Tag: Christ

stumbling thru life?

Don’t allow Your offense to be the stumbling block in your walk with God. Fix it and move forward.

Do you ever stumble when you’re walking and look back to see what caused you to trip? We look back to see the ‘culprit’ that made us fumble with our footing. Sometimes it is an uneven sidewalk, a rock we didn’t see, tree roots, or just simply clumsiness. How often do we  do this in our spiritual walk? Do we simply go on, never looking back and never seeing?

And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. 1 Peter 2:8

He is the answer and when necessary, He will trip us up so that we will turn back to Him. If we keep our focus on God, he will make our paths level and straight.

And I will make my mountains into level paths for them. The highways will be raised above the valleys. Isaiah 49:11

This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. Isaiah 45:2-3

We must follow God through his Spirit.

Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” Zechariah 4:6-7

Prayer: Father, help me to do your will and walk in the paths you have prepared for me. Help me to listen to the Holy Spirit. Thank you for laying the groundwork in my life and engineering a level path to walk on. Thank you for your provision and for smoothing out the avenue set before me.

Unity of Faith

From dictionary.com: 

unity (noun) 
  • the state of being one; oneness.
  • a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one.
  • the state or fact of being united or combined into one, as of the parts of a whole; unification.
  • absence of diversity; unvaried or uniform character.
  • oneness of mind, feeling, etc., as among a number of persons; concord, harmony, or agreement.
Synonyms: accord, agreement, harmony, integrity, peace.

Unity of faith brings maturity, peace and perfect love.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:14-15

What will bring this maturity about?

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Ephesians 4:13

When will we have this unity of faith; what has to happen?

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:16

Unity of faith brings maturity. Then we will live as we were created to live, by complementing each other in the body. We will live in peace and grow in perfect love – God’s love.

In Jesus Christ’s own words:

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”  John 17:20-23

(Emphasis by underlining is added.)

God’s Confirming Word

As I read Psalm 147, I was reminded of how God confirms his Word through his Word and many other verses came to mind. I looked up these confirming verses and have linked them to this passage. You may see the verses by clicking on their links, then transfer back to this passage with the back button on your browser. (My words are in parentheses.)
Psalm 147

Praise the Lord!

How good to sing praises to our God!

How delightful and how fitting!

(True Worship! John 4:23-24)

2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem

and bringing the exiles back to Jerusalem.

(Into communion and relationship with Him. Revelations 21:3)

3 He heals the brokenhearted

(the disillusioned, the disappointed, those who hurt)

and bandages their wounds.

(Every trouble that befalls us. Romans 5:3-5)

4 He counts the stars

(And knows His people! John10:14)

and calls them (me) all by name.

5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!

His understanding is beyond comprehension!

(Ephesians 3:19)

6 The Lord supports the humble,

(Those with childlike trust and a sense of awe. Matthew 18:4)

but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

(Those who are rebellious. 1 John 3:9-11) 

7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord;

sing praises to our God with a harp.

(Colossians 3:15-17)

8 He covers the heavens with clouds,

provides rain for the earth,

and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.

(He provides literal rain. James 5:16-18)

9 He gives food to the wild animals

and feeds the young ravens when they cry.

(So, don’t worry! Matthew 6:31-33)

10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse

or in human might.

(Doing things on our own does not impress God. Philippians 2:13-15)

11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,

those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

(Those who allow God to lead them. 1 John 4:18)

12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates

(He protects us. Psalm 91)

and blessed your children within your walls.

(He Loves us. Romans 8:38-39)

14 He sends peace across your nation

(His peace which we can’t explain. Philippians 4:7)

and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.

(There are Rewards for following God. Ephesians 3:6)

15 He sends his orders to the world—

how swiftly his word flies!

(If God is for us, who can stand against us? Romans 8:31)

16 He sends the snow like white wool;

he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.

17 He hurls the hail like stones.

Who can stand against his freezing cold?

(God controls the weather.)

18 Then, at his command, it all melts.

He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.

(When Jesus woke up… the storm stopped and all was calm. Luke 8:24)

19 He has revealed his words to Jacob,

his decrees and regulations to Israel.

(He reveals His word to us by His Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12)

20 He has not done this for any other nation;

they do not know his regulations.

(We understand when we follow Him. John 14:21)

Praise the Lord!