a new day will arise

"for now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." (I Corinthians 13:12)

a new day rises
the earth is freshened
with rains from above
the darkness of the preceding day
retains its hold
but God sees all.

To and fro
He goes as we go
and as our gaze
settles on Him
and Him alone
-- not darting or questioning or
taking too quick action --

another day will rise
tomorrow perhaps
or the next.
the darkness
will not keep us
secluded and fearful.

Our God
who sees
all
and knows
all
our comings and goings
will show us
what He knew
in the beginning.

We see oh so dimly now
as in a mirror
fogged over.

Another new day will rise
the darkness will fade
We will be in the Light
and it will be good.

Cathy Orrick Luders
7.22.2011

What is Love? ... God

"If I do not have love, I gain nothing." (I Corinthians 13:3 NRSV)

Speech
becomes
meaningless,
obnoxious,
without thought,
noisy like a clanging bell.

Predictions
foretold
of a future time
Fortune tellers
they are -
past
and present -
for personal gain.

Feed
clothe
fund
the poor
the less advantaged.
Do it all

But,
without God,
without Love,
you and I gain nothing
we are of
no value.

Love Is God
It is
more than what may unfold between man and woman
more than friendship
more, much more.

Love Is
God's gift of His Son, The Christ, to mankind

Love Is
patient

... kind

Love
seeks after the truth

.... rejoices in the truth

Love
builds up another,

... encourages

Love Is

... Unselfish

... Unending

... Unfailing

... Undeserved

... and without thought of return.

Love Believes
Love Hopes
Love Endures

What is love?

God.

By Cathy Orrick  Luders
7.19.2011

Is God's army ready for battle?

“Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones; and those who have knowledge than those who have strength; for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 24:5-6)

“Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them; for their minds desire violence, and their lips talk of mischief. Whoever plans to do evil will be called a mischief-maker. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to all.” (Proverbs 24:1, 8-9)

“If you faint in the day of adversity (trouble), your strength being small; does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it?” (Proverbs 24:10, 12)

God sees all, knows all. It is in His strength, His power, His wisdom that we are enabled to overcome evil. Wisdom and knowledge will take us farther than any strength we alone possess. Wisdom, His wisdom, guides us. In wisdom we can discern right from wrong. We can defeat the enemy.

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.” (Romans 13:14)

“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice; but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.  Do not be ashamed … join (with me) in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace. (2 Timothy 1:7-9)

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; share in suffering like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer.” (2 Timothy 2:1, 3-4)

“If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

If we endure, we will also reign with him;

 If we deny him, he will also deny us; 

If we are faithless, he (STILL, YET) remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

“Remind them, … warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good  … do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.  Avoid profane chatter. … God’s firm foundation stands – The Lord knows those who are his. Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness. (2 Timothy 2:14-16, 19)

We can be ordinary or we can be special. We can continue in former ways and neglect, reject God’s call on our hearts or we can reject the world’s tug and pursue God’s righteousness, faith, love and peace.

“Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. ” (2 Timothy 2:22-24)

“You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

“Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived.  All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient; equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:12-13, 16)

Beware of those who oppose but don’t give in to them.

“Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching, for the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, … they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

God’s battle … and ours, for He abides in us who abide in Him. .. We put on the Lord Jesus, His armor, to do battle in the world.

“Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.” 

(Romans 12:11-12 NLT)

“The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness … Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:12-14 NLT)

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  Put on the whole armor of God … Take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand, to resist the evilness, and thereby, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, 13)

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:14-18 NLT)

And may God grant you peace.

(All Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible except where noted.) 

That One ... JESUS!

You who do not believe
who proclaim there is no God,
that JESUS is NOT His Son,
that He is mere human
and nothing more

THAT ONE
died for You
and You and You

For Your Sins
He hung on the cross

For Your Sins
He had nails pounded into flesh

For Your Sins. ... And mine.

THAT ONE
who you refuse and reject.
who You buried and laughed at
and said, "no more."

THAT ONE
His Father God
resurrected
And lives among us still.

Yet You continue the path
you've chosen.
JESUS conquered death.

But You
You who do not believe
who proclaim there is no God
that JESUS is NOT His Son,
that He is mere human
and nothing more

You have achieved nothing.
Your path leads
to death and destruction
and judgment.

God created us to have dominion over every creeping thing, BUT ...

On the sixth day of creation God created humans.

“²⁶Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. ²⁷So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸Then God blessed them….”  (Genesis 1:26-28)

Think about that for a moment. God created us, with dominion over the fish, the birds, the cattle, EVERY CREEPING THING. 

God blessed us … and then we took advantage of  it. 

Adam and Eve gave in to their impulses and greed … they sinned.

 “¹Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? ²And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. ⁴And the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. ⁵For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. ⁶So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” (Genesis 3:1-7)

We were created in God’s image. It is the Lord Jesus himself who shows us what God is like, for “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:18)

The (moral) image of God, as shown through Jesus Christ, is sinless. 

The first man and woman were created in a natural and moral likeness to God. When they sinned, their moral likeness to God was no more. It went out the door. As each generation of children are born they are created in the natural image of God and the moral image of their earthly father (and mother). Because of the first generations’ sin act, all generations share equally in the guilt of that sin.

But God is our creator, our ultimate creator. And it is because of His love for us in the world that He sent His Son to show us the way out of the darkness of sin into the light.  

 “¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of The Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 10, 14)

“¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

Where are you bound?

Have you given your heart to Jesus, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, are you walking the life path of His way for you?

Or, do you rebel against God and pursue a life filled with sin, facing the consequences thereof?

It is your choice. 

For an interactive flash presentation of the Gospel: www.thekristo.com 

Who is the Good One?

The Good One
is not you
Nor me
But God above
The Lord almighty

The Good One
is
King of Kings
Lord of Lords
The I AM
of
yesterday
today
tomorrow

The young ruler
asks
"what good thing
shall I do
that I may 
inherit eternal life?"

There is nothing
good or bad
not one thing
not his works
nor yours
nor mine
Nothing
we could ever
do
will enable us
to achieve
eternal life

It is not
to work for
like buying a house
or car
There is
nothing
we can
accomplish
on our own

But,
we can
accept ...
God's gift.
For it is
His gift
of eternal life
that He gives
to you and me
through
His Son.

Thinking
all you need do
is obey
the Ten Commandments
or
what you deem right
in your
personal thinking
lowers God
from the
honor and glory
He rightfully deserves.

The young ruler asks.
And Jesus,
God's son,
answers.
"Go, 
sell what you have
and give 
to the poor, 
and you 
will have 
treasure in heaven;"

Be obedient
to your Father
in heaven
Seek to do
the Lord's will,
not your own
Hear, see, be open
to what the Lord
instructs you.

The Good One
is not you
is not me.

It is not about
your rights
It is about
what is right.
GOD.

"No one
is good
but One,
that is, God." 

"...with God all things are possible." 

Matthew 19:16-21, 26

Are we One with (or against) the Father?

Conscienceness came into being the moment Adam and Eve realized they did wrong and attempted to hide from their sin and from God.

Sin separates us from God. Our conscience, our realizing we did something wrong, and our attempt to run from it, is the result of sin.

We didn't have a conscience before sin entered the picture. We were complete and whole, one with the Father.

BUT ...

The darkness of the world - Satan utilized the serpent to cast doubt on God to His created beings, Adam and Eve. "Had God indeed said...?" (Genesis 3:1)

Their thinking led to their choosing against God and His commandments and unto themselves. It resulted in sin. It brought about conscienceness - shame before God, justification for acts done or not done.

Mankind was doomed. Mankind had fallen out of God's favor, fallen from God's supreme sovereignty, fallen into darkness, a deep dark hole of separation. Mankind listened to another of God's creatures, preferring to follow the physical desires they had over the commandments given them by their Creator.

It is more than disobedience. We do not accept our individual blame, we pass it off to someone else. We run, go into hiding, fearful of facing the very one we should face. We do not seek forgiveness.

He gave us life and we want more?!

Because of this separation, mankind was no longer one with the Father, no longer dwelling with Him. That is not to say none followed after the Lord, for some did and some do. When sin entered in, however, God's wrath was kindled and the curse He doled out to Adam and Eve and the serpent fell to all future generations as well.

"So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

"To the woman He said: I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."

"Then to Adam He said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it, Cursed isthe ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles itshall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In thesweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:14-19)

It was God's  grace, God's love that brought us into being. His love that provided food and water. His love that gave us instructions, guidance. His love that brought man and woman together. His love that we trampled on, disobeyed, ignored. His love we chose to forgo for something different. The Lord gave and gave and gives still and instructs us, guides us in His purpose for us, which ultimately is to praise and glorify Him.

When we follow, listen to opinions, abiding there instead of with the Father, when we listen to our conscience we tend to hear negativity and our actions are based on what we perceive, however right or wrong they may be.

God's  love. God's  grace. God's  curse.

BUT...

God's grace, His love, toward us all was extended when He sent His Son into the world.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

When we believe and accept that Jesus came and lived among us, walked and taught, went to the cross of Calvary bearing our sins, died for us, was buried and after three days, was resurrected, when we believe, when our faith, however small, takes precedent over all else, the wide gulf of separation with God the Father, handed down since the beginning of human sin, is no more.

Jesus' death and resurrection and our faith thereof  bridges the gap. And we are once again One with the Father and with the Son and with the Holy Spirit.

We are One. We dwell with Him. Our faith has made us whole and complete with the One who is and was and is to come.

And we are at peace.

The Day

The Day
Each moment
No
not each
but
many
combined
becomes
a day ...
of
light.

The Day
God created
from nothingness
and
is given
to us
who
God created
from dust.

The Day
a gift
Each day
The dawning
Sunrise to Sunset
returns
to us
Bringing
opportunity
to
be and
become
fruitful.

"God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Genesis 1:5)

"And it was so ... And God saw that it was good ... And He rested ... And He blessed" (Genesis 1-2:3)

The Day.

The Lord responds; what is our response?

A blessing is placed on an individual and remains until it is changed into a curse. -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The first blessing occurs after God created man and woman.
"The God blessed them and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)

The first curse occurs after the serpent intervened in the way of God and Eve and Adam listened and reacted, choosing their own desires over God's preferred way.
God cursed the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:14-15)
God cursed the woman: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." (Genesis 3:16)
God cursed the man: "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you And you shall eat the herb of the field In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19)

This curse affected all of mankind from that day forward and continues to be so.

God asks, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?" (Genesis 4:6)

"If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." (Genesis 4:7)

"Where is ... your brother? What have you done?" (Genesis 4:9-10)

We follow our own personal thoughts, we listen only to our needs and desires. We do not seek guidance from the Lord God. We seek any and every means of personal gratification. The Lord punishes us and we are filled with remorse and fear .. for a moment. The Lord is merciful. He seeks our fellowship all along the path of life we lead. We are grateful ... for a moment. We return to ways of before. The days of darkness and evil escalate. God responds. He is grieved. Some find grace in the eyes of the Lord Almighty. Some walk with God. Violence does not falter, but continues. Death and destruction are imminent. It will come. The end is near. God is. He is who and what and when and where. His response. His answer. It is near. It will come.

What should be our response?

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7)

The Light has come into the world

"for with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light." (Psalm 36:9)

The first light, to separate the darkness, the formless deep, was formed / created by God. It is in light, through light, that we as created beings are enabled to see and also understand.

Light -- the light comes from the sun, the moon, the stars, ...

"Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Genesis 1:3-5)

"Then God said, Let there be light in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth; and it was so." (Genesis 1:14-15)

"Then God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day." (Genesis 1:16-19)

... and from Jesus. The Light IS Jesus.

"...Let us walk in the light of the Lord." (Isaiah 2:5)

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8)

God and Spirit.
Two-thirds of the Trinity were an awareness to those who lived during Old Testament days.

The foretelling of Jesus was present, but when He came to earth as a human baby, when He grew to manhood and proceeded to do the works of His Father, the awareness of what was to be stopped. Unbelief, refusal to believe was the standard.

"Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will rise over you; And His glory will be seen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1-2)

Jesus came. He is the light that overcomes the darkness/the evilness that penetrates our very being. He came to his own, but they received him not. The peoples of Israel / Jerusalem were to be instrumental - they were a city on a hill.

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Yes, the peoples of Israel were to be instrumental in leading others to God the Father through Jesus Christ, His Son. But their light was hidden, their light did not shine to glorify God, but was tarnished.

"The Gentiles shall come to your light," (Isaiah 60:3)

The light / the revelation of Jesus, the message of the gospel was given to the Gentiles - you and me. And as Christ'as followers, we become, individually and collectively, the light of the world - we show others the way to Christ.

"... the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness ... He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." (1 John 2:8b-11)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:1-5)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

Before Jesus began his earthly ministry, John the Baptizer was chosen / sent by God to be a witness for Jesus Christ, the true light, "that all through him might believe." (John 1:7)
John preached repentance - a turning away from the sins of the flesh ("adultery, fornication, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like" - Galatians 5:19-21) to a changed life ("love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" - Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus, the true light, was baptized by John, the foreteller of He who is and was and is to come. Baptizing by water became a symbol, a witness of this changed life. Prophecy was fulfilled with Jesus' baptism by water.

"And John bore witness, saying I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him." (John 1:32)

"Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice from heaven, saying (audibly, for all to hear), This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16-17)

"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:34-36)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

"... the light has come into the world..." (John 3:19a)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Added Jan. 28.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Light creates form. In total darkness there is no form.

Like us, God's created beings, until we "know" God on an intimate level, we are in darkness. The light (that separates the darkness) is Jesus. He came. He suffered. He died. He was resurrected.

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." (John 1:10-11)

We, the world, did not recognize / do not recognize Jesus as The Christ, "The Light," thus they were and we are in darkness.  When we believe, accept Jesus as the light that saves us from the darkness of hell and damnation, we are re-born and truly alive.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God ... who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)

Are you a child of The King?
Have you accepted His gift of salvation?
Do you follow in His steps?


("More About Jesus," by John Starnes, with subtitles in Portuguese)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Added Jan. 30.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"In Your light we see light." (Psalm 36:9b)

It's interesting how what we read one day says something to us and then just a few days later, there is more said on the same subject. God speaks and if we are in tune with Him, we hear, we see, our blindness is stripped away and we are in awe of what we have found.

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10)

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined." (Isaiah 9:2a)

"I will bring the blind (those who do not acknowledge, understand, follow the True God) by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known, I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them. And not forsake them. They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, who trust in carved images, who say to the molded images, 'You are our gods.' " (Isaiah 42:16-17)

"I will deliver you ... to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." (Acts 26:17-18)

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Corinthians 4:6)

("Turn your eyes upon Jesus" by the Newsboys)

Pain

"I will greatly multiply your sorrow (and your conception)," God says to Eve in Genesis 3:16, but is it just in childbirth that there will be pain? I think not. Our sorrow will increase AND....

"Pangs (sharp pains) and sorrows will take hold ... they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth;" (Isaiah 13:8a)

The first mention of pain comes from God as a form of punishment, condemnation to Adam and Eve for their disobedience. This is what will happen. This is how it will be. In childbirth you will suffer. In anything and everything from here to our final going home, our pains will be great, our sorrows multiplied.

Pain comes in many forms. Not just childbirth. Not just surgery. Not just physical.

Each person is under their own personal load of pain and agony. What one suffers is not of less or more importance than another. We may say to ourself that another's pain is minuscule, but who are we to judge? God is well aware of all we undergo. We brought it on ourselves. Mankind's race screwed up at the running gate.

Does God determine pain can be inflicted to prove a point? Is that what happened with Job, who was "blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1)?

Job suffered physical torment (he had boils), loss of possessions (animals and land), loss of friendship and fellowship, loss of family. Yet he says "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10a)

God's will overrides everything. It is His will to permit, to allow, to prove, to stop, to heal, to release.

"Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed?" (Jeremiah 15:18)
"Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, 'Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it.' " (Jeremiah 10:19)
In these verses the prophet Jeremiah cries out to the Lord. But, I can hear the Apostle Paul say similar things. He too had pain, pain that wouldn't leave him, pain that no amount of requesting from God was going to heal. It was an infirmity and he had to bear it.

"Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow  is incurable. Because of the multitudes of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you." (Jeremiah 30:15)

We are destined to suffer pain - at all levels, all across the board. It is a fact of life. And although we cannot ever rid ourselves of it, we have a Savior and a lifelong friend who does not depart from us, in Jesus, who also suffered pain and agony, who obeyed the Father's call, until death.

He prayed.
"Pray that you may not enter into temptation." (Luke 22:40)
"And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44)

Our pain
my pain.
Should we stay silent? Should we not allow the tears to fall, to fill our hearts and souls?
How do we prevent that which seems to come naturally?

The pain of lost relationships
The immense sadness that overwhelms us
Was it wrong for Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1), who spoke fervently to the Lord from her heart? Her pain too was great - she wanted a child, a son. One she didn't have because the Lord had closed her womb. It was her pain and it made her life miserable. Her husband didn't understand and her peers mocked her.
Yet she remained steadfast in her prayers to the Lord - a plea that if only He would answer her specific request she would give her child back to Him.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 tells us we are to preach the word. At all times we are to be ready to share God's message, to convince, rebuke, exhort others with patience, and in the midst, to endure afflictions.

Perhaps we do endure.
We are not to allow our weariness to cause us to become discouraged. Don't become so weary that we lose sight of Jesus and stop praying, studying, being obedient, rejoicing, living.

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1a-2)

So, dear Lord, I pray you will help me to put aside, to become less aware of the physical pain, to not allow it  to get the best of me and thus trap me and get me off course, to continue running, with you at the helm and beside me, surrounding me, teaching me about patience toward others who may not understand. You endured it all for us. Oh Lord, help me be more like you. Amen.

Have your eyes been opened?

"We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy." (Daniel 9:18, New Century version)

Not because of our deeds,
Not for our accomplishments,
but for our needs, our burdens, our sin.

All that God has to give and does give is not a result of anything we have earned. It could/would never be enough. He gives because He loves us. He offers because of His love. What we do determines/shows where our allegiance, our thankfulness, lies.

Are we a child of God, the one true God, or are we snug within ourselves, refusing to accept His open hand of grace, believing all there is is only because of what we can do?

"With men (people) this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26, New King James version)

Jesus asks of the blind men (and blindness can be physical and spiritual; what we cannot see is not only visual) in Matthew 20:32, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  Their answer? "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." (v. 33)

"So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him." (v. 34)

Have your eyes been opened? Do you see what God offers you? Have you accepted His gift? Are you full of thanksgiving, of praise to Him?

"Lord lift my eyes,

Open my heart,

Touch others through me
In You, always, only." 

the word / The Word

Today's reading with Dietrich Bonhoeffer took me to thinking about the word "word." Bonhoeffer says, "Every word has its place. Every word is alive and is at home in a certain place."

I never thought about this. Well I supposed I did, perhaps once upon a time. It reminds me of grammar. In searching the meaning of word I came across a variety of thoughts. Here is one person's conception of What Is A Word. Perhaps you have ideas to express as well.

Bonhoeffer says in place of genuine words we now have chatter. Words no longer have any weight. There is too much talk.

What is a genuine word? Is it original, real, true, honest, sincere? Chatter I suppose is saying nothing. Or saying little of any consequence. Too much talk, yet too little being said. Too much of nothing, too little of that specialness, too little meaning, too little truth.

Think again. If a genuine word is original, real, true, honest, sincere, are we not speaking of God?

God is original ... "Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." (Psalm 90:2)

God is real ... "And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " (Exoduc 3:14)

God is true ... "These Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, 'You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me." (John 7:28-29)

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' " (John 14:6)

God is honest ... Two of His commandments, "You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:15-16)

God is sincere ... "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10: 22-23)

Every word has its place. Every word is alive.

The Word is God, the Lord Jesus. He is alive!

"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Do not add to His words, Lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5-6)

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

What do you choose?

We face the consequences of our actions. God's judgment is released once we have come against/been disobedient to the Lord. The consequences of events that transpire are a result of sin that ultimately began the day Adam and Eve followed their own desires, their own wants.

Not all events are a result of sin, however, by refusing to believe in and follow the Lord Jesus, we travel dangerous waters.

All people have worth, but we are not whole, complete. We have defects, blemishes, not just the outer covering that you and I see, but inside, which God sees. And God judges.

He is love and loving and as such, He allows us all, each of us to make our own decisions, right or wrong. God wants us to be His very own child, but it is up to you and me to decide the route we will take.

Do I believe

Do I accept

Do I follow

Do I obey

Do I listen to the teacher, the disciplinarian, the judge, the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is my friend. Friends, even our eternal Lord and Savior, allow choices.

What is yours?

Worthiness

"We must learn to look less at what people do or don't do and more at what they suffer." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

That's kind of hard to do, don't you think? We read daily about people who destroy their own lives and others. I doubt our thinking leads us to what they are suffering, but more along the lines of what were they thinking?! We are saddened, distraught about the life that has been destroyed and are angry at that one who caused it to happen. We often don't think about what was going on in their own life to reach this point of extreme despair. I suppose that is the point of a court trial. But not everything that is comes out in court.

God says all of life is worth living -- the life that was snuffed out, the life of the one who did the snuffing. He does the judging as well.

Each.

You

and

me

worthy

of

God's love.

He is

creator

sustainer

redeemer.

We

walk

in

view

of

Him.

He

sees

all.

Our

secrets

are

known

to

Him.

Our

actions

reveal

our

heart.

God

sees

all.

All

that

we

do

or

don't

do

God sees.

All

of

everything

you and I

do or don't do

will be judged.

Jesus,

The Almighty One,

The One Most High

He

rules

yesterday

today

tomorrow

No other

before

or after

has

this power.

He rules.

We will be judged.

Not all

will be

judged

righteous.

Some will be damned.

Cathy Orrick Luders

8.14.2010

God has, God is, God does

When we become one of His, the work the Lord has begun in each of us will continue until the day of His son Jesus' return.

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

He does not give up on us, although we tend to give up on ourselves. The trials/struggles we face produce patience. Patience, character; and character, hope. Without hope/love, we are, we have, nothing. For Jesus died for us, because of the Lord's great love for us.

"...We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us ....

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:3-5, 8

~~~~~

If you don't listen to and follow the Lord while walking upon the earth, there is no chance of eternal glory when you have died. You have missed your chance.

Read the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 which shows that no matter how worthless you feel your life is, God has deemed all life to be worth living. God is the creator, sustainer, redeemer of life.

Proof

"Only when I forgo visible proof, do I believe in God." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There are some who think we need to see
the miracle
Reach out and touch and feel
to believe
in the Almighty God.

But why?
Oh why
is His word
in His book
not enough?

It says in Genesis 1:1,
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

And of the earth,
in Genesis 1:12
God said
"Let the earth bring forth grass,
the herb that yields seed according to its kind,
and the tree that yields fruit,
whose seed is in itself
according to its kind."

He divided the day from the night
-- the greater light, the sun
-- the lesser light, the moon.

The stars, the seasons

living creatures
upon the earth
and under the seas
and birds above the earth

And He made man.
From Genesis 1:26-27,
God said,
"Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness;
So God created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created Him;
male and female He created them."

We see the result.
It is there.
We live within the miracle.
Why do we not believe
Why do we need more proof
Why is it never enough?!

God sent His son, Jesus.
He said He would and He did.
But woe to all who refuse to believe,
who refuse to accept His promise,
His miracle
and best,
His eternal gift of salvation.

There are many miracles.
There are many who do not believe in any of them.

They ask for proof.
Proof.
Always someone asks another for proof.
Proof you love me.
Proof you will pay.

What is achieved?

"The proof is in the pudding" - you've surely heard that saying.

The proof lies within our heart ... we are in Him ... He is in Us

Live a Holy Life

No matter what befalls us in the world, human power is not the answer. God alone, His being, His power. Only God accomplishes all that is. As human beings we are not personally capable of bringing about ultimate triumph in any situation.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “Only when we look at reality with clear eyes without any illusion about our morality or our culture can we believe, otherwise our faith becomes an ‘illusion.’ ''

We must “believe in God alone and in His power. We must have faith and utilize it every moment of every day. When we give in to ourselves, when we fail to see the world and live in the world as God commands, where is our faith? Is it an illusion? Faith is way more than accepting Jesus as our personal savior. That is the beginning. But faith is how we live our lives with God as our commander.

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

Live a holy life.

Max Lucado notes, “People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say.”

I penned these thoughts yesterday before my husband shared a Letter to the Editor published in The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) that day. The letter was titled “Compassionate family was gift from God” (page 4A, 3.8.2010 copyright 2010 The Gazette www.gazetteonline.com).

Here it is in its entirety.

On the evening of Feb. 6, my husband was feeling ill. He thought we should go to the hospital. En route, his condition began to rapidly deteriorate. I panicked and pulled into the drive of the first house I saw with lights on. This was at 10:30 on a Saturday night, and as I pounded on the door, I prayed to God that someone would answer. My prayer was answered. The gentleman who greeted me at the door called an ambulance and sat and prayed with me until they arrived. He and his daughter then drove me to St. Luke’s Hospital, where they stayed with me and other family members to await word on my husband’s condition. When the doctors delivered the devastating news, they grieved with us and tried to give all the comfort they could to people they had never met until that night. On Sunday morning, I received a call from this caring gentleman asking if there was anything that he or his family could do for us. He and his family came to console us during the visitation and also at the funeral. Words cannot explain the feelings we feel toward this man whom God sent to help in our time of need. Compassion and hope are still very much alive; sometimes it just takes awhile to find. - Bev Martin, Central City

My daily devotionals come from “I want to live these days with You” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I think, Yes, how I want to live these days with My Lord. And yet I wonder how I will accomplish it. I won’t really. Not fully. Nothing will be fully completed, fully accomplished, until Jesus returns, until we have gone on to meet our maker, until we have arrived at our eternal home on that celestial shore, until we see Jesus, face to face, on bended knee. Oh yes, I want to live these days with You.

Jesus, our protector and The One to whom our allegiance is show in all we do, everywhere we go. He is with us. We are with Him. It is through Jesus we are able to endure and it is through Him we are enabled to live a Holy life. It is because of Jesus' sacrifice we have been set free. He reigns. Jesus lives in us, we live in Him.

Are we truly liberated?

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:34

Tomorrow
We will do this
or that
or something else perhaps

IF
indeed that which we desire
becomes a reality

IF
the funds we believe we need
are truly at our disposal

But when -- yes, when
has God ever said,
You need to have this and this and that in place before you can go forth?

He has never said that.
Never, Never, Never.

Others tell you what you need to make your life work

What, please tell,
what do others know about you and your life?

We can only surmise
what another bears.
What another considers
sharing with another,
their fears, their aspirations, their desires, their dreams.

But to really know another....

Only God knows
each one person
completely.

Only God knows
Where we will go
What we will do
The words we will say
The actions we will take
Only God knows
Tomorrow

He knows
Yesterday
He knows
Today

We can do nothing
about Yesterday
except remember,
mindful of
past mistakes
and pleasant memories.

We can do little
about Tomorrow
except pray to the Lord
for guidance and mercy

But Today.
We can live in the Present
with the spirit of the Lord Jesus
living within our hearts
guiding,
protecting,
instructing,
loving us.
We can be obedient to His teachings.
We can pray for His security today,
His peace surrounding us.

Today
We can
Be

Yesterday is past
Tomorrow is still to come
Today is here
bright sun or
dismal cold
The light of the world
has come, is here.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." - John 3:16-17

"Only those who place tomorrow in God's hands and receive what they need to live today are truly secure." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Are we liberated from endless worry or are we bound up tightly with every burdensome thought that crosses our mind, remaining forever anxious about what may or may not come?

Only God

"If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31a)

"Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?" (Romans 8:33)

"Who is he who condemns?" (Romans 8:34a)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35)

The answer ..... No One

God is in control of all, of all the earth, over all the earth. He knows our comings and goings, our desires and dreams, our sinfulness, our evilness. What! we say we have none. We deceive ourselves. We are not perfect. There is only one who is perfect. The great I am. The Lord Jesus. Unblemished and pure.

God knows our struggles, the misfortunes we are dealth. You think He doesn't care?! He cares. When we are one with Him, He is one with us. We have to rely on Him alone. Saying that is one thing. Doing that is entirely something else. He does not rejoice in our pain. It does not make him happy, only sad.

True Love for Him, the Lord Jesus, True obedience. Studying His word, not those of false teachers, not oral traditions handed down from one generation to the next. Being mindful of what the Lord God says in His word and through the Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of His children.

Negativity downtroddens the best of us. We allow negative thoughts from others and from ourselves to overpower all of God's goodness and even though God has promised to be with us we fund it hard to believe that. We give in to depressing thoughts and wallow in self doubts and pity, grieving for what we don't have.

But Jesus says to us, "With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26a)

With God. Walk with Him, Talk with Him, Praise Him, Seek Him, Remember Him, Rejoice in Him, Pray to Him.

All things are possible ... with God.

But without Him, we are doomed.