Walk in the Dark

 

Living in the World

 

A Prayer from 2015 - 01

 Let's pray together,  Heavenly Father, indeed how great Thou art, how great You are in so many ways. 

 Creation declares Your variety, Your creativity, Your beauty.  Creation speaks to us.  Just as the heavens declare the glory of God, everything about Your creation, about the universe, speaks to us so much about Yourself and all about Your power.  

And then of course the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to us about Your person, that You are a God of grace, that You are a God of mercy, that You are a God of love.  That You are a God who heals, who wants to restore. 

Your a God that is so patient and understanding. Your one who wants to enter into our lives and be part of our lives, and wants to be the source of our lives.  How great Thou art.  That's the God that we worship.  

Not a God whose word is in stone, but a God who is person.  A God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  A God who understands community, understands love poured forth. Love that gives to another, love that wants the best for the other.  How great Thou art. And when You saw that we had gone astray, when You saw us falling short, when You saw that we had been separated from You relationally, 

You didn't leave it there, You came Yourself, in the person of Jesus, and You removed every obstacle that stood between us and Yourself.  What a wonderful God, how great Thou art.  And then You never left as is orphans, You came by the power of Your spirit,  to dwell within us.  

And You enable us and empower us, to do that which we can't do, to live a life that is pleasing, to have victory in every area of our lives, not be defeated by depression, not defeated by bad temper, criticism, groaning, moaning, and complaint.  No You came to enable us to have a life that is full of the fruit of the spirit, of love joy and peace.  

What a wonderful God, how great Thou art.  Mighty God this morning we love You, this morning because of of all that You've done, and all Your doing in each of us.  So thank You heavenly Father.  We praise You this morning and may You enjoy and rejoice, and may Your heart be blessed as You see Your people here this morning.   In Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

Good News ·Restoration

God has provided for our restoration to Him.

We can regain the personal relationship with Him that was abrogated when Adam and Eve disobeyed His Word. 

The price has been paid for the restoration of our own human dignity. 

It is all summed up in the word righteousness.

The message of the gospel is that God has charged our sins to Christ’s account, and has now credited His righteousness to our account.  2Cor.5:21 

Consequently, we can stand in God’s presence with all the legal rights of a Royal Family Member—a child of God.   Jn. 1:12

The Living Bible says: God showed His great love by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners…and now He has declared us not guilty…

Since, when we were His enemies, we were brought back to God by the death of His Son, what blessings He must have for us now that we are His friends and He is living within us! Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins—making us friends of God.Rom.   5:8-11 LB

Peter wrote: Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.   1st Pet.2:24

Free Again

FREE AGAIN THE BIBLE SAYS: 

The Lord [is] our righteousness. Jer.23:6 

It teaches that our sins have been transferred to the account of Jesus, and that His righteousness has now been credited to our account.   2Cor.5:21 

The Living Bible says: For God took the sinless Christ and poured into Him our sins. Then, in exchange, He poured God’s goodness into us.  2Cor.5:21LB

Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth to be a propitiation [effecting reconciliation] through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of our sins.   Rom.3:24-25 

New Covenant Confession

 New Covenant Confession

Lord Jesus, You open the way for me to know God personally,

You came back from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in me,

Now the ministry that You began is continuing through me,

Religion distorted God’s image, but You revealed what He is like,

He created me to be like Him, I am His offspring, 

You are my model, I choose to emulate You,

The life that You live is the life that I now live,

The Spirit that anointed You now functions in me,

Understanding that unlocks Your miracle life in me,

God did His work in You, now it continues in me,

You came to do God’s will, now His will continues through my life,

Religion is a ritual, Your miracle life is alive in me,

My mission is to share Your life and love with others.

Jesus, You began to do and teach a new way to God

You showed me His life and love in action, 

Thank You!

Your miracle life is unlocked in me.

Hallelujah!

Example

 

At Rest - Poem at my Mother's funeral

 One at Rest

Think of me as one at rest for me you should not weep . I have no pain, no troubled thoughts for I am just asleep. 

The living thinking me that was is now forever still . And life goes on without me as time forever will. 

If your heart is heavy now because I’ve gone away . Dwell not long upon it, friend for none of us can stay. Those of you who liked me I sincerely thank you all .  

And those of you who loved me I thank you most of all. 

The answer to life’s riddle in life I never knew .  I go with hope that now I will and even so will you. 

Oh, foolish, foolish me that was I who was so small . To have wondered, even worried at the mystery of it all. 

And in my fleeting lifespan as time went rushing by .  I found some time to hesitate to laugh, to love, to cry. 

Matters it now if time began if time will ever cease? .  I was here, I used it all and now I am at peace.

The Optimist Creed

 I found this in my mother's bible:

I promise myself to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.

To make all my friends feel like there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living person I meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of myself that I ave no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too strong for fear, and to happy to permit the presence of trouble.