Changed from the inside out.

    “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  Romans 12:1 (KJV)

 

Take your everyday, ordinary life—

your sleeping, eating, going-to-work,

and walking-around life—and place it

before God as an offering.

Embracing what God does for you is

the best thing you can do for Him.

Don't become so well-adjusted to

your culture that you fit into it

without even thinking. Instead,

fix your attention on God.

You'll be changed from the inside out.

Readily recognize what He wants from you,

and quickly respond to the good He sends you.

God - unlike the culture of this world,

which is always dragging us down to its level

of immaturity - God brings out the best in us, and

develops well-formed maturity in all who love Him.

 

    “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

    Not the acquiring of wisdom but the practical proof of having it.         “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”  2 Cor 5:17-18 (NLT)

    Keep pressing on!

    “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Phil 3:12-14 (NLT)

    Hold on to the progress we have already made: There must be no slipping or reversal; as believers, our conduct must be consistent with our spiritual understanding.  Pattern your lives after mine: Paul's serious pursuit of Christ and the life to which God had called him (3:7-14; 4:9; 1 Cor 4:6,16-17; 11:1; 2 Thes 3:7-9).

    “I am a sinner but God loves me anyhow.  I am a hypocrite but God loves me anyhow.  I believe, help my unbelief.  But I am trying to cooperate with God as He leads me through life.”

    “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”  Romans 8:28-29

    “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor 3:17-18

    “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”  1 Cor 6:11

    “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

    “God has made Christians holy by the work of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:11; 2 Thes 2:13), and they are therefore called to live as his own holy people (1 Cor 1:2). God has given them everything they need to live a holy life in this world (2 Pet 1:3-4). As a result, their way of life is to be distinctly different from that of the unholy world around them. Every part of their life is to reflect the transforming work of the Holy Spirit (Rom 12:2). —NLT Study Bible

    The Church is a LIGHTHOUSE radiating God’s wonderful LIGHT! 

    “For it is 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” (2 Cor. 4:6).

    “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” 2 Cor 13:14

CHRIST IS RISEN

CHRIST IS RISEN!

    The Cross & Resurrection was keyed into Passover when all the Jews were at Jerusalem.  “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7).

    “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³ Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. ⁵ Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' " ⁸ And they remembered His words.”  Luke 24:1-8

     “A lot of people say, "I believe in the resurrection; I just don't understand it." Pollster George Gallup said even 84 percent of people who never go to church believe Jesus rose from the dead. It is historical fact; it wasn't done in secret. The whole city of Jerusalem and the whole Roman Empire knew about it. It was news. If CNN had been there, they would have had it live.”  Rick Warren

    The Book of Revelation bears witness.

    “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”  Rev 1:5-6 (KJV)

    "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."  Rev 1:8

    “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Rev 1:18

    Christ offered Himself

    “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.¹⁵ That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.” Heb 9:14-15 (NLT)

    “What is Christianity without the resurrection – both Christ’s and ours.  His death does us no good without it.  What use is forgiveness if we remain dead?  His disciples were transformed by His Resurrection; and this they preached above all.  Some Christians sing: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in tombs bestowing life.” Wallerstedt

    “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”  1 Cor 15:20-23 (KJV)

    “And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.¹¹ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”  Romans 8:10-11 (NLT)

    “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.²⁵ “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.²⁶ The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son,²⁹ and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.”  John 5:24-29 (NLT)

 

TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

TRIUMPHAL ENTRY  John 12:12-19; Matt. 21:1-11

My Bible is about my King - JESUS.

HE is The LAMB who came

to be the world’s SAVIOR!

The Old Testament is the Framework

to show how and why God’s LOVE

set in motion His Act In Christ Jesus

to Put Us Right with Himself.

The sign of Jonah – 3 days in the deep.

The sign of the brazen serpent – lifted up.

Abraham sacrificing Isaac his promised son.

Angels going up and down from heaven.

What does Christ Jesus mean to me!

 

    Holy Week changed the world, with the Cross as the turning point for all humankind. But it is also six days of amazing contrasts—from the joyful celebration of the Triumphal Entry to the Passion only days later. In between are days of both high drama—as in the confrontations in the temple—and high sorrow—as in the Upper Room and Gethsemane.

    The final week of Jesus’ ministry covers a wide range of emotions and events. We see Jesus overturning tables in the temple; people hanging on Christ’s every word; cloak-and-dagger deals made to kill the Messiah; and fervent 11th-hour prayers offered. But before any of that happens, Jesus must first get to Jerusalem.  It starts with Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem, where a hero’s welcome awaits him. The streets are lined with people waving palm branches and singing. They’re ready for Him to be their King—but Jesus’ purpose is far more significant than gaining political status and power.

    Being a Jew was expensive.  People were expected to come to Jerusalem for the Passover Celebration.  More than two million Jews flooded into Jerusalem for this.  With travel being difficult, they had to come early and then stay late.  So there was a huge crowd of people in Jerusalem when Jesus made His Triumphal Entry.  They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him.  They shouted: "Praise God!  Bless Him who comes in the name of the Lord!  God bless the King of Israel."

    Churches of Christ have mixed feelings about "Easter" yet we carefully celebrate His body & blood in the Lord's Supper.  Satan has tried to confuse the issue but he cannot do away with the essential messages of Christmas and Easter.  The Eternal Word came into our world as a human being.  He lived, suffered and died, rose to life the third day, and is alive forevermore.  "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself."  This calls on us to bear witness to our Faith.  “We believe, and therefore we speak.”

    TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

    Hosanna!  God bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  "Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying, Blessed is the King who comers in the name of the LORD!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  Luke 19:37-40.  

    The Pharisees complained.  "And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.'  But He answered and said to them, 'I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.'"  Luke 19:39-40.  [Habakkuk 2:11]

    “In humility, Jesus shows He has not come to reestablish the earthly kingdom of David.  He does not ride in a chariot but upon a donkey, an animal of peace.  This is no mere earthly king, but the King of Glory who has come to reveal the Kingdom of God.  Thus, the Church sees the Son of God entering not the earthly Jerusalem only, but more importantly the celestial Jerusalem, to establish His Reign and His Kingdom (see Mark 11:10; Luke 19:37-38).  He is taking the New Jerusalem to Himself as a pure Bride, and the children celebrate His entrance as if it were a marriage (verse 15).”  Wallerstedt

    "Now this he (Caiaphas) did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad."  John 11:51-52 

    "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."  Isaiah 49:6 

    "But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is , not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."  Hebrews 9:11-12

Little Children And Old Folks

Little Children and Old Folks

 

Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world,

Red & yellow, black & white,

They are precious in His sight,

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

 

    “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" ² Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me”  Matt 18:1-5 (NKJV)

    "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. ¹¹ For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.^”  Matt 18:10-11 (NKJV)

    “In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father.” The doctrine of guardian angels is emphatically taught in the Scriptures. See 2 Kings 19:31; Ps 91:11; Heb 1:13; Acts 27:23. Who can afford to despise the children who have representatives right at the throne of God?” — (Johnson’s Notes)

    “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand.” Rev 8:3-4 (NKJV)

    Children are a great gift for humanity and for the Church. Recalling in our minds the many happy children brimming with life and enthusiasm, and on the other hand the countless children throughout our world who are living in poverty and need.

    “A society can be judged by the way it treats its children.”

Children remind us that from our earliest years we are dependent on others.  We see this in Jesus Himself, who was born a child in Bethlehem.  This is a precious reminder of the fact the necessary condition to enter the kingdom of God is to never consider ourselves self-sufficient, but in need of help, love and forgiveness.

Children also remind us that we are always sons and daughters. We have been given the gift of life, that we never cease to be radically dependent on others, but especially on God.

    And children challenge us to see things with a simple, pure and trusting heart.  They have the capacity to receive and to offer warmth and “tenderness,” to laugh and cry freely in response to the world around us.  A child’s spontaneous trust in his mother and father, in God, Jesus. Jesus urges us to become like children, since God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these (Mt 18:3). 

    Welcome and treasure our children, who bring so much life, joy and hope to the world.  How sad and bleak would our world be without them! 

    Old People are valuable.   “Hoary head” (Gray hair).  We will all be old people if we live long enough.  We reach a “second childhood” where we become helpless and dependent.  “A society can be judged by the way it treats its old people.”  [abortion & euthanasia are opposite sides of the same coin.]

    “The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head.”  Proverbs 20:29 (NKJV)

    “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.”  Proverbs 16:31 (NKJV)

    Godly people grow in wisdom as they grow older, so their gray hair is a crown.  Only those who have been blessed with a long life live to become grandparents, and the continuation of the family line is a sign of God's blessing.

    When Abraham was about seventy-five years old, God spoke to him saying, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you" (Gen 12:1). We have heard the story so many times we may fail to consider what was at stake for Abraham in this call. God was calling him to leave all that he had to go to a place that he had never seen. That meant leaving the land of his father, all he possessed and worked for his entire life. Instead of living out his remaining days in security and comfort, with his reputation intact, he became a nomad of faith. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out...not knowing where he was to go" (Heb 11:8). Abraham staked his entire enterprise, his whole destiny on the promise he received from God. He held nothing back, despite the fact that he did not know where he was going. All he had to rely on was God’s word spoken to him.

God's Will Being Done On Earth

God’s Will Being Done On Earth

    God has a Vision for the Ages.  He may not do things as we think He should.  But He knows His Purpose and His Plans.  The dead will be raised to life.  Christ came to open Heaven’s Doors to us.  He is God’s Lamb.

    “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.¹⁰ They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”¹¹ Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters —their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.” Rev 6:9-11 (NLT)

    How long? These souls shout in a loud voice, asking for vengeance! But did not Jesus ask God to forgive those who killed Him? We answer, these souls do not ask for revenge, but they ask God’s vengeance for God’s sake. By slaughtering them, the world repudiates God! They were told to rest. A white, flowing robe is given to each of them (symbolic of being free from guilt, of being holy, and of great happiness). God hears their prayers, but His purpose is not yet fulfilled. God knows the exact number of martyrs to His cause, and not until this many are sacrificed to Him, will our world come to an end.

    Who is truly faithful to God?

    “For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.”  1 Cor 11:19 (NKJV)

    “What has to happen, it seems, is for evil to do its worst, to reach its height, and so to be at last ripe for the judgment that wise and faithful people know, in advance, it deserves. Way back in scripture, God tells Abraham that his family will have to wait for four generations before coming to possess their promised land, because ‘the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete’ (Genesis 15.16): in other words, God will not judge them until they are fully and thoroughly deserving of it. Here, it seems, two things go together.”  Wright

    “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.²⁹ “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do.³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”  Matt 13:28-30 (NLT)

    God will judge in His own time.

    “Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones¹⁵ to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”  Jude 1:14-15 (NLT)

    “Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matt 25:45-46 (NKJV)

    Jesus warns His disciples about persecution.

    “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.² For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.³ This is because they have never known the Father or me.”  John 16:1-3 (NLT)

    Jesus says: “I have defeated the world!” We still have battles to fight, but the victory is ALREADY WON!   CHRIST WON!!! This is the source of PEACE. Compare 1 John 5:4-5.

    “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.⁵ And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5 (NLT)

    “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.⁵ Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.⁶ But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.”  1 John 4:4-6 (NLT)

    “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.¹⁶ For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”  1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)

    “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.² Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.³ And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”  1 John 3:1-3 (NLT)

The Baptism of Jesus

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

    1. One God – Three Persons

    “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...”  Matt 28:19

    “It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Mark 1:9-11

    When Jesus came out of the water, the voice of the Lord was heard as the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the visible form of a dove. .The voice of the Father said, "This is my beloved Son, in who I am well pleased."  Then after being filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus went out into the desert where He fasted and prayed for 40 days.  

    Many in the early Church saw Christ's Baptism as the institution of Christian baptism (the baptism that makes Christians). His Flesh blessed the water, and the descent of the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove) and the voice of God the Father announcing that this was His Son, in Whom He was well pleased.  This marked the beginning of Christ's public ministry.

    “The Spirit of God descending like a dove was anointing Jesus, through whom salvation would come. This event was like a king's being anointed with oil at his coronation. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus to accomplish God's salvation and defeat Satan (see 12:18, 28). This same Spirit empowers Jesus' followers (10:20; Acts 1:8).—NLT Study Bible

    "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.”  Matt 12:18 (NKJV)

    “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”   Col 2:9-10 (NKJV)

 

    2. The Son of God, the Human One.

    “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' ³¹ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." ³² And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. ³³ I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  John 1:29-34 (NKJV)

    “And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation...”  Rev 5:9 (NKJV)

 

    3. To fulfill all righteousness

   “But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.”  Matt 3:15

    The key to what took place at the baptism of Jesus is found in these words by Robert Brinsmead.  “A thing cannot be a new covenant sign or seal if Christ as God did not give it.  Neither can it be God’s sign or seal if Christ as man did not also accept it from God and give God thanks for it.  The baptism of Jesus set the pattern for Him to be the first among many brothers and sisters (Rom. 8:29).”  We learn that this event was to be the mark of identification to show the one who was the Messiah (see John 1:29-34).  In the same way, Christian baptism can be viewed as a mark of identification in which the Holy Spirit seals us to God (Eph. 1:13-14).  God the Father voiced His approval of  Christ Jesus in a way which all those present could hear (compare John 12:28). So it was Jesus the Christ, the Word, as a human being, who came both with the water of His baptism and the blood of His death (1 John 5:6).

    “That work was the regeneration of mankind. The word has too often lost its force; it should be recovered. The apostles set out to generate mankind anew. They had not the language; they had not the ideas; they had to discover everything. They had only one fact, and that was that it had happened. Messiah had come, and been killed, and risen; and they had been dead “in trespasses and sin,” and now they were not. They were re-generate; so might everyone be. “The promise,” they called to the crowd at Jerusalem, “is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off.” “ Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost.” They had believed in Jesus of Nazareth, without very clearly understanding him; his Resurrection had seemed to justify them; but much more now they were justified, or rather he was justified. The  thing had happened. In every kind of way it was true that the God of Israel would not leave their souls in hell nor suffer his Holy One to see corruption.”  Williams

God's Tuff Love

God’s Tuff Love.

    “Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe?³² But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John 16:31-33 (NLT)

    God is working in us.

    "Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. ¹⁸ For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.” Job 5:17-18

    For us, knowledge means information, facts, and concepts. But in Bible times, knowledge was centered in personal relationships. To know someone is to enter into a close relationship with that person. Knowing God involves much more than simply mastering facts and information about Him. It even goes beyond studying about the nature and character of God. Knowing God means entering into a close relationship with Him. It means identifying with God and learning to view everything as God does. God is our Father.  Getting to know God will transform our thoughts and actions, our priorities and values, and our relationships with our fellow human beings.

    For whom the Lord loves He chastens.

“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; ⁶ For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." ⁷ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten” Heb 12:5-7

    “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

    “The apostle John makes the same point: "The law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love [grace] and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Neither John nor Paul meant that God's grace was not active in the OT, because God has always dealt graciously with his people. But the overwhelming power of God's grace is displayed for us in and through Jesus Christ.”—NLT Study Bible

    “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  James 1:2-5

    Tests and challenges come at us from all sides. We know that under pressure, our faith-life is forced out into the open and shows our true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let the struggle do its work so we become mature and well-developed, not lacking in any way.

    Job worships God

    “Then Job answered the Lord and said: ² "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. ³ You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ⁴ Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.' ⁵ "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. ⁶ Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:1-6

    Job was convinced: God can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset His plans.  Job had babbled on about things far beyond him, made small talk about wonders way over his the questions. God gives the answers.  Job once lived by rumors and hearsay about God.  Now he has it all firsthand—from Job’s own eyes and ears!  Through the written word we can see God through Job’s eyes.

    Sin can be forgiven.

    “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. ¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.”  1 John 5:14-17

                “a Christian brother or sister: Literally a brother; see note on 2:9. • Sins that lead to death are those involving apostasy (see Matt 12:31-32; Heb 6:4-6). In the context of this letter, apostasy involves leaving the apostolic faith and joining a heretical, anti-Christian movement such as those denounced in John's letters (see also "Consequences of Apostasy" at Heb 2:1-4, p. 2085).—NLT Study Bible