Rest and Reflect

Nothing more invincible November 12, 2008

“Despondency may shake the most heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God understands, and He still pities and loves. He reads the motives and the purposes of the heart. To wait patiently, to trust when everything looks dark… Heaven will not fail them in their day of adversity.

Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on God.” (PK 174-5)

“God would send every angel in heaven to the aid of such a one, rather than allow him to be overcome.” (7T 17)

“By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go.” (MH 182)

Theodicy November 9, 2008

How can there be a good God if there is such a bad world?
Either God is not all powerful, or He is not good, or there is no god.

1 Cor 13 — Love suffers long

“If love is the end, freedom must be the means to that end.” (Gregory A Boyd)

Matt 13:28 — An enemy has done this

How long?
“Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused our Creator. All heaven suffered in Christ’s agony; but the suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God… As the ‘whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together’ (Romans 8:22), the heart of the infinite Father is pained in sympathy.” (Education 263)

He shall wipe every tear from their eyes… and there shall be no more pain (Revelation 21:4)

PRAYING November 8, 2008

Luke 11:1-13 — Jesus Teaches How To Pray

PETITION — our DAILY bread – he fulfills our needs as we need them, not months in advance, that’s how we know he is working miracles; we need to ASK so that we KNOW He GIVES – if we received without the asking, could it be that it would just have happened anyway? pray specifically and the answer to prayer will be obvious.
REPENTANCE
ADORATION
YIELDING — slow down to hear GOD’S AGENDA, not our will but the Father’s will be done
INTERCESSION — praying with GOD’S EYES
NAME OF JESUS — John 14:13-14;15:16;16:23-27. Mark 16:17.
GRATITUDE — each promise of God is as if it has already been done. there is no if. it is a sure thing. faith is an assurance of things that you don’t currently see, but certainly will.

Luke 11:5-13
Pray not for yourself, but so others may benefit.
(Amazon river vs Dead sea)
Pray persistently. Not because God does not hear, but a gift given after a great deal of persistence is valued much more.

James 4:2
You lust after it. You kill for it. You desire it. You fight and carry on for it. Yet you will not have it. Because you do not ask.