Not Yet

Not Yet is an answer. A puzzling one. An answer from God we don't particularly like.

We want the Kingdom of Heaven on earth right now! Don't we? Yet for some reason in God's mysterious good plans, His seasons and timetables, we have to wait.

Not only wait, but wait in FAITH.

We are reminded of the saints of old reported in Hebrews 11:

Abraham was called by God and went out in faith -- he didn't know where he was going! By faith he lived as a temporary resident in the land promised to him by God, also his sons Isaac and Jacob.

"For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God."

Then follows a whole list of people who,

" . . . all died sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God's] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging that they were temporary residents and exiles upon the earth.

Ok, that's good for them, but how do we do this? There is a great pain and difficulty in waiting, in enduring.

WELL, thank you Jesus! There is some help in the land of the time of the Not Yet. God has help! He has a supply of Grace to help us make it through.

Grace is a power from God. It makes it possible to do what we can not do ourselves.

Here's the actual scripture from Hebrews, and it is talking about faith to continue in the difficult times.

"Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]."

We come to God who actually has a throne of Grace! Grace to help us just when we need it.

So in our journey of earth-life when God doesn't seem to answer our cries for help, that answer may happen to be -- Not Yet. But He still has a way for us to endure.

WE can be strong like the saints of old. We can march to the throne, hold high our banner of Faith and ask for that Grace to make it through.

Amen, thank you Jesus!

The Love Wave

This is kinda old -- from 2006. but i've never posted it. still good though. I love Love -- don't you? :)

This latest wave of the Holy Spirit has brought us to know a kinder and gentler God. Where in times past we knew Him as a God of fierce wrath and judgment via hellfire and brimstone evangelists, He is showing Himself now as the bringer of astounding love. The God of Love Who sacrificed His Son, all for love.

We're now experiencing the goodness and kindness of God that leads men to repentance. In days gone by, we were brought to repentance through fear of the fierceness of a holy God's anger on their sin, now people are brought to tears through knowing that a God of great love understands our deep needs, and loves us unconditionally.

We're understanding and learning new ways through inner healing and counseling ministries, of the gentle kindness of a God who understands and holds healing in His hands. A God who heals the broken hearted.

In these days we are truly beginning to see the Jesus Who proclaimed:

THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, . . .

And the prophet Isaiah:

. . .to comfort all who mourn, To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion--to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit--that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

-- the Jesus Who understands our temptations, our weaknesses, and wants to bring healing instead of judgment.

I like the new ways. I don't know if the old ways were maybe not totally of God, because they did bring many to God, but their fruit also produced hypocrisy and outward holiness, in addition to whole-scale judgment of one another, which produced much pain.

It also produced a whole mass of Christians who major in outward holiness but lack compassion. It's produced a whole mass of intellectual Christians who can argue and blame, see clearly the black and white of sin, but have very little spiritual experience. They can study the Bible and know all the contradictions but have very little access to the Holy Spirit Who could explain the solely spiritually understood paradoxes.

It's produced people who know all about God with their heads, or what they currently understand, but have missed a great God of love of the heart. They neither see Him nor know Him in this capacity.

I think they've missed out on the greatest message of all, and the most wonderful gift that Jesus gave to us with His great sacrifice --- Love.

(I know, because i was one of those people)

always forever

always forever

you are

king of mercy

lord of love

absolute truth