In his time Judah will be delivered and Israel will dwell in safety. This is the name by which he will be known: "The LORD Our Righteousness.'
Jeremiah 23:6(ISV)
My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)
Dear friends, if any truth has the effect of turning you in upon yourself, making you introspective, self-occupied in a spiritual way, that truth has been wrongly apprehended. You may assume the position of the most spiritual, but you are all wrong in your apprehension. This great work which Christ did in His Cross was never intended to make anybody miserable. Of course, that goes without saying; yet there are multitudes who are miserable after trusting the Lord, miserable over the sin question in their lives; and the number, I am afraid, is increasing. Always keep a very distinct and broad line between fuller revelation, deeper truth (whatever you may term it all that going-on-to-full-growth realm of things) and this whole matter of introspection.
Some people seem to think that to become more spiritual we must become more intense and tied-up and occupied with this whole matter of the spiritual life, and really they are the most unbearable people, the joy has gone out of them. I am certain of this, that nothing will ever come to you, however deep, however mighty, however tremendous, by revelation of the Holy Spirit, that will make you miserable. The revelation of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit and there is no other revelation will never make a soul miserable. There is something wrong if a Christian is miserable on spiritual matters, and it is either failure to apprehend the one great, absolute reality that the victory was God and that He won it in Christ, fully and finally, and we are not called to share at all in that battle; or the truth which has come subsequently has been misapprehended and has become something that is a burden grievous to be borne. The Lord Jesus said, y yoke is easy, and My burden is light(Matt. 11:30).
Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God. § One of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
Every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. § He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. § The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul … who forgives all your iniquities … who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. § We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. § He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray. § Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant.
For they disciplined us only a short time, as it seemed proper to them; but He does it for our good, in order that we may share His holy character" (Heb. 12:10, Wms.).
It is only natural to feel that our need requires immediate victory, but the truth is that we cannot come to maturity apart from the Holy Spirit's processing and development of our life, day by day. A quick and easy victory would cripple our usefulness in these two ways: we would not understand the all-important principle of processing; we would not appreciate the needs of others. If we are unable to share, we abide alone like the grain of wheat that does not die.
"So often in the battle we go to the Lord, and pray, and plead, and appeal for victory, for ascendancy, for mastery over the forces of evil and death, and our thought is that in some way the Lord is going to come in with a mighty exercise of power and put us into a place of spiritual maturity as in an act. We must have this mentality corrected. What the Lord does is to enlarge us to possess. He takes us through some exercise, through some experience, takes us by some way which means our spiritual expansion, an increase of spirituality so we occupy the larger place spontaneously because of our growth I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased' (Exod. 23:29, 30)." -T. A-S.
"Now for the time being no discipline [child-training] seems to be pleasant; it is painful; later on, however, to those who are trained by it, it yields the fruit of peace which grows from upright character" (Heb. 12:11, Wms.).
God beholdeth all high things: God is a king over all the children of pride… Now the serpent was more subtle.. and the serpent lied… and the serpent beguiled. Job.41:34 Gen.3:1
God formed the crooked serpent. His scales are his pride, who said in thine heart – I will – I will – I WILL….
Job.41:15 Isa.14:13
God breaks the heads of Leviathan – that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan – which deceiveth the whole world.. I will break the pride of your power – and – Jesus said… It is Finished…
Ps.74:14 Rev.12:9 Lev.26:19 John 19:30
Jesus said, 'when you pray say, THY will be done. Jesus said, I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent Me. In the life of any believer, spiritual or carnal, God has much refining to do. God takes each evil attack of Satan, against His children, and uses it for good. The enemy knows about the 'religious' nature – buried deep within the 'old man. A religiosity – exposed in the life of our first parents, who sought to be as God. A religiosity, which seeks to dominate the ‘new life‘ – choking it of the reality of Christ in our life.
And so we consider 'Leviathan', who sought to shipwreck Job and his friends. Leviathan – that twisted serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seeks to destroy. Leviathan, we are told, is the ruler of pride. In Job 41 we read that, He is the king over all the sons of pride: self-righteousness. And this snake has coiled its suffocating grip through each generation of the church.
It was evident in the accusations of Job’s friends against their long-time companion. It was evident in the attitude of Job, himself, as he spoke to justify his own righteousness. Any one of us that thinks that we are past this fault of pride within our own life should
read moreThe fruit of the Spirit is LOVE..
Galatians 5:22This is My commandment, that you LOVE one another as I have loved you.
John 15:12And above all things have fervent LOVE for one another, for LOVE will cover a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
GOD IS LOVE. This profound statement baffles the mind. It mystifies the senses; it disconcerts the religious; it confounds the Godless; it perplexes the theologian… and yet it comforts my soul and strengthens my heart. Deliver me from unworthy views of love. My poor human love at its very best, can deteriorate into selfishness.
My self-giving mother love.. can decline into self-seeking love. My benevolent-giving love.. can disintegrate into self-righteous love. My sensual physical love.. can degenerate into lustful love. But the love of God is pure, outgoing, gracious love.
His Love is strong, not emotional. His Love is gentle, not sentimental. His divine love is the most precious gift of love, that the God of love can bestow…. add to your faith – virtue; add to virtue – knowledge; add to knowledge – self-control; add to self-control – perseverance; add to perseverance – godliness; add to godliness – brotherly kindness. Add to brotherly kindness – divine love.
His loving thoughts are only towards me continuously. His loving care is seeking the very best for me. His loving correction is to draw me closer to His side. His loving work is only for my highest good. His loving presence is not merely for personal pleasure, but a unity of the spirit in the fellowship of love.
This loving God stopped short of nothing in saving us from our sins. This loving God stooped down to send us the Son of His Love.. Whose stooping down in incarnation, rejection, and death, must have cost Him what is without human comprehension. Such love can only beget love from me in return.. reckoning myself as having died with Him. Dead to human love; mother-love; physical love; emotional love; benevolent love. Having
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