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Thoughts Archived > The Journey


1 Jan 2017

                                  

 

January 1, 2017

The Journey

Acts 14: 26

 

 

Acts 

Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun and where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

 

 

 

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  Thoughts....

 

Paul and Barnabas returned to where their journey had begun and where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

Do you know where your journey began?

Do you know where you were committed to the grace of God for the work he gave you to do?

Do you know what that work was?

Have you completed that work?

If these questions pull you up short, you are not alone.  I'm right there with you.  And it's rather appropriate today starts a new year.  Let it be a new LIFE for us all. 

I've started many journeys.  From birth to a young child devoted to God, to a young adult when I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in  my early 20's. Which is when he commissioned me to 'leave thy country, leave they kindred, and I will shew you a blessing'.  I then have had the journey of a long life, the journey of ministry, and employment.  I have had the journey of having a family and sending loved ones to God's, Jesus', Holy Spirit's arms in heaven.  I pray my journey does not end soon, by the way. 

I guess, based on Paul's and Barnabas' experiences, there are segments of work on the journey.  They had completed one of those at that moment.  I've always felt 'every step of the journey IS the journey', and that work for the Lord would never be completed until that day he calls me home to heaven.

But, as I look back on my life (I'll be 64 on the 4rth of January 2017, 'lots to look at), I do see many segments, or phases, or works.  Honestly, I don't see completion on behalf of the Lord, so much as a movement onward as part of life.  In that, I believe I have failed my Lord on many levels.

How about you?  What's your view like?

I think I've always known the end goals, known some of the steps, but not all of the steps, reached some points along the journey, fallen short of others.  Completed a work?  Attained the goals?  I....don't think I have.

But I'm not always seeing things the way God does. 

Have I helped others get to heaven?  Yes. 

Have I been ardent in my work, passionate with progression, determined about fulfillment, emblazoned with the goal on my heart?  No, quite frankly, only sometimes.  I've been lost, and at a loss, as a result of not having guidance, mentorship.

"What?!" you say.  Precisely my thought.  How could I ever think that, when God, Jesus, Holy Spirit have been right there - right here - all along, ready to uplift, direct, advise, delegate, etc., making available to me all the things necessary to move ahead?  AND committed me with God's grace for the work?!

Has there ever been a time in your life where you've felt like the child-sized inflatable doll that one stands on and is punched down, but comes back up for more swings? 

I've spent a lot of my life as that doll.  The journey has been long, and hard, and painful. Sometimes it's been very difficult to 'be on' at all times.  Sometimes it's been difficult to 'be on' at all.  Other times the tumultous side of life has been the most joyous ride I could have ever dreamed.  How can you not be at the high side of life when loving and being loved, holding your child in your arms, seeing their joy, knowing they are safe, watching them play, and grow, even go on to our Lord in heaven?

Yet I've been a pretty lonely soldier throughout my journey for the Lord.  Most times I've pressed on, but sometimes I've lacked impetus. Yes, salvation is surely an impetus worthy of continuing, as is being in Jesus' arms in heaven.  So I press on again.

David wrote Psalms reminding us of valleys and mountains.  And we can say to the mountain move, and it shall, we are told.  Some mountains don't move though.  Where is our faith in that moment?  Apparently less than a mustard seed.  Because even if we say we believe, and we act in that faith, there are still times the mountain does not move.

Is our work complete then?  Perhaps it's not the mountain we are to move, but our inner being, our spirit, to let THE Holy Spirit in further...at all.  Maybe that IS the real mountain.

Satan is surely a formidable foe who can attack us and put us in a lukewarm, downtrodden place....even freeze us....to keep us from heaven's gate.  It's at those times, once recognized, we need to climb the mountain to reach God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, find the blessing of the plateau in their arms to continue the journey, to do a good work, to get to the point of completion and hear the words 'good and faithful servant'.

You, and I, are committed to the grace of God....for the work.  The grace of God!  Oh, what a beautiful gift....God's grace.   His mercy, his blessing, his strength, his zeal, his awesome power, overwhelming love, uplifiting joy, embracing peace.  Why ever do we let Satan get to us, take that away, kill, steal and destroy?

How do we miss the mark of the high calling of God?

The string of life can be frail.  But we must not let it break. 

Hope for the future, dreams for all good things can dim, but we must not let those lights go out.

Satan will come at us, but we MUST learn to brush him off.  We MUST continue to hold our heads high, look Jesus in the eye, and HANG ONTO JESUS....with everything we've got.  We MUST get into....back into (?)....the Word of God and insure that, as we measure life, we are measuring life through God's eyes, and meeting it with him, Jesus and Holy Spirit.

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit will not just be at our side, going before us, having our back, but we must believe....know....they are WITHIN us for every step of the journey, for all phases of operations, for all the work.  We are committed to the grace of God (!) for the work (!).

As if we are glued, we are ONE in that committment with GOD!  But better than glue, we are imbued with him.  He dwells within us.  We should exude love, embrace all he IS, and has given us, on this thing we call the journey of life.  And we must NOT keep him to ourselves.  We MUST SHARE him.  THAT is the work on the journey.  The job we are to complete is to bring others to Christ and baptize them in the Holy Spirit so they, too, will be committed to the grace of God for the work.    

Ladies and Gentleman, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, may you have a very blessed new year, as you begin your new journey with God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.

 

 

                    
        

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  Let Us Pray

 

 

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, hear my prayer and that of all yours in the world, but not of the world.  Oh, Father God, Lord Jesus, Comforter and Teacher Holy Spirit, strengthen us please to battle against Satan and all his assigns.  We need not let them in.  We are better,than Satan gives us credit, wiser than he could possibly be, more loving, caring, and kind, without passive aggression, and yours....and that makes us holy.  May we always stand on holy ground on our journeys.  We accept we are committed the grace of God for the work you've given us.   Help us complete it.  We may begin anew, or be carrying on, but either way, thank you.  We are blessed to be so honored as to have been chosen for the journey.  Thank you for loving us, trusting us, forgiving us, carrying us, and giving us wings.  May we be found worthy as we grow....on.  May we know when we have completed the work, to take up the next task, and one day hear we are a 'good and faithful servant'.  Mere words, prayers, cannot express our gratitude.  May we begin anew to show it though, so any doubts about our intentions may be erased.  Restore us, Lord.  Renew us, and lift us to new heights of your glory, for you, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and all those awaiting your arms who may not even know it yet, as we go forth to share who you are, that you are, and how wonderful you are.  We praise you!  We thank you!  We love you!  Amen.  

  

  

 

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More love.... 

  Benediction....Blessing

 

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  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 really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

 

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

 

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

'All who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.  For you are all Christians - you are ONE in Christ Jesus.'  Galatians 3: 27

 

  It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!

 

Teach tolerance....reach in acceptance....worship as one!

 

Embrace....Respect....Encourage!

 

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Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

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  Our Continual Cause

 

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, animals, the earth, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart.  

    

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you ! 

 

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  One last thing....

 

Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

 

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

 

Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

 

And the people said,

"Amen."

 

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, besides just reading straight out of the Bible and sharing what God puts on your heart, please feel free to share any or all of what I've written, if it will help you, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know.  You are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen!

 

 

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Bible Authors & Minister