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There were moments when the wickedness of the world had become too much for those with contrite hearts. At that point, God chose to provide them with an escape (translating them into glory). I understand my father’s death this way. He had endured so much wickedness with those around him that God chose to give him peace.

But there are also times when the believer must live and be a witness of Jesus’ humility and strength. They are enabled with the power of God to endure for a time.

Those who are lowly, He will revive their spirit. Those who are of a contrite heart, He dwells with them.

When God dwells with man, the curse of sin has ended. (Sin leads to eternal separation from God, aka spiritual death- Romans 6:23).

John the Baptist sounded the warning that prepared the way for Messiah (Anointed One and Savior). He told the people “repent for the kingdom of heaven is near”. Repentance requires a lowly and contrite heart. It means a change in our heart’s allegiance from being self- centered to seeing it God’s way (180 degree turn about). This usually happens after a tremendous revelation of His love.

The people in Jerusalem that day may not have recognized in the moment the outpouring of love Jesus offered for us. He endured the punishment of the cross, not because He was a criminal but because it was God’s plan to satisfy the requirement for salvation (to buy us back from sin to God =redemption). He understood the cost and took on the task. Why? He was the only one able to bear the sin of the whole world (and was without sin). He conquered sin’s curse (aka death and ended eternal separation from God) when he rose again from the grave. In that moment He offered mankind a tremendous gift. The gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

Receive His gift today (with a lowly and contrite heart). – Teresa (listen to the song “Who am I”) #tobelovedbyYOU #NEEDTOBREATHE

Isaiah 57:15 ((ESV)

¹⁵ For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 57:1,2 (NET)

1 The godly perish,
but no one cares.
Honest people disappear,
when no one minds
that the godly disappear because of evil. 2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their bed

Romans 6: 19-23 (NET)

19 (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. 21
So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. 23 For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 3:1-11 (NET)

1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken:
“The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’” 4
Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. 5 Then people from Jerusalem, as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him, 6 and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. 7
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, 9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11
“I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Revelation 22:1-3 (NET)

1
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life – water as clear as crystal – pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 flowing down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. 3 And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5Night will be no more, and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.

In Yosemite this past month, we encountered some smoke but only at the higher elevations. It was so refreshing when the following day (after this image was captured), we experienced a deluge of rain, cleansing the atmosphere.

Whether the air is subpar with smoke or freshly humidified with rain, I love Yosemite views!

This passage in Ephesians is not meant to discourage us with words like predestinated or adoption. The smoke of human allusions to these words could be negative or may cloud our understanding of the spiritual perspective.

How much better to see it as a mystery, high elevation beauty that exudes God’s goodness. How can God be inclusive with a word like predestined? Or is it the phrase “adoption to himself” that clarifies the intent of God’s heart?

Even those of us who are not Israel have been shown mercy and grace, being included as adopted sons and daughters.

The Holy Spirit guarantees the inheritance for us. Jesus Christ the Lord bought the inheritance for our redemption from sin. God the Father foreknew (planned) what would happen because it was in His heart to rescue all of mankind.

Today, take a look at the view and be awed by the mystery. When He works all things together for good (Romans 8:28) (to those who love God and are called according to his purpose), He really means that His purpose will stand. #mystery

In spite of my brokenness, He is making things more beautiful than I can ask or imagine.- Teresa #loveGodfirst

Ephesians 1:3-14 (ESV)

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us^[b] for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known^[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

¹¹ In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee^[d] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,^[e] to the praise of his glory.

In the movie, “Hacksaw Ridge”, Desmond Doss portrays true reliance on God’s strength to bring his comrades to safety. His words “just one more” became his prayer during the whole ordeal. *

It’s because of the way God loves me (as a fortress and steadfastly), that I can sing like David. Although David was in a dire place and men were sent from a place of authority to kill him, he still sang praises to God.

If I am surrounded by enemy fire (like the soldier, Doss) or faced with unimaginable odds (like David), then I must trust that the refuge God provides is more powerful than human aid.

His refuge may take on the form of something we had never considered (i.e. retirement) or it may appear as a new career (in a whole new field). But one thing is certain, He will provide.

David started a new career as King of the nation of Israel after many years of running like a fugitive. His faith was well-placed and this vulnerable relationship with God was reflected in his songs (the Psalms).

You are the God who shows up with steadfast love!! How can I withhold my song of praise? – Teresa #justonemoreday

*watch “Hacksaw Ridge”, the movie (2016)

Psalm 59:16,17 (ESV)

¹⁶ But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
¹⁷ O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.

Destroying strongholds does not happen with fleshly human power. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not the boldest person in the room who wins or even the one with the loudest voice.

The believers at Corinth were chiding Paul for his meekness. Paul was one tough guy. Most likely he was the boldest and loudest voice in the room (at least prior to his conversion).

The Savior did something so dramatic that it literally changed his character (and name) on the road to Damascus. It was there he encountered a blinding light and was saved.

Paul understood the need to be touched at a spiritual level. Jesus was the one who touched him and changed him. What argument or lofty opinion has raised itself up in your life to keep you from the change God has for you?

Paul obeyed Jesus Christ the Lord and became his mouthpiece of peace to both Jews and Gentiles. He helped build the church in Asia Minor and despite the harsh treatment he endured (beatings and prison), he was still able to write the majority of the New Testament. His legacy lives on for us today.

What act of obedience has God called me to? Am I entering into this time with weapons that have divine power to destroy strongholds? #meekness

In order to recognize it, I have to change my mind by joining my steps to the Holy Spirit’s leading. God is in the common places of our lives, we don’t need to search far to find Him. In fact, we may be surprised to know He has been waiting for us to recognize His presence with us even now.- Teresa #knowGod #Holybible #obeyChrist #completeobediencemeanssurrendered.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (ESV)

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

God’s gift is not the perfect human specimen but is the pleasure of eating, drinking and being able to provide (aka work).

When God puts eternity in the heart of man, He inserts a longing for heaven. We may not understand the fullness of that longing but can relate to the feeling, as C.S.Lewis describes it.*

Everything is made beautiful in time by our great Creator. Someday, when we join our Savior in heaven, we will reflect the Father’s glory. It is His plan and purpose exponentially understood and experienced that creates perfect beauty.

Be encouraged because although things are not perfect here, we can still partake of God’s gift.- -Teresa #resting #enjoying #expecting

* (see Focus on the Family Canada), Written by Subby Szterszky “Longing for a far country never visited”.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-13 (ESV)

The God-Given Task

⁹ What gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.