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Posts Tagged ‘Faith’

One Day at a Time

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , , on June 19, 2011 | 2 Comments »


Dear Friends,

There is a passage in one of Jesus’ discourses with which most of us are very familiar.  It is found in Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 6:

“…Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink;  nor yet for your body, what you shall put on…..Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?  And why are you anxious concerning raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;  they toil not, neither do they spin;  and yet I say to you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat?  Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?..…for your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.  But seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”” 

The reason our Lord gives against anxiety for the future is that we have nothing to do with the future.  God gives us life by days – little single days.  Each day has its own duties, its own needs, its own trials and temptations, its own sorrows.  And its own joys and victories.  God always gives us strength enough for the day as He gives it, with all that He puts into it.

If we insist on dragging back tomorrow’s cares and piling them on top of today’s, our strength will not be enough for the load.  God will not add strength just to humor our whims of anxiety and distrust.

So the lesson is that we should keep each day distinct and attend strictly to what that day brings us.  Charles Kingsley says, “Do today’s duty, fight today’s temptation, and do not weaken and distract yourself by looking forward to things which you cannot see, and could not understand if you saw them.”  We really have nothing at all to do with the future, except to prepare for it by doing with fidelity the duties of today.

No one was ever crushed by the burdens of one day.  We can always get along with our heaviest load till the sun goes down – and that is all we ever have to do.  Tomorrow?  Oh, you really have no guarantee of tomorrow.  If you are here God will be here too, and you will receive new strength sufficient for the new day.    (Adapted from “Come Ye Apart” Daily Readings, 1907)

One day at a time.  A burden too great
To be borne for two can be borne for one;
Who knows what will enter tomorrow’s gate?
While yet we are speaking all may be done.

One day at a time, – but a single day,
Whatever its load, whatever its length;
And there’s a bit of precious Scripture to say
That according to each shall be our strength.

-                  Author unknown

In Agape,

Eulene

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The Planting of the Lord

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , , , on May 22, 2011 | 1 Comment »


Dear Friends,

Our Lord Jesus identified Himself with the prophecy of Isaiah (61):  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek;  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;…to provide for them that grieve in Zion, to give unto them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair, that they might be called trees of righteousness, THE PLANTING OF THE LORD, that He might be glorified.”

The blessed man of Psalm 1 is “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, his leaves do not wither, and whatever he does prospers.”

Another reference from the Psalms (92:12-15):  “The righteous shall flourish like the Palm Tree; they shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.  Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and green;  to show that the Lord is upright…”

One commentator indicates that Palms and Cedars are “trees of the Lord,” and it is by His care that they flourish; they are not trained and pruned by man!  They are evergreen, and are beautiful in every season of the year.  Everywhere these trees are noteworthy; no one can gaze upon a landscape in which there are either Palms or Cedars without his attention being fixed upon these royal growths.  I well remember, on my first trip to Washington, Oregon and California many years ago, how we were transfixed by the lush growth of the Cedars on the West side of the mountains, and then the Palm Trees when our bus entered California.  Having grown up on the bald Saskatchewan Prairie, I have a particular penchant for trees of any kind, but the magnificence of the Cedars and the Palms overwhelmed me.

The renowned Cedar of Lebanon is a true Cedar, unlike those of the Cypress family with which we North Americans are more familiar. The upper slopes of the Lebanon Mountains were once covered with these majestic trees.  In centuries past, the Cedar of Lebanon was sought after for its attractive, fragrant, durable wood.   Unfortunately, there is now but a grove of these ancient and beautiful trees surviving in the northern mountains.  The people of early Middle East civilizations used them for building palaces, ships, temples, and tombs. You may recall that, when Solomon built that first magnificent temple in Jerusalem, he ordered Cedar trees from Lebanon.

The Palm, on the other hand, is found in warmer climates, especially in the tropics. It is important in tropical regions because it provides food, clothing, and building materials for the people.  Most Palms grow straight and tall, with long fan-like leaves clustered near the top.  There are many varieties of Palm trees, bearing different fruits such as dates and coconuts.

It is interesting to note that the Lord refers to these magnificent trees as a type of His people who are to be “called trees of righteousness, THE PLANTING OF THE LORD.”

Those who are His shall grow like the Cedars of Lebanon “that brave all storms, and grow near the eternal snows, the Lord Himself filling them with a sap which keeps their hearts warm and their boughs strong.”  Such is the work of the Holy Spirit dwelling within.  The child of God flourishes like a Palm tree, which pushes all its strength upward in one erect column without a single branch.  It is a pillar with a glorious crown.  It has no growth to the right nor to the left, but sends all its force heavenward, and bears its fruit as near the sky as possible.

It is by His care that they flourish;   they are trained and pruned by His loving hand;   they stand in the beauty of His Righteousness under all kinds of weather.  The storms of life serve only to deepen the roots and strengthen the tree.   Indeed,

The wind that blows can never kill
The tree God plants!
It blows from east, it blows from west,
The tender leaves have little rest,
But any wind that blows is best.

The tree God plants
Strikes deeper root, grows higher still,
Spreads greater boughs, for God’s good will
Meets all its wants.

There is no storm has power to blast
The tree God knows;
No thunderbolt, nor beating rains,
Nor lightning flash, nor hurricanes;
When they are spent, it still remains,
The tree God knows.

Through every tempest it stands fast,
And from its first day to its last
Still fairer grows.

                         (Author unknown)

“Lord, let it be so with me, I pray!

In Agape,

Eulene

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Some Better Thing

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , , , , on March 6, 2011 | 1 Comment »


Dear Friends,

In my last Letter, I recalled a number of examples of troubles and trials working together for good, the Valley of A’chor representing not only ‘trouble’ but also a ‘door of Hope.’  “And what shall I more say?  For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae, of David also, and Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith
  subdued kingdoms,
    wrought righteousness,
      obtained promises,
        stopped the mouths of lions,
          quenched the violence of fire,
            escaped the edge of the sword,
              waxed valiant in fight,
                turned to flight the armies of the aliens,
                  women received their dead raised to life again.”

The world was not worthy of such people of faith.  (Heb. 11:32-35a)

However, the author of the book of Hebrews continues on to recount also the list of those who, though they “obtained a good report through faith, did NOT receive the promise!”

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance…..and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, moreover of bonds and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated.  They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb. 11:35b-38) We think of Jeremiah, Obadiah, Elijah, Stephen, and Paul.

These all had witness borne to them of faith, but the promise to them was that they might obtain a “better resurrection…They received not the promise, God providing some better thing for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfect.” (Heb. 11:35, 39-40)

Not all were rewarded in this life, but they were “looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:13,14)

Job, though he received great blessing during his lifetime, is typical of the Old Testament saints who died, not having received the ultimate promise, but Job knew his day would come:  “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and…in my flesh shall I see God.” (Job 19:25,26)

The Apostle John, writing in his Revelation, encouraged all of those going through tribulation:

“Fear none of those things which you shall suffer.  Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tried;  and you shall have tribulation ten days.  Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10)

Peter, Paul and James, as well as John, all described crowns awaiting all faithful believers:

James assures, “Blessed is the one who endures temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.” (James 1:12)

Paul proclaimed, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:7,8)

Peter promised that “when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that would not fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4)

Peter also referred to a glorious inheritance. Read these wonderful opening words in his first letter addressed to the Believers then scattered throughout Asia minor:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living Hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:  Whom, having not seen, you love;  in Whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls…..Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:3-9,13)

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. (1 Cor. 15:19,20)

As for ourselves?  “…let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (and Who is our supreme Example), Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

So we continue “looking for that blessed HOPE (confident expectation), and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ….” (Heb. 12:1, 2; Titus 2:13, 14)

In Agape,

Eulene

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Trust Also

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment »


Dear Friends,

Commit your way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” (Psa. 37:5)

This very meaningful portion of Scripture is very familiar to most of us, probably having been memorized at one time or another.  But a poem in one of our recent devotional readings made a point which spoke to me quite loudly:

“Commit your way unto the Lord – and trust!”
Ah, it is here we fail!  We give the wheel
Of our small bark to Him; but then we trust
Our hand upon His hand,
And dare to stand
Beside our Master, lest He wreck our keel.

“Commit your way unto the Lord – and trust!”
Leave all to Him; believe He knows your course,
Your dangers, and your safety – all – then just
Abandon all to Him:
So shall you skim,
Borne briskly on before the Spirit’s force.

“Commit your way unto the Lord – and trust!”
There is an “also” we too oft forget,
And so are plagued and worried.  Oh, we must
“Trust also,” then our soul
Shall cease to roll
In restlessness and reason and regret!

Commit!  And then, committed, – trust His Word!
Has He not said that He will bring you through?
Trust His strong arm; and when wild storms are heard,
Believe He holds them still
By His strong will.

Trust Him, the Wise, the Faithful, and the True.
Trust Him to manage all that you do now
Commit to Him – the ship – the sails – the sea –
The sailors, your strange crew.  And ask not how He will do all for you,
But trustful be.
Lie down and rest from anxious worry free.

-          Unknown

 

It is generally not so difficult to commit to the Lord our ways, our concerns, our needs, or our burdens.  But then it is a little more difficult to “trust also!”  We too often tend to commit to Him and then continue to doubt and worry.

I am reminded of an old hymn we used to sing:

“Leave your burden at the place of prayer;
Take to Jesus all your want and care;
For He is a Friend indeed, and supplies our ev’ry need;
Leave your burden at the place of prayer.”

Jesus reminded us of the carefree sparrows.  They were actually sold for food in the markets.  Matthew tells us they were so cheap that two of them were sold for the paltry price of a farthing (a half cent!)  Luke tells us that five of them were sold for two farthings; so insignificant the vendor threw in an extra one.  Our modern ads would say, “Buy four, get one free!” Yet, Jesus assured us that not one of them is forgotten before God, or falls on the ground without Father’s notice!  To Him we are of much greater value than many sparrows:  the value of the blood of Jesus paid for our redemption at Calvary!   (Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 12:6,7))

So Jesus tells us very pointedly, “Do not fear!  But trust!” Is not this a wonderful assurance as we enter upon another new year?   May 2011 be a blest year crowned with the Goodness of God.  (Psa. 65:11)

“May God, the giver of HOPE,
fill you with continual JOY and PEACE
because you trust in Him—
so that you may have abundant HOPE
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

(Romans 15:13 Weymouth)

In Agape,

Eulene

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Precious Promises

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , , , on December 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »


Referring again to a quotation in my last letter from 2 Peter 1:4 & 5, a further thought stood out to me concerning God’s “precious and wondrous promises” which He has given to us.  The phrase “in order that” explains the purpose for these wondrous promises.  They are given in order that-  through them – we might participate in the very nature of God. We do well to seriously consider these precious promises.

“And this is the promise that He has promised us, even eternal life.”  ”Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law…that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through faith.” Having trusted in Christ, after hearing the Word of Truth – the Good News of salvation – and believing, God has sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit, that Spirit being a pledge and a foretaste of future blessing.

(1 John 2:25;  Gal. 3:14;  Eph. 1:13)

The context of Paul’s “Therefore, having these promises…” in his letter to the Corinthian believers, reviews the incredible truth that we are “a temple of the living God;  as God has said, ‘I will dwell in them, and they shall be My people’…’and I will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My sons and daughters…’ ” (2 Cor. 6:16; 7:1)

There is a multitude of promises concerning our Heavenly Father’s loving care, supply of our needs for spirit, soul and body, the impartation of faith, peace, joy, and love.  Then there is “the living HOPE by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” that we, too, shall not sleep in death, but “shall be changed…”   “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

(1 Cor. 15:51;  1 John 3:1-3)

In her Sincerely Yours devotionals, Ann Mainse reminds us of a fascinating story first told by Ken Taylor.  In Communist Russia, in the 1930′s, there was a great deal of persecution of the Christian believers.  Stalin had ordered that all Bibles be confiscated and the Christian citizens sent to prison camps.   Many of them died as “enemies of the state.”

In 1994, after the fall of Communism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a Christian missions team arrived in the now-liberated town of Stavropol.  They had arranged for a shipment of Bibles to distribute in that town, but it had been delayed at customs.  Someone told them about a warehouse outside of town where some of the confiscated Bibles which had escaped destruction were still stored.  Having received permission to take and distribute them, they hired several local Russian workers to help load their trucks with the dusty Bibles.

One young man, a cynical and bitter individual, agreed to help, but he assured them it was only for the pay he would receive.  After a while, it was noticed that the angry young man had disappeared.  Much later, he was discovered in the corner of the warehouse, weeping uncontrollably, with an open Bible in his hands.  He had intended to steal it and later sell it, but when he opened the cover, he discovered on the fly-leaf his own grandmother’s signature!   As he read the life-changing words of that Book, his heart began to change and he was remarkably transformed by the very Bible for which his grandmother had been persecuted!

Endless stories can be told of how, throughout the ages, the inspired Scriptures with their Precious Promises have revolutionized countless millions of people the world over.

Your Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;
And everyone who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.
Your Word is like a deep, deep mine, and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

Your Word is like a starry host – a thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler, and make his pathway bright.
Your Word is like an armory where soldiers may repair
And find, for life’s long battle-day, all needful weapons there.

O, may I love Your precious Word, may I explore the mine;
May I its fragrant flowers glean; may light upon me shine.
My faith be settled in the PRECIOUS PROMISES of God;
His faithfulness my blessèd HOPE as on through life I plod.

Edwin Hodder, 1837-1904                            (The last two lines altered)

 

“For ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD, whatever their number,
have their confirmation IN HIM;
and for this reason through Him also OUR AMEN
acknowledges their truth
and promotes the glory of God through our faith.”
“Let us hold firmly to an unflinching avowal of our HOPE,
for HE WHO GAVE US THE PROMISES IS FAITHFUL!”

(Heb. 10:23;  2 Cor. 1:20 Weymouth)

In Agape,

Eulene

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Grace Great Enough

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , , on November 13, 2010 | 1 Comment »


Having mothered six children, been involved with our own business, and having been active in our local Church for many years, I know what it’s like to be overwhelmed with daily activities.   I can relate to some of my readers who are ‘stressed out’ with modern day pressures and demands.

Over the last number of years, the revelation of Galatians 2:20 has come to me one phrase at a time:-  “I am crucified with Christ. . . . .Nevertheless I live. . . . .yet not I – but Christ lives in me. . . . .” For the believer, this is a most wondrous discovery.

Standing at the kitchen sink one day, feeling frustrated because of the constantly repetitive and seemingly thankless tasks that are thrust upon us daily, I began to talk to the Lord about it:-  “When there are important things that we are supposed to be doing, like praying, reading the Word, waiting on God, etc., why do we have to spend so much time washing dishes so we can dirty them again, making beds so we can mess them up again, laundering clothes to be soiled again, etc.  Maybe we should just go back to mud huts and banana leaves…!? “

Then the answer came loud and clear in the next two phrases of the verse:-  “and the LIFE that I NOW LIVE, I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD!” It became so real to me that I have rested ever since, just knowing that He is living His life in me and expressing Himself through me in the every day vicissitudes of life.  And I realized that it is in the daily experiences and interactions that the most valuable lessons of life are learned, and opportunities presented for overcoming.  It is in these times of need that we experience the “marvelous Grace of our loving Lord” – Grace that is ‘sufficient’ for our weakest times.  It is in these times that our Faith grows and our Strength increases.  (2 Cor. 12:9; Isa. 40:29)

I love this verse by Annie Johnson Flint:-

His Grace is great enough to meet the great things,
The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul,
The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless,
The sudden storms beyond our life’s control.

His Grace is great enough to meet the small things,
The little pin-prick troubles that annoy,
The insect worries, buzzing and persistent,
The squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy.

Romans 5:1-5 ties together all the attributes of FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, GRACE and PEACE:-

“Therefore, being justified by FAITH, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom also we have access by FAITH into this GRACE wherein we stand, and rejoice in HOPE of the glory of God.  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience, experience, and experience, HOPE;  and HOPE makes not ashamed because the LOVE OF GOD is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.” (KJV)

Weymouth gives us this version:  “Acquitted then as the result of FAITH, let us enjoy PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have been brought by FAITH into the position of favor in which we stand, and we exult in HOPE of seeing God’s glory.  And not only so;  we also exult in our afflictions, knowing as we do that affliction produces endurance;  endurance, ripeness of character;  and ripeness of character, HOPE;  and that this HOPE never disappoints, because God’s LOVE for us floods our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.”

Another expression by Phillips:  “Since then it is by FAITH that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through Him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of GRACE, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things He has for us in the future.  This doesn’t mean, of course, that we have only a HOPE of future joys – we can be full of JOY here and now even in our trials and troubles.  These very things will give us patient endurance;  this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady HOPE, an expectation that will never disappoint us.  Already we have the LOVE of God flooding through our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.”

Perhaps these three renderings will help to impress on our minds the glorious truth which they express.

Eugenia Price gives us an interesting definition of Faith:  “Faith is being one with God!” The “life that I now live” I live by His faith as He lives His life in me.  He is fully acquainted with our modern culture, the time in which we live, the place of our abode, the modern technology which has become so much a part of every day life:  travel, communication, machinery, technology.  He knows how to deal with every situation.   So we can trust Him for all things.

Since Christ reconciled us to God by dying for us,

surely now we may be perfectly certain of our salvation

through His living in us.

(Rom. 5:10)

 

In Agape, Eulene

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The Greatest of These

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , on October 21, 2010 | 2 Comments »


Dear Friends,

“And now abides FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, these three;  but the greatest of these is LOVE.”

(1 Cor. 13:13)

The context of this reassuring declaration is that, for the present, we have only limited sight, seeing things as if in a mirror dimly.  And the knowledge we have is very limited and imperfect.  But the day will come when we shall see clearly; and we shall know fully, even as we are fully known.

While we do not see or understand the whys and wherefores of all of life’s experiences, we do have HOPE and FAITH which abide in spite of circumstances and appearances.

The admonition of Titus to the elderly men I think would be very appropriate for anyone of any age:-that we be “…sober, grave, temperate, sound in FAITH, in LOVE, in patient HOPE.” (Titus 2:2)

As part of the whole armor of God, we are encouraged to put on the helmet of HOPE (protecting the mind) and the breastplate of FAITH and LOVE (protecting the heart and lungs).  (1 Thess. 5:8)

There are three lessons I would write, three words as with a golden pen,
In tracings of eternal light, upon the hearts of men.
HAVE FAITH.  Where’er your bark is driven – the calm’s disport, the tempest’s mirth –
Know this:  God rules the host of heaven, the inhabitants of earth.
HAVE HOPE.  Though clouds enshroud you round, and Gladness hides her face in scorn,
Just put the shadows from your brow – no night but has its morn…
HAVE LOVE.  Not human love alone, but God’s own love your heart to fill,
And flow out, like the circling sun, o’er every vale and hill.
Thus grave these words upon your soul – FAITH, HOPE and LOVE – and you shall find
Strength when life’s surges maddest roll, Light when you else were blind.

Johann von Schiller (1759–1805)

Following that wonder-full Love chapter of 1st Corinthians (13), Paul exhorts us to “follow after Love.” Other translations give “pursue Love,” “Be eager in your pursuit of this Love,” “Make Love your aim.” The Amplified Version confirms the urgency of this pursuit of LOVE:-  “Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire [this] Love – make it your aim, your great quest.” And from the Message, “Go after a life of Love as if your life depended on it – because it does!”

Indeed, why would we not?  Since following after Agapè means following after God, for “GOD IS LOVE and he who dwells in LOVE dwells in GOD, and GOD in him,” how could we ask – or even think – of anything of greater value?  Or more to be desired?  (1 John 4:16)

The following poem is a repeat from about three years ago, but the message is appropriate:-

MAKE LOVE YOUR AIM!

Make Love your aim – your highest goal;
The greatest questing of your soul!
Reach up – until God’s Love you know;
Until you’re filled – and overflow!
Reach out – until that Love is spread
To all around, and to self dead!

Press on!  Stretch forth to lay hold on
The victory that Christ has won!
The victory that Christ has won
To give you Life – make you His son!

His son and heir to rule and reign;
His plan for you:  His goal to gain!
Faith, Hope and Love – these three remain
Love’s the greatest; make it your aim!

Faith, Hope and Love – these three abide
Until the earth is covered wide
With all the Glory of the Lord
And the whole world is one accord!

God will be all, and all in God;
Creation all His Love applaud!

© Eulene H. Moores, March, 2003

 


“We give thanks to God always for you all,
making mention of you in our prayers,
Remembering without ceasing your
work of FAITH, and
labor of LOVE, and
patience of HOPE
in our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the sight of God and our Father…”

(1 Thess. 1:2,3 KJV)

 

In Agapè, Eulene

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Have Faith in God

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , on September 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »


Dear Friends,

FAITH is the first of the triad of that which “abides,” and is very closely related to HOPE and LOVE.

In my last letter regarding our HOPE in God, I stated that “Biblical hope is inseparable from Faith in God.  It is not merely a wish or a want but, rather, a confident expectation.”  (1 Cor. 13:13)

I find that words often roll off our lips without our thinking of the depth of meaning which they convey.  So, concerning FAITH, I decided to confirm the official definition of that word also.  The dictionary comes close:  “1.  Confidence in, or dependence on a person, statement, or thing as trustworthy;  trust.  2.  Belief without need of certain proof.  3. Belief in God or in testimony about God as recorded in Scriptures.”

Of course, we have God’s own definition given in Heb. 11:1-6: “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…..Through Faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” In other words, Faith is the assurance of the things we hope for, being convinced of the reality of the things we cannot see.  And it is through Faith that we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God, so that what we can see was not made out of things which are visible.

Abraham, we know, is a foremost Biblical example of one who understood and exercised great Faith.   God called him to leave his ancestral home to travel to a strange country about which he knew nothing – no maps or travelogues, or pictures to arouse his interest!   He simply obeyed, and went out, not knowing where he was going.  Even after arriving in the “land of promise” he lived by Faith “as in a strange country.” It took active Faith in a Faithful God for Sarah to conceive and give birth to a son when well past the child-bearing age.  “..building on hope in spite of hopeless circumstances, he (Abraham) had faith…” (Rom. 4:18 Williams Trans.) Then, a number of years later, Abraham again exhibited outstanding Faith when he obediently offered that beloved son to God on the altar of sacrifice, “accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead!” Not much wonder that Abraham is considered the “Father of  Faith!”  (Heb. 11:8-11;  17-19)

And just as Abraham put his Faith in God and it was credited to him as right standing with God, all those who are of Faith are considered his children.  We are assured that Christ has redeemed us by His sacrificial death at Calvary that the blessing of Abraham might come through Him, and that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith.  (Gal. 3:6-9,13,14)

How do we receive this Faith?  The Apostle Paul tells us that Faith comes from hearing a rhema (Gr.) declaration of Christ.  That is understood to be the revealed Word of God, as an utterance from God to the heart of the reader through the Holy Spirit.  As Jesus explained it  “…the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

Faith is clearly one of the most important concepts in the New Testament.  It is a basic requirement for “without Faith it is impossible to please God.  For he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Faith means believing in the infallible Word of God as it is quickened to one’s spirit.

Faith implies complete reliance on God and full obedience to Him.

Faith means abandoning trust in our own resources and casting ourselves wholly on the mercy of God.

Faith means laying hold on the promises of God in Christ, relying entirely on the finished work of Christ for salvation, and on the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God for daily strength.

It is by Faith we stand, not in human wisdom, but in the power of God. (1 Cor. 2:5)

It is by Faith, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that enables us to overcome the world. (1 John 5:4,5)

It is reassuring to know that Faith is not involved with works on our part.  We simply believe and receive it as a Gift from God.  We look unto Jesus, the Initiator and the Perfecter of our Faith.  We are justified, or made righteous, by the Faith of Jesus Christ, and we live by the Faith of the Son of God, Who loved us and gave Himself for us.  Through Him we believe God Who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that our FAITH and HOPE may rest in God.

(Eph. 2:8;  Heb. 12:2;  Gal. 2:20, 16;  1 Pet. 1:18-21)

(You) by (Christ) do believe in God,
Who raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory;
that your FAITH and HOPE
might be in GOD.”

(1 Peter 1:21)

In Agape, Eulene

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Hope Thou in God

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , on August 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment »


“Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted within me?  HOPE THOU IN

GOD:  for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

In one of our recent devotional readings, I was very much inspired by this phrase and determined to see

what all I could find about it in the Scriptures.  And what a lot I found!

This encouraging directive given by the Psalmist through Divine inspiration is repeated three times in    Psalm 42:5;  42:11; and 43:5  To express it in our very modern English, we might say to ourselves, “O, my soul!  Why are you so depressed?  Why so stressed out?  YOU PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

To begin, I decided to confirm the official definition of the word “HOPE” (which just happens to be my middle name!)  As a verb, it means “to desire with expectation of fulfillment; to place confidence; rely.”

As a noun, it means “desire accompanied by expectation of fulfillment; confidence; trust.”  Biblical hope is not a matter of temperament, nor is it conditioned by prevailing circumstances or any human possibilities.  It does not depend upon what a man possesses, upon what he may be able to do for himself, nor upon what any other human being may do for him.  For example, there was nothing in the situation in which Abraham found himself to justify his hope that Sarah would give birth to a son, but because he believed in God, he could ‘against hope believe in hope.” Or, “building on hope in spite of hopeless circumstances, he had faith…” (Rom. 4:18 Williams Trans.) Biblical hope is therefore inseparable from faith in God.  It is not merely a wish or a want but, rather, a confident expectation.  “For in You, O Lord, do I HOPE:  You will hear, O Lord my God.” (Ps. 38:15)

As one commentator stated, “Hope is not a kite at the mercy of the changing winds, but an “anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” penetrating deep into the invisible eternal world.”  (Heb. 6:19)

Many times David expressed his hope in the Lord:  “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you that HOPE in the Lord.”   “You are my hiding place and my shield; I HOPE in Your word.” (Ps. 31:24; 119:114)

The prophet, Jeremiah, declared that the one whose hope was the Lord was a blest one indeed.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose HOPE the Lord is.  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green;  and shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jer. 17:7,8)

Even in his lamentations, Jeremiah emphasized the hope he had in God:  “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have HOPE.  It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning;  great is Your faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, says my soul;  therefore will I HOPE in Him.  The Lord is good unto them who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him.  It is good that a man should both HOPE and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lam. 3:21-26)

There are many answers to the question, “For what do we hope?”  Considering it in the light of Spiritual realities, we all hope for Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness of Sin, Deliverance, Restoration, Help, Eternal Life, Return of Christ and Resurrection, Heavenly Inheritance, to be perfected in the image of Christ.

Turning to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul averred that “We are saved by HOPE; but HOPE that is seen is not HOPE; for what a man sees, why does he yet HOPE for? But if we HOPE for what we do not see, then do we with patience wait for it.” To the Church at Galatia he wrote: “for we through the Spirit wait for the HOPE of righteousness by faith.’ (Rom. 8:24,25; Gal. 5:5)

Paul wanted us to know the “HOPE of eternal life which God, Who cannot lie, promised before the ages…..That, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the HOPE of eternal life.” (Titus 1:2; 3:7)

He wanted us to know the “HOPE of our calling;” to have our “faith grounded and settled in the HOPE of the Gospel;” to be aware of the Hope of the Resurrection;  the Hope which is laid up for us in heaven. “Looking for that blessed HOPE and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us…” and “…set your HOPE perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

(Eph. 1:17-19;  4:4; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Col. 1:5; Titus 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:13)

Jesus Christ Himself is our Hope, the “HOPE of Glory” Who dwells in all who, having received Him, have become the children of God.  “Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man who has this HOPE in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” (1 Tim. 1:1; John 1:12; 1 John 3:2,3)

We are constantly encouraged to continue to put our hope and trust in our Heavenly Father Who loves, cares, and provides for His children, and to maintain that “confident expectation” of the fulfillment of all of His gracious promises.  “HOPE THOU IN GOD!”

“Now the God of all HOPE
fill you with all JOY and PEACE in the believing,
that you may abound in HOPE
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

(Romans 15:13)

In Agape, Eulene

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God’s Mysterious Ways

Posted in Spiritual, tagged , , , , , on August 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment »


Dear Friends,

There is an interesting statement in Romans 14:7 that is an oft quoted adage:  “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.”

How often is that an applicable reality in the little events of everyday life.  I have often been awed by the thought of a person’s life and accomplishments being read about, discussed, and having a profound influence, sometimes even centuries later.  From the lives of the Old Testament worthies, the New Testament believers, and the poets, prophets and sages throughout the ages – those who would never have thought of the extent of their influence – we still glean inspiration and truth.

One such person that has captured our attention is a prolific poet by the name of William Cowper who lived from 1731 to 1800, a contemporary of John Wesley and George Whitefield, the leaders of the Evangelical Revival in England.   I’m sure that Cowper would never have imagined in his wildest dreams what influence his life and words would have on the other side of the world 200 years after his demise.

William’s mother died when he was only six.  His relationship with his father was one of rejection and estrangement.  Beginning at the youthful age of 21, William was overtaken by recurring bouts of paralyzing and suicidal depression that haunted him most of his life.  At the age of 32 he was committed to an insane asylum where there fortunately was a Christian doctor who showed great love and concern for Cowper and repeatedly held out HOPE to him.  Upon ‘providentially’ finding a Bible one day, reading the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, seeing “in our Saviour’s conduct so much benevolence, mercy, goodness, and sympathy with miserable men,” and then the wonderful assurance of Romans 3:25, he had a marvelous encounter with the Lord.  After his release, he lived for the remainder of his life under the devoted ministry of John Newton, the author of  “Amazing Grace” about whom we wrote in our last letter.

An account of one of his many ‘failed’ attempts at suicide has endured, no doubt because of the surprising outcome:  One day he ordered a cab, instructing the driver to take him to London Bridge.  On their way, a dense fog settled down over the city.  The cabby wandered about for a couple of hours, and then admitted that he was lost.  Cowper asked him if he thought he could find the way home.  The cabby thought that he could and, in another hour, landed him at his door.  When Cowper asked what the fare would be, the driver felt that he should not take anything since he had not gotten his fare to his destination.  Cowper insisted, saying, “Never mind that;  you have saved my life!  I was on my way to throw myself off of London Bridge and end it all!”

Cowper then went into the house, sat down and wrote the words of what has become one of his most enduring legacies – a hymn that tops my list of favorites.  Read the words carefully:-

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs, And works His sovereign will.

You fearful saints, fresh courage take, The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.

In David’s psalms, he often admonishes his soul (the seat of his emotions):  “Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why have you become disturbed within me?  HOPE IN GOD, for I shall yet praise Him for the HELP OF HIS PRESENCE…All of your waves and your breakers have gone over me;  YET the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” (Psalm 42)

Now may the God of HOPE
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in HOPE
by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Romans 15:13, NKJV)

In Agape, Eulene

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