THE HEIGHTS OF MESSIANIC PROPHECY...

Below are the four Servant Songs found in the Book of Isaiah written more than 700 years before the birth of Christ.   (Isa 42:1-9;  Isa 49:1-13;  Isa 50: 4-11;  Isa 52:13-53:12)

These sections of Scripture are so undeniably prophetic that if you know the NT at all your mouth just drops open.   Isaiah 42:1-9 speaks to the Messiah's gentle manner and worldwide mission.  Isaiah 49:1-13 speaks more to His mission and success.  Isaiah 50:4-11 is the Messiah's soliloquy about being perfected through obedience and sufferings. The last one (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) provides incontrovertible proof that God is the author of Scripture and Jesus the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy.  If you still do not have enough look at Psalm 22, Psalm 69, Psalm 35, Zechariah 11, Micah 5, Isaiah 7, Isaiah 61... 

Here are the four sections...

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

Thus says God the Lord,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”--Isaiah 42:1-9

“Listen, O coastlands, to Me,
And take heed, you peoples from afar!
The Lord has called Me from the womb;
From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;
In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me.”

“And He said to me,
‘You are My servant, O Israel,
In whom I will be glorified.’
Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;
Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord,
And my work with my God.’”

“And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel is gathered to Him
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
And My God shall be My strength),
Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Thus says the Lord,
The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One,
To Him whom man despises,
To Him whom the nation abhors,
To the Servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise,
Princes also shall worship,
Because of the Lord who is faithful,
The Holy One of Israel;
And He has chosen You.”

Thus says the Lord:

“In an acceptable time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

“They shall feed along the roads,
And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
I will make each of My mountains a road,
And My highways shall be elevated.
Surely these shall come from afar;
Look! Those from the north and the west,
And these from the land of Sinim.”

Sing, O heavens!
Be joyful, O earth!
And break out in singing, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.--Isaiah 49:1-13

“The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned.
The Lord God has opened My ear;
And I was not rebellious,
Nor did I turn away.
I gave My back to those who struck Me,
And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;
I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

“For the Lord God will help Me;
Therefore I will not be disgraced;
Therefore I have set My face like a flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.
He is near who justifies Me;
Who will contend with Me?
Let us stand together.
Who is My adversary?
Let him come near Me.
Surely the Lord God will help Me;
Who is he who will condemn Me?
Indeed they will all grow old like a garment;
The moth will eat them up.

“Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God.
Look, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with sparks:
Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—
This you shall have from My hand:
You shall lie down in torment.--Isaiah 50:4-11

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
Just as many were astonished at you,
So His visage was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men;
So shall He sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider.

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

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 bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by 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.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.--Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12

Descriptions of the Fruit of the Spirit...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.--Galatians 5:22-23

To My Beloved Daughters in Him

I so want this fruit in my own life and am always encouraged and exhorted in my walk when I read John MacArthur's descriptions of each one.  Just reading what it means biblically to love and be kind  is such an encouragement to me.  My whole body relaxes and says YES...that is how it should be...that is how Jesus was...that is how I want to be!  


The fruit of the Spirit are the godly attitudes that characterize the lives of only those who belong to God by faith in Christ and possess the Spirit of God. The Spirit produces fruit which consists of 9 characteristics or attitudes that are inextricably linked with each other and are commanded of believers throughout the New Testament. 

“Love.” One of several Greek words for love, agape, is the love of choice, referring not to an emotional affection, physical attraction, or a familial bond, but to respect, devotion, and affection that leads to willing, self-sacrificial service (John 15:13; Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16, 17). 

“Joy.” A happiness based on unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realities. It is the sense of well-being experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the Lord (1 Pet. 1:8). Joy is not the result of favorable circumstances, and even occurs when those circumstances are the most painful and severe (John 16:20–22). Joy is a gift from God, and as such, believers are not to manufacture it but to delight in the blessing they already possess (Rom. 14:17; Phil. 4:4). 

“Peace.” The inner calm that results from confidence in one’s saving relationship with Christ. The verb form denotes binding together and is reflected in the expression “having it all together.” Like joy, peace is not related to one’s circumstances (John 14:27; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 4:6, 7, 9). 

“Longsuffering.” Patience which refers to the ability to endure injuries inflicted by others and the willingness to accept irritating or painful situations (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 1:15, 16). 

“Kindness.” Tender concern for others, reflected in a desire to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats all believers (Matt. 11:28, 29; 19:13, 14; 2 Tim. 2:24). 

“Goodness.” Moral and spiritual excellence manifested in active kindness (Rom. 5:7). Believers are commanded to exemplify goodness (6:10; 2 Thess. 1:11). 

“Faithfulness.” Loyalty and trustworthiness (Lam. 3:22; Phil. 2:7–9; 1 Thess. 5:24; Rev. 2:10). 

“Gentleness.” Better translated “meekness.” It is a humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense, while having no desire for revenge or retribution. In the New Testament, it is used to describe 3 attitudes: submission to the will of God (Col. 3:12), teachability (James 1:21), and consideration of others (Eph. 4:2). 

“Self-control.” This refers to restraining passions and appetites (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Pet. 1:5, 6). “No law.” When a Christian walks by the Spirit and manifests His fruit, he needs no external law to produce the attitudes and behavior that please God (Rom 8:4).

Nelson, Thomas (2003-10-31). The MacArthur Daily Bible: Read through the Bible in one year, with notes from John MacArthur (Kindle Location 87829). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. 

The Story Behind the Hymn: "It is Well with My Soul

This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled,'It is well with my soul', you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words, "When sorrows like sea billows roll ... It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.

Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors. The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.

Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four 

daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. 

He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone."

On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a 

plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."

Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio 

then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.

The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well." And Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers was.

It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us.

No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford...

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul!

It is well ... with my soul!

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

story from biblestudycharts.com

Fear Not, For I Am With You...

I am precious in the sight of the LORD, my God...I will look to Him and be radiant and my face unashamed.  

Help me, O Lord my God!
Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
That they may know that this is Your hand—
That You, Lord, have done it!
Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, let them be ashamed,
But let Your servant rejoice.
Let my accusers be clothed with shame,
And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;
Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those who condemn him.--Psalm 109:26-31

There is my prayer Father...it is not pretty...my heart wants to be vindicated but nevertheless Your will not mine...Your way...Your glory...be magnified!

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;--Isaiah 43:1-3a

Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;--Isaiah 43:4a

Fear not, for I am with you;--Isaiah 43:5a

“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.--Isaiah 43:18-21

PRESCRIPTION FOR JOY...

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.--Philippians 2:1-4

To My Precious Daughters...

Because there is consolation in Christ, because there is the comfort of love, because there is the fellowship of the Spirit and affection and mercy in Him...Fulfill my joy by being likeminded with Him.  Joy is found in being of the same mind and of the same love as Christ who did nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.  He had no agenda but to do the will of His Father in Heaven and was completely submitted to Him.   The wars, fights and disagreements among us come from our own selfish desires. We are to show others the same kind of sacrificial loving service that Jesus Christ showed us.   If we are right with God, we will be right with others around us. The root of all sin is selfishness and pride.  Disagreements are not solved by anything but a right heart before God....a heart surrendered to the work of the Spirit of God

Our minds, wills and hearts need to be devoted to Christ and His desires: "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21)..

AND then nothing we do will be about us...all will be for Him and His glory.

 - Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Therefore we are "ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake"--2nd Corinthians 4:5

BEHOLD THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD....

CHAPTER 40 ISAIAH...BEHOLD THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD...TO HIM BE ALL THE GLORY!  WITH HIM IS HOPE, FORGIVENESS, NEW LIFE...HE IS GREATER THAN ANYTHING WE WILL FACE...WEAK AND PUNY THOUGH WE MAY BE WHEN WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN HIM WE CAN SOAR LIKE  EAGLES.  HE IS THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT WHOSE WORD BRINGS COMFORT IN OUR AFFLICTION AND HE IS THE ONE WHO CAN DO EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK! THE WORD OF OUR GOD STANDS FOREVER!

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.
2 “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 The voice said, “Cry out!”
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
9 O Zion,
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,
And His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.
11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His counselor has taught Him?
14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,
And taught Him in the path of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge,
And showed Him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,
And are counted as the small dust on the scales;
Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before Him are as nothing,
And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
18 To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
19 The workman molds an image,
The goldsmith overspreads it with gold,
And the silversmith casts silver chains.
20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution
Chooses a tree that will not rot;
He seeks for himself a skillful workman
To prepare a carved image that will not totter.
21 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23 He brings the princes to nothing;
He makes the judges of the earth useless.
24 Scarcely shall they be planted,
Scarcely shall they be sown,
Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,
When He will also blow on them,
And they will wither,
And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.
25 “To whom then will you liken Me,
Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Israel:
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And my just claim is passed over by my God”?
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Willing Mind Accepted....

For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.--2nd Corinthians 8:12

Father,

Praying today that I can fix my eyes on Your Son...that my heart would be steadfast...completely trusting in Him.  I do not want to spend my money for what is not bread or my wages for what does not satisfy.  Help me to listen carefully to You and eat what is good...oh Father, that Your abundance would  be my soul's delight.  Help me to put off any double mindedness and rely and rest only in the shadow of Your perfect love.  By your Spirit give me a willing mind...one that desires to obey...one that gives You the pre-eminence always and shines Your light in a dark and dying world.  Give me eyes to see people as you see them...Help me to see myself as I truly am:  a sinner who has been forgiven much and shown so much mercy.   

Father, I am so much in need of Your grace!! Thank you that I can go boldly to Your throne to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Thank you that your grace is sufficient to run with endurance the race that is set before me...I want to be as You are Father, to those You have placed in my life...My life is hidden in Your Son...May His purposes be mine and may He be glorified always!!

For You have been a strength to the poor,
A strength to the needy in his distress,
A refuge from the storm,
A shade from the heat;
For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
⁵ You will reduce the noise of aliens,
As heat in a dry place;
As heat in the shadow of a cloud,
The song of the terrible ones will be diminished.

MY JESUS

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.
A man will be as a hiding place from the wind,
And a cover from the tempest,
As rivers of water in a dry place,
As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
The eyes of those who see will not be dim,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

The foolish person will no longer be called generous,
Nor the miser said to be bountiful;
For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
And his heart will work iniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against the Lord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Also the schemes of the schemer are evil;
He devises wicked plans
To destroy the poor with lying words,
Even when the needy speaks justice.
But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.--Isaiah 32:1-8

JESUS!! JESUS!!! JESUS!!!!

What a message of comfort and hope these words bring to God's people both then and now as we go through such dark times.  Who is my cover from the tempest, my river of water in a dry place...my great rock in a weary land??? My JESUS!!  

One day Jesus will reign in righteousness and on that day truth will prevail!  All will be seen CLEARLY for what it is.  Word and deed will match.  No longer will evil be called good and good evil.  No longer will darkness be put for light and light for darkness or bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.  No one will think themselves wise and prudent in their own sight.  

The foolish or vile man will no longer be esteemed but will be destroyed by his own conceit and self-interest.  Jesus who gave His life for us is the picture of the generous man...and by His generosity we are able to stand before our God clothed in the righteousness of His precious Son.

The work of righteousness in our lives will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. 

We LIVE when we live as Christ instructs us...

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.--Matthew 16:24-27

Singing this song today...

My Jesus, My Savior...

My comfort, my shelter,

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

Let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King;

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

at the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands, 

Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand, 

Nothing compares tot he promise I have in You.

--Chris Tomlin

Anxious Thoughts and Dr. Seuss...

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; --1Peter 1:13


To My Beloved Daughters in Him,

I love this verse...it is so helpful for me when my thoughts become anxious to picture what Peter was conveying  here. Gird up the loins of your mind...WHAT???   Long robes were worn by men in the days that 1 Peter was written.  Now you really can't get anywhere fast with a long robe.  Your legs just cannot stretch as far as you would like them, to get up any speed at all and the prospect of tripping increases dramatically.  The picture is of a robed man tucking his skirt under his belt so he could run.  What it means in terms of your mind is to simply pull your thoughts together.  Pull up the loose ends of your thinking and recenter them on what is important.  Christ. Discipline your mind and return your focus to the right place.  The hope that is ours in Him. Be sober.  Think on the right things and rest your hope fully on the promises in His Word. We as believers, girls, live in the present and act in the present based on the future hope we have in Him. We live in the expectation of His return.  The verse that comes to mind here is  Hebrews 12:1-2.


"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Put aside every weight...all those things that encumber and take our focus off our Lord and His power, sovereignty, mercy and grace..and on to those things that are of the world and unimportant in the light of His return.  There is such simplicity in being a follower of Jesus and walking the path that He  has laid out for us.  When we gird up the loins of our minds, lay aside the weights and look up, the things of this world truly do fade away.  His glory and His grace remain and our focus once again is in proper perspective.  Our actions and decisions are again governed by our future Hope.

Read about Abraham in Hebrews 11:8-16.  He exemplified living in the light of a future hope so well.  Abraham's eyes looked to the heavenly city and all his decisions were made in light of the promises God had given him.

Thinking soberly is thinking calmly...it is being self-controlled.  It is not letting thoughts that are not helpful get the best of you.  By God's grace, I do not suffer from anxiety much, but when I do I hate it!! Worry is really the opposite of girding up the loins or loose ends of your mind.  I picture a Dr. Seuss character with all kinds of strings flowing from his head and as he moves about they get longer as his worry increases.  Eventually they get caught on things and he is pulled in different directions and eventually pulled apart.

The only antidote for worry is to immerse yourself in the word of God.  Our flesh in the midst of difficulty tends toward carnality.  We give up and give in and in our hearts we say, "Oh, what's the use."  Resist the temptations of your flesh and choose instead in the midst of your difficulty to think rightly...to renew your mind with His word.   When you find yourself having anxious thoughts...the opposite of really thinking...having thoughts that just go round and round...find a verse or two and recite it and as you recite it, meditate on it.  It may take time to combat, but God's word will have its effect.  It will guard your mind and His peace will begin to fill it.  There is nothing like it...nothing. It will bring you into His presence and even in your darkest times fill you with His joy and His assurance.

Colossians 3:2-4  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.


Love
Mom

God Shining in our Hearts...

To My Beloved Daughters in Him

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.--2nd Corinthians 4:6

THE GLORY OF OUR GOD SHONE IN JESUS CHRIST!  And you and I as believers, have this treasure (Jesus Christ) in our earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  

We are His children, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. We have been given the Spirit of adoption by whom we can cry out Abba, Father!  The term "Abba" is an informal Aramaic term that conveys a sense of intimacy.   Like the English term "Papa" or "Daddy" it connotes tenderness, dependence and a relationship free from  anxiety or fear.  So we may be and are:

"hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.  For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So then death is working in us, but life in you.--2nd Corinthians 4:8-12

I love that last line..."So then death is working in us, but life in you."  As we pour out our life for Jesus...as we who believe lose our own lives for His sake, we work life...eternal life with Jesus in the hearts of others!   And His grace, then, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.  

Therefore (emphasis mine) we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.--2nd Corinthians 4:16-18

May we experience the greatness of God in our lives as we devote ourselves wholly to Him.  Praying the following prayer from Ephesians for each one of us today...


"that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."--Ephesians 3:16-21


Ending with the song the Lord has had on my heart all week entitled Lord I Need You by Chris Tomlin.  

Verse 1:
Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart

Chorus:
Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Verse 2:
Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Yes where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Bridge:
So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

The Worthy Walk - Step 1: Humility

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.--Ephesians 4:1-2

To My Beloved Daughters in Him:

It was noted in the previous study that the first three chapters of Ephesians were about doctrine and the last three about duty...or the first three describe our position in Christ and the last three our practice.  Paul begins Chapter 4 of Ephesians by beseeching us to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called.  Here in verse two and three he enumerates the 5 characteristics of the worthy walk...with the goal being endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  That is the goal...unity.  The center of Christian unity is in the heart.   It is not in a set of rules...it is not outward.  In verse 2 Paul gives us 5 attitudes of the heart which bring about peace in the body and bind believers together.

The first step toward a worthy walk and unity is a lowliness or a humility of spirit.  We who have been exalted and blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are to walk with "all lowliness"....in total humility. Scripture tells us we are to be clothed with humility.  John MacArthur says that we have a  "high calling but a low walk.  

Humility is the foundational characteristic of the worthy walk and encompasses the others.  Without a lowliness of spirit there would be no meekness, no long-suffering, no forbearance and therefore, no unity.  Humility is the opposite of pride.  It is thinking of others and putting them first.   It is considering them more important than yourself.  

Humility is also being self aware.   It is seeing and knowing who you are and who your God is!  It is looking at Him in all His majesty and grace and falling down on your face before Him in gratitude over what He has accomplished on your behalf!  Pride is self deceit...humility takes an honest look at sin and confesses it to God as just that..sin.  Humility gazes on God's greatness and majesty and is painfully aware of its own insufficiency and helplessness.  Without humility even salvation is not possible.  The Bible tells us that unless we become like a little child we can by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.--1 John 2:6

Christ walked in humility.  He describes Himself as meek and lowly in heart...a place to find rest for our souls.  We are to walk as He walked. 

Our Lord made himself of no reputation and took the form of a bondservant and came in the likeness of one of His creatures and humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  He did nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but esteemed US!!! as better than Himself.  He died for us when we were yet His enemies so that we could be delivered from both the power and the penalty of sin. This is the mind that we are to have!   

Being humble is esteeming yourself as unimportant....a low priority.  Uh oh...I do not know about you but THIS is not the way I think.  My mind and heart usually go to me...it is only by the power of His Spirit dwelling in me that I can think of anyone else.  A humble person KNOWS his life is not about him but is about his God working His will in and through him.  He has no personal ambition except that which his God desires.  He does not get personally offended...he does not get angry on his own behalf.  He steps aside and allows his God to work even in offenses and perhaps, especially in offenses against him.   A humble person knows he is nothing and deserves nothing....he is grateful for what his God has done and lives with a thankful servant's heart of love and compassion toward those around him. 

Humility brings peace but pride promotes strife.  James 4 tells us that wars and fights come from our desires to have what WE want....not what the other person may desire and most decidedly not what God wants.  Pride is selfish, breaks the peace and loves not.  Beloved, humility puts aside self and loves AND love is the bond of perfection.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.--Colossians 3:12-17