of God face to face. It is not just this side of heaven we are to worship God in, but the other side of heaven, also.
     Where are the true worshippers?

Warrior of The Word - Feet Like Hinds' Feet

2 Samuel 22:34

He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

From The Topical Lexicon:

Natural Characteristics of the Doe

The doe embodies agility, grace, alertness, lightness of step, and maternal instinct. In the rugged hills of ancient Israel these traits were easily observed, making the animal an apt metaphor for eloquence, sure-footed security, gentle beauty, and the mysterious timing of birth. 

    This, too, should be the description of a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. 

    We are to walk in agility. Our steps cannot falter, nor be hesitant: we walk by faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ. We doubt not,nor do we waiver in our faith. 

    We walk in grace, God's merciful grace given through Jesus Christ. We walk in The Spirit of God, Who leads us up the mountains we must climb and through the valleys in which we journey, and at time rest in. 

    Our senses are alert to our surroundings at all times. The predator of our souls is always looking for ways to bring us down and take us out. Because we have faith in our Lord we trust where He leads us. Our feet walk in the Light of His Love. 

    And we raise our children to follow Jesus. We want them to know this wonderful grace which God has given us. We encourage them to seek out God in His Word and believe for themselves this wonderful Name of Jesus which has filled us with such Joy and wonder in His Salvation. The thrill of leading our children to Christ and seeing them believe and be baptized is unlike any thrill you will ever have known before. 

    Fortunate are we to see hinds' feet in our mentors. The elders we have cherished and loved through the years have walked these valleys and mountains before us. Their collective wisdom and gracious words have led us to Christ, Whom we have believed for ourselves. Now, many of us are the elders, for most of mine have gone to their eternal rest. 

    We must make sure that our hinds' feet walk where Jesus walks. Our words must be gracious and saturated with the love of God. We speak tactfully, but truthfully. We respond to the seeker who seeks The Truth of God's Word with the wisdom we have acquired through our years of walking closely with our Savior. That they, too, might choose to step out in their faith and stroll across life's journey with us. 

    Have you ever read the book "Hinds' Feet in High Places"? I might still have a worn copy on my bookshelf. But I highly recommend it. It's a good read. 

    

The Promises - Salvation For All

 

Acts 16:31

They replied, “Believe in The Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.”

The Promise: Believe in The Lord Jesus Christ The Reward: Salvation for you and everyone in your household who believes.

John 1:12, 13

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 10:9, 10

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

    Salvation is a result of justification. Romans 10:10 declares that believe is made by our hearts and we are justified. But we must speak "Jesus is Lord" with out mouths for salvation to take place. I am aware that speaking cannot be possible for many who have a physical handicap, but God knows our hearts and He knows our handicaps.

    The dying criminal on the cross, though he had not an opportunity to live for Christ, with his dying breaths declared that "Jesus is Lord". The other criminal who died in his sins refused to believe and not once did he ever declare that "Jesus is Lord". The promise of salvation from the punishment of sin was given to both, but only one received it; only one believed it; only one spoke His Name; only one went to Paradise with Jesus. [Luke 23:39-43].

    Salvation was proffered. It was rejected. It was received. Not just on that day, but many days before and thousands of days after. Salvation through Jesus Christ is still offered to everyone. Are you going to receive it, believe it, and claim it? Or are you going to deny it, refuse it, and die without it?

    Each of us must make that decision, make that choice. Come to Jesus.

“Believe in The Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Clothed In Righteousness-Put On Christ

 

The desires of the flesh bring about our downfall. The desire of The Lord Jesus Christ is to raise us up with Him.

Putting on Christ requires us to believe in The Name Above All Names [Philippians 2:9] and to speak out our belief on His Name by acknowledging that Jesus Christ Is Lord.

Acts 16:31 (AMP Bible)

And they answered, “Believe in The Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe].”

Romans 10:10

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 13:14

But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts (desires).

    See? How hard was that? The most difficult part of any journey is the first step. The first step in becoming a Christian, a Christ-follower, is to believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord. Truly believe it in our own hearts. And then speak our belief in His Name out loud, whether we shout it, whisper it, mouth it or speak in our normal voice, "JESUS IS LORD", we are proclaiming that we believe what we have said.

    It is the second part of being clothed in His Righteousness that many walk away from. Choosing to be obedient to God's Word and remove the lures of sin from our presence. It is not that we can't partake of the things we used to do and say, it is that we don't want to do those things any more.

    For we are aware now that those things we used to do have kept us from the presence of God. And we like being here in God's kingdom. We prefer to Live For Jesus now, instead of for the devil. We have made our choice, a sound decision, with sober minds, to follow Christ.

    Should He choose to lead us back to where we came from it will only be because He knows we can go back without falling back into our old ways. We go back to bring the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ to the ones we left behind. We don't want our former companions to die in their sins without giving them the opportunity to know Christ Jesus as their own Savior and Lord.

    We speak The Name of Jesus Christ to our families; and even when they disown and ridicule us for loving Jesus Christ so much, we persevere in our course to draw ever closer to Him. We have the knowledge that God will answer our prayers for them to know this same joy we ourselves have now.

    For years my Mom wanted me to stop pursuing this idea of being a preacher. Until she picked up her family Bible and read it for herself. And then she gave her heart to Jesus Christ. She told me once that she thought she was saved until she read that she wasn't. So she gave her heart to Jesus. And that was that.

    Then she stopped insisting that I quit my faith. We got to share daily Bible verses that were inspiring us to live for Jesus and be better people. Not long after that leukemia hit her body fast and hard; and she died. But she died knowing Jesus as her Lord and Savior. And she's with Him in heaven even now. No more aging, no more sickness. Only Eternal Life.

    I sang Jesus to my Dad. I sang of His saving grace to any who would receive it. I sang of His death and His resurrection to all who would believe it. And my Dad believed and got saved. He, too, is with Jesus Christ. And someday I'm going to be reunited with them and everyone else who has believed on The Name of Jesus Christ for their salvation, and followed through in life, living for Jesus.

    It is never too late to clothe one's self in Jesus Christ. Not in this life. When we take our final breath, then it's too late. Now is the time. Today is the day. Come to Jesus and Live.

Just As I Am I Come To Thee

{Dedicated to Kathy Spencer. Written while I was doing a study on holiness}

Just as I am I come to Thee.

I come to the cross Where You died for me

I fall on my knees At Calvary

It’s there that Your blood Is applied to me

Just as I am I come to Thee

And I give You my heart

Which was broken for You

Fix it, fill it and break it anew

Do as You will, I will follow You

Just as I am I come to You

I come to the tomb Where they buried You

I come to the grave Where Your linens lay

I come to the garden To hear You speak

Just as I am I come to Thee

And I give You my heart

Which was broken for You

Fix it, fill it and break it anew

Do as You will, I will follow You

Just as I am, Just as I am, Just as I am

I come to Thee

 

    

 

Justified By Faith

 

Galatians 3:8, 9

And The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles (any non-Jew) by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."

So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS of FAITH

Romans 4:11, 12

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 

And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 

    It is the heart that needs circumcision. The unbelieving heart is uncircumcised: its intents are hidden in darkness. But when the circumcision from God comes on the heart of the person who believes by faith in The Son of God, then Light opens up the heart and Love comes to live there, the Love of God which is written on our hearts by The Power of The Holy Spirit of God.  

    Circumcision is painful and bloody. Being a woman this is a physical pain I do not know personally, but have heard the cry of the newborn when it happens to them. So, too, the newly born in Christ have circumcised hearts. The blood from The Lamb of God, which was shed for us, is sprinkled across our hearts, washing away our sins and breaking the chains of sin which had bound us. 

    No longer do we walk in the darkness of our hearts: we are born anew, born again, into the family of God: we are His sons and His daughters--we walk in newness of life. The New and Living Way of Life in Christ is ours now. 

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

Romans 3:29, 30

Is God The God of Jews only? Is He not The God of Gentiles, too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, Who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 

Galatians 2:16

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 

Romans 9:8

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 

    It is faith in the promise of God which is saving faith. For Christ is the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham. The promise: Genesis 17:19 "But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.” 

    The promise is to the seed of Abraham, not the children. For the seed of Abraham are the people who believe God and obey/follow His Word. Many are they which say they believe in God, but few are they who say they believe God. For we who know God exists also know that God's Word is Faithful (unchanging) and True (genuine, sincere). Abraham was given the promise from God and believed it. Those who follow Abraham but not God are not the seed of Abraham, though they may be his descendants. 

    It is the same when we come to Jesus. We have acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord. We believe that He died on the cross and rose from the dead. We confess our belief in public and are baptized into God's Name, Christ's Name, and The Holy Spirit's Name. We are children of the promise, for we came by way of faith. 

    Children of the curse are outside the promise. It is a hard fact for many to swallow, but only because they refuse to believe God and His Word. It is only when a person born under the curse of sin accepts by faith Jesus Christ as God's Only Begotten Son that the curse is lifted and the promise is given. And we have all been born under the curse of sin because we are all Adam's descendants. 

    Sin came when Adam didn't listen to God. That's rebellion. That's outside the promise because the promise is given by God and Adam didn't listen to God. Not listening to God is not believing God. Not believing God is not believing God's Word.        Not believing God and His Word puts a person outside the promise of redemption through Jesus Christ. For Christ is God's Word wrapped in flesh. (Luke 1:35; John 1:14). And He is God's Servant through His obedience in saying what God wanted Him to say and doing what God wanted Him to do. (John 7:16; 8:28; 12:49; 14:10). Jesus is God's Only Begotten Son. (John 3:16; Romans 8:32; Galatians 4:4, 5; 1 John 4:14). 

    But when a sinner (one born under the curse) believes and receives Christ Jesus as Lord [of their lives] and Savior [of their souls], then we are no longer cursed but now we are saved! We have been born again. How awesome is that? How wonderful that God would send His Only Begotten Son to save such wretches as we are. Children born outside the promise but able to receive it because we believe it. 

    While only a small percentage of my dna reveals that I am a descendant of Abraham, it is not that which brings me into God's family. It is my faith in Christ Jesus and believing that He is Who God says He is that saves me. John 1:12, 13 "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 

Have Faith

 

Galatians 3:6, 7

So, also, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham."

Genesis 15:6

Abram believed The LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:3

For what does The Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:16

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.

KEEP THE FAITH

Abraham believed God. He took Him at His Word and in doing so obtained the righteousness of God by placing his trust in God. Unwavering faith.

The people who have that kind of faith are sons of Abraham. Believe God -- and His Word -- and we, too, will have obtained the righteousness of Christ, for He is The Living Word of God.

THE KEYS of DEATH & HELL

There's no other way, no other religion, wherein their gods have died and risen from the dead. For in His death Christ conquered sin, obtaining the key of death.

Having died with sin on His shoulders, He entered hell, fought Satan and won, obtaining the key of hell.

Rising from the dead and walking out of the grave in a new, resurrected body, He became The Firstfruits of the resurrection.

Now Jesus Christ holds all three keys in His hand- Revelation 1:18 "I Am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I Am Alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

1 Corinthians 15:20-23

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, The Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Acts 2:24

But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep Him in its grip.

Colossians 1:18

And He is The Head of The Body, the church; He is The Beginning and Firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, “I Am The Resurrection and The Life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies."

Do you believe God? It is not enough to believe in God, for everyone believes in one god or another, one must also BELIEVE GOD and HIS LIVING WORD. Oh, seeker! Come to Jesus and LIVE! 

THE GOSPEL Of JOHN in INDIE FOLK

Wait On The Lord - Psalm 27:14

 

Psalm 27:14

Wait on The LORD: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your 🧡. Wait, I say, on The LORD!

WAIT: anticipatory expectation to see what God will do and is doing 

    Here the psalmist leads the congregation into a hushed worship. We are instructed to wait, to be still, to be of good courage. 

    And then The Lord will strengthen our hearts. He will make Himself known to the hearts of those who have anticipated His arrival. 

    The collective "we" waited from time immemorial for the arrival of The Messiah. But when He arrived, only a few were happy to see Him. Fewer still were willing to follow Him and do the things He instructed. 

    All who have received Christ as Lord of their lives, and Savior of their eternal souls, wait for the trumpet to sound and The Lord to gather His church to Himself.  We wait for the marriage supper of The Lamb and His bride. 

    After that we will wait, while we serve, through His thousand year reign (Revelation 20:1-5). After the thousand years has passed, Satan will be loosed upon the unknown numbers of people who have repopulated the earth, trying to take some of them with him through his deceptions (Revelation 20:6-8). 

    For a brief time we will wait yet again for Satan and his minions to be defeated (Revelation 20:9-10). Then we wait through the second resurrection, when the damned will be judged for their unbelief. We know they did not believe because their names were not written in The Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 20:11-15). 

    They wait too, knowing there is no more time to choose Christ.

  1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

For The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with The Lord. 

    So I encourage you now to "Wait on The Lord, and be of good courage." For waiting is hard but possible. Some folks will meet Jesus by way of the grave, some will meet Him by way of the air. Some of us die horrific deaths, some of us die by way of disease, some die of old age. Yet we wait on The Lord through it all. And through it all The Lord strengthens us with Himself. And that is enough to get me through the waiting. 

THROUGH IT ALL - Andrae Crouch (with his testimony, too!)

Listen & Be Wise

 

Proverbs 23:19

Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in The Way.

    Listen. Pay attention. Consider what I am saying that you may comprehend exactly the words which I speak. Hear what I have to say, think on these things which I have said, and then act on what you have heard. 

    Be wise. Be men and women of God, obedient to His Wisdom, as were the three young Hebrew men who were captured in Daniel 1:17, 20. Be men and women of honor: don't just hear The Voice of God speak, but be obedient and do what He says to do. 

    Listen. His Voice is not always a thunderclap. He is the still small voice that whispers to your hearts. He is the calm in the storm. He is the gentle curvature of wing that encircles and comforts. 

    Be wise. Be wise in the ways of The Lord that you may live according to the wisdom of The Word. Make wise choices. Put God first: honor Him with our lives: choose what is right and do that Every Single Time. 

    Listen. Hear the words of my instructions as student to student, disciple to disciple. Take in the knowledge which I have gleaned from my walk with The Lord and what I have learned throughout my years. 

    In The New Testament, The Lord directs our attention to the flower-covered fields: Consider the lilies. What is there to consider in lilies? In Matthew and Luke the lily blooms for a day and is then gone. Yet God chooses to clothes them in beauty. 

   Consider this: In Hosea 14:5, Israel is compared to a lily whose growth comes from the dew. We need God to be the dew for us, too. We need Him to cause us to grow in the way He would have us to grow. 

'I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.' 

    Without God as our Instructor, our Teacher, our God, we will get nowhere. Our days will be lived in futility. Our hearts will have gleaned nothing from The Word of God because we chose not to consider what He had to say. 

    Direct your hearts. Lead your hearts. Don't let your heart dictate your actions. Following your hearts is a fool's game. The heart is deceitful and cannot be trusted to make wise choices on its own. We need to guard our hearts-Proverbs 4:23. 

    Learn to rein in your hearts. We need to train our hearts in The Ways of The Lord. And that is only accomplished when we Listen to His instructions and Obey His directions. 

Proverbs 28:26

He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

    Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that not only are we to trust in The Lord, but we are to do so with the understanding which He gives us and not in our own dense way, so to speak. Our minds tend to wander when left on their own. But when we are focused on the things of The Lord, the wandering becomes a thing of the past. Now we are motivated to 'stay the course'; to 'run with endurance the race set before us'.  

    We have made the decision to put God first in everything we do, and when a conscious decision to follow The Lord Jesus Christ is made, then He takes up residence in our hearts, and our hearts no longer wander. We are a 'new creation' and our new roots are settled in The Word of God. 

    Now God makes our paths straight. Does this mean that our lives are comfy now? Not hardly. When we put God first, He lays out the way we should go, whether we climb the mountain in front of us or tell it to get out of the way. Many an obstacle in The Way, has kept a person from being fully committed to Listening to and Obeying The Word of God. 

    It may look like a narrow path, but it is also the safest course of direction for living a life that glorifies God. I hope you remain committed to Listening, to Being Wise, to Directing your hearts in The Way. I know I am. 

    

    

Keep The Faith In The Land of The Living

 

Psalm 27:13
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of The LORD in the land of the living.

DON'T LOSE HEART
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon The LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

KEEP THE FAITH
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in The Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

THE LAND OF THE LIVING

Psalm 116:9
I will walk before The LORD in the land of the living. (this life we have now)
John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I Am The Light of The World. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” (the life eternal)

    Keeping the faith means that we believe The Word of God to be Faithful and True. We believe that Jesus Christ is God's Only Begotten Son. We believe that as The Son of God He gave His life in willing obedience to His heavenly Father's design for the salvation of they who would believe such.

John 3:16-18

16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life.

17. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

18. He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in The Name of The Only Begotten Son of God.

    Keeping the faith means that even though we live among unbelievers, we live not like them any longer. Though we once were sinners, lost and undone, now that we have placed our faith, our hope, in Christ Jesus for our salvation, we no longer live according to the desires of the flesh: we live according to The Word of God.

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in The Lord. Walk as children of Light.

Psalm 107:14

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke away their chains.

Acts 26:18

'To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.'

    Yet, keeping the faith in the land of the living isn't going to be easy. While there are times we may enjoy the comforts of this life -- water, food, clothing, shelter -- many times we will endure trials and tribulations not uncommon amongst God's people.

    The life of the Christian is one of obedience to God, hope in Jesus Christ, and faith-walking with The Holy Spirit. It is a life lived in trust, trusting that God will always be with us regardless of how bad our circumstances become.     Keeping our faith while we live this life we have been given in Christ will bring us to the land of the eternally living: the heavenly places where God dwells.

Revelation 21:3

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Isaiah 6:1-4 (Isaiah's vision)

1. In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also The Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

2. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly.

3. And one cried unto another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is The LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory."

4. At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

Ezekiel 1 (Ezekiel's vision)

Revelation 4 (John's vision)

    Someday soon we who have believed on The Name of The Only Begotten Son of God for our salvation will arrive in God's eternal dwellingplace and take up residence in the place which Christ has prepared for us. The reward is worth the journey, regardless of how long it took us to get there, or how difficult the path was to walk.

ONCE I WAS A SINNER - classic hymn (choir)

IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL - classic hymn

HOLY (I SAW THE LORD) - Christ For The Nations Worship

Maqor Chay Mayim - Fountain of Living Water

 

MAQOR CHAY MAYIM
(pronounced maw-kore' khah'-ee mah'-yim)
FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER

Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

    God is not speaking to the general populace here, but to His own people. His own people have deserted Him, their source of life and chosen to create their own wellsprings. What is He saying? 
They have turned their backs on God, Who is the source of all life, both here and now and eternally. 
    They have chosen to set up their own systems of living, broken cisterns, which cannot contain life; broken doctrines which cannot save themselves nor their communities, for there is no Living Water in them, only dust. And God's people cannot live on dust.
    Though our planet is 90% water, much of that is unpotable and it's getting worse, not better. When there is much rain, there is immense flooding. And the flood waters are more than just overflow of dams and levees: the sewers flood, water mains break, garbage is swept up into the floods. In other words, it's filthy, it's unpotable; not able to sustain life. Just like the hearts of God's people who had turned away from Him.
    We cannot as God's people live like that. We need clean, pure Water to drink for ourselves and share with others. We need Jesus Christ living in us, the Holy Spirit of God filling us, pouring out of us into our hearts and lives (our wells) and overflowing into other people's hearts  and lives (their wells). 
    God's people are being reprimanded by God for forsaking Him, for turning from Him to other gods. Their cisterns are broken. Be warned now: God is The Fountain of Living Water and there is none other which can sustain God's people. We give all the glory to God for being our Lifesource! 
    John 4:1-26 tells us the historical account of Jesus and His encounter with a Samaritan woman who had come to the well to draw water, only to find Jesus who gave her Living Water. Hallelujah! 
    Come to the well and meet Jesus. 

MAY CHRIST BE EXALTED IN ME

Be Watchful

 

1 Corinthians 16:13

Be watchful; stand firm in the faith; act like men; be strong.

Psalm 27:11

Because of my adversaries, show me Your Way, LORD, and lead me on a level path.

BE WATCHFUL

    We are surrounded on every side: enemies to the north, the south, the east, and the west. Encompassed by those who hate us, who seek to tear us down and in doing so attempt to undermine our faith in God and Jesus Christ. 

    Our adversaries are many and some of them we cannot even see. Therefore, our battle to overcome the onslaught must begin in our hearts, under the watchful eyes of The Holy Spirit. He it is Who strengthens our resolve to "stand fast" in The Word of The Lord. 

STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH

    Our Straight Way is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified and resurrected. It is His Love growing in us that gives us confidence to move forward, regardless of who speaks against us. For the Love of God has been extended to us through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. It is this Love, this gospel message of salvation through the blood of The Lamb, which compels us to speak out and speak up. 

    We call out to you who have not yet believe, we send forth a cry--with The Holy Spirit--"Come to Jesus." We whisper in the valleys, shout among the mountains, holler o'er the raging seas. God is Love. 

    Romans 1:16 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is The Power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

    2 Corinthians 4:8-10

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Always bearing about in the body the dying of The Lord Jesus, that The Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

ACT LIKE MEN/BE MEN OF COURAGE

    Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God Who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

    Our courage comes from our unrelentless faith in Christ Jesus. It is He, through His Holy Spirit, Who empowers us with Himself; in Him, as the verse reminds us, "we live, and move, and have our being." How can we not but move across these dark landscapes and shine The Light of God's Love outwards? 

    We are the people of God and we follow Him Who is our Eternal Light. Where He goes, we go. We look not to the right, nor to the left, but straight ahead. When we place our feet firmly on His pathway, and set our faces to focus on what lies ahead, then the distractions of our enemies cannot faze us. The finish line is just ahead. And we are about to cross it. 

    Psalm 5:8

Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make straight Your Way before me.

    Isaiah 42:16

I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

    Isaiah 30:21

And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

    John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” 

    John 16:13

“However, when The Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all Truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.”

BE STRONG

    Our strength is the joy we have in The God of our Salvation. If we are not a joyful people praising our God, then we are living a full and satisfactory life in Christ Jesus. Our tears soak the altar of our prayers; joy is our reward. 

    We know that "the joy of The Lord is our Strength". This is more than happiness in our salvation. It is a deeper walk with Christ. For in this walk, joy lands in the middle of our trials, and our walk is not hampered. 

    Strength in The Lord enables us to leap over walls meant to keep us out. Here we are surrounded by our enemies, and we are leaping, and walking, and praising God. Our enemies watch us and wonder. They torment us, persecute us, kill us for His Name's sake. And we rise up in worship and praise to and for our God.

    Our faith is not determined by a lack of struggles and trials, but by a magnitude of such things. We are, indeed, strong in The Lord. And together this body of Christ, His church, should be united in one common goal: preach the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ until the whole world hears. For it is then that Christ will return for His church. 

    Ready. Set. Go.