Memes: Psalm 118 and Ephesians 4

"....walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."  -Ephesians 4

 

Ephesians 6. Not the armor and spirit-battle stuff.

utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.  -Ephesians 6

Ah, the mystery of the Gospel, that God's will is so far more perfect than human mind can comprehend.  Remember too, the seed of the Gospel, some would fall on weak earth, and other on utterly stony, infertile earth, and in either case, it would be rootless and weak, destitute of belief.

But God's will as being above man, think of the Calvinistic proofs, how those seeking to disprove tie themselves up in knots to knock down Calvin's doctrine.  It seems to always come down that Calvin limits God, and limits the redemptive work of the Cross, but nowhere in Calvin's doctrine does it say the blood is not capable of redeeming all, simply that God doesn't plan to redeem all.

Think of Christ, speaking of the stony soil of some hearts, where faith would not live.  Even Christ knew some would not believe, and during his day, there were hard real sins, people risen from the dead, among other miracles, and still, some would not believe.

Fast forward to our day, in which "some would not believe", and conquest made against love and peace, the lack of miracles, and the Bible had lamented that people only wanted signs, but blessed moreso are those that have not seen, yet believed.

The Gospel is thusly a mystery because it is not readily apparent to all, but probably to most of the hearers, most of the readers, that redemptive work of the cross lays its shadow across the hearts of the faithful and spurns them to pick up their own crosses and give.

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chain of blessings: on Thanksgiving 2022

Walking through the store, I saw a big beautiful turkey.  Immediately I thought of the joy of having enough turkey for the entire extended family.  I decided to purchase it, no matter what it cost.

So I was going to bless my family.

But the store blessed me first with a deal.  By spending so much money in addition to the bird, I was eligible for a discount, and got the bird for a much cheaper price than otherwise.

So the store blessed me.

Mind, my family are already a blessing on me, such as it is, for being in my life, active in my life, despite being busy in their own individual worlds.

When we look at chains of scripture like Ephesians, we are assured of blessings, as Paul says, "abundant", as if we were always to get more from a God that owns everything in existence.

Paul is of course thankful so much for his church family, in every epistle letter he spends a lot of time being thankful for them, and he wants them to know how glad he is to have brotherhood with them.

May we all be so mindful of our own blessings in daily life.

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Blessings from

and Praise to

the God of All Consolation.

November 6, 2022: according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed himself....

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him  -Ephesians 2

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When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle's wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards.  -Charles Spurgeon

Though there are 7.9 billion people on earth, the Lord knows all of them intimately. And He speaks to His children on an individual basis, according to each one’s needs and experiences. -Charles Stanley

When we rise to contemplate the blood of the Son of God, our awe is yet more increased, and we shudder as we think of the guilt of sin, and the terrible penalty which the Sin-bearer endured. Blood, always precious, is priceless when it streams from Immanuel's side. The blood of Jesus seals the covenant of grace, and makes it forever sure. Covenants of old were made by sacrifice, and the everlasting covenant was ratified in the same manner. Oh, the delight of being saved upon the sure foundation of divine engagements which cannot be dishonoured! -Charles Spurgeon

The true Christian is a saint in embryo. The heavenly genes are in him and the Holy Spirit is working to bring him on into a spiritual development that accords with the nature of the Heavenly Father from whom he received the deposit of divine life. Yet he is here in this mortal body subject to weakness and temptation, and his warfare with the flesh sometimes leads him to do extreme things. -AW Tozer

Paul is telling us, "If you become so preoccupied with angels that you let go of the head, Jesus Christ, you are off the rails!"  In fact, if you are preoccupied with angels in such a way that it takes you away from Jesus Christ, I'm telling you, you are in error.  The body grows; the body is nourished; we get our life and direction from the head, Jesus Christ.

If God wants to have an angel intervene in my life, that is wonderful.  But I don't need to contact my angel because I have constant communion with the Son of God, who, as we learned yesterday, is superior to angels! -Bayless Conley

Delight in God has a transforming power and lifts a man above the gross desire of our fallen nature. Delight in Jehovah is not only sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul, till the longings of the heart become such that the LORD can safely promise to fulfill them. Is not that a grand delight which molds our desires till they are like the desires of God? -Charles Spurgeon

Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this ?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.  -Oswald Chambers

The Christian's view of life's values should be far different from that of the worldly minded. To truly gain the most out of life, it will be helpful to sincerely examine not only our attitudes, but our objectives and motives. By answering these questions perhaps you will have a clearer understanding of yourself. Is most of my time and thought occupied with others to better myself? To outdo others? To be recognized or praised? Or am I living to love the unlovely, to serve the undeserving, and to permit others to see Christ through my actions? These motives direct the path on which our life is traveling. We are either going in the direction God is directing or we are going our own way. -from Christianity.com

What need have we then to hide our faces? If David could say, “They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psa. 34:5), how much more should this be said of us! We know, or should know, more of Him than those of David’s day, and those Scriptures specially addressed to us send us forth, not to proclaim God’s righteous demands, but to proclaim Christ, the righteous One, who met these demands at Calvary and offers justification and life to all.  -Cornelius Stam

Ephesians 1 kicking-off November 2022, and our walk with the Lord.

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, -Ephesians 1

 

A new month, another chance to "get it right", to improve and progress hand-in-hand with Christ.  Best wishes to everyone on the new month, as the leaves are turning here in the Southeast coastal region, and the weather is changeable from day to day: cool mornings, warm evenings; coats worn then shed.

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SELECTIONS:

The most mischievous—and painful—by-product of any sorrow is the illusion that it isolates one, that one is kicked out alone for this from an otherwise cheerful, bustling, ‘normal’ world. How much better to realise that one is just doing one’s turn in the line like all the rest of the ragged and tired human regiment!  -CS Lewis

It is possible within the provisions of redemptive grace to enter into a state of union with Christ so perfect that the world will instinctively react toward us exactly as it did toward Him in the days of His flesh....

It is the Spirit of Christ in us that will draw Satan's fire. -AW Tozer

Those who spoke patronizingly of the good man's fidelity to his convictions, but shared not in them, have sunk to rise no more, and the workers who for pay helped to build the wondrous ark, are all lost also. -Charles Spurgeon

Before you rush off and start a bunch of new things after going through a difficult time, God wants you to pause and consider the lessons you learned. Don’t let all the pain you went through be wasted. Take time to glean the spiritual truths from everything you’ve experienced.

The Bible says, “You have experienced many things. Were all those experiences wasted? I hope not!” (Galatians 3:4 ICB)  -Rick Warren

There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is intimately aware of and shares in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. God divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. -Oswald Chambers 

 

10.30.22 End of Harvest approaches, and the indwelling of Faith in the believer

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. -Ephesians 2

 

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Selections:

Praise should always follow answered prayer; as the mist of earth's gratitude rises when the sun of heaven's love warms the ground. Hath the Lord been gracious to thee, and inclined his ear to the voice of thy supplication? Then praise him as long as thou livest. Let the ripe fruit drop upon the fertile soil from which it drew its life. Deny not a song to him who hath answered thy prayer and given thee the desire of thy heart. -Charles H Spurgeon

No one whom the Father has chosen before the foundation of the world, no one whom Christ has shed his precious blood for, no one filled by the Holy Spirit of God is dispensable or unnecessary to the body. -Greg Morse for Desiringgod.org

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-indispensable-lives-of-ordinary-christians

To bless God for mercies received is also the way to benefit our fellow-men; "the humble shall hear thereof and be glad." Others who have been in like circumstances shall take comfort if we can say, "Oh! magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together; this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him." Weak hearts will be strengthened, and drooping saints will be revived as they listen to our "songs of deliverance." -Charles H Spurgeon

Faith in active opposition to common sense is mistaken enthusiasm and narrow-mindedness, and common sense in opposition to faith demonstrates a mistaken reliance on reason as the basis for truth. -Oswald Chambers

Faith always works in a personal way, because the purpose of God is to see that perfect faith is made real in His children.  -Oswald Chambers

How great, how infinite,
The debt of love we owe!
How can we now do less than live
For Him who loved us so?
-Cornelius Stam