One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to share His meal, so He went to the Pharisee’s home, and as usual reclined at the table to eat. And it happened that a woman of this town, who was known as a sinner, heard that He was in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and stood behind Him, at His feet, weeping. She wet His feet with tears, she dried them with her hair, she kissed His feet and poured the perfume on them.

The Pharisee who had invited Jesus was watching, and thought, “If this Man were a prophet, He would know what sort of person is touching Him; isn’t this woman a sinner?”

Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said, “Simon, I have something to ask you.” He answered, “Speak, master.” And Jesus said, “Two people were in debt to the same creditor. One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. As they were unable to pay him back, he graciously canceled the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, who was forgiven more.” And Jesus said, “You are right.” And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? You gave Me no water for My feet when I entered your house, but she has washed My feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.”

“You did not welcome Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since she came in. You provided no oil for My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. This is why, I tell you, her sins, her many sins, are forgiven, because of her great love. But the one who is forgiven little, has little love.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others reclining with Him at the table began to wonder, “Now this Man claims to forgive sins!” But Jesus again spoke to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace!”

Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the Good News of the kingdom of God. The Twelve followed Him, and also some women, who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases. Mary called Magdalene, who had been freed of seven demons; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Suzanna, and others who provided for them out of their own funds.

Alternative Reading (Shorter version)

Luke 7 : 36-50

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to share His meal, so He went to the Pharisee’s home, and as usual reclined at the table to eat. And it happened that a woman of this town, who was known as a sinner, heard that He was in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and stood behind Him, at His feet, weeping. She wet His feet with tears, she dried them with her hair, she kissed His feet and poured the perfume on them.

The Pharisee who had invited Jesus was watching, and thought, “If this Man were a prophet, He would know what sort of person is touching Him; isn’t this woman a sinner?”

Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said, “Simon, I have something to ask you.” He answered, “Speak, master.” And Jesus said, “Two people were in debt to the same creditor. One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. As they were unable to pay him back, he graciously cancelled the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, who was forgiven more.” And Jesus said, “You are right.” And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? You gave Me no water for My feet when I entered your house, but she has washed My feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.”

“You did not welcome Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since she came in. You provided no oil for My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. This is why, I tell you, her sins, her many sins, are forgiven, because of her great love. But the one who is forgiven little, has little love.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others reclining with Him at the table began to wonder, “Now this Man claims to forgive sins!” But Jesus again spoke to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace!”

Yet we know that a person is justified not by practicing the law but by faith in Christ Jesus. So we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may receive true righteousness from faith in Christ Jesus, and not from the practices of the Law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.

As for me, the very Law brought me to die to the Law, that I may live for God. I am crucified with Christ. Do I live? It is no longer me, Christ lives in me. My life in this body is life through faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

In this way I do not ignore the gift of God, for, if justification comes through the practice of the Law, Christ would have died for nothing.

The emotional motive force behind an idea for change may be entirely laudable. But this hardly guarantees that outcome of the idea would benefit those for whom it was designed or proposed in the first place. The worst and the most visible offence is almost daily inflicted upon people in a democratic polity, where a lot of irrational and short-sighted decisions are taken by individual political leaders or a cabal of them and actions thereupon follow sometimes with disastrous consequences, all in the name of the greater and lasting public good. This probably is a rather extreme and poor example of the travesty often wrought in our lives by a bunch of self-righteous people empowered, ironically, by ourselves through routine democratic processes. Perhaps more problematic is the case of significant and long term influence of a subversive idea for engineering a social or political change, challenging the status quo, based on the assumption of the ‘rightness’ of the idea.

It is impossible to outlaw germination of ideas for change within a given societal framework, questioning or challenging the received wisdom, morality, ethical principles that is expected to roughly govern individual behavior within that framework. A new pair of eyes and ears may perceive colors and sounds that the accumulated stagnancy of yore will barely refract. A fresh pair of legs will dare scale uncharted pathways and claim summits of achievements thought unassailable. Nobody seriously believed even twenty or thirty years ago that the sovereignty of nation states could be so profoundly undermined – not by surreptitiously taking forbidden pictures from the space, nor by offloading missiles from unmanned aerial vehicles on a territory marked inimical. Frontiers and barriers could be more easily breached by packets of information, an avalanche of them, providing words, pictures, sounds, colors, constructs from a distant and a different world, indeed an alternative perspective that is righteously subversive.

It is difficult to predict just when such a righteous challenge starts appearing antagonistic or destabilizing to the upholders of the dominant paradigm. And in the ensuing long drawn or shorter and more violent confrontation and replacement of the old with the new, the live throbbing ideas distilling out of perceptive individual brains start acquiring incrustations, perhaps instinctively, of this or that ‘identity’ and be well on the way to turn into an entrenched and ossified ideology. That is when the righteous appears like a tiresome old fogey spouting at best some heuristic prescriptions that might have outlived its time and we begin rooting for the new subversion and making common cause with its righteousness.

Time and again in the history of ideas (philosophical thoughts, science of societies, political ideologies) seeking the ‘seemingly’ right has motivated and enticed men and women, some of them of extraordinary merit and calibre, frequently not achieving the elusive right results held out as a promise. Is it possible that the importance of the ethical or the moral compass guiding human action is overrated ? And that this only serves to ignore a more objective, less dramatic and mundane down-to-earth evolutionary approach where emphasis is subtle amelioration of the old with new rather than outright subversion ?

Psalm 26:6-8 (NLT)
I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O LORD, singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders. I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glorious presence dwells.

My husband and I have had a full house for all of our married life. On our wedding day, we left the church with each other and three small children. We have never really known the silence of empty rooms without the pounding of little feet and yelling of loud voices as seven people grew in love over the years. Now as our children grow up, there are fewer and fewer noises in our house. What used to seem cramped and overrun with people is becoming bigger and bigger. Two of our children have ventured out into the world of adulthood with another not far behind. Our youngest two face new milestones each day leading them to maturity, and now the possibility becomes probability as one day they will all grow up and move away. Recently, the three girls went to stay at the beach with friends for a week and for the first time ever – we were alone. My husband and I struggled with the empty house void of laughter and noise. The order of our life came crashing down when the routine and rowdiness of the children were gone. The atmosphere changed as we ate dinner alone at the very same table once overrun by our kids. Our life is markedly different without their presence. They add to the quality of our life. Oh sure, there is less laundry to do. There is certainly a tremendous reduction in our grocery bill. Certainly, there are less demands on our time when everyone is gone. But what many herald as a good thing, we must learn to appreciate because we love being parents. We really cannot remember not being mom and dad. We love the noise of our family. We are fixed in the routine. Without their presence, everything changes. We long for their return and welcome them home as they add something to our home that it needs, wants and desires.

“I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where your glorious presence dwells.” Do you live in the Presence of God? If you have never experienced a houseful of children, then what I have shared with you may be a revelation. To some, it may not seem like the blissful atmosphere as we do. To others who long for children, it only brings a deeper longing for satisfaction. For others, who maybe are in the midst of a houseful and long for a few moments of peace, it will change your perspective. Unless you experience the Presence of God, you will never know what you are missing. It is the Presence of God that has changed my life. When I didn’t think I would last another day under the trials and testing, His Spirit carried me through. He is the bond between my husband and I that allows us to overcome our differences and put our expectation in God not each other so our marriage is not a sad statistic. The Presence of the Lord is His Glory and Power that can take two messed up people with three small children and make a thriving home and loving family. This is my testimony. It is based on personal experience with God and man. If you want to experience the Power and Glory of God for yourself, then it is up to you to experience the Power and Glory of God found only in His Presence. Only then will you too understand the supernatural intervention of God in your life. God’s Sanctuary is not a building. It is not a congregation. You cannot drive there. You cannot be a member simply by coming forward, making a profession of faith and moving your letter. The Sanctuary of God referred to is that place where the Glory of God dwells – it is in you! You have the Power to change your life living on the inside of you trying to get out. Jesus died so that you could experience the Presence of God but not his anger and judgment. You have the best of both worlds. His Glory on the inside so you can meet Him on the other side. It is all about the Presence of God.

Exodus 33:17-23 (NLT)
The LORD replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.” Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.” The LORD replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The LORD continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”

In the beginning, God created man and woman to live in His Presence. However, as we all know humanity chose a different way of life. Rather than life, people chose to die living their own way. So God tried Plan B. The Lord sent His Presence to the people when He could no longer come any closer due to the sin that flowed through them. The people were afraid. Now I don’t know if they were more afraid of being consumed because of their sin or not willing to give it up or maybe a little of both as is evident today. This didn’t work either so Jesus Christ came so that the Glory of God could come to live inside of each of us. It is a gift freely given but not always opened. Although the Spirit moves, it does not mean that God has changed. So as we study this passage a little bit, maybe we can wrap our heart and mind around God’s Presence and allow it to manifest in our life more and more. “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

The very first thing to know and understand about the Presence of God is who the Lord is and what He is capable of. It is not a matter of will God act on our behalf but simply a matter of when. We cannot live life wondering if He can but knowing that He will. This is faith. We must have faith in God to enter His Presence. It is not His Requirement if you think about it but rather the heart of mankind that requires it. You will not have faith if you do not trust. You will not enter the unseen reality of faith if you are not absolutely convinced it is safe and favorable place that you want to be. Sin compromises our safety in the Presence of God because the Lord cannot and will not tolerate it in His Presence. His Justice and Righteousness will not allow it. So we must be fully convinced by faith that fortifies confident hope that if we enter His Presence we will not be destroyed. The first thing God said to Moses is “I will do what you have asked.” What have you asked for from God? Does it line up with His Plan? Does it accomplish His Will, His Way? “Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9) Faith requires a life change to be revealed. Obedience is a must to live in the Presence of God or your life is in direct opposition. But once turning from our own path and stepping into God’s Plan, He will do exactly what He has promised leaving nothing out until it is complete. The very first promise is salvation. Without salvation, no one can enter the Presence of God and live so God created a great chasm between the two of you for your own protection. The Blood of Jesus is fills the void so that we can safely and boldly come into His Presence making our petitions and requests to the Father. “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:21-23)

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NLT)
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

When the Gift of Salvation is accepted, the Spirit of the Lord is placed inside of you. You are now anointed by God. What you do with this Gift is up to you? The Lord’s Favor has come applies to your life right now. It is up to people to discover everything that God has in store for our life. It requires faith that is deeply rooted and grounded in His Righteousness that is planted in His Presence (or His Glory). Are you a frustrated Christian? Are you a bottomed-out believer who feels no difference between yesterday and today? It is not God who needs to get moving so it must be…. “For I look favorably on you” is the Word of the Lord for your life today, tomorrow and forever. He said it to Moses and He is saying it to us. God does not change. If you will live in God’s Presence then you will experience His Favor. “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” (Numbers 6:23-27) We live under this blessing as joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Righteousness is found in Jesus Christ. To remain righteous, we must follow Christ. Faith is produced when we do this. Confident hope springs forth and a harvest of God’s Favor is discovered.

Hebrews 12:23-24 (NLT)
You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

God knows you by name. Do you know God’s Name? Do you know who He is? Are you aware of how He operates? Do you know Jesus? Have you become acquainted with His Spirit? God has done everything to make sure that you know His Name and He most certainly knows who you are! He created you! He was with you in your mother’s womb. He was there when you took your first breath. The Lord has been watching and waiting for you to discover and yearn for the Eternity hidden in your heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and take the faith that He has given you to turn it into confident hope that will boldly access His Presence as a Child of God. What is left for me to do? Simply ask Him for it. “Show me the Glory of Your Presence.” All we have to do is ask! We ask for everything else BUT to experience the Presence of God. When everything we want, need and desire is right there!

Ephesians 3:18-20 (NLT)
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

If I took the time to tell you every Promise of God that has come to pass in my life, you will relate to some things and not so much other details based on your own life experience. I didn’t think much of deliverance until I witnessed firsthand someone being set free. I didn’t really believe in miraculous healing like I did after He healed my loved one. There are a lot of things that we confess to believe that in reality we are not fully convinced are true. Faith without works is dead. But let’s face it, most humans beings will take a pill to get rid of a headache before they ask God to heal their aching head. It is human nature to reach for the immediate rather than waiting on the miraculous. So rather than detail my life experience I will simply share what the Lord has to say about His Presence based on the account of Moses. In God’s Presence you will find His Goodness. (Psalm 23:1-6) No better is His Goodness defined than in the 23rd Psalm as we walk through this Life, God’s Goodness is pursuing us just waiting for us to turn around. When we become confident in the Goodness of God found only in His Presence, we will wait for it patiently. We will be brave and courageous knowing He will act in this life. (Psalm 27:13-14) You are not a victim of your circumstances but positioned for His Goodness.

In His Presence, we find grace and more grace. Salvation is the divine selection of God to receive His Grace. To return to darkness and sin is to soundly reject it. Acceptance of God’s Grace means entrance to His Presence. “Then I called on the name of the LORD: “Please, LORD, save me!” How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the LORD has been good to me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the LORD’s presence as I live here on earth!” (Psalm 116:4-9)

In His Presence, there is mercy based on His Compassion. Mercy relieves the penalty of sin so we can serve Him. Sin and shame once barricaded our entrance and barred our freedom but now we are free to serve the Lord because of His Great Mercy moved by His Compassion. (Exodus 34:5-7) It is God’s Character based on His Unfailing Love for people. (Psalm 145:9) It is His Identity. All of these things are available in the Presence of God and necessary for the fulfillment of salvation, sanctification and redemption. We absolutely unequivocally must have God’s Goodness, Grace, Mercy and Compassion to make it into His Presence and remain there forever.

Psalm 15:1-5 (NLT)
Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.

“Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by…” Thank you God for the Rock! Jesus Christ is the Rock! He is represented here in the Word of God before He even made His First Appearance on the earth. This is the part where God’s Mercy and Grace overtake us. His Goodness fills our life. It is when we engage with God and let Him take the lead. Psalm 15 seems impossible until we add Jesus. We can follow Jesus and live in the Presence of God every single day for the rest of our life into Eternity. We can clothe ourselves in the Presence of Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:14) His Spirit is inside of us. Do we wear Him well? He is the Stone the builders rejected. He is the Gateway of salvation. All who enter in can live in the Presence of God! (Psalm 118:19-24)

Psalm 16:11 (NLT)
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

In His Presence, you will discover God’s Plan and His Protection for your life. It is a good one with a hope and future. (Jeremiah 29:11) By accepting the Gift of Life offered by Jesus Christ, His Spirit becomes a permanent part of our being. There is no escaping His Presence and His Glory lives in us if we choose to continue in the way of life not death. (Psalm 139:7-12) The Lord will hide you in His Presence so no matter what the details of your life may be, you will always be protected. You will always be blessed even when others are cursing your life. (Psalm 31:19-20) Righteousness and justice will no longer be your enemy. We now can have the impossible because of His Grace, Mercy and Love that made the Way for us to enter His Presence once again. (Psalm 89:14-16) Those who live in the Presence of God choosing righteousness by faith can never be harmed by the enemy who must request permission to test or tempt God’s People. (Job 1:6; Job 2:1) God isn’t going to allow anything that you are not ready for or will not result in fulfillment, completion, contentment, satisfaction, blessing or prosperity because these are the benefits of living in His Presence. Who wouldn’t want to live in the Presence of God? Once you have experienced the Presence of God and all of its benefits, living any other way is not an option.

Hebrews 10:21-23 (NLT)
And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

“Yada Yada He Dharmasya Glanir Bhavati Bharata, Abhyuthanam Adharmasya Tadaatmanam Srujamaham, Paritranaya Sadhunaam Vinashayacha Dushkritam, Dharm Sansthapanathaya Sambhavami Yuge Yuge”.
(English translation : Whenever there is decay of righteousness O! Bharata and rise of unrighteousness then I(God himself) manifest myself for the protection of good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age).

Now, an interesting question may arise, about which Dharma Lord Krishna reminds to Arjuna – about religion or righteousness? For the protection of which Dharma, Lord Krishna Incarnates himself? Religions are manufactured on earth by so called creatures – ‘we humans’ based on certain principles and specific limitations where as moral duties are eternal laws, immortal ethics, moral recommendations, code of conduct or call it ‘law of nature’ to be followed must. If being righteous is following true path then it is already been proved that “Truth is God, God is Truth”. Anything that helps human being to reach God is Dharma and anything that hinders from reaching God is Adharm.

If any father asks his son that ‘what is your Dharma’, I guess majority of sons will reply their religion name inspite of saying ‘serving you and my Mother’ is my primary Dharma. Once Mother Parvati asked her sons, Lord Kartikeya and Lord Ganesh to go around the earth in the shortest possible time. Lord Kartikeya trotted out on his peacock on a world tour while Lord Ganesh stayed at home refusing to move out. Just as he got news that Lord Kartikeya was returning home, He asked his parents to stand together and took three rounds of them. Lord Ganesh told his parents that they were his world so in this way he won the match. Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati were very happy with Lord Ganesha’s answer and blessed him saying that his name would always be taken before any auspicious work was undertaken.

“Dharmo Rakshati Rakshtah..”
(English translation: Those who protect Dharma will be protected by Dharma).
So how to protect Dharma and how Dharma will protect you/us? It’s protection doesn’t needs any money, extra time or requirement of being a brave warrior. Individual practice of right/righteous path independent of selfishness in daily life is the way to self protect it and it’s everyone’s moral responsibility, if you respect others or help, inturn they will reward you with the same prize too(except few, since nothing is ideal on earth). Dharma is for stability of society and progress of human kind and both of our epics Ramayana and Mahabharata depicts it which are the best example to understand it. It’s Karm(a) of every student to study where as his Dharma is to serve his parents and respecting elders etc. The same way its Karm(a) of a soldier is to serve nation, but what about his Dharma? Guess..!!

If you are still in dilemma understanding basic meaning of Dharma then forget everything and just remember – ‘Non practice of betrayal with anyone is real Dharma’(In Hindi : Kisi ke saath vishwasghaat nahi karna he sacha Dharam hai).

Most Christians would say that this was a stupid question and answer “yes, of course Jesus had a purpose in dying on the cross”.

Yet many of those same Christian are trying and striving, through the deeds of the law (trying to keep the 10 commandments for example) and through their perceived good works, to make themselves more acceptable to God.

They are trying in other words to make themselves righteous, or indeed, more righteous.

Paul told the Galatians that if they were trying to become righteous through good works and deeds of the law, they are making the finished work of Jesus worth nothing.

That is what he means in verse 21; “vain” means worth nought, worth nothing.

This was a very strong statement to write to the believers there, and it is a strong statement the Word of God is shouting out to you today.

If you are trying to make yourself righteous, through good works and deeds of the law, you are saying the death of Jesus was in vain and worth nothing to you.

Yes, that is strong and possibly offensive, but it is the truth.

The finished work of Jesus is not the not quite finished work of Jesus; He did enough for you to be made righteous and justified.

Your righteousness and justification has nothing to do with your performance and works; instead it has everything to do with His finished work.

Speak this out…..”Thank you Lord that I have been made righteous and justified through my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

Galatians 2 v 21…..I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain

The question is asked, somewhat rhetorically, who it is that’s coming from Bozrah, the capital of Edom. Edom means red, which is likely Isaiah used for that reason. The picture is of Christ returning from judgment on the wicked and salvation of the righteous (Rev 11:17-18).

He is returning as a conquerer, dressed in majesty, marching in his strength. And he answers the question that it is he, the one who speaks in righteousness and is mighty to save. His purpose for what he has done, which will be explained, is to set things back to right again and to save his faithful people.

V. 2, The next question asked of Jesus is why he is dressed in red. He looks like he just came out of a wine press where he has been tramping down grapes.

V. 3, He replies that yes that is exactly what he was doing and he did it alone. No one has the authority to exact vengeance except him. But he does have that authority and so in his wrath he punished the wicked (Rev 14:19-20). In so doing he stained his clothes with their blood. In other words, this strange act (Is 28:21) is something that will reflect upon him.

Luke 11:21-23 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.
“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.”

Mashing up “sword” sections of the Bible … Jesus’ speaking about the new relationship his disciples will have with the world that hates Him and so hates them, and Paul’s famous exhortation to us to protect ourselves by faith in various aspects of God Himself.

Disciples will, after Jesus even up to today, need to provide for and protect themselves and their families. But the Kingdom is God’s, it’s spiritual and the revolution against the world will be God’s work, the work of His word.

Finally, in Luke, Jesus tells us that His identification as a man with us would be completed in Him now. Hebrews, then, fills out the thought. The word of God would be the most effective weapon – swords, guns, bombs, whatever – all fail against His eternal word, and the truth that He has disarmed the devil by rising from the dead in victory and finally sitting on the right hand of the Father in heaven. His grace, his favor toward me is complete, total, and unchanging. I can bring Him my desire to do good to those who hate me, He will defend in His way and for His purposes. I am a servant of God – is anything too hard for Him?

His promise is this: bring Him my struggles, His favor will include the power to obey Him. Therefore, do that.

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Lk. 22:35-38 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.”

And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS ‘; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

 
Eph. 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore , take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE ; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints …

 
Heb. 4:12-16 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

All levels of relationships require security. To be safe and to have an assurance that the other party has your back. Father to son. Mother to daughter. Husband to wife. Friend to friend. God to us.

God wants us safe in our relationship with him. He needs us to know that he’s got our backs!

The book of Romans is the sweetest love book! It is almost impossible to be a grounded Christian without knowing, understanding and accepting the beautiful truths in the book.

Romans 5:12-20 perfectly compared Adam with Jesus. Sin through Adam, righteousness through Jesus. Death through Adam, life through Jesus. Imperfection through Adam, perfection through Jesus. Disobedience from Adam, obedience from Jesus. Understanding the similarities and differences between Adam and Jesus would totally set a man free and give him that full assurance and safety in the work God did through Jesus.

When Adam sinned, sin came into world and all men after Adam became sinners by nature. There was no imputation of sin before Moses came, but the bible says, ‘Death reigned from Adam to Moses’.. So how come death reigned when God was not imputing sins unto men? Adam’s sin brought death. So people were getting consequences of Adam’s sin, not consequences of their own sins.
Things changed when Jesus came along. Just as Adam made men sinners, Jesus made men righteous.
Jesus, the second Adam, came to repair the broken relationship between man and God. The good news is this, when he was done repairing, man didn’t return to the original state that Adam was, we got something better. Adam had the ability to lose his fellowship and righteousness.. and he did lose it because it was based on his obedience. But now that Jesus is involved, we are hid with Christ in God, we can’t lose our fellowship with God! We can’t lose this righteousness because it’s not in our hands to lose! We don’t own it. God placed it on us through Jesus.. Not based on our obedience but Jesus’ obedience. Now we get consequences of Jesus’ obedience.

‘….and their righteousness is from me, says the Lord’ Isaiah 54:17
‘….God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them..’ 2nd Corinthians 5:19
‘….by one offering, he has perfected forever them that are sanctified’ Romans 10:14

Your actions of sin would make you feel out of fellowship with God. But God isn’t out of fellowship with you.

This is God’s security. He has provided us a safe atmosphere in which to have a personal relationship with him. Not getting afraid everytime if one day he’ll stop loving us.

We are in security. God’s security. There is an assurance that he’ll never leave us nor forsake us..
Rest in his assurance of salvation and have a fulfilling relationship with him.

This sense of peace has nothing to do with the calm that results from being left alone. It is not about a momentary absence of problems either. It is solely about vulnerability. I feel that today, for the very first time ever, I was able to be fully vulnerable. I was okay being emotionally wounded. And, hours later, this still feels so liberating. I didn’t react. I listened and received unconditionally, without expressing any emotional volatility. In the process, I understood a lot, and that created so much closeness. I had never suspected that such closeness could be even remotely possible.

My only hope is that I never go back. This will require presence, diligence, and awareness. In other words, checking-out is not an option. I must admit I’m a little worried… Can I do it? I need to.

At 0630 yesterday morning, my team (1 leader and 3 members) met together for quiet time. We read through the first half of chapter 1 of 1 Peter, in preparation for our program Bible study on 1 Peter. As I was reading through the passage, the verse that really stood out to me was 1 Peter 1:8-9:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining  the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

From this passage, I had a few thoughts:

- We rejoice because God has given us living hope in the form of Jesus’ resurrection and an imperishable and unfading inheritance of salvation.

- This rejoicing allows us to undergo the trials of life because we can see that our faith is being made more genuine

- The prophets were told that they were writing about the Christ so that FUTURE generations would believe. They weren’t going to see the Christ in this world, yet they remained faithful to God and did everything they could to write accurately about the Christ so that others would believe in Him when they saw him.

Later on yesterday, as I was searching for a place to do my Bible Study prep, I found a spot that I have decided to try and do all my quiet times at, weather-permitting. I found a tree with an almost perfect sitting place between two large branches. I’ve always loved climbing trees because of the amazing view you get at the top and because of how fully surrounded you are by God’s creation. Instead of using another, man-made place, I feel like God had picked that out for me and led me to it because He knows that that is what I consider my ideal place to have a quiet time (up in a tree).

Back to B.A.S.I.C. Our speaker last night was a South Louisiana/Texas man by the name of Eddie Broussard. His talk was on “PUT IT IN GEAR!” or how to keep our lives from staying in neutral. On this, he said that when sin entered our world, it “tilted” the Earth. Not literally, but spiritually. Before, the Earth was level, because we were in relationship with God as a human race. After we fell into sin, the earth “tilted”. Now, if we keep our lives “in neutral” (not going anywhere spiritually, just staying lazy), we’re going to “roll down” into sin and the domain of the Devil. Put it in gear and floor the gas, and that’s what an active relationship with Christ looks like. You’re still fighting uphill because of the constant temptation of sin, but as long as you keep moving forward, every bit gets us closer to God. But to keep moving, there are seven principles that are there to help us.

The scripture he worked from was Ephesians 6:10-18, the passage on the Armour of God. The Armour itself is not physical. It is spiritual armour that enables us to fight in the spiritual battle that is waging on all around us, every day, unceasingly. We can only see the physical realm, but the biblical worldview states that there is also a spiritual realm that directly affects the physical world (The fall of Adam and Eve with the serpent, for example).

The principles are the various pieces of armour, the first being the Belt of Truth. The Word of God is the spiritual belt we put around our waists so that we can run after God without tripping and falling over our flapping clothes. Therefore, truth is what keeps us from falling over the lies that Satan inevitably sends our way. In addition, the belt keeps your…um…”sensitive areas” protected, which also keeps our most vulnerable areas of our lives protected.

Next on the list is the Breastplate of Righteousness. Now, righteousness often gets a bad rap because people like to use it to fight against people they think are going off on the “Holier than thou” path. In the biblical context, righteousness means God’s standard of what is true and good and just in scriptures. Therefore, to be righteous is to conform everything you do to the standard that God has established in the scriptures. Now, this righteousness is two-pronged. There is the righteousness that God enrobes us in through Christ, and our righteous actions (Micah 6:8). Now, as fallen humans, we are incapable of having a righteousness of our own because we are sinful and evil, capable of the most atrocious acts (check the news if you don’t believe me). Yet, we can be righteous. Why? Because it is the righteousness of God, which he gives us, that defines our identity and changes it. Before, we were controlled by sin and our identity was founded in it. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that our righteousness is not our own, but it is given to us when we become sons of the King. Now, once we become sons, our actions begin to emulate those of the Father (which is how we can be righteous) because he changes our identity to one that is based on his perception of us; that perception being the purest form of love imaginable. The Greeks had a word for it. Agape. Unconditional love. Except the love God has for us blows that definition out of the water. It’s just the closest thing we have to it. Our identity is the most important area to protect from Satan’s lies about ourselves, which is why it is a breastplate, covering our most vital organs and providing us with maximum protection, because no longer is our identity formed and solidified on the basis of other peoples’ perceptions of us, but rather, it is founded upon the promises God makes to never leave us nor forsake us, to love us always and to bring us into his heavenly kingdom.

After the breastplate came the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. Eddie likened them to a pair of good running shoes, which I happened to have on at the time. Having a good pair of running shoes, as all runners know, is essential to running the race well. Spiritually, tightly-laced shoes enable us to run the race of faith, in the best way we can. Feet are also the foundation of our actions (can’t go anywhere unless you start walking), and so it is with the Gospel of Peace. It addresses our spiritual foundation by completely restoring what sin has corrupted and destroyed. It works in our heart to heal injuries from others, and makes us whole as a result.

The Shield of Faith was next. Every day, Satan fires flaming arrows at us. These are the lies and deceptions that he attacks us with daily to throw us off and make us despair. They may come from any number of places: friends, family, co-workers…even ourselves. So what do we do? We raise the shield, our faith, and it extinguishes the arrows and saps away all of their power. Why is that? Because we choose to believe God and his truth, his promises and his character, and that faith is enough to overcome any attack of the devil, no matter where it may come from.

The Helmet of Salvation followed soon after. Why is it a helmet? Because our salvation protects the way we think about and view the world. The helmet also protects us because God has given it to us freely. He wants us to know that salvation frees us from sin and changes our entire way of thinking to make it more like God’s way. As well, salvation gives us assurance that no matter what happens, God’s kingdom has already won (when Jesus died on the cross) and rules over all, unquestionably.

Now, up until this point, all the pieces have been primarily defensive in nature. Now it’s time to break out the big guns. The one offensive weapon we as Christians are given. The Sword of the Spirit. This is how we put the Word of God to use in our everyday lives. Now, this doesn’t mean that we go around beating people over the head with Bibles whenever we butt heads with them. What it means is that every wicked thought we have, or that someone else has towards us or about themselves, we cleave, chop, slice, dice, slit and stab it until there’s nothing left but the useless lie that it is. Whenever we run into Satan’s schemes, our first and only reaction should be to pull our swords out and vanquish it through the power of God’s word. When Jesus was tempted by Satan three times, the first three words he said every time were the following: “It is written…..”. If that was Jesus’ first reaction, shouldn’t it also be ours as well? We are called to be like God in everything we do and say. If that was the way Jesus actively resisted and overcame Satan’s wiles, then that’s how we should respond as well. Plain and simple.

The Armour of God needs to be put on every day. It enables us to be constantly ready for action and protects us from any and every attack. One last thing before I wrap this up: Pray. As you’re walking around, doing whatever it is you do, pray. For friends, neighbours, family, co-workers, even ourselves, pray. Unceasingly and unwaveringly, pray.

It’s not the external,

Certainly with a clear motive-

God bless
Olabode Oluwatosin Samson.

6 On your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have set watchmen;
all the day and all the night
they shall never be silent.
You who put the LORD in remembrance,
take no rest,
7 and give him no rest
until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it a praise in the earth.
8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“I will not again give your grain
to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink your wine
for which you have labored;
9 but those who garner it shall eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather it shall drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”^e

10 Go through, go through the gates;
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up a signal over the peoples.
11 Behold, the LORD has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.”
12 And they shall be called The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the LORD;
and you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.

My DIG entries recently have been about these truths, and the Bible is very clear and consistent in how it deals with your righteousness and justification.

Yesterday we looked at Romans 3 v 28 and today we look at Romans 5 v 1; and the Word says the same thing in both passages of scripture.

You are justified by faith and because of this you are at peace with God.

God does not have an issue with you anymore (you have complete acceptance from God) as Jesus has dealt with all the issues through His finished work on the cross.

That is what the Word of God says in Romans 5 v 1; what a wonderful verse.

To be justified means to be rendered righteous, to be made righteous and that is the truth you need to know.

Your faith in Jesus Christ and in His finished work means you have been made righteous and have been justified.

You are not in a process of justification or in a process of being made righteous; YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS.

Faith is required for justification and righteousness.

Do you have faith in Jesus Christ?

If you answered yes, then you are righteous and justified.

Yes ,it really is that easy.

This is a simple concept, yet powerful; this is a truth that you need to be reminded about again and again and again.

Speak this out…..”Thank you Lord that I have been made righteous and justified through my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

Romans 5 v 1…..Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

But it added to the day’s doldrums. Funny how some days just start off down and then continue on their belly. Pity, really, because the sun’s shining. But depression pays no attention to that. And I must confess to depression. Or maybe left-over miserableness from yesterday.

Not good enough.

Now, I’d never dream of ever telling any friend (or even enemy!) with depression to get a grip, and shake themselves out of it. But I do it to myself all the time! Completely unproductive. Like the pack of flapjacks I deliberately bought ‘to cheer myself up’ — and wreck the diet!!!

I cannot imagine how any humanist can possibly kid themselves that we human beings are lovely competent beings who can safely be entrusted with our own lives, let alone a whole planet! I know I can’t. I give myself a D minus even in the plodding along stakes!

But I know God doesn’t. I know that when He looks at me, He sees someone that Christ died for, and He doesn’t see the mess I’ve made of everything, He sees the righteousness of Christ clothing one of His beloved daughters.

I just wish I could feel some of that! But today I don’t.

And I know that’s all right too because ‘Faith is the evidence of things we can’t see’. And faith is our part in this relationship with God. So even if I don’t feel loved and cherished and filled with joy, peace, etc., I’m going to hang on by sheer gritted determination to the belief that despite how I feel, God is still Who He says He is and He’s in charge of my life and He knows what He’s doing. I don’t. So I’ll sit tight and wait for the toxins from yesterday to ebb away and for the peace to return.

And it will return. Because Jesus promised it would.

‘My peace I give you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ (John 14: 27)

And that’s good enough for me.

Listen carefully to my speech, and let my declaration fill your ears ~ Job 13:17.

God is speaking to His people, through His people today. Some things we hear are of God, from God, and for us through others. Some things we hear are half-truths and total lies from the false light of God’s enemy, looking to trip us up and lead us astray. Are we being careful in our listening to realize truth and letting that fill our ears, or are we following falsehood? Knowing truth begins with learning to hear the Spirit of God and follow His instruction on truth. Then hear and heed the warnings and instructions coming from God through His teachers and prophets in our day; as well as from friends, family, and well meaning—or not—stand-byers. Be careful what you hear, and more careful what you receive.

Sound shofar every day that God leads you to do so:

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Psalm 37:3-4 (NLT)
Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Desire is in the heart of every man, woman and child throughout all the days of their life. The need to desire is a motivating force. There are things we want and need but when that desire begins to express itself beyond the recesses of the human heart something happens and desperation is born. Desire is to want or crave something. It is the expression of a wish that becomes a request. Desire produces drive. When the need or want becomes urgent it is called desperation producing recklessness that forces us to do something to satisfy the want, need and desire. Who doesn’t want to be satisfied? Who hasn’t tried just about everything possible to be content? Our initial desire comes from the sinful, selfish nature that human beings are born with. But God placed Eternity in our heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11) to cause us to seek more than things of this world and pursue forever. Believers long to have the Lord give them their heart’s desire. But if you heart desires sinful things, He will not do it. If the things we want are not good for us and do not lead to life, then God refuses to release them. The desire of our heart must be for the Lord. We must become desperate for Jesus alone. How do we take human desire and lust and turn it into Godly Fulfillment and Perfect Love? We must use our faith to trust in the Lord and do good. THEN people will prosper. Delight in the Lord. When Jesus alone is the object of desperation in your life, He will give you your heart’s desire. But what if I do not want the Lord more than anything else? What if the things I desire are not exactly the things that He has for me?

Psalm 73:25-26 (NLT)
Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

In order to plan our trip, one must know the destination otherwise you can only wander around and hope you get there. We must be desperate for Jesus in order to turn our desire into reality. The sinful nature of humanity is distrustful. It is wary and tends to doubt. The great desire for satisfaction must be given a destination – Eternity. When people turn back to God, learn to trust the Lord AND do good – they will experience fulfillment of desire from the inside out based on faith that is turned into confident hope. Can you say truthfully to the Lord today, “I desire YOU more than anything on earth?” Is your health or that of a loved one failing today? Can you say, “I desire YOU more than anything on earth?” Is your spirit weak from wandering from place to place and never really experiencing contentment in life? Can you say, “I desire YOU more than anything else on earth? Such a statement will produce longing in the heart of those who love the Lord and loathing in those who fear losing the things of this life. Repentance means turning from wicked, evil sins back to the Lord and continuing to your destination which is Heaven. Salvation is satisfied in such a way. Redemption is fulfilled the moment we meet Him face-to-face and are not consumed by justice but saved by grace. Desperation for Jesus more than anything else on the earth is the beginning of fulfillment. Desperation is nothing more than overwhelming desire to please God and be where He is. (Psalm 119:20) Such a cry draws God in closer but it is when we become focused and desperate for Him alone that He acts. (Psalm 145:18-19) To say that I love God and want Him, but never pursue Him is like saying “I want to go to Hawaii” and never booking a ticket to get there. (Proverbs 21:25) Desperation is a call to action and a step in the right direction of fulfillment, satisfaction and contentment. But how do I get there from here?

Isaiah 26:7-9 (NLT)
But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right.

Do I desire God? Do I want Jesus? Do I have His Spirit living inside of me? These questions are not answered by what we say, but rather what we do to answer them. Desire for God should produce an action. Sometimes we think we love and desire the Lord but our actions point in an entirely different direction. Think about it. If you are earnestly seeking God, what are you looking for? Is it money? Is it success? Is it the love of another human being? How do I discover the true motivation of my heart? What do you spend the most time doing? What are you investing in God’s Kingdom or man’s economy? Still unsure? The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword that pierces the heart and reveals its true contents. If you love God and earnestly seek the Lord than you will obey His Word, not because you have to anymore but because you want to. Obedience causes us to live righteous lives. Righteousness allows closer proximity to God. However, if sin still has a stronghold in your life – you will not want to move in. Sin cannot get close to the Lord or it will be consumed by His Justice hence our need for grace. Those who choose righteousness do not have a problem entering the Presence of God. (Isaiah 26:7) In fact, they enter boldly. (Hebrews 4:16) Is your heart’s desire to glorify God? If it is than His Word will be the compass for your life. Plain and simple. No really is it is that simple. As we begin to see the Lord for Who He is and Heaven for what it is, we begin to invest treasure there considering it a worthy investment with a high return. If you had a high paying position at a company – who wouldn’t gladly go to work each day knowing that a great return was coming on the next payday. However, those in minimum wage jobs have difficulty working hard for low wages. But those who seek the Kingdom of God can work either job and be satisfied. To desire God above anything else on the earth allows us to work for His Kingdom no matter what we do and find contentment in such a place. (Matthew 6:20-24) Who do you love today? It is the person or thing you invest your time and effort in attaining. Desire for the Lord is rewarded with incorruptible and eternal rewards that remain forever.

Romans 7:4-6 (NLT)
So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

The Law was provided so that people could find their way back to God. It was given as a means turn their desire back to the Lord. People still had a problem finding their way. So Jesus Christ came to be the Way. When He died on the Cross, He cancelled our sin debt. Now we are free to live and desire God. The Resurrection Power of God allows us to nail our desires and passions to the Cross and walk away from the death sentence they produced. (Galatians 5:24) But when we try to coexist between sinfulness and godliness with a bonding of grace, we lose our way all over again. We are not set free from sin to sin again. That’s just dumb. We are freed from sinful desire that works in us by His Spirit to do what pleases God. The natural drives and desire produced by sin no longer hold any power over your life. (Colossians 2:20-23) You have what it takes to follow Jesus and pursue God and live in His Presence. By choosing to allow the Spirit of God to guide our life then we will no longer need to satisfy the physical and emotional cravings of our sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16-18) They were nailed to the Cross remember and by choosing not to pry them free and chase after them again, we are set free to do the Will of God and satisfy the Eternal Desire of our heart, mind and soul. But understand desire is a drive and desperation must do something to be fulfilled. You cannot just sit around and wait. You must go after God, pursue Jesus and hand the controls over to the Holy Spirit every single day, each and every moment from now until He comes.

Romans 13:13-14 (NLT)
Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Salvation will become satisfaction when we decide to serve God. We must “clothe” our life in the Presence of the Lord from the inside out. Desperation is satisfied when we do something about it. I am desperate for you God equates to nothing if tomorrow you choose to live the exact same way you did today. We belong to the day now. Sin has no place in the day. Why do you think bars and nightclubs crank up the music at night and turn down the lights? We must live decent lives on display to glorify God. There are going to be things that we DO NOT participate in. Grace is not a free ticket to sin and be set free. It is the mark of those set free from sin and darkness. We were a people without a God until Jesus Christ died to reestablish our relationship with the Father. We were essentially nameless. But when we accept the title of Christian and are labeled Follower of Christ, we represent Jesus Christ in every aspect of our being. I once was at the mall with my daughter who favors my husband completely and my brother-in-law who favors him as well. An old acquaintance who met us on our way assumed that I was his wife and my little girl was his child because they looked just alike. He quickly clarified that she was his niece. Do you look like your Father God? Do you favor Jesus Christ? Can people tell that you belong to Him by the way you live? (I Peter 2:10-12) People are watching you. They may not listen to a word that you say until you tell them you believe in Jesus and then they will judge you by everything you do and say. It is a test of validity for a hopeless and dying world who is looking to satisfy the Eternity in their hearts. If you do not look and act like Jesus – they may be lost forever.

Romans 6:11-13 (NLT)
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Now that you are dead to sin and death is powerless in your life, you are free to love, serve and trust God openly and unashamedly. You can live to glorify His Name and experience the full satisfaction that is found in salvation. It will take a concentrated effort on your part to release every aspect of your life from sinful desire. Sin consumed your life. It shut the doors of your heart to the blessings and promises of God. They are all now unlocked. It is up to you to open them to the Lord for a quick work. Do not give in to sinful desire. You have to invest time and energy in holding fast to your confession of faith while God’s Spirit restores your willingness to serve the Lord. It takes time to know and understand the Word of God and apply it as wisdom to your life. But it will NEVER happen, if you do not take the time to read and study His Word. You cannot establish a relationship with anyone not even God if you don’t have some contact and conversations with the Lord. The basic need for fulfillment comes from a longing for Eternity. God has given us faith to begin our journey. But it will take endurance to make it to the end. Consider yourself dead to sin. Walk away from it. Abhor it. Deny it. If you do, you will find that you are pursing God. You will be satisfied. You will be content. The Lord will complete you right where you are if He does not do another tangible thing for you. Desire the Gifts of God given by His Spirit – they will help you win the war against the flesh because the Spirit is inside of you. (I Corinthians 12:30-31) God will literally give you a new desire to please Him! (Philippians 2:12-13)

James 1:12-16 (NLT)
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.

Testing and temptation are all a means of satisfaction. They allow us to look inside our heart and reveals our truest motivation. Can you honestly say today, I desire YOU God more than anything else on earth?” Sometimes it is through the consequences of life that we discover this is not the case and are given the opportunity to repent and be restored by the Lord. Temptation is born of our own evil desire. God would never tempt us because there is no evil in Him. He will test us as a means of self-discovery. Jesus already knows the contents of our heart but He wants us to know, too. We must know the source of our desperation to know if our plight is in vain. Desire that leads to desperation for anything other than God, Jesus and His Spirit lead only to death. He is the Source of Life. Where sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death every single time so do not be deceived by those who want the best of both worlds. God’s Grace is for those who take a stand against evil especially the sinful nature inside of us and choose a new heart and life in Jesus Christ. For those grace abounds and the enemy flees. (James 4:6-7) Those who love evil will never have the Grace of God no matter how hard they try. Satisfaction will remain elusive and discontentment will reign in their life as Eternity is unachievable. You can only get there One Way and His Name is Jesus.

Revelation 22:16-17 (NLT)
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
What do you desire today? The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”

Some “cruise-liners” are going to have to be modified into “battleships” like our nation did in WWII. That is, we are going to have to start voicing and doing and applying resources and effort into those things that “win the battle,” whatever the cost. “Ardent zeal”  and “intense exertion” (Matt.11:12) will not be foreign to those who would “take the Kingdom by force” and speak and act in the King’s authority. Some “plows” are going to have to be “beaten into swords.” Some energy that we are putting into the “good thing” is going to have to be shifted into the “God-thing.” Many will have to transition from slave and victim mentality to son and overcomer and land-owner mentality.

Click on this link to read SEEC magazine: 
http://martygabler.com/magazine/
We pray that this issue of SEEC Magazine is a blessing to you,
Marty & Kathy Gabler

So when someone suggests that something may be beyond our ability to do, WOOSH up the defences go, forming an impenetrable wall of self-sufficiency. I can do it! Nothing is impossible for me if I try hard enough! I don’t need help. Or something goes wrong at work and everyone (including you) knows it’s your fault. WOOSH a torrent of explanations and justifications are unleashed, knocking any kind of blame safely away from our deep, insecure inner parts. I did the best I could with what was given to me. If I’d had this…If he’d done that…I knew this would happen. Time and time again I have attempted to present a perfect image by hurriedly pulling my efforts and plans up around myself to defend against any suggestion that I am not, in fact, perfect, and I do not, in fact, have it all together.

But the trouble is, God sees through our ‘armour’. He sees the efforts and plans we try to cover ourselves up with as what they are: worthless rags. Ouch.

There’s a song that’s been so much in my heart recently that really describes this well. It’s a bit of a retro-classic, but the words just tear up my heart every time.

The verse goes like this:

God of grace, I turn my face to you- I cannot hide

My nakedness, my shame, my guilt are all before your eyes

Strivings and all anguished dreams in rags lie at my feet

And only grace provides the way for me to stand complete

On first reading, you may have had one of two reactions: depression or offense. And if you are anything like me, either of those is enough of an attack to my fragile inner self that I instantly scrabble around for my efforts and plans to make me feel better.

Because the truth is, we get very uncomfortable when we think about God being able to look at us and see e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. And, if we’re really honest, we bridle at the thought of having any kind of guilt and shame at all. We think ‘but look, I’ve done this! And this! And this! And I’ve tried really hard! And I’m doing it all by myself!’ But then comes that incredibly bleak yet incredibly true picture: strivings and all anguished dreams (for which you could read desperate efforts and anxious plans) in rags lie at my feet. They are not enough. More often than not, they fail even in our own eyes, let alone before the eyes of a holy God. They are not good enough to allow us to stand before Him with confidence. They don’t cover up my failings, my unkind thoughts, my crude jokes, my pride. We think our efforts and plans allow us to stand tall, like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Instead, we are more like Kate Winslet at the end of the Titanic: bedraggled, shivering and utterly helpless, blowing pathetically on our whistle in the hope that someone will rescue us.

But of course, that’s not the end of the story. Because the amazing truth is, someone does rescue us. The song is called ‘God of grace’ because He doesn’t just leave us there shivering, naked and ashamed.

The song goes on:

And your grace clothes me with righteousness

And your mercy covers me with love

Your life adorns and beautifies

I stand complete in you.

We are not left to cling to our worthless, useless rags. He gently picks us up, and dresses us in the richest clothes imaginable: clothes that we have done nothing to earn.

By grace we are clothed in righteousness. Jesus gave up His own robe of righteousness by dying on the cross, and placed it instead around my shoulders. Clearly I do not deserve to stand unashamed before a holy God. No one’s efforts are good enough for that. But God didn’t give me what I deserve. Instead He had mercy on me and covered me with His love. And so, clothed in borrowed righteousness and completely enveloped in love, I can now “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). All this is possible because of the simple yet earth-shattering act of Jesus’ death on the cross, and of course, His resurrection.

Not only this, but this act of God’s grace allows us to stand before others as well. In a world that cares excessively about what we look like, we are adorned and beautified by the life of the One we follow. When we choose to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and helps us to be more like Him. And He gradually makes our lives more and more beautiful to others, as they see the light of Christ shining out of us.

So a question I have to ask myself daily is what am I wearing? Am I desperately trying to clothe myself in the rags of my best efforts and plans- or am I choosing to rest in the wonderful truth that God has clothed me already in clothes far greater and more precious than anything I could ever earn?

Truly, I stand complete in Him.