Rejoicing!

1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.

To be glad, take delight, to make joyful, to gladden! Philippians 4:4; we are called to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice and there is absolutely no reason why we cannot do that. We aren’t called to rejoice in our circumstances, our tests, our trials or our tears and temptations but to rejoice in the One who brings them to us for His good purposes and which work for our good. Certainly He gives us temporal reasons to rejoice as well, the birth of a new child for instance, the love of family and friends, reconciliations and even the rain that He sends us from heaven. But rejoicing in Him is different isn't it? He isn't temporal, He is the Alpha and Omega, He is Jesus, the same today, yesterday and forever!

I was blessed most recently to attend a Gospel conference in Kentucky with a dear friend in Christ and we rejoiced exceedingly because we were pointed to that very One! I was reminded of Luke 24:32 “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, while he opened to us the scriptures”? It’s a perfect description of hearing the Gospel proclaimed by faithful men whose life’s calling is to preach it because they love it! Nothing stirs the heart more than the love of Christ Jesus.

We didn’t rejoice in ourselves or the things of this life but we rejoiced together in the Lord our righteousness and our redemption by His blood. We rejoiced together that by His work our names are written forever in the Lamb’s book of life and that His electing love is from everlasting to everlasting and nothing can separate us from it. We weren’t pointed to our circumstances or our frames but we were reminded of the firm ground and foundation upon which we stand in common, therefore we always have reason to rejoice together as believers. We met new friends, hugged familiar ones and rejoiced together. What a blessed time it was!

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 1 Peter 1:8

I pray you are rejoicing in Him this day!

Grace and Peace!

Temptation!

A friend posted this thought the other day, “Never mistake temptation for opportunity” and yet that is how temptation comes to us doesn’t it? It appears as a subtle opportunity to fulfill whatever pleasurable desire of the flesh is ours, for a season! Hebrews 11:25

There was one fruit that was forbidden to Adam and Eve, yet Satan presented Eve an opportunity to look at the forbidden in a different way. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat” Gen 3:6…Eve was tempted and deceived and she seized the opportunity to fulfill the desire that was hers. Adam wasn’t deceived but fulfilled his own desire; he loved Eve more than he did God and they both fell.

Nothing comes to me without God’s hand, but the temptation is mine to claim and in that temptation I am humbled, my faith and my patience are tried and I see my weakness and my need of Christ, temptation has a purpose. I pray I might be led to prayer and watchfulness by those temptations and I might remember that in my flesh I am carnal, sold under sin. Only in Christ and the power of His Gospel can I flee the hour of temptation.

“And lead us not into temptation” Matthew 6:13a

“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak” Mark 14:38

“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand”. Psalm 37:24

Grace and Peace!

Righteousness!

Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." Zechariah 3:3&4

‎"Then they go into the entrance-hall, and whom do they find there? The King, and those with whom He is well pleased. They see, they understand clearly how every one there has been clothed in the wedding garment. “That covers thee entirely,...” it is said, “it covers both thy poverty and thy misery; put on this garment and thou wilt please the King. The Bridegroom has prepared it for thee and He Himself wears no other.” How highly favoured they are. Can they take any rest, or find any peace until they have clothed themselves in the garment of the Lamb? Well then, this garment is the all-sufficient atonement, righteousness, and holiness of Christ." H.F. Kohlbrugge

Grace and Peace!

Solitude!

It’s most comforting to enjoy one’s solitude, it is even desirous amidst this fast paced life we live today. Have you noticed that solitude is really always there in our minds? We live secluded in our minds regardless of the activity we are participating in, be it work, play or any activity! Conversations swirl around us and we lend an ear but our thoughts can be elsewhere, engaged in deeper thought or meaning and is the solitude of the mind.

1 Corinthians 2:11a “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?

Solitude is different than loneliness although outwardly they can appear as the same. Loneliness is when you feel as if something is missing, solitude for me is the inner man at rest while alone, satisfied and peaceful in my thoughts.

Psalm 63:5 “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

My morning has been one of joyful solitude and I always thank the Lord for times like these for I am renewed and refreshed.

Isaiah 35:1 “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad……..and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose”

Grace and Peace!

Wrest, Wrack and Torture!

Ralph Venning (c. 1622-1674) A Nonconformist pastor and theologian.
RE-POST!

Draw not conclusions from other men’s principles and then say that they are their opinions.

We may make the same complaint as David: “They wrest, torture and wrack my words.” Alas! Men set everything on hooks and stretch and twist every principle like a nose of wax. Alas! What a pity it is to see men invert and pervert one another’s words, and a length to draw such conclusions as would make one think they meant what they never meant!...So some mistook and misreported Paul as if he had said that we might do evil so good might come thereof (Romans 3:8). So the Jews despose that Christ said He would destroy the temple at Jerusalem in three days and raise it up again, when He spoke of His Body (Matthew 26:61; John 2:21). What words thus wrested and perverted may not be called heresy and (as they said of Christ’s words) blasphemy when, if taken as meant, and in their proper sense, they may be found very sound and consistent with truth??

Take heed therefore of…commenting upon another’s text.”

Some More Stuff!

What a great band of the 70’s and 80’s; Journey. I was trying to think back to how I listened to rock & roll when I was married to my cowboy who listened to country and I can’t remember. I probably listened to it while he was out doing his work and I was in doing mine. He never did like ‘my’ music although I grew very fond of country

I can’t believe it’s been two months since I’ve been here. I’ve been busy at work and at home and out and about a bit more often with friends and family so it’s been a nice summer. I went to the wedding of a young woman who I watched grow up in the church. It was a sweet day to hear them commit themselves to one another and to the Lord, what a blessing it was, plus we had a blast dancing away at the reception! We have had a hot, hot month when everything seemed to burn up and the last couple of weeks we have had some nice rains, thank you Lord.

The social network facebook has been quite interesting this summer as it seems it has become the place for Christendom to discuss the implications of the Gospel. So I read and glean and read and answer and read and get mad and read and laugh sometimes at some of the absurdities. Oh Christendom, Oh Christendom!!

I’m thankful though for facebook as I have met many wonderful Sovereign Grace Baptist believers and several pastors who are willing to minister to those who are outside the institutional church, especially with Sermon DVD’s.

I’m still reading Kohlbrugge and reading “The Poor Man’s NT Commentary” by Robert Hawker among a few other books that are stacked up and it’s all good reading.

I’m headed to Kentucky in September with my dearest friend and her girls for a Gospel conference and I’m really looking forward to it, Lord willing of course. Two and a half days of hearing the Gospel message face to face from Gospel preachers, what a blessing it will be.

Hope to be back blogging soon but I trust that if it is to be, it will be!

Grace and Peace!

The Lord is my Portion!

“My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” Psalm 73:26

This truth came to mind this morning as I read the plea of a young woman who is currently discouraged in the faith. She is an open and honest young woman when many in this day and age aren’t. Seems that so many want you to think they have no struggles or thoughts that are not ‘politically correct’ but of course we all do, we are all very much human. I encouraged her to read Hebrews 11 to be reminded of the saints of old and to be reminded that our faith takes endurance just as theirs did. We can be confident that the Lord provides that very endurance to every saint even in the midst of the most difficult trials and tribulations.

It doesn’t matter what the trial is the answer is still the same, the sweet truth of the Gospel! We can look for fulfillment in other ways; we can look for answers elsewhere, nothing will satisfy but Christ Himself and the truth of His Gospel. I know that many would see that she currently has no local ‘church’ to be a part of (as so many of us) and would blame that situation for her current discouragement but I don’t think that would hold true. I’m reminded of a young woman in the church who voiced her discouragement at being in church every Sunday and I’ve often thought that was because she was looking for fulfillment in that activity and not to Christ. I wonder, as she continues in the pew, if she has found that fulfillment yet, I hope so!

My point is simple; nothing outside of Christ satisfies the longing heart and that is why He is our portion. Portions of other things fade away don’t they? My portion of dinner soon disappears and portions of an inheritance don’t last forever but the inheritance we have in Christ never fades away and is reserved in heaven for us.
(1 Peter 1:4)

John Gill:

and my portion for ever; both in life and at death, and to all eternity; this is a very large portion indeed; such who have it inherit all things; yea, it is immense and inconceivable; it is a soul satisfying one, and is safe and secure; it can never be taken away, nor can it be spent; it will last always.

May the Lord be your portion this day and always!
Grace and Peace!

Summer Break!

Ahhh, wishful thinking on my part! Doesn't it look inviting to sit in those chairs and listen and watch the beautiful ocean? I don't think that is in my summer plans, I hope it can be in yours.

It's already a busy summer and it hasn't even started officially by the calender, so I'm not going to be diligent about blogging for now. I hope to see you in a couple of months but who knows what the summer will bring.

In the meantime enjoy yours!

Grace & Peace!

"Comfort for God's People!"

"Blessed be His name, Jesus Christ is the Fount and Source of all the real comfort we enjoy. He is THE WAY in which the consolations of the Gospel are conveyed to the hearts of His people. This we see in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.”

Here we see Jesus filled with the anointing which secures comfort to every indigent, poor and needy child committed to His care and attention. In their poverty and misery these find substantial comfort in the unsearchable riches of Christ abounding in the Gospel. To hearts broken with a sense of sin, and rent with a dread of God’s wrath, Christ appears to bind up and soothe with the balm of His blood and the discovery of the love of God in the removal of all guilt, and the forgiveness of all sin. Comforts and joys abound as He reveals Himself as the Liberator of souls from spiritual captivity. These are by nature prisoners, locked up under Satan, sin, and law; but when He comes He brings liberty from the damning power and plague of sin, freedom from the law of sin and death, and deliverance from Satan’s vile slavery. The liberated ones are called to endure many a hard fight of affliction with Satan, sin, and self, and to experience seasons of torment from the miserable comforters who hug their chains of legal bondage; but He who graciously sets them free from their bondage, will see to it that His comfort shall not be lacking in the set time of His Father’s appointing. Pardon is comfort to a condemned criminal. Forgiveness is comfort to a repentant son. Justification is comfort to a convinced sinner. Acceptance is comfort to an outcast of Israel. These the consolations which God comforts by His word and Spirit.

Thomas Bradbury


Grace and Peace to all of God's People!

Spring Stuff!

Well spring has finally arrived after a long winter. It has been a wet one and I am thankful. After so many years in a drought situation you treasure each drop of moisture even though it causes all the typical hardships…mud, chilly temps, dirty dog feet and well you get the picture. Usually I have to warm up the carburetors with my hair dryer on my mowers but this year they both started up first try, one for the lawn, one for the weeds. Speaking of weeds I’m planning on pulling some out of the flower beds today! Guess I’ll have to wear my coat!

Currently it is the most stressful time at my job that I have ever experienced and I wonder sometimes if I should retire or go on. The older you get the harder it is for new challenges and changes and I’m not sure about my mindset. Is it “I can’t do this” or “I don’t want to do this” so I’m trusting that the Lord will direct my thoughts and steps. Boy do I miss my husband right now. He would encourage me and talk with me and it always helps to have that input.

Every time I go out I hear the doves and I’m reminded of our time on the ranch. I love how sounds can transport you to special places and those places become vivid again. Thank you Lord for the reminders.

I’m working on a blog about the ‘rule of grace’. It is always kind of interesting to me how those thoughts come about and then they start to gel and come together and it feels as if I’m compelled to write them down. My time is limited right now to work on it continuously with the yard work ahead but I jot a note here and there. I get excited when I read the Word and Scripture just moves on the page and it grips you in it's truth and power. Thank you Lord for the written Word!

Grace and Peace!

Deep Deep Love!

Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared from afar unto me saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you”.

Everlasting: that is from eternity, always, eternal, lasting, perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world + without end.

A truth, an amazing and comforting truth from the Scripture that God has always loved His elect and He always will. His love is exactly like He is, sovereign and unchangeable. He not only loves us now in the present but it is the same love with which He loved us from all eternity. It is as the song says; ‘Vast, unmeasured, boundless and it changeth never, nevermore’.

We can only grasp and know this love by faith but faith is neither the cause of His love nor the beginning of it. There are those who believe and teach that God hated us and only began to love us in time commencing with faith but the Scripture attests otherwise. God Himself chooses whom He will love as evidenced by Romans 9:13 “As it is written, Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated”. Faith and repentance are an effect and fruit of this very love that is shed abroad in our hearts at conversion and it endures forever. Nothing can or will ever separate us from it. It is the everlasting love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

We were by our very nature like all mankind, born dead in sins and trespasses and deserving of the damning wrath of God. We walked in those sins and trespasses and delighted in them in our unregenerate state according to Ephesians 2. But the Scripture doesn’t end there as it is only showing us that our nature is no different than the sons of disobedience. It is Ephesians 2:4-5 that gives us the full picture and focus of this chapter and it is; “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His GREAT LOVE with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

Now we are alive in Christ so we can begin to comprehend the greatness of our union with Him. Christ is made manifest to us and His great love is revealed to us in His Works. His humble incarnation, His life of perfect obedience to God the Father and especially His going to the bloody cross to atone for our sins; these were works of great love for His people over 2000 years ago. This is the love we are to be rooted and grounded in and by faith we can begin to know the breadth of it, the length, depth and height of it. Ephesians 3:17-19. What a glorious gift, the gift of faith for even though it is not the cause of our union in Him by it we begin our lives of communion with Him.

While we sojourn here we will never fully comprehend His love for His own but the beginning knowledge of it stirs the very depth of our own hearts and minds; there is no greater love. I pray that we each can know this love and that we can begin to love one another as He has loved us. John 13:34.

Grace and Peace!

Accepted in the Beloved! Re-Post

I found this post while I was looking at some past comments. I shut off my comments some time ago because that was never my purpose in blogging, my purpose has always been to put down the process the Lord has taken me through in this journey of growing in His grace and knowledge. The journey involves so much doesn't it? I was encouraged to read this very post myself again because it so captures the essence of God's eternal love for His people which has never varied or changed. There is no shadow of turning with the Almighty! I think I'll have to find this sermon of Don Fortner's again and have a listen!

Ephesians 1:6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved”.

Accepted, not acceptable and verse 4 explains to us how God did this wondrous thing. He did this by His grace, the grace that is free, sovereign, eternal, immutable and indestructible and it was BEFORE the foundation of the world. Being accepted in the Beloved declares to us that there is a union with Christ, an eternal union that Christ has with all of His people. This union never changes, never varies, is accomplished by God in eternity, not in time, not by us and is not dependent on our feelings, our deeds or anything else that we might think comes from us. This union is IN Christ and it is for His sake and what God doeth we cannot undo for it is altogether by grace.

Christ is the Beloved Son, our mediator, our surety. Hebrews 7:22 “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant”; one who steps in the place of another before law. The law cannot touch the one who surety represents and Christ is our eternal surety. God ceased to look for anything from us, He looks to Christ as the Lamb slain, as that, which was done from eternity and we are ‘accepted in the Beloved’.

In Paul’s last letter to his beloved son Timothy, he tells him to be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor to be ashamed of Paul himself, a prisoner of the Lord in the affliction of the Gospel. And he reminds him that the Lord “hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” 2 Ti 1:9

No doctrine is sound without this truth or that fails to recognize the believer’s everlasting union with Christ. We are one with Christ from everlasting and that union is now ”made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought to life and immortality to light through the gospel” 2 Ti 1:10

Christ was made manifest by His appearing, just as our union with Him is made manifest ( to make clear to our understanding) to us in time by the results of that everlasting union, the gifts that flow from His grace, our faith and the transformation of our lives. HE brings life and immortality to light and though it was given before time began we experience His grace in time when He brings that light and life to our soul and when we know what He did for us from eternity.

Salvation is a person whom we trust, we know, we seek, we love, we walk with and we believe. We live by trusting and resting in this very person, the Lord Jesus.

Christ is exalted!

Everlasting to Everlasting! (2)

Accusations and Reflection!
Eternal Justification!

Over the centuries there have been those who agree that from eternity the elect of God have all spiritual blessings in Christ, including justification. It isn’t some new fangled doctrine thought up by a bunch of heretics for it has been discussed by all the greats of the faith and conclusions have been drawn for both views. I actually did a word study on ‘heretic’ recently and you can find that study here.

As I continued my study and writing to further my blogging on this subject I found myself greatly agitated and wondering why. Reflecting upon that agitation I came to the conclusion that it was fueled by the recent virulent accusations against myself and the saints that I fellowship with in truth. It is an understandable human reaction to defend yourself and your beliefs when you are attacked and yet I found it very distasteful in myself. We stand before God, not men and so my own focus has been changed and I simply want to share a few things here. There is a plethora of material to read and to help further your own understanding, Lord willing of course!

John Gill, the beloved Baptist theologian in his “A Body of Doctrinal Divinity”, Book II, Chapter V, section II wrote his article “Justification as an Eternal and Immanent Act of God” and you can find that here. It is an enlightening read!

I found the following article entitled “The Doctrine of Eternal Justification in Light of the Westminster Tradition” (2) extremely helpful in understanding the thoughts of those who don’t hold to Eternal Justification and those who do. This was found in the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal and the author of the article was responding to the rejection of the doctrine of eternal justification. Quoting from the article which can be found here.

“We consider that, as long as our justification 1) has its source in the immutable and absolute decree of God 2) has its objective basis in Christ’s satisfaction on the cross, and 3) has its subjective realization in the elect by faith, we cannot see why any should object to the presentation of the doctrine as a decree to justify. While the various aspects of justification ought to be distinguished, they may not be separated. It must be maintained that the decree is irrevocable.”

I hope the Lord will give you a desire to search the Scriptures to see if these things be true.

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the thing that are not done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” Isaiah 47:10

“Yea I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it” Isaiah 47:11 b

Grace and Peace!

Everlasting to Everlasting!

Accepted in the Beloved!

Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved”

Chosen and accepted in the Beloved before the foundation of the world, what a glorious truth and comfort to the people of God. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow! We were blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ before the world began and these blessings flowed from the purpose and grace of God for His elect.

“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” 2 Timothy 1:9

Our acceptance in Christ is solely a work of God from beginning to end. I doubt that many would argue that point, or at least I hope not. The Scriptures seem clear to me that the spiritual blessings that we have been blessed with are ours because of the Sovereign Decrees of God and those decrees were before time, before the foundation of the world. My name is in the Lamb’s book of Life, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and it is called the book of life because of the decree of election unto eternal life in Christ.

Many questions come to the surface when people speak of eternal things and they can become confusing and can easily be misrepresented. The looming question for many seems to be, to put it simply, when were those spiritual blessings actually ours and what are they exactly? Some say from all eternity (I'm one of them), some say only in time. Does it matter you might ask? Well, whatever is taught in Scripture should matter to us because truth matters and we should diligently search trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. I certainly learned a valuable lesson just recently in how I use language to convey what I believe and so we must learn to express ourselves rightly lest we convey an erroneous idea, I hope and pray to do that!

For God wills nothing in time but what He willed from eternity.

Grace and Peace!

to continue

FAREWELL AMERICA!

Raising Your Hand!

We raise our hand over the course of our lives in many ways don’t we? We usually start in school when we want to ask a question or even give an answer and the teacher calls upon us to do so. We give the thumbs up when we like something and this gesture implies one thing and the thumbs down implies something different.

It is one thing to be called upon but it is quite another to raise your hand and admit an error, any kind of error. I, like all of mankind find admitting an error hard to do. It goes against our pride or our desire to be well thought of but at the same time I have found in the long run it is the easiest and the best to do. Thank you Lord for teaching me that.

I used the word “timeless” in a discussion about eternity and eternal things and I used it in complete ignorance and in an unknowing way. I certainly have never believed that eternity is timeless nor do I believe that God does not work out His decrees in time.

Because of the use of that word a young man has misrepresented the teaching of godly men and for that I have publicly apologized which I am also doing here. I myself learned that there is an actual doctrine that teaches timelessness and that is what these godly men have been accused of. I hope that his Christian integrity will show forth in his retracting any statement applied in the wrong way.

I raised my hand!

Grace and Peace!

Friday Stuff!

Listening to tunes and making cookies on this cold, snowy, windy Colorado evening. I always liked Bob Seger and this is one of my faves. I do laugh at myself because I actually have so many faves but maybe you do too!

Those of us who live in Colorado have several sayings about the weather. The story is if you want the weather to change just wait 15 minutes or you’ll hear ‘only in Colorado”. I think that has been true all over the states this year, a different year for sure. Last night when I came home from work it was 67 degrees, warm and sunny. Today was windy, cold and it snowed all day. It wasn’t cold enough for the snow to pile up as most of it melted. I can’t wait to see the wild flowers on the prairie this year because of all the moisture. I want to get in my car, take my camera and capture some beauty, DV!

It’s tough going in banking! There are so many regulations because of the fiasco of the mortgage industry which cause the little community banks to suffer greatly. It isn’t a fun job anymore but I’m thankful for what the Lord has provided. I can’t believe I’ve been working there 21 years this month. I remember in vivid detail the first day I went to work, I was scared to death and didn't think I could learn. I would sing every morning before I got out of bed "This is the day that the Lord hath made" so that I could remember to rejoice in His providence. Little did I know that the job He had given me to do was one He had equipped me to do. The ways in which He grows us and teaches us in our experiences still amaze me sometimes.

We are doing a bible study in a book by John G. Reisinger titled “Abraham’s Four Seeds” –A biblical examination of the presuppositions of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. Mr. Reisinger is of neither persuasion; instead he is a New Covenant theologian and he has much the same mind set that we do although there are some things that we disagree with. The Lord continues to bless us in growing in grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m still thinking spring
Grace and Peace!

Promises & Blessing!

The following is a quote that I've saved but I can't give credit to who deserves it because I don't know that. Thank you to the one who put it down as their thoughts so I could count the thoughts as my own and share them.

"I am a child of GOD (See John 1:12). HE loves me with an intensity that refuses to be diminished (Song of Solomon 8:7) HIS plans for me are always good. (See Jeremiah 29:11) HE loves me because HE has chosen to and not because of what I do or don’t do. (See Ephesians 1:4) HIS goodness and favour will chase me all the days of my life. (See Psalms 23:6)

Every blessing in Christ Jesus is already mine. (See Ephesians 1:3) By faith, I will enter into a path that is abounded by GRACE that my Heavenly Father has prepared for me. (See Romans 5:2) I am everything HE says I am. (See 1 Corinthians 15:10) I can do everything HE has called me to do. (See Philippians 4:13) I can have all that HE has called me to have. (See Psalm 84:11)

My days will only grow brighter.(See Proverbs 4:18) HIS favour is upon me and will never leave me.(See Lamentations 3:22-23) Nothing that comes my way can harm me. (See Isaiah 54:17) HE orchestrates my circumstances so that everything works for my good. (See Romans 8:28) Without respite and fear, I will hold tightly to the hope I say I have, because my GOD can be trusted to keep whatever it is that HE has promised. (See Hebrews 10:23)

I am LOVED with an everlasting LOVE (See Jeremiah 31:3). All my needs are already taken are of (See Phillipians 4:19), so there is no room for fear (See 1 John 4:18)"

Halelu YAH!

Leaning Leaning!

I was reminded of this hymn just the other day and I remembered that it was my very first favorite hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”. I think it was probably the song I heard when I went to church the first time as a believer. It comes from Deuteronomy 34: 27 which says: “The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms”. Of course we know that Jehovah God doesn’t have arms for us to lean on but He speaks to us in ways that we as creatures can understand. “This is what the learned people call an anthropomorphism which means that in order to understand some of God and to relate to Him, we attribute to Him human characteristics. (The word is made up of two main parts “anthro” meaning man and “morph” meaning to take the shape or form of.)”

Psalm 89:13 “You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted”; He is mighty to save, He is mighty with power, He is the Almighty. We remember that it was God who picked us up out of the miry clay and set us upon a rock, the Rock of our salvation the Lord Jesus. Psalm 40:2 We used to sing Psalm 37:23-24 in church and I was always comforted to know that although I might fall I would never be utterly cast down because His arms were underneath upholding me.

To lean on Him speaks to us in so many ways and I think that is why the song is so meaningful. He is our protection and we ought to know that if we trust Him with our very souls we can trust Him with every moment of our days. “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate” Psalm 34:22

It is futile to put our full trust/confidence in men for all men are untrustworthy in one way or another and we all know that in our own experience. We must also include ourselves because we fail in being trustworthy as well because we are sinful creatures. We are told that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man, Psalm 118:8 and yet how often we run to men thinking that they will surely protect and defend us only to find sore disappointment. He works those disappointments for our good and in them we are pointed to the trustworthy One. Certainly we have a measure of trust in those that we love but ultimately we should remember that our faith, trust and confidence should be in God alone.

I can’t lean for you and you can’t lean for me but what we can do is encourage one another with the Word of God as we see the day approaching. We can remind one another that the Lord is our Rock, our defender and our fortress as we keep on the path and as we trust Him on the journey. We truly are safe and secure!

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms

Grace and Peace!

Jewels!

I heard an excellent sermon today on Malachi 3:17 “ And they shall be mine", saith the Lord of hosts, “in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son who serveth him”.

It brought to mind several things, but most importantly of course it brought to mind the Gospel. I heard a minister say not long ago that there are some people who only mind the ‘good’ verses in the bible and that isn’t a biblical way to approach the Scripture. I think he was teaching out of the Old Testament and focusing on God’s judgment which we see abundantly in the OT. Partly because that is where we find the Law Covenant and where we find blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Certainly obedience is a desirable and wonderful thing and we long always to be obedient but we must also remind ourselves that we HAVE ALL spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus NOW. We long to not be disobedient and there can be consequences in this life for disobedience but we are not cursed, Christ took our curse (Galatians 3:13) and obeyed the law perfectly for us. Hallelujah!

It reminded me that Christ has come and we live on this side of His coming, we live in the New Covenant where He has fulfilled all the Covenants, where we can embrace His promises without fear and where we can know that there are no verses that are not good news. You see the Gospel is GOOD news, how simple is that? There isn’t a way to preach Christ to the elect and not preach good news, even in the Old Testament and that is what the people of God need to hear and have the desire to hear, Christ first, Christ last and Christ always!

Which brings us back to the jewels. We are His jewels, His peculiar treasure and we are loved with an everlasting love and today I was reminded of that. Think about it for a moment and let the truth penetrate your heart and mind. We are sinners with nothing to offer nothing to commend us to Him and yet we are called His jewels, His precious jewels!

Grace and Peace!

Sunday Stuff!

The choice of the song is related to the already pre spring windy days that we have had and the actual tumbleweeds that drift along just as the song says; right into my yard. The song is a nice tune and one that surely everyone recognizes but there isn’t anything nice about tumbleweeds. I sure hope they aren’t as bad as two years ago; it was a never ending cycle. Carry them to the alley, stomp them down over and over so they wouldn’t blow into the neighbor’s yard, but of course they did anyway. I watched my neighbor go out in the night and fork them into the wind so that they would blow further south but I don’t imagine they went very far. They just stopped at the next fence or tree or whatever blocked their drifting along and then they became someone else’s problem. Not a nice thing to do to your neighbor, right?

Today would have been our 40th Wedding Anniversary; we hoped we would be able to celebrate it together. But it wasn’t to be so I’ll think of the celebrations years past and be thankful for the years we did have.

I’ve never minded hand me downs, my mom used to give me wonderful work clothes and I loved them. She had classy taste. I have new to me furniture and I’m really thankful for it. I always wanted leather furniture but didn’t think that would be a wise way to spend, especially now that my income isn’t what it used to be with hubby gone. I went over to my friend’s house here in town to deliver a baby shower gift and guess what? Yep she had leather furniture that she wanted to get rid of and so it now looks really, really good in my living room. My family wanted a love seat (I gave them mine) and so all around everyone is pleased. It wasn’t a need, it was a want but I thank the Lord for providing it.

I’ve had that nasty virus and have been so swamped at work with year end that I haven’t even had time to think of blogging. It will be very busy at least through February, I hope that it will settle down after that.

Still ready for spring!

Grace and Peace!

By His Doing! (5)

1 Corinthians 1:30 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”

Redemption

I’ve touched on all the above complete blessings in Christ except for the last, which is redemption. I find it very telling and interesting that all of the four above are included in one verse to give us a clear picture of Christ’s work so that we may not boast but in Him. It is after all…………by His doing! I find that comforting, I hope that you do too!

Redemption is a very comprehensive term and is used in the Old Testament repeatedly and portrayed in different ways; always pointing to and as a type of Christ. God redeemed (delivered or severed) the nation of Israel from the bondage of Egyptian slavery and so the nation belonged to Jehovah, they were a chosen nation. It was because of this redemption that the nation of Israel owed their very lives and service to God. The tribe of Levi was set apart in a special way of service (the priestly tribe) but the other tribes were to be redeemed or purchased from service by redeeming the firstborn of men and animals.

A firstborn son was presented to the Lord on the 40th day after his birth and redeemed by a payment of five shekels; the firstlings of oxen, sheep, and goats were brought within a year and eight days and sacrificed. The firstborn of an ass (an unclean animal) was redeemed by sacrificing a sheep in its place and the first fruits of the harvest were presented at the Passover.

One of the greatest typologies in the OT is given to us in the book of Ruth when we are shown the picture of the Kinsman-Redeemer which of course represents Christ as the Kinsman-Redeemer of His people. What a blessed picture this is to us for it shows us that the Lord Jesus met and fulfilled every requirement as our Kinsman. He came and took on flesh and He was the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29), so He was a near kinsman. The price of our redemption was the blood of Christ and He alone was able to redeem (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 1:18-19) and He was WILLING to redeem us with His very own blood (Hebrews 10:4-10). Above all the kinsman redeemer had to be free from that which caused the need for redemption and we know that Christ was free from the need of redemption because there was found no sin in Him.

Redeemed=to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner. To purchase from slavery, the slavery of the bondage of sin.

We leave the types and shadows in the OT and come to the NT where we have the revelation of God in Christ, where we interpret the OT with the NT and where we find the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world coming to redeem His people, the true Israel. It is an effectual redemption; it is particular for His people and was carried out in time on the bloody cross whereby our Kinsman Redeemer shed His blood.

We have been redeemed and we are no longer slaves, but adopted sons and daughters. We have been set free from the bondage of a slave unto sin (John 8:31-36) and we have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). We have been redeemed not with silver and gold but with precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19) and as that purchased possession we have been delivered from the wrath to come, from punishment, condemnation and guilt and our sins have been forgiven (Ephesians 1:7) and are not imputed to us. (Romans 4:8)

In our redemption there is full reconciliation with God and as the purchased possession we await our full redemption. We have the Holy Spirit as the earnest of our inheritance, in whom we are sealed, as we await the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). We long for the day of full redemption from sin and corruption, from this body of death, all sorrows and afflictions and from death and the grave. Oh what a glorious morn that will be, resurrection morn. Come, Lord Jesus!

Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD!

Grace and Peace!

It's Stuff!

I received this CD for Christmas, what a remarkable voice! I’m sure everyone knows the fairy tale story of Susan Boyle, she did dream a dream and here she is with her first CD which is already a best seller. With her first appearance on the talent show she was laughed at and ridiculed, what a sad testimony of what people put stock in! Go Susan!

We don’t know what the New Year will bring to each of us do we? Thankfully we know that whatever comes comes by the Hand of the Lord. I wonder if we stop often enough to understand the privilege it is to be a believer, especially knowing that believing is not a work that we can do, it is a gift, a gift that not everyone is given! I’m reminded of a stanza from one of my favorite songs in the Trinity Hymnal, #271:

“Why was I made to hear thy voice, and enter while there’s room”?
We know that only sheep hear their Shepherds voice and that is because we are vessels of His mercy.

My dear friend and I were to go to California the end of January for a Gospel Conference that is held twice a year but because of work conflicts I can’t go. Hopefully we can go in July; it would be warmer then for sure. I’m a native born California girl (I know, I know nothing to brag about) but I was sure hoping to see the ocean again.

I hope and pray for all those that I love, especially the saints, that if you are estranged from a brother or a sister or a friend that this year might bring about reconciliation. We, as saints, are reconciled to God by Jesus Christ and He has peace with us and we are accepted in the Beloved. I hope we can each find peace and acceptance with one another.

I’m working on the last part of 1 Corinthians 1:30, redemption but I’ve been really sick, so hopefully soon!

I finally found some sugar free juicy fruit gum………can’t you just smell it and taste it? Ummm, I love juicy fruit!

Happy New Year! 2010

Grace and Peace!

O' Holy Night!

A friend told me once that she didn’t like this song because there was nothing holy about the night; I suppose she was only thinking of perfection in a moral sense or of worshipping the night itself. Of course up until that night there had never been any moral perfection in the entire world, not even in Adam and Eve; perfection doesn’t fall!

However this night was the night that was sanctified or set apart in timeless eternity for the birth of the only true Holy One, our dear Savior Christ the Lord! It was a holy night; it was divine in that sense and we can listen and sing this song with gladness as it inspires awe in us just as it inspired awe in the shepherds. Oh yes, the world was mired in sin and error pining until He appeared and the angles proclaimed:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among
Men with whom He is pleased”

We don’t fall on our knees to worship the night but we fall on our knees to worship the One who was born that night and we rejoice with those who rejoice that He has come. We can take this time to remember that there was a divine night when He came willingly to humble Himself and take on flesh, flesh as ours yet without sin.

Oh Savior divine, thank you for the new and glorious morn!

A Blessed Christmas to all the saints as we praise His Holy Name!

Born a Child!

And yet a King! This is one of my favorite Christmas Hymns, one among many! I think partly because I can remember when I stumbled at the answer, when I didn’t know who Jesus was. Certainly I had heard of Him, this Babe, the Son of Mary but it was only a story to me then, a story of a baby in a manger with animals all around and men bringing gifts and shepherds and angels singing. I know now of course that no one can believe the story and know the Babe apart from having a new heart TO believe and that new heart comes in regeneration, the new birth. You see we too have to be born anew as a child with the first dawning of truth in the new heart and the first joy in KNOWING Him.

The longing of our heart is to know Him; Philippians 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”

The Apostle Paul certainly knew Christ when he penned this verse but his knowledge of Christ was imperfect just as ours is. Paul suffered the loss of all things and counted that loss as dung so that he might KNOW Christ. We see only in part now and know only in part (1 Corinthians 13:12) but we long to know more. We want to know more of Christ; we want to know more of His love and the unsearchable riches of His grace. We want to know more of the power of His resurrection because in that resurrection we find our justification. We have been begotten again unto a lively hope by His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3) and we want to abound in Christ and that lively hope as we sojourn here. It is amazing to think that the power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that worketh in us, the same power that keeps us and the same power that hath given unto us all things pertaining to life and godliness.

In time He came to save His people from their sins; “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”, but He came as a child. It is this coming that we remember at Christmas; it is THIS Child that we celebrate, the Christ Child!

Joy, Joy for Christ is born!