naphtali_deer's Xanga

I can't keep walking on eggshells here (more on Revelife, Calvinism, the Body of Christ and self)

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:37:12 GMT

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Since the recent blow-up at Revelife I've been trying to sort a lot of things out...I've been quite stressed and ill at ease. Conflicted. I've felt like my insides were being ripped apart.

Stretched...and stretched...and stretched...

The thing about being a child of God is that God's stretching is all for our good, and as we submit ourselves to the will of God by the grace of God, unlike Stretch Armstrong, we don't end up the way we started...we end up far better than we started...looking a bit more like Jesus...the stretching (the discipline) is necessary and profitable...though painful...

A little background:

1. I'm a Christian who values unity in the Body of Christ.
2. I'm a Christian who has a passion to teach the Word of God.
3. I'm a Christian who is a Calvinist.
4. I'm a Christian who believes the most God-glorifying way to proclaim the Gospel and teach the Word of God is through the framework of Calvinism.

(DIsclaimer: I'm not saying that Arminians are not seeking to glorify God. I believe they are.)

I don't really like the term Calvinist, but I'm going to use it here for the sake of the discussion. I love Jesus Christ, I follow Him first and foremost. It so happens I agree with many of the teachings of John Calvin. Calvin is not my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is.

(By the way, try as you may, you can't really fit me into the standard Calvinistic/Reformed Theology box. For example, I don't believe in infant baptism, I'm not cessationist, I don't believe in Covenant theology but New Covenant theology. I have my opinions on those but I will agree to disagree on those matters; they're all nonessentials to our one faith.)

I do consider much Calvinism (or Reformed theology) Biblical doctrine, especially the Five Solas and TULIP (the five points of Calvinism: total depravity; unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace & perseverance of the saints; for more, please see here or here). Many Christians will disagree with me on some or all of the points of Calvinism. You are welcome to disagree; such disagreement does not mean we are not all part of God's family.

A few years ago I wasn't a Calvinist. For years I balked at most of Calvinism. Now I'm in the Calvinism tent, which is part of the big tent of Christianity along with all my Arminian brothers and sisters. We're all in the big tent together. We've all been adopted into the same family, God's family, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We're all to welcome one another to God's glory. When we don't welcome one another, we're not welcoming the Spirit of Jesus...

I confess to you that I've felt like I've been walking on eggshells recently. And I've felt like skipping out of this place...

To explain further, I'll add on a couple more points to the four I already gave:

1. I'm a Christian who values unity in the Body of Christ.
2. I'm a Christian who has a passion to teach the Word of God.
3. I'm a Christian who is a Calvinist.
4. I'm a Christian who believes the most God-glorifying way to proclaim the Gospel and teach the Word of God is through the framework of Calvinism.
5. Not all Christians are Calvinist.

So, you see where that is going...

6. Not all Christians will like or agree with how I teach the Word of God.

I will tell you that it grieved me to see some of the responses to my three recent posts on Revelife (two taken down, originally posted on my own blog here and here, and one still up here), particularly the tone of some of my brothers and sisters in Christ. At first I blamed myself for causing the disunity. So I asked Revelife to take the posts down (which they eventually did). Some people pointed out to me that I didn't cause the disunity, but I only served to reveal it. The disunity was already there. (Such disunity in the Church has been there for much longer than any of us have been alive...) In retrospect I can see I overreacted because I was so distressed by the disunity and infighting I saw (plus I didn't want to be put in a situation where I would be disliked – more below on that). I did look through the Revelife archives and found at a post about Calvinism on Revelife from February 2009. Lo and behold, the exact same thing was happening. I don't like this. It makes me sad and it makes me uncomfortable. If you are a child of God, I think this disunity should make you sad and uncomfortable. Though some of the discussion has been commendable, some has not. We're to be eager to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; it is clear some of our discussion does not fulfill that Biblical mandate.

My brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, so long as we can profess we have been born again by God's Spirit, by grace through faith, that we not trusting in our own works to save us, but Christ's cross and Christ's blood alone, then, though we may not all be on the same theological page, we can say all our names are all written in the Lamb's book of life. As Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 (emphasis, mine)

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

I will say I do have some very definite and serious differences with Arminians about the operation of God in salvation, but I will agree to disagree about those things (and quite strongly, I will add). So long as we are all upholding the basic tenets of the faith, we are all one in Christ. By His grace at work in us, I pray all of us might treat one another as joint-heirs with Jesus and love one another as He has loved us. (Yes, indeed, this is impossible with us, but possible with God!)

Here's something John Wesley wrote ("The Works of John Wesley").

To say, "This man is an Arminian," has the same effect on many hearers, as to say, "This is a mad dog." It puts them into a fright at once: They run away from him with all speed and diligence; and will hardly stop, unless it be to throw a stone at the dreadful and mischievous animal....[please reread that now & substitute in Calvinist for Arminian...]

One word more: Is it not the duty of every Arminian Preacher, First, never, in public or in private, to use the word Calvinist as a term of reproach; seeing it is neither better nor worse than calling names? -- a practice no more consistent with good sense or good manners, than it is with Christianity. Secondly. To do all that in him lies to prevent his hearers from doing it, by showing them the sin and folly of it? And is it not equally the duty of every Calvinist Preacher, First, never in public or in private, in preaching or in conversation, to use the word Arminian as a term of reproach? Secondly. To do all that in him lies to prevent his hearers from doing it, by showing them the sin and folly thereof; and that the more earnestly and diligently, if they have been accustomed so to do? perhaps encouraged therein by his own example!

(I'm not really sure how well Wesley put this into practice, but I think all of us ought to prayerfully consider his words.)

We are commanded to bear fruits worthy of repentance. One of the fruits of our faith, one of the tests of our faith, is that we love one another. As we grow in our love and affection for Christ, ought we not be growing in love and affection for His brothers and sisters (in spite of our differences)? I would ask you to allow God to help you examine the comments you have made and the thoughts you have had toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, as I do the same...

Jesus also told us that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another. We can discuss and debate doctrine and argue doctrine until we are blue in the face, we may make some very good points, but I'll ask the question: What is the world looking at more? The points we make or the manner in which we make our points?

Part of the beauty of the Body of Christ is that though there is unity, there is a lot of diversity. I think God's glory shines brightest in us when we can disagree with our brothers and sisters in Christ in love. That's a supernatural thing, something none of us can work up in our own power, out of our own willpower...

Know that as I write these things to you, I am writing them to myself as well. There's a 2 x 4 in my eye...I hope God will open all our eyes to see the planks in our own eyes, brothers and sisters, so we might address them appropriately.

When the Body of Christ is ripped apart, I feel ripped apart, so that's one reason why I've felt I was being ripped up on the inside... I regret to say this, but the reality is this: wherever there are Christians, there will be division (well, until we reach heaven)...so my leaving here won't make the division go away and my not writing about Calvinism won't make the division go away. The division will only go away when we're gathered round the throne. Honestly, if you're not grieved over some of the exchanges that take place here between Christians, I pray that God would help you to have His eyes to see the situation as He does. ("Is My Son divided? What are My children doing anyhow bickering and fighting with each other like this?" "I sent my Son to unite them into one man...")

I may not agree with you on Arminius.
You may not agree with me on Calvin.
But are we not all agreed on Christ?
By the grace of God, may I be able to look beyond your Arminius and see Christ in you.
By the grace of God, may you be able to look beyond my Calvin and see Christ in you.
By the grace of God, may we receive one another and love one another with the love He set on us.

Another reason why I was being ripped up on the inside is because I was trying to please everyone. I have come to see that's impossible. That seems obvious to me now, but it really wasn't so obvious at first.

In my almost three years of blogging here, I've come away pretty unscathed, but now I'm in the fray. I had actually mentioned to someone this place was toxic, and I was tempted to run away from it. But the thing is: the problem isn't with this place, it's with my sinful, selfish, immature heart. As I already said, no matter where we go in the Body of Christ, we'll get the same thing: divisions and disagreements. I don't like conflict, but if you remain in a place long enough, you end up with some sort of conflict to some extent. So I'm here now in the middle of conflict and have been tempted to cut and run, except I believe God wants me to remain here. Running doesn't get to the root of the problem. More stretching...More ripping...The root of the problem is with my own heart and how I react to conflict.

More specifically, I will tell you this: I'm Karen and I am a people-pleaser. There. It is now out in the open. I like to be liked. I dislike being disliked. I've alluded to this in other posts, but I don't think I've ever been quite so blunt about it before. I like the praise of men. I find myself seeking men's approval and coveting it. I know that is totally against what it means to live in the Kingdom of God. Such an attitude is disgusting, vile and sinful. It's not at all Christ-like. It's all about self and nothing about Christ. I ought only be seeking to bring God praise and all about His praise and His glory. I am so far from being selfless. I'm too often focused on my own little kingdom and not my King and His Kingdom. On the other side of that is that I don't like insults. And I often take things personally (even when they're not directly addressed at me). My skin is thin. I confess these things to you and ask your prayers for me...

Since there are both Calvinists and Arminians in the Church, we're never going to see eye to eye on everything, so that means I won't be able to please everyone.

I'm over 50 years old. God has really been pushing me lately. It's time for me to stop acting like a baby and grow up into Christ and embrace the sonship of my heavenly Father. This is something He's been particularly been impressing on me in the past several months. (I wrote about it here.)

Though I know and understand God's love more today than ever, I can see how very little I really know or understand His love. How sad! I've been saved for over 27 years. No, not only sad, pathetic. Of course this is not due to any deficiency on God's part. If I truly understood and embraced my Father's love and was totally secure and resting in His love, I would not seek to please people but please Him. I would rest secure in His affirmation and embrace for me in Jesus. I'm weak. Very weak. I continue to be bound up by fear. Fear of failure. Fear of men. Fear of being disliked. Fear of being disapproved. Fear of rejection. etc., etc. Whenever I let my fears overwhelm me, I shrink back in disobedience to the Lord's will for me. Whenever I let my fear overwhelm me, I can't walk in faith. How much do I really know the Father's love if I continue to be bound up in fear? Not very.

When I began blogging I chose my screen name naphtali_deer because God had impressed upon me Genesis 49:21. (I wrote about it in my very first blog post.)

The blessing to Naphtali popped out at me: "Naphtali is a deer let loose; he uses beautiful words" (NKJV, Genesis 49:21). In the months prior to that time I could see God beginning to loosen me from many things that were keeping me from worshipping and serving Him as He desired (and that, of course, is His continuing work in me). The phrase "he uses beautiful words" hit me since so often I have used my tongue in ways to harm others rather than to encourage and edify them, and it is God's desire for our words to honor and glorify Him (see James 3:10). My prayer is that this blog glorifies Him and encourages fellow believers in the Body of Christ.

When I continue to be captivated by fear, I can't be captivated by the love of God and I can't enjoy the birthright Jesus died to bequeath to me. Like the deer let loose, the Lord has unloosened me and set me free from the power of sin, self and Satan to be a slave to Him. As I've been going through this struggle, this stretching, this ripping, this discipline, I remembered that not long ago I had prayed that I would truly understand and be able to live out Paul's words in Galatians 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I find I pray prayers like that and sometimes forget, but God never forgets. He takes that little desire and begins to work...(Be careful what we ask for, right. )

Yes, I was distraught about the Revelife flap (and still am to some extent), but now I'm seeing in addition to God bringing good out of it for us as a community, He wants to bring good out of it for my own soul. Romans 8:28 once again, my friends. Isn't God wonderful? He is continuing His work of conforming us into His Son's image. Painful but profitable.

Unless I die to self, I cannot truly live. I'll continue to live to my own flesh, my own desires – and that is no true life. I can't enter Christ's rest so long as I continue to be yoked to other people's expectations. I can't have Christ's joy if my joy is dependent on what other people think of me. That's why I've been conflicted. The life of Christ dwells in my soul. Because the very power that raised Jesus from the dead I can reckon myself dead to sin, dead to self, and alive to Christ. When God tells me to offer myself to Him as a living sacrifice, He gives me the power to do so. I'm no longer married to sin or self but to Him, so any so everything that revolves around self – all the self-seeking, self-protection, self-absorption, self-consciousness, self-aggrandizement, etc.– all of that ought to be decreasing as He increases. These are some of the glorious possibilities I've written about previously here (and more recently here and here). It discouraged me as I went back at looked at a post I did at the beginning of this year in which I wrote about my bondage to self...How little I've progressed since then, but now the Spirit is turning up the fire to purify me.

Here's what I wrote on January 3, 2009:

What do I need to count as loss for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord?

What do I need to count as loss so I might press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus?

What do I need to count as loss so I might press into the Kingdom of God?

What hinders me from running as I ought?

What do I keep holding onto that keeps me from taking hold of that for which Christ has taken hold of me?

Self

pride
self-seeking
a desire for attention
a desire to be liked
a desire for recognition
a desire for position
self-consciousness
a desire for safety
a desire for security
a desire for comfort

Self

Karen, do you love Me more than these?

Karen, do you love Me?

Karen, do you love Me?

Karen, have you forgotten Me, your first love?

Little child, are you keeping yourself from idols?

Karen, do you love Me more than yourself?

As Christians the promised land is ours today; yet so many of us, myself included, continue to live as slaves to sin and self. We continue wandering around in the wilderness, we continue to be ruled by self rather than letting Christ reign. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. We're to serve the world, yes, but never to make the world our master for Christ alone is our Master. My eye is to be single for him. He is my first Love. If I continue to make the world and its opinion of me my first love, I'm in very big trouble. Anytime I try to straddle the fence, anytime I'm trying to serve two masters, I can't be happy. That was another part of the ripping inside. God is saying to me: Are you choosing to please Me or to please the world?

Jesus always sought to do the will of His Father and always did what pleased Him. I must do the same. Yes, I'm called to serve and love others, but serving others and loving others may not always mean pleasing them (HT: Lonnie). I'm trusting the Lord will help me to know Him and His love more and more. I'm trusting the Father's embrace will be more than enough for me, no matter what others might say about me or think about me. My God will never reject me or forsake me. As I become rooted more deeply in His love I will be able to run and not grow weary and walk and not faint. Ephesians 3:16-19 is my continuing prayer, O, that I might know Christ's love for me more and more! Praise God that He can do in me, and in all of us, exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine!

So where does this leave me in regard to blogging?

In the past several days it had come to the point where I realized I couldn't keep walking on eggshells. It was tearing me apart on the inside.

For a short time, I actually contemplated and prayed about whether I could teach from more of a middle-ground theology, so I might be approved of men and might not upset my Arminian friends. I quickly came to see that would not only be self-seeking, an attempt to protect myself, but it also would be walking in disobedience to God's will for me. To write that way would be compromising my basic belief that God is most glorified as I write and teach through the framework of Calvinism. Such a compromise would be disingenuous and toxic to my soul. There might be more outward peace, there might be less conflict on the outside, but there would be no inner peace, I would continue to be ripped up on the inside.

I can't ever compromise in what I believe God is leading me to do, no matter how uncomfortable or difficult it might be for me, no matter what other people may think of me. So, as a servant of Christ first, and as your servant second, I'm going for serving God and not myself. I'm going to continue to write as I have since I am seeking to glorify God first and foremost...I am trusting God's love and God's grace will be sufficient for me and His power will guard and uphold me as I walk in the works He's ordained for me. He is my loving heavenly Father. Will my Father who gave me His Son Jesus Christ not freely give me all things I need? I need never fear His will for me. I'm not saying that will will always be easy...As I said, He is pushing me now: "Are you going to fear men or fear Me? Are you seeking to please Me or please men?"

For me to no longer teach through a Calvinistic perspective would be at best telling me to fight with one hand tied behind my back, and at worst cutting off my arm or telling me to just turn off brain. It's the framework through which the whole Bible and God's glorious plan of redemption makes sense to me. That may not be your framework. So be it. I hope and pray you will agree to disagree with me in love. (If not – well, I must keep reminding myself I can't control what you think or say, but as God's Spirit works in me I can be self-controlled and can continue to look to my Father's steadfast love for me rather than seeking your love and approval. I must strive to continue to enter into Christ's rest that He purchased for me at Calvary: that I have been and am fully accepted in the Beloved – even if you choose not to accept me.) And by the grace of God, I hope and pray I will agree to disagree with you in love (again – impossible with me!). I intend to write as the Lord leads me. By His grace, I pray would no longer walk on eggshells here (or anywhere), but to follow His lead with confidence and assurance and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. As I write I do and know I must be careful about what I write because I must be true to Him and follow Him wholeheartedly. I know I can't abuse or misuse the freedom Christ has given me...This is a stewardship He has given me. I receive it humbly. I have nothing I have received but from His nail pierced hands. I have nothing I have received but through the cross of Christ. My salvation comes from Him. My ministry comes from Him. My writing comes from Him. I must conduct myself in a way that reflects well on Him and brings Him honor and not reproach. You may not agree with my content, but I hope and pray He will guard me in my conduct so I might never reflect poorly on Christ or grieve His Holy Spirit by the manner in which I write or speak. I know I will not do that perfectly, but as His Holy Spirit works in me, it is my earnest desire to do so.

I hope and pray God will use my communications here to point souls to Christ (not Calvin): to build up the Body of Christ and to bring souls to salvation for His glory. I hope you have the same ambition. As Christians we have a wonderful opportunity here; there are many hurting and lost souls in the Xanga and Revelife community. May God give us eyes to see the fields white for harvest right here! I am trusting our Lord will equip us all to do His will and bless our efforts as we follow Him so one day all of us bring our sheaves with us and rejoice and be privileged to stand before Him and hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant..."

I also believe God has some of us here for a purpose bigger than we can imagine, that of helping to usher a season of revival into His Church. Sometimes I think that's crazy, but throughout Church history we have seen that time and time again God does use ordinary people like us and ordinary places like this! Simon Peter? Who was he? Nazareth? What kind of place was that? Each one of us? Who are we? Xanga? Revelife? What kind of place is this? Call me crazy, call me a dreamer – and as much as the devil continues to taunt me, to try to steal my dreams and snuff out my joy – I still do believe something good, something very good can come out of Xanga and Revelife! Therefore I wholeheartedly welcome any and all of you, be you Arminian, Calvinist or any and all things in between, any of you who have seen that we as a Church are so very poor and needy, that our only hope is for our Lord to rend the heavens and come down and revive us again, to contact me, so we can band together and contend for the Gospel and the Kingdom of God as one man.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, let us act like men, be strong.
Let all that we do be done in love.
I Corinthians 16:13-14, adapted

In Christ's love, for His Kingdom and glory, seeking His face,
Karen

Thank God for His Divine Love that spread the Feast!

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:59:53 GMT

I was thinking about the feast many of us would be enjoying today and then thought of the feast God has provided for us in Jesus Christ. As we eat our earthly feast today, let's not forget to give thanks for the heavenly feast God has provided us to us freely by grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Though we'll stuff our faces at the table today, we'll eventually get hungry and thirsty again, but our Lord has promised that if we eat and drink of Him, the true bread and the living bread, we will never hunger or thirst. If you've not yet received God's gift of salvation through Christ, I invite you to come to the feast, so you may never hunger or thirst again.

Divine love making a feast and calling in the guests.
(Isaac Watts, 1707)
( Luke 14:17 - 14:23)

How sweet and aweful is the place
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores!

Here every bowel of our God
With soft compassion rolls;
Here peace and pardon bought with blood
Is food for dying souls.

[While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry with thankful tongues,
"Lord, why was I a guest?

"Why was I made to hear thy voice,
And enter while there's room;
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?"]

'Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly forced us in
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.

[Pity the nations, O our God!
Constrain the earth to come;
Send thy victorious word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.

We long to see thy churches full,
That all the chosen race
May with one voice, and heart, and soul,
Sing thy redeeming grace.]

Jesus' yoke --> fullness of joy (Letter 31 on assurance & fighting for joy)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:11:56 GMT

My dear sister purchased with My precious blood,

You told Me you were seeking Me, seeking My joy.
Why do you struggle so?
Why do you try to escape My yoke?
Why are you seeking the praise of men?
Why are you seeking to please men?
Do you really think you can receive My joy if you persist in this?
Was I crucified so you might live to self?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

Love My Father, experience His love.
Will you forfeit His love for the world's love?
O, foolish, brutish soul!
Adopted by My Father, redeemed by My blood, made a new creation by My Spirit!
Yet here you are acting like a beast.
You are in the world but no longer of the world.
Do not love the world.
Do you not see? (Holy Spirit, sanctify her! Open her eyes! Lead her into all truth!)
If you serve another master, you will never have My gladness.
You're leaving my easy yoke for the hard yoke of the world.
The world hates you. The world's way is bondage.
I love you. My way is freedom.
Your way is death. Do you love Me?
Take my yoke upon you, dear one.
Seek your Father and His Kingdom and you will live.
Would you gain the whole world at the cost of losing your own soul?
As you love Him My joy will be in you and your joy will be full.

Why do you struggle so?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

Fear My Father, experience His praise.
Will you forfeit His praise for the world's praise?
O, foolish, brutish soul!
Adopted by My Father, redeemed by My blood, made a new creation by My Spirit!
Yet here you are acting like a beast.
You are in the world but no longer of the world.
Do not fear the world.
Do you not see? (Holy Spirit, sanctify her! Open her eyes! Lead her into all truth!)
If you serve another master, you will never have My gladness.
You're leaving my easy yoke for the hard yoke of the world.
The world hates you. The world's way is bondage.
I love you. My way is freedom.
Your way is death. Do you love Me?
Take my yoke upon you, dear one.
Seek your Father and His Kingdom and you will live.
Would you gain the whole world at the cost of losing your own soul?
As you fear Him My joy will be in you and your joy will be full.

Why do you struggle so?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

Obey My Father, experience His peace.
Will you forfeit His peace for the world's conformity?
O, foolish, brutish soul!
Adopted by My Father, redeemed by My blood, made a new creation by My Spirit!
Yet here you are acting like a beast.
You are in the world but no longer of the world.
Do not seek to be conformed to the world.
Do you not see? (Holy Spirit, sanctify her! Open her eyes! Lead her into all truth!)
If you serve another master, you will never have My gladness.
You're leaving my easy yoke for the hard yoke of the world.
The world hates you. The world's way is bondage.
I love you. My way is freedom.
Your way is death. Do you love Me?
Take my yoke upon you, dear one.
Seek your Father and His Kingdom and you will live.
Would you gain the whole world at the cost of losing your own soul?
As you obey Him My joy will be in you and your joy will be full.

Why do you struggle so?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

Keep My Father's commandments, experience His blessing.
Will you forfeit His blessing for the world's blessing?
O, foolish, brutish soul!
Adopted by My Father, redeemed by My blood, made a new creation by My Spirit!
Yet here you are acting like a beast.
You are in the world but no longer of the world.
Do not seek the world's blessing.
Do you not see? (Holy Spirit, sanctify her! Open her eyes! Lead her into all truth!)
If you serve another master, you will never have My gladness.
You're leaving my easy yoke for the hard yoke of the world.
The world hates you. The world's way is bondage.
I love you. My way is freedom.
Your way is death. Do you love Me?
Take my yoke upon you, dear one.
Seek your Father and His Kingdom and you will live.
Would you gain the whole world at the cost of losing your own soul?
As you walk with Him My joy will be in you and your joy will be full.

Why do you struggle so?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

Honor My Father, experience His honor.
Will you forfeit His honor for the world's honor?
O, foolish, brutish soul!
Adopted by My Father, redeemed by My blood, made a new creation by My Spirit!
Yet here you are acting like a beast.
You are in the world but no longer of the world.
Do not whore yourself to the world.
Do you not see? (Holy Spirit, sanctify her! Open her eyes! Lead her into all truth!)
If you serve another master, you will never have My gladness.
You're leaving my easy yoke for the hard yoke of the world.
The world hates you. The world's way is bondage.
I love you. My way is freedom.
Your way is death. Do you love Me?
Take my yoke upon you, dear one.
Seek your Father and His Kingdom and you will live.
Would you gain the whole world at the cost of losing your own soul?
As you serve Him my joy will be in you and your joy will be full.

Why do you struggle so?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

Please My Father, experience His pleasure.
Will you forfeit His joy the world's pleasure?
O, foolish, brutish soul!
Adopted by My Father, redeemed by My blood, made a new creation by My Spirit!
Yet here you are acting like a beast.
You are in the world but no longer of the world.
Do not seek to please the world.
Do you not see? (Holy Spirit, sanctify her! Open her eyes! Lead her into all truth!)
If you serve another master, you will never have My gladness.
You're leaving my easy yoke for the hard yoke of the world.
The world hates you. I love you.
Your way is death. Do you love Me?
Take my yoke upon you, dear one.
Seek your Father and His Kingdom and you will live.
Would you gain the whole world at the cost of losing your own soul?
As you walk with Him my joy will be in you and your joy will be full.

Why do you struggle so?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

Embrace My Father, experience His embrace.
Will you forfeit His embrace for the world's embrace?
O, foolish, brutish soul!
Adopted by My Father, redeemed by My blood, made a new creation by My Spirit!
Yet here you are acting like a beast.
You are in the world but no longer of the world.
Do not seek the world's embrace.
Do you not see? (Holy Spirit, sanctify her! Open her eyes! Lead her into all truth!)
If you serve another master, you will never have My gladness.
You're leaving my easy yoke for the hard yoke of the world.
The world hates you. The world's way is bondage.
I love you. My way is freedom.
Your way is death. Do you love Me?
Take my yoke upon you, dear one.
Seek your Father and His Kingdom and you will live.
Would you gain the whole world at the cost of losing your own soul?
As you fear Him My joy will be in you and your joy will be full.

Why do you struggle so?
(You know it grieves Me to see you like this.)
You already know what you must do...

My sister, remember the word I spoke to you:

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Be filled with My Spirit now.

You already know what you must do...

Know that I am continuing to intercede for you at our Father's throne,
Jesus

Series Links - Thanksgiving posts

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:42:36 GMT

I previously posted some of these links but have continued to gather together some of my posts related to Thanksgiving and included them in this updated post.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF YOU!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

–I Thessalonians 5:16-18

from Thanksgiving 2007:

Reasons for Thanks Giving, Part 1: You

Reasons for Thanks Giving, Part 2: "It's All Because of Jesus I'm Alive"

Reasons for Thanks Giving, Part 3: "Free Grace" and "The Eye of Sovereign Grace"

Reasons for Thanks Giving, Part 4: The Great Cloud of Witnesses

Reasons for Thanks Giving, Part 5: Unanswered Prayer

Reasons for Thanks Giving, Part 6: Christian Friends

from Thanksgiving 2008:

Thanksgiving/Christmas: Thoughts on Bible Reading/Ruth 2: Thanking the Lord with Naomi

Thanksgiving Eve: How hungry are you for Him?

Thanksgiving: A carton of chocolate milk reminds me to count my blessings

Thanksgiving "Gratefulnesse" then and now

Thanksgiving to God that salvation is all of grace (the gift you can't buy today or any day)

from 2009:

my friend in Christ, I'll miss you

Letter 25 on assurance and fighting for joy (a strong craving ≠ His joy)

Blessed Be God for His Kindness Which Leads Us to Repentance

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell in unity!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for . . . (Letter 30 on assurance & fighting for joy)

Thank God for His Divine Love that spread the Feast!

(For more on thanksgiving, please also see my posts tagged thanksgiving.)

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for . . . (Letter 30 on assurance & fighting for joy)

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:46:25 GMT

Dear Lord Jesus,

You tell us to give thanks in all things for this is Your will concerning us...concerning me...

I've confess I've been finding it difficult to give thanks as of late – the letters are looking more like this:

I'm pressing on right now to give thanks... No, I'm not only pressing on to give thanks – I'm pressing on just to run the race set before me. You know I've tottered dangerously on the edge of becoming disillusioned, disenchanted, distraught and dreamless ... ready to chuck it all ... I'm feeling sort of like Jeremiah ...

My limited human vision makes things look foggy right now – but I know that is not the truth: the fog is lifting on us, on Your Church.

My flesh is lusting against Your Spirit, and Your Spirit against the flesh.

The devil is causing me to lose my vision, to doubt, to shrink back in fear. Anytime You give clarity, Satan starts throwing eggs on the window – he wants to smudge it all up.

While walking yesterday, I saw a deer lying dead in a pickup truck (the hunter obviously won that battle!). I thought, "That's how I feel. I'm not running, I'm not the deer set free...The prowling lion seems to be winning today...I feel like lion fodder..."

"Serengeti Lion 2"
Schuyler Shepherd / CC BY SA 2.5

How can I press on today, much less for the long haul? I'm weak, I'm growing weary, I'm fainting...

Satan, the liar, the father of lies, the accuser, the deceiver, the wolf in sheep's clothing, the prowling lion – he's trying to snuff out my joy.

I am tired of this! I am tired of the devil bullying me (and bullying Your Church)! I am not rolling over dead. I am going to fight to go behind the veil, to seek Your face, to enter into Your sanctuary..as hard as I must...I cannot live apart from You, dear Lord.

There's no true vision apart from You. O Lord, I am panting for You!

There's no true life apart from You. O Lord. I am panting for You!

There's no true joy apart from You. O Lord, I am panting for You!

Pick me up and carry me on Your shoulders, Good Shepherd. Hear my prayer.

Pick us up, we are Your people, Your Church, ransomed with Your blood, and carry us on Your shoulders, Good Shepherd. Hear my prayer.

Giving thanks is the tonic I need to get me back to You, to Your sanctuary ... away from me, away from my self-absorption, away from the cares of this world, away from my anxious thoughts, away from the wiles of the devil, away, away, away ... Let me look away to Jesus! There is no other who has the words of Life. No, there is no other who is Life. You are my Life! Whom have I but You! I am panting for You! Help me to hope in You. There is no other Hope but You. No other Strength. No other Strong Tower. No other. Let me look away to You, Lord Jesus! Take me to Your bosom!

To get my eyes off myself (in me dwells no good thing).

To get my eyes off these circumstances (circumstances are fleeting, You are the same yesterday, today and forever).

To stop being anxious but to wait on You so I might renew my strength (I have no strength apart from You).

To come to Your right hand where I may find fullness of joy (there is no true joy apart from You).

To come to Your side where I will find pleasures forevermore (there are no true and lasting pleasures apart from You).

To take up Your yoke where I will find rest for my soul (there is no true rest or freedom when I resist or break Your yoke).

To drink the living water (there is only stagnant water apart from You).

To eat the true bread from heaven (any and all earthly bread is unsatisfying, false bread).

To taste again the fruit of the promised land (the fruit of the old man is bitterness of soul, leading to death).

A good sister in Christ once gave me a magnet which said:

Faith makes things possible, not easy.

I like easy. I want the easy button. I want the "Go directly to GO and Collect $ 200" card. I get frustrated. It's easy for me to read the stories in the Bible, and forget the years of agony, of waiting, of pain, of hardship, of endurance. We turn a page and poof! Abraham and Sarah have their child: except it was years, not a matter of minutes. Following You is not always easy, but it is always possible because Your Spirit works in us to will and to do of Your good pleasure. But along the way that doesn't mean we won't meet up with delays, denials, doubts, weakness, struggles, dissension, giants, armies, Red Seas, mountains, the prowling lion, the accuser, our own sin nature, the lusts of the flesh, emotional upheavals, discouraging words, past failures taunting us, temptations to build with wood, hay and stubble, to settle for earthly treasure rather than the pearl of great price, to stop running the race, to give up, to seek comfort rather than seeking You and Your Kingdom.

Thanks be to God You are a great High Priest who can understand all those temptations, You were fully God become flesh. You came to earth in the form of a man, You withstood every temptation and yet You were without sin. You can have compassion on me. O, Jesus, I need You to intercede for me. I need Your Spirit to strengthen me. I can't run this race without You. I can do nothing apart from You. I am trusting Your grace to be sufficient for me. The dreams have been so real. The joy has been real. The new life You have given me is a reality. But right now I'm all but stumbling, stammering and slipping, I've been ready to stop running the race set before me. Pick me up and put me on the path. I can't get there myself. Straighten out my vision so my eyes are fixed on You again. Keep me wholeheartedly worshiping and following You, Lord. That is my one desire. I love You. I know my love for You is small. So small. Forgive me. But I do love You. I do have that mustard seed of faith. You deserve all of me, nothing less. You gave me all of You. I am not my own. You bought me with Your precious blood. Help me to render myself completely to You. So long as I hold on to any of me, I cannot experience the fullness of joy and the pleasures forevermore. How utterly ridiculous of me to keep my life only to lose it! To forfeit the joy unspeakable – to turn away from You – O, Lord, that is unthinkable and unfathomable now that I have known You and Your joy! Forgive me for being foolish and brutish, my Lord and my God.

By Your grace, I'm moving on now to reflect on the past year and give thanks to You...What better thing can I do? What else can I do? When I put my eyes back on You and on the work You have done in my life rather than the mountains that lie ahead of me, I can remain steadfast, immovable and always abounding in the work You have for me. I can have confidence You will complete what You've begun. I begin to remember once again that You are the God who performs what He has promised.

Looking at the mountain ahead of me does no good. Take me to Your presence, speak to me face to face, be gracious to me, let me see Your glory up on the mountain. I'm coming now to Mt. Zion! You've already seated me in heavenly places. I'm entitled be there because Your Father has adopted me into Your family. You are my brother. I can go there by faith in Your blood. I need to get there again, Lord.

It is good to give You thanks and praise. Let me never forget You and never forget Your benefits You purchased for me on the cross of Calvary. As You give me the words, I will now try to sing to You a few of the ways You have blessed me in the past year or so . . .

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for . . .

• continuing to push me out of my comfort zone . . . waaaay out . . . even though it's been quite uncomfortable at times . . . You have been ever faithful . . . (Help me to keep trusting when I have more questions than answers!) . . .

• letting me fail . . . and fail . . . and fail . . . and fail . . . and once again fail . . . for then I see I can do nothing apart from You and have no choice but to kneel down and ask You once again for Your Holy Spirit . . . and then I see Your sovereign grace superintending over all things, even bad things – including each and every failure, every challenge, every discouragement – every sinful and stupid and impetuous act of mine (no, You never condone sin!) – for my good and Your glory and the good of the Church! Except right now I'm on the edge of in the midst of a perplexing/challenging/impossible situation and it's been difficult to press on, my faith is all but gone . . . My mounting doubts are the mighty Goliaths which are looking down on me and shouting out at me, all but smashing and stomping my mustard seed of faith, and making my five stones and sling look pretty silly. They're taunting and harassing me: "You're destined to fail." "What's the use anyhow?" "Remember: this is just what happened the last time." "You're heading for another heartache." "Who are you thinking God might use you?" Lord God, I am going to affirm it here now: I need to hear Your voice. Give me ears to know Your voice and to follow Your voice. I cannot continue to let the past keep me bound up from walking in the freedom You have given me. I know You are sovereign over each and every broken heart I have experienced or will experience, including the one I am experiencing now. You brought good out of each one and I am trusting You will do it once again . . . it's a little tough for me right at the moment, however . . . I need to make Your sovereignty my sanity right now . . . I need to keep my eyes on You, the One who is invisible, so I might endure . . . Give me eyes of faith to see You. Give me a heart of faith to trust You. I know in my head that each broken heart is appointed for my good . . . it just doesn't look or feel so good right now . . . Help me to turn to You now and not resort to my own schemes and devices . . .

• giving me a holy ambition I never thought of . . . Similar to Paul's words in Romans 15:20, with a twist. The ambition You have been giving me is to go to those place where Christ is technically being named, but He's not truly being named, i.e.- those churches were Christ is no longer lifted up as He ought to be. (O, Lord, keep this holy ambition burning in my heart! May I be zealous for Your temple as You were!)

• helping me to dream dreams I never thought of . . . to begin to see the glorious possibilities You have for us. To see the promises of life and intimacy written about in the Scripture are possible for us, the life You lived, the intimacy You had with Your Father is possible for us, for me, through Your indwelling Spirit. (Help me to keep dreaming and living out the dream! May I never become lukewarm! Stir me, stir Your Church, O Lord, out of our complacency, apathy and lukewarmness!)

• giving me a greater appreciation of Your holiness and Your call to be holy as You are holy . . . Your glory is that You are holy and sinless and yet You came to die for sinners like me so we might be reconciled to Your Father! Let us never take our sin lightly . . . Let me never take my sin lightly! (Purify me, Holy Spirit! Let me never remain hard-hearted and unrepentant! Lead me to repentance! Help me to bear fruit worthy of repentance. Keep me always mortifying sin. May Jesus alone be my Master!) . . .

• continuing to discipline me . . . even though it's not always been pleasant, it's always profitable . . . (Loving Father, discipline me as You deem necessary!)

• convicting me when I do not use my tongue to your glory. (Forgive me, Holy Father! O, to use my tongue for Your glory always everyday!)

• giving me assurance of forgiveness of sins and release from guilt as Your Spirit speaking to me that my soul was clean. I'd studied and written about and prayed over your promises of forgiveness in the Scripture but at this point last year I had none. Then one day last December, as I knelt down to confess my sin, began to become distraught and hopeless and despairing and in the blink of an eye your Spirit spoke sweet peace and assurance to my soul . . .

• giving me joy unspeakable and full of glory . . . something I'd read about but never really thought possible for everyone . . . for me . . .

• showing me how much in ruins the Church is . . . the false gospels that have come into our midst: legalism, a return to the law, moralism, social gospels, profession without the rebirth – and then showing me how much more we are in ruins, how we in the Church get caught up in battles over non-essentials . . . (Once again I'm grieving today over that. Forgive me, Lord, for the times I've been part of the circus.) . . .

• that moment in the middle of the night when the words from II Timothy 4: do the work of an evangelist jumped off the pages of "George Whitefield's Journals" and were seared onto my heart . . . (Evangelism was a small blip on the far edge of my radar screen this time last year . . . Impossible with me . . .) . . .

• the afternoon I was discouraged, and You and I walked together at "my" park; You reminded me then that enduring afflictions goes along with doing the work of an evangelist (also from II Timothy 4) . . .

• the Sunday School teacher who read I Samuel 12:23: "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you..." You used that verse to fan into flame a desire You had put into me to pray for revival... and start up tent of meeting, the prayer site for revival . . . and You have continued to increase my burden for revival and are calling others to be watchmen on the walls as well. Thank You, Lord! (Revival wasn't even on my radar screen this time last year.) . . .

• the calling to keep praying I received from our BSF study as I read of Moses' continued intercession for Israel: "Thus I prostrated myself before the LORD; forty days and forty nights I kept prostrating myself..." . . . (God forbid that I not continue praying! My spirit is willing but my flesh is so weak, Lord Jesus, be merciful to me . . .) . . .

• the night I looked across the field at Ignite Chicago and saw a chasing lighted red, glitzy cross and was grieved and cried out to You, "O, God, what have we done to the wonderful cross on which the King of Glory died? How can we cheapen Your glory and Your Gospel in this way?" (Let me not forget that image.) . . .

• the days I watched my stepfather clinging to life on earth and once again I pondered the inscrutable mystery that You alone can really bring dead souls to life . . .

• the break of morning I watched my stepfather breathe his last breath and You reminded me I escort someone into hell if I don't speak the Gospel to him when I have the opportunity to do so . . .

• the repeated reminders of how fleeting life is: the funerals I've attended, the friends/family I've said good-bye to and with whom I've grieved. These remind me how we need to be urgent and keep singing even though we're broken. The continued sense of necessity You have given me . . . The reminder Haggai had a four month window in which he prophesied . . . that was about a month and a half ago . . . (How have I been using my time since? O, Father, don't let me waste my life!) . . .

• the sermon (which was supposed to explore the Gospel but there was barely a mention of the cross, the blood and the atonement) You used to rekindle the fire in me, to remind me why I'm writing and speaking to contend for the Gospel . . .

• the moments after that same service I sat dumbfounded as I watched hundreds of souls exit the sanctuary and wondered how many were really saved . . . how many had ever really heard the Gospel or understood it . . . how many frogs are out there croaking false gospels which all but drown out the Gospel of Jesus Christ? . . .

"Frogs on Lily Pads"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joyweesemoll/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

• the day I was asked what business was it of mine to be concerned about what happens in other churches . . . (God forbid if I ever don't make it my business; the integrity of the Gospel is all our business . . . can we say we love Christ if we don't love His Gospel enough to guard it? It grieves me to see so many of Your children do not care about these things.) . . .

• the continuing challenge You have given me to understand my sonship, to move beyond fear and to rest in Your yoke and to live in the joy of what You are . . . (I'm still not there, Abba, but I'm moving closer . . .)

• the many friends You have brought me here on Xanga/Revelife, friends who challenge and encourage me, friends both old and young, especially my newer younger friends including Like_A_Tigah, poetically_truthful and llamalima. (Oh, yes, right: most people here are younger than me! LOL. These "kids" are all younger than my youngest child – but there's a maturity and a passion and love for You that excites me!) All these friends keep me pressing on for the prize of the high calling. But You know I particularly have so much joy to see Your hand upon the next generation!

• the faith and the vision You have given me that You may indeed bring something good out of this place – just like You came out of Nazareth – You may use us, use these twin cities of Xanga & Revelife to bring revival to many souls . . . (O, forgive me that my faith has wavered and my vision has become dim at times; for I have surely seen Your hand at work here already – the firstfruits are beginning to be harvested now! But I'm praying for more. Be merciful and gracious to us, Lord! Rend the heavens here, rend our hearts here!) . . .

• my friends who bear with my crazy babblings, who listen to me, who read my messages, e-mails and comments, and my friends who encourage, exhort and pray for me. You know it indeed does take a "village" to sustain my soul as well as to write here – all of them are co-authors with me (thank you, all of you!) . . .

• the opportunity to write here. It's a privilege and honor and blessing to be able to write about You. Yet You alone know the frustrations I face. I know without a doubt anything that is good and praiseworthy here is all of You, Lord. (Keep my vision clear; keep me writing for You and Your glory alone, never mine – that is a constant temptation . . . Keep me writing whether I see fruit or not. Rejoice my soul as I write for You. You know I love You.) . . .

• the Scripture, words of the saints (both past and present, including those from "George Whitefield's Journals" and Dr. Lloyd-Jones' "Revival" and "Faith on Trial: Studies in Psalm 73"), songs and hymns, the sights and sounds of nature, various events of day-to-day life: all of which You use to bring timely encouragements, lessons and rebukes to me . . .

• continuing to hold and guard me by Your grace for any day I know I would fall away if it were not for Your blessed Spirit, Your everlasting arms underneath me and Your eagles' wings, upholding me . . . (Help me to trust You as You continue to push me out of the nest!) . . .

O, Lord, You have been good,
You have been faithful
To all generations . . .
To me!
Thank You, Lord Jesus . . .
You have been good . . .
You are good . . .
There is none like You, Lord.

Psalm 116:12-19

¹² What shall I render to the LORD
         For all His benefits toward me?
¹³ I will take up the cup of salvation,
         And call upon the name of the LORD.
¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the LORD
         Now in the presence of all His people.

¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the LORD
         Is the death of His saints.

¹⁶ O LORD, truly I am Your servant;
         I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
         You have loosed my bonds.
¹⁷ I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
         And will call upon the name of the LORD.

¹⁸ I will pay my vows to the LORD
         Now in the presence of all His people,
¹⁹ In the courts of the LORD’s house,
         In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

         Praise the LORD!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell in unity!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:41:09 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

A couple days ago I called Christians here to engage in a praise assault. In that post I encouraged you to write a post giving praise to God as well as thanksgiving for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Last night I covered the first portion of that with my post Blessed be God for His Kindness Which Leads us to Repentance and now today I'm covering the second. I confess there are times I struggle with loving my brothers and sisters as God has loved me...so this post is my prayer for myself (and the rest of us) who have difficulty giving thanks for those in the Body of Christ. I ask you to forgive me and I ask you to continue to pray for me. I do give thanks for you all; His grace alone allows me to do so. I pray that I would not quench His Spirit, but let His love for all of you continue to flow through me in a spirit of thanksgiving and cooperation so we might build up one another and together take His Gospel of grace to the ends of the earth.

"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity."

I humbly invite those of you who are Christians to engage in a praise and thanksgiving assault here at Xanga and Revelife so we might push back the kingdom of darkness and give way for the Kingdom of Light to shine in this place and overcome the darkness. By His grace and power at work in us, let us endeavor together to keep the unity of the Spirit, to contend for the Gospel and to give our Lord the glory due His Name and bring His Kingdom here to Xanga and Revelife!

* * *

Pray then like this:
“OUR Father in heaven..."
Matthew 6:9a

1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.

Psalm 133

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

–Ephesians 4:1-6

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Our Father in heaven,

When Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, taught us to pray He used the words "Our Father."
How can we say "Our Father" if we do not welcome all those who are our brothers?

Forgive me, O God, for not loving all Your children as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving Your children as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all Your children.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

If You loved us, we also ought to love one another.
How can we say we love You if we do not love our brothers and sisters?

Forgive me, O God, for not loving my brothers and sisters as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving our brothers and sisters as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

There is one flock because there is only one Shepherd.
How can we say we love the Shepherd if we do not love His sheep?

Forgive me, O God, for not loving all the sheep as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving all the sheep as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for each and every sheep.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, shed His precious blood to redeem us.
How can we say we love our Savior if we do not love those who share the same bloodline?

Forgive me, O God, for not loving all our blood-washed brothers and sisters as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving all our blood-washed brothers and sisters as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our blood-washed brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died to make us one Body with many members.
How can we say we love Him if we do not love all the members of His Body?

Forgive me, O God, for not loving all the members of the Body as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving all the members of the Body as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all the members of the Body.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died to make us one Body with many members.
How can we say He is our Head if we say we do not need all the members of His Body?

Forgive me, O God, for not loving all the members of the Body as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving all the members of the Body as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all the members of Your Body.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity!
By Your Spirit, You have brought us together into one man, and Jesus Christ is our brother.

Forgive me, O God, for not loving my brothers and sisters as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving our brothers and sisters as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Your Holy Spirit has come to dwell in each one of Your children.
How we grieve Him when we do not welcome those in whom He dwells!

Forgive me, O God, for not welcoming my brothers and sisters and grieving Your Spirit.
Forgive us, O God, for not welcoming our brothers and sisters and grieving Your Spirit.
Give each one of us grace to welcome one another and welcome Your Spirit.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our Spirit-indwelt brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity!
When we do so our prayers arise as sweet incense to Your throne.

Forgive me, O God, for not loving my brothers and sisters as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving one another as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity!
When we do so Your oil flows freely to one another and out into the world.

Forgive me, O God, for not loving my brothers and sisters as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving one another as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love one another as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity!
We need You to help us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.

Forgive me, O God, for not loving my brothers and sisters as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not loving one another as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to love all those You have called as You have loved us.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity!
May Christ's Spirit of humility and love dwell in us so we might eagerly maintain the unity of Your Spirit.

Forgive me, O God, for not maintaining the unity of the Spirit as I ought.
Forgive us, O God, for not maintaining the unity of the Spirit as we ought.
Give each one of us grace to eagerly maintain the unity of Your Spirit.
Give each one of us grace to give thanks for all our brothers and sisters.

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN WE DWELL IN UNITY!

For the glory of God the Father, for Jesus' sake and by His Spirit at work in me, I thank God for each and every one of you, my dearly beloved brothers and sisters.

Your sister in Christ by God's love, mercy, grace, blood and Spirit,
Karen

Blessed Be God for His Kindness Which Leads Us to Repentance

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:21:12 GMT

Last night I called Christians here to engage in a praise assault, including encouraging others to write a post giving praise to God as well as thanksgiving for our brothers and sisters in Christ...I'm covering the first portion of that with this post tonight...I invite you to do the same...Let's give our Lord the glory due His Name and bring His Kingdom here to Xanga and Revelife!

Blessed Be God for His Kindness Which Leads Us to Repentance

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who brought us to repentance when we could not repent.
Romans 2:4

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who loved us when we could not love You.
I John 4:19

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who chose us when we could not choose You.
Romans 8:7, John 15:16

Blessed be You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who crucified our old man when we were slaves to sin.
Romans 8:6, Colossians 3:3

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who brought us to life when we were dead.
Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who circumcised our hearts when we could not circumcise them
Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who turned our hearts when we could not turn them.
I Kings 18:37

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who brought us to repentance when we could not repent.
Romans 2:4

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who gave us faith to believe when we could not believe.
Ephesians 2:8

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who brought us to You when we were powerless and far away.
Romans 5:6-10; Ephesians 2:11-13

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who opened our ears when we could not hear You.
John 8:43-47

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
You are the God who opened our eyes when we were in darkness.
II Corinthians 4:6

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who gave us understanding when our minds could not understand You.
I Corinthians 2:6-16

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who drew us to you when we could not come to You.
John 6:44, 65

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who bears in us fruit worthy of repentance when we can bear only fruit to death.
Romans 7:4

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
You are the God who made us one new man when we were once two.
Romans 8:7

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, O Lord God, You alone have been kind to us.
May we be satisfied with Your goodness.
O Lord God, be kind to Your Church today, lead us to repentance.
Romans 2:4

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

O, Blessed are You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! May we never presume on the riches of Your kindness and forbearance and patience, Your continued kindnesses to us are intended to lead us to repentance. May we never receive Your grace in vain. May we never continue in sin that grace may be abound. May we who died to sin no longer live in it. May we be satisfied with Your goodness. May Your kindnesses lead us to repentance.

Blessed are You, O God, for Your kindness which leads us to repentance.

a call to ALL believers: relaunching the praise assault

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:35:55 GMT

Earlier this summer I wrote about II Chronicles 20 (the story of King Jehoshaphat) and importance of praise in fighting the enemy. At the time I said we were launching a praise assault.

I'd like to relaunch the praise assault. Praise and worship are things the devil despises. He's constantly trying to snuff our our joy.

The apostle Paul was big into worship and praise. Many people think of him as focused on doctrine, which he was, but we find him also carried away in the Spirit with praise to God. We find him interjecting praise to God all the time in his letters. He was so taken up with the joy of the Lord.

In his letter to the Colossians we find this particular call to worship and praise.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

–Colossians 3:1-3, 12-17

There's a ton packed into those verses, so I'm not going to hit it all.

But I think our first response to Paul's words might be: Ok, wait, how do we do that? Really? Especially as we've seen the division in the church once again. Yes, the division's been there, but I've become more aware of it again, and I hope you have also. It's a very good thing when we get a right assessment of our true condition. Yet we see our differences and we ask, "How can we really love each other? Really?" We look at those commands and say, "You have got to be kidding me!" "That love thing is a pipe dream." I want to tell you, my dear brothers and sisters, we can! Remember, God's commandments are not burdensome for the believer. We have Christ's life, Christ's very Spirit dwelling within us so we might love one another as He has loved us. I'm not saying we will do it perfectly but let's look to the possibility and see that the possibility can become reality as we yield to the Spirit of God in us rather than obeying the lust of the flesh.

I've decided we have got to move forward into the promised land in terms of the promises God has for us. I wrote about this a few days ago in my post "no more lukewarmness! let us enter the promised land!" at tent of meeting. Our brother Bernie "so happens" to be writing similar things this week. Our heavenly Father has made this new life available to us, it IS a reality. Are you ready to come with me into the promised land? Any Joshuas or Calebs out there ready to trust that the God who promises has the power to perform His promise! Anyone ready to storm the promised land and by faith take hold of the inheritance we have as children of God? Anyone out there? I'm not talking about sinless perfection but I'm talking about a life far beyond what we can ask or think. To know the love and joy and peace of God so when the greatest, more furious storm comes, we can stand and not blink. Where we can turn the other cheek. Where we can forgive 70 x 7 times. That we can love and not expect love in return. That we can speak boldly without fear of men. I'm not there yet, I confess, but I want to be. I hate the sin in me more and more. God has given us all His Spirit so we might offer ourselves to Him to bear fruit to holiness. Sin is to no longer have dominion over us. Do we believe this? Do we believe we can live like Jesus? To live lives given over to our Father's business. Isn't that why we have received the Spirit? Or do we believe we've received the Spirit only to get a spiritual high?

I've been thinking about dreams lately. No, I'm not talking about literal dreams...

The first mention of dreams that caught my ear was in a movie about Alexander the Great. Ptolemy is quoted as speaking about Alexander: "The dreamers exhaust us. They must die before they kill us with their blasted dreams." (I don't recommend the movie for various reasons...) I don't know if he said or wrote any such thing but I liked it.

The second was in the mini-series remake of "The Prisoner" (again, I wouldn't necessarily recommend watching it). People are mysteriously snatched up and end up in "The Village," and given a whole new life. Except this new life is not a good new life (as we think of the life in Christ). A few of them still have dreams of their real life. The powers that be (personified quite eerily by Ian McKellen, who plays "Number 2," – yes, everyone's a number there in The Village, you no longer have your own name), they want to keep people from dreaming, from remembering the reality that was once theirs. The life in The Village is no real life. It's bogus. It's all false, contrived, manipulated and full of fear.

In a similar way Satan wants to snatch our dreams and our vision for the promised land. He's keeping us living in The Village. Trying to keep us blinded to the glorious possibilities of the Christian life. He's a liar and the father of lies. He's a deceiver. He's trying to steal our vision. He's trying to kill the dreamers and their dreams, or at least to discourage them and shut them up. I'm here to tell you the land flowing with milk and honey and abundant fruit is available to us today as believers. Not only for heaven. But now. Jesus said if we believe in Him we have eternal life. Now. Today. Yes, and also for eternity. But it begins the moment we believe. Peace that passes understanding. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. Love that covers a multitude of sin. Holiness unto the Lord. Sanctification by the Spirit.

How do you look at the glorious possibilities of the Christian life? When you read you're supposed to love all Christians, when you read that you're to put off sin, when you read the beatitudes, when people put these things out in front of you, do you say, "Oh, that's only for certain people, or only for Bible times." "God can't really mean that for me. That's too hard." "Oh, yes, and besides, God doesn't know so and so." (Please see my post "postcards from England: are we excited over a dead fish and a car wreck?")

I've had the dreams, not literal dreams, but I've got a little glimpse into the promised land, God's let me taste a little bit of the fruit there, some of the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore, and I've come to tell you He means it for you, for me, for all of us, all His children. God has so much more than we can ask or imagine. Are we content with our safe, cozy, quiet, lukewarm Christianity without power, looking no different than the world, without living water flowing out of us, with the salt remaining in the salt shaker? How can we be content with that kind of Christianity? That's why I'm continuing to pray for and write about revival.

I want to let you know that a firstfruit of those glorious possibilities is love for one another, the grace to welcome one another in spite of our differences for the glory of God and for Christ's sake. All of us. We've all been washed in the blood. We've all been covered with Christ's righteousness. We've all drunk of the living water. We've all eaten of the bread from heaven. We're all in the family of God. We can't claim to love God if we don't love our brothers and sisters. Family love is a fruit of our being born again into the family. How can we not love those our Father loves? How can we not love those the Son, our Savior, shed His blood for? Is His blood only effective for the Arminian? Is His blood only effective for the Calvinist? How can we not love those in whom His Spirit dwells? If we love Him, we will love the Church.

Let's remember this: our real enemy here is Satan. He wants us to keep us from dreaming. He doesn't want us to even imagine the promises of God are really available for us to pursue by faith. One of his tactics is to attempt to shatter the unity we have in Christ; of course He can never really do that totally for we are all in Christ, but he can certainly wreak havoc. We've seen it. He loves it when we argue and bicker. And when we do, we're distracted us from the work of the Kingdom and not only that but we're not being living witnesses of the love of Christ in how we treat one another. If an unbeliever would hear or read some of our conversations with or about other Christians, what would they think? What would God think? What does He think? He hears them, you know...In fact, whatever you speak or write to another believer, you're speaking it or writing it to Him...perhaps we should consider that when we're about to click that reply or submit button...Gulp!

Today when I was out driving (I'm not making this up) I saw two things. First I drove by a harvester at work in the field. Then within about a minute or two I drove my a huge, huge pile of ruins. If we get stuck in the ruins (or contribute to the rubble), how can we ever get out to the harvest? We'll be stuck, we'll sidelined, we'll be distracted. That's what happens when we remain resentful toward one another and unforgiving. When we look down on one another rather than submit to one another in love. And know this: that is exactly where Satan wants us.

The devil's agenda is to put a wet blanket on the fire, to quench the dreams...but let me tell you, when God wants to send revival, nothing's going to prevent it from coming down from heaven. Think Elijah on Mt. Carmel. Those gallons and gallons of water on the sacrifice and the wood. Filing up the trench. Not just a sprinkling of water. The whole thing was covered in water. Can anything stop the sovereign hand of God from moving? No!

I Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.

Do you believe the Lord can do that today? Do you sing songs like "The Days of Elijah" but don't really believe what you're singing? Do you believe God can wake us up out of our slumber? He can! Do you believe He can ignite us so we'll no longer be lukewarm. He can! We can't predict when, but we can say He can do it. And I'm praying for Him to do it again! Send the fire, Lord! I'm trusting You to move. I'm seeking You to move. We are so dead, dry and devastated now. Nothing will help us but a movement of Your Spirit coming down upon us!

Ok, now I'll give you more Scripture regarding the commands we find at the end of Colossians 3. At the beginning of Colossians 3 Paul reminds us of the new spirit and new life we have in Christ so we might love one another (cf. Romans 6:1-7:6):

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God...

If we are Christ's, we have been raised with Christ, we're to seek the things that are above. We are new creations with new hearts. We have died to sin to live to God. We can love one another as Christ has loved us. It's not a pipe dream, it's a definite possibility. As we walk in the Spirit, we can love all those who are born again by grace through faith into God's family the same way God loved us.

Yes, these things are impossible for us, but possible for God! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. As we abide in the true Vine, in the one who is perfect Love, we can bear this love. In fact, that's the only way we can love one another.

Now, let's get to the praise assault...

By the grace of God at work in you, by the power of the Spirit who has come to indwell you to conform you to the image of Christ, I invite you to launch a praise assault now.

Going back to Paul's words in Colossians 3:

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

As we lift up voices to Jesus Christ in praise and thanksgiving, our accusations against one another are silenced.

As we lift up our hands to Jesus Christ in praise and thanksgiving, our swords to slice off ears fall to the ground.

As we kneel and prostrate ourselves before the cross in praise and thanksgiving, we can't look down on one another.

It's a start...as much as it is possible, as far as it depends on us, we are to live in harmony with each other, to live at peace with each other, to let our love be genuine (see Romans 12)...we can do this by the power of God at work in us!

My dear blood-washed brothers and sisters, we are all in the same family. I thank God for each and every one of you. Yes, I know we have our differences. But we are all Christ's. We're all His sheep. If you are His, whether you are Methodist, Assembly of God, Presbyterian, Baptist, etc., etc., whether you are Arminian or Calvinist, I love you in Jesus. It grieves me so much to see the Church broken and shattered. Yes, I've got my theological bent for sure, but I know I'm to love you regardless. If you have been born again, if you are trusting in Christ's blood to save you and not your own works, we're all together in this magnificent and majestic family of God. There's nothing like in all the universe. We're here together for the long haul. We're headed to heaven! Let's start praising Him together today...after all, that's what we'll be doing forever and ever and ever...Let's ask God to give us the grace to love one another. It's something He longs to give us for His glory. May His Name be lifted up here and no other name. For He alone is worthy to receive all praise, honor and glory.

Will you please sing the new song of praise to our God along with me here? Please add your praises and thanksgivings to our God as well as your thanksgiving to God for your brothers and sisters. As the Spirit leads you, please add a Scripture, a song, a hymn of praise to God. Let's launch a praise assault right here and let His Kingdom come into Xanga and Revelife!

And then I'm asking you to consider doing one more thing. Please put aside whatever you were planning to blog on next and devote your next blog to praise to God and thanksgiving to God for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as we give thanks for family at Thanksgiving, let's ask God to help us to have His heart to love and give thanks for all our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, regardless of our differences. What a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration we can have together! Imagine it! I do! Let's make it a reality tonight. We can through the life of Christ in us! Soli Deo Gloria!

Yours in Christ,
Karen

God's sovereignty and the mess we've made (Letter 29 on assurance & fighting for joy)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:02:27 GMT

Dear friend in Christ,

You and I know we are in a big mess right now...the whole Church is in a mess. Revelife is in a mess. The ruins seem to be mounting. We could lie about it and deny it and say it isn't that bad, but it is bad, very bad. Closing our eyes to it isn't going to make it go away. Let's continue to pray and seek His direction in this (I know you are).

We could be tempted to be distressed and despairing, but we have no need to be. Like Paul we can look to the eternal weight of glory. Yes, we've struggled at times to rejoice as of late, but we must continue to fight for joy, to continue to go to the sanctuary and to seek the Lord, to seek His face. He has promised we will find there fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. I had been doing that this morning, but then I went to our friend, George Whitefield. I opened up his journals and found this wonderful nugget of gold:

It often gives me unspeakable comfort, to see how wisely God overrules everything for the good of His Church.

Whitefield followed this up with a stanza from a hymn by Charles Wesley:

The world sin, death, oppose in vain,
Christ by His dying, death hath slain!
My great Deliverer, and my God,
In vain does the old dragon rage,
In vain all hell its pow'rs engage;
Nought can withstand Thy conquering Blood!

–George Whitefield's Journals, Wed. Dec. 19, 1739

Amen and Amen.

Isn't that wonderful?
Whitefield is our friend, though dead (yet we will see him one day, will we not?! ), yet God can speak to us though his words, but of course the best Friend we have is Jesus Christ, the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. The King of kings and Lord of lords who conquered sin, Satan and death! The Lord Jesus Christ is the Victor and He alone has the words of life. He is the One who is and was and who is to come, the Almighty! So we turn to His holy word, the Bible, which contains the most wonderful and the most precious nuggets of all because they are God-breathed and infallible. We both know that Whitefield was only reinforcing the truths he saw in the Bible, so let us turn there once again, so we might be able to rejoice in the Lord today no matter how big the pile of rubble and ruins is before us.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Isaiah 26: 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee : because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD Jehovah is everlasting strength...

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Amen and Amen.

May we abide in the Vine and He in us so we might bear much fruit:
joy and peace and hope in believing.

ALL God's people singing, "He reigns" (Letter 28 on assurance & joy)

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:01:54 GMT

O Lord God, our Redeemer,

Yesterday I was quite sad and it was difficult for me to rejoice.

Our Father, we are Your children by grace through faith, we've all been cleansed and washed by the precious blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, we've all born again of Your Holy Spirit. I am praying you would bring us together in fullness of joy so we can sing together the song of the redeemed. It is to Your joy and to our joy that we sing together in one accord and with one mind. We are all of one Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We may "sing" different theologies, yet help us to welcome our brothers and sisters who sing a bit differently than us, even though those tunes may seem a bit disharmonious to some of us. One thing we can and must sing together is the song of the Redeemed, the new song of praise You have put into our mouths.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

When we don't sing that song together, how can the world know we are Your disciples? As we "sing" together, the world will come to see You in us and to come to know Your fullness of joy. You've created us and called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light to be a people who proclaim Your praises to the end of the earth. We were not a people but now we are a people. We had not obtained mercy, but now we have obtained mercy. I ask You would help us all to keep our eyes fixed on You and to continue to sing worship and praise to You for You alone are worthy to receive glory and honor and power! Help us to start singing together so the kingdom of darkness might be rolled back and the Kingdom of Light might be seen throughout this dark earth, so your glory would roll in and fill the earth as the waters cover the seas!

Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, all of You who sing the new song, let's sing it together, shall we,
for the sake of His Name, so His joy and our joy might be full!

(Here's the newsboys' song "He Reigns" and afterwards, I've included a variation on the lyric.)

HE REIGNS

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise about the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

When all God’s children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

* * * * * * *

It’s ALL God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s ALL God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

When ALL God’s children
Arminians and Calvinists
sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

ALL God’s people
Arminians and Calvinists
singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns