What Is Your Will In Christ?

  Most likely we will encounter things in life that don't go the way that we think they should and in some cases they will happen in sharp contrast to what we would ever wish. Contrary to our own desire the end results might even be painful and in our own view, tragic. Yet as God's children we're taught that He loves us deeply, so while these things are happening ... where is He? In former life I was brought to wonder about this question myself more than once. In the absence of a divine revelation at those times, I would eventually seek to develop my own theories - theories that at times took the form of shameful accusations for which I harvested deep regret when later and purely out of an act of His grace, He later allowed me to understand some of His reasons for His decisions. Being human, fully endowed with limited human wisdom and understanding and limited abilities to control some of the conditions and situations around us, we find ourselves heavily reliant on God'...

"In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God,  and the Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through him,  and nothing was created except through him.  The Word gave life to everything that was created,  and his life brought light to everyone.  The light shines in the darkness,  and the darkness can never extinguish it."    John 1:1-5 (NLT) The Word of God is nothing less than Jesus Christ, The Creator, The Son Of God, God Himself.  Long before Jesus came down to offer Himself in our place, the law was given so that we could see for ourselves how sinful we truly are in the sight of God - as if seeing ourselves in God's eyes, if we cared to look. The law showed us how we were truly in desperate need of some miraculous rescue from God's wrath because of our sin and sinful nature, but how? And who could possibly save us? Who would care to? "The one who is the true light,...

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit."   Isaiah 14:12-15 (NKJ) There's little question that Lucifer's refusal to yield to God's majesty, power and dominion, and accept Him as God over himself cost Lucifer his place in heaven ...  but in light of that fact and example to us, how much consideration do  we give  to the fact that we're living out our own response to God now in these days that are testing our own submission? "Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a...

"According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the word Christmas originates from the phrase “Cristes Maesse”, first recorded in 1038, which means the Mass of Christ or Christ’s Mass. The word mass is the English version of the Latin word missa, a celebration of the Eucharist, done in memory of Jesus Christ, where Christians eat bread and drink wine. But not all is Latin; in fact, the word Christ comes from the Greek word Khristos, translated from the Hebrew term messiah, which means anointed."      Copied  From Stillman Translations Many differing viewpoints and traditions come out of both mental and physical storage from a variety of people at Christmas time to be dusted off and displayed prominently for the "season" only to be once again carefully tucked away for another year at the "season's" conclusion. I'm finding so many things striking in my own mind in particular this year as I step back and consider Christmas in the current world of men. I make...

"Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir."          Galatians 4:1-7 (NLT) I'm a creature of habit, but only to a degree these days. After hav...

(Note: This is long, but I think still worthy of causing reflection - not only for the current reader, but again for myself. Let it "Echo"...) Given that I believe that our Lord, to a degree has varying expectations of each of us based on the gifts He has given each of us and our individual spiritual maturity, I find myself a target of my own writing ... because with His help, ... I can do more ... and I can do better ... As righteousness fades and the differences between right and wrong become increasingly obscured by the world as it continues to justify it's self serving and self centered existence, the time for decision fades also. As prophecies continue to find their moment in time to be fulfilled at Father God's direction, the foretold schedule of His plan draws closer to the earth's final act. Yet so many people remain oblivious and unresponsive to the late hour caught up in other preoccupations - and many of them are Christians. A high percentage of people ...

Oh, give thanks to the Lord!  Call upon His name;  Make known His deeds among the peoples!  Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;  Talk of all His wondrous works!  Glory in His holy name;  Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!  Seek the Lord and His strength;  Seek His face evermore!     Psalm 105:1-4 (NKJ) I can't help but wonder what it would sound like to all of heaven if every man, woman, and child were to offer up the heart felt gratitude that God so richly deserves at the same time - everywhere, all at once. I have no doubt that it would be an awesome sound that would bring great joy to the inhabitants of heaven to hear God being justly praised, holy worshiped and righteously thanked for all that He's done for mankind - beginning with the provisions made to sustain him and the plans made to divinely profit him even before man himself was created. Life itself is a gift of grace and before any naysayer begins to tell of the n...

 A term came up one morning during a group bible reading and my mind got a little hung up on it. It's something that I've heard a number of times over the years, but that morning I decided to pursue those two simple words to flesh out the depth of their meaning when they're presented together. It just felt like one of those moments when the Lord may have been baiting me into a moment of exploration and a conversation that bears a point - a message of particular importance to me. As always, He was just waiting for me to stop the busyness and enter into a conversation. I believe that we if we are truly in Christ, truly surrendered to Him, that we should come to expect those moments of particular opportunity - moments when our Father in Heaven might speak something of interest and importance to His child as a loving father might do because of the fruitful, life rendering nature of their relationship - father to child and child to father they are able to experience life togethe...

"Then I said, “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,..." Nehemiah 1:5 (NLT) In one sentence Nehemiah's words hold important keys - keys that some either don't recognize and understand, or that some tend to race past to their own detriment if their aim is to walk closely with God. The first I would point out is Nehemiah's observance and address of God as He is - enthroning God in his heart and mind first, as he comes, desiring to speak to The King Of Kings, The Lord Of Lords, and The True And Living God. Preparing our hearts and minds by remembering the true nature and position of our God as well as our own lower position before Him, correctly sets the table for the conversation that we wish to have by putting it in the proper perspective. God is all-deserving of our praise and I believe that by addressing Him properly, we draw the ear of our loving Father to hear th...

There's a lot going on in the world and a lot available to provoke fear for the future, but I have a question for anyone who might feel themselves tempted to fear - If you truly know God, does He ever change? “I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed." Malachi 3:6 (NLT) We stand reinforced in our understanding and belief that He does not change, so... "The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer;  I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life  and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16 (NLT) I know that I said that I had "a" question, but I actually have another - do you really, truly love Him? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heave...

I've struggled with the term "religion" for a long time because it has come to carry a connotation for me of something orchestrated, institutional - a perfunctory exercise. My preference instead has been to highlight my belief that what our God desires from us is instead "relationship". Then I ran across this and I had to pause... "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27 (NLT) " Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world ." James 1:27 (KJ) It doesn't matter the translation, it appears the same. And in it I denote a familiar spirit. I recognize it from scripture after scripture dealing with the care of, and justice for, the widows and the fatherless... "Sing to God, sing praises to His name;...

"He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone has need to be forgiven." - George Herbert, British Poet 1593 - 1633 The above is a true statement and one could give credit to George Herbert for his wisdom in that saying, but the truth and wisdom found in those words did not originate with him. They originated with The Author of truth and wisdom - The Judge of the universe... “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJ) ...Christ Jesus. With deception being a tool of the enemy   and being spread  widely with the help of mankind these days, it's a struggle for some to recognize what the truth really is. It's good for us who follow Christ to remember that whatever we might think or reason with ourselves to be true, our opinion c...

(To any who read this, know that I am exhorted myself to greater attention in this writing.) "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."   Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJ) Our own spiritual introspection along with King David's earnest request of The Lord, taken as our own, might prove fruitful in our own busy lives at times - not because we intend any evil or offense, but because the fog of this weary life may hide things from our consciousness . For example, without even realizing it, it's entirely possible that our arrogance before the Lord is far greater than we imagine...  "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought ...

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:... " Matthew 5:1&2 (NKJ) In the 5th chapter of the book of Matthew, we find Jesus teaching His disciples. What He taught them there is often referred to as the Sermon on the mount. And within that teaching are a number statements that are commonly referred to as The Beatitudes. I humbly suggest that whoever it was that coined that term might have been more accurate and to the point if they had called them  The " BE-  Attitudes" since Jesus was in fact telling His disciples both then and now, about the spirit of how to "be". “Blessed are the poor in spirit,  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,  For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek,  For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  For they shall be filled. Blessed a...

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)  For many years I've observed what I tend to think of as the spiritual pulse of our nation and of the world - always searching for some glimmer of hope that a true reawakening to the truth of the God who established all of creation and the rules for life, might be coming alive somewhere ... anywhere.  At the same time, I'm awar...