"The King has passed over all these. Is it bodily pain, poverty, persecution, or contempt? Over each of these Kidrons the King has gone before us. "In all our afflictions he was afflicted." The idea of strangeness in our trials must be banished at once and for ever, for he who is the Head of all saints, knows by experience the grief which we think so peculiar. All the citizens of Zion must be free of the Honourable Company of Mourners, of which the Prince Immanuel is Head and Captain.
Notwithstanding the abasement of David, he yet returned in triumph to his city, and David's Lord arose victorious from the grave; let us then be of good courage, for we also shall win the day."
Some days it seems as if the perils of the day are much more ominous, the mountains of accomplishment are that much higher, and the storms of the world are intensely forwarded. Some of that has to do with where we stand in relation to our adventure, or, perhaps the amount of caffeine that to that was ingested to that point. For we so often sense only the perils and pitfalls of ours short journey we neglect to see the hope borne out of the spirits presence. For the darkness of guilt and shame are often in our peripherals,our hesitancy and courage engage in a tenuous battle for the kingdom of our heart. For just as David was able to march through Kidron with courage and contemplation, so must we embrace the spirit of Christ's victory and march onward to conquer the day.
"Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him." (Lamentations 3:21-25 NLT)
Dare to hope? Should hope ever render a dare? Hope has become chanced, because we allow hope to become a gamble rather than a certainty. In the steps of those who depend on him, Christians often watch their feet more than the stars.
Remember our inheritance and what must be kept, for the word of the Lord is best kept by those who walk with him, and best found by those who search for him.
"You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed. My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course."(Proverbs 23:18, 19 NLT)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Useless.
"It is not likely we should all see eye to eye. You cannot make a dozen watches all tick to the same time, much less make a dozen men all think the same thoughts. But, still, if we should all bow our thoughts to that one written word, and would own no authority but the Bible, the Church could not be divided, could not be cut in pieces as she now is."
Our organizations make much use of some and little of others. Thus is the same of compensation, which give much to those which much to say, and little to those whose works are well concealed. As much could be said about Paul and Apollos, who routinely engaged the plebeian vitality themselves to make more of others.
"So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. "(1 Corinthians 4:1-3 NLT)
The authority of Paul and Apollo laid not with their intrinsic nature, rather though the movement of the Holy Spirit though their words and the humility projected from their souls. Both were keenly aware that the result of fleshing men would not be providence, rather without surrender of self would result in worldly discord. To that end, Paul nary trusted himself with the truth without the protection of the spirit to move it forward.
How does one empower the multitudes to surrender themselves to the will of God and the unity of the body. Simply put, "one" does not. Only "The One" does. Only in the lowering of man does the king fully come into view. There is no throne of man that stands higher than another man's feet, and there is no body without the love of Christ to stir souls awake. We often gaze out on an oasis of self-sustainment that embodies our need to be self-realized. Not a moment truly comes to us without the realization, whether it be what come to the present or what is yet to come, when we apprehend the reality of the desiccation that is both seen and unseen.
"He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.” I replied, “But my work seems so useless. I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand. I will trust God for my reward.” Isaiah 49:4"
No life can surpass that of a man who quietly continues to serve God in the place where providence has placed him. Our purpose is not found in comparisons to other men, and our eternal purpose can never be realized though the minds of other men. Every child of God is where God has placed him for some purpose, and the practical use of this first point is to lead you to inquire for what practical purpose has God placed each one of you where you now are.
Our organizations make much use of some and little of others. Thus is the same of compensation, which give much to those which much to say, and little to those whose works are well concealed. As much could be said about Paul and Apollos, who routinely engaged the plebeian vitality themselves to make more of others.
"So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. "(1 Corinthians 4:1-3 NLT)
The authority of Paul and Apollo laid not with their intrinsic nature, rather though the movement of the Holy Spirit though their words and the humility projected from their souls. Both were keenly aware that the result of fleshing men would not be providence, rather without surrender of self would result in worldly discord. To that end, Paul nary trusted himself with the truth without the protection of the spirit to move it forward.
How does one empower the multitudes to surrender themselves to the will of God and the unity of the body. Simply put, "one" does not. Only "The One" does. Only in the lowering of man does the king fully come into view. There is no throne of man that stands higher than another man's feet, and there is no body without the love of Christ to stir souls awake. We often gaze out on an oasis of self-sustainment that embodies our need to be self-realized. Not a moment truly comes to us without the realization, whether it be what come to the present or what is yet to come, when we apprehend the reality of the desiccation that is both seen and unseen.
"He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.” I replied, “But my work seems so useless. I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand. I will trust God for my reward.” Isaiah 49:4"
No life can surpass that of a man who quietly continues to serve God in the place where providence has placed him. Our purpose is not found in comparisons to other men, and our eternal purpose can never be realized though the minds of other men. Every child of God is where God has placed him for some purpose, and the practical use of this first point is to lead you to inquire for what practical purpose has God placed each one of you where you now are.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Work.
"Do not think that activity is in itself an evil:
it is a great blessing, and a means of grace to us. Paul called it a
grace given to him to be allowed to preach; and every form of Christian
service may become a personal blessing to those engaged in it. Those
who have most fellowship with Christ are not recluses or hermits, who
have much time to spare, but indefatigable labourers who are toiling
for Jesus, and who, in their toil, have him side by side with them, so
that they are workers together with God. Let us remember then, in
anything we have to do for Jesus, that we can do it, and should do it
in close communion with him."-CHS
"Can't say I was never wrong
But some blame rests on you
Work and pray they're never okay
To mix the way we do". - Jimmy Eat World.
Far too much of our grace work has been reviled as a chore, for some recondite purpose that has gilded itself into Christian convention. Ot appears when we ask question why are aspects of our faith journey paralleled on some linear plane? Are the concepts of prayer. grace, labor and forgiveness not communicable as are apportioned? Or rather, is it our inability to extrapolate such ideas from the container in which they rest to a recipe in which the fullness of God rises to.
Why do we continue to perpetuate the notion that the stillness of God coincides with the stillness of our feet? While Paul found moments for restful contemplation, his feet never remained still for long.
Too often we still think of acts of worship as isolated or solitary events, rather that the fullness of the experience gifted though the spirit's work. For so much as we observe quiet time, we must be mindful of the idea that solitude with God does not provision us with more Fellowship than another, and does not enable us to a place of grace that cannot only be found though silence.
The Hebrew word "Avad" is the same meaning for worship, work and service. There was no distinction drawn between the three, they were used interchangeably. Our divisions of things spiritual and holy are ours alone, his lines are drawn between his presence and things not of him.
it is a great blessing, and a means of grace to us. Paul called it a
grace given to him to be allowed to preach; and every form of Christian
service may become a personal blessing to those engaged in it. Those
who have most fellowship with Christ are not recluses or hermits, who
have much time to spare, but indefatigable labourers who are toiling
for Jesus, and who, in their toil, have him side by side with them, so
that they are workers together with God. Let us remember then, in
anything we have to do for Jesus, that we can do it, and should do it
in close communion with him."-CHS
"Can't say I was never wrong
But some blame rests on you
Work and pray they're never okay
To mix the way we do". - Jimmy Eat World.
Far too much of our grace work has been reviled as a chore, for some recondite purpose that has gilded itself into Christian convention. Ot appears when we ask question why are aspects of our faith journey paralleled on some linear plane? Are the concepts of prayer. grace, labor and forgiveness not communicable as are apportioned? Or rather, is it our inability to extrapolate such ideas from the container in which they rest to a recipe in which the fullness of God rises to.
Why do we continue to perpetuate the notion that the stillness of God coincides with the stillness of our feet? While Paul found moments for restful contemplation, his feet never remained still for long.
Too often we still think of acts of worship as isolated or solitary events, rather that the fullness of the experience gifted though the spirit's work. For so much as we observe quiet time, we must be mindful of the idea that solitude with God does not provision us with more Fellowship than another, and does not enable us to a place of grace that cannot only be found though silence.
The Hebrew word "Avad" is the same meaning for worship, work and service. There was no distinction drawn between the three, they were used interchangeably. Our divisions of things spiritual and holy are ours alone, his lines are drawn between his presence and things not of him.
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