Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Sleep in the dust of the earth... what does it mean to sleep in the dust of the earth? Think about it for a moment. If a person is awake after they die they're no longer sleeping, right? Why would the dead need to sleep anyway, they aren't alive needing the basics of life- sleep, food, air, water. Yes read that again-
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.
The only time a person sleeps in the dust of the earth is when they are dead. Dust returning to dust. Many shall awake when Christ returns to deliver His people. However of those many awaking not all are going to wake up to everlasting life but rather everlasting shame and contempt.
The Bible tells us the dead in Christ shall rise...
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Some wake to life in Christ, others wake to destruction.
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power
Every eye shall see Him!
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Life and death, life after death and death after death. People don't like to think about death after death. People don't like to contemplate not existing in one form or another. People believe foolishly that no matter what they will be saved, they will be written in the Book of Life. People delude themselves and allow themselves to be deluded by others into believing that death is just merely a stepping stone to a new and better life. Those that believe in hell as pictured in many movies, books, televison shows etc, even then don't seem all that concerned about it being real or not being real.
Everlasting shame and contempt. Shame and contempt that will last until non-existence takes over in the very end of all sin, the end of all evil.
Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
There will be a time of trouble right before the people of God are delivered, the people who have died in Christ and live in Christ will go with Him when He returns. That time of trouble isn't far off and we really need to place our faith in Jesus, our hope in Jesus, our lives in Jesus hands claiming His righteousness knowing that in Him is LIFE and life is found in no other.
By the grace and mercy of our Savior now and forever and ever!
Amen.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Living Faith- Wise Unto Salvation
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Why do people believe there is salvation outside of the holy scriptures? Why do people insist they can understand all that is needed to be understood by listening to someone else preach the scripture one day a week? Salvation is found in Jesus alone this is true, but... the scriptures make us WISE unto salvation through FAITH with is in Christ Jesus. We believe once we've obtained knowledge that it, that's all there is. However very few of us can read something one time and retain knowledge of it forever, able to recall any part of what we've read at any time without ever having to reread that something again. I could read a whole book and out of that book maybe be able to recall bits and pieces of it, and very few part would be read exactly as they were written- if any. I could give you the jist of the story or maybe if it really fascinated me I could remember a bit more, but most certainly I would not remember the majority. When people are in school they are given memorization exercises and then tested on their memory. Spelling exercises, vocabulary exercises, and before a test is due people study for that test. The point I'm trying to make here is that we need to study the scriptures.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We need to know the holy scriptures, especially those of us who haven't learned them from childhood. We know the scriptures can make us WISE unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus and in knowing that we need to learn the scriptures. The only way we're going to truly learn the scriptures is through study, not a weekly study but a daily searching. The daily searching of the scriptures doesn't have to be hours and hours and hours long, it can be ten minutes, five minutes but to open the Word of God and read just a bit from it and study that bit allowing that bit to inspire thought towards salvation, toward Jesus Christ, this is what is important.
If someone handed you a bottle of pills and said take one every day and you'll be wise to salvation though Christ Jesus, you'd pop that pill without fail wouldn't you? If someone told you where you could find a special juice that if you drank a small glass every day you'd be wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, you'd gladly drink and make sure you had a lifetime supply. We want things to be easy, we want things to require no or very little effort on our part. We don't want to put forth too much effort unless we have a tangible result. Sure you'd work very hard tilling that ground, planting those seedlings, watering and weeding that garden patch because you know the end result will be a grand sight, satisfying to you because of how hard you worked to bring it forth. Yes, you'd scrub the house from top to bottom and bask in the results of the cleaning. You'd go to a thankless job day after day knowing it will result in money for your living expenses. The hard work is necessary for most people, very few among the majority have things just given to them without working hard. We don't want to work at all for salvation- the Bible even says this -
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
So why should we have to study at all? Studying is work, right?
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Our faith results in the works of God as a natural recourse. To claim you have faith and yet remain unwilling to live as Jesus gave us an example to live, as Jesus told us we should live is faithless faith and YES there is such a thing. A hollow faith. An empty faith. Faith that is spouted but NOT lived. We need a LIVING faith, as our Lord lives.
Will works save us? NO. Will faith save us? Yes. Living faith, not dead faith.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we have a living faith and may we search the scriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus.
Amen.
Why do people believe there is salvation outside of the holy scriptures? Why do people insist they can understand all that is needed to be understood by listening to someone else preach the scripture one day a week? Salvation is found in Jesus alone this is true, but... the scriptures make us WISE unto salvation through FAITH with is in Christ Jesus. We believe once we've obtained knowledge that it, that's all there is. However very few of us can read something one time and retain knowledge of it forever, able to recall any part of what we've read at any time without ever having to reread that something again. I could read a whole book and out of that book maybe be able to recall bits and pieces of it, and very few part would be read exactly as they were written- if any. I could give you the jist of the story or maybe if it really fascinated me I could remember a bit more, but most certainly I would not remember the majority. When people are in school they are given memorization exercises and then tested on their memory. Spelling exercises, vocabulary exercises, and before a test is due people study for that test. The point I'm trying to make here is that we need to study the scriptures.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We need to know the holy scriptures, especially those of us who haven't learned them from childhood. We know the scriptures can make us WISE unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus and in knowing that we need to learn the scriptures. The only way we're going to truly learn the scriptures is through study, not a weekly study but a daily searching. The daily searching of the scriptures doesn't have to be hours and hours and hours long, it can be ten minutes, five minutes but to open the Word of God and read just a bit from it and study that bit allowing that bit to inspire thought towards salvation, toward Jesus Christ, this is what is important.
If someone handed you a bottle of pills and said take one every day and you'll be wise to salvation though Christ Jesus, you'd pop that pill without fail wouldn't you? If someone told you where you could find a special juice that if you drank a small glass every day you'd be wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, you'd gladly drink and make sure you had a lifetime supply. We want things to be easy, we want things to require no or very little effort on our part. We don't want to put forth too much effort unless we have a tangible result. Sure you'd work very hard tilling that ground, planting those seedlings, watering and weeding that garden patch because you know the end result will be a grand sight, satisfying to you because of how hard you worked to bring it forth. Yes, you'd scrub the house from top to bottom and bask in the results of the cleaning. You'd go to a thankless job day after day knowing it will result in money for your living expenses. The hard work is necessary for most people, very few among the majority have things just given to them without working hard. We don't want to work at all for salvation- the Bible even says this -
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
So why should we have to study at all? Studying is work, right?
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Our faith results in the works of God as a natural recourse. To claim you have faith and yet remain unwilling to live as Jesus gave us an example to live, as Jesus told us we should live is faithless faith and YES there is such a thing. A hollow faith. An empty faith. Faith that is spouted but NOT lived. We need a LIVING faith, as our Lord lives.
Will works save us? NO. Will faith save us? Yes. Living faith, not dead faith.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we have a living faith and may we search the scriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus.
Amen.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Our soul waiteth for the LORD
Wait upon the Lord.
The everlasting God.
The Lord.
The Creator of the ends of the earth.
The Holy One.
Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
Isa 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Isa 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
Isa 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.
Isa 40:25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Psa 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa 28:8 The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.
Psa 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
The everlasting God.
The Lord.
The Creator of the ends of the earth.
The Holy One.
Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
Isa 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Isa 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
Isa 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.
Isa 40:25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Psa 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa 28:8 The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.
Psa 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
Unworthy but Hopeful
Psa 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Job 36:3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
Pro 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
Isa 17:7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 45:9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it... what makest thou?
I love that example of maker and made. We tend to forget we are made that we have a maker. We don't forget we have parents as a rule and most people respect their parents and most parents are worthy of respect. God is forever worthy of our respect, God is our maker over and above our parents.
Psa 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
God truly knows us as no other can know us.
May God bless us and in knowing us, know that we know how truely wicked we are and how undeserving of His love and mercy we are. We are creatures that have rebelled on our Creator, we are creatures that need to realize our creature status. Our only hope is to throw ourselves at our Father's feet and beg forgiveness having faith in the love of our Father to forgive us through the sacrifice of His all loving Son. Unworthy but hopeful in Christ. The righteousness is in my Maker. No matter who we are the Lord is the maker of all of us.
Amen
Job 36:3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
Pro 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
Isa 17:7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 45:9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it... what makest thou?
I love that example of maker and made. We tend to forget we are made that we have a maker. We don't forget we have parents as a rule and most people respect their parents and most parents are worthy of respect. God is forever worthy of our respect, God is our maker over and above our parents.
Psa 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
God truly knows us as no other can know us.
May God bless us and in knowing us, know that we know how truely wicked we are and how undeserving of His love and mercy we are. We are creatures that have rebelled on our Creator, we are creatures that need to realize our creature status. Our only hope is to throw ourselves at our Father's feet and beg forgiveness having faith in the love of our Father to forgive us through the sacrifice of His all loving Son. Unworthy but hopeful in Christ. The righteousness is in my Maker. No matter who we are the Lord is the maker of all of us.
Amen
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Incredibly Blessed
Zec 1:7 '...came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet,...
Zec 1:9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
The word of the Lord came to His prophets. We know that God spoke to various prophets throughout time and that word often came by angels.
'...and the angel that talked with me said...'
It's amazing to think about angels talking to people like you and I in the respect that those people were human just as you and I are human. God chose these men and women for His purposes and not all of them were willing to just go off and prophesize for Him- remember Jonah? The men and women God chose to speak to His people for Him were blessed but they suffered in that blessing as so often happens with men and women chosen by God. We want God to use us, to accept us, and His using us sometimes translates to us as His acceptance. God has many people who love Him and are willing to be used by Him, or at least we like to believe He does. What sacrifices are we willing to make for God? Who among us would be willing to speak the words given to us by God through an angel? Most would shout yes, they'd be willing and not hesitate, right? I mean an angel of God speaking to us, speaking in such a way that you could converse back and forth with the angel, that is just something so utterly amazing it boggles the mind. God speaks to us through His word. The word He's given to men, men inspired by the Holy Spirit, men, some of whom spoke with angels of God. We don't have all the answers to the questions raised and faith has to play a HUGE part in our belief. We need to believe that God does speak to us through His word. He's given us His word, the Words of His Son, He's given us so much and we need to realize how blessed we are to have these words. We can't lament the desire to be a prophet and have that direct communication with God through His angels when we have so much of His word that many years and years ago never ever had. Just realizing that we are so incredibly blessed is important and we need to listen...really listen to God speak to us through His word, through His prophets... through His love.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord now and forever.
Amen.
Zec 1:9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
The word of the Lord came to His prophets. We know that God spoke to various prophets throughout time and that word often came by angels.
'...and the angel that talked with me said...'
It's amazing to think about angels talking to people like you and I in the respect that those people were human just as you and I are human. God chose these men and women for His purposes and not all of them were willing to just go off and prophesize for Him- remember Jonah? The men and women God chose to speak to His people for Him were blessed but they suffered in that blessing as so often happens with men and women chosen by God. We want God to use us, to accept us, and His using us sometimes translates to us as His acceptance. God has many people who love Him and are willing to be used by Him, or at least we like to believe He does. What sacrifices are we willing to make for God? Who among us would be willing to speak the words given to us by God through an angel? Most would shout yes, they'd be willing and not hesitate, right? I mean an angel of God speaking to us, speaking in such a way that you could converse back and forth with the angel, that is just something so utterly amazing it boggles the mind. God speaks to us through His word. The word He's given to men, men inspired by the Holy Spirit, men, some of whom spoke with angels of God. We don't have all the answers to the questions raised and faith has to play a HUGE part in our belief. We need to believe that God does speak to us through His word. He's given us His word, the Words of His Son, He's given us so much and we need to realize how blessed we are to have these words. We can't lament the desire to be a prophet and have that direct communication with God through His angels when we have so much of His word that many years and years ago never ever had. Just realizing that we are so incredibly blessed is important and we need to listen...really listen to God speak to us through His word, through His prophets... through His love.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord now and forever.
Amen.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Froward Generation
Deu 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
Children in whom is no faith.
Today people lack faith, real faith. The hope they have they place not in God but in mankind to prevail for them. They worry about things that are God's and believe they can cause to live or destroy the future of mankind. Placing their hopes in facts and solid, tangible things that they can see and touch, leaving no room for faith. If they do claim to have faith they claim it for themselves. They have faith in mankind. Truly even now here in the end days this generation is just as froward, just as faithless. Some people will shout that this isn't a faithless generation that there is a lot of faith, and compared to the worldly belief the true faith is very small. The faith people possess isn't in the One True God. Very few could deny we live in a VERY FROWARD GENERATION. Froward meaning--Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate. (dict) Very few could deny that each subsequent generation has deteriorated from the last. Very few could deny that faith in God has declined.
Deu 32:29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
Truth here...if people were wise and understood they would consider their latter end.
People don't consider their latter end, people don't want to consider their latter end. There are many people who don't want to consider anything that has to do with their own mortality let alone their eternal mortality. We need to consider our latter end, we ALL need to consider our latter end. We need to seek the Lord and all truth in Him. We need to believe in the righteousness of Christ to be our righteousness. We need to have faith in God, faith that life is only true life when we do have faith in God and not in ourselves or this world we live in.
By the grace of God we will have faith. May we consider our latter end, our eternal end, and in light of our eternal end may we live with our hope in life eternal with Christ, our treasures truly in heaven and not here on earth.
Amen.
Children in whom is no faith.
Today people lack faith, real faith. The hope they have they place not in God but in mankind to prevail for them. They worry about things that are God's and believe they can cause to live or destroy the future of mankind. Placing their hopes in facts and solid, tangible things that they can see and touch, leaving no room for faith. If they do claim to have faith they claim it for themselves. They have faith in mankind. Truly even now here in the end days this generation is just as froward, just as faithless. Some people will shout that this isn't a faithless generation that there is a lot of faith, and compared to the worldly belief the true faith is very small. The faith people possess isn't in the One True God. Very few could deny we live in a VERY FROWARD GENERATION. Froward meaning--Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate. (dict) Very few could deny that each subsequent generation has deteriorated from the last. Very few could deny that faith in God has declined.
Deu 32:29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
Truth here...if people were wise and understood they would consider their latter end.
People don't consider their latter end, people don't want to consider their latter end. There are many people who don't want to consider anything that has to do with their own mortality let alone their eternal mortality. We need to consider our latter end, we ALL need to consider our latter end. We need to seek the Lord and all truth in Him. We need to believe in the righteousness of Christ to be our righteousness. We need to have faith in God, faith that life is only true life when we do have faith in God and not in ourselves or this world we live in.
By the grace of God we will have faith. May we consider our latter end, our eternal end, and in light of our eternal end may we live with our hope in life eternal with Christ, our treasures truly in heaven and not here on earth.
Amen.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Failure- Never Giving Up
We may, indeed, be sure that perfect chastity-like perfect charity-will
not be attained by any merely human efforts. You must ask for God's help.
Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help,
or less help than you need, is being given. Never mind. After each failure,
ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first
helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always
trying again. For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness,
or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul
which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and
teaches us to depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust
ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not
despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. The only fatal
thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.
Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
We fail. We not only fail, we fail miserably. We fail terribly and often. We fail and that failure brings disgrace, despair, anger, confusion, you name it failure is no stranger to every human being in existence. When we fail we have to deal with that failure. It's so easy to give up when it seems all we ever do is fail, and that all we will ever continue to do is fail.
C.S. Lewis says it clearly enough- Very often what God first helps us towards is NOT the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.
Always trying again.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Let us LAY aside every weight
Lay aside the...
Sin which easily besets us
Run with PATIENCE the race that is set before us.
PATIENCE.
Endurance, tolerance, perserving
ALWAYS TRYING AGAIN.
We have to have FAITH.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
Things HOPED for... you hope for what you DON'T have.
We truly need to believe that our failures are stepping stones. Sometimes we slip right off the stones and have to start all over again. Sometimes we do have an achievement it spurs us on, but then sometimes we turn around and lose that achievement and then some.
We MUST grow a faith in Christ, not ourselves. Our hope must be in GOD, never us, never. We don't achieve- God achieves through us.
Again C.S. Lewis said it nicely-- We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven.
May God help us to keep hoping, to have patience, to have faith, to trust solely in Him now and always. May our failures not lead us to despair but have us turning to God asking forgiveness and trusting in Him...
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
AMEN.
not be attained by any merely human efforts. You must ask for God's help.
Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help,
or less help than you need, is being given. Never mind. After each failure,
ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first
helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always
trying again. For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness,
or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul
which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and
teaches us to depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust
ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not
despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. The only fatal
thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.
Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
We fail. We not only fail, we fail miserably. We fail terribly and often. We fail and that failure brings disgrace, despair, anger, confusion, you name it failure is no stranger to every human being in existence. When we fail we have to deal with that failure. It's so easy to give up when it seems all we ever do is fail, and that all we will ever continue to do is fail.
C.S. Lewis says it clearly enough- Very often what God first helps us towards is NOT the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.
Always trying again.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Let us LAY aside every weight
Lay aside the...
Sin which easily besets us
Run with PATIENCE the race that is set before us.
PATIENCE.
Endurance, tolerance, perserving
ALWAYS TRYING AGAIN.
We have to have FAITH.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
Things HOPED for... you hope for what you DON'T have.
We truly need to believe that our failures are stepping stones. Sometimes we slip right off the stones and have to start all over again. Sometimes we do have an achievement it spurs us on, but then sometimes we turn around and lose that achievement and then some.
We MUST grow a faith in Christ, not ourselves. Our hope must be in GOD, never us, never. We don't achieve- God achieves through us.
Again C.S. Lewis said it nicely-- We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven.
May God help us to keep hoping, to have patience, to have faith, to trust solely in Him now and always. May our failures not lead us to despair but have us turning to God asking forgiveness and trusting in Him...
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
AMEN.
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