Confession & Steps to Christ Pt 4

   

Confession. If I told you that I had a confession to make what would your first thought be? If you told me you had a confession to make my first thought would be - 'Oh dear, what did they do?' Confessions are usually reserved for wrong doings, but not always. People have confessed to doing good things as well- the confession part being admitting they were a part of that thing whatever it was.  I confess, I'm hungry. I confess, I'm scared. I confess, I'm bored.  A confession is an admittance and most of the time when someone tells you they have to confess something it's not a good thing they are getting ready to admit to, of course this is just my experience. I can't say it's happened too often but it has happened- people have made confessions to me of some wrongdoing on their behalf and they've asked for my forgiveness. On the other hand, I've had to make confessions to people myself- admitting to some wrong doing and asking forgiveness.  It's not super easy for me to ask for forgiveness from others. I have to admit a wrong doing and I detest doing wrong. Even if the wrong is a complete mistake on my part, I still despise admitting I made that mistake. My pride gets in my way. I don't like to be thought bad of in any way. Is this a trait common to most of humanity? We don't like owning up to wrong doing, especially if that wrong doing has had grave consequences. Being wrong, hurting others even unintentionally is something we don't like to do, we just don't. 

Recently my sister posted something on FB about the words we speak and I came back with a Bible verse about the tongue being a wicked member- 

(Jas 3:5)  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

Our words can wound, they can heal, they can bring laughter and tears. Using our words to confess is something so very important. Being able to admit to others our mistakes, our wrongs, this is truly a good thing - not the horrible thing we shun because we need to feel above doing wrong or making mistakes. 

My husband was a proud man. If you knew him then you know that's true. If he felt he was right about something he stuck to his guns and there was no convincing him otherwise without absolute proof. Jerry liked to see things in black and white, with just a few gray areas. I see a lot of gray.  Both of us over the course of our twenty seven years together were right about things and wrong about others. Was it easy admitting to wrong? No. When you tend to be more right than wrong it should be even harder to admit to being wrong- shouldn't it?  Not for Jerry, not in my experiences with Him. I was always amazed at his ability to admit to a wrong when there was no doubt about that wrong. He would admit to it as a matter-of-fact, because it was that- a fact. He'd apologize if he'd been pressing the fact of being right, and he'd do so without any hemming or hawing, and then it would be over and done with.  I remember one of his last apologies to me.  I'd moved things around in his absence in the rehabs and hospitals but never did I intentionally misplace anything. If something had been on his desk I tried to make sure it went back on his desk if removed.  Just two days ago my son was setting up the tv in my room with the Firestick Jerry had bought awhile back because we have no cable etc. As he was setting it up I handed him the Firestick and said I remember your dad couldn't find this and he kept after me about moving things, and where I could have placed it ( I have a feeling I've written about this before lol)  well hours later after I'd searched everywhere I could think of and had to give up for lack of being able to find it, he nonchalantly said- "Btw the way I found the Firestick it was behind the tv stand on the desk. Sorry."  I had asked if he checked his desk, he'd told me he had. I told him I couldn't imagine not putting it back on the desk, and it was there, on the desk but just out of sight. He apologized, he'd been wrong. Did he have to apologize? No. No one HAS to apologize. We choose to apologize when we do something that warrants an apology. Jerry had no problem apologizing to me when he was wrong.  I heard him apologize to the kids for things, I heard him apologize to others, it was just something he did. He didn't feel all the mixed up crazy emotions that I feel when I have to apologize for wrong doing. Why? I don't know. 

I've gotten a bit off track- confession doesn't necessarily equate with an apology.  We can admit to a wrong doing without feeling remorse for a wrong we've done. I know I've don’t that before- gone on the defensive for all the reasons why I did that wrong thing and if those reasons hadn't been there why I wouldn't have done the wrong. You know what I'm talking about, at least I think you might.

Confession and repentance- confession and remorse- I can confess to a wrong and feel remorse without repenting of it.  Repenting means not wanting to do that wrong again, striving against doing that wrong, knowing the wrong is something that needs to be done away with not encouraged or excused.  If I feel remorse but have no intention of keeping from that wrong doing in the future, am I truly repenting of it? 

Paul the Apostle cried out how awful it was that he'd do what he didn't want to do! Paul felt that remorse for the sins of his flesh and He did not want to do them! Paul wanted help not to do them and was frustrated because he felt powerless to stop himself from the wrong. He knew there was one he could go to that would help him and he knew that he had to go to this person every single day of his life!  There was no acceptance of a single wrong doing in his life, it was confessed, repented of and there was a struggle to keep from doing it again. 

Our salvation is in Christ alone, it is Him alone who will give us what we need in our lives to someday be without sin. When He returns, He will have perfected His people and they won't even know it at all.  We must constantly, daily turned to our Savior recognizing our need of salvation from all the sins that so easily beset us. We can't cherish a single sin! War against sin, a real war, not a façade of a war. Let the heart cry out it's confession, it's remorse, it's repentance even as it pleads to be renewed, to have a new heart created within. 

God, please help us all to confess sincerely, to seek repentance through the Holy Spirit's conviction upon our hearts of all our sins- the tiniest and the largest. Please Lord, let us ever seek YOU our only SAVIOR- we cannot save ourselves we are helpless to do so! Live in us, work in us, let us be Yours now and forever! All in Your name! Thank you! All glory, honor and praise to You!  Now and forever!!!!!!! Amen.

Steps to Christ

'Chap. 4 - Confession 

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13.

The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy.  The apostle says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16.

Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer. The case is brought before the only true Mediator, our great High Priest, who "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," and who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniquity. Hebrews 4:15.

 Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of, and have not with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our sins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgiveness of sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God. The only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth. Explicit instruction is given concerning this matter. Confession of sin, whether public or private, should be heartfelt and freely expressed. It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. The psalmist says, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18.  True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty. 

 In the days of Samuel the Israelites wandered from God. They were suffering the consequences of sin; for they had lost their faith in God, lost their discernment of His power and wisdom to rule the nation, lost their confidence in His ability to defend and vindicate His cause. They turned from the great Ruler of the universe and desired to be governed as were the nations around them. Before they found peace they made this definite confession: "We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king." 1 Samuel 12:19. The very sin of which they were convicted had to be confessed. Their ingratitude oppressed their souls and severed them from God. 

Confession will not be acceptable to God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. The work that we have to do on our part is plainly set before us: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." Isaiah 1:16, 17. "If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die." Ezekiel 33:15. Paul says, speaking of the work of repentance: "Ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." 2 Corinthians 7:11.

 When sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character nor realize the enormity of the evil he has committed; and unless he yields to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit he remains in partial blindness to his sin. His confessions are not sincere and in earnest. To every acknowledgment of his guilt he adds an apology in excuse of his course, declaring that if it had not been for certain circumstances he would not have done this or that for which he is reproved.

 After Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, they were filled with a sense of shame and terror. At first their only thought was how to excuse their sin and escape the dreaded sentence of death. When the Lord inquired concerning their sin, Adam replied, laying the guilt partly upon God and partly upon his companion: "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." The woman put the blame upon the serpent, saying, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Genesis 3: 12, 13. Why did You make the serpent? Why did You suffer him to come into Eden? These were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin, thus charging God with the responsibility of their fall. The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Confessions of this order are not inspired by the divine Spirit and will not be acceptable to God. True repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy. Like the poor publican, not lifting up so much as his eyes unto heaven, he will cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and those who do acknowledge their guilt will be justified, for Jesus will plead His blood in behalf of the repentant soul. 

 The examples in God's word of genuine repentance and humiliation reveal a spirit of confession in which there is no excuse for sin or attempt at self-justification. Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in its darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his guilt. He says, "Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities." Acts 26: 10, 11. He does not hesitate to declare that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15. 

 The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.'

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A Sheep, A Sinner.

 The woman at the well, the one who had five husbands and was living with a man, not married to  him, Jesus loved her. Jesus revealed His Messiah-ship to her and she believed. Jesus didn't start to reprimand the woman about her life choices. Jesus didn't wait for an upstanding married woman to converse with. Jesus spoke to a woman living a life as an outcast because of her sins. Why do you suppose Jesus made a point to go to the blatant sinners? Because the blatant sinners aren't hiding their sinfulness behind a cloak of self-righteousness. We need to recognize our sinfulness.

I read something recently about the fact that it was a full grown sheep that the good shepherd went to find- not a lamb. That realization hit home for me. I have a picture in my front entranceway of Jesus reaching down to save a lost sheep who was perched precariously on the side of a mountain. I stopped to look at that picture with the realization it was a sheep- one who knew better than to wander, one who was old enough to have spent time learning the ways of the herd. The sheep knew it had a good, protected life under the shepherd but it still wandered off. Am I giving the sheep too much intelligence, perhaps. I've never been a sheep herder, and unless I google it I won't know too much about them, but right now I don't want to google sheep behavior. I know that a shepherd guards the sheep- leading them to places to eat and drink, keeping them safe from predators, and then leads them to a safe pen at night. The shepherd is a caregiver and protector. Being cared for, being protected, these are good things. The adult sheep that wandered off was valued by the shepherd. The foolish sheep was valued by the shepherd.  I don't know about you, but I do know I need my Shepherd to save me daily. I'm that old, chubby, scruffy, wandering sheep that is in need of protection, in need of saving, in need of being cared for in the way only my Savior can care for me. I depend upon my Shepherd for everything, for my very life and I can't let myself forget this.  The Good Shepherd reaching down to save me, His sheep, this is a constant in my life, a knowledge of salvation only through Him. The evil of this world would have me forget my dependency upon Jesus, I must NEVER forget!

Joh 4:1  When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 

Joh 4:2  (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 

Joh 4:3  He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 

Joh 4:4  And he must needs go through Samaria. 

Joh 4:5  Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 

Joh 4:6  Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 

Joh 4:7  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 

Joh 4:8  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 

Joh 4:9  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 

Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 

Joh 4:11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 

Joh 4:12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 

Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 

Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 

Joh 4:15  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 

Joh 4:16  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 

Joh 4:17  The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 

Joh 4:18  For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 

Joh 4:19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 

Joh 4:20  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

Joh 4:25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 

Joh 4:26  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 

Joh 4:27  And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 

Joh 4:28  The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 

Joh 4:29  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 

Joh 4:30  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 

Joh 4:31  In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 

Joh 4:32  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 

Joh 4:33  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 

Joh 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 

Joh 4:35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 

Joh 4:36  And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 

Joh 4:37  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 

Joh 4:38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. 

Joh 4:39  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 

Joh 4:40  So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 

Joh 4:41  And many more believed because of his own word; 

Joh 4:42  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. 

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 

All through the love of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!!!!! Amen!   

That I May Win Christ.

 Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ

BBE so that I may have Christ as my reward

ASV that I may gain Christ

CEV All I want is Christ

KJV that I may win Christ

Win Christ, gain Christ, Christ as a reward…  If I told you that you could win the lottery of over several billion dollars but only if you gave up everything in your life right now- everything. Family, friends, work, past times, hobbies, all your material possessions and I mean all and I mean everything. The only thing you could do is walk into a room put on the clothes provided, leaving your old clothing behind, then walk into another room and take the billions of dollars and leave without ever contacting anyone in your past life from that moment on, would you do it? Would you give up EVERYTHING for that kind of a reward? I imagine it would depend on the life you have right now, right? If you're single, alone, living in desperate straits, no family etc then this sort of reward would be pretty easy for you to take. If you have a loving family, a wonderful career, amazing hobbies, possessions dating back several generations passed down now residing in your gorgeous home- it might be a bit harder to give up for any amount of money. There are numerous movies with this sort of theme- and inevitably in a lot of those movies the person ends up choosing their loved ones over the money- realizing no amount of money will take the place of a loved one. Real life? Fairy tale? Somewhere in-between real life and fairy tale? What you've won will come at a price, but are you willing to pay the price for what you are to win.

Could you, like the Apostle Paul, count every single thing as being garbage, as being dung if you will, except to know Christ Jesus as your Savior?  Paul did give up a wonderful life as a respected Pharisee with a promising career ahead of him. He had the respect of his peers and elders and was a perfect Jewish citizen, a God-fearing man to the letter. He gave it all up, all of it so he could win Christ. 

Today I had a little technological scare. I turned on my laptop and proceeded to open various programs only to realize that my Onenote program icon was no longer there in the taskbar at the bottom of my laptop where it has been since I set up this laptop quite a few years back now.  Okay, where'd it go? Why wasn't it there where it belongs? Fine, it's just an icon, I'll go open the program from the start menu list. 

No, I won't, it's not there? So, where did my Onenote go? It was there last night when I turned off my laptop and went to bed. I use it every single day, in fact it's where I write all my notes, blogs, stories etc. I have so much history in my Onenote- so many things - all my Christmas notes for many years, recipes, personal letters, ideas, my care taking of my dying mother, notes on Jerry, the kids and so much more. So many things I've read and studied all right there at my fingertips to click on whenever I please. So, where is my Onenote?! How could the whole entire program just disappear overnight?!  Forcing myself not to panic, panic is never a good idea, I contacted my tech support (my son) and had him come to my rescue- or so I'd hoped.  

Me: Matt, where's my Onenote?

Matt: Gone.

Me: Gone where?

Matt: I don't know.

Me: It was there last night when I turned off the laptop.

Matt: I don't know. (Matt doing all kinds of techy things to my laptop)

Me: What am I going to do? I mean, where…

Matt: I don't know.  There are no odd events that happening during the time you said you were on it last night and when you turned it off.

Me: What's that mean?

Matt: It means I don't know what happened.

Me:

Matt: Maybe a virus.

Me: Uhoh.

Matt: Whatever happened it is totally gone.

Me: Uhoh. Okay, okay… there was so much stuff on there.

Matt: I did tell you to start backing up stuff to Dad's laptop, you knew yours was acting wonky. (He didn't say wonky but the equivalent)

Me: I was backing stuff up, I did some, I didn’t know how to import those files, and… there was so much stuff on there.

Matt: I'm reinstalling the program.

Me: There was so much stuff on there, if all of it is gone… ah well, it'll be okay. It'll be okay. It's only stuff. It'll be fine.

Matt: Okay, I reinstalled it….

Me: Do you think the stuff might be in the cloud?

Matt: If you saved it there.

Me: Did I save it…

Matt: I don't know where you save things.

Me: There was so much stuff on there.

Matt: Okay…it wants to know if you want to open 16 notebook files.

Me: IT'S THERE?!

Matt: Do you want to…

Me: All of them, open all of them!

Matt: Okay. (Hands me the laptop)

Me: (Tries to open one of the notebooks) There's nothing in it!

Matt: Try another one.

Me: (Tries another one)Nothing in that one either… or this one, or…. Oh no, there was so much stuff in there.

Matt: Hold on.

Me:  (Holding on)

Matt: Here… (takes the lap top, does some things hands it back)

Me: They're here! It's all here! So much stuff is here! All that stuff is here! 

Matt: Good.

Me:  But why did it do that? Where did it go? I don't understand…

Matt: Just back things up. 

Talk about giving up all things for Christ. Talking about counting all things dung/garbage but winning Christ. Talk about my entire life- just how much could I, would I, give up if I had to, to win Christ?  You might sit there and think we'll never have to make that choice, and we might not- but how much would we be willing to give up?  It's easy to sit here and say I'd give up every single thing in my life to win Christ, all the while knowing I'm not going to be asked to give up my life, my family, etc.  It's a whole other thing when you truly do have to make that choice. Today there are people that have to make this choice. People who are being beheaded, shot, tortured, imprisoned, all because they desire to win Christ over following the ways of those around them who choose not to follow Christ. There are people who have family member killing them, turning them into the local authorities, beating them all because they choose to win Christ. They are making the choice to win Christ KNOWING what fate could very well befall them. Do you think I'm lying? I'm not. Read the news on Christian persecution, it's a very real thing, not something from the dark ages. No, it's not like that here where I live in the United States. I'm not forced to give up things and people, and my life so I can win Christ. I am called to be willing to give up all for Christ. Just how attached am I to things? Just exactly where does Jesus rank in my life? Am I like Paul okay with giving up things so I can win Christ? Keep shaking your head and thinking I shouldn't even be letting myself think about this, but I am because this is where I've been led today.  I need to contemplate a bit more on Earthly Things vs Heavenly Things and where my God is- in heaven or my own belly, do I live to eat, drink and be merry, living just for now? Or do I live for Christ and eternity? These are weighty thoughts that must be explored. It's so easy to just sit back and do everything I want to do without a thought about where it fits into the life I'm living for eternity. God wants me to think about it though because my treasures are supposed to be in heaven- not on my laptop that has so much stuff. Even without all the stuff in my Onenote program- years of memories- I should be content to have God who never fails in my life, who I can never worry about disappearing out of my life, He should be more than enough. Yes, it would have been normal to lament the loss of 'all my stuff' but only to a point. Say what you will- we each have to answer to God in our own ways. 

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

Read the rest of that chapter in Philippians- Because our Conversation should be in heaven, of heaven, about heaven if it truly is our hope in Christ. All through HIS love now and forever! Amen!!!!!!

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

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. 

Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 

Php 3:17  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 

Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 

Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 

Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 

Recognizing Our Need For Salvation.

 A Pharisee was not some crazed cultish figure with outrageous behavior. A Pharisee was considered a respectable man of God- devout, chosen, God-fearing. A Pharisee was someone considered blessed by God, they were revered and held in the highest esteem. Pharisees were given the respect that we can equate to that given to the Pope today. I would say priests today but after all the scandals associated with priests, preachers, evangelists, men and women who are supposed to have been called by God- the respect for the clergy in most faiths- Protestant, Catholic or otherwise- isn't what it once was. 

These Pharisees supposedly blessed by God were called out by Jesus, the Son of God. Just imagine the uproar that caused. The uproar eventually grew so loud that Jesus, the Son of God, had to be murdered into what they'd hoped was a permanent silence. The murderers were supposed to be GOD'S favorite people! The murderers believed they were doing God's will by destroying Jesus, God's only Son. The murderers were not known as violent criminals with dubious backgrounds, suspicious behavior, reckless disregard for authority, and blatant breakers of the laws governing the people. These were upstanding citizens! These were pillars in the community! The murderers were known to be God fearing! 

Jesus saw beyond their outward show of religiosity. Jesus could see into their hearts! 

Today there are so incredibly many who lay claim to being God-fearing while their hearts are filled with a poison that they don't even know exists there.  None of those Pharisees believed themselves to be corrupt. None that I'm aware of that is, some suspected that's for sure. People can be poisoned in their hearts and never suspect it at all. A heart filled with pride truly blinds us to our own state of being. We need to fall to our knees, face to the ground lamenting our unclean hearts and unrenewed spirits. We need to recognize we all only wear filthy rags as our own righteousness. We must be SAVED… because we are in a situation where saving ourselves is completely impossible! Please, Lord, please, Father in Heaven, please, Holy Spirit… please search our hearts and see if there is any evil way in them and lead us in the way everlasting! Create a clean heart in us! Renew a right spirit in us! Clothe us with Your righteousness! Please! We don't want to be like a Pharisee of old believing we are God fearing when in truth we are blinded by our pride so completely we can't recognize our own awful sinfulness. We want to be Yours, Lord, we want to be YOURS now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

Mat 23:1-39  

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Continuing from Steps to Christ--

'Chap. 3 - Repentance

 How shall a man be just with God? How shall the sinner be made righteous? It is only through Christ that we can be brought into harmony with God, with holiness; but how are we to come to Christ? Many are asking the same question as did the multitude on the Day of Pentecost, when, convicted of sin, they cried out, "What shall we do?" The first word of Peter's answer was, "Repent." Acts 2:37, 38. At another time, shortly after, he said, "Repent, . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." Acts 3:19. 

Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.

There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense. They lament the suffering rather than the sin. Such was the grief of Esau when he saw that the birthright was lost to him forever. Balaam, terrified by the angel standing in his pathway with drawn sword, acknowledged his guilt lest he should lose his life; but there was no genuine repentance for sin, no conversion of purpose, no abhorrence of evil. Judas Iscariot, after betraying his  Lord, exclaimed, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." Matthew 27:4. 

The confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of judgment. The consequences that were to result to him filled him with terror, but there was no deep, heartbreaking grief in his soul, that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God and denied the Holy One of Israel. Pharaoh, when suffering under the judgments of God, acknowledged his sin in order to escape further punishment, but returned to his defiance of Heaven as soon as the plagues were stayed. These all lamented the results of sin, but did not sorrow for the sin itself. 

 But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God's holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. The "Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world," illumines the secret chambers of the soul, and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest. John 1:9. Conviction takes hold upon the mind and heart. The sinner has a sense of the righteousness of Jehovah and feels the terror of appearing, in his own guilt and uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. He sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with Heaven. 

 The prayer of David after his fall, illustrates the nature of true sorrow for sin. His repentance was sincere and deep. There was no effort to palliate his guilt; no desire to escape the judgment threatened, inspired his prayer. David saw the enormity of his transgression; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. He longed for the joy of holiness--to be restored to harmony and communion with God. This was the language of his soul: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile." Psalm 32:1, 2. "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness: According unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. . . . For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. . . . Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. . . . Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; And uphold me with Thy free spirit. . . . Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation: And my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness." Psalm 51:1-14. 

 A repentance such as this, is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ, who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men. 

 Just here is a point on which many may err, and hence they fail of receiving the help that Christ desires to give them. They think that they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent, and that repentance prepares for the forgiveness of their sins. It is true that repentance does precede the forgiveness of sins; for it is only the broken and contrite heart that will feel the need of a Saviour. But must the sinner wait till he has repented before he can come to Jesus? Is repentance to be made an obstacle between the sinner and the Saviour? 

 The Bible does not teach that the sinner must repent before he can heed the invitation of Christ, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ, that leads to genuine repentance. Peter made the matter clear in his statement to the Israelites when he said, "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts 5:31. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ.

Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin. Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our own sinfulness, is an evidence that His Spirit is moving upon our hearts. 

 Jesus has said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul.

 It is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their sinful ways, and give up some of their evil habits, before they are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever they make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them. An influence of which they are unconscious works upon the soul, and the conscience is quickened, and the outward life is amended. And as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to behold Him whom their sins have pierced, the commandment comes home to the conscience. The wickedness of their life, the deep-seated sin of the soul, is revealed to them. They begin to comprehend something of the righteousness of Christ, and exclaim, "What is sin, that it should require such a sacrifice for the redemption of its victim? Was all this love, all this suffering, all this humiliation, demanded, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life?"

 The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to Jesus; a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the sufferings of God's dear Son. 

The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of God is pleading with them to seek for those things that alone can give peace and rest--the grace of Christ, the joy of holiness. Through influences seen and unseen, our Saviour is constantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may be theirs in Him. To all these souls, who are vainly seeking to drink from the broken cisterns of this world, the divine message is addressed, "Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17.  

You who in heart long for something better than this world can give, recognize this longing as the voice of God to your soul. Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christ to you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity. In the Saviour's life the principles of God's law--love to God and man--were perfectly exemplified. Benevolence, unselfish love, was the life of His soul. It is as we behold Him, as the light from our Saviour falls upon us, that we see the sinfulness of our own hearts. 

We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner: but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall see how impure we are; we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness.

 One ray of the glory of God, one gleam of the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character. It makes apparent the unhallowed desires, the infidelity of the heart, the impurity of the lips. The sinner's acts of disloyalty in making void the law of God, are exposed to his sight, and his spirit is stricken and afflicted under the searching influence of the Spirit of God. He loathes himself as he views the pure, spotless character of Christ. 

 When the prophet Daniel beheld the glory surrounding the heavenly messenger that was sent unto him, he was overwhelmed with a sense of his own weakness and imperfection. Describing the effect of the wonderful scene, he says, "There remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength." Daniel 10:8. The soul thus touched will hate its selfishness, abhor its self-love, and will seek, through Christ's righteousness, for the purity of heart that is in harmony with the law of God and the character of Christ. 

Paul says that as "touching the righteousness which is in the law"--as far as outward acts were concerned --he was "blameless" (Philippians 3:6); but when the spiritual character of the law was discerned, he saw himself a sinner. Judged by the letter of the law as men apply it to the outward life, he had abstained from sin; but when he looked into the depths of its holy precepts, and saw himself as God saw him, he bowed in humiliation and confessed his guilt. He says, "I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Romans 7:9. When he saw the spiritual nature of the law, sin appeared in its true hideousness, and his self-esteem was gone. 

God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of man; but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man's judgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. He who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give. 

 The poor publican who prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13), regarded himself as a very wicked man, and others looked upon him in the same light; but he felt his need, and with his burden of guilt and shame he came before God, asking for His mercy. His heart was open for the Spirit of God to do its gracious work and set him free from the power of sin. The Pharisee's boastful, self-righteous prayer showed that his heart was closed against the influence of the Holy Spirit. Because of his distance from God, he had no sense of his own defilement, in contrast with the perfection of the divine holiness. He felt no need, and he received nothing.  

If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself better. How many there are who think they are not good enough to come to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own efforts? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jeremiah 13:23. There is help for us only in God. We must not wait for stronger persuasions, for better opportunities, or for holier tempers. We can do nothing of ourselves. We must come to Christ just as we are. 

But let none deceive themselves with the thought that God, in His great love and mercy, will yet save even the rejecters of His grace. The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the light of the cross. When men urge that God is too good to cast off the sinner, let them look to Calvary. It was because there was no other way in which man could be saved, because without this sacrifice it was impossible for the human race to escape from the defiling power of sin, and be restored to communion with holy beings,--impossible for them again to become partakers of spiritual life,--it was because of this that Christ took upon Himself the guilt of the disobedient and suffered in the sinner's stead. The love and suffering and death of the Son of God all testify to the terrible enormity of sin and declare that there is no escape from its power, no hope of the higher life, but through the submission of the soul to Christ. 

The impenitent sometimes excuse themselves by saying of professed Christians, "I am as good as they are. They are no more self-denying, sober, or circumspect in their conduct than I am. They love pleasure and self-indulgence as well as I do." Thus they make the faults of others an excuse for their own neglect of duty. But the sins and defects of others do not excuse anyone, for the Lord has not given us an erring human pattern. The spotless Son of God has been given as our example, and those who complain of the wrong course of professed Christians are the ones who should show better lives and nobler examples. If they have so high a conception of what a Christian should be, is not their own sin so much the greater? They know what is right, and yet refuse to do it. 

 Beware of procrastination. Do not put off the work of forsaking your sins and seeking purity of heart through Jesus. Here is where thousands upon thousands have erred to their eternal loss. I will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but there is a terrible danger--a danger not sufficiently understood--in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God's Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this delay really is. Sin, however small it may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction. 

Adam and Eve persuaded themselves that in so small a matter as eating of the forbidden fruit there could not result such terrible consequences as God had declared. But this small matter was the transgression of God's immutable and holy law, and it separated man from God and opened the floodgates of death and untold woe upon our world. Age after age there has gone up from our earth a continual cry of mourning, and the whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain as a consequence of man's disobedience. Heaven itself has felt the effects of his rebellion against God. Calvary stands as a memorial of the amazing sacrifice required to atone for the transgression of the divine law. Let us not regard sin as a trivial thing.

 Every act of transgression, every neglect or rejection of the grace of Christ, is reacting upon yourself; it is hardening the heart, depraving the will, benumbing the understanding, and not only making you less inclined to yield, but less capable of yielding, to the tender pleading of God's Holy Spirit. 

Many are quieting a troubled conscience with the thought that they can change a course of evil when they choose; that they can trifle with the invitations of mercy, and yet be again and again impressed. They think that after doing despite to the Spirit of grace, after casting their influence on the side of Satan, in a moment of terrible extremity they can change their course. But this is not so easily done. The experience, the education, of a lifetime, has so thoroughly molded the character that few then desire to receive the image of Jesus. 

Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. Every sinful indulgence strengthens the soul's aversion to God. The man who manifests an infidel hardihood, or a stolid indifference to divine truth, is but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown. In all the Bible there is not a more fearful warning against trifling with evil than the words of the wise man that the sinner "shall be holden with the cords of his sins." Proverbs 5:22.

Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the will itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be set free, if we will not accept His grace, what more can He do? We have destroyed ourselves by our determined rejection of His love. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." "Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:7, 8. {SC 34.2} "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart"--the human heart, with its conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow; the wandering, wayward heart, which is the abode of so much impurity and deceit. 1 Samuel 16:7. He knows its motives, its very intents and purposes. Go to Him with your soul all stained as it is. Like the psalmist, throw its chambers open to the all-seeing eye, exclaiming, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139: 23, 24.

 Many accept an intellectual religion, a form of godliness, when the heart is not cleansed. Let it be your prayer, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10. Deal truly with your own soul. Be as earnest, as persistent, as you would be if your mortal life were at stake. This is a matter to be settled between God and your own soul, settled for eternity. A supposed hope, and nothing more, will prove your ruin. 

 Study God's word prayerfully. That word presents before you, in the law of God and the life of Christ, the great principles of holiness, without which "no man shall see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14. It convinces of sin; it plainly reveals the way of salvation. Give heed to it as the voice of God speaking to your soul. 

 As you see the enormity of sin, as you see yourself as you really are, do not give up to despair. It was sinners that Christ came to save. We have not to reconcile God to us, but--O wondrous love!--God in Christ is "reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Corinthians 5:19. He is wooing by His tender love the hearts of His erring children. No earthly parent could be as patient with the faults and mistakes of his children, as is God with those He seeks to save. No one could plead more tenderly with the transgressor. No human lips ever poured out more tender entreaties to the wanderer than does He. All His promises, His warnings, are but the breathing of unutterable love. 

 When Satan comes to tell you that you are a great sinner, look up to your Redeemer and talk of His merits. That which will help you is to look to His light. Acknowledge your sin, but tell the enemy that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" and that you may be saved by His matchless love. 1 Timothy 1:15. Jesus asked Simon a question in regard to two debtors. One owed his lord a small sum, and the other owed him a very large sum; but he forgave them both, and Christ asked Simon which debtor would love his lord most. Simon answered, "He to whom he forgave most." Luke 7:43. We have been great sinners, but Christ died that we might be forgiven. The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf. Those to whom He has forgiven most will love Him most, and will stand nearest to His throne to praise Him for His great love and infinite sacrifice. It is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of sin. When we see the length of the chain that was let down for us, when we understand something of the infinite sacrifice that Christ has made in our behalf, the heart is melted with tenderness and contrition.'

The Ladder Between Earth and Heaven.

 Tonight I'm going to post an excerpt from a book called- 'Steps to Christ.' I know a lot of my friends and family already have amazing relationships with Christ and I praise, and thank God for that blessing. Forty years ago I read this book and I've gone over it a few times in my posts/blog whatever you want to call these things I write, but I want to continue going over it. I posted Chapter 1 back on June 20, and I just got sidetracked from continuing. 

I hope you get a chance to read this, it's not something that can force you to take a single step towards Christ if that isn't your inclination, if you just don't believe in Christ at all. Yes, it's called Steps to Christ- but the journey is one of the heart- and not a single word written in this book can cause you to make that journey. I don't know what your reason might be for wanting to read it- I would love if it were to gain even a tiny bit of possible new insight that God might desire for you to have- if there is insight possible. I would think it amazing if you wanted to take a chance on reading it simply to find out if you like it- or not. 

Long and short of it, I can't make a single person read this and I don't want to make anyone read a single thing. I can hope you'll read it and take from it what you will, but that's all I can do. They are just words on a computer/tablet/phone screen but they speak of the Word that was made flesh. Almost sounds like a beginning of a fantasy tale-- Sit down, let me tell you a story. Long ago, in a place further away and yet closer than you can imagine lived the Word. Yes, a living Word. How is that possible? How can the Word live? Well, that's not the part of the story I want to tell just yet, I want to jump ahead to the moment the Word became flesh!

Ah, yes, the beginning of an exciting reality for all that people might want to believe it mere fantasy.

Read on- and may God bless you deeply with the pure enlightenment that only He can give. May the Holy Spirit bring comfort to you by opening up truth to your heart.  All through the of my Lord and Savior, may God the Father's will be done, now and forever- amen!

Book Excerpt:  Steps to Christ--

'Chap. 2 - The Sinner's Need of Christ

 Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience, his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. He was made captive by Satan, and would have remained so forever had not God specially interposed. It was the tempter's purpose to thwart the divine plan in man's creation, and fill the earth with woe and desolation. And he would point to all this evil as the result of God's work in creating man.

In his sinless state, man held joyful communion with Him "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3. But after his sin, he could no longer find joy in holiness, and he sought to hide from the presence of God. Such is still the condition of the unrenewed heart. It is not in harmony with God, and finds no joy in communion with Him.

 The sinner could not be happy in God's presence; he would shrink from the companionship of holy beings. Could he be permitted to enter heaven, it would have no joy for him.

 The spirit of unselfish love that reigns there --every heart responding to the heart of Infinite Love --would touch no answering chord in his soul. His thoughts, his interests, his motives, would be alien to  those that actuate the sinless dwellers there. He would be a discordant note in the melody of heaven. Heaven would be to him a place of torture; he would long to be hidden from Him who is its light, and the center of its joy. It is no arbitrary decree on the part of God that excludes the wicked from heaven; they are shut out by their own unfitness for its companionship. The glory of God would be to them a consuming fire. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them. 

 It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken.

 Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Job 14:4; Romans 8:7. 

Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.

 The Saviour said, "Except a man be born from above," unless he shall receive a new heart, new desires, purposes, and motives, leading to a new life, "he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3, margin. The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." 1 Corinthians 2:14; John 3:7. Of Christ it is written, "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men"--the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." John 1:4; Acts 4:12. It is not enough to perceive the loving-kindness of God, to see the benevolence, the fatherly tenderness, of His character. It is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of His law, to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle of love. Paul the apostle saw all this when he exclaimed, "I consent unto the law that it is good." "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." But he added, in the bitterness of his soul-anguish and despair, "I am carnal, sold under sin." Romans 7:16, 12, 14. He longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was powerless to attain, and cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24, margin. Such is the cry that has gone up from burdened hearts in all lands and in all ages. To all, there is but one answer, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. 

 Many are the figures by which the Spirit of God has sought to illustrate this truth, and make it plain to souls that long to be freed from the burden of guilt. When, after his sin in deceiving Esau, Jacob fled from his father's home, he was weighed down with a sense of guilt. Lonely and outcast as he was, separated from all that had made life dear, the one thought that above all others pressed upon his soul, was the fear that his sin had cut him off from God, that he was forsaken of Heaven. In sadness he lay down to rest on the bare earth, around him only the lonely hills, and above, the heavens bright with stars. As he slept, a strange light broke upon his vision; and lo, from the plain on which he lay, vast shadowy stairs seemed to lead upward to the very gates of heaven, and upon them angels of God were passing up and down; while from the glory above, the divine voice was heard in a message of comfort and hope. Thus was made known to Jacob that which met the need and longing of his soul--a Saviour. With joy and gratitude he saw revealed a way by which he, a sinner, could be restored to communion with God. The mystic ladder of his dream represented Jesus, the only medium of communication between God and man. 

 This is the same figure to which Christ referred in His conversation with Nathanael, when He said, "Ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John 1:51. In the apostasy, man alienated himself from God; earth was cut off from heaven. Across the gulf that lay between, there could be no communion. But through Christ, earth is again linked with heaven. With His own merits, Christ has bridged the gulf which sin had made, so that the ministering angels can hold communion with man. Christ connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness with the Source of infinite power.

But in vain are men's dreams of progress, in vain all efforts for the uplifting of humanity, if they neglect the one Source of hope and help for the fallen race. "Every good gift and every perfect gift" (James 1:17) is from God. There is no true excellence of character apart from Him. And the only way to God is Christ. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6. 

 The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour's life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,--all are enlisted in behalf of man's redemption.  

Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and energy that Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father's house. Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful, could never be brought into operation; the exceeding rewards for right-doing, the enjoyment of heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages--are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart's loving service to our Creator and Redeemer? 

And, on the other hand, the judgments of God pronounced against sin, the inevitable retribution, the degradation of our character, and the final destruction, are presented in God's word to warn us against the service of Satan. 

Shall we not regard the mercy of God? What more could He do? Let us place ourselves in right relation to Him who has loved us with amazing love. Let us avail ourselves of the means provided for us that we may be transformed into His likeness, and be restored to fellowship with the ministering angels, to harmony and communion with the Father and the Son.'

Pierce the Darkness of My Cocoon.

 Faith- in the face of trial and tribulation, in spite of a cloud of depression hovering over life trying to slink its way downwards to blanket me in a cocoon of darkness. Faith assails the creeping night creature with its brightness of hope. The light scorches the dark forcing it to give way just enough for a single golden beam to cut through, basking my heart with its life infusing balm. The light reminds me that hope comes from without, not within. 

Desperation seeks for normalcy from within only to find emptiness where there was once fulness and sadness where there had been joy. The hope comes from outside seeking entrance, I don't need to find hope within to fill the strangeness, I must let the hope come to me. I've become a stranger to myself, a stranger seeking familiarity where nothing is the same. 

My sister told me when she lost her beloved husband fifteen years ago- that she didn't know who she was anymore- how frightening it is to know who you are one day and the next you've lost such an integral part of you- you become unrecognizable.

I'm not me anymore. 

Faith tells me my Savior is the same even if I've been set on a course of unexpected and unwanted metamorphosis. Thrust into my cocoon of darkness I know beautiful things will take place inside, unseen, as my Lord works in me, so that I may be like Him, and I shall see Him as He is when He returns! Darkness may surround me in many ways but the darkness cannot defeat the light within my heart. The cocoon piercing shaft of light from my Savior's love- put there by Him daily- my hope coming into me from without- I don't have to strive to manufacture my own hope, I need faith to receive and He gives me all the faith I need.  

All praise, glory and honor unto my Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

1Jn_3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Joh 1:12  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: 

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

A Moment of Inspirational Realization.

 The beauty in a moment of realization is a very precious thing to be treasured. We don't pause often enough to savor a moment of peace, of gratitude, of love.  They say to treasure what you have, that you don't know how long you'll have it. They say not to take things for granted, you don't know when they'll be gone. They- whoever they are- the wise ol' people who live just to say wise tidbits I suppose- have a lot to say about life. I see memes galore recently from many 'pages I might like' giving me sage advice about life. We all know once we post something pertinent to pages their little hidden bot thingees are there to grab up the knowledge and get you into their ginormous databases just to be able to slap you in the face with their pages they want you to like- over and over again until you post something that yet another bot spy finds more relevant and they replace the old slaps with new fresh ones that are eager to draw you in, just for a click on their page- of course they always want more than a single click. 

Ah, I digress terribly. Those truly wise sayings about life being very precious aren't bad things at all. We need to be reminded of it and often because the world we live in wants us to focus more on WORK, more on PLAY, more on SELF AWARENESS. Now, you might be saying that self-awareness is a good thing to focus on but you know what? It's not, not really- not to the point the only thing you are really focused on is self. The simple- how are you today gets us believing we should be fine, just fine- so anything less than fine, just fine, makes us believe our lives aren't quite up to the snuff they are supposed to be. I could talk in circles about all this, I could go on and on endlessly, but the bottom line is - while we're waiting for our lives to be better they are simply marching on. 

Many people live lives of pure mental, emotional and physical agony- it's true. Right now I can almost guarantee there are several people in my circle of life that have lives filled with hardships of all different sorts.  That's what life is though- degrees of hardships, maybe not always our own but hardships of those we love which in a way make them our own. A life of torture- because that is what they can be sometimes, makes for a great reason to bemoan life in general. I've done a lot of that recently, but less than you might imagine from reading my posts. Truly, I'm not dwelling in a pit of misery, I'm blessed beyond measure, and I need to start writing more of the blessings and less of the grief. Though, there are blessings in the grief too.

What I started out to say way back up at the top of this post is the beauty in a moment of realization- just a moment of new comprehension- can be precious and amazing, a gift in our lives.

When I study God's word these moments of realization occur and my whole life simply pauses in that moment as the illumination gained is etched into my heart- however briefly. If you think heart etchings can't be brief, think again. Our memories of these moments are far too often whisked away as our day to day life carries on.  You remember the etch-a-sketches, you scribble all over that thing sometimes in amazing hour long fancy designs that you show off proudly and then shake, shake, shake… gone. Sure, today you could snap several photos of your art work but in days long gone now- you rarely ever bothered to snap a photo you'd have to waste precious film on for an etch-a-sketch picture. Just pretend for a moment you don't have an instant picture gadget or two to take instant pictures you can treasure forever and maybe pretend that hard worked etch-a-sketch art is accidentally erased by a simple drop of the etch-a-sketch. Gone. There for a moment, then gone. You may have worked hard on it, but it goes away. Yes, we can also use the more common - sand castle being swallowed by the tide example. You know what I'm saying, well, that's how even our most precious moments can disappear from memory, especially when those moments are abstract thoughts you are contemplating just for a short while.

I had one of those moments of realization I want to treasure a bit longer by sharing it with you. I was doing a bit of studying and a familiar Bible verse came up- the one about Jesus preparing mansions in heaven for us. I'd just read another verse about 'our earthly house' and 'desiring to be clothed upon with OUR HOUSE which is from heaven.'  

Clothed upon with our house which if from heaven (Yes, I'm repeating myself).  You know that other verse about our being the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in us and we aren't to defile the 'temple which we are'.

All these mentions of mansions, houses, tabernacles, temples…  

In God's heavenly house there are many mansions- ONLY us as MANSIONS will inhabit God's heavenly home. Jesus truly is preparing a place for us to be with Him, to be with God the Father. When we are taken to heaven by Jesus after His return we are being taken there 'clothed upon with our house which is FROM heaven'  Our earthly houses can 'dissolve' our earthly bodies will perish but one day we will be clothed with life everlasting- 'a building of God a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.'  We will be 'clothed upon'. Right now we really do GROAN in ourselves, our lives, our flesh, our being, this body we are given, we groan and groan and groan, longing not simply to be freed from our burdens but to be given a gift so much more important - eternal life. We need to be clothed- by our SAVIOR. He is preparing a place for us- He is doing what is needing to be done. He will cloth us with life, we will be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven!

Read these verses- 

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

2Co 5:2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 

2Co 5:3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 

2Co 5:4  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Maybe my moment of realization isn't one that anyone else finds enlightening in any way and that's okay, some of our moments of realization are ours to cherish in the special way our Lord would allow through the Holy Spirit in our lives. My moment of realization may seem ludicrous and confusing to you and that's okay, thank you for letting me share it anyway. I hope and pray each and every one who reads this is blessed in a very special way soon with your own moments of realization through the Holy Spirit touching your lives. All in the name of my Savior, my Lord, Jesus Christ, now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 

1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

2Co 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.