“WE WALK!”

 2 Corinthians 5:5-7                 (ESV)

“[5] HE WHO has prepared us for this very thing is GOD, WHO has given us THE SPIRIT as a guarantee.

[6] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the LORD, [7] for “WE WALK” BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT.”

There was a time when in my life I was attempting to “run the race” (Romans 12:1; 2 Corinthians 9:24) with THE LORD!  My “vision” was to always try to be “the first” to cross the finish line, no matter the situation!!  

The Apostle Paul, the author of BOTH of the aforementioned passages of Scripture, wasn’t “brain damaged” like some of us, but he was “given a NEW HEART, and a NEW SPIRIT” (Ezekiel 36:26) when GOD “arrested” (taking or detaining in custody) him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9)!  

ALMIGHTY GOD IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING!  HE IS NOT “required” to do anything but that which HONORS and GLORIFIES HIS NAME!  HE operates in HIS DIVINE PLAN and humanity must accept that HIS PLAN is COMPLETE and PERFECT!!!  For humanity to be permitted to be USED by THE ALMIGHTY is a PRIVILEGE that is beyond comprehension.  

My feeble, brain damaged mind cannot FATHOM what PRECISELY HE has PLANNED for me!  HIS WORD gives us DIRECTION as to what HE is doing.  However, Matthew 24:36 PLAINLY states “But concerning that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, nor the SON, BUT THE FATHER ONLY!”  

We are CHOSEN to WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT until THE FATHER says IT IS TIME!!!  “WE WALK” in HIS PLAN, not run so fast that we miss what HE desires to SEE from us!  “WE WALK” BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT”!!!

“NO ONE!”

 “NO ONE!”

John 6:41-45                 (ESV)

“[41] So the Jews grumbled about HIM, because HE said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” [42] They said, “Is not this JESUS, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does HE now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” [43] JESUS answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. [44] “NO ONE” can come to ME unless the FATHER WHO sent ME draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Many people want to challenge what Scripture records as THE WORD OF GOD.  I am not a person who Believes that I am far enough advanced that I am unable to learn more about GODS WORD ….. every day!!!  But one thing that I am very careful NOT TO DO is to “add to NOR take away from” (Revelation 22:18-19) THE WORD that GOD IN FLESH spoke when HE walked among us!!!

Humanity, no matter how clean they live, doesn’t have the ability nor inclination to beg GOD for HIS MERCY, WITHOUT THE FATHER “drawing” them!!  JESUS plainly says in the passage of Scripture above that “NO ONE” can come to ME UNLESS the FATHER WHO sent ME draws him!!  I’m no Biblical Scholar, but “NO ONE” pretty much says what HE meant to say?!?  “NO ONE”!!!

Romans 5:1 says plainly “Therefore, since WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH our LORD JESUS CHRIST.”  Ephesians 2:8 also says “For BY GRACE by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH. And this (FAITH) is not your own doing; IT (FAITH) IS THE GIFT OF GOD,”!!!

So SEEING that OUR ONLY HOPE is FAITH in JESUS CHRIST, and that FAITH is purely a GIFT FROM GOD, we DO NOT have the even the inclination to desire a relationship with HIM UNLESS THE FATHER DRAWS US!!!!  “NO ONE”!!!!

“TAKE CARE!”

 2 Peter 3:17-18 (ESV)

“[17] You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, “TAKE CARE” that you are NOT carried away with THE ERROR OF LAWLESS PEOPLE and lose YOUR OWN STABILITY. [18] But grow in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST . To HIM be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

It “could be” a strange coincidence that the focal passage today is the same as the sermon I heard recently from church? My prayer is that I will share a message that embodies traits that are intrinsically related to MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST, and NOT my own personal thoughts!  

“”TAKE CARE” generally means to “be cautious, vigilant, or to pay attention to safety”. It is commonly used as a friendly, informal parting phrase to wish someone well (similar to "goodbye" or "look after yourself"). It also means to manage, handle, or deal with a task or person.” The Apostle Peter, who was the author of this letter, desired to EMPHATICALLY make it known that THE TRUTH needed to be adhered to, especially when THE ERROR OF LAWLESS PEOPLE was being interjected into the conversation.  

Peter KNEW that “the enemy” would use any and all means available to him to MUDDY the SPIRITUAL WATERS with ANYTHING other than THE TRUTH! Peter wrote that the readers of this letter should “be cautious, vigilant, or to pay attention to safety” that you are NOT “duped” by THE ERROR OF LAWLESS PEOPLE! “TAKE CARE” wasn’t just a suggestion, it was an ALL OUT WARNING to KNOW THE TRUTH well enough that THE ERROR OF LAWLESS PEOPLE would not be permitted to be heard by anyone!!!  

With this WARNING being shared by one of the closest people to JESUS CHRIST, my message to ALL would be to “TAKE CARE” regarding anything that is heard outside of THE TRUTH!!!

“IN CHRIST!”

 

1 Corinthians 15:21                 (HCSB)

“For as in Adam ALL DIE, so also “IN CHRIST” all will be made alive.”

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Driving is mostly spent by this humble servant conversing with THE LORD, as I have plenty of time to be quiet!  You see, since the Brain Hemorrhage I generally can’t tolerate “background noise”.  So in the past almost 19, years generally drive in silence.  This adjustment is quite common for Hemorrhagic Stroke survivors.  Yesterday was an extremely different challenge though!!  There were several vehicles that collided with a tractor-trailer on interstate causing a massive crash that was still blocking traffic six hours later!!!  My prayers go out to anyone who POSSIBLY survived the incident.  My driving was affected for the next few hours as I thought “there but by the grace of GOD go I”!!!

However, ALL PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!  Scripture is very unambiguous about this.  Hebrews 9:27-28 says we ARE destined to die, and after that, THE JUDGEMENT!!!  Just as sure as our next breath is in coming, ONE OF THESE DAYS it will be our time to meet THE CREATOR OF LIFE!!  

“IN CHRIST” is ONLY POSSIBLE if we are CHOSEN by HIM BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT!!!  We won’t have the opportunity afterwards.  Either we will be so OVERJOYED by SEEING our SAVIOR……..or we will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42)!  The ONLY HOPE we have is decided BEFORE we die!!  “IN CHRIST” was the choice GOD PLACED on my heart BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (Ephesians 1:4)!!!  I am SO BLESSED that HE CHOSE me to  be “IN CHRIST”!!!  Has HE CHOSEN you???

“WAIT FOR THE LORD!”

 

Isaiah 40:27-31                 (ESV)

    “[27] Why do you say, O Jacob,

        and speak, O Israel,

    “My way is hidden from the LORD,

        and my right is disregarded by my GOD”? 

    [28] Have you not known? Have you not heard?

    The LORD is the everlasting GOD,

        the CREATOR of the ends of the earth.

    HE DOES NOT faint or grow weary;

        HIS understanding is unsearchable. 

    [29] HE GIVES POWER TO THE FAINT,

        and to him who has no might HE increases strength. 

    [30] Even youths shall faint and be weary,

        and young men shall fall exhausted; 

    [31] but THEY WHO “WAIT FOR 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.”

Recognizing that humanity, no matter how successful, nor how strong, WILL ONE DAY “expire”!  That word was used in the medical profession when I was a youngster.  There are babies who don’t even make it to birth, and there are people that live to be past one hundred years of age!  One thing is for certain, and that is we have to “WAIT FOR THE LORD” for everything from birth to dying!!!

My recollection of my recovery from the Brain Hemorrhage is the best example that I can utilize.  The blood vessel that broke was in the WORD RECALL portion of my brain.  I had a propensity for spreading myself thin, VERY THIN, and it was “put on hold” for about two years!  I couldn’t WAIT for the ability to get back to “normal”???  What I DID NOT comprehend was that GOD, VERY KINDLY AND GENTLY, was slowing down my frantic activity and replacing it with TRUE SUBSTANCE AND MEANING!!!

ALMIGHTY GOD HAS A PURPOSE for every life HE has CREATED!  This humble servant had to experience the calamity of a broken blood vessel in the WORD RECALL section of my brain to REALIZE (years later!) that I was trying to remain BUSY for THE LORD!?!  

If you aren’t what GOD requires to perform your assignment, HE CAN DRAMATICALLY CHANGE you!!!  HE doesn’t need to get “your permission”!!!   HE doesn’t need ANYONE to agree with HIS PLAN!!!  Whether you like what HIS PLAN is or not, we can “WAIT FOR THE LORD”, or HE can remove us!!!  HIS PLAN WILL BE COMPLETED!!!!

“YOU ARE NOT MY SHEEP!”

 John 10:22-30                 (ESV)

I and the FATHER Are ONE

“[22] At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, [23] and JESUS was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. [24] So “the Jews” gathered around HIM and said to HIM, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the CHRIST, tell us plainly.” [25] JESUS answered them, “I TOLD YOU, and YOU DO NOT BELIEVE. The works that I do in MY FATHER’s NAME  bear witness about ME, [26] but you do not believe because “YOU ARE NOT MY SHEEP”. [27] MY sheep hear MY VOICE, and I KNOW THEM, and they follow ME. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will NEVER PERISH, and no one will snatch them out of MY HAND. [29] MY FATHER, WHO has given them to ME, is GREATER THAN ALL, and NO ONE is able to snatch them out of the FATHER’s HAND. [30] I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

Recently I was at a restaurant eating and a child was in the same establishment eating with his family.  The child was apparently operating on a shortage of sleep, for he was not acting appropriately.  A lack of sleep can cause a person to do some crazy and irresponsible things!!!

But I was “pondering” the restaurant situation a few days later and my EYES were OPENED to SEE what my HEAVENLY FATHER observes when HE looks at me trying to live a life without being IN TUNE without HIS GUIDANCE in my life!!  GOD IS SO VERY PATIENT with me, and I am not nearly as patient with others!  

However, JESUS told “the Jews” in the Scripture above that “YOU ARE NOT MY SHEEP”, something that we might think would be DEVASTATING to hear!!  But their EYES were yet to be OPENED to SEE (and understand!) WHO JESUS really was!  The CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES was walking among them and they couldn’t even recognize HIM!!

We SHOULD RECOGNIZE that just because we can SEE things that others can’t doesn’t make us any better than them, we aren’t better than them!  Our EYES are able to SEE TRUTH, yet their EYES can’t recognize HIM right in front of them…….because “YOU ARE NOT MY SHEEP”!!!

“I WILL HASTEN IT!”

 

Isaiah 60:22                 (ESV)

    “[22] The least one shall become a clan,

        and the smallest one a mighty nation;

    I AM THE LORD;

        in its time “I WILL HASTEN IT”.”

James 4:7                 (KJV)

   “SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.”

Briefly this morning, I was viewing videos this morning and James 4:7 was placed into my thoughts.  Shortly afterwards I see in one video Isaiah 60:22, so I looked up this verse and to SEE what it was saying to me.  About twelve years ago or so I saw a movie where I BELIEVE GOD SPOKE to me that HE was going to BLESS me with an inordinate amount of resources FOR HIS GLORY!  I have NEVER let HIS MESSAGE slip from my mind!!!

I BELIEVE that the two Scripture verses above TELL me that it is TIME for GOD’S PROMISE to take place!  Fearing that I am being “misled” by “the enemy” is ALWAYS a possibility, but James 4:7 says that BELIEVERS should “RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.”!!  However it begins with ““SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE GOD”!!  The enemy isn’t afraid of this humble servant, but HE WILL FLEE from WHO LIVES inside of me (Ephesians 3:7)!!!

When I turn to Isaiah 60:22 it says “I AM THE LORD; in its time “I WILL HASTEN IT”!  Not just that HE is THE LORD, but that “I WILL HASTEN IT”!!!

I am LED to BELIEVE that I AM CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD by THE CREATOR to SERVE HIM at a place where HE has selected a LONG TIME AGO!!!  I could be wrong, but I wouldn’t get in HIS WAY, because “I WILL HASTEN IT” will always win!!!