FACE and FACTS

Recently, I spoke a new phrase I'd never said as such before.. Basically, I'd said to be certain to focus on facts, and, on the face of JESUS! The two words, FACTS and FACE had never been 'paired' by me as far as I know.. Anyway.. Here's what I am thinking... For over 42 years now, I've appreciated the 'FACTS, FAITH, FEELINGS train' diagram which pictures how we must NOT let our feelings be the engine which 'pulls or powers our train throughout life.' This is because they can really derail us if allowed to.. SO, a believer in Jesus can instead, focus on the FACTS of the gospel, as they fuel their life with faith in those facts and the SOURCE of them! This leads to a life that 'stays on track' since God's character can't change, thus, the FACTS DO NOT CHANGE, as feelings so often do! Take a moment to make a list in your mind of just some of the facts we know to be true! Look up JOHN 1:16, and PHILIPPIANS 4:19 for beginners! OH! How about LAMENTATIONS 3:23?!                                                                                                                                                            This need to focus also leads us to think of the apostle Peter when he stepped out of the boat onto the water.. As long as he focused on the face of JESUS as He bid him, "Come..," he was 'on top of the situation,' but as soon as he noticed the waves, etc., he began to drown!  HOW true for each of us!!  How often do you answer, "OK, under the circumstances.." to one who asks, "How are you doing?"  I am helped in trying situations, by remembering to sing aloud, or in my mind, "TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS... LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE..and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his GLORIOUS GRACE!"  (BTW.. His glorious graciousness is one of his attributes and it cannot change!) STAY FOCUSED!

'AND, AND, AND...!'

While presenting a devotional Bible study this past Wednesday, I was reading aloud through the central section of the NICENE CREED where  it makes statements pertaining to our LORD JESUS CHRIST. As I did, something suddenly struck me.. Here the text..

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father, before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end!

As I was reading, I realized all the 'ands,' resulting in my exuberant proclamation of, "And, and, and, and.. isn't HE GRAND?!" I was both amused, and amazed as I had experienced this spontaneous praise exuding from my being! The attendees in this session were refreshed as I had allowed our LORD to delight me!! How about you today? Will HE delight you in such a manner that you JUST CAN'T CONTAIN IT!?

PS- It had taken 7 sessions (7 weeks!) to present all of those statements about JESUS to the attendees in a devotional Bible study format!! They were awesome weeks, and so was this last Wednesday's 'study' on the statements about the Holy Spirit in the NICENE CREED. (BTW, this creed is recited weekly in thousands of churches all over the world during liturgically-based worship services. It is a corporate statement of faith..)

'And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.' In this study, I 'let' JESUS speak 'for me,' in  JOHN 14 and 16 as HE let his disciples know of the promised Holy Spirit and the joy they'd experience after his departure..                                                                                                                           

Where'd THAT Come From?

Recently, I've been trying to concentrate on, "My God shall supply all my (your) needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) I need to be more grateful for the fact that HE truly does so, then respond by wholeheartedly obeying his desires and intentions for me to not always insist on having MORE than I need!! (too many 'carbs,' etc.)  WELL, this past Saturday, a new friend and I had a curiously inspiring event happen!!! It would seem we were GIVEN more than we 'needed!'... We'd both consumed the healthy roll we'd each purchased, then proceeded to talk for 2 hours or so.. When it was time to leave, we noticed another small bag with a 3rd roll in it on our table! The really 'mystifying' fact is I KNOW FOR CERTAIN there had only been 2 rolls in the display case when we'd purchased them!! We mused over it, then finally agreed it had to have been put there by none other than GOD! We believe HE was simply manifesting Himself as indication of the pleasure HE'D received during the conversation during which I'd had the thrill of introducing her to the layout of the Bible... and, SO MUCH MORE! (BTW, we divided the roll 'for the road!') Remember.. OUR LORD loves to delight us, whether tangibly, or internally... May we all live in the WONDER of HIM moment-by-moment!!

FROZEN UP?

This title is inspired by a big 'boo-boo' made recently at a San Diego area car maintenance facility of some sort!  You see... they had changed the oil on my dad's truck, FORGETTING TO PUT THE NEW OIL IN before my brother-in-law drove it away!!! ARG!! Of course, it wasn't long before the truck simply STOPPED as its engine truly froze!!! (at a time when he needed the truck so he could join his family at a special wedding rehearsal and dinner!)  Needless to say, the repair facility is paying for a rental car and a new engine for my dad's older truck! Sometimes, blessings DO COME IN DISGUISE! 

   The spiritual application I took from all of this is we, as the LORD'S children, should NEVER attempt to 'run,' or function effectively apart from the anointing of the HOLY SPIRIT within our beings.. We will indeed 'freeze up' if not properly functioning as Spirit-filled, God-glorifying, individuals..   My question to each of us is,  "Have you checked your Holy Spirit, anointing oil's level recently?" IF not, WHY not?  Blessings to all!

'ADVENTAGES' OF LIFE

I presented the last of the 4 ADVENT lessons today so I'd like to share it with you. I was blessed as I shared the LOVE of GOD with these dear ones.. I am especially thrilled by the lyrics to the included song which is new to my husband and I.. 

This week's candle is the candle of LOVE… What more can we say than, "For God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten Son.." What a wonder... Our MAJESTIC, MAGNIFICENT, MIGHTY LORD ABOVE, would come to us in a little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger amidst livestock, hay, and all else present in a stable.

We are aware of how 'We love because He first loved us.'  Where would we be without his COMPASSION, MERCY, and GRACE?

This year, I've become aware of this wonderful Christmas song :

                        Let This Christmas Be

Let this Christmas be Christ in me
The love of God sent down
For the world to see
Let the grace You’ve shown be evident in me
Let this Christmas be, Christ in me

Creator of the heavens, Majesty unknown
Behold the incarnation in Jesus alone
Fully God and fully man
Lord help me to understand
The knowledge of your grace
Now given to me..

I am so totally blessed, and moved deeply this year, by having taken a closer look at the 4 candles of Advent (HOPE, PREPARATION, JOY and LOVE) as we approach this coming Tuesday's celebration by giving to  others because HE first gave to us! May his LOVE within each of us be the reason  for the season as we desire to give to others! Remember.. What we give doesn't need to be wrapped beautifully, having been purchased at a price because HE has already paid the ultimate price on our behalf!! His LOVE was/is SO great that HE was laid in that manger, then, hung on that cross… ALL because of HIS deep desire for us to know and access HIM personally as our LORD.                                                                            MAY WE ALL GROW MORE DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH HIM MOMENT BY MOMENT..

Call Him MESSIAH

     As this season of Advent progresses, I am blessed by paying closer attention to what it can mean. ANTICIPATION and ARRIVAL  are two definitions attached to Advent. The 4 candles  are said to represent PREPARATION, HOPE, JOY, and LOVE. One thing I've learned recently is how  ROMANS 15:12-13 contains a prophecy from ISAIAH conveying how MESSIAH would make HOPE available to ALL mankind.. no longer only the Israelites..Gentiles are included in verse 12! That's most of us reading/writing this! Not only that, but the point the Apostle Paul makes in verse 13 (which happens to be the one I get the address of this BLOG from!), is PEACE, HOPE, and JOY, are for all who TRUST in HIM.  In the wake of the tragedy in the elementary school recently, many of us may be feeling a lack of these needed realities in life.. I have found when I look into the face of my  LORD JESUS CHRIST, I don't need answers as to 'Why?," but can draw on his endless supplies of comfort.. yielding peace, hope, and joy in spite of 'circumstances.'  Maybe these lyrics to a song John and I LOVE to sing in harmony best summarize just how the birth of one VERY SPECIAL BABY over 2,000 years ago can make such a difference even today!

"What shall we call this man, whose voice has calmed the sea.. this man who laughs with children, and walks with fishermen? What shall we call this man whose love  has pierced our hearts, whose words of life have reached into the depths of who we are?                                                CALL HIM MESSIAH, CALL HIM, CALL HIM YOUR KING..              CALL HIM THE MIGHTY AND MAJESTIC LORD OF EVERYTHING..                                                                          THE HEIR OF DAVID, THE PROMISED ONE..                                            CALL HIM MESSIAH, THE LONG-AWAITED ONE!" 

I pray a blessed CHRISTmas season and following days for all of you!

Cheasured and Trerished!

I've forgotten just exactly when and why I tried to speak the words in this title, but it was sure one of those memorable moments when your mouth and mind just don't seem to cooperate with each other!! Of course, I laughed it off as 'one of those moments..'  But, it has me thinking about how often we possibly have 'one of those moments' when our WALK and our TALK just don't 'jive' with one another.  Paul, the apostle, speaks of this in ROMANS 7:15-20.
¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
As read and re-read this, I noticed how it's a contrast to GALATIANS 2:20 which relates how it is CHRIST who lives in me since I have been crucified with Him. Somehow, I think we all need to 'think before we speak,' so to say.. This way, we'll avoid confusing what we intend to convey to others, as well as, to our LORD!  For, we are truly TREASURED, and, CHERISHED!