no greater joy...

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 4

When a text message begins...

Mom, thank u for making us go to church...

you simply praise God...

thank Him for those who prayed for you and your children...

before you were even born...

When a text message continues...

...and for having a clear... understanding of the Bible...

and continually talking to us about it...

humility takes hold...

because you know it wasn't you... but Him...

All Him...

His orchestration in capturing your heart...

in driving you to Him through fear and anxiety...

hungering for His Word...

revealing truth...

healing wounds...

setting a heart free...

I have no greater joy...

than to hear that my children...

are walking in the truth...

and knowing He is faithful...

to those who are faithful...

being light... seeing light...

Again Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the light of  the world.

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 8:12 ESV

Jesus is the light of the world...

He is the only true Light...

and those who believe...

receive His light...

However... we can choose not to follow...

we can choose to walk in darkness...

So being light...

often puts us in the position...

of exposing darkness...

in the life of other Believers...

Sometimes it's received...

with conviction...

and joy...

Sometimes it's blocked...

by a wall of pride... denial... 

justification... or blame...

We can be a conduit for His Light...

through obedience to the Holy Spirit...

and by walking in His light of life...

as an example to those around us...

Sometimes we need someone to be light for us...

seeing light in others...

having others reveal darkness within us...

Light... true Light...

only comes from Him...

Seeing light changes us...

lightens our spirits...

I saw some today in a loved one...

and let me tell you...

there is great joy...

in seeing another...

receive light...

to see another's spirit... 

simply light up... with His truth...

Send out your light and your truth...

Psalm 43:3 ESV

Amen...

thirty and 1/2 years...

It's the celebration of our thirty and 1/2 year anniversary...
and he talks about how we fight against the aging process...
until one day... it's just accepted...
and you become OK with fatter... slower... tired-er...

And I wonder at what he says...
because I was there a few years ago...
but not now...

Then he talks about growing old...
facing death... worry... fear...
and I say...  You don't have to... there's another way...

He says... You have so much faith...
I say... It's just the truth...

And the truth in Jesus...
is never dying...
never fearing...
and having access to indestructible joy...

There were times...
when it was a struggle to believe...
but the more I trust...
the more I obey...
the more I rest in Him...
the more I understand the truth...

I know we've only had...
thirty and 1/2 years...
because He intervened...

And partly because of the thirty and 1/2 years...
proof of His promises...
I know all the rest is true too...

Therefore we do not lose heart,

but though our outer man is decaying,

yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:16 NASB95

Amen...
and I thank Him...
for thirty and 1/2 years...

resting in the truth... He is always right...

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,

for all his works are right and his ways are just;

and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Daniel 4:32 ESV

Now if Nebuchadnezzar... a pagan king... who defeated God's people... can come to the truth that the King of heaven is always right... praise Him for it... then we should be able to also...

In His sovereignty... His control over all... He is responsible for all that happens... He takes responsibility for all He allows...

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?

Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?

Lamentations 3:37-39 ESV

And He reinforces the thought which came this morning as I praised Him as Right... 

Father God... You are always right...! You are always just...!

We have no leg to stand on... when we complain before you...

Not only does He choose the miseries which come on account of the sin of the Fall... He also chooses the grace He gives... choosing an elect... choosing a people... to call His own... to save from the pain of sin.... of death...

And I think of a dear friend...

whose son had a narrow escape...

an incident which could have ended in death...

Tears rolled down her cheeks...

I could be collecting a body... and I'm thankful he's safe... but...

how can I praise Him for bringing my child back to me...

when so many others lose their's...?

Only the enemy stifles our praise...

with such fleshly logic...

a logic which forgets... denies...

He is always RIGHT...!

Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 147:1-6 ESV

Even in those cases where children are lost...

a misery beyond belief...

He is right... just... always...

and always worthy of our praise...

Amen...

[A hard truth for our flesh to swallow... 

and here is where I pray... 

Lead me not into temptation...

but deliver me from evil...]

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew

he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he

might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined

he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom

he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30 ESV

wait on Him... Psalm 25:4-5...

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 25:4-5 ESV

The God of our salvation...

He is the One worth waiting on...

He makes known His ways... 

teaches His paths...

leads us in truth...

Wait on Him...

with a teachable heart...

and you won't be led astray...

too much truth (?)... in an unexpected place...

Another movie while away... filled with unexpected truth...
but it came like a time bomb... almost twenty hours later...

The movie... Deep Impact... picked from the bargain bin...
looking for action-adventure to please my dear spouse...

By the time it was over... I announced...
I hated it...! Too many people died... too sad...
Why couldn't more have survived...?
At least some of the heroes could've returned...!

Movies with happy endings are my thing...
I can take action... and adventure... but just let it all come out all good in the end...
good according to my definition of good...

The truth exploded the next day...
sitting quietly... resting with Him...
soft breeze blowing... blue sky... dotted with white clouds...

Thoughts of cataclysmic events came to mind...
scenes from the movie... stirring fears of my own...

In response... I praised Him...
for knowing... never being surprised... caught off guard...
for His love... for His sovereignty and faithfulness...
in all things...

Then truth comes...
That movie you didn't like... was a love story...

And I realize... no less than seven main characters... risked their lives to save others...
six died... so millions could live...
a picture of love incarnate...

"...Greater love has no one than this,

that someone lay down his life for his friends. ..." ---Jesus

John 15:13 ESV

Conviction set in for not seeing it earlier... for desiring to see mankind control... reverse... cataclysmic... out of control... scenarios...

I see my own warped sense of trusting in man and his abilities...

at least when it comes to fiction and my personal entertainment...

The truth is... we live this way each day...

in a world out of our control...

one which will one day be destroyed...

by a cataclysmic event... 

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist

are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment

and destruction of the ungodly.

2 Peter 3:7 ESV

In the movie... the president of the US professed faith in God...

he prayed for the nation... for God to bless...

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 ESV

No one else mentioned faith in Him...

The eternal destiny of those who loved... remained unknown...

But the bigger picture is...

we have One who loves us...

laid down His life...

that we might live eternally...

Those in Him... need never fear...

any cataclysmic event...

rather look for opportunities... not to control...

but to love... like Him...

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Psalm 46:1-3 ESV

A further truth... is to remember the precarious nature of life...

and how little control... power... we have over our world... and its events...

This truth should make us look at others from an eternal perspective...

seeking to save those who are lost... connect with those He calls us to...

be prepared... to risk our lives... even if its just a little embarrassment in an awkward moment... to introduce others to Him who loves them... or love in a way that reveals Him...

Yes... changing my mind about the movie...

and wondering about unbelief still rooted in my heart...

Hmmm... a little more truth than I bargained for...

finding truth... in unexpected places...

A time away... to relax... be with family... rest...
watching movies we haven't seen...
some I never knew I wanted to see...

In one movie... I find a picture of what it's like... to walk a different way than the world... I find truth... in an unexpected place...

The movie... Moneyball...
the world... major league baseball...
the hero of the film... unsung...

The challenge to rebuild... walk in a different way...
led the hero... to a totally new approach to recruiting players...
designating members of a championship team...

Even though he is General Manager... the opposition he faces is incredible... he goes to extremes to create a roster in which the Manager has no choice but to play the players he's recruited... for the purpose he recruited them...

As he trades the only remaining all-star on the team... the Assistant GM... the one hired to teach the GM the new way... cautions him... These are hard moves to explain to people...

The GM looks at him... Do you believe in this thing or not...?

Asst GM... I do...

GM... It's a problem you think we need to explain ourselves... Don't...

Asst GM... OK...

And the GM fully commits... I'm gonna see this thing through to the end... for better or worse...

The commitment made to the new system... strategy... for putting together a winning major league baseball team... is the same commitment... Believers need to make to His Way...

Echoes of Shadrach... Meshach... and Abednego... can be heard...

"O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from

the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

But if not, be it known to you, O king that we will not serve your gods

or worship the golden image that you have set up."

Daniel 3:16-18 ESV

If it's right... if it's different than the world's way...

many will question... call you crazy... persecute...

His Way... when followed wholeheartedly... seems absurd to those in your world...

This kind of commitment even draws resistance from other Believers... those who feel the need to explain... justify their actions... those who suffer a greater degree of fear-of-man than fear-of-the Lord...

Make no excuses... no explanations... just don't...

Don't be deceived by running after the things of the world... or it's approval...

Fully commit... be all in... follow Him...

There is no other Way...

"Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life..."

John 6:68 ESV

He is the way... is He yours...?

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me. ..."

John 14:6 ESV

The Jesus Way

by Eugene Peterson

Way: a simple noun designating a road that leads to a destination, but then opening up as a metaphor that ramifies into many and various "ways"--- not only the way we go, as in the route we take, but the way we go on the way whether by foot or bike or automobile. The way we talk, the way we use our influence, the way we treat one another, the way we raise our children, the way we read, the way we worship, the way we vote, the way we garden, the way we ski, the way we feel, the way we eat.... And on and on, endlessly, the various and accumulated "ways and means" that characterize our way of life.

---Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way

Jesus is the Way...
The destination... the Father...
There is no other way...

Peterson says... if Jesus is our way... then no part of our life will go unaffected... unchanged...

What is your way...? is it Jesus...?

How do we know what His Way is...?

We find out His Way... in His Word...
He is the Word made flesh...
He shows us the way to live it out...

But if we don't know His Word...
how will we know His Way...?

I started The Jesus Way a couple of days ago...
it's been sitting on my shelf for years...
but it caught my attention...
it must be time to read it...

The church... for the most part... doesn't seem to be following Him... or give much credence to His Word of late... it's made me wonder... What way are they going...?

He alone is the way to truth... to life... to the Father...

Me...? I want His Way...
What about you...?

Father God... use this read... and Your Word...

to help me learn... and follow...

the Jesus Way...

Amen...

restraining lawlessness... for now...

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.

Only he who now restrains it will do so until

he is out of the way.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 ESV

It's no mystery that lawlessness is already at work...

we see it all around us... just spend a few minutes watching the news...

Not only is the man of lawlessness attacking people in general... those made in the image of God... lawlessness is attacking His Church... with increasing degrees of persecution... all around the world...

Contemplating this passage for another blog... I was caught by how he who restrains... the restrainer... will be taken out of the way...

It's unclear exactly who the restrainer is...

Paul told the Thessalonians while he was with them...

but he didn't repeat the information here...

Do you not remember that when I was still with you

I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now 

so that he may be revealed in his time.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-6 ESV

Theologians over the years have asserted various ideas on what is restraining... and who the restrainer might be... but in my writing earlier today... I had a glimpse... of what might be... a revelation...

I recently studied the letters to the Thessalonians with a group of ladies... using Beth Moore's study Children of the Day... and one of the explanations she gave... the one I felt most to be true... cited the restraining "what" as the church... and named the restrainer "who" as the Holy Spirit...

With this in the back of my mind... I saw two errors Believers can fall prey to... with the increasing work of the lawless one... 

The first is the error of falling for his deception...

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan

with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all

wicked deception for those who are perishing, because

they refused to love the truth...

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 ESV

The lawless one comes with the enemy's power...

false signs... wonders... deception... lies...

This is the one Adam and Eve fell prey to...

and they were two who walked closest to God...

How can we expect to not be swayed...? escape temptation...?

The second error... giving into fear... dismay... despair...

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble

at its swelling. Selah

Psalm 46:1-3 ESV

Keeping our eyes on the world... and not on Him...

can lead us to be paralyzed with fear...

a la Peter walking on water... until he took his eyes off Jesus...

and focused on the wind... the waves... the storm...

Lawlessness is darkness...

it's restrained by Light...

The light of the church... its people... its spirit...

will become dimmer and dimmer...

less able to restrain lawlessness...

by falling to deception...

or giving into inaction... smothered by fear and despair...

The Holy Spirit speaks loudest in our hearts when we listen and obey... sometimes I think He keeps quiet... when He knows we won't do what He says... 

With the disobedience of the church... through deception and fear... 

with few to none... to work through...

perhaps... the Holy Spirit will be moved out of the way... 

"... when the Son of  Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" ---Jesus

Luke 18:8 ESV

Both errors can be overcome... 

by rooting ourselves in His Word... His Truth... His Way...

by faith... believing and upholding what He says is true...

by steeping in the Word... in prayer... in trusting obedience...

While we are here... let us be restrainers of darkness...

trust the One who is Truth... love... grace... mercy...

trust the One who knows... when we don't...

Pray for Him to protect you from both errors...

deception... and... fear...

Push back the darkness... be the light He calls us to be... for now... there is no other...

You are the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14 ESV

wondering why... we so often miss the Truth...

I wonder how we miss the Truth...?
He alone... the One True God...?
there is no other...?

We constantly allow others to lord over us... people in general...
fear of man... greater than fear of the Lord...
afraid to say... He is the only Way... the Only God...

How do we mistake what's natural... given at birth...?
for what's supernatural... received at re-birth...?
the gifts of the Holy Spirit...?

We try to build His church with natural gifts...
directed by our natural self-will...
rather than accepting... receiving... the new... the supernatural...
and use it how He calls us to... according to His will...

Why... do we believe the things of this world... will last...?
when time and time again... year after year... day after day...?
we experience the failure of the temporal...?

There are few things which are eternal... worth investing in...
One is God... who is Eternity Himself...
Two... His Word... which stands forever... because as Eternal... His words don't pass away...
Three... people... whose souls last forever...

Jesus told us the best way to use our time... spend our days... invest our lives...

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven

and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples

of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe

all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always,

to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

But how much time do we really spend...? building relationship with Him...?
Listening to what He says...? obeying His Word...?
And as for people... are we loving them as He calls us to...? reaching out to them with a heart to do what's best for them...? and not what we can get from them...?

How... can the church... mistake lies... for truth...?

Why...?

Are we not listening...?
Are we not obeying...?
Are we not worshiping...? fearing...? praising...?
Him...?

Maybe we should consider... both as individuals... and as corporate bodies...
who are we listening to...? obeying...?
who or what are we worshiping...? fearing...? praising...?

I believe that if it was Him...
we would not miss the Truth...

"I am the Lord, and there is no other.

I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness;

I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,

'Seek me in vain.' I the Lord speak the truth;

I declare what is right. ..."

Isaiah 45:18-19 ESV

Just wondering...

empowered to be an echo...

A spiritual discipline assigned through a study...
lectio divina... divine reading of the Word...

The passage assigned... Acts 2:1-12...
This passage portrays the birth of the Church...
the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on His people...
The Spirit empowered the disciples to tell the mighty works of God to those who were present...

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound... it filled the entire house... And divided tongues as of fire... rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together... bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ... "...we hear them telling... the mighty works of God."...

 ---Acts 2:1-11, ESV

What caught my attention was the arrival of the Spirit as a sound...

I've heard Him called wind... and fire...
but never really noticed the Spirit arrived as a sound...
a sound like wind... but not wind...
the Spirit came from heaven as a sound...

Seeking word origin in Greek... I find...

echos (ay-khos)... 1. a sound, noise... 2. rumour, report

---Enhanced Strong's Lexicon

Do you see it...?
Yes... it's true...
The Greek word for sound in this verse... echos...
is the origin for our English word... echo...

And I remember the Holy Spirit never speaks on His own...
He only voices what He hears...
just like an echo...

 "...When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth,

for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears

he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

All that the Father has is mine, therefore I said that he will

take what is mine and declare it to you. ..." ---Jesus

John 16:13-15 ESV

The Holy Spirit is an echo of truth!

In turn... as we see in verse 11 of Acts 2...

the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us...

to speak... report... echo... what the Spirit is sharing with us...

the mighty works of God...

By the power of the Spirit...

our lives... as Believers...

should be an echo to the world...

telling all about God's mighty works...

the greatest being salvation through His Son...

the ultimate Good News of the end of the war...

the end of the enmity... between God and man...

Creator and created...

And I wonder... and ask...

Lord... am I an echo of You from heaven...?

Am I using the power He fills me with for His glory...?

All Believers... are empowered to be an echo...

a God-glorifying echo of His mighty works...

to a dark world...

Are you being an echo of heaven...? or of the world...?

no greater joy...

I have no greater joy than to hear 

that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 4

To hear that your children are walking in Truth... joyful...

But... over the last couple of days... I've seen evidence... of their walk...

through obedience... prayer... and God's work in their lives...

Really there is... no greater joy...

He divides light from darkness...

"And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." --- Genesis 1:4

What He began from the first day of creation... He continues today... in every Believer...

He is the Light... and when He enters the Believer... He begins the process of dividing... separating... light... from... darkness...
evil from good...
right from wrong...
truth from deception...

We are called to walk in the light... as He is in the light...

...for at one time you were darkness, 

but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light...

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

His work of sanctification... is the process of shining His light... into our dark... and removing it...

The same process He will ultimately use through all creation... dividing... all darkness... from all light...

And I saw no temple in the city, 

for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it,

for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Revelation 21:22-23 ESV

Jesus is the life and light of men...

All things were made through him,

and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:3-4 ESV

He came to show us the light... through His fullness of grace... and truth...

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,

and we have seen his glory,

glory as of the only Son from the Father,

full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 ESV

Grace... brings the light of freedom... and joy...

Truth... brings the light of knowledge... and freedom from deception...

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying,

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me

will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 8:12 ESV

Each of us walking in His light... should be growing in both grace... and... truth...

During the course of my day... I heard division mentioned as a bad thing... yet I wonder... If it is a division of light... from darkness... is it bad...? or necessary...?

For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?

Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV

Myself... I long for Him to continue... dividing... light from darkness... in me...

As painful as the process may be... I look forward to being like Him... full of grace... and... truth...

Your way... is not my way...

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV

Lord... let me never forget... my ways... are not... Your ways...

Keep me open to Your way... in thought... word... and deed...

Don't allow me to be so set in my own expectations... and understandings... that I miss Your way altogether...

Above all else... I desire... Your... Way... not... mine...

Jesus said...

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. ..."

John 14:6 ESV

challenges of new... reveal a truth of old...

This journey into new... new job... new skills... new challenges... leads to the opportunity for lots of errors...

Errors from presumption... and assumption... each highlighted after the fact... by clear cut evidence... a solid piece of testimony... revealing the error...

Backtracking... confession... time... required to correct each...

I wake in the night... errors haunting...

Wondering how I could make such mistakes... when I know what to do... but somehow I don't do it...?

A parallel emerges... between this new endeavor... its pitfalls... and my own life... a truth of old...

Each and everyday... I make mistakes... commit sins... against Him... in the unseen realm... based on presumption... and assumption...

It's just that for the most part... these go unnoticed... no physical evidence readily available to reveal the sin...

Eventually yes... through challenging relationships... unkind attitudes... and a decreased sensitivity to error...

But in the moment... nothing seems all that detrimental...

These challenges of new... reveal a truth of old...

Who can discern his errors?

Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

Psalm 19:12-13 ESV

Oh... praise Him for His Son... Jesus... the One who saves...!

In Him alone... am I declared innocent from hidden faults...
and those blatantly obvious...

Yes... today... I will focus on His great grace...
and pray for some... from those I serve...
on this new business journey...

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Lord... keep back Your servant... from presumptuous sin...

Only in You... may I be blameless... of great transgression...

opinion... vs... Truth...

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Psalm 51:4-6 ESV

I've heard too much about opinions lately... when the topics discussed... should be centered on seeking Truth...

opinion... noun... 1 a: a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter b: approval, esteem 2 a: belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge b: a generally held view...

 ---Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th Ed.)

Why can't people just keep their opinions to themselves...

Can't we agree to disagree...? understand we all see things differently...?

When it comes to the subject of sin... it's not about opinion... we do not get to make those judgments... no matter how we view... appraise... or feel about... issues regarding sin...

God alone... judges rightly... 

He alone... defines sin...

He alone... is Truth...

Jesus answered, "I am the way,

and the truth, and the life... "

John 14:6

Behold... I was brought forth in iniquity... what possible judgment could I make... could you make... about sin that would be right...?

Opinions come from strong beliefs... impressions... judgments... formed in the mind... and often times based on deceptions... the emotional deceit of the heart... it wants what it wants... 

The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

Only when we are ready to put aside emotions... and seek His wisdom... His way... despite how we feel about it... will we come to Truth...

truth... noun... 1 a archaic: fidelity, constancy b: sincerity in action, character, and utterance 2 a (1): the state of being the case: fact (2): the body of real things, events, and facts: actuality (3) often capitalized: a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality b: a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true... c: the body of true statements and propositions 3 a: the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality...

 ---Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th Ed.) 

Every Believer possesses access to Truth through the Holy Spirit...

"... When the Spirit of truth comes, 

he will guide you into all the truth..."

John 16:13

Understanding our capacity to be deceived by self... and others... is the first step in moving toward Truth...

Understanding our broken nature... the first step toward revelation...

Behold... Lord... You delight in truth in the inward being... 

...teach me wisdom... in the secret heart...

...reveal where I have replaced Truth... with mere opinion...

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10 ESV

more on... His Word... a solid place to land...

Yet again... this morning... He leads me to another reminder of the solidity... trustworthiness... and power of His Word...

A note... written next to Psalm 33... a reminder that He gave me this psalm to rest in... awaiting another surgery... on a different loved one...

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Praise the Lord with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Psalm 33:1-5

And I wonder... If one rejects the solidity of His Word...? where do they go to find stability...? And how do you know what's true...? if part is in error...? which parts...? who chooses...? And what about testing the spirits...? and teachings of others...? where do you go to check the validity...? if you can't go to the Word...?

By faith... He calls us to believe He created the universe... 

By faith we understand that the universe 

was formed at God's command, 

so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Hebrews 11:3

...and by His word no less...

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth...

Psalm 33:6

Considering the expanse... complexity... and enormity... of creation... it's not much of a leap of faith... to believe He wrote a book...

An eternal... timeless book... written from His perspective...

This book... His Book... has been integral to my walk of faith... it's a gracious gift... the one temporal thing He's given us... with which to seek Him out...

By His Spirit... I meet Him in it's pages... 

He speaks... comforts... guides... corrects...

Never have I found it's message lacking...

nor His way... faulty...

Now... I haven't always liked what I found in His Word... there have been some painful wrestling matches along the way... but in the end... I know He's right... and I'm wrong... and there is no other way... no other words of life...

The more I pursue Him... through His Word... obedience... prayer... the more healing I find... more peace... more joy... in living His Way... not mine...

He says...

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

I've tasted... by eating His Word...

And Yes... He is good...

Won't you taste too...?

Note: A new Quote du Jour published today... check it out on Jeremiah's Menu...

do you know your name...?

In light of what you know...

He has risen!

...and having chosen to believe...

"But you," He asked them, "who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter answered,"You are the Messiah,

the Son of the living God!"

Matthew 16:15 HCSB

...do you know... who you are... in Him...?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

This new creation... comes with a new name... a new character...

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,

but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,

by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

Romans 8:15 ESV

Don't ever forget... don't let anyone tell you different... you are... the child of the one true King...

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How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

[Note: yes... I forgot again... below you will find... what I forgot... but... my name is still... Child of the One True King...]

This week's readings for The Journey...

Monday                   Job 29-30

Tuesday                   Job 31

Wednesday              Job 32

Thursday                  Job 33

Friday                      Job 34-35

more on arks...

Building an ark... is the building of faith...

And when I talk about arks failing... I'm not talking about the Ark... Jesus... He never fails...

Where we fail... is in the building of faith... the practice of faithfulness...

His love is unconditional... but His promises conditional... blessings... based on obedience...

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; 

whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, 

but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 3:36 ESV

believes... in the Greek... pistueo... means... to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance (Louw Nida)...

Clearly believe... implies obedience... if the opposite is... does not obey...

I think some are surprised... by life's storms... because they don't know Him... haven't spent time with Him... in prayer... in His Word... coming to know the Truth...

Their faith built not on the Rock... but on their own understanding... of who He is...

Our own understanding... imagining... of God... reduces Him to... a god... made in our own image...

I can't believe in a God who let's bad things happen...
What kind of God kills His own Son...?
No one can change this situation... or that person...

The truth is... we are born into a broken world... one we broke... and God uses it... to capture the attention of the lost... and refine Believers into the image of His Son...

Though He was God's Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him...

Hebrews 5:8-9 HCSB

So... if you find yourself rocked... by a storm...
water rising in your ark...
house toppling in the wind...
you might check to see...
exactly who... or what... you have faith in...

By faith Noah, being warned by God 

concerning events as yet unseen, 

in reverent fear constructed an ark 

for the saving of his household.

Hebrews 11:7 ESV

Make sure you've placed your faith... in the Truth... and exercise your belief... moment... by... moment... through obedience...

Your life... your entire household... depend on it...

more on waking to darkness...

If then the light in you is darkness,

how great is the darkness!

Matthew 6:23

Light... a metaphor for understanding...

If then... our only understanding... is darkness... a lie... a misunderstanding... how great is the darkness...!

Great darkness... because we believe we have light... true understanding... but we are in the dark... completely deceived...

Wake up O sleeper...

Wake up to the darkness...

...and Christ will shine on you...

Then... you will know... truth... freedom... joy...

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ..."

Matthew 6:22-23 ESV

Eyes... they have to do with seeing... seeing = understanding...

The eye is the lamp of the body...

A lamp... it guides... directs... lights the way...

What we see with our eyes... where we turn our face... directs our day... our life...

We look... where we are going... our way determined... by how we see the world...

So, if your eye is healthy, 

your whole body will be full with light...

healthy... the Greek... literally means... whole...

Webster's defines whole... free from wound or injury: unhurt...

We are born into this world broken... injured... our eyes from the beginning are... bad...

bad... the Greek... meaning... in a physical sense: diseased or blind...

To see from a healthy eye... soul... to have a body full of light... can only come through healing... being made whole in Christ...

Otherwise... we are totally lost... in the dark... how great... is the darkness... when we don't know we are blind...

A loved one... one on which I'm waiting... sees with a bad eye... wounds... heart wounds... soul wounds... doled out by the enemy during growing up years... have blinded...

The beloved knows Him... but suffers spiritual blindness... when it comes to self-perception...

The wounded beloved... can't see past the lie... it seems true...

To overcome... a bad eye... we must replace it with a new lamp... the Word...

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

I see it... but the beloved... can't...

So I pray... for healing... wholeness...
recognition of lies...
desire for more...
truth... to obliterate the lies...
Light... to cut through the darkness...

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

...

"Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

---Jesus

Luke 4:18-19, 21 ESV

(my emphasis)

Amen!