What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately XLIII (43)…
Greetings My Friends~
As a simple pilgrim following Jesus through the rainforests and deserts of this earthly life, I would like to humbly share some of what God has been bubbling up in my mind/heart lately.
I pray that these thoughts are cushions in your shoes, balm to your burns, umbrellas for the rain, and shade to the scorching heat as you too follow the Lord Jesus each day.
(please click on the Bible books/chapters/verses below to read the actual Scripture passages)
(November 2015)
Slowing Down
- “I have calmed & quieted myself…like a weaned child I am content”—Psalm 131:2.
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For Jesus’ peace we must learn to park, not speed up/drive-thru…
. - We receive rest as we learn to shed the caterpillar skin of “urgent” tasks
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& learn to enter into the Jesus-cocoon where He transforms us into butterflies.
- Being with God takes precedence over doing for God.
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He leads us beside still waters before leading us on paths of righteousness.
The Hand of God
God loves us even when He warns us: follow Christ, not the culture…
“The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people” (Isaiah 8:11).
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When God Seems Far
- What to do when God seems far?Wait & trust.“I’ll wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from…Jacob. I’ll put my trust in him”—Isaiah 8:17
. - Feeling hopeless because you cant hear, see or feel God lately?
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As Annie Sullivan taught Helen Keller to communicate thru touch (HK was blind, deaf & mute),
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Jesus will do the same with you!
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Be with Him! Touch Him—and let Him touch you!—through His Word & prayer!
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Being With God
God wants to receive you–not as a servant but as a SON!
Not acquiring you as a “doer” but adopting you as a DAUGHTER!
(Psalm 27:10, Romans 8:15, John 15:15)
Choice
We have a choice like Joshua 24:14-15:
bow down to Jesus alone & face the culture’s wrath (John 15:18-25)
or bow down to the culture & face Jesus’ wrath (Revelation 2:4-6, 14-16, 20-23, 3:1-3, 14-20).
Satisfaction
We think we will be fulfilled someday when we get everything we want;
Jesus says He can fulfill us today giving us everything we need–Him.
Following Jesus
When we follow Jesus into situations where we are “in over our heads,”
it helps us call & rely on Him Who is Head over those situations.
Marriage
Choosing a spouse based on complexion?
Lets choose based on [faith in] Christ, [Biblical] character & [friendship] companionship.
Faith & The Mind
Our minds arent the bridge to faith in Jesus—
but our minds
[guided by Holy Spirit & the Bible]
can be a paved path to the bridge that is faith in Jesus!
Knowing Jesus
Jesus invites us onto the mountain top with Him
& we settle for spiritual Mountain Dew in the valley of the shadow of death.
Sin
- Did you repent to Jesus of your sin?
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Then ask Him to clear the cookie cache of your conscience
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& erase the hard drive of your heart—forget the sin!
- After we repent to Jesus of our sin,
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lets forget what we have done
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& remember what He has done for us on the Cross! Sin forgiven & forgotten!
- We humans put the “sin” in “Cinderella,”
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but the Prince of Peace still offers, before the clock strikes 12, to accept us as His bride forever!
Culture
Early-mid 20th century, the greatest trick of the tobacco industry
was convincing doctors & public that smoking cigarettes IMPROVED health…
…this is what we’ve ALLOWED the devil to do to us spiritually
regarding the vast majority of tv, commercials, social media, movies, mags & music—
we think they are harmless when they are not.
Not Correction But Resurrection,
Not Better Manners But A New Man & Woman!
Will you receive the necessary spiritual-heart transplant from Jesus?
Cost = fully covered by the Health Insurance of His Wood Cross & Faith Shield!
The Voice of Christ Or The Volume Of The Culture?
Teach me to do this, Lord Jesus, to only listen to Your Voice!
“Ignoring what they said, Jesus…” (Mark 5:35-36).
A Healthy Fear Of God
“…with You there is forgiveness, therefore You are feared”—Psalm 130:4 NIV84.
God can set free or lock up.
He is love but He isn’t to be messed with…
The Bible
If our sinfulness isn’t offended by some of what we read in the Bible,
we aren’t reading all of the Bible;
if our sinfulness doesn’t have trouble digesting some of the Bible,
we aren’t feeding on all of it (John 6:52-69).
Surrender To Jesus
Seek & question & wrestle with Jesus—
but ask Him to help you “tap out” in submission to Him.
Let Jesus be victorious over you so you can be victorious in Him.
True Success
“Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
If Jesus is helping you to love like He does,
then you are no failure no matter what you havent accomplished/achieved!
Telling Others About Jesus
Holy Spirit, as You use us to tell others of Jesus’ great love for them & their great need for Him, help us to mean it…but not be mean about it!
When Christians Sin
To people using obscene language—”Do you kiss your Mama with that mouth?
To Christians watching obscene movies—”Do you love your Savior with that mind?”
Sacrifice
The size of the sum gets a person’s name on a building,
but the sincerity of the sacrifice got the widow noticed by Jesus in the Bible
and remembered long after other names have been forgotten.