“WRITE THE VISION!”

 

Habakkuk 2:2-3                 (ESV)

The Righteous Shall Live by HIS FAITH

[2] And THE LORD answered me:

    “”WRITE THE VISION”;

        make it plain on tablets,

        so he may run who reads it. 

    [3] For still the vision awaits its “appointed time”;

        it hastens to the end—IT WILL NOT LIE.

    If it seems slow, WAIT FOR IT;

        it will SURELY come; it will NOT DELAY.”

THE DREAM, VISION, or PLAN that GOD has placed on my heart is WRITTEN on the word processing program that I write devotionals on.  For this “brain damaged” hemorrhagic stroke survivor, it is a habit that I use because my confidence in my abilities isn’t as good as it used to be??  To have it listed on my computer log is a lot better than not remembering the item in question!

Waiting for the “appointed time” is NOT one of my strong suits!  Always wanting to receive HIS PROMISE is something that has been very enthralling!  NOT KNOWING the “difficulties” that are certain to come along with HIS PROMISE is something that causes me to “lose excitement” before the BLESSINGS are enjoyed.  Writing HIS PROMISES down is something that I perform in order to keep my HEART and MIND stable when “the enemy” begins to attack me.  

Habakkuk 2:2 begins with “WRITE THE VISION” being SPOKEN by THE LORD in HEAVEN!  HE knew that I would not be sharp enough to remember HIS PROMISE, especially when trials and tribulations were on their way!  HE wants me to “WRITE THE VISION” so I can be often reminded of HIS PROMISE and HIS PLAN for my life!!!  Therefore, I “WRITE THE VISION” to remind me that HE IS IN CONTROL, and I am not!!!

“TRAIN UP A CHILD!”

 

Proverbs 22:6                 (ESV)

    “[6] 

    “TRAIN UP A CHILD” in the way he should go;

        even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Even though I am BLESSED to be more matured than I was while raising my sons, some people aren’t granted the privilege of experiencing “senior moments” with their grandchildren so they can watch the fruits of their labor???  Recently I saw a meme that brought back memories which said “Teach your child to pray. You won’t be around all their life, but GOD will!”  

My “actions” earlier in life were not something that I would prefer my children to remember.  I was SO BUSY trying to help others that I sometimes didn’t show my own children the time they deserved!  MY OWN CHILDREN are BLESSINGS from THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES!!  Could I have been so “caught up” with making sure that the cares of “this world” were taken care of that I might have missed making sure my own children understood that the REAL and PERMANENT things were FAR MORE IMPORTANT than the things of “this world”???

My prayer is that I will instill in my children, AND GRANDCHILDREN, that their PERMANENT and REAL relationship with THEIR CREATOR is THE MOST IMPORTANT realm that they can possibly foster!!!  “TRAIN UP A CHILD”, not that they are aware, BUT THAT THEY KNOW what is REAL and PERMANENT in life!!!

“THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS

 

Philippians 4:8-9                 (ESV)

“[8] Finally, brothers, whatever is TRUE, whatever is HONORABLE, whatever is JUST, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is COMMENDABLE, if there is any EXCELLENCE, if there is anything WORTHY OF PRAISE, “THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS”. [9] What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and THE GOD OF PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU.”

There is SO MUCH vileness and deceit in “this world” that it seems we CANNOT get away from!!!  “The enemy” gives every indication that the only option for mankind is to lather our minds with a strong dose of social media and other “noise” that is ANYTHING BUT from THE PEACE OF GOD!!!

But we have A CHOICE to what we listen to in our lives!  My PRAYER LIST begins with a paragraph that notes “Only by CHOOSING not to be slaves to our own reasonings and emotions…..”.  We MUST be cognizant that “the enemy” is called the “great deceiver” in Scripture!!

Formerly, I attempted to be in tune with “this world”, trying to make everything better, but failing miserably in my efforts.  But GOD SUPERNATURALLY intervened in the chaos that HE had permitted me to be apart of and placed me into a seventeen day coma to “reset” my priorities and give me a different direction!

When I TAKE THE TIME to seek whatever is TRUE, HONORABLE, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, COMMENDABLE, EXCELLENCE, and WORTHY OF PRAISE, my efforts seem to be FAR MORE successful and productive???  Why do I cloud my thinking with “the cares of this world” when it seems all they do is cause me problems??

My desire is to “THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS”, like TRUE, HONORABLE, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, COMMENDABLE, EXCELLENCE, and WORTHY OF PRAISE, and let GOD handle the defeated foe!!!

“O THE HOUSE OF JACOB!”

 

Isaiah 46:3-4                  (ESV)

    “[3] “Listen to ME, “O HOUSE OF JACOB”,

        all the remnant of the house of Israel,

    who have been borne by ME from before your birth,

        carried from the womb; 

    [4] even to your old age I AM HE,

        and to gray hairs I WILL carry you.

    I have made, and I WILL bear;

        I WILL carry and WILL save.”

For this Brain Damaged person, it is quite easy to admit that I USED TO THINK that the “house of Israel” had promises that others could never experience.  But I heard a snippet recently about Simon of Cyrene and his sons (Alexander and Rufus from Mark 15:21) had their EYES OPENED by helping JESUS carry HIS cross to HIS crucifixion!!  GOD WORKED HIS unmistakable PURPOSE in and through their lives, in spite of their past!!!

A telephone call from a friend came JUST NOW (after writing the first paragraph!) and he had a procedure done at a hospital earlier this week where he was told that he could have possibly died in a day or two IF the procedure wasn’t done QUICKLY!!!  He is of a different denomination than I am, but we BOTH are definitely a part of THE CHURCH!!!

I am SO BLESSED to be apart of “O HOUSE OF JACOB”!!  Not a part of the Baptist. Methodist, Catholic, Nazarene, or any other religion!!  But “O HOUSE OF JACOB” is a family of BELIEVERS WHO ARE CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD!!!

“HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS!”

 

1 John 2:1-6                 (ESV)

CHRIST OUR ADVOCATE

“[1] My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the FATHER, JESUS CHRIST the righteous. [2] “HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS”, and not for ours only but also FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD. [3] And by this we know that we have come to know HIM, if we keep HIS  commandments. [4] Whoever says “I know HIM” but does not keep HIS commandments is a liar, and THE TRUTH is not in him, [5] but whoever keeps HIS WORD, in him truly the love of GOD is perfected. By this we may know that we are in HIM: [6] WHOEVER SAYS HE ABIDES IN HIM OUGHT TO WALK IN THE SAME WAY IN WHICH HE WALKED.”

The English term “PROPITIATION” is rooted in Latin (propitiatio), carrying the sense of atoning and RENDERING FAVORABLE.

There are times when a person can SEE things that are DIVINELY revealed to them!  For this humble servant, I understand that HIS TRUTH is COMPLETE and there is NOTHING MORE that can be added to it (Revelation 22:18-19)!  What I am referring to is that my “understanding” is OPENED and I can understand what GOD is trying to get through my thick skull beforehand!!!

For my “wretched” soul to attain a position of RENDERING FAVORABLE is something that ONLY GOD can make happen.  GOD sent HIS SON JESUS (1 John 4:9) so that we could we MIGHT live through HIIM!  NOBODY IS WORTHY of this BLESSING, but HIS AMAZING GRACE is ENOUGH for HIS CHOSEN!!!

“HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS”, and there is NOTHING we can do to improve our standing before HIM….to make our RENDERING more FAVORABLE!!!

“THE IMPLANTED WORD!”

 

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭27‬                  (HCSB‬‬)

“My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not accomplish GOD’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, HUMBLY receive “THE IMPLANTED WORD”, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOU. But be doers of the word and NOT HEARERS ONLY, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is NOT a forgetful hearer but one who does good works — this person will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and HE DECEIVES HIMSELF. Pure and undefiled religion before our GOD and FATHER is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

This humble servant ONCE WAS busier than busy, trying to solve the problems which “this world” caused, and the problems weren’t getting any better!!  But GOD wasn’t through with me and decided I needed “a break”!  So HE caused a tiny blood vessel in my brain to begin leaking!!!  

After a 52 day hospitalization, which was EXTREMELY NERVE WRACKING for my loved ones, I was released to come back home and begin the recovery process!  I began writing a daily blog to improve my “word-recall” a few years later.  That process is STILL ongoing, almost 19 years later!!!  

During the recovery process it has been REVEALED to me that my brain wasn’t the only organ that was affected by the “hemorrhagic stroke”!  My HEART was changed dramatically!  Not my physical heart, by my SPIRITUAL HEART.  Memorizing words has never been something that I have excelled in, and it isn’t to this day. But GOD has displayed that “THE IMPLANTED WORD” can be stored in my HEART without any meaningful effort on my behalf.  

Humanity NEEDS to HUMBLY receive “THE IMPLANTED WORD”, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOU before THE LORD comes back for HIS CHOSEN………even HIS Brain Damaged ones!!!!

“KEEP ASKING!”

 

Matthew 7:7-11                 (HCSB)

“”KEEP ASKING”, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, WHO ARE EVIL, KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS to your children, how much more will your FATHER in heaven give GOOD THINGS to those who ask HIM! Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them — this is the Law and the Prophets.”

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It seems that my Brain Damaged mind readily remembers certain things in the past with very little effort, but some items I have to struggle with my recollection??  For instance, I can recall doing whatever I could to give my children things that I didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy when I was growing up.  From a laptop computer to a Turbo-Man toy, I remember doing things that my mom didn’t have the resources to do for me and my sisters growing up.  

But our HEAVENLY FATHER has wealth beyond our comprehension and HE has the ability to GIVE us things above our wildest dreams!  However in ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ IT IS WRITTEN “For I KNOW the plans I have for you” — this is the LORD’s declaration — “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Our “wishes” DO NOT supersede HIS PLAN for our lives!  

The SON OF GOD never owned a house, an expensive wardrobe, nor anything else that would elevate HIS social status during HIS earthly ministry.  HIS PLAN was very simple, to GLORIFY HIS FATHER and REDEEM the sinful lives of THE CHOSEN!!!  

We are not DIVINE and we ALL FALL SHORT (Romans 3:23) of HIS EXAMPLE!  When HIS PLAN for our lives is REVEALED to us, we HAVE to “KEEP ASKING” for HIS BLESSINGS to accomplish HIS PLAN for our earthly existence!  Our children never had a problem with “KEEP ASKING”, and we shouldn’t either!!!