Sinking under or walking on top?

Jennie Leslie Meditations 2022

God’s desired goal for me is to fulfill the purpose for which He created me.

Without faith (Hebrews 11:6) it is impossible to please God.  Why?  Because faith recognizes that God is the only Source and looks nowhere else.  So, if I do not trust God but I doubt God and look around for other avenues of help - - - that is sin.  (Dr. Stanley) “To doubt God is not only sin, it is disaster.  God sometimes brings us to a fork in the road, a difficult choice.  If we let human reason over-rule faith and disobey, we will not only suffer the consequences, but we’ll wonder all our lives how richly God would have blessed us if we had obeyed Him”.  Human reason says (Matthew 14:28-32) we can’t walk on water but faith says we can if Jesus tells us to do so.  Where is our focus?  If we trust God and obey Him because we trust Him, even if we have no idea of how it will turn out, the Lord will bless us beyond our hopes and dreams with spiritual riches.  Sometimes the painful consequences of disobedience can last a lifetime.  If we truly repent of our disobedience, God will always forgive us but He does not eliminate the consequences of our choices or restore the lost opportunities.  Disobedience is a thief and it always robs us of rich and lasting treasures.

Does your salt still retain taste? Is your light unclouded and undimmed?

Jennie Leslie Meditations 2022

If we allow the impurities of sin in our lives, our salt will be worth nothing.

In a sermon (Dr. Stanley) said that “back in time salt was gathered from sea water and sometimes impurities would be mixed in with the salt and collected with it.  These impurities would impact the salt so that it would lose its taste and be good for nothing.  It would be dumped out on the path and be trampled underfoot.  Also, a kerosene lamp when it was turned up, sometimes that lamp would smoke and the smoke from the lamp would smudge the lamp and cloud the light.”

Whate'er befall - Jesus is my all in all

Jennie Leslie Meditations 2022

We have to live our common-sense life in a common-sense way.

Do you remember this old chorus?

                  Following Jesus every day by day,

                  Nothing can harm me while He leads the way,

                  Sunshine or shadow, whate’er befall,

                  Jesus my Saviour is my ALL in all.

From Bethlehem to Pentecost

Jennie Leslie Meditations 2022

All our circumstances are woven together in a combined pattern by the pre-planned order of God.

Bethlehem for us is when we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour.  We are the Bethlehem where the Son of God enters into us.  He is born in us spiritually by the Holy Spirit as truly as He was born in the womb of the virgin Mary physically by the Holy Spirit.  Immediately a new life begins within us but it is just the beginning.  Don’t linger too long in Bethlehem.  Jesus didn’t, He went on to the greater things of maturing and so should we.  Some Christians never (Ephesians 4:15) grow up in Christ beyond the new birth.  They remain as babies and know nothing of maturing in all things and in all ways in a life of obedience and intimacy with God.  Pentecost begins in Bethlehem so we have to journey on from Bethlehem.  If we trace the path of Jesus, we will see that (John 8:29) He did only the things that pleased God.  He was not distracted by the words, opinions and criticisms of others.  Even His own family at one time (Mark 3:21) said He was insane.  Later two of His formerly unbelieving brothers, James and Jude, were transformed and inspired by the Holy Spirit to write 2 of the Books in the holy Bible.  Because Jesus was available without measure to God, the Holy Spirit was given (John 3:34) without measure to Him.

God's word, the bible, is complete and final yet our world has ongoing revelations of God

Jennie Leslie Meditations 2022

From Geneses to Revelation all of the written Word points to the Living Word Whose Name is Jesus.

The Word of God is (Psalms 119:89) forever settled in heaven, it stands firm and is complete and final.  There is no new Truth.  The history-making Word of God is alive with the breath of God and every Word has (Isaiah 61:11) self-fulfilling power.  That is why God’s Word cannot (Isaiah 55:11) return void but will carry out God’s purpose.  Doubt or deny the Word of God at your peril.  It is through the Word of God that we receive the ongoing and deepening revelation of God Himself.  We cannot separate God from the Word of God.  To add to or subtract from the Holy Scripture is a deadly serious sin with (Revelation 22:18-19) severe penalties.