Embrace the Within no. 113

"Growth [is] the only evidence of life."

John Henry Newman

To be still is to be dead. Standing still in my faith is the quickest way to end up spiritually dead. How did I ned up making a journey of faith three years ago? Decades of being still in my faith. Decades of slowly sliding away from the truth because I wasn’t fighting to keep my faith. Decades of slowly letting my temple become a mess. Allowing that temple to get dirty, remain unrepaired, and break and crumble.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As I physically fell apart, I mentally fell apart, and I became less of a temple. So, I started getting my mind and body right and the spiritual part found a place to begin repairs. I used to think that physical fitness was, like mental and spiritual health, a game of comparisons. If I was doing better than most Americans, then I was doing good enough. BUT there are no comparisons with humans that are going to allow me to be better. The only comparison that I needed to work on was my comparison with what Christ says. And Christ doesn’t want me to be a spiritual mess, He doesn’t want me to be an emotional mess, and He doesn’t want me to be a physical mess either. And being healthy by comparison isn’t going to cut it in the Kingdom.

I have a perfect comparison to work out that will take me this side of eternity to work. I mean if, as Paul writes, “We are the temple of the living God”(2 Corinthians 6:16). Then I should be working on making a temple that is a worthy palace for the one true God, a worthy home for the perfect God. How else am I going to manifest the fruit of the Spirit?

'For this cause wee also, since the day wee heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisdome, and spirituall vnderstanding, That ye might walke worthy of the Lord, and please him in all things, being fruitefull in all good workes, and increasing in the knowledge of God, Strengthened with all might through his glorious power, vnto all patience, and long suffering with ioyfulnesse, Giuing thankes vnto the Father, which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saintes in light, Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse, and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare Sonne, In whome we haue redemption through his blood, that is, the forgiuenesse of sinnes, Who is the image of the inuisible God, the first begotten of euery creature. '

Colossians 1:9-15 GNV

Grace and Shalom this week. Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of the Lord is now. Be a blessing to the Lord and others.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 111

“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].”

Matthew 5:4 AMP

Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Psalms 27:14 AMP

I should feel bad about not following God. I should feel bad about the life I left behind in order to become a new creation. I should not want to go back into that corpse. All too often though, I want to go back to death. Going back to that comfortability and routine that doesn’t take a lot of work is an easy out. BUT I need to be strong and take courage with confident expectation in what God has for me. I will find true comfort in the life that comes from turning away from the path to death and toward the Way of the Lord.

“What delight comes to you when you wait upon the Lord! For you will find what you long for.”

Matthew 5:4 TPT

'Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up ; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting— for he will never disappoint you !'

Psalms 27:14 TPT

God promises that if I trust in Him, if I wait in obedience to what He wants, I will find what I want. That means I need to be patient because my timeline is not God’s timeline. My ways are not His Ways. He only calls me to be obedient. He calls me to do things His Way and not my way. And He promises no disappointment because He is a God that keeps His word.

'Blessed are they that mourne: for they shall be comforted. '

Matthew 5:4 GNV

Hope in the Lord: be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, and trust in the Lord.

Psalms 27:14 GNV

I am sad BUT that gives God the opportunity to bring me comfort. There are a lot of things in this life I cannot control. And I have to get over that false sense of external control that I want to impose on my surroundings and even on God at times. I need to stop trying to trust in my own will and rest in His Will.

So often we want to take control and we want to wrestle with God when we should be letting Him run the show because He already does. We just need to acknowledge that and trust in Him.

“Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”.

Matthew 5:4 NMV

Wait on the Lord-Yehōvah [Messiah Pre-Incarnate]: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen youri heart: wait, I say, on the Lord-Yehōvah [Messiah Pre-Incarnate].

Psalms 27:14 NMV

Life will have its sad parts because it is finite. Things end and change inevitably comes. And I am not always going to be prepared for the changes that happen. BUT if I put my faith in Him, then He will provide the strength that I need and that which I do not have on my own.

“How blessed are those who mourn!

for they will be comforted.”

Mattiyahu 5:4 CJB

Put your hope in Adonai, be strong,

and let your heart take courage!

Yes, put your hope in Adonai!

Tehillim 27:14 CJB

I have to make the decision that God is in control and not me. And that takes a lot for someone that wants to be in control. That can take a lot for those of us that have a mind and a will to do and accomplish things. BUT God gave me that mind and will and He is not going to let those gifts be wasted. He just wants to show me a better way to use them. And I have to let Him in charge to see those gifts mature in His Will. God saw David through many obstacles and many trials. God guided David through many wins and many losses. God rewards faithfulness. And that is what Psalms 27 is all about:

Fearless Faith

David’s poetic praise to God before he was anointed king

Yahweh is my revelation-light

and the source of my salvation.

I fear no one!

I’ll never turn back and run, for you, Yahweh,

surround and protect me.

When evil ones come to destroy me,

they will be the ones who turn back.

My heart will not fear even if an army rises to attack.

I will not be shaken, even if war is imminent.

Here’s the one thing I crave from Yahweh,

the one thing I seek above all else:

I want to live with him every moment in his house,

beholding the marvelous beauty of Yahweh,

filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace.

I want to contemplate in his temple.

In the day of trouble, he will treasure me in his shelter,

under the cover of his tent.

He will lift me high upon a rock,

out of reach from all my enemies who surround me.

Triumphant now, I’ll bring him my offerings of praise,

singing and shouting with ecstatic joy!

Yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh!

Hear my cry. Show me mercy, and send the help I need!

I heard your voice in my heart say, “Come, seek my face;”

my inner being responded,

“Yahweh, I’m seeking your face with all my heart.”

So don’t turn your face away from me.

You’re the God of my salvation;

how can you reject your servant in anger?

You’ve been my only hope,

so don’t forsake me now when I need you!

My father and mother abandoned me.

But you, Yahweh, took me in and made me yours.

Now teach me, Yahweh, all about your ways and tell me what to do.

Make it clear for me to understand,

for I am surrounded by waiting enemies.

Don’t let them defeat me, Lord.

You can’t let me fall into their clutches!

They keep accusing me of things I’ve never done,

breathing out violence against me.

Yet I believe with all my heart

that I will see again your goodness, Yahweh, in the land of life eternal!

Here’s what I’ve learned through it all:

Don’t give up; don’t be impatient;

be entwined as one with the Lord.

Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope.

Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!

Psalms 27 TPT

Grace and Shalom this week. Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of the Lord is now. Be a blessing to the Lord and others.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH