May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Is there a benefit in believing in God? Paul prays that God the Father, the God of hope, fill us with joy and peace. Not just a teaspoon or pint or quart or even gallon of joy and peace but Paul asks God to fill us with ALL joy and peace. This joy is beyond mere happiness and this peace is more than just an easy feeling. I believe this is a joy and peace that passes all understanding. And through the power of the Holy Spirit we have a hope that overflows. Joy, peace, hope...these are three attributes of God that we need in our lives. Regardless of who you are or where you are in your walk with Christ, we can have a joy, peace and hope that sustains us through every aspect of life.
If these were the only benefits in believing in God, they would be more than sufficient. But we also receive eternal life, forgiveness for sins, a relationship with God our Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ, grace, mercy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, the Holy Spirit living in our lives and so much more. He has blessed with with EVERY spiritual blessing.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Ephesians 1:3-4
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Promises
Standing on the promises I cannot fail
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail
By the living word of God I shall prevail
Standing on the promises of God!
In Christ, all God's promises are YES...2 Corinthians 1:20...Mark's translation
We are, at times, flippant with the word 'promise'.
I promise...to spend more time with you.
I promise...to get you a kitten if...
I promise...I'll be on time from my date
I promise...to eat my veggies
When God makes a promise, there is no doubt that He will keep it.
- I will never leave you or forsake you...YES
- If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us...YES
- Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest...YES
- Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with eagle's wings, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint...YES
- And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord...YES
The question that God asks you is this: Are you living in the fullest enjoyment of God's YES to you in Christ Jesus? Or to put it another way: Have you said yes to all of God's YES to you? Is there any of God's YES to you to which you are saying NO or MAYBE or NOT NOW? Let our consecration to God be this: This is the time of my YES to you, O God. I consecrate myself to forsake the NO and the MAYBE and the NOT NOW of my unbelief. And I say YES to everything in your YES to me. (John Piper)
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail
By the living word of God I shall prevail
Standing on the promises of God!
In Christ, all God's promises are YES...2 Corinthians 1:20...Mark's translation
We are, at times, flippant with the word 'promise'.
I promise...to spend more time with you.
I promise...to get you a kitten if...
I promise...I'll be on time from my date
I promise...to eat my veggies
When God makes a promise, there is no doubt that He will keep it.
- I will never leave you or forsake you...YES
- If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us...YES
- Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest...YES
- Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with eagle's wings, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint...YES
- And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord...YES
The question that God asks you is this: Are you living in the fullest enjoyment of God's YES to you in Christ Jesus? Or to put it another way: Have you said yes to all of God's YES to you? Is there any of God's YES to you to which you are saying NO or MAYBE or NOT NOW? Let our consecration to God be this: This is the time of my YES to you, O God. I consecrate myself to forsake the NO and the MAYBE and the NOT NOW of my unbelief. And I say YES to everything in your YES to me. (John Piper)
Friday, June 7, 2013
Beautiful Day
It's a beautiful day today. Cool breeze, mild temp. Not bad for June. Why is it that days like today get our attention? Would I say it was a beautiful day if it were raining cats and dogs? What if it were miserably hot and humid? Would that still constitute as a beautiful day? "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps. 118:24) Ever wonder what the weather was like on the day David penned that? Maybe it wasn't perfect and he decided to worship anyway. If you look at all of chapter 18, it's a psalm of thanksgiving. It was a day of victory. Maybe it's just me but that would mean that there had been some difficult days preceding the victory. Days of intense battle. Days of fatigue. We've all had those days. Regardless of the circumstances, may I have the spirit of David and say Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice...worship...praise...sing...and be glad...thankful...happy...blessed in it.
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