Dwell

                                                                                                           

Aloha Dearest Family,

                Someone recently sent me a phrase that said:

                 “You can either wake up saying, “Good morning, God” or wake up saying, “Good God, it’s morning.” Pretty funny.

 I pretty much wake up each morning praying and thanking God for another day. I am grateful that I get to spend time with the Father. This led me to this next thought.

                 One of the joys in life is found in the next verse.

                 “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22 NIV)

 We as born-again believers have the spirit living in us. Because of this, God has His dwelling place in us. This seems impossible; that the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Maker of all that is, has chosen to dwell within us, his sons and daughters. WOW!

 Philippians has a similar thought.

                 “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

 God is at work within us. Most Christians do not give this a second thought, sadly, but it is vital if we want to live a life of joy. Now that we know that God dwells in us, we should ask ourselves, “where are WE dwelling?”

                For eons of time, God has desired a family to have intimate fellowship with. He longed for sons and daughters to call His own. Finally, because of the work of His only begotten son Jesus Christ, He now can enjoy our company on a day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute basis. This is why man was created.

                The Bible gives us endless examples of how God blesses His own. But that’s only if we choose to dwell in His presence. He wants to spend time with us. But how much time do we spend with Him?

                Jesus told his disciples that they would prosper and bring forth fruit in their lives if they chose to dwell in him and obey his words.

                 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing... ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:4, 5 and 7)

                 If we dwell in Christ, our lives will be fruitful. How do we dwell in Christ? By dwelling in his words and the words of God his Father. Just like the olive tree, if we as branches abide in the vine, we will flourish. But we must choose to abide there. If we don’t, we miss the connection to abundance. So, our answer to living life fully is always to make the right choice.

            Dwelling where God is has endless benefits. As Psalm 91 shows us:

             “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (verse 1)

 When we choose to dwell where God dwells, we will abide under His hand of protection. The following verses give us a taste of how much will protect us from.

             “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be our shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.”

 This is available to all those who choose to dwell under His unfailing shelter from life’s storms.

                     We have to stop thinking that when God looks at us, that He sees our shortcomings and imperfections. He doesn’t. He sees us as someone that has been forgiven of all sins. He’s sees us as justified. We now have PEACE with God.

             “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) 

 God also tells us that He has chosen us “from before the foundation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4) He knew even way back then that we would one day be His. After thousands of generations that have come before us, God couldn’t wait until we were born so that He could enjoy fellowship with us. This is what God wanted from the beginning. So, let’s choose to spend every minute walking and talking with our Heavenly Father.

             “But if we walk in the light, as He is light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His son, purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:7)

                                     Love Always, Ray

 

Length of Days

                                                                                                                                                                             

,

Aloha Dearest Family,

                Psalm 91 ends with some magnificent promises to us from God.

               

“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.“ (Verses 14-16)

God has always desired for man to live long lives and to enjoy life to the fullest. His ultimate desire was for his creation (us) to have continuous fellowship with Him.

          

                “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life.” (Proverbs 3:1 and 2)

God wants us to not only live a long life, but that we would also have peace. God must surely love us very much.

                

                When Israel was getting ready to cross into the Promised Land, God gave them instructions in how to prosper and do well in the land they were entering. God laid out for them the terms of His covenant with them. He detailed all of the blessings that would be theirs if they obeyed His commandments. He also detailed the curses that they would experience if they disobeyed His commandments.

                

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing...” (Deuteronomy 30:19a)

After leaving them the choice to obey Him or not; to render to themselves God’s blessings or God’s curses, He advises them which choice to make.

                

“Therefore CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your descendants may live, and that you may love the LORD your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Verses 19b and 20)

God wants His people to prosper and be in health. He desires man to not just survive, He wants them to thrive. God wants His people to live long lives, with peace and enjoying His abundant blessings.

 

An Endless Life 

                God knew that one day He would send His own son to save the world. And because he would choose to lay down his own life, God would give him his heart’s desire - to live forever.

               

“The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, forever and ever.” (Psalm 21:1-4)

The ”King” in these verses refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave up his life for mankind and in return, as a reward, God gave him a body that would never die.

               

               One day Christ will return for us. On that day our bodies will be changed into a body that is like HIS glorious body.

               

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20 and 21)

 

                Even though it is God’s desire that we all live long lives, sadly, many do not. But to those who have Jesus Christ as their Lord, they are guaranteed to live forever in a new body without sickness, disease or defects. This awaits all of God's children.

               This life is very short compared to eternity. It’s time to choose LIFE and be blessed forever and ever. For who wouldn’t want to live forever? 

               

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “ (John 3:16)

 

                                  Love Always, Ray

Writing on the Ground

                                                                                                                                  

Aloha Dearest Family,

 

                In the Gospel of John chapter 8, we read about Jesus and the woman caught in the act of adultery.

                “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what said thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.” (John 8:3-6)

There has been much discussion over the years about what Jesus wrote on the ground. Many have said that he wrote out the Ten Commandments and others have had other theories. But by reading the record, there is no indication that what he wrote had any impact on the religious leaders whatsoever because they kept asking him to give an answer.

               

            To understand this record we must first ask ourselves, why did they bring this woman to Jesus? These religious leaders were trying every way possible to “trap’ Jesus in his words so that they might accuse him. They knew full well what the law said should be done with this woman. (The law of Moses actually required that both the man and the woman should be brought, but these religious leaders cared nothing about the law of Moses. All they were concerned with was trying to trap Jesus). Jesus knew the law and he knew WHY they had brought her. Jesus had a wealth of knowledge of the Old Testament law at his disposal. He could have easily given them the proper “legal” answer, but this would not address their motivation and their hard-heartedness. What he would say next would have to cut them to the quick.

               

Jesus and his Father           

     We have to always keep in mind that Jesus never did or said anything that he did not first receive from his Father.

                “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30)

A constant theme in John’s Gospel is that fact that Jesus always did the Father’s Will and he ONLY spoke what his Father wanted him to speak.

                “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (John 12:49)

                So what did Jesus write on the ground?

 

Receiving Revelation

                As it has been stated, Jesus only spoke what his Father revealed to him to speak. In this case, as in all cases, he must have asked the Father what to answer these men. When waiting for revelation from God, many occupy themselves with a mundane activity such as walking, jogging, housework or even doodling while they are waiting for God’s answer. I remember once receiving an answer from God while I was driving to work one day. Another time I received an answer from God while I was vacuuming a carpet. In the case of this record, Jesus wrote on the ground to occupy himself (perhaps doodling) while he waited for God’s answer as to what to answer these men. He continued to write on the ground and they continued to ask him until God finally gave him the answer.

                “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.“ (Verse 7) 

 

This response from Jesus stopped them in their tracks. This was the perfect answer. Jesus had delivered the answer directly from his Father. He then waited for these words to have their effect.

                “And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (Verses 8-11)     

 

This record teaches us a ton of stuff. First it shows us the hypocrisy and hard-heartedness of the religiously leaders who were desperate to trap and accuse Jesus. It also shows the love and mercy that Jesus showed to this woman who had sinned and found forgiveness. But it also teaches us how Jesus continually relied upon and waited for revelation from his Father in everything that he both said and did. This is truly one of the secrets of his success.

 

                               Love Always, Ray