A short story for the season

The struggle is real...and necessary.

Revelation and many teachers

Steps of the Righteous

1 John 3:18-22

Psalm 37: 1-2

Set your mind on Christ

Great is His Faithfulness. Isaiah 40 is a testament to God's faithfulness to His people. His people are defined by relationship, not by birth. Those who Know Him. How do we know someone? We spend time with them. We seek to hear what they say and understand the meaning of their words, their message both spoken and unspoken. I am currently watching the snow fall outside my window. It covers everything. I can't see the imperfections of the road, the hillside or even the branches on the tree. This is what the Law of Moses did. It covered temporarily the sins of the people. Therefore they were considered sinners forgiven. But they still had to make the sacrifices every year. In the New Covenant a new order was established. This Covenant did away with the accusers voice because Jesus made the final sacrifice for sin and fulfilled the Law of Moses once and for all. For those who embrace this truth, and are initiated into the Kingdom of God through repentance, baptism, they are no longer "sinners." This term, "sinners" and the claim of "being just a sinner saved by Grace" while true once, cannot continue to be true for the fully converted believer in Christ. Why? because it rejects the saving power of Christ and the Holy Spirit working in us toward perfection. To describe oneself as "sinner" is either because they lack knowledge of their identity in Christ or to excuse their laziness, to put it frankly. It isn't that a person doesn't do anything wrong, but as saint, and the identity offered in Christ, wrong is identified and corrected. The imperfections are not life sentences as it is with those who identify as "sinners," seemingly helpless to their own thought processes and patterns of behavior. That was the life offered by the Old Covenant. As believers, we no longer live that life. There is a way of victory if one is brave enough to step into the journey toward it. Isaiah 40: 26-31 testifies to the Character and desire of God from His throne of Righteousness and Justice, that we be whole and live a life of freedom and grace. This is peace, this is the life giving liberty to move forward unencumbered by the haunting of old sins (See Colossians 2). We are not helpless to the "sin that besets/entangles us" we have a saving Grace, a life-giving way of salvation for living now. Hebrews 11 tells all about the faith choices of those throughout Scripture who made obedient choices according to the will of God and received rewards (earthly and/or heavenly) and left a legacy for others to build upon. Hebrews 12 then gives a key for living: "Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. " vs 1-2 His Spirit quickens, brings alive our spirit so we may be victorious over sin (ours and others). Not because of anything we do, but because of His Faithfulness to His Covenant with the Son and the Spirit that is not dependent upon our "goodness." You can read the same characteristic of God in Isaiah 40. He does not change. His love has not changed. His desire for us to be victorious as on eagles wings, soaring far above circumstances, "what man can do to us or regarding us." II encourage you to read this for yourself) http://blb.sc/00CLfY What HAS changed is that the work of Christ did away with sin completely, forgiveness is available to be embraced and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can overcome because of the Blood of Christ and our Testimony of Him. What a great way to start the New Year--on eagles wings. Grace and Peace Anne

Oil of Joy