The Gift of Presence…
This Mystery is great, but….
Ephesians 5:32 & the prayer the Lord Jesus led me to as an answer to my prayer this morning.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We are reminded this season of the depth of your love for us. A love so deep that it is compared to the bond between a husband and wife.
We are the church, your bride, and Jesus the Christ is our heavenly bridegroom. Thank you, Lord, for this sacred relationship. Thank you for your unconditional love, enduring patience and unending faithfulness to us.
Help us to truly grasp this divine mystery; to respond to your love in a way that honors you. May we be faithful to you, seeking to know you more each day and living in a way that reflects your love for the world. Teach us to love one another as you have loved us, fostering unity, kindness, and understanding within the body of Christ.
As we ponder this great mystery, fill us with awe and gratitude for your love, and guide us in walking in faithful response to it.
In the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
These are the words the Lord gave me as a direct answer to my prayer through two ways:
- “Faith often calls us to step forward when we don’t understand the full picture.”
- I tuned in by faith and heard Jack Graham leading us in prayer.
These words of prayer can be heard on pray.com Morning Prayer with Jack Graham.
I am sharing this with you, because Dewey asked me to pray about posting a Christmas message.
I am sharing this with you because, I prayed about my emotions and feelings of wanting to run away from things that forced me to feel (the opposite of how God makes me feel).
I am sharing this with you too, to encourage you to pray and seek the Lord anytime you feel that overwhelming “dark” pressure or “dull gut punch” when you, or what you do, might be misunderstood by people. Who you are matters!
I am sharing this with you too, because sometimes, if we are not mindful in Christ, we can be tempted to do things in the name of the wonderful holiday of Christmas, instead of in the Name of Jesus – who is the Christ in our daily life.
We don’t take a vacation from Christ ever, not even on Christmas.
But people might not understand our quiet; and we might not even understand our word. But if we are patient with God and give him our gratitude, beyond what we think we might have said wrong, God will give you a peace, and that prayer of gratitude has the power in Christ for God to work a marvelous miracle (for us to see) in someone’s life.
We are not that powerful to make childlike mistakes and be able to mess up God helping each other work out our own salvation (READ ALL OF PHILIPPIANS 2 & verse 12).
The Mind of Christ – Phil 2
Verse 12, “ work out your own salvation.” What does that mean to you? We can talk about that.
We can’t stop God! And, if we stay in the POWER of the MIND of Gratitude (The Mind of Christ) and take every thought captive to the obedience of the Mind of Christ, we can turn every emotional feeling around to say…I think, I feel, I do…but. thank you Lord, you understand.
I don’t know, does that resonate with you yet? If not now, in time it will. If the Lord wills, it will. I just believe it will because I believe Jesus is telling what to say.
WE CAN’T MESS UP BEYOND THE POWER OF GOD WHO SAVES!…IN JESUS’ NAME!
We can’t mess up beyond the power of God who saves! IN JESUS’ NAME!
And…this is my Christmas message! Is it good to you too?
All Glory to God, and thanks be to Jesus!
AND…THIS IS MY CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
JOY is the message of the season – I mean right?
True JOY is Relationship with Jesus, others & us!
What is the balance of JOY; it’s spiritual balance right?
We can’t balance two different things, meaning what we feel like, or think; and what God says, so…
If we allow, another killer of joy is human expectations & (Remember the power in gratitude).
And remember the gift of faith, which stems from trusting God, in Jesus’ Name, established faith in the Mind of Christ to God’s will be done. And, remember it is also written about pleasing another for his good *to edification…that is written too. The Christmas challenge! Another Jesus smile!
Once, and still today, the Holy Spirit teaches me and helps me to take every real feeling and thought captive that is really alive in my gut and get it out, and send it back from whence it came; but as the Lord will help all who will ask for HIS help (and here’s the power) to transform those emotions and thoughts into the form of a prayer – and not a complaint.
The power of our words of gratitude.
Pause and think about that…
After waiting on God’s time, remember how Jesus prayed: Father, I thank you for always hearing my prayers, but I say this for the benefit of those who my hear and believe in You and the Son that You sent. Lazarus come forth!
Where is that written? Beat me to it. It’s not a competition of who knows what, or who gets the address first, but rather, a sharing to spur each other along in encouragement; to each other; and to pray for each other.
It is written and believing “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” is the POWER of God in our Christ-filled lives Today!
It is Written and believing
“in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God”
is the POWER of God
in our Christ-filled lives every Today!
What must Jesus have felt knowing his friends and family needed him MOST emotionally and also knowing God said to wait, so that they could see Jesus for the Christ whom he was about to fully come into – through the resurrection from the death on the cross to LIFE, whom He was sent to become for us and the entire world!
This is the miracle of Christ!
Life Eternal!
Jesus teaches us and it is written that the miracle of Life Eternal is this:
John 17: 3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
God has purpose in all things that we can know God and know the Son that God sent!
What battle of emotions must Jesus have felt to know his family was suffering watching their brother die, but also knowing that he would live?
Knowing Jesus, perhaps he slept like he did on the boat?
REST in PEACE is Trust in God, in Jesus Name – Isn’t “Peace with God” the Miracle of Christmas?
Also reference: Ephesians 5:27
…even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
2 Peter 3:14
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
Expectations
Circumstances surrounding us is not always the path we imagine for ourselves.
We expect life to follow a predicable course.
Unexpected twists and turns force us to adapt.
The Bible shows us that a life lived in obedience to God is rarely predicable.
James 4:13-15 teaches us the balance…. “If it is the Lord’s will, we will do this or that.”
Proverbs 16:9 agrees that our mind wants to plan our way, but teaches us best that…The Lord directs our steps…and makes them sure.
What emotions rise up when you think of…
*Expectations you might place on yourself.
*Expectations from other people that they might place an expectation on you.
What does this mean to you?
*Immersing ourselves in family and in the love of God.
I have two things I believe I am to share with you, in part at least, and then I will say ‘til next time and hope you know how much God has so loved you already – even when you might not feel like you are keeping up or belong anywhere, God wants you to know that you belong to Him and you belong with Him, and He wants you to know that as His Presence is enough, so is yours too.
Life is not a competition.
Life is the Presence of God with us!
1 John 4:16 is a good place to start.
Let us begin:
I dictated a note to myself the other night – words that I believe God wanted me to share here and I believe this is the day to share.
LIVE LIKE YOU’RE FORGIVEN, by Karen Rowe
Grace come in a body named Jesus, so the forgiveness could come from God to man.
Once we know and believe this forgiveness from God, we live like we’re forgiven, believing in the grace that God came through Jesus and Jesus accomplished God’s plan.
Saved by Grace through faith.
Philippians 2:12 says to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
NOTE: READ ALL OF Philippians CHAPTER 2
Love your neighbor as yourself.
I can’t read the rest of my notes, but I believe they are referring to the rod, the stem, the branch and the root – Jesus come God’s way! A study of Is Prophesy!
Grace is the forgiveness of God to mankind, and that is the peace in goodwill toward man. Let us receive.
I am not sure how much to share of this letter in testimony because is too personal, but also relational! The Vertical & Horizontal lines of life! We can’t change the vertical; our line to God is set in Christ Jesus. But the horizontal is like a heartbeat, in that we must pray and decide to follow God’s way, who is Jesus.
We pray!
I am discovering the Bible is true!
And gratitude can flip anything that is attempting to move you from your place with Peace, who is our right relationship with God: Namely Jesus the Christ.
I flipped the scene to thanks be to God for things I don’t understand and was able in the Spirit to be specific. It was powerful to experience the power of words of thanks be to God for working in things I don’t always understand. I felt the dark void of dread leave and was restored in peace. I slept, but then later woke up to a return of uneasy and prayer.
This is what I prayed in part and then the Lord dinged me with an email!
Do you believe this? Do you believe God hears your prayers? Do you believe God answers your prayers in searching for His Peace? I do, that is why I am writing to you. I know I am not the only one, because if I didn’t care about people, these things would not and could not bother me – meaning, God puts it on our hearts to love our neighbors as ourselves, because we come to know and believing in the love God has for us. And, we love God, because He first loved us! It’s all because of the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us! Jesus come for us! And Jesus prays for us! And Jesus tells us what the Father tells Him we need to know.
John 16:13 – Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth and shew you things to come.
Guys, the Holy Spirit knows things we only feel and don’t know what to do with it!
Actually, that is all I feel led to say, because that is really good right there!
This is the picture God sent me and I am now sending it to you through the same faith in our Lord that brought it up to me at a time I really needed to understand God’s will for me in my life!
As long as God understands the purpose, faith steps forward until understanding comes,
WE SAY YES LORD
I am listening!
As long as God understands the purpose, faith steps forward until understanding comes
WE SAY YES LORD,
I am listening!
As long as God understands the purpose, faith steps forward until understanding comes…
Ephesians 5 – Read all beginning with Verse 1 & also verse 32
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
“…concerning Christ and the church”
How are we supposed to be? The Lord is guiding me to post 2 Peter 3:14
Read all of 2 Peter 3 too & verse 14
To be found without spot or blemish and @ peace
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless (2 Peter 3:14).
How was this for your today?
I hope it is an encouragement and hope in Christ Jesus our Savoir and Lord.
Jesus is my King and my brother in God’s amazing grace, so I can say, God loves you my friend. If you are feeling anything less than peace, pray and receive what only God can do, when we believe He works in ways we don’t understand. Get past the emotions, and grow in grace!
Love in Christ Jesus,
Karen
Karen Rowe, Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
Gotta run! Hope you read in the Spirit, because I can’t edit in my body right now. In His hands, I commit this work! And, I refuse to hold on to what God has told me to release! I pray this is a help to many, in Jesus’ Name!
