The censer burned incense around my grandmother's dead body. The complete and utter wretchedness of who I was hit me. My tears mourned for her and the little girl she used to take to church almost every Sunday. Promising to love God and fortyish years later how far away was I from that simple, pure love for Him. Later that night on TBN, Creflo Dollar preached about the cross and forgiveness. What happened after was AMAZING. The rest is for another time to describe. God is good. The book of Isaiah is called the mini bible. Two scriptures I would like to note first thing. Galatians 6:13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. http://www.biblestudytools.com/isaiah/53.html and 54. (Actually, the chapters before and after are a beautiful study.) He was like that, but now He is risen and sitting on the throne of Mercy in Righteousness. Everything in 53 is done and finished, because He suffered the debt for sin. It is paid. When the World Rejects you; He is there. Okay, I hear all the criticisms and skeptic voices now. (Not literal, just figurative.) Usually, when writing about religion it starts with disclaimers and correctness that makes whatever truth or reality suspect. That's the world. What!?! Exactly. As one of my grown children would say, -Å“It's not that serious.-Â I'd have to say, -Å“I agree.-Â It's really not that serious. When having a conversation about how and who we are it really is not so deep. It can be, but it's not. We are His and He is ours. Simple. Don't believe me? Okay. Try this. Give up something important to you that you -Å“love-Â for one week. When it gets tough, then ask yourself if what you love is the thing or Him more. It's called fasting and prayer. Deep down you will find a strength and grace for patiently enduring any suffering you may experience in putting that under His Love. First things first. Start the journey now. Define, then refine. Two of my favorite authors in seeking are: http://www.ec-online.net/Knowledge/Articles/rickmoody.html http://careofthesoul.net/ All the things and people that we let steal our joy are not meant to have that power over us. Practice breaking the hold that the world has on you and be set apart in His Love. When I was forty He met me where I was and changed my life for the better. Now the journey just gets better. Ask. Seek. Knock. "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Why God loves the world patiently and completely in His Holiness. How many times do we hear someone ask us if God is loving, then why does He permit evil and sin? You know, the angry or other emotionally indignant response to the seemingly polars between God and the world. God is love. God is Holy. God wants to save us. That seems to be weighed on one hand. Then the perplexing thoughts of senseless and unfathomable cruelty. Hate. Murder. Greed. Lies. Evil. The extreme on the other. How do they coexist? The dictionary itself seems to disagree with itself on what coexist means. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/coexist states that: coexist [?k???g'z?st] vb (intr) 1. to exist together at the same time or in the same place 2. to exist together in peace As a verb there is action implied. Living together is not always existing in peace. While the first may be true; the latter is definitely not. For every action there is a reaction. Yes. It's just illogical to claim they live in peace really. Consider the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking. Does good and evil exist together in peace? Let's define evil, then good. Evil is selfish; goodness is a virtue. Ezekiel 28:12-19 (NIV) A few things become very clear in this passage. Why is the son of man to take up a lament? Well, to mourn for someone turning away from perfection and God's Holy Goodness is something to cry about. Especially concerning the final outcome in verse nineteen. This also answers the question of whether or not God will endure evil forever. The answer is no. We suffer because of the choices and actions made in the Garden. So instead of having to throw everyone out forever, God graciously lets us see the consequence of sin and death. There is a plan for salvation. His name is Lord Jesus Christ. To define good and name God good is to call Him Holy. Holy means whole or complete. There is nothing lacking in the quality or personhood of Who He Is. The Lord God Almighty is One and The Lord God Almighty is Righteousness and He Is the Great I Am. http://bible.cc/john/3-16.htm for a deeper look. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Rebellion, death, destruction and sin through one; Obedience, life, restoration and atonement through another. One seeks after his own, while one seeks after others. What do you give up really? 5 Yeshua answered, "Yes, indeed, I tell you that unless a person is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 6 What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit. Stop being amazed at my telling you that you must be born again 7 from above! 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it's going. That's how it is with everyone who has been born from the Spirit." Complete Jewish Bible I remember saying I loved God with a cross around my neck and acting like a ninny. Picking up the bible and trying to read it was difficult if not impossible. So, why the 360? Someone cared enough to tell me about the gospel. He meets you where you are, you realize He will never fail you, and accept you are wretched without Him. In my heart, the Holy Spirit guides me to the Way, The Truth and the Life of Jesus Christ. He is Perfect and He made a way for me to be with Him. Thank You Jesus! forever grateful, your daughter ps. Now I believe, my thirst is stronger for Him. If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, then look up http://www.hebrew4christians.com/ and discover the whole story. I pray you eat from His table the bread of life and draw closer to your Maker. Bless you.
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