2 Timothy 4:18 ~ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
I John 5:4 ~ For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
I Cor. 15:57 ~ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Phil. 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
These Scriptures give Christians great comfort, especially to those who have long and hard grappled with their sinful nature, have felt as Paul did that the very things they knew they should do, they didn’t and the things they knew to avoid, they found themselves doing. We all have periods of our lives where we wonder why the struggle is so difficult. But we also have times when God makes our feet like hinds’ feet, and He causes us to walk upon the high places.
The victories we have on Earth are a result of Christ and His Spirit dwelling in us. If we believed that Christ was incapable of bringing us victory in this life, if we thought that all our earthly struggles will end in defeat then we would be the most pitiable of people.
John Piper in Why Jesus Came to Die rightly states, “God gives us this power for change through the person of His Holy Spirit. That is why the beauty of ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ are called ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:22-23). This is why the Bible can make the amazing promise: ‘Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace’ (Ro. 6:14).”
These are victory verses! We are not condemned to continual defeat. Someone much smarter than I has said that the Christian walk is a long, slow, steady obedience in the same direction. We will surely have defeats, but Christ gives us the power for amazing victories, even in this life. And as we proceed in the direction of holiness we will experience triumph. We are being sanctified by the grace that God pours down on His children daily.
Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth wrote, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession.” This does not sound like stoop-shouldered, bowed-down, never-ending defeat. It sounds like continual victory...Christ ALWAYS leads us in a victory parade.
Further in I Cor. 10:13, a verse which by God’s grace has given me many victories, states “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
The Galatians are instructed with these words, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This is so, therefore, if Christ lives in me how could I live in perpetual defeat? If my body is the very temple of the Holy Spirit of the Living God, would He reside in the state of my continuing defeat?
Paul further tells the church at Galatia, “But I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” And, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Additionally, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
And to the Philippians he says, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Christ Jesus will bring us victory because He is the author and finisher of our faith.
And finally, to the Colossians Paul writes, “We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” These are verses of victory, not defeat; of confidence, not trepidation; of comfort in knowing that through our dear Lord Jesus we can have victory every day of our earthly sojourn and then forever in the glorious Kingdom.
Rejoice!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
He Giveth More Grace
I love this great gospel song by Annie Johnson Flint. Inspirational!
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His power has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His power has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Majesty and Worship
The following is one of my favorite contemporary worship songs. I have often worshipped on the gravel road as I walked in the early morning, out in the peace and comfort of my garden or in the quiet, gentle comfort of my 'little house on the prairie' using this beautiful melody and inspired words.
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depths of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above!
And I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You!
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depths of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above!
And I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You!
Monday, April 7, 2008
I’m singing and laughing and dancing...
Of all peoples or places or nations or times, we live in the best. Think of the incredible benefits of living in America, at this time, in this place:
· We never sleep outside under the stars, unless we want to.
· Our children do not dodge gun fire on their way to school (at least not in North Dakota).
· Husbands are not conscripted into the militia, never to be seen or heard from again.
· The shelves at our favorite grocery stores are loaded...they are never bare.
· On the 17 acres my son-in-law and daughter own, there are no land mines.
· God will never, ever leave us or forsake us. Think on that!
· I can send a letter to the editor haranguing a political candidate and I will not disappear some night into a gulag archipelago.
· We have indoor plumbing.
· If I need my appendix removed, they will use anesthesia. I will not need to drink enough whiskey to pass out!
· Even if I can’t afford legal counsel if arrested, the court will provide me with one. This is very unusual in the entire history of the world.
· You don’t have to unequivocally believe anyone’s particular theology, because you can check it out for yourself in one of the many versions of the Bible you probably have available in your home.
· In all likelihood your home will not be quarantined any time soon because of the bubonic plague. And even it were, we have antibiotics that can treat the disease.
· I have an entire room in my home with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, filled to overflowing, with books of my choosing. No government entity will come some night and burn the whole lot.
· Broken arms and legs can be set by people who know how, with the least amount of pain, and with the best possible outcome. Again, no whiskey needed!
· I can publish my ideas in print, on my blog or over the air waves without fear of economic retaliation.
· I can shower everyday if I wish.
· Our government was designed as a representative constitutional republic. Practically unheard of in the world.
· God has reconciled His children to Himself through the sacrifice of His only Son. I will never have to pay for my sins. God has already made complete payment through Jesus Christ.
· Our children never starve...in fact we are so blessed with bounty that many of our little ones are ‘fussy eaters’. There aren’t any fussy eaters in Darfur, Nigeria, Kenya, North Korea or countless other locations in the world.
· It is very likely that the vast majority of our children will grow into adulthood and will not die from famine, war, or disease.
· I have a dishwasher.
· Most of us have more clothes right now than we could wear out in a life time. Particularly true of the polyester years of the 1970s.
· We have gentle bar soaps that we did not need to make with caustic lye.
· The choices in homeschool curriculum, educational supplies and other materials is almost endless. We get to pick.
· If we want to travel throughout the U.S. we have the freedom to do so...and we do not have show our ‘identification papers’ when we cross state borders.
· Corrective eye lenses can be purchased to meet my needs rather than making do with a pair from Wal-Mart. I can even wear monovision contacts.
· Our nation is crisscrossed with really good roads and we have really good cars and trucks to drive on them...and we can do so without stopping at checkpoints.
· Most of us actually have time for hobbies because we needn’t go to the creek for water, or chop wood for heating and cooking, or hunt game in order to eat.
· We will not need to sell any of our children to beggars or temples because we simply can’t afford to feed them or are in need of the money. Still being done in India.
· I can garden and can my produce for the sheer joy of it. If I wasn’t able to, we would not go hungry.
· We have almost instantaneous communication capabilities. If we move from our family on the East coast to Kansas, we will see them again, write to them, talk with them on the phone, or send daily emails. Not like in many times and places where if you left the home place….you left the home place!
· God has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, correct us, and comfort us. WOW!
And if that isn’t enough here are some of the really important reasons from the Scriptures:
· Psalm 127:3&5 ~ Behold children are a heritage from the Lord...happy is the man who fills his quiver with them.
· Psalm 128:2 ~ You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
· Psalm 144:15 ~ Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
· Proverbs 3:13-18 ~ Happy is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than the gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed (happy).
· Proverbs 14:21b ~ ...blessed (happy) is he who is generous to the poor.
· Proverbs 15:13 ~ A glad heart makes a cheerful face…
· Proverbs 15:15b ~ ...the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
· Proverbs 17:22a ~ A joyful heart is good medicine…
· Proverbs 28:14 ~ Blessed (happy) is the one who fears the Lord always…
· Isaiah 52:7 ~ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Joy and its twin sister, happiness, ought to be the earmarks of God’s children. Of all people, God’s own ought to be filled with inexpressible joy because we are redeemed. No somber, dreary music for me. No long, depressing and joyless diatribes either. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Yes, there are difficulties and occasionally deep sorrows, but the truth is that we are blessed, we are blessed, we are blessed. I have known abandonment, discouragement, despair. I have felt the barbs of angry words and experienced the loss of a loved one. I know what earthly grief can be like, because I have walked that valley. But I have set my face like a flint and refuse to allow sorrow to overwhelm me. Instead I will dwell on the numberless blessings God has bestowed on me, because I am, indeed, blessed. If you do not consider yourself blessed, you need to fall on your knees before the Sovereign Lord and beg Him to show you how magnanimously He has dealt with you!
I Peter 1:8 states, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”
Elisabeth Elliot in Secure in the Everlasting Arms writes, “Joy is the keynote of the Christian life. It is not something that happens. It is a gift, given to us in the coming of Christ.”
C.S. Lewis wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
Fanny Crosby, that great gospel song writer, blind since 6 weeks old due to a doctor’s mistake, could write:
O what a happy soul am I, although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t!
To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t.
We have ever so many reasons to rejoice, both in this world and because of the world to come. So get busy dancing, and singing and laughing because life is good in America and doubly so as Christians.
· We never sleep outside under the stars, unless we want to.
· Our children do not dodge gun fire on their way to school (at least not in North Dakota).
· Husbands are not conscripted into the militia, never to be seen or heard from again.
· The shelves at our favorite grocery stores are loaded...they are never bare.
· On the 17 acres my son-in-law and daughter own, there are no land mines.
· God will never, ever leave us or forsake us. Think on that!
· I can send a letter to the editor haranguing a political candidate and I will not disappear some night into a gulag archipelago.
· We have indoor plumbing.
· If I need my appendix removed, they will use anesthesia. I will not need to drink enough whiskey to pass out!
· Even if I can’t afford legal counsel if arrested, the court will provide me with one. This is very unusual in the entire history of the world.
· You don’t have to unequivocally believe anyone’s particular theology, because you can check it out for yourself in one of the many versions of the Bible you probably have available in your home.
· In all likelihood your home will not be quarantined any time soon because of the bubonic plague. And even it were, we have antibiotics that can treat the disease.
· I have an entire room in my home with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, filled to overflowing, with books of my choosing. No government entity will come some night and burn the whole lot.
· Broken arms and legs can be set by people who know how, with the least amount of pain, and with the best possible outcome. Again, no whiskey needed!
· I can publish my ideas in print, on my blog or over the air waves without fear of economic retaliation.
· I can shower everyday if I wish.
· Our government was designed as a representative constitutional republic. Practically unheard of in the world.
· God has reconciled His children to Himself through the sacrifice of His only Son. I will never have to pay for my sins. God has already made complete payment through Jesus Christ.
· Our children never starve...in fact we are so blessed with bounty that many of our little ones are ‘fussy eaters’. There aren’t any fussy eaters in Darfur, Nigeria, Kenya, North Korea or countless other locations in the world.
· It is very likely that the vast majority of our children will grow into adulthood and will not die from famine, war, or disease.
· I have a dishwasher.
· Most of us have more clothes right now than we could wear out in a life time. Particularly true of the polyester years of the 1970s.
· We have gentle bar soaps that we did not need to make with caustic lye.
· The choices in homeschool curriculum, educational supplies and other materials is almost endless. We get to pick.
· If we want to travel throughout the U.S. we have the freedom to do so...and we do not have show our ‘identification papers’ when we cross state borders.
· Corrective eye lenses can be purchased to meet my needs rather than making do with a pair from Wal-Mart. I can even wear monovision contacts.
· Our nation is crisscrossed with really good roads and we have really good cars and trucks to drive on them...and we can do so without stopping at checkpoints.
· Most of us actually have time for hobbies because we needn’t go to the creek for water, or chop wood for heating and cooking, or hunt game in order to eat.
· We will not need to sell any of our children to beggars or temples because we simply can’t afford to feed them or are in need of the money. Still being done in India.
· I can garden and can my produce for the sheer joy of it. If I wasn’t able to, we would not go hungry.
· We have almost instantaneous communication capabilities. If we move from our family on the East coast to Kansas, we will see them again, write to them, talk with them on the phone, or send daily emails. Not like in many times and places where if you left the home place….you left the home place!
· God has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, correct us, and comfort us. WOW!
And if that isn’t enough here are some of the really important reasons from the Scriptures:
· Psalm 127:3&5 ~ Behold children are a heritage from the Lord...happy is the man who fills his quiver with them.
· Psalm 128:2 ~ You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
· Psalm 144:15 ~ Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
· Proverbs 3:13-18 ~ Happy is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than the gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed (happy).
· Proverbs 14:21b ~ ...blessed (happy) is he who is generous to the poor.
· Proverbs 15:13 ~ A glad heart makes a cheerful face…
· Proverbs 15:15b ~ ...the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
· Proverbs 17:22a ~ A joyful heart is good medicine…
· Proverbs 28:14 ~ Blessed (happy) is the one who fears the Lord always…
· Isaiah 52:7 ~ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Joy and its twin sister, happiness, ought to be the earmarks of God’s children. Of all people, God’s own ought to be filled with inexpressible joy because we are redeemed. No somber, dreary music for me. No long, depressing and joyless diatribes either. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Yes, there are difficulties and occasionally deep sorrows, but the truth is that we are blessed, we are blessed, we are blessed. I have known abandonment, discouragement, despair. I have felt the barbs of angry words and experienced the loss of a loved one. I know what earthly grief can be like, because I have walked that valley. But I have set my face like a flint and refuse to allow sorrow to overwhelm me. Instead I will dwell on the numberless blessings God has bestowed on me, because I am, indeed, blessed. If you do not consider yourself blessed, you need to fall on your knees before the Sovereign Lord and beg Him to show you how magnanimously He has dealt with you!
I Peter 1:8 states, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”
Elisabeth Elliot in Secure in the Everlasting Arms writes, “Joy is the keynote of the Christian life. It is not something that happens. It is a gift, given to us in the coming of Christ.”
C.S. Lewis wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
Fanny Crosby, that great gospel song writer, blind since 6 weeks old due to a doctor’s mistake, could write:
O what a happy soul am I, although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t!
To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t.
We have ever so many reasons to rejoice, both in this world and because of the world to come. So get busy dancing, and singing and laughing because life is good in America and doubly so as Christians.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Fishing
I took this swell photo yesterday as my dear little granddaughter, Laura, was 'fishing' in the ditch just south of the front yard at the Blessed Life Ranch.Isn't it absolutely priceless!
I'm not the only one who is rushing forward to spring.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The dear Lord Jesus
I've noticed something of late--and even over the years--about some intellectual Christians I have known in my life: you seldom if ever hear them talk about our dear Lord Jesus. They can expound for an hour or more on the Sovereign God--and make no mistake, He is the Sovereign--but they seldom exhibit a tender, demonstrable love for our dear Lord Jesus. I find this odd. My greatest comfort in life is our dear Lord Jesus. He has been faithful when I was faithless; He has been a nurturing Shepherd when I needed tenderness; He has abided with me in times of great sorrow and great joy; He has poured down His mercy on me when others failed to be merciful; He has been loyal to me when others have abandoned me; He is my beloved and I am His.
As John Newton wrote:
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.
Dear name! the Rock on which I build, my Shield and Hiding place,
My never failing treas'ry, filled with boundless stores of grace.
Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend, my Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, Accept the praise I bring.
The dear Lord Jesus.
As John Newton wrote:
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.
Dear name! the Rock on which I build, my Shield and Hiding place,
My never failing treas'ry, filled with boundless stores of grace.
Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend, my Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, Accept the praise I bring.
The dear Lord Jesus.
The birds are returning....
Monday morning I saw a welcome sight: a lone robin perched on a bare branch in the Heritage Park behind our house. Not only that but the dark-eyed juncos and mourning doves have also arrived, braving the still-cold Red River Valley of the North. The geese are flying north and I even had a fly in the house recently.
This morning, just after sunrise, five of our 12 cats were out playing on the Slough of Despond just west of the "little house". They actually appeared to be purposely sliding on the ice and were comical in their actions.
The raptors are also returning. I have seen red-tailed hawks and a northern harrier. I hope they are successfully hunting mice.
Spring is coming!
This morning, just after sunrise, five of our 12 cats were out playing on the Slough of Despond just west of the "little house". They actually appeared to be purposely sliding on the ice and were comical in their actions.
The raptors are also returning. I have seen red-tailed hawks and a northern harrier. I hope they are successfully hunting mice.
Spring is coming!
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