nine days...

We're into single digits...
nine days till Christmas...
hanging on to the hope...
of peace... joy... calm...
an unhurried pace...
over these single digit days...

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Isaiah 6:3 ESV

Holy is the Lord...

who came to show us how to love...

to trust... obey...

live Spirit-led...

Holy... set apart... pure... perfect...

He stooped low...

He came to get dirty...

For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men;

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace

and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned --- every one --- to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:2-6 ESV

...the Lord has laid on Him... the iniquity of us all...

Can you get any dirtier...? than the iniquity of us all...?

every person... past... present... future...?

The One who had no spot or blemish...

not a speck... not a muss...

lowered Himself from His lofty majestic holiness...

His glory... His splendor...

to shoot up out of dry ground... out of a stump...

to take onto Himself...

ALL SIN... ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS... ALL EVIL...

The One who did no wrong... came to take the blame...

came to bear the wrath... receive the rod... that led to death...

The eternal... the timeless... the unending...

came to live a life that ended...

in humility... disgrace... crucified...

Holy... Holy... Holy... is the Lord...

The whole earth... is full... of His glory...

This love that gets dirty... it's holy... it's glorious...

Now that's a thought... holy love gets dirty... for the sake of another...

Have you gotten dirty lately...? stooped low in love...?

Lord... Holy Lord... perfect in every way....

blameless and pure... help me understand...

this holy love... that willingly gets dirty...

to save another...

Take a moment to worship Him...
on this single digit day...
sing along... Here I Am to Worship...

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all have died... including you...

This morning's Bonhoeffer...

In the incarnation, God's becoming human, we know the love of God for his creation; in the crucifixion we know the judgment of God on all flesh; in the resurrection we know the will of God for a new world.

---Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You

Crucifixion... God's judgment on all flesh...

...we have concluded this:

that one has died for all, therefore all have died...

2 Corinthians 5:14 ESV

And I see it... all flesh is dead... therefore to operate out of our flesh... makes the way for corruption... decay... because that's what dead flesh does... disintegrates... in a very foul way...

For the one who sows to his own flesh

will from the flesh reap corruption,

but the one who sows to the Spirit

will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Galatians 6:8 ESV

So why... as Believers... do we continue... to let flesh... lead... and drive... our decisions... choices... thinking...?

Because... we forget... God is God... and we are not...

People believe a lie over the truth of God (Rom. 1:25). What's the lie? This fallen nature in us believes that we're smarter than God. I've never met anyone who will say that, but I've met hundreds of people who live like that: "I'm smarter than God."

---Matt Chandler, "Youth", in The Scriptures Testify about Me

When we choose... to use our own reasoning... or agree with human wisdom... philosophy... understanding... science... over the Word... His Word... we are saying... I'm smarter than God... He's just wrong here...

This is not a place I want to go... fear of the Lord... takes hold of my heart... spirit... at this point... and this... is the beginning of wisdom...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

Fools... despise... His Word... His commands... His instruction...

God says, "Remember my law because if you remember my law and practice my law you will see how great and beautiful and amazing I am and how much I love you and how much I am trying to lead you into how I designed things to work for the glory of my name and your ultimate joy."

---Matt Chandler, "Youth", in The Scriptures Testify about Me 

Recognize... where you are living from flesh... choosing corruption... decay... over life... joy... peace...

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;

whoever is discerning, let him know them;

for the ways of the Lord are right,

and the upright walk in them,

but transgressors stumble in them.

Hosea 14:9 ESV

prayer... a crucified grace...

Prayer... a grace of the crucified life...

Sin... the primary barrier to prayer... was alleviated at the cross...

God gathered up in the Person of His Son all that was of Adam and crucified him; so in him all that was of Adam was done away. Then God made, as it were, a proclamation throughout the universe saying, "Through the cross I have set aside all that is not of Me; you who belong to the old creation are all included in that; you too have been crucified with Christ!" None of us can escape the verdict. ...

God's question is clear and simple: "Christ has died, and I have included you there. Now, what are you going to say to that?"

---Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life

...all included... all crucified... on the cross... all dead...

The clearing away of sin... opens the way for communication with Him... the curtain torn... the Holy of Holies open wide into His presence...

And He begins the conversation... with a question...  Christ has died... you were included... what do you say to that...?

The door of prayer open... sins done away with... the question posed... anyone blessed with faith... may say... Yes...

Here... at the point of... Yes... everything changes... for with the Yes comes resurrected life... not only do we share in His death... but in His life... when we say Yes...

Prayer leads us to an intimate relationship with God... and as we grow close... we change... and as we change... the world changes... one... person... at... a... time... for... all... eternity...

Your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10 ESV