Remember this is just me thinking aloud. I am not the authority on much of anything… Although, my sourdough bread has improved a lot… I do read Father God’s Book daily… I’m learning to simply chew on bits and sit with it more than usual… Like my sourdough bread making… It has to sit, then stretch and fold and then sit and stretch and fold again… before the bulk rise… and then longer fermentation later. Such are my readings…
In my personal study, I’ve been through Psalms a few times… This time way slower, making notes on top of notes - I even bought a translation with Hebrew, (No, I don’t read Hebrew), but the translation is even more so than my KJV - which is right beside me most times… BUT, my point: I’m not an authority nor even consider myself a teacher in Bible studies… I’m just sharing my thoughts as Father instructs and it is HE that does what He may with these words and thoughts He gives me… It’s like He’s tossing a ball with to me and says, “Try…”. He never tires of my mess-ups and often fills in the gaps for you that I miss.
Please study and seek after Father God - especially if you’ve come across these writings, (not by accident - nothing is by accident)… Maybe these are the impetus to get you seeking more and Father is tossing the ball to you…🙂
Philippians 2:12 -Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
This is NOT a suggestion from Paul to the Philippians to throw Father God’s Grace to the wind… Nor is it about the doing of “works” that earns points with Father God …. having the attitude, “Look what I did God - for You!” We can never do enough to earn our way into Heaven - in fact I often look at the thief on the cross… We know very little about his life other than he took what wasn’t his, once too many times, and got caught. He was sentenced to die a horrible death for his crimes, but Father God… had purpose for him, even in his sinfulness, (Remember, “…yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8). This thief saw the sacrifice and humility of Jesus and was moved to understand that this Man dying at his side, was way more in this life and so saw the potential for something more, to come, and asked humbly -to just be remembered “…when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom.” Luke 23:42. This thief did nothing, but received the grace afforded to him through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection.
The thief did not have the opportunity after this divinely appointed encounter to “take up his cross daily…” Although, he did follow Jesus into Paradise that day, but this scripture from Luke 9:23 is an admonition for those who literally and figuratively follow Christ daily, to remember the burdens, the cost of carrying the cross - the sacrifice and also the power of the cross, that the wiles of the devil can not prevail against. More importantly, the devil can not win against the very name of Jesus! It is unbelievable that such a simple name, (but, God’s Son’s name - Jesus), carries such power. In the words of Martin Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress; “One little Word can fell him…” The cross - an instrument of detestable punishment commandeering such attention that it is used to identify ones allegiance. Unbelievable… but, it is. A transformational paradox. It’s like suffering, (for some and at some-times); it has the potential of touching the heart and so changing it.
We are all works in progress - even those on the other side of our beliefs. The believer is simply working out their salvation, taking up their cross - daily. It varies for all believers, but whatever path Father God has for each of us - it is surely intentional - it is purposeful. Nothing is ever wasted. No suffering, no tears, (Psalm 56:8). To this point, look at King David, who was broken in spirit at the illness of his first born child with Bathsheba. For seven days King David fasted, wept and prayed for a healing, but the Lord did not heal the child’s earthly body. “…Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me”. 2 Samuel 12:22,23.
Likewise, “Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him… When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, … he went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” John 9:1-7
In both of these accounts where babies seemed to suffer, (according to our perceptions), because they were conceived… it seems tragic, but is it? The greater lesson… King David’s first son brought about a deeper repentance…and he, King David; had the Hope of Glory, (“I shall go to him.”). The man born blind, had a life. We do not know if it was good or bad, (he begged), but his parents were with him and were responsible parents until he became of age… And He was healed, by Jesus as an adult. He was grateful, worshipped Jesus and believed Jesus as the Son of God. John 9: 35-41.
Both babies had purpose. Established by Father God before conception. They had work to do - totally unbeknownst to them of course - once accomplished… They either went Home to Father God or lived out their lives, then went Home to Father God.
Oddly, suffering begets a deeper understanding and walk with Father God that we can not often acquire when life is relatively good, (it’s funny, but not, how that works out that way). Sadly Father God shouts at us in our complacency - because we are easily lulled into slumber, but He whispers tenderly and consolingly in our pain and suffering. Too many people, believers and non believers alike - don’t listen for Father God’s voice in any instance.
And some of you are saying, “… But want a minute - God sacrificed those children and their lives and purposely gave them what seemed to be way less than ideal lives…”
Yes He did.
And Father God IS good.
He is Father God.
And Father God IS good.
He sees the BIGGER picture.
And Father God IS good.
We do not.
We are finite - super tiny, minuscule! dust!
Father God is Infinite. Way beyond our understanding - ever.
And Father God IS good.
Please - just stop trying to fit GOD into your tiny box. He i s n o t l i k e u s.
Just STOP!
No, I don’t have it figured out. Yes I do get angry, (mainly at people - like me), at what I see daily,
but GOD - i am not!
You as believers, do realize that Father God sacrificed His ONLY SON for you? Jesus, GOD’S ONLY SON took the punishment for your despicable sins, (mine too)… just so I can take His BLOOD GIFT and so be covered - atoned for - so I get to be adopted as a daughter of Father God.
When was the last time you took a punishment for someone? The death penalty?
And what about the millions of babies sacrificed on the altar of convenience… of an unplanned pregnancy?
Not throwing rocks here… Some of you have buried yourselves under boulders of guilt and shame… I’m throwing nothing -nada.
But…
Those were innocent babies - not just products of conception, tissue, a clump of cells … sacrificed so you could go on - seemingly, with what you thought was your life! Men and women participated in this…
But God…says… “You will go to that baby…”
Hope of Glory! Heaven…
The baby aborted…
The baby that lived 3 days…
The baby who grew up to live 43 years and had such a full impactful life and then a mis-diagnosis… and she’s gone - Home…
So many babies that lived in this broken world… (We were all babies, once upon a time…)
All jobs complete… Jobs well done… Father God called you Home, (it’s so close…now…you can see the veil moving…blowing in the gentle breeze…), and those left behind…
…will go to you…
Lord Jesus… Your ways are unsearchable. They make no sense to me so much of the time… and to so many, but I have faith. I have a Hope. I have Jesus and His cross - nothing more do I cling to.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Nina
 |
| Home! So close… |
While we wait: Romans 12
