Promises for Temptation and for Discouragement

This is my last blog my lungs are giving me a struggle to breath and it is getting harder for me to do this so please accept my apology for giving up but it has been a joy and has helped me probably more than anyone else.  So I am doing some promises on Temptation and the on Discouragement.  Hope it will help someone as much as they have helped me.  Please keep trusting in God's promises and I will see you in the kingdom when Jesus comes.

Temptation:

1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 2:9  "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation."

Discouragement:

Romans 8:28  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Psalm 37:23,24  "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.  Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand."

Loneliness:

Joshua 1:5  "No man shall stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will not leave you nor forsake you."

Matthew 28:20  "Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

God bless all of you for being with me day by day and even off and on.  I hope you have been encouraged to study the Word and Pray and claim these promises.  There are so many more but I just can't keep up with it.  I pray that many of you have been led into a closer walk with your Lord.  See you in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior when Jesus comes.  Grandma Joan

Promises for the Sorrowing and those who Mourn

We have all had sorrow of some kind haven't we?  We have lost loved ones, close friends and others that meant a lot to us. We sorrow over our sinful condition, or at least we should.  We sorrow when we see suffering, and starvation around the world.  There is so much sorrow and suffering, I thought some promises for this would be appropriate, so here they are:

Psalm 30:5  "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

Psalm 147:3  "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up  their wounds."

Isaiah 57:18  "I have seen his ways and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners."

1 Thessalonians 4:16,17,18  "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Sorrow will flee away at that moment when we all meet at Jesus second coming.  I can't wait to see my husband again, my daughter and others who have gone on before me.  No more crying, sorrow and death. No more disease, pain and tears.  It is worth all the effort it takes to surrender the keeping of our souls to Him who never fails us.  Grandma Joan

Promises regarding our Health

Some of these promises have meant so much to me because of my broken bones and weakness.  I have to trust in Him implicitly for strength each day and then I make it through the day.  I know that my condition has drawn me closer to Him because of my helpless condition but I do not ask 'why' I know why.  This is what it has taken to get me to look to Him for my strength and my continued life.  I hope to live to a hundred and something so that I can continue to share God's goodness with others.  I have had this disease for years and should have been gone long ago, but here I am and God has been so good to prolong my life and allow me to bless others.  Here are some promises for health:

Psalm 103:1-5  "Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

I don't have to tell you that I love these verses and have memorized them, you can know why if you have been reading my blog.  We are not to forget His benefits which are: forgiveness of our sins, heals our diseases, saves our lives from destruction, and pours His lovingkindness and tender mercies on us over and over again and gives us so many good things to eat, and will renew our youth in us.
Could you ask for more?  I can't.  It covers all my desires and more.  I am so very grateful even for the little blessings of life.  Are you?  I am sure you are.  I pray God's blessing upon you as you read my blog each day.  Grandma Joan

PS, More promises tomorrow, lots more in the future. Keep reading and trusting.

Promises for Guidance

I know that we all need guidance and I also know that worldly guidance usually fails to take us where we want to go in our Spiritual life.  This is from my own experience.  How about yours?  I am learning to trust more day by day in God's guidance as I travel this pathway of life.  I am not an expert, for sure, but when we follow God's guidance, He is the Expert and He does not fail.  So here are some promises for you on God's guidance.

Proverbs 3:6  "In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."

Isaiah 58:11  "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Psalm 25:9  "The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way."

Psalm 48:14  "For this is God, our God forever and ever, He will be our guide even unto death."

Do you like these promises?  I especially like the one in Isaiah because I have Osteoporosis and I have broken all my vertebrae twice, one hip and many breaks in my ribs and I am well acquainted with pain and He has strengthen my bones, I took a terrible fall last spring, got knocked down on to a concrete walk and hit hard and didn't break a bone, got a big bruise but that was it.  Before that I could step off a curb an break a vertebrae or the car would hit a hard bump and break one.  I pushed a gate open and broke a rib.  So you can see why I really like this verse in Isaiah.  Yes, He keeps His promises to those who trust in Him.  "In all thy ways acknowledge Him", that is the secret to being able to live by His promises.  He has been so good to me.  He will do the same for you too, I am not special, everyone is special in His eyes.  God bless you with the reading of His Word.  Grandma Joan

God Hears and Answers

I promised you some special Bible Promises for today and I know that they will mean a lot to you as they do to me and I want to incorporate them into my prayer time which will make my prayers more meaningful and also increase my faith in my God.  I know it will help me tremendously and so it may be with you.  You might try it along with me and make a comment to let me know how you are doing.  I would love that.

Jeremiah 2:12  "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray unto Me and I will listen to you."

Isaiah 30:19  "He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it He will answer you"

1 John 5: 14,15  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

Isaiah 65:24  "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer and while they are still speaking I will hear."

Isaiah 58:9  "Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am."

Psalm 91:15  "He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him."

Psalm 34:17  "The righteous cry out and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles."

Do you like these promises of God hearing our prayers and answering them?  I love them.  I believe in them and know that He does answer, He has answered so many of my prayers, not because I am anything special but because I am so needy and He loves me so much.  Tomorrow I will share some more promises on special topics.  Grandma Joan

Blessing Granted

This is taken from the same chapter on the Nobleman at Capernaum.

DA 200  "The nobleman wanted to see the fulfillment of his prayer before he should believe; but he had to accept the word of Jesus that his request was heard and the blessing granted.  This lesson we also have to learn.  Not because we see or feel that God hears us are we to believe.  We are to trust in His promises.  When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God.  When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received it.  Than we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most.  When we have learned to do this, we shall know that our prayers are answered.  God will do for us 'exceeding abundantly,' 'according to the riches of His glory,' and 'the working of His mighty power.;  Eph. 3:20, 16; 1:19.  "

Remember we only need the faith the size of a mustard seed and He will give us the answer when it is most needed.  We are to hang on by faith in Him who healed the sick, raised the dead, stilled the stormy sea and blessed the little children and held them close to His heart. Tomorrow I am going to give you some of the promises that I am learning to trust in.  They are wonderful and they restore our faith as we include them in our prayers.  I believe there is a verse for our every need, so let's explore that tomorrow.  I love to do this and so will you once you get started.  Grandma Joan

The Nobleman

This quote is based on John 4:43-54, so if you read these few verses first then the quote has quite a bit more meaning, but even then it has a lot of meaning to me and I am sure you will gain the same benefit that I do.  The nobleman was an officer of the King's Service and His son was gravely ill and He came to Jesus with the request to heal his son.  His son was not only healed, the whole family became followers of Jesus.  A very interesting story, please read it if you will.

DA 200  "The father hurries home to greet his son.  He clasps him to his heart as one restored from the dead, and thanks God again an again for the wonderful restoration.
The nobleman longed to know more of Christ.  As he afterward heard His teaching, he an all his household became disciples.  Their affliction was sanctified to the conversion of the entire family.  Tidings of the miracle spread; and in Capernaum, where so many of His mighty works were performed, the way was prepared for Christ's personal ministry.

He who blessed the nobleman at Capernaum is just as desirous of blessing us.  But like the afflicted father, we are often led to seek Jesus by the desire for some earthly good; and upon the granting of our request we rest our confidence in His love.  The Savior longs to give us a greater blessing than we ask; and He delays the answer to our request that He may show us the evil of our own hearts, and our deep need of His grace.  He desires us to renounce the selfishness that leads us to seek Him.  Confessing our helplessness and bitter need, we are to trust ourselves wholly to His love."

Can you do that?  Trust yourself wholly to His love?  I understand that it takes faith to trust in something unseen but in reality we do it all the time.  We can't see the pillars holding up a bridge over a deep river but we still drive over it. We walk over a swinging bridge thats just held up by cable at each end, nothing under it.  We have faith that the food at a deli or other place to eat is not poison, but OK to eat.  Most of us have faith in our car to get us where we want to go.  Jesus said 'if you have faith as a mustard seed', how much faith is that?  A mustard seed is a very tiny seed, Jesus just wants us to believe in Him a little bit and He will increase our faith as we grow in Him.  Our faith will increase as our time with Him increases.  Grandma Joan

Do You Think You Are Hopeless?

We have all been there and suffered from our sins and wayward lives.  None of us are exempt from being a sinner in need of a Savior.  Do you feel that there is no hope for you?  Read on and see....
You might want to read the chapter on the 'woman at the well' in John 4 verses 1-42 in the New Testament. In any case this paragraph should give all of us hope.

DA 194  "When Jesus sat down to rest at Jacob's well,  He had come from Judea where His ministry had produced little fruit.  He had been rejected by the priests and rabbis,  and even the people who had professed to be His disciples had failed of perceiving His divine character.  He was faint and weary; yet He did not neglect the opportunity of speaking to one woman, though she was a stranger, an alien from Israel, and living in open sin.
There may be only one to hear the message;  but who can tell how far reaching will be it's influence.  It seemed a small matter, even to His disciples, for the Savior to spend His time upon a woman of Samaria.  But He reasoned more earnestly and eloquently with her than with kings, councilors, or high priests.  The lesssons He gave to that woman have been repeated to the earth's remotest bounds.
As soon as she found the Savior the Samaritan woman brought others to Him.  She proved herself a more effective missionary than is own disciples."

Do you think you are worthless, hopeless and not worthy to be His disciple?  It doesn't matter to God where you have been or what you have done, He can use you to bring others to Him just like the Samaritan woman who was a stranger, an alien and living in open sin.  Jesus died for us to forgive and restore us to Himself, please let Him do His work in you.  Grandma Joan

Are You Willing?

This quote was on John 3: 22-36 speaking of John the Baptist.  Remember he was the forerunner of Christ.  It might be well to read these verses then the quote but what ever you decide to do, this is an outstanding thought to apply to our lives.

DA 179-180  "Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God will not seek honor for themselves.  Love for self will be swallowed up in love for Christ.  No rivalry will mar the precious cause of the gospel.  They sill recognize that it is their work to proclaim, as did John the Baptist.  "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.
So with the followers of Christ.  We can receive of heaven's light only as we are willing to be emptied of self.  We cannot discern the character of God, or accept Christ by faith, unless we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ.  All who do this the Holy Spirit is given without measure.  In Christ 'dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him ye are made full."  Col. 2:9,10."

Are you willing to let self be swallowed up in love for Christ?  Surrender of self is the hardest thing for us to let go of.  But we must let go of self and let God have full control of our life.  It may seem a bit scary to some but it really smooths out all of life's problems and gives the Christian true peace. I need that peace and want it.  My life has been a bumpy ride and it's time for a smooth one in Christ.  It doesn't mean there will be no more trials, it just means that Christ is at the helm and is responsible for getting us through them unscathed and to be a stronger person in Him.  Grandma Joan

How Can These Things Be?

DA 175  "There are thousands today who need to learn the same truth that was taught to Nicodemus by the uplifted serpent. They depend on their obedience to the law of God to commend them to His favor.  When they are bidden to look to Jesus, and believe that He saves them solely through His grace, they exclaim, "How can these things be?"
Like Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same way as the chief of sinners.  Than Christ, "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."  Acts 4:12.  Through faith we receive the grace of God, but faith is not our Savior.  It earns nothing.  It is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin.  And we cannot even repent without the aid of the Spirit of God.  The Scripture says of Christ,"Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."  Acts 5:31.  Repentance comes from Christ as truly as does pardon."

Tomorrow we will see 'How we are to be saved'.  Are you weary of struggling to live a good life?  Then tomorrow we will find out "How can these things be?"  Keep reading each day and I will try to lead you in the path of righteousness.  I am a sinner saved by His grace the same as everyone else but my duty now is to share how to come to this knowledge and experience, so hang in there we are doing this together.  Grandma Joan

The Uplifted Serpent

DA175, 176  "How then are we to be saved?  As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," so the Son of man has been lifted up and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent (satan) may look and live.  "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.  The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God.  His love is drawing us to Himself.  If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Savior.  Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul.  The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ.  The heart, the mind are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself.  Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart,  and we can say with Christ, 'I delight to do Thy will, O my God.' Ps. 40:8."

By looking upon Jesus we are brought into fellowship with Him.  If it were not for the sacrifice of His life on the cross, we could not be saved.  He died to save us and cover us with HIS righteousness not our own self-righteousness which are as filthy garments.  How do we look and live?  By beholding Him on the cross and studying His word to find out what His will is for us and being a 'doer of His word and not just a hearer only'.  James 1:22.  It also says, 'deceiving ourselves'.  Let's not deceive ourselves by thinking the Scripture doesn't mean what it says.  It surely does and it is so simple to just trust in God ourselves and not man.  I have had things mixed up in my life and it is such a joy to get it all straightened out by studying His word and believing it and being a doer and not just a hearer.  Grandma Joan

The Wind and The Spirit

DA 173  "While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt.  So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power.  When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life.  Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy ,and strife.  Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven.  No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above.  The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God.  Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God.
It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of redemption.  Its mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet he who passes from death to life realizes that it is a divine reality.  The beginning of redemption we may know here through a personal experience.  Its results reach through the eternal ages."

I am so very thankful for the Holy Spirit's work in my life and God's love and grace to continue working in my life.  It's true, we can't comprehend the work of redemption but we can experience it.  That much I know, and I have tried to figure out how it came about but it is impossible.  We must just trust to His power and love in our lives and it does happen, I can vouch for that.  Keep trusting and your life will change and then one of these days you will all of a sudden see what God has been doing, without your help or your knowledge.  Grandma Joan

Longing For More------

DA 187  "He who seeks to quench his thirst at the fountains of this world will drink only to thirst again.  Everywhere men are unsatisfied.  They long for something to supply the need of the soul.  Only One can meet that want.  The need of the world, "The Desire of all nations," is Christ.  The divine grace which He alone can impart, is as living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul.
Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draft of the water of life would suffice the receiver.  He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else.  The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him.  The constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee.  And He who reveals to the soul its necessity is  waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst.  Every human resource and dependence will fail.  The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain.  We may drink, and drink again and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the fountain of blessing--"a well of water springing up into everlasting life."  From this source he may draw strength and grace sufficient for all his needs."

Are you thirsty for something better in this life?  Try Jesus, He is the answer that I have found that keeps me going from minute to minute, hour to hour and day to day.  I have found that listening to men's counsel does not fill my extreme need. God is the answer.  Counselors can help IF they are Christian counselors, but God is the Divine Counselor and it is freely given from His Word.  Ask God for guidance and He will lead you to just what you need for the day, it really does work for me and I am sure if you are sincere it will work for you.  Try it, it just might be the answer you are looking for.  Grandma Joan

His Love Draws

DA 176  "The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God.  His love is drawing us to Himself.  If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance of the sins that have crucified the Savior.  Then the Spirit of God through faith, produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ.  The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, 'I delight to do Thy will O my God.' Ps. 40:8."

Is His love drawing you?  It is me.  If we do not resist, we shall be drawn to Him.  How easy is that?
Don't resist.  Please let Him draw you into His presence and you will be blessed beyond your highest dreams.  Grandma Joan

Maintaining Our Connection

This is a must for the ongoing Christian.  We must maintain our connection, how do we do it?  Let's find out.

DA 676  "This union with Christ, once formed, must be maintained.  Christ said, 'Abide in Me, and I in you, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.'  This is no casual touch, no off-and-on connection.  The branch becomes a part of the living vine.  The communication of life, strength, and fruitfulness from the root to the branches is unobstructed and constant.  Separated from the vine, the branch cannot live.  No more, said Jesus, can you live apart from Me.  The life you have received from Me can be preserved only by continual communion.  Without Me you cannot overcome one sin, or resist one temptation.

"Abide in Me, and I in you," Abiding in Christ means a constant receiving of His Spirit, a life of unreserved surrender to His service.  The channel of communication must be open continually between man and his God.  As the vine branch constantly draws the sap from the living vine, so are we to cling to Jesus and receive from Him by faith, the strength and perfection of His own character"

There you have it, the way to maintain our connection with Christ.  Spend time with Him each morning and work up to a thoughtful hour each day and your connection with Christ will become strong and He will be your very best Friend.  Grandma Joan

Strength To Keep Going

There are several ways that we can be strong or weak, Spiritually, Emotionally, and Physically.  I believe that I have experienced all three, how about you?  I believe I have found the answer this morning, check it out.

DA 668  "As Christ lived the law in humanity so we may do if we will take hold of the Strong for strength.  But we are not to place the responsibility of our duty upon others, and wait for them to tell us what to do.  We cannot depend for counsel upon humanity.  The Lord will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will teach somebody else.  If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally.  Our hearts will often burn within us as One draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch.  Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue.  And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength.  Power for obedience, for service, will be imparted to them, as Christ has promised.  Whatever was given to Christ--the 'all things' to supply the need of fallen men-was given to Him as the head and representative of humanity.  And 'whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.' 1 John 3:22."

Can I encourage you to take hold of the Strong for strength and to decide in your heart to do nothing that will displease God, the promise is that we will receive not only wisdom, but strength.  Power for obedience and service.  I believe God hears our prayers for help and strength and for wisdom too, to do what He asks us to to so He can answer our prayers.  May you receive this blessing too, I am praying for this blessing.  Grandma Joan

Are You Weak?

I have been so weak now for three months and it is so slow in returning to my normal self and sometimes I wonder if I ever will.  I know my age isn't helping me but I've always worked so hard and not only that taking care of my husband for several years, I kind of became isolated from society except for the nurses at the nursing home where he was the last seven months of his life.  Now I am struggling to become normal again, whatever normal is.  So my son tried to help yesterday see that God could step in and make me normal again and then I read this:

DA 827  "All who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical and mental power.  The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command.  Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit, the life of His own life.  The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind.  The grace of God enlarges and multiplies their faculties, and every perfection of the divine nature comes to their assistance in the work of saving souls.  Through co-operation with Christ they are complete in Him, and in their human weakness they are enabled to do the deeds of Omnipotence."

That was so encouraging to me because of my condition.  So now I am praying for God to do just what it says He will do.  I just need to surrender to His will for me.  I am anxious to see just what He will do for this old lady at this time in my life.  I will keep you posted as long as I am able to blog.  I hope it will be a while before I have to give this up, but we will see.  Grandma Joan

We Have An Enemy

Have you every been assaulted by an enemy?  It could be physical, emotional or Spiritual.  I'm sure all humans have experience some kind of assault, but to be assaulted by God's worse enemy and ours too is another thing, because he is so subtle and we don't often recognize what's happening.  Here is a quote to explain some of it.

DA 126  "Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading us to presumption.  If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his.  God will preserve  all who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is to venture on Satan's ground.  There we are sure to fall.  The Savior has bidden us, "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."  Mark 14:38.  Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden in the way of danger, and thus we should be saved from many defeat."

Don't lose courage, time is short, we can see all the Bible prophecies being fulfilled all around us, things that we have never seen or heard of until recently are being fulfilled as the Bible has warned us.  Let us study the Word and obey and trust in Our Creator God and we will be ready when Jesus comes.  Grandma Joan

Don't Lose Courage, Victory Is Yours

These blogs that I am doing now, are strengthening my faith so much and helping me on my Christian journey.  I hope they are helping you.  I am trying to make them short and easy reading so no one will get discouraged with them.  Pray for understanding and the strength to follow Jesus.

DA 126,127  "Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading us to presumption.  If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his.  God will preserve all who walk in the path of obedience, but to depart form it is to venture on Satan's ground.  There we are sure to fall.  The Savior has bidden us, "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."  Mark14:38.  Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way of danger and thus we should be saved from many a defeat."

Have you been defeated?  I have many times in the past but they are getting fewer and fewer as I am learning to trust in Him for my strength to obey and call on Him for help when I am tempted.  Will you join me in being victorious over Satan's temptation.  I sincerely hope so.  Tomorrow I will give you more encouragement along this line.  Thank you for joining me this morning.  Grandma Joan

When We Pray

Do we trust God like we should?  He is the best Friend that we could ever have and when we pray,

DA 126.  "We should not present our petitions to God to prove whether He will fulfill His word, but because He will fulfill it; not to prove that He loves us but because He loves us.  "Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6."

But faith is in no sense allied to presumption.  Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption.  For presumption is Satan's counterfeit of faith.  Faith claims God's promises, and bring forth fruit in obedience.  Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression.  Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands.  Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin.  It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted.  Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures."

I pray that our faith increases and will lead us to love God and obey His commands and that we will not be presumptuous and try to excuse our sin and call that faith.  May God help us all to lead a life worthy of the name Christian.  Grandma Joan

The Greatest Gift Christ Could Give Us

I love gifts, don't you?  Usually they are a surprise and it is exciting to receive a surprise gift.  I also love to give, can't always give gifts but I can give myself in helping others and I love to do that.  Jesus gave us a precious gift after He ascended to heaven to be with His Father.

DA 672  "Christ has promised the gift of the holy Spirit to His church, and the promise belongs to us as much as to the first disciples.  But like every other promise, it is given on conditions.  There are many who believe and profess to claim the Lord's promise; they talk about Christ and about the Holy Spirit, yet receive no benefit.  They do not surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by the divine agencies.  We cannot use the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit is to use us.  Through the Spirit God works in His people "to will and to do of His good pleasure" Phil. 2:13.  But many will not submit to this.  They want to manage themselves.  This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift.  Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given.  The power of God awaits their demand and reception.  This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessing in its train.  It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive."

Do you like this promise of such a special gift?  I do and I believe we do receive it when we abide by the conditions.  It is hard to give up control of our lives to others but to God when He loves us so much should be much easier, don't you think?  Let's try it and receive His special gift to us.  Grandma Joan

Helpless and Alone?

Yes, I've been there, helpless and alone, so very alone after my husband passed away, all I wanted to do was cry, and talk, but most of the time there was no one to talk to.  This quote is a big help to me even now after over two years.

DA 669,670  "At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith.  Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter.  Wherever we are or wherever we may go, He is always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold and cheer."

Jesus said in Ephesians 3:18,19 "The Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things.  You shall be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."

What a promise for us when we are feeling helpless and lonely!!  Hang on to this when you are in need of someone to talk to or to care.  Someone is there beside you all the time.  Grandma Joan

Self-respect

Do you lack self-respect?  Check this out!!  Good for all of us.

DA 668  "The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage  to value themselves according to the price H has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them.  He has a use for them, and He is well pleased when the make the very highest demands upon Him that they may glorify His name.  They may expect large things if they have faith in His promises."

Notice the words that we may glorify His name.  That's what He wants us to do, show everyone how much He loves us by glorifying His name.  Is that a hard thing to do?  I don't think so, the only thing that makes it hard is our selfish heart, so we need to pray that our hearts are softened by His Spirit.  I hope this little thought helps your self-respect today, just remember how much He has paid for you!!!!  Grandma Joan

Perfect Peace

Do you have peace in your heart?  Sometimes we don't and sometimes it seems to leave us. I love to have peace in my heart and this morning I found a quote in the Desire of Ages just for me and thought I would share it with you.  DA 330.

"In the heart of Christ, where reigned perfect harmony with God, there was perfect peace.  He was never elated by applause, not dejected by censure or disappointment.  Amid the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage.  But many who profess to be His followers have an anxious, troubled heart, because they are afraid to trust themselves with God.  They do not make a complete surrender to Him; for they shrink from the consequences that such a surrender may involve.  Unless they do this they cannot find peace.
     Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude.  Nothing in the world can make them sad, when Jesus makes them glad by His presence.  In perfect surrender there is perfect peace."

Do you like this quote?  It is the answer to the peace question, isn't it?  We must make that surrender to have that perfect peace.  I want to have that kind of peace in my heart, don't you.  Grandma Joan

The Invitation

Usually we don't invite ourselves to a dinner or party, do we?  Sometimes I've heard of people crashing a party, which to me it means going uninvited.  And sometimes it is acceptable.

I have the greatest invitation ever given and so do you.  It's found in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto  Me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest."  In my weakened condition I found that I could do almost nothing, and this morning for my personal worship I read the following quote from the 'Desire of Ages" p. 329.

"He is watching over you, trembling child of God.  Are you tempted?  He will deliver.  Are you weak?  He will strengthen.  Are you ignorant?  He will enlighten.  Are you wounded?  He will heal.
The Lord 'telleth the number of the stars', and yet 'He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.' Ps. 147:4,3.  'Come unto Me', is His invitation.  Whatever your anxieties and trials spread out your case before the Lord.  Your spirit will be braced for endurance....The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength."

What a promise at this time in my life.  It is for you too.  We can go forward with Him  watching over us, can't we?  I am blessed today with this promise, I hope you are too.  Grandma Joan

It Is Well With My Soul

Is it well with your soul today?  I had a real close call with death and that's why you haven't heard from me for a few weeks, evidently it wasn't time for me to leave my loved ones and friends that I continually pray for.  I believe it is well with my soul because of all the promises of the Scriptures that God will take care of us in sickness and in health.  I hope it is well with your soul, you are my friends and I pray for you that you will be blessed with all spiritual blessings.

So sorry that I haven't been able to blog, but I am feeling better but not up to par yet.  God home from out trip just in time to save me.  Went to the doctor and my hemoglobin was down to 6.6.  It's suppose to be 12.  There is still a problem with my lungs and my breathing on exertion but not like it was.  So thank you all for your prayers.  I hope you are checking in now and then to see if I'm blogging again.

I will try to  do some little thing each day to lift you up spiritually and you can continue to pray for me.  I'm living in my motor home next to my daughters and my son is living with me to help me and he has been a super help when all I could do was nothing.

God is good isn't He?  He has been so good to me and I know I am not deserving but I know Jesus is and that's why we can count on Him in our extremities.  Thank you for being faithful and hope you all will come back, I've had as high as 68 readers in one day and I think that is great, not sure what it averages out to but I am thankful for each of you and hope you are checking in.  Love you all, and wish you all God's richest blessings.  Grandma Joan

A Vital Concern of Mine

Dear Blogger Friends,

I hope you have enjoyed the book, 'In the Light of God's Love'.  It was so beautifully written, I am going to post it again so you can get it down pat.  As a matter of fact I have read the book fourteen times and I still love to read it or listen to it read.  So if you don't mind, I am going to post it again so you can get it better this time.  It is a vital concern of mine that you are saved in God's kingdom and this book will lead you to the very throne of God it you will let it.  My prayers will be with you as you ponder these pages once again.  May God bless you with each day's reading.

I thought I could repost these posts but I either don't know how or am not able to but if you scroll down through the subjects until you come to 'A New Life', keep scrolling on older posts until it comes up and then you can start there, it is the first page and then scroll up one page at a time, if you want to read several pages you can.

My health has improved a little but the doctor found a murmur in my heart and I won't know for a few days what that entails.  I am still very weak because I am not producing hemoglobin. So I would love it if you would pray for me that I will get my strength back and my heart will be OK. I believe in prayer for healing,so please pray for me if you will.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Grandma Joan

The Greatest of all Gifts

The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam.  It was a revelation of "the mystery kept secret since the world began."  Romans 16:25.  It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God's throne.  From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate.  God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency.  So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16.

This was a voluntary sacrifice.  Jesus might have remained at the Father's side.  He might have retained the glory of heaven, and the homage of the angels.  But He chose to give back the scepter into the Father's hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, that He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing.

By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin.  It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen.  In taking our nature, the Savior has bound himself to humanity be a tie that is never to be broken.  Through the eternal ages He is linked with us.  "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."  John 3:16.

The work of redemption will be complete.  In the place where sin abounded, God's grace much more abounds.  The earth itself, the very field that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted.  Our little world, under the curse of sin the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God.  Here, where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of glory lived and suffered and died,--here when He shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, "and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be with them and be their God."  And through endless ages as the redeemed walk in the light of the Lord, they will praise Him for His unspeakable Gift,--Immanuel, "God with us."

Joy in Giving

But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus.  Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give.  "I do nothing of Myself," said Christ; "the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father".  "I do not seek M own glory, but the glory of Him that sent Me."  John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18.  In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe.  All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all.  And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life.

In heaven itself this law was broken.  Sin originated in self-seeking.  Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven.  He sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God, attributing to Him the desire of self-exaltation.  With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator.  Thus he deceived angels.  Thus he deceived men.  He led them to doubt the word of God, and to distrust His goodness.  Because God is a God of justice and terrible majesty, Satan caused them to look upon Him as severe and unforgiving.

Thus he drew men to join him in rebellion against God, and the night of woe settled down upon the world.

The earth was dark through misapprehension of God.  That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan's deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force.  The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority.  Only by love is love awakened.  To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan.  This work only one Being in all the universe could do.  Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make known.  Upon the world's dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, "with healing in His wings."  Malachi 4
:2.

The Gift of Joy

"His name shall be called Immanuel,....God with us."

By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels.  He was the word of God,--God's thought made audible.  In His prayer for His disciples He says, "I have declared unto them Thy name,"--"merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"--"that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  But not alone for His earthborn children was this revelation given.  Our little world is the lesson book of the universe.  God's wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which "angels desire to look," and it will be their study throughout endless ages.  Both the redeemed and the unfilled beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and their song.  It will be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love.  In the light from Calvary it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and heaven; that the love which "seeketh not her own" has its source in the heart of God' and that in the meek and lowly One is manifested the character of Him who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto.

In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation.  It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth.  It was His had that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the field.  "Who established the mountains by His strength."  The sea is His, for He made it." Psalm 65:6:95:5.  It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and the air with song.  And upon all things in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father's love.

Now sin has marred God's perfect work, yet that handwriting remains.  Even now all created things declare the glory of His excellence.  There is nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself.  No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life.

Special quotes for each chapter continued.

Chapter 6.  "It is because selfishness exists in our hearts that temptation has power over us.  But when we behold the great love of God, selfishness appears to us in its hideous and repulsive character, and we desire to have it expelled from the soul.  As the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ our hearts are softened and subdued, the temptation loses its power, and the grace of Christ transforms the character."  MB 118.

Chapter 7.  "There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit.  To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged.  Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast of, not forsaken and rejected of God."  SC64.

Chapter 8.  "The sinner's only hope is to rely wholly upon Jesus Christ...Our acceptance with God is sure only through His beloved Son, and good works are but the result of the working of His sin-pardoning love.  They are no credit to us, and we have nothing accorded to us for our good works by which we may claim a part in the salvation of our souls.  Salvation is God's free gift to the believer, given to him for Christ's sake alone.  The troubled soul may find peace through faith in Christ...He cannot present his good works as a plea for the salvation of his soul."  OHC 118.

Chapter 9.  "The Father's presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world.  Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us.  He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the Savior, who surrounds him with His presence.  Whatever comes to him comes from Christ.  He has no need to resist evil, for Christ is his defense.  Nothing can touch him except by our Lord's permission, and 'all things' that are permitted 'work together for good to them that love God.'  Romans 8:28.

Chapter 10.  "He who is unmerciful toward others shows that he himself is not a partaker of God's pardoning grace.  In God' forgiveness the heart of the erring one is drawn close to the great heart of infinite Love.  The tide of divine compassion flows into the sinner's soul, and from him to the souls of others.  The tenderness and mercy that Christ has revealed in His own precious life will be seen in those who become sharers of His grace....The ground of all forgiveness is found in the unmerited love of God, but by our attitude toward others we show whether we have made that love our own."  COL 251.

Chapter 11.  "With untold love our God has loved us, and our love awakens toward Him as we comprehend something of the length and breadth and depth and height of this love that passeth knowledge.  By the revelation of the attractive loveliness of Christ, by the knowledge of His love expressed to us while we were yet sinners, the stubborn heart is melted and subdued and the sinner is transformed and becomes a child of heaven.  God does not employ compulsory measures; love is the agent which He uses to expel sin from the heart.  By it He changes pride into humility, and enmity and unbelief into love and faith."  MB 76,77.

Book Abbreviations:  DA = Desire of Ages
                                 COL = Christ's Object Lessons
                                 FW = Faith and Works
                                 SC = Steps to Christ
                                 MB= Mount of Blessings
                                OHC= Our High Calling

(I so hope you have been blessed by all these quotes and the book.  It was such a blessing to me.  I have read it so many times, I think 13 in all, and I still find something that I have missed.
God Bless you as you live for Him. Grandma Joan)

Special quotes that go along with each chapter.

     (At the beginning of each paragraph of Ty Gibson's book, he added a quote from some little books but were not included within the chapter and because they went along with the chapter so well, I thought I would compile them for you to read now as a summary of the book.)

Chapter 1.  "Love is power.  Intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and cannot be separated from it...Love cannot live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it.  Love will gain the victory".  2 Testimony 135.

Chapter 2.  "The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can."
     "Nothing reaches so fully down to the deepest motives of conduct as a sense of the pardoning love of Christ".  DA 478

Chapter 3.  "It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world.  Men are losing their knowledge of His character.  It has been misunderstood .  At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power.  His character is to be made known.  Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy and truth...The last rays of merciful light the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is the revelation of His character."  COL 415

Chapter 4.  "There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works.  Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone."
FW 19

Chapter 5.  "There are those who profess to serve God, while they rely upon their own efforts to obey His law, to form a right character, and secure salvation.  Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of Christ, but they seek to perform the duties of the Christian life as that which God requires of them in order to gain heaven.  Such religion is worth nothing. When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten.  Love to Christ will be the spring of action."  SC 44,45.

(I hope you are enjoying these quotes.  At the end of the quotes I will give what the abbreviation stands for in case you want to purchase a book or books that they are in.  These are so powerful I am sure you will benefit from them.  Grandma Joan)

Focusing On Christ and Him Alone.

     We put so much energy in focusing on our sins and trying to overcome them to the neglect of the one spiritual discipline that would make our effort successful--to behold the true character of God as manifested  in Christ.  If we would but turn our eyes upon Jesus, and look full in His wonderful face, the things we struggle to let go of would grow strangely dim.
     I use to wonder at our spiritual weakness as a people.  Now I'm not amazed at all.  The reason is clear.  We've preached doctrinal truth.  We've preached prophetic truth.  We've preached the necessity of obedience to God's law.  But we have put Jesus and His cross after the comma in almost a whisper.
     JESUS DIED FOR YOU, EVEN YOU, BEFORE YOU EVEN SENSED YOUR NEED OF A SAVIOR!  And you will be pleased to know He has given us the Sabbath to remind us of our total dependence on Him. So rest in faith that He will complete the work He has begun in your heart.
     JESUS LOVES YOU WITH A LOVE SO VOID OF SELF-INTEREST THAT HE WILLINGLY SUFFERED THE GUILT OF YOUR SIN SO YOU CAN BE FREE!  And by the way, death is but a sweet sleep in the assurance of His mighty power to raise you at His coming.
     IF YOU ALLOW HIS LOVE TO ENTER YOUR HEART, IT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR MOTIVE FOR LIVING FROM SELFISHNESS TO LOVE!  Then his law will become your delight and you will find power to obey in the strength of His love.
     The world awaits "the truth as it is in Jesus"  But we can't give it to them until we have it ourselves.  It is my sincere prayer and the urgent purpose of these pages that we would sense the power God has invested in the cross.  May we find the true significance of each doctrine we hold in the beautiful light of God's matchless love.  Amen

     (This is the last page of the last chapter and I just want you to know that it has been a privilege and a joy to retype it so I can share it with you.  It has brought me much inner peace doing this for you and I do hope with all my heart that you have been blessed and if you have to, please read it again and again to gain the understanding and to be able to comprehend God's love in the light of the Scriptures.  I thank Ty for allowing me to share this with you.  May God bless you as you contemplate these pages, is my prayer for you.  You can go back and reread each day and be blessed again and again.  Grandma Joan)
   

Self-abandoning Love At The Cross

     This is precisely why Paul was so passionate in his determination to preach "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified"  1 Corinthians2:2.  He had come to sense and appreciate the self-abandoning love manifested at the cross and was held its willing captive.  "The life which I now live in the flesh," he exclaimed "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me"  Galatians 2:20.  To this one who had previously hated Jesus and persecuted His followers, there was no power so powerful no influence so influential, no attraction so attractive as the Son of God willingly hanging upon the cross under the curse of sin so that we who nailed Him there might have eternal life.

     I imagine Paul telling himself before each sermon he preached "If they can only be led to comprehend the love of God in Christ, surely they will not be able to withhold their hearts from Him."  Then as he stood before his hearers he would strive to articulate in the clearest, most persuasive words he could muster, the ineffable love of his Savior.  The tremendous success of Paul's ministry bears testimony to the unrivaled power of God's love to move and change the self-centered hearts of men and women.

     To comprehend the love of Christ is to apprehend its significance with the mind.  There is another word in Paul's vocabulary that makes the comprehension of divine love an active pursuit for the believer.  That word is beholding.  Notice how he uses it in 2 Corinthians 3:18.

     "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

     Beholding is the deliberate action of the mind to focus, meditate, or dwell upon a matter in order to gain a clear understanding of it.  By beholding the character of God as demonstrated in Christ, the truly personal application of His love will dawn upon the heart.  New aspects of divine mercy will shine forth.  Deep impressions of God's love and goodness will be made upon the mind, calling to life feelings of gratitude and adoration that will transcend the power of selfishness.  As we grasp the character of God's love and come to appreciate its unreserved outpouring toward us, an unswerving obedience to His law will no longer be seen as a confining duty performed to gain heaven, but as a liberating privilege for God's glory.

     We could break down the formula like this:

     *  Beholding (or focusing upon) the cross produces comprehension of God's love.

     *  Comprehension of God's love awakens gratitude in the heart.

     *  Gratitude creates responsive love.

     *  And love willingly and eagerly obeys God's will.

     (Through the coming days, weeks and years, let us focus on the cross of Christ and we will eagerly and willingly obey His will for us.  Grandma Joan) 

In Love

     Paul called the Ephesians to be "holy and without blame before Him (the Lord)  in love.  Ephesians 1:4.  He went on to explain that God saved us because He is "rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us", Ephesians 2:4.  In the wake of all of this almost unbelievable love, Paul envisioned a Christianity wholly governed by its self-abandoning influence.  He even developed a list of the areas of life that will be positively affected as we abide in the light of God's love.
    *  We are to relate to one another in love.  Ephesians 4:2.
    *  We are to speak "the truth in love.  verse 15.
    *  We are to edify the church in love.  verse 16.
    *  We are to walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us. Ephesians 5:2
    *  We are to conduct our marriages in love. verse 25.
    We could go on to highlight the same emphasis in Paul's other epistles and letters. At the heart of all he preached we find the central theme of God's love poured out through Christ.  If the great apostle were alive today and we could ask him for a one sentence summary of his message, he might say something like this:
   Through the cross of Christ God demonstrated His matchless love toward us in order to move and empower us to cease living for ourselves and to live for His glory in conscious response to His love.  (Adapted from Romans 5:8 and 2 Corinthians 5:14,15.)
    The practical question must arise, "How are we to receive into our hearts and experience in our daily living the power of God's love?"  Until we answer this vital question all our talk about the love of God is just that--mere talk. The Lord intends that His love be far more to us than an emotionally stimulating idea.  He wants it to be an experiential reality for us, to touch every aspect of our lives with healing, overcoming power.
    But how?  Let's get practical.
    In Paul's Ephesians 3 prayer we an extremely clear answer to our question.  Three times, with different words, he makes known the medium through which we may receive God's love.  In verse 17 he prayed that we would be "rooted and grounded in love."  In verse 18 he pleads that we would be able to "comprehend" God's love.  In verse 19 he asks that we would "know the love of Christ.
   According to Paul, God's love seeks entrance into our hearts through the medium of comprehension.  He believed that the perceptive faculties of the mind must be aroused to understand the singular quality and true greatness of divine love in order for its benefits to be realized.  He expected, as a result, that previous untapped moral power would spring forth to shape and govern our practical lives.
 
    (I hate to quit here it is getting so good, but tomorrow will come and it will be just as good.  This book has helped me so, I hope with all my heart that it is helping you.  Keep praying for understanding and comprehension of God's love and He will answer.  Grandma Joan)

Self-centered Motivation

     Such endeavors may make us appear strong in our convictions, but in reality we are secretly weak when we build upon the brittle foundation of self-centered motivation.There are many apparently strong religious people who are actually on the verge of crumbling on the inside.  They do what they should do because they should, and refrain from doing what they shouldn't do because they shouldn't.  Period!  God's transforming grace hasn't penetrated the outer layers of self-interest.  His love is unknown to them, except, of course, as a matter of formal confession.  It hasn't penetrated beyond  their heads into their hearts.  Every act of obedience and every turning away from sin is entered into with one consuming focus--to escape hell and gain heaven. Paul reached far beyond all this in his Ephesians 3 prayer.  He petitioned the throne of grace that we would be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."
     In verses 17 through 19, Paul progresses in his prayer to become more specific as to the nature of the inward strength he desires for us.  Two times he names our much needed empowering as "the love of Christ."  Far from a passing thought, throughout Paul's writings God's love, as it was manifested in Christ, is a constantly repeated theme.
     In Romans he explains that when we receive the justifying grace of Christ "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts" Romans 5:5.  The apostle knows only one source of this love:  "God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"  Romans 5:8.  The cross defines the quality and depth of divine love for unworthy sinners. Concerning the practical effect of God's love in the life of the receiver, Paul claims this "love is the fulfilliing of the law"  Romans 13:10.
     To the Corinthians Paul wrote, "The love of Christ constraineth us...that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and rose again"  2 Corinthians 5:14,15.  God's love is so powerful that it vanquishes the root cause of all sin, which is selfishness.  He declared to those at Corinth the absolute nothingness of religious activity, no matter how apparently good, when not motivated by a heart filled with divine love,  see 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
     Addressing the works oriented Galatians, Paul sought to banish from their minds any hope of obtaining God's favor by virtue of self-motivated works, only to introduce to them a Christ centered "faith which worketh by love"  Galatians 5:6.  Not that works are of no importance at all but to this cross-preaching apostle faith, is the paramount issue, and good works are the product of a love-motivated faith.
     
     (Just remember that Christ died to take away our sins and I like that statement that "God's love is so powerful that it vanquishes the root cause of all sin, which is selfishness.  We need to let His love which is that powerful to take control of our hearts, don't we.  Grandma Joan)

How To Experience God's Love - Chapter 11 - Ty Gibson

     Water flows through riverbeds on its way to lakes and seas.  Seed is carried on the gentle breezes and wild whippings of the wind to find its place of germination in the soil.  Blood moves through veins and capillaries to reach every organ of the human body.  From two-wheelers to eighteen-wheelers, automobiles travel on paved highways to deliver people and goods to their appointed places.
     Everything with a destination has its medium of transit and a purpose to accomplish.
     God's love is no exception.  It has a destination--your inmost heart and mine.  It has, as well a channel of access through which it makes its crucial journey into out hearts--the perceptive faculties of the mind.  Having reached our hearts through the medium of perception divine love has a vital purpose to accomplish--to impart needed strength so we can live a life reflective of its selfless beauty.
     The apostle Paul communicated this concept in a powerful prayer he offered for every believer in Christ.
     "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God"  Ephesians 3:14-19.
     Paul realized that we have need of a specific kind of strength, the kind that resides on the inside. So he prayed that we would be "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."
Isn't that the quality of empowering for which we all so desperately long?  Don't we sense our need for a spiritual energy that flows forth from deep within our hearts?
     * Inner strength to resist temptation.
     * Inner strength to obey God's law.
     * Inner strength to share our faith.
     * Inner strength to forgive our offenders.
     Really, that's the only kind of strength that will prove sufficient in the serious heart matters of Christianity.  Paul yearned that we should have more, much more, than a superficial, surface religious experience.  He prayed that our relationship with God would reach down to the motive level of our inner person.
     To be a good disciplinarian is not equivalent to being a good Christian, even if the code of discipline we follow happens to be the law of God. For "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight" Romans 3:20.  There is no degree of law keeping, no good behavior good enough, no amount of effort sufficient enough to secure for us the release from sin that so often eludes our grasp.  For the very moment we pursue salvation by means of the good we do and the evil we refrain from doing, grace is frustrated and we're on our own.  "For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.  Galatians 2:21.

     (We don't want Christ to have died in vain for us, do we?  We must let Him save us in His way, not by our works lest any man should boast.  There is nothing we can boast about, it is all Christ Jesus and His mercy that saves us.  I am so thankful to have learned this wonderful truth.
Grandma Joan)

Relating to Others - continued.

     It is common, He explains, for us to relate in a positive way to our friends and in a negative way to our enemies.  Contrary to the popular way of handling those who cross us, the Great Teacher calls us to love our enemies in order that we may be like our Father in heaven.  He makes the sun to rise on both the righteous and the wicked  We too, should encircle with our love and blessing those who do wrong along with those who do good. Jesus says this is what it means to be perfect as God is--to love like God loves.
     Not only does God give love and send sunshine to every person, He also "gives light to every man who comes into the world', John 1:9.   To every inhabitant of earth God imparts a degree of spiritual enlightenment by which each one may be guided to know of the Creator's existence and sense their need of Him.  "He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds (a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy)"  Ecclesiastes 3:11, the Amplified Bible.
     Since God lavishes undeserved life and light and love on saint and sinner alike should we not regard one another with at least equal compassion and patience?
    When you notice the sins of others it will be helpful if you remember a few things:
     *  Before you knew the Lord He did not count your sins against you;  (see 2 Corinthians 5:19.)
     *  He saved you according to His mercy, not by works of righteousness that you have done  (see Titus 3:5)
     *  No one has ever committed any sin of which you yourself are not capable  (see Titus 3:3).
     *Your eagerness to condemn sin in another person may be a reflection of our own guilt  (see Romans 2:1)
     *How would you fare if God were to hold you as accountable for your sins as you hold others accountable for theirs (see Matthew 7:2)?
     Those who allow themselves to be embraced by the love of God will embrace others with that same love.  They understand that God won them by forgiveness, and by the same means they will seek to win sinners and restore backsliders.  In the light of God's love expressed toward us at Calvary how can we regard others with any less compassion than He has shown us?  The goodness of God led us to repentance.  Only in the light of His goodness should we expect others to turn from sin to the Savior.
     And many will if we let them.

     Lord God, your mercy is beyond me to fully grasp.  It is truly amazing that You have regarded me with such tender compassion.  Thank You for not holding my sins against me before I knew You.  Please help me to relate to others with the same attitude so they will be drawn to You and not repelled.  I pray in the merciful name of Jesus.  Amen.

Relating to Others

     Once we have turned from our sins and have come to Christ, it is natural for us to notice the sins of others. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is an acute sense of the difference between right and wrong.  While this discernment is needful, it also imposes one of the greatest tests we will face as Christians.  Will we maintain the distinction between the sin ad the sinner?  Will we relate to those who are yet in their sins with the same reconciling attitude that the Savior manifested toward us, when we were yet in our sins?
     The answer may be yes;, or it may be no.
     Yes, we will relate to others with mercy if we continue to abide under grace ourselves maintaining a humble sense of God's mercy exercised toward us.
     No, we will not relate to others with mercy if, after having begun in grace, we then try to be made perfect by the works of the law.  Galatians 3:1-3.
     Those who try to find acceptance with God by their performance will only grant acceptance to others if their performance seems deserving.  This religion, though it professes the name of Jesus, is very much the same as the heathen religions that summon the favor of God by good deeds and provoke His wrath by bad deeds.  But we don't serve a heathen deity.
     The absolutely astounding thing about the one and only true God is that He approaches this fallen world by "not counting men's sins against them.  "And, really, isn't that the basic meaning of grace?  Rather than treat us as we deserve due to our sin, God treats us as though we had never sinned.  Where would we be if we got what we deserve?  Quite simply, we wouldn't be.  If God had dealt out the wages of sin to Adam and Eve, there would be no human race.  That includes you and me.  Thank God He does not relate to us according to what we deserve as sinners.
     Regardless of one's attitude toward God, whether of faith or rebellion, as a committed Father He surrounds every one of us with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air we breath  Jesus said.
     "You have heard that is was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if  you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect", Matthew 5:43-48. What a startling portrayal of God is here presented by Jesus!

     (It is hard to love and bless those who hate us and curse us and spitefully use us isn't it?  I find it very hard to do that and the only way we can is by keeping our eyes on Jesus who gives us the power to do that.  Grandma Joan)

Transformed

     If we view our relationship with God as a cycle of acceptance and rejection determined by our personal good deeds and bad deeds, it's almost inevitable that we will draw close to people when they succeed and pull back from them when they fail.  We will feel uneasy in the presence of sinners and secure in the fellowship of those who play church in our own image.

    This is why the Pharisees were so uncomfortable with the fact that Jesus associated closely with sinners.  It threatened their concept of God.  If Jesus was indeed the Son of God, His true representative, then His acceptance of sinners would mean that their self-righteous show was of no value to Jehovah.  It would mean that whatever the purpose of righteous behavior may be it certainly was not to their credit for salvation.  They would need to find another motive for being good--perhaps love--which would be far too self-crucifying.  So instead they crucified Him.

     If anyone has ever understood God's love it was the apostle Paul.  To him divine love was not merely a beautiful theory to be admired from a distance like a breathtaking work of art.  Jesus did not die on the cross to stimulate our intellects or impress us with His valor.  He died to demonstrate God's love so that we might be transformed into his image.  In Paul's mind the love that Christ manifested toward us while we were yet in our sins is to find reflection in the way we relate to our fellow sinner.  Notice how he weds these two factors together:

     "For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live no longer for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again.  Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.  Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus not longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Now all thing are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation". 2 Corinthians 5:14-19.

     In verses 14 and 15 Paul says we are compelled by the love of Christ because we realize that He died for us.  Then in verse 16 he points out that the Savior's amazing love alters the way we relate to other people:  "Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh" or as the Revised Standard Version says "We regard no one from a human point of view."  In other words, the love of Christ changes the way we see others.

     Taking this thought to yet a more practical level, Paul continues by reminding us that the reconciliation of the world was accomplished by a specific attitude on God's part:  God reconciled sinners by "not counting men's sins against them" NIV.  And it is by this very same means that we are to carry forth "the ministry of reconciliation."

     (I hope I can carry this ministry of reconciliation in and through my life.  I don't want to be condemning, do you?  I want to help people see Jesus as He really, truly is.  Grandma Joan.)

Earning Respect

     "We must need to tell it like it is and let the chips fall where they may.  Sin is sin and you have better stop it."
     This kind of approach demonstrates a great lack of understanding concerning human nature. Condemnation almost always solicits self-defense.  Most people will naturally respond to censor with resistance.  On the other hand, most people naturally tend to respect and admire those by whom they feel loved and accepted, and within that context are receptive to counsel and even reproof.  We earn the right to offer correction by earning respect.
     Paul is clear.  It is the revelation of God's good and loving character that generates repentance in the human heart.  When we understand this fundamental reality, we will find ourselves more inclined to uplift the cross of Jesus than to point out sin.
    3.  We condemn others when we are blind to our own need for God's mercy.
     This is why it was so easy for the Pharisees to condemn the woman caught in adultery.  They didn't realize that her sin was no more sinful than their own.  But when Jesus wrote out their transgressions on the ground they fled away in shame; see John 8:1-11.
     Like the Pharisees, we are often quick to demand the execution of justice because we don't  see our own need of mercy.  None are so quick to condemn as those who are caught in the snare of spiritual pride, but those who recognize their own soul poverty will be slow to judge others.
   So inseparable is God's forgiveness of us from our forgiveness of others that Jesus said, "If you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  Matthew 6:14,15.  
     There is no greater evidence that God's love has penetrated the heart than a willingness to allow His love, through us, to "cover a multitude of sins" in others.  1 Peter 4:8.
     Conversely, there is no greater proof that a person is not abiding under the conscious reality of God's  forgiveness than a disposition to find and condemn the faults of others.  The greatest privilege and responsibility of one who is forgiven is to forgive.
     4.  We condemn others when we view salvation as something we earn by doing good.
     They say, misery loves company.  I think they are right, whoever they  are.  When we obey God's requirement merely out of a sense of obligation in order to be saved, we find no real joy in our religious experience.  We do what we have to do because we have to do it, not because we really want to.  And, in all honesty, we want others to share the grueling burden we bear.
     If I feel obligated, you had better feel obligated too.  If I can't do this or that without feeling guilty, you had better not either.  If you do, I'll be more than happy to let you know that you're not towing the line.
     The Pharisees had this problem.  They carried themselves with an atmosphere that reminded everyone that they alone were righteous.  They were always defining for others what they should and should not do.  Always miserable, but always right.

     (I hope I don't fall under the title 'Pharisee'.  I know for a fact that I have been there but hope to never stoop that low again.  I want people to respect me for my Christian beliefs and not feel that I think that I am holier  than they are.  Pray for me and I will pray for you.  Grandma Joan.)

Relating To My Fellow Sinners - Chapter 10 - Ty Gibson

     It was a terrible rumor....too terrible to repeat.  Of course that didn't keep it from being repeated.  The way people were talking about it, you just didn't even think to question whether it was true.  After all, if someone said it, it must be true.
     In this rare case, however at least one person decided to challenge the grapevine.  After a little investigation and going to the accused individual with the hear-say, to the relief of many the dreaded rumor was found to be untrue.  Not everyone was so happy to discover the man's innocence.  In fact, one person was downright disappointed.
     "Oh no!  Are you sure it's not true?  I've told so many people, and if it's not true...."
     You get the point. This guy was actually hoping a false rumor was true.  He regretted the fact that an accused man was found innocent.  Those to whom he had whispered the report would find out that he had passed on a false charge.  The man he already despised would be justified in their eyes. A little plaque in a friend's bathroom seems applicable:  "Keep your words sweet. Some day you may have to eat them."
     In this particular situation the rumor was false and the accused party was innocent.  This is not always the case, however.  Sometimes people do actually do wrong.  In fact, it seems to be a regular occurrence for sinners to sin.  Even within the household of faith, brothers and sisters frequently err.  And though we find it convenient to forget we too misbehave on occasion.  We find it easier, however to overlook our own faults and magnify the failings of others.  The Bible points out a few possible reasons why we may do this.
     1.  We condemn in others what we are not willing to face in ourselves.
     Paul warns that condemning others may arise out of a sense of self-condemnation:  "You are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."  Romans 2:1.  Then Paul probed deeper into the psychology of this problem.  He asked, "Do you think this, O man, you who judge those who practicing such things, and  doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?"  Romans 2:3.
     "God have you noticed what that person is doing?  How low, how sad how terrible!  It's wrong, Lord, but be assured, I would never do anything like that."
     By heaping judgment on others we feel we are more righteous than they and attempt to lessen our own sense of responsibility to deal faithfully with ourselves.  I don't mean to be childish, but I'm reminded of something I once heard a five year old say:  "It takes one to know one."  Sometimes wisdom proceeds from the mouth of babes.
     2.  We condemn others when we fail to understand the power of God's goodness to break the grip of sin.
     After confronting us with the fact that we may condemn others in a effort to escape God's judgment against our own sins, Paul offers another possible reason why we might do this:  "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance"  Romans 2:4.
     Did you grasp what Paul says here?  If we're not careful we may attempt to employ condemnation as a means to arouse repentance in those who do wrong. By failing to realize that genuine repentance is a heart-level turning from sin in response to God's love, we may naively suppose that  can  effect reform in those around us by simply pointing out their sins.

     (I guess from reading this and the scriptures he used that we had better leave the judging to God.  Don't you agree?  I am happy to do that.  Grandma Joan)
     

Potential Benefits To Be Gained by Trials.

     There are a number of potential benefits to be gained from trying experiences.  Trials may
     * awaken in the heart a greater sense of need for God (see Psalm 50:15; 86:7.
     * generate deeper trust in the Lord (see Psalm (9:9, 10; 2 Corinthians 1:8, 9.
     * make us strong in character qualities such as patience, faith, and humility  (see James 1:2,3; Romans 5: 1-5; Job 23:10.
     * grant us the privilege of identifying more closely with the sufferings of Christ (see Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 1:29; 3:8, 10; 1 Peter 2:21,22; 4:13.
     * enable us to understand the hardships of others and help them find God in their pain  (see 2 Corinthians1:4; 1 Corinthians 12:26.
     * and persuade us more fully of the power of God's love to hold on to us  (see Romans 8:31-39.
     Only God knows what to allow and what to prevent in every case, for He alone is acquainted with the individual strengths and weaknesses of every heart.  "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it:  1 Corinthians 10:13.  We can be absolutely certain that nothing will ever befall us that God does not deem for our good.  He will always give us either strength to bear our trials or a way of escape.
     In one sense we can say that nothing bad has ever happened to us.  Because ultimately when we reach the eternal shores, we will see God's providence in every chapter of our lives.  We will not wish we had been led any other way than how He chose to lead us.  It will be seen that a bright and beautiful light of love guided our every step.

     Praise You Father; for Your sovereignty in my life.  It is so good to know that You are absolutely committed to my happiness and well-being.  I am confident You will never do anything inconsistent with Your love.  Thank You for allowing just the trials I need to keep me close to You and for averting those I cannot bear:  In the worthy name of Jesus I pray.  Amen

     (All I can say is 'Amen'.  Grandma Joan.)

God Getting Even With His Enemies? Never!!!!

     "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast:  I am the Lord"  Exodus 12:12.
    "And I will punish the world for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible:  Isaiah 13:11.
     In every case, without exception, the divine judgments of former times and those ahead are the exercise of divine wisdom and mercy.  Never has God lost emotional control or laid aside the supremacy of His love to get even with His enemies.  Never has He caused human suffering for the sake of personal satisfaction.  For He says, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?  Ezekiel 33:11.
     God has never acted contrary to the very best interest of all His created beings.  Not once has He violated the reigning principle of His nature, which is love  "His works are perfect, and all His ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He"  Deuteronomy 32: 4.
     God is not the source of the small daily annoyances that try us, nor is He the cause of the major tragedies that afflict us.  But He does possess sovereign power over the affairs of every life, over all of nature, and even over the devil and all his followers.  What does this mean at the practical level of our lives?  It means that no trying experience, either small or great,  ever happens to us that He does not allow for our ultimate benefit.
     Here again, as with all of God's ways, His love shines forth as an unconquerable power for good.  While the Almighty One does not arbitrarily bring evil upon us, in His infinite wisdom He is able to use the trials of life for our best interest.  He knows that if He were to shield us from every annoyance and affliction we would become spiritual weaklings and dwarfs in character.
     Paul saw God's power and wisdom operating far above the circumstances of our lives.  He "worketh all things after the counsel of His will"  Ephesians 1:11.  "All things work together for good to to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose"  Romans 8:28.  The Lord is actually able to work out everything we experience to a profitable end.

     (Tomorrow we will realize some potential benefits to be gained from trying experiences.  I hope you are enjoying this book to it's fullest.   I sure am.  I am sure that you are too.  Grandma Joan.)

God Is Long Suffering.

     3.  The recklessness of Sinners:  Evil people do evil things to innocent people.  We call this crime.  "The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men:  they all lie in wait for blood' they hunt every man his brother with a net" Micah 7:2.  "One sinner destroyeth much good" Ecclesiastes 9:18.
    Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan.  An innocent man, minding his own business fell prey to a band of robbers.  He was beat and left to die.  Two men with no compassion passed him by.  A third came by and helped him, see Luke 10:30-37.
     Where was God in all of this?
     He did not send the thieves to attack the innocent man. Nor did He put it in the hearts of the first two passers -by to leave him for dead.  The tragedy was not the will of God.  The only part God played in the whole event was to inspire the heart of the third man with compassion.
     This is probably the most difficult aspect of human suffering for us to reconcile with the idea of a loving God.  Rape, Murder. child abuse.  War.  Why doesn't God step in and stop it all?  Is it because the Lord is heartless?  Is it because He is powerless?  No!  There is only one reason He allows this sinful world to continue another minute:  "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise (to end the nightmare of evil) as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to usward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance....Account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation"  2 Peter 3:9, 15.
     God's love sees beautiful potential in the vilest sinners.  His patience has paid off. Just think
 of some of the people He has been able to redeem and transform:
     Nebuchadnezzar, the ruthless murderous, haughty king of Babylon.  He may be your neighbor in heaven.
    Paul, formerly Saul, the cold-hearted persecutor of Christians.  Stephen will be surprised to meet Paul on resurrection morning.
     And there is you and me, as worthy of death as anyone else.  God waits because He loves.  If He had not waited so many would be lost who could have been saved.  In the process of the plan of salvation, He does not agree with, encourage, or in any way orchestrate the terrible things people do to each other. If we only knew His heart, we would find that He wants it all to end more than we do.
     4,  The Merciful and Wise Judgments of God:  In Scripture there are clear examples of divine power bringing destructive judgments on wicked men. The annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Flood are displays of direct divine retribution.  It is within the sovereignty of Gods' authority and within the boundaries of His love to use the forces of nature and the power of His word to execute judgment.  According to His own testimony He has done so in the past and He will do so in the future:

    (To be continued again tomorrow.  I am learning so much.  Even after reading it as many times as I have, I still see something new each time.  So thankful that God impressed Ty to write this book.  No need to rest in ignorance.  God does not want us to be ignorant of His word, does He?
Follow the texts and do your own study to make sure you are on the right track.  I haven't found anything yet that wasn't Biblical and I don't think you will either. Grandma Joan