"The Sense of Requital"

 "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." (Hebrews 10:30 KJV)

  "The LORD, the Mighty One, is God, and he has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets. From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance. Our God approaches, and he is not silent. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him. He calls on the heavens above and earth below to witness the judgment of his people." (PSALM 50:1-4 NLT)

 I thought that I might have shared a little more about that last verse, but it already seemed as though I might have said too much. To be perfectly honest, I know for a fact that I have grieved the Holy Spirit more times than I care to remember; but I also know that He is a Gentleman, and He does receive my deep cries for forgiveness! 

 The title for this post was taken from Marvin Vincent, in his description of the word, "Vengeance." There is good and bad in the meaning, as God judges everyone! Nobody will escape being judged; but not everyone will be judged to be punished. There are still some things we do not know; nothing we think we know has been fully discovered or made perfectly clear. 

 When Paul was stoned and left for dead, he shared a small little glimpse of what he heard in Heaven; not what he saw, but that which he heard: "But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:3b-4 NLT) 

I heard a brief message about the fact that no one has actually seen GOD; yet, Jesus has shown Him to us! In a strange sort of way, we cannot see Jesus without God, and we can't see God without Jesus...

""How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. But if you don't believe me when I tell you earthly things how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."" (John 3:9-17 NLT)     

"Reverse the Curse"

"Of how much sorer punishment, supposed ye, shall be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29 KJV)

  "The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."" (PSALM 91:14-16 NLT)

 For your information, this is more about a warning of what not to do, than it is of something that has already been done; if that makes any sense to anyone, who might be paying attention. There are several things listed, at least three, if you are counting; most certainly almost all of us have done at least one, without even realizing just how harmful it was, and the consequences of what we have done. 

 There is one thing that I have grown to know and believe with all my heart: God is for us and is not against us! His Son is pleading on our behalf! And the Holy Spirit is always waiting to work in us! We must do our part and turn from our wicked ways! This is not just something that is won and done, because the longer we live here on this earth, the more chances we have to mess thing up. 

 This might sound sad to some, but I truly believe that we, (meaning those who are determined to do what is right,) are safe and secure in the salvation that we have been given; what is the sad thing that we might be overlooking, is those that we neglect and abuse, who might not might not make it! There will be tears in heaven, but only for a little while! 

 Anywho, this isn't meant to be about judgment, it is about what we must not do; and if we do what we must not do, we must, with all of our heart, cry out to God for forgiveness and mercy! There might be reasons why some of depart earlier than others, but the truth still remains the same: God really loves us! 

 Grace is what we must hold on to, and don't let go! Because grace is God giving us what we do not deserve...

""The rain and snow come down from heaven and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD'S name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."" (Isaiah 55:10-13 NLT)   

"The Great Escape"

 "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:" (Hebrews 10:28 KJV)

  ""Your own law says that if two people agree about something their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other." "Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, "Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father." Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come." (John 8:17-20 NLT)

 As you might know, if you have been following this blog for this past year or so, when I was around twelve years old, I had tried to get serious about serving God; memorizing the Ten Commandments, I thought I could actually try to keep them, but I discovered that was pretty much impossible to do. So, I went totally in the opposite direction, and did whatever I felt like doing, not caring about anything; especially about obeying the law! 

 Several things were the outcome of my rebellion, as I was placed on probation and had gone in and out of jail frequently. All that time, from the time I was a child to the time I became a man, I never stopped believing in God; yet, at the same time, I pretended to not care about His judgment, or even the thought of ending up in hell. 

 You have to understand, when you get to the point when you don't care about God's judgment, you are surely not concerned about man's judgment, and you pretty much do whatever you want. Fortunately for me, God had different plans than I did, and He introduced me to His Son! 

 Whether or not you can believe it, knowing and believing, not just who Jesus is, but what He came for and why, that makes all the difference in the world; there is absolutely nothing more important in this life then knowing and believing in the wonder working power of what He has done; absolutely, positively, nothing else matters more than knowing Christ...

"Later Jesus said to them, "I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going." The people asked, "Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, 'You cannot come where I am going?" Jesus continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins."" (John 8:21-24 NLT)    

 

"Bon Appetit! - Too

 "But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:27 KJV)

  ""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will eat the finest food."" (Isaiah 55:1-2 NLT)

 The 'but' in this is the "nevertheless," the "moreover," as to represent those who resist because they know full well that there is only one way to the Kingdom of God, and we must remain on the path that leads to it! This "fiery indignation," which can cut both ways, like a "two-edged-sword," is about zeal, pursuing, and defending anything. In other words, standing firm and defending that which you know to be the Truth, no matter what! 

 It is one thing to know the Truth, that sets you free; but it is more than critical that you use that Truth to defeat the desires of your flesh and the temptations of the enemy. That is even what Jesus did, while being tempted by the devil in the wilderness: He used the Word of Truth, to counter the attack of the enemy, and the enemy left Him alone!

 There are certain things we might not want to give up, thinking that they don't harm others or even ourselves; but if we have any doubt about whether it is good or bad, then we should choose the side that best pleases the Lord, even though you don't think it is harmful; it's for your own good...

"Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. That is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."" (Ephesians 5:10-14 NLT) 

"Bon Appetit!"

 "But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:27 KJV)

  "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every though into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV)

 Okay, so those situations of testing how to make sinful desires take control, although they seem rather childish, they are very real and they must be defeated! Let me tell you from experience, the thing about walking in the Light, is that you really don't get to hide in the darkness, because you will be noticed and you will feel the discomfort of all those that look upon you.

 This portion of Scripture was the main theme of brother Jay's book; and he called it, "The Polar Bear Alert." It is something that we practice saying to ourselves when we are thinking of doing something that we should not be doing, which was the title of his book, called, "Counterattack." 

 The thing we must always look out for, especially when we are being victoriously walking as we should, the enemy will do all that he can to make us vulnerable and off-guard; we won't even realize it, unless we prepare ourselves by remembering the principles of "The Polar Bear Alert." 

 As we look upon this Scripture in Hebrews, there are some positive points to this, which some might be easy to overlook; mostly because it is part of the precious Scripture. If we could take a good look, the way I see it, there is a "But," that is meant to mean to reconsider! In other words, once we know the truth, we must use the Truth that we know, in order to defeat the enemy! 

 There just so much we can do on our own, in these frail and envious bodies; the power is not from us, but it comes from God...

"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that the same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan the flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:5-7 NLT)  

"Christ or Judgment" - Two

 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins," (Hebrews 10:26 KJV)

  ""There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:18-21 NLT)

 If you don't know this by now, it really shouldn't come to a surprise to you, if it hasn't happened to you yet, because we only keep hold of those sins that we like! That doesn't justify holding on to them, because sooner or later Jesus will cause you to turn from them and will give you the ability to turn the other way, making you hate whatever it was that you were holding onto. 

 If you haven't experienced it yet, I pray that you will, because it is very necessary that we do our very best to obey everything the Lord tells us to do; especially when it is something that is hindering our walk with the Lord! If you haven't had a chance to read that little booklet, "My Heart, Christ's Home," it is well worth you to give it a try. There are several different issues that are brought up, most of which are the things we do that grieve the Lord, without even giving it a second thought. 

 I really liked the part about going out to be entertained, without inviting Jesus to come with us; as he returned home, He is still sitting by the fireplace, asking, "Why didn't you ask me to come with you!" We should have no problem remembering what that looks like, because I'm pretty sure we are all guilty of it, in one way or another. 

 Having said all of that, we have many different ways to willfully sin, even though we know the truth! It is just a matter of preference and ability, like our brother Jay would say, 'It's like putting something you should not eat in the refrigerator,' as if you won't eat it, but still save it, just in case! Or that one about going into a place you should not go, but saying, 'only if there is a parking spot, right in front of the building,' and then you drive around the block several times, until a space becomes available...

 "Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the LORD'S blessing and have a right relationship with God their Savior." (PSALM 24:3-5 NLT; A psalm of David) 

"Christ or Judgment"

 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins," (Hebrews 10:26 KJV)

  "How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep you servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free from guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer." (PSALM 19:12-14 NLT)

 Today's post is one that takes us into some serious controversy, much of which is something that has a lot of judgment; most of which is the kind of stuff you might think are sequences from Soap Operas, such as General Hospital or Days of Our Lives. I have been involved in several arguments with people that have determined someone to have never been saved, just because they deliberately committed a sinful act, like having an affair or doing something which should never be done, especially from a man or woman of God. 

 Not to name names, but I know several very influential and well-known Pastors, some that were the heads of very large congregations, who fell from grace, as it were, by cheating on their wives; some even left their wives, even stepping down from their ministry in the process. The sad thing is, there were those that judged them as being lost for what they did, saying things like, "I don't think they were ever a Christian, but just pretended to be saved!" 

 Here is the point when we must think about something which God has made perfectly clear: We all our sinners, and some are more sinful that others! Sometimes the ones with the kindest hearts will be guilty of doing the cruelest and most unloving things, if they try to cover over their sins. If you don't think it is true, then you should remember King David, who had one of his faithful warriors killed, just to cover up the sin of sleeping with his wife, Bathsheba. 

 Did what he do make him destined to hell? Absolutely not! David begged for mercy for what he did; and God poured out grace in the process! Oh, there was several consequences which were in his life, due to the sin he committed, but those were all things that stayed here on this earth. David will be seen by us, when we meet all of the saints in heaven!      

 With all of that, there is nothing we can do that cannot be forgiven; with the exception of not asking God for His forgiveness...     

""Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious."" (Isaiah 55:3-5 NLT)

"What Makes Me Happy!"

 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25 KJV)

  "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT)

 If there was one thing I could say about the importance of going to church, it is the charge I get from being together with by brothers and sisters! It like charging up your battery, from one service to another, we have fellowship and remind ourselves as we come together that we are all one glorious body, even though we all have different lives and circumstances, we still all have one thing in common: We Love Jesus! 

 Actually, I think it is one of the most important things we can do, to make every effort to fellowship with one another. Besides charging up our spiritual battery, we also have some way to keep holding each other accountable. If we don't keep fellowship together, and stay to ourselves, we begin to feel alone and start thinking we don't really matter. That is a terrible thing to feel, because each of us do matter!  

 The thing I really like the most, (which might sound weird,) is to notice who hasn't been to church for a while and to pray for them to show up. The is one of my happiest moments, when I see them walk into church, thinking in my heart, that maybe that little prayer made a difference. 

 I know it really sounds weird, but we all need to have people that continually pray for us, even if we don't know who or why they do, we all need to be prayed for by someone! Praying for others is not meant to point out their discrepancies or problems; but to admonish the good and ask God to bless them. We all have things that are wrong in our lives, in one form or fashion, but we, just like every family, must focus upon the good in each other and not try to sniff out the bad in one other.

 Anywho, that is my take on what real fellowship looks like, because more than anything, love does not look at what is wrong in anyone, but cherishes the good in people, always reminding ourselves that we are all not perfect, but we soon will be! 

 If that was not the case, I would have given up a long time ago! But I keep looking forward to the day, that glorious day, when I see my wife totally healed and us speaking together in a perfect place with everyone else that we have loved and cared for! That time will happen, which is what makes me happier and happier, as the day grows near...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sister, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:4-8 NLT) 

"Love and Good Works" - To

 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:" (Hebrews 10:24 KJV)

  "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." (Galatians 6:1-3 NLT)

 If you must know, sometimes I get really carried away with certain words, especially those that call us to action. There are certain times when we really don't know what we must do. It is times like that when we really need to stop and pray, asking God to show us how to be humble enough to love, even though we might not like doing it! 

 There are so many different things that set people off and telling them that they are wrong, only makes for more disagreement. Like Jesus said, ""And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye."" (Matthew 7:3-5 NLT)

 Therein is the point I was trying to make yesterday, that the, "provoke," which might appear to be a negative thing, is actually a good thing when it involves us, as we are those responsible to consider how we must act and what we most do, even when we might not want to do it! 

 The NLT has that used in a different term, saying, "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works". Which is all well and good, as long as you are doing the love and good works first, which allows us to show the way, and not just talk about it! 

 Anywho, I am probably the least likely person that can always do what I feel the Lord wants me to do; anytime I plan to be loving and caring, praying to God that He will make me so; the next thing I know, I'm dealing with someone that pushes my buttons, and sets me off! Go figure! 

 You ask God to help you to love, and then He give you a situation where you don't like loving the way that you should; but that is how you learn to love, regardless of how you might feel; you deny yourself and love them anyways... 

"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well" - but then you don't give that person and food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:14-17 NLT)

"Love and Good Works"

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works:" (Hebrews 10:24 KJV)

  "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)

 Sometimes it just doesn't matter how hard we try; we are always going to need to count on the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit within us that will allow us to surrender our selfishness and put others first, even if it means we don't get complemented or admonished for doing so! We serve the Lord more than anything else, which actually means, we don't expect to get rewarded for serving others, because then that will be our reward, which is completely temporary and easily forgotten. 

 "Only what you do for the Lord will last!" Something that is sometimes easily forgotten while we serve and try hard to love and serve others. If we don't receive any thanks or acknowledgment for what we have done, we might feel as though we are not appreciated; but it not for sake of getting rewarded here, on this earth; the rewards we are looking for are stored up in Heaven! 

 It is very interesting to see this word, "provoke," used to show the passion, because it isn't a verb or an adjective; it is a noun, a masculine noun, at that! The actual definition is one of hostility, such as would be contention or dispute (in anger). If you could make that appear in a form that might show action, the word, "to," and the word, "unto," would make it easier to understand. 

 Putting others first is also something that must be put into practice; it is something we must learn how to do, even though it is a gift of the Holy Spirit, it doesn't really work without learning how to use it! Challenging, yes; but not impossible if you allow the Spirit to guide and direct you, without trying to do it on your own. 

 That is something I know I need to work on, because without His help, I will protect myself more and think about myself first, before I consider the needs of others first. Just saying...

""Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."" (Matthew 7:12 NLT) 

"Holding the Course!" - Too

 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised;)" (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

  "One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." So they got into the boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?" The disciples were terrified and amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!"" (Luke 8:22-25 NLT)

 This is something that I have shared more than once, maybe three times; but it never gets old, because it is always something we go through, time and time again. Most of us know that little thing about the poster or picture, "Footprints in the Sand"; I have one on my wall above my coffee bar, so it is always there to remind me that Jesus always keeps His promise: "He will get us to the other side!" 

 It is the storms in this life that strengthen us and cause us to know how important it is to trust the Lord, no matter how hard or difficult the storm might appear, He is always faithful to get us through whatever is going on, no matter what circumstance we are in, His promise is still the same: We will make it to the other side! 

 If you are not familiar with the, "Footprints in the Sand," it is basically the tale of a believer who died and is with the Lord, looking back at his life, seeing the trail of footprints along the shore. As he studies the prints, both Jesus and his footprints are seen walking together; yet, in the stormy time of his life, he sees only one set of footprints. So he questions Jesus, asking Him, why there was only one set of footprints when my life was at its worse? Jesus replied, "Those were the times when I was carrying you!" 

 I know that we sometimes get into problems and issues that we make our own, some of which we just never think we can get out of; but no matter what it might be that caused our calamity or disaster, we can always trust in the Lord to get us through the storm; even if it was our own mess that caused it! It might be debatable, but the messes we make sometimes can't be fixed; but the Lord can make beauty from ashes! 

 This particular storm, which caused the disciples to fear death, was not really to test their faith, but was an act of the devil to try and stop Jesus from getting to the other side. Although the devil can try, he cannot change the course the Lord has established; Jesus was sleeping, because He knew they were going to the other side. The disciples knew nothing else, but that they were in danger of dying!  

 There is really no difference from our storms and that which the disciples feared over; we really have nothing we can do, except let Jesus do whatever it is He wants to do. We just need to trust in Him, and have a little faith...

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLT) 

"Holding the Course!"

 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

  ""Because you have obeyed my command to preserve, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown."" (Revelation 3:10-11 NLT) 

 There are some things that just seem too obvious to ignore, most of which are the things we see going on in this world, that appear to be spinning out of control. As far as I am concerned, it looks good and is well with my soul, no matter how crazy it might appear: God is still on the Throne! 

 This little portion of Scripture from Revelation is Jesus addressing the Church of Philadelphia, which is probably the only church Jesus didn't have too harsh of things to say, except that that had little strength, yet they obeyed and did not deny Him. That might sound like they are lacking something, such as the ability to be strong; but in God's economy, being strong is not always a good thing...

"If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it, because I don't want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life and hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NLT)  

"Most Certain Confidence" - Again

 "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." (Hebrews 10:22 KJV) 

  "Understand this, my brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls." (James 1:19-21 NLT)

 You might have heard it said, "God has given us two ears and one mouth for a reason; we need to listen twice as much as we speak!"  Hopefully that doesn't offend anyone, because I know for a fact that needs to be put to use more in my own life. "Sometimes it's just best to not say anything, if we can't say anything good!" (That's what my mom always said.) 

 I feel as though this topic is hard for some to understand; and the worse thing is, those who do get the point, don't really want to talk about it, let alone, consider it might be an issue they want to deal with. We all have our own Pet Peeves, the things that are just little annoyances that people do; things that really don't matter much, except when you bring it up. 

 There is more to this than just saying that we love one another, because true love for one another requires caring and wanting to help when you know someone needs comfort or prayer. If I had a dollar for every encounter I had when I felt the need to pray for or comfort someone but didn't; well, you get the point. I would be feeling a whole lot richer if I had taken the time to do what I felt I should have done. 

 There is a very big example of what James says next, that might add a little to what I just said...

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22-25 NLT)  

"Most Certain Confidence" - To

 "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." (Hebrews 10:22 KJV)

  "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude                     "Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude                           "Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude" (PSALM 32:1-7 NLT)

 As I pondering all the different things that are being shown, in the passage above from Hebrews, it made me think about how important it is that we make every effort to love and forgive one another, even if it might not be our fault; just the thought of neglecting to make the effort, to reconcile your issue, is technically a sin on your part. I know that might not seem right in the eyes of some, but Jesus made this perfectly clear, saying, ""So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God."" (Matthew 5:23-24 NLT) 

 I know it might not seem like much to worry about, to some; but as we saw yesterday, every part of the body is just that: Part of the Body of Christ! We must love one another, no matter what! We all have all kinds of things wrong with us, in one way or another; there are none of us that are perfect, none of us can avoid being offended or even have the power to forgive others as we should. That kind of power can only come from us being submitted to the Holy Spirit and by forgetting about our own needs, putting the need to serve others first! 

 Not that I am any better than anyone else, because I have some of the worst ways to offend and cause people grief. I try to blame it on the pressure and the circumstances of my life; when instead, I should be rejoicing that I am forgiven and have things much more wonderful to look forwards to! 

 This might not seem perfectly correct in the eyes of some, but sometimes we might think someone has something against us, but they don't even know it, nor is it even true. Just us thinking it is so, is more than enough reason to bring it up with them; even by just apologizing for thinking they were. You can't even imagine what kind of things we sometimes think, when we feel like we know what is going on in the hearts and minds of others, when we can't even control everything going on in our own...

"The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathways for your life. I will advise you and watch oner you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control." Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!" (PSALM 32:8-11 NLT)   

"Most Certain Confidence"

 "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." (Hebrews 10:22 KJV)

  "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us." (1 John 3:18-24 NLT)

 There were so many more things I wanted to say, as the night was filled with 'Swirling Eddies' as I felt the Lord was opening my mind to so many different there were, in one way or another, reconciled and made new. Although Jesus said from the cross, "It is finished!", it did not mean that everything was completely done; there were still many things to do, and there still are several more to come! 

 I have heard it told that the Apostle John, towards the end of his life, would be carried out on a chair to present a message to the congregation. Those who brought him out would sit him down to face the audience, and then John would speak, saying, "Love one another!" after that, they would pick him back up and take him away. 

 In the passage above, John mentions two different characters, yet they are not different people he is addressing. We are all God's children, and we must all be friends with one another...

"If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it only had one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:17-27 NLT)