Nothing was created EXCEPT what He created ( John 1:3) and He created ALL THINGS. Let the transcendent glory of that linger at the back of our minds as we listen intently to something Jesus said. I can (John 5:30) do nothing of Myself but only as I am taught. Taught? By Whom?
Posts from 2020-07-30
Listen to these beautiful words the Lord spoke to Israel:
Your people shall be consistently righteous (Isaiah 60:21) the branch of My planting so that I may be glorified. To give them (Isaiah 61:3) a diadem of beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy burden, that they might be called the strong oaks of righteousness - - the planting of the Lord - so that I may be glorified.
I am concerned by what seems to be a growing trend among sincere
Christians to rebuke, try to remove and even to bind Satan. Sometimes
in a prayer to Almighty God, a person will break off and speak directly
to Satan or a demon and issue a command related to rebuking, removing
or binding. This disturbs me because there is no Scriptural basis for
it. We know that Satan wants worship and he'll take it in any form of
attention he can get -- fear, useless commands of rebuking and/or
binding, preoccupation with him, energy focused on him, etc.
All power and authority is in God. How can we rebuke, remove or bind
Satan or demons when they may have God's permission to be where they
are?
(What I do thou knowest not now; but
thou shalt know hereafter. John 13:7)
Accepted! From Thy hand, my Lord, I take
This hurting thing, and bear it for Thy sake;
Nor bear it only, but in Thy dear Name,
ALIVE IN CHRIST
Often I have wondered .....
-- observing the willful, vile, rebellious
behaviour of humans through all the ages
of history,
Abigail's words intrigued me. 1 Samuel 25:29 ..."Your life shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord your God and the lives of your enemies HE shall sling out." How merciful was God's timing to send Abigail at just the right juncture to remind David of the big picture.
Of course I cannot fully enter into the heart-break of God or the grief of the Holy Spirit. But I can understand that God’s holiness demanded that He abandon Jesus. I can understand that the Holy Spirit’s purity forced Him to withdraw from Jesus.
Of course I cannot fully enter into the heart-break of God or the grief of the Holy Spirit. But I can understand that God’s holiness demanded that He abandon Jesus. I can understand that the Holy Spirit’s purity forced Him to withdraw from Jesus.
That morning it touched me more deeply than ever before (Judges 6:11-34). It was almost as if I could see Jesus sitting under the oak tree. Then He went into the winepress where terrified Gideon was trying to hide wheat from Israel's enemies. Frightened, Gideon had another shock when the Lord called him a mighty man of fearless courage. This encounter of Jesus with Gideon stayed in my thoughts and I was thrilled as I meditated and discussed it with the Lord. It was almost as if I'd been there. As I spoke to the Lord about it, I experienced something I'd never felt before. It seemed like I was talking about something that had just happened -- as if there was almost no time between Gideon's encounter with Jesus and my talking to God about it. Of course for the Eternal God a few thousand years is hardly a blip but this was something entirely new for me.
Why didn't Jesus answer?
Caiaphas was in a blind rage because He wouldn't answer. Pilate was frustrated and confused by His mystical replies and silence. Herod was disappointed not to see a miracle side-show and contemptuous because He made no reply.