Merry Christmas, 2023.

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." -Isaiah 60:1

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." -Luke 2:14

mysticism: joy and heaven.

Joy: the reflection or residue of God within us.

As if that were not mystical enough, we are told that heaven is the perfected reflection of Earth, in the eyes of say, a sage.

Temptation overcome by faith and the Holy Ghost....

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

There hath no temptation taken unto you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

(Jas 1:2, Romans 5:3, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

On temptation and the trying of faith, straight from scripture.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

-1 Corinthians 10:13

No os ha sobrevenido ninguna tentación que no sea humana; pero fiel es Dios, quien no os dejará ser tentados más de lo que podéis soportar, sino que juntamente con la tentación dará la salida, para que la podáis resistir.

你們所遇見的試探、無非是人所能受的、　神是信實的、必不叫你們受試探過於所能受的．在受試探的時候、總要給你們開一條出路、叫你們能忍受得住。

 

"...the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ..."  -1 Peter 1:7

"...para que la prueba de vuestra fe--más preciosa que el oro que perece, aunque sea probado con fuego-- sea hallada digna de alabanza, gloria y honra en la revelación de Jesucristo...."  #espanolmoderno

"叫你們的信心既被試驗、就比那被火試驗、仍然能壞的金子、更顯寶貴．可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候、得著稱讚、榮耀、尊貴。"

Tozer on God conditioning the believer.

"I once heard a brother preach on the fact that the church should be without spot or wrinkle. To get the wrinkles out of a sack, he said, you fill it. To get a wrinkle out of a rug, you lay it down and walk on it. God sometimes fills us, the preacher continued, but sometimes He just puts us flat down so that everyone can walk on us!"  -AW Tozer

New memes from Isaiah 42, KJV

 

of an abundance of love, the mouth speaks.

from the daily bible devotionals:  "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."  -Philippians 1:2

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you..."  -Philippians 1:3

Love you all, and out of an abundance of love, the mouth speaks.  

Glory to God.

"Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife."  -Proverbs 17:1.

  
Sometimes, its the Christian in the room that has to stand-up and get loud for the cause of peace, my friends.  

"Let patience have its perfect work."  

Love someone today; speak words of kindness and patience.

Glory to God.