I enjoyed reading this:
Moses asked God to see His glory. This was God’s reply, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Exodus 33:19).
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). The word merciful is the Hebrew word rachum, it means to be full of compassion. This is the first word that God used to describe His glory. It reveals much about God’s glory and character.
The word gracious in Exodus 34:6 means to show favor, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness; longsuffering means to be patient; goodness means to show loving kindness; truth means to be faithful and trustworthy. All of these characteristics are seen as characteristics of love in 1st Corinthians 13. They are also seen in the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in (Galatians 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. The word fruit in Galatians 5:22 is singular, there is only one fruit of the Spirit, which is love. All the other traits mentioned are characteristics of love. Likewise, in Exodus 34:6 the first thing that God reveals about His character is that He is rachum-“full of compassion”. All of the other characteristics of Exodus 34:6 are contained in this compassionate love of God.
As Jesus moved with compassion the power and love of God was revealed.
We are called God’s vessels of compassion who were created to receive revelation of His glory. That He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy (compassion), which He had prepared beforehand for glory.
Jesus has given us the same glory, the same love, which the Father gave Him. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:22-24) The glory of God and the Father’s love is now within us because of the New Covenant.
The glory of God is the manifestation and revelation of His love, in so many ways.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Are we bold enough to let go?
We should not confuse the pain that may be experienced as we transform on our Christian journey, with the agony of trying to please God through our efforts.
"Suffering to please God" is like banging your head against a wall repeatedly and wondering why it hurts - it's not an honorable pain, it's a foolish pain that can end...just stop banging your head!
Having said this, so many "christian sects" and religious vomit have latched onto the "light yoke" offered to us by Jesus Himself, and weighed it down, sadly. The repercussions is a degree of pain that might be felt during a good old gospel purge - freedom to flush out the vile.
Purging and refining is not purposed to hurt, but the pain of letting go of "doing something", and simply entering into a promise is what many battle with - many have deeply rooted pillars keeping them "stable", but sadly it's in the wrong foundation (legalism and the traditions of man), giving them a false sense of hope.
I like how someone once put it:
"Pain" is the friction between the lies that we have embraced - that have become our prison - and the truth that is revealed to us in Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
The gospel is a declaration of freedom!
Are we bold enough to let go? :-)
"Suffering to please God" is like banging your head against a wall repeatedly and wondering why it hurts - it's not an honorable pain, it's a foolish pain that can end...just stop banging your head!
Having said this, so many "christian sects" and religious vomit have latched onto the "light yoke" offered to us by Jesus Himself, and weighed it down, sadly. The repercussions is a degree of pain that might be felt during a good old gospel purge - freedom to flush out the vile.
Purging and refining is not purposed to hurt, but the pain of letting go of "doing something", and simply entering into a promise is what many battle with - many have deeply rooted pillars keeping them "stable", but sadly it's in the wrong foundation (legalism and the traditions of man), giving them a false sense of hope.
I like how someone once put it:
"Pain" is the friction between the lies that we have embraced - that have become our prison - and the truth that is revealed to us in Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
The gospel is a declaration of freedom!
Are we bold enough to let go? :-)
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Your purpose is predestined for you, not commanded of you
"The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: “The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that’s the real life.” Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: “The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them.”
Let's TRUST, that the life that God "expects from us", He ACTUALLY HAS for us.
When Moses went up to have a chat with God on the mountain, those left waiting eventually occupied themselves with a gold calf, which, while I'm sure a difficult decision at first, became the accepted habit within the community.
How many personal and community based traditions and habits are we engaged in, that have become a distraction to our ACTUAL life in Him...distractions that we've convinced ourselves and each other, are good! (I would list many here, but I'll choose to postpone controversy)
Jesus said, "It is finished."
The "work" is done.
The purpose is DISCOVERY and GROWTH.
Discover who you are...and grow in the knowledge of it.
There's no prescribed cost to follow God. Even persecution is a fragrant aroma in the revelation of freedom.
What offends God, is us believing that our actions and omissions offend God.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. It is impossible to feel the release from the law if we don't understand the gospel and our freedom in its finality.
The gospel is a constant call...Both TO God, and AWAY FROM ourselves.
Continue in the freedom of His love and grace.
Let's TRUST, that the life that God "expects from us", He ACTUALLY HAS for us.
When Moses went up to have a chat with God on the mountain, those left waiting eventually occupied themselves with a gold calf, which, while I'm sure a difficult decision at first, became the accepted habit within the community.
How many personal and community based traditions and habits are we engaged in, that have become a distraction to our ACTUAL life in Him...distractions that we've convinced ourselves and each other, are good! (I would list many here, but I'll choose to postpone controversy)
Jesus said, "It is finished."
The "work" is done.
The purpose is DISCOVERY and GROWTH.
Discover who you are...and grow in the knowledge of it.
There's no prescribed cost to follow God. Even persecution is a fragrant aroma in the revelation of freedom.
What offends God, is us believing that our actions and omissions offend God.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. It is impossible to feel the release from the law if we don't understand the gospel and our freedom in its finality.
The gospel is a constant call...Both TO God, and AWAY FROM ourselves.
Continue in the freedom of His love and grace.
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