rest in Him... 2 Corinthians 12:9...

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore,

I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

Weak... tired... unable to finish...

that's how I'm feeling today...

His Word to me says...

I can rest in my weakness...

I can rest in His strength...

I can rest in His grace... and... power...

Hoping you embrace your weakness... find rest in it... all the while... finding rest in His power... grace... and strength...

Amen...

ten days...

Ten days...
the days grow shorter...
and the time till Christmas closer...

What emotion rises first...? as you think of the shortness of time...?
Is that the response He wants you to have...?

He came to reveal...
He came to teach...
He came to show us how to live...
He came to empower us to live like Him...

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:1-2 ESV

All Jesus did... He did in the power of the Spirit...

His living...

His loving...

His trusting...

His teaching...

By the power of the Holy Spirit...

He lived dependent on the Father...

This is what He showed us...

the power of the Spirit...

This is what He gave us...

made the Way for...

the empowering of the Spirit...

"... Nevertheless, I tell you the truth:

it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away,

the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ..."

John 16:7 ESV

Jesus... He teaches... shows... models for us...

life in the power of the Spirit...

He made the Way... for us to be empowered by the Spirit...

The Holy Spirit... God... His Breath... His Soul...

could not live in hearts condemned by sin...

Through Jesus's sacrifice... He cleansed our souls... our hearts...

so we might have communion... fellowship... peace... with God...

Through the Way of forgiveness by faith in Christ Jesus...

we receive the indwelling of the Spirit...

The same power that sustained Jesus...

empowered Him in all His Ways...

from teaching to healing...

from dying to rising...

and everything in between...

dwells in us... abides in us... 

this is by Whom we are to live...

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also

do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do,

because I am going to the Father. ..." --- Jesus

John 14:12 ESV

Upon rising from the grave...

He went to the Father...

and the Father sent the promised Holy Spirit...

by Whom we are to live...

doing even greater works than He...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control...

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

How are you when it comes to living like Jesus...? dependent on... empowered by the Spirit...? is there evidence of fruit...? is there evidence of your dependence on Him...?

Lord Jesus... thank You for making the Way...

Thank You for the Spirit...

Thank You for showing me the Way...

Bless me with the ability to walk in the Spirit...

to walk Your Way...

The Journey Readings: Week 54... and His power...

And when they had prayed, 

the place in which they were assembled was shaken; 

and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, 

and they continued to speak the Word of God

 with freedom and boldness and courage.

Acts 4:31 Amp

The disciples of the early church... they prayed with power... and He responded with power...

Power to preach... Acts 8:4-8...

Power to heal... Acts 5:12-16...

Power to forgive... Acts 7:59-60...

Power to rejoice in suffering... Acts 5:40-42...

I wonder... Where is that power today...? among His people...?

He is the same... yesterday... today... forever...

He is willing... to empower His people... for His glory...

But are we willing to pray... and obey... when it comes to receiving His power...?

Just some thoughts from last week's readings through The Journey...

This week's readings...
Monday                  Acts 10:1-33
Tuesday                  Acts 10:34 - 11:30
Wednesday            Acts 12:1 - 13:12
Thursday                Acts 13:13-52
Friday                    Acts 14:1 - 15:21

death... ugh...!

Death... ugh...
it struck again...
quickly... unexpected...
I hate it...!

But in the midst...
I hear Him...

Truly, truly, I say to you,

unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,

it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

John 12:24 ESV

He died... Himself... 

that we might live...

be His fruit... 

bear more fruit...

And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

that in everything he might be preeminent.

Colossians 1:18 ESV

And in the midst...

I praise and trust His sovereignty...

Who has spoken and it came to pass,

unless the Lord has commanded it?

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High 

that good and bad come?

Lamentations 3:37-38 ESV

I praise Him for His power...

What the enemy intends for evil...

He intends for good... and the saving of many lives...

(Genesis 50:20)

Still... death... 

UGH...

I hate it...!

But so grateful... for what He does with it...

and that the one who died...

still lives...

He broke the power of death and illuminated

the way to life and immortality through the Good News.

2Timothy 1:10 NLT

Yet... those left behind...

desperately... need Your grace...

Father God... I pray for those who have suffered a great and unexpected loss... cover them with Your grace... carry them in Your arms... surround them with Your unfailing love...

Provide the way... for those traveling... smooth out any rough places... flood them with Your inexplicable peace... and comfort...

Thank You... Lord... thank You...

You are great... You are good...

His Word... has power...

His Word... has power...
whether a heart is open... or... indifferent...
rebellious... or... obedient...

His Word... will... have... its... effect...

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. ..."

Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV

the power of joy...

Joy... I saw its power yesterday... in the life of a loved one... seeking to glorify Him... in all things...

Not just in studies... and relationships... but competition too...

How do I glorify Him... and try to win...?

Joy...

Joy... in Him... win... or lose...

Joy... in the game... the opponent... the ball... the effects of gravity... and laws of physics...

J... O... Y...

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence their is fullness of joy... 

Psalm 16:11 ESV

This week's readings for The Journey...

Monday                               Genesis 21:8-34

Tuesday                               Genesis 22-23

Wednesday                          Genesis 24

Thursday                              Genesis 25

Friday                                  Genesis 26

finding His strength...

I pray it for a loved one this morning...

May he find Your strength... today...

Not depend on himself... but on Your grace...

The challenge to finding His strength... is embracing our weakness... for when we are weak... He is strong...

But he said to me,"My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness,

so that Christ's power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Only in His strength... can we move forward... after being stumped...

Praying today... for acceptance... of great weakness... from which springs forth... His strength...

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 NLT 

obedience... a source of power...

It caught my attention in the reading through...

The Lord utters his voice before his army,

for his camp is exceedingly great;

he who executes his word is powerful...

Joel 2:11 ESV

(emphasis added)

I looked again... at another translation...

The Lord utters His voice before His army;

Surely His camp is very great.

For strong is he who carries out His word.

Joel 2:11 NASB

(emphasis added)

powerful... strong... the Hebrew translated here means... 

strong, mighty, powerful, i.e., pertaining to a force potent to accomplish its purposes

--- Dictionary of Biblical Languages

To do what He says... to obey is Word... empowers...

Continuing my reading through... brought me to another passage... affirming... this truth...

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Colossians 2:6-10 NLT

(my emphasis)

Acceptance... obedience... power... authority... 

In Christ... by the power of His Word... we have access to a potent force... to accomplish His purposes...

...he... who executes His Word... is powerful...

the key...

She drew it... as a gift... a picture of Scripture...

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

1 John 4:16

When she gave it to me... it was simply a key... drawn and colored... on a small rectangular paper...

She said... It's the key...

I've kept in on my desk... where I've seen it almost daily... for at least two years...

Over that time... I've added to the simple picture... words...

The key...

to a heart of...

peace...

love...

hope...

And I added a keychain... so I would not lose it... 

I engraved its identity... 1JN4_16...

Today... in my current reading through... I came to a passage... that made me fully comprehend... Yes... this is the key...

Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 4:17-19 NLT

(my emphasis)

Growing roots into... (relying on)... God's love... keeps you strong...

Understanding... the width... height... breadth... and depth... of His love... (knowing)... experiencing... the love of Christ... makes us complete... with fullness of life... and access to His power...

YES... KNOWING AND RELYING ON... 

THE LOVE HE HAS FOR US... 

IS THE KEY...

I continue to add... to this teaching from my daughter...

The key...
to a heart of...
peace...
love...
hope... and power...

The key
to fullness
of life...

Find the key for yourself...

Seek it... experience it... through His Word... prayer... obedience... trusting faith... get to KNOW it... and you will have... a heart of peace... love... hope... and... power...

The key to fullness of life... in Him...

"I have come that they may have life,

and have it to the full." --- Jesus

John 10:10

power to love

The verse that caught my attention...

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

1 Corinthians 4:20

Led me to ask...

Lord... am I only full of talk...? 

Do I have any power from your kingdom...?

This was three days ago... today an answer came... after meditating on love...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

In Him... I have power to love through action...

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19

How have you displayed the power of His Kingdom today?