"Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.
I remembered thy judgments of old. O LORD; and have comforted myself.
Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgimage.
I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.
This I had, because I kept thy precepts."
Psalm 119: 49-56
I have been delighting in the offerings of the holiday season. Concerts, treats, visits, and preparation for Christmas.
Yet in the back of my mind I hear the struggle of these days we live in, and it surely lends a dampening to these festivities. I struggle with the pagan influences that take over.
This is, after all, the kingdom of the Prince of Darkness.
He may not reign in our hearts, if we believe in Yeshua, but he certainly reigns on this earth!
"Glory to God in the Highest! Peace on earth to men of good will!"
You don't hear it that way very often, but there are translations to this effect.
It changes the thought remarkably, and it excludes much of mankind. In the Reformed tradition it would mean those who are of the elect, the ones who believe in Christ. These are the ones with the goodness of Christ in their hearts and souls, and as Paul says, "There is no one good," Romans 3:11.
We all know good people: our friends---family----neighbors---philanthropists---churchmen and women. Goodness seems to abound.
God bless these good ones.
Yet those washed in the righteousness of Christ's blood sacrifice are the truly good, declared good, by the Holy God of creation. Our goodness is a declaration, not a characteristic.
We are called to being good. We are called to do good. We are declared righteous. (Even if it doesn't seem so!)
And this makes everything so wonderful.
We bask in the love of our savior, Jesus Christ, Messiah. We do and love out of His power and His goodness.
It's not us. He has made our spirits alive, born again, and it is His Spirit which reveals His thoughts and direction to our lives, through His Word, the Bible.
When I read the remarkable biographies of believers who have since passed away I am so encouraged! The work of the Spirit is so evident in their lives! It just thrills me. It is the most wonderful thing.
I am currently enamored with a website called "One For Israel" which features testimonies of Jewish believers. It is the most sweet and inspiring place to spend some time each day. The love of our LORD just shines on the faces of those testifying. It's wonderful.
How I hope that the love of our LORD shines on my face, that the daily grind of dealing with pain, cancer, mental illness, and discord is erased. I pray that the true strength of the Holy Spirit is the prevailing attitude anyone can see.
A few weeks ago, when I was having a particularly hard day, I was encouraged by the LORD. I cry out to Him regularly when I'm in the car alone, driving somewhere. Eyes open!
I was crying about being unable to handle a certain situation, one that I've had to deal with for awhile.
"Stop Trying!"
"Find your peace and joy in ME, and LIVE FOR ME!"
I don't claim to be like Sarah Young, or hear the voice of the LORD. I'm too afraid to claim any special inspiration. I have real issues with anything claiming to be Jesus. (Test the spirits, and DON'T use occult means to find your path!)
Yet there is, in a believer's soul and spirit, a direction of thought and action which the influence of TRUTH from the Word of God can surely shape. It happened for me that day.
I can't fix the ones that need fixing. I'm not called to that. I can only have the prayerful and peaceful attitude that Christ has commanded me to have.
How freeing! How wonderful! I am called to live my life in obedience to Christ alone, and that is the most wonderful and joy-filled calling any person could have.
We may be mistaken, or have sinned, or chosen unwisely----all a part of the human condition---but we have the most wonderful solution to this!
We believers have the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the assurance of God's Word, setting out a direction for each of our lives.
SO, dear friends, it IS the most wonderful time of the Year! It's always wonderful! It's living in the joy of the LORD, and obeying His commands and precepts. It's being confident in worldview and message. It's loving others as they should be loved, sharing truth, helping, correcting according to God's Word!
As we deal with each other, all of us sinners, all of us fallen, we should be flat on our faces before God in awe of His tremendous love for us.
A baby, born of a virgin, the story written in the stars from the dawn of time! Distorted, to be sure, by Nimrod and Semiramis, Isis and Horus, and countless other evil powers. This baby (not born in December!) sent as a pure and holy sacrifice, pure blood, there can be no other substitute. It had to be Him.
This One, this precious gift to mankind---PEACE!----is the Way to God. This is GOD'S WAY.
Once you've found it you will be forever changed, forever His. There's no going back!
The Truth wins.
How wonderful.
Don't forget to repent and believe today. Don't wait! Time is running out.
This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.
I remembered thy judgments of old. O LORD; and have comforted myself.
Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgimage.
I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.
This I had, because I kept thy precepts."
Psalm 119: 49-56
I have been delighting in the offerings of the holiday season. Concerts, treats, visits, and preparation for Christmas.
Yet in the back of my mind I hear the struggle of these days we live in, and it surely lends a dampening to these festivities. I struggle with the pagan influences that take over.
This is, after all, the kingdom of the Prince of Darkness.
He may not reign in our hearts, if we believe in Yeshua, but he certainly reigns on this earth!
"Glory to God in the Highest! Peace on earth to men of good will!"
You don't hear it that way very often, but there are translations to this effect.
It changes the thought remarkably, and it excludes much of mankind. In the Reformed tradition it would mean those who are of the elect, the ones who believe in Christ. These are the ones with the goodness of Christ in their hearts and souls, and as Paul says, "There is no one good," Romans 3:11.
We all know good people: our friends---family----neighbors---philanthropists---churchmen and women. Goodness seems to abound.
God bless these good ones.
Yet those washed in the righteousness of Christ's blood sacrifice are the truly good, declared good, by the Holy God of creation. Our goodness is a declaration, not a characteristic.
We are called to being good. We are called to do good. We are declared righteous. (Even if it doesn't seem so!)
And this makes everything so wonderful.
We bask in the love of our savior, Jesus Christ, Messiah. We do and love out of His power and His goodness.
It's not us. He has made our spirits alive, born again, and it is His Spirit which reveals His thoughts and direction to our lives, through His Word, the Bible.
When I read the remarkable biographies of believers who have since passed away I am so encouraged! The work of the Spirit is so evident in their lives! It just thrills me. It is the most wonderful thing.
I am currently enamored with a website called "One For Israel" which features testimonies of Jewish believers. It is the most sweet and inspiring place to spend some time each day. The love of our LORD just shines on the faces of those testifying. It's wonderful.
How I hope that the love of our LORD shines on my face, that the daily grind of dealing with pain, cancer, mental illness, and discord is erased. I pray that the true strength of the Holy Spirit is the prevailing attitude anyone can see.
A few weeks ago, when I was having a particularly hard day, I was encouraged by the LORD. I cry out to Him regularly when I'm in the car alone, driving somewhere. Eyes open!
I was crying about being unable to handle a certain situation, one that I've had to deal with for awhile.
"Stop Trying!"
"Find your peace and joy in ME, and LIVE FOR ME!"
I don't claim to be like Sarah Young, or hear the voice of the LORD. I'm too afraid to claim any special inspiration. I have real issues with anything claiming to be Jesus. (Test the spirits, and DON'T use occult means to find your path!)
Yet there is, in a believer's soul and spirit, a direction of thought and action which the influence of TRUTH from the Word of God can surely shape. It happened for me that day.
I can't fix the ones that need fixing. I'm not called to that. I can only have the prayerful and peaceful attitude that Christ has commanded me to have.
How freeing! How wonderful! I am called to live my life in obedience to Christ alone, and that is the most wonderful and joy-filled calling any person could have.
We may be mistaken, or have sinned, or chosen unwisely----all a part of the human condition---but we have the most wonderful solution to this!
We believers have the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the assurance of God's Word, setting out a direction for each of our lives.
SO, dear friends, it IS the most wonderful time of the Year! It's always wonderful! It's living in the joy of the LORD, and obeying His commands and precepts. It's being confident in worldview and message. It's loving others as they should be loved, sharing truth, helping, correcting according to God's Word!
As we deal with each other, all of us sinners, all of us fallen, we should be flat on our faces before God in awe of His tremendous love for us.
A baby, born of a virgin, the story written in the stars from the dawn of time! Distorted, to be sure, by Nimrod and Semiramis, Isis and Horus, and countless other evil powers. This baby (not born in December!) sent as a pure and holy sacrifice, pure blood, there can be no other substitute. It had to be Him.
This One, this precious gift to mankind---PEACE!----is the Way to God. This is GOD'S WAY.
Once you've found it you will be forever changed, forever His. There's no going back!
The Truth wins.
How wonderful.
Don't forget to repent and believe today. Don't wait! Time is running out.
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