Moments With God

His Treasure in Us

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 27, 2006 12:37
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II Corinthians 4

"For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair." II Corinthians 4:6-8

"Therefore we do not lose heart.---For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal

II Corinthians 4:16-18.

Do You ever feel discouraged? Do you ever feel like everything is falling apart, and you do not know where to turn next? That is actually a good place to be, because it is then that the Lord can begin to do His work in you. The Lord is our great strength giver. He has called us to be His servants, and He will give us the strength to live for Him day by day and moment by moment! We need never become discouraged; because the Lord in His mercy has redeemed us from sin, chosen us to be His child and servant, and is busy about the task of transforming us into His likeness! Those who are not believers and do not belong to the Lord truly do not understand the joy that we have in the Lord. The devil has blinded their minds, so they can not see the Lord’s glory. They cannot see the wonder, glory, and light of His awesome Gospel! They cannot see that Jesus is the very Son of God! We need to be eternally thankful to the Lord for choosing us as His children and for being our Lord and Savior.

He "made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (II Corinthians 4:6b) What a priceless treasure! What a priceless treasure we have in our salvation! What a priceless treasure we have in belonging to the Lord! What a priceless treasure we have in the Lord Jesus Christ living in our hearts and lives! Praise His name!

II Corinthians 4:7a says "we have this treasure in jars of clay." In Bible times it was customary to hide treasures and valuable items in clay jars which had very little value or beauty in themselves. Thus, attention was not attracted to the jars; and the valuable contents were protected. We have the Lord’s treasure in us who are unworthy and frail humans, so that His glory will be shown in us. Through our insufficiency the Lord chooses to reveal His all-sufficiency, grandeur, power, and greatness! We are nothing in ourselves, but he chooses to fill us with His all-surpassing power! The more we realize that we are nothing in ourselves, the more the Lord can infuse us with His power. We need to reflect the Lord Jesus and His beauty in our lives. We must ask the Lord to break us of self, self-will, and self-reliance; so that His light and power and glory shines forth in our lives. This is the road to the Lord’s best for you and me! It is the road to joy and spiritual prosperity! In life’s trials and troubles we often feel "hard pressed on every side" and "perplexed." As His children, however, we are never "crushed;" because the Lord is with us all the way. (II Corinthians 4:8) We will never be abandoned by Him! The frailty of our humanness makes us more dependent on His strength and thus reveals His life in us in a greater way! We can believe with absolute certainty that the Lord will lead us through this life and through death and to eternity! Any difficulties you or I may experience in this life are nothing compared to the glories that we will experience with the Lord in His presence. We must not fix our eyes on the things we see, namely life’s difficulties or material things, but on the Lord Jesus and on eternal realities!

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Reflecting Jesus

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 21, 2006 11:52
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II Corinthians 3

Do others see Christ Jesus living in us? Do we reflect Jesus in our lives? Does what we say and profess about our faith agree and correlate with how we live our lives? The apostle, Paul, told the Corinthian Christians in II Corinthians 3:2-3 that they were to be living letters or examples to those who do not know Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Paul said in II Corinthians 3:2-3, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

We also by the example of our lives are living letters "known and read by everybody." We must be God's "letter from Christ" to the world around us. We can be that kind of living letter or example to the world around us, because our lives have been transformed by the blood of Jesus. As redeemed children of God we also have the Holy Spirit now living in us. Hence, we must reflect Christ in our lives. We must be a living letter "written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God." Since many people never read a Bible, we must be Christ's living and walking "letter from Christ." The people of the world are watching us closely. Do they perceive and recognize Christ in our lives?

Many people today have a veil over their hearts. They refuse to acknowledge the Lord Jesus. The veil over their hearts "has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away." (II Corinthians 3:14b) The Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts as believers and has removed that veil of unbelief; "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (II Corinthians 3:17b) Because we have experienced that awesome freedom, joy, and forgiveness found only in Christ; we can and must reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness." (II Corinthians 3:18a) As a mirror is a reflection of us, so we in and through our lives must be a reflection of the Lord Jesus. We must reflect the Lord Jesus in our attitudes, thoughts, actions, and in our character. We must reflect the Lord's glory to those around us. We must become "transformed into His likeness."

In order to be able to reflect the Lord Jesus' glory in our lives we ourselves must truly contemplate and behold the Lord Jesus in all of His glory. We can begin to contemplate or behold the Lord's glory by reading and immersing ourselves in God's Holy Word. As we focus on the Lord Jesus and get to know Him better through His Holy Word, we cannot help but begin to trust and love Him more and more. Hence, we are much more likely to then follow the Lord's paths and will for our lives, and in the process we will bring increasing glory to the Lord's name. As we behold and contemplate Christ in His Holy Word, we become more like the Lord Jesus. In this way we bring glory to His name.

Also as we read and immerse ourselves in God's Holy Word, we more and more see God's holiness and our own sinfulness. This leads to repentance and a turning away from sin in our lives. Hence, as we are beholding and contemplating Christ in all His holiness; we are becoming more like Jesus Christ and a better reflection of Him to the world around us. As we truly behold Jesus in all of His glory and holiness, we become better living letters for Christ to the world around us. We are then "being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (II Corinthians 3:18b) May it be our passion to grow in our love for the Lord Jesus! May it be our passion to grow in our perception of the glory of our Lord and Savior! May it be our passion to better reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives!


His Comfort

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 16, 2006 04:37
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II Corinthians 1

" Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." II Corinthians 1:3-4

"On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us."

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

Have you ever wondered why life does not always go according to our best laid plans and wishes? Have you ever wondered why God sometimes allows difficult circumstances in our lives? The main reason there are problems in the world and in our lives is because of sin. Sin has disrupted God’s world and is the ultimate source behind all the problems we experience in this world. God, however, often also uses difficult circumstances in our lives for our good and for His glory. The first chapter of II Corinthians gives us some clues as to the benefits and reasons for difficult circumstances in our lives as Christians. Verse three and four of II Corinthians chapter one tells us that God is a compassionate God and that He is our source of comfort. The Lord is our source of comfort in difficult times so that we in turn can comfort others with that same comfort we receive from God. Difficult times in our own lives makes us more sensitive to the needs of others. If we never experienced any difficulties in our lives, we would not be able to comfort others.

Another reason that God allows difficult times in our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:9b. When speaking of trials that Paul had experienced in his own life Paul said, "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God." When all is going smoothly in our lives we have a tendency to become smug and complacent. We begin to think that we are self-sufficient. Difficult times makes us realize that we must depend on the Lord’s strength alone. God’s grace and strength is all-sufficient, and our weakness is the perfect opportunity for His power to be displayed. Difficult times causes us to "set our hope" on the Lord for our strength and deliverance. (II Corinthians 1:10b) The Lord must become our only source of confidence.

Yet another reason for difficult times in our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:11. Difficult times causes us to seek the Lord in prayer in a deeper way. Difficult times causes us to come to the Lord in prayer for our needs and the needs of others. This in turn results in us seeing God’s awesome answers to prayer in our lives and in the lives of others.

No matter what circumstances come our way we can count on God’s precious promises to always be with us. II Corinthians 1:20-22 tells us, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

We can be sure of God’s promises to always be with us! We belong to the Lord for time and for eternity! His Holy Spirit is in our hearts guaranteeing us an eternal presence with the Lord! Because of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we can "stand firm" in our faith no matter what the circumstances in our lives. We can do this, because we know we serve a faithful and all-wise God!

II Corinthians 1:20-22II Corinthians 1:10b

His Appointments

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 10, 2006 14:14
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There are many joyful events in our lives. Life also often includes heartache, disappointments, and trials. My husband and I are presently going through one of these deep trials in life. I would like to share some thoughts with you today from a book by Kaye Arthur called By Silver Refined that have been helpful to me in this latest trial in our lives.

Disappointments are His appointments! The space between His and appointments is His perfect timing. I must wait on the Lord. I must respond to the inescapable pain in this world in meekness, without murmuring or disputing. I must act in trust and obedience not react in "the flesh." I must trust God and not try to control and manipulate circumstances and people.

To do all this I must realize that God is in control, that He is sovereign. I must also understand His heart, His character, and His attributes. The events of my life even trials are filtered through His fingers of love. He doesn't test me to see if I will fail. Rather it is to show me how strong I am in Him.

God is sovereign. My responsibility is to serve Him right where I am even in the midst of unexpected and unpleasant circumstances, because He is in control and orchestrating His plan. Am I quiet enough to see and hear Him there? In my every painful trial, God is doing something about it; but often the drama of life is happening offstage, behind the a curtain of time. I must live by faith especially when I do not know the "whys." Then I will have calmness and peace and rest for my soul. In His will is my peace. I must embrace and believe His Word, cling to Him, and live righteously. I must walk confidently in the high places He has made for me. He will enable me "to go on the heights" (Habakkuk 3:19)

By His power and by believing and trusting in His control, I can walk in meekness. To continue to walk this way I have to go beyond my feelings and simply see who God is and what He is like I must also realize and accept what He has promised. Meekness is bowing the knee whether or not I understand, whether or not I have it all figured out, or whether or not I agree. And in that complete submission I find more than enough grace to keep going. Trusting in God's sovereignty will energize my testimony to others for a brighter light of witness.

I must not let my disappointment sink me into discouragement (lack of courage) or giving up. I must walk in faith and in courage through His strength, through trusting and meditating on His promises, and through the power of prayer. There is a reward for going through suffering without retreating and steadfastly enduring by faith. In whatever affliction I face, I can be strong and courageous because it is not the end. The glorious end is always that this trial will result in my good and His glory. I will mature and rejoice in God and thank Him in all things. I will prove my love for the Lord in trials, if I endure. I must choose not to be a cowardly quitter but a courageous overcomer who endures and finishes the race of life chosen by God for me. I can be content and bear all things through Jesus who infuses His strength and power in me.

My behavior is determined by my feelings which come from my thoughts. The mind is the battleground. What I THINK about life's circumstances causes "the blues" to stay around. I must accept the fact that life is imperfect, and not without problems, pain, heartache, and rejection. But I must "take heart" (take courage) because Jesus Christ has already overcome these tribulations! (John 16:33) Also it is not circumstances or events of the past or present that make me "blue." Rather it is my interpretation of them. Do I see them as disappointments or as His appointments? I must not turn off my emotions, but I must bring my emotions in conformity with God's perspective and God's emotions.

I do not want to sink from disappointment to discouragement (lack of courage) to dejection (lowness of spirit.) I must experience the "oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:3) I must remember that God is sovereign. I do not have to solve the problem or do the impossible task. I do not have to wallow in fear of failure. I must put my eyes on the Lord and on His Word and rejoice. I must sacrifice my feelings and emotions and offer a sacrifice of praise to God.

I do not want to sink from disappointment into despair which is the lost or abandonment of hope. To prevent despair I must not react according to my emotions or human reasoning , but rather I must act according to God's Word. I must not focus on circumstances. I must not leave God and the truths of God out of the picture. My hope is not in this life. My hope is in God and in God's Word. My hope is in God's future, the future He has prepared for me in His presence. Despair will come if I look at this moment instead of the future, because this moment can indeed be evil. But my future is good; and all things now, even the evil things, are working together to achieve it. I must fully believe in and trust God. Am I going to believe the whispered lies of the enemy or the written promises of God? Hope (certain anticipation and trust in God's promises) is always the answer to discouragement and despair. "Why are you downcast, o my soul? Why are disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 43:5 I can have hope "for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning." (Lamentations 3:22b-23a)

I must press on from life's failures and disappointments and love my Lord totally, completely, and absolutely. I must love Him more than anything or anyone in my life. I must love Him supremely, love Him steadfastly, and love Him preeminently. I must follow and obey. I must not compare my own commitment and service for the Lord with that of others. My purpose in life is to love and follow Him.


Praise At All Times

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 05, 2006 13:38
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Psalm 34

Psalm thirty-four is a beautiful Psalm. Psalm thirty-four is filled with beautiful promises from the Lord to His people. David wrote Psalm thirty-four when he was homeless and still hiding from Saul. Saul was trying to take David's life. David could have concluded that he had nothing for which to be thankful. Instead David said in Psalm 34:1, "I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." Notice David said his praises for the Lord would be on his lips at ALL times. Do we praise the Lord at all times? Do we praise the Lord when we have financial reversal? Do we praise the Lord when we experience heartache and sorrow? Do we praise the Lord when we experience daily irritations and interruptions? We must remember that God works all things together for our good. This does not mean that all of life's events are good in themselves. It does mean, however, that the Lord uses even what we consider the bad circumstances in our lives for our ultimate spiritual good. Through difficult times in our lives the Lord teaches us patience, perseverance, and dependence on Him rather than on ourselves. We grow spiritually during these times. So even in difficult times we need to say with David, "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together." (Psalm 34:3) Praising God in all circumstances is the secret to a life filled with joy. Praise on our lips and praise in our hearts for the Lord lifts us above our difficulties.

When David was in the midst of a difficult circumstance in his life he sought out the Lord, and the Lord delivered him from all his fears. (Psalm 34:4) God did not deliver David from some of his fears, but from ALL his fears. We also must bring all our fears and worries to the Lord, and we must leave them with the Lord. We must trust that the Lord will take care of our difficult circumstances in His perfect way. Psalm 34:5a tells us, "those who look to Him are radiant" with joy. When we keep our eyes focused on the Lord and on His promises our fears and worries will begin to slip away, and our joy and trust in the Lord will increase.

Psalm 34:6 goes on to tell us that David called to the Lord in his troubles. David knew that he had no resources in himself. David knew that he was totally dependent on the Lord. The Lord heard David's prayers, and He saved him from all his troubles. The Lord will save and help us also in times of trouble. In fact, "the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them." (Psalm 34:7) The Lord's protective guidance and help is all around us each and every moment of our lives. The Lord tells us to taste and experience His goodness and faithfulness. Blessed and joyful is the person who finds his or her refuge and strength in the Lord alone!

When you or I are feeling overwhelmed with one of life's difficulties we need to trust the Lord, and we need to stand in awe of Him. A child of God can trust the Lord completely, because "those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:10b) Wow! What a promise! When our hearts are breaking the Lord hears our prayers. "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." (Psalm 34:17-19) Notice once again the word ALL is used. The Lord delivers us from ALL our troubles when we approach Him in faith. He does this in His perfect time and in His perfect way. Things will not be perfect until we reach our eternal home. In fact, the Lord promises us that we will have difficulties in this life. We can trust the Lord, however, to be with us all the way! He has His perfect plan for our lives, and no ultimate spiritual harm can ever come to a child of God!


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