Lay down in the green pasture

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23

Know that you are LOVED by the Father

and by His Son, Jesus Christ. Take time to ponder on the reality that He loves you, and see what happens. See how this truth shapes our whole outlook on ourselves and others, and most importantly, our whole outlook on God.

We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Our brother Deepak & his daughter Priya

Be faithful to the LORD Jesus Christ

The simplicity of Christ.

Lead them out of the house of bondage

the same way that Jesus led you out. Show them The Door. If He brought you out, He will surely use you to lead many others out of bondage and into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

God’s power and the vessels of His power

It seems that many in Christianity have come to separate God’s power from Christian character and integrity: as if they were totally unrelated, or, as if you could have one without the other. If we have the character we will not lack the power, for character is the primary work of the power of the Holy Spirit. Many charismatics are blind to this, for they follow leaders who have little Christian character.

The LORD is GREAT

Selah.

They that feared the LORD spoke often one to another

and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. Malachi 3:16

Jesus is bigger

than the biggest problems and challenges we face. This is our faith.

We use the things of this world

but we don’t serve the things of this world.

And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passes away. 1 Cor 7:30-31

Use this world, but don’t serve it.

Truth never makes a casuality of Truth

If the truth we are preaching makes a casuality of other truths, then it is not the truth we are preaching. The truth can never deny the truth, or hijack it, or hold it to ransom. If someone is trying to establish a truth AT THE EXPENSE of other truths, then it is not the truth. Suppressing one truth doesn’t produce another truth.

Sowers

Luke 8. The parable of the Sower. Are there Christians today who are Sowers? Who sow the Word of God everywhere, in all places and all types of soil?

Do we wash the feet of our brothers and sisters?

Does this characterize us as Christians, today? Would “foot washers” describe us, as Christians? Or is it a totally alien description of the modern Christian? Something so removed from the reality of how we live our lives?

So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was seated again, he said unto them, Know you what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord: and you say rightly; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them. John 13:12-17

Jesus doesn’t mean for us to perform a public stunt, and take a bowl and start washing feet in front of everyone. Jesus wasn’t performing a stunt. Their feet were dirty. Sandals are not as efficient as shoes and socks at keeping feet clean. There was no running water, also. This made water precious. There was no tap they could go over to and quickly wash off their feet. It was much more practical to have one bowl of water and someone go around and get the job done at one time.

So, washing feet today means truly serving our brethren, and serving in subservient ways : that is, without a stunt or a public show (which would disqualify us from any eternal reward). It means that we are ready and willing to help in the basest tasks and at the most inconvenient times : on call, as a servant.

Last things: the STUPENDOUS REALITY of what is coming

Just a comment on the subject of last things, that the points concerning the millennium and the final battle/s, which we so far don’t find ourselves finding full agreement on, don’t really affect how we live for Jesus today.

If any thing we’ve believed about the end times has caused us to be lukewarm or careless toward the LORD Jesus Christ, or ambivalent, then that would indicate we believed wrongly, and we didn’t take Jesus words, “Be ready!”, seriously.

And the ground on which we can agree, so that our small differences don’t hinder fellowship, is the fact that the whole end times scenario is in God’s hands anyway. What a person believes about it won’t change anything, eh.

There is GREAT value in pondering our LORD’s return and our catching away to be with Him and our future with Him. Just the REALITY of the fact should fill us with joy and hope. We should be elevated far above just being interested in “the details” of the end times. This goes for anything we study in the Bible. The STUPENDOUS REALITY of the truth about God and His Son, should grip us more than mere intellectual curiosity : like a Bible quiz type of thinking.

Never let anyone

who doesn’t know Jesus, trouble or phase you in any way. It’s only the people who DO know Jesus who should “disturb” us.

What Brian McLaren believes

http://www.inplainsite.org/html/brian_mclaren.html

EDIFICATION education

Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things with which one may edify another.

Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s good.
(1Co 10:23-24)

1Th 5:11 Therefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you do.

1Co 14:3 But he that prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

2Co 10:8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

May your heart be encouraged

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who has loved us, and has given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through grace, Encourage your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work. 2 Thess 2:16-17

Attending to Jesus

…That you may attend upon the LORD without distraction. 1 Cor 7:35b

Do we attend upon the LORD, and, that, without distraction?

Instant Forgiveness

(Does that come in a sachet?)

...As we forgive those who sin against us.

Instant forgiveness means we can’t verbally bash the person who sins against us, bcos we have forgiven them the instant they sin against us.

Delayed forgiveness means we can verbally bash them, and then forgive them later.

Which is right?