…the word came a second time (Jonah 3:1-4:11); Get up and go! If you’ve ever been where Jonah’s been, a second chance is like breathing a full breath of new air. Your thinking has changed. Your heart has surrendered The only thing on your mind is gratefulness. There’s no room for growth in the “belly of a whale.” The victory that is in life itself is cause to do God’s will and obey the passion of God’s Word within us. Get up… go.. and proclaim… the message! Be all that God has called you to be.
…if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Philippians 3:13-21 Paul, a Pharisee believed in the resurrection. When the spirit of Jesus Christ himself appeared before him while on the road to Damascus, his self righteousness turned to self-loathing for condemning God’s people, the ones whom Christ was sent to save. Paul reached a position in his life that few in his culture achieve and when he started rounding up believers before the Roman authorities to be put to death he turned against God. As much as he believed that what he was doing was right before God, from a spiritual point of view he was convicted. From an “earthly” point of view he had the power and the authority, however, had Paul’s spiritual heart for God not been stronger, that visit from Christ may not have occurred when it did. Paul’s heart for God, I believe was predestined to be used for God’s glory even though he used his power and authority to sin against God. Knowingly or un-knowingly we don’t always think in deference to God before we act. Fortunately for our sake, like so many before us, God knows the heart. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or what we think we’ve done. Through Christ, God will tap the repentant heart that seeks after Him and it will be redeemed and transformed for His glory. Through Christ there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1-11).
Thus says the LORD: I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Jeremiah 2:1-13
For I am not ashamed of the gospel; …For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith… Romans 1:16-25
I call upon you from the ends of the earth with heaviness in my heart; set me upon the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61
Lent: Day 27 – How many times have we found our selves alone and “sitting by a well,” not realizing that in the well there is life-giving water? Even in his fear, God provided for Moses. We mistake a lot of things for love and we mistake love for a lot of things. Christ was despised, rejected, suffered death and was buried. In spite of all he endured, he simply loved them more. No matter our circumstance, we must be transformed by his love, not by what we think it is but rather by what we know and believe it to be according to God’s word. Then his resurrection will be our resurrection.
Exodus 2:1-22 Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’ When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.
Mark 9:2-13 …for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way…if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
But you, O Lord, are enthroned for ever;
your name endures to all generations.
You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to favor it;
the appointed time has come.
crustybread 