Reminders of Truth
Yesterday, during some wonderful time sitting outside in the sunshine and reading, "The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread," I was reminded of several things. I was first reminded of the supernatural power that is available to us as christians. Now I am not talking about super hero super powers. I am talking about the power of the Holy Spirit that is made available to us as He resides inside us as Children of God. God put a piece of Himself in all believers... does that not just blow your mind? Can you really try to get a grasp on that? Wrap your heart and head around that? Believe that?
I was then reminded of where my joy comes from... my joy comes from the Lord.
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13~
And I was reminded that something is constantly roaming and trying to steal my joy.
"Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." 1 Peter 5:8,9~
I was shown that I have been trying to do life in my own strength latetly. I have not been going back to the source of life, the source of joy, the source of strength, the source of love and refilling from Him. I have been studying and learning, praying for others, but I have not been asking for the refilling of the living water that I need to run on. I have not been taking myself before the throne.
Why? Because the enemy wants me to be distracted and "forget" who resides inside me and who is willing and waiting to live through me, to restore me, to bless me, to radiate through me. Why? Because if I "forget" about the power of the Holy Spirit, then I am not empowered... and I am more vulnerable to his lies and distractions.
I am flat out told to "resist him" in 1 Peter and in James.
"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:7~
So how do I resist the devil and his attacks and his lies? Well, God knew we needed to know that and we are given the greatest example in Mark 4. Jesus has just been filled with the Holy Spirit and the Spirit led him into the wilderness for 40 days and Jesus was tempted by the devil. He was lied to and attacked. And what did Jesus do? It was pretty simple. He resisted by speaking truth and the devil lost all ground. That is where our power and ability to resist the devil comes from... in the truth. In knowing the truth, believing the truth, and using the truth.
"For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth." Psalm 33:4~
"Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; Let your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me." Psalm 40:11~
"He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and your buckler." Psalm 91:4~
"For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100:5~
"Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And your law is truth." Psalm 119:142~
"You are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are truth." Psalm 119:150~
"The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of your righteous judgments endures forever." Psalm 119:160~
"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6~
"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Ephesians 6:14-16~
What is truth?
Psalm 119 tells us that the truth is God's law, His commandments, His word. (listed above)
John tells us that the Word is Jesus.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14~
John also tells us the Word is God.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." John 1;1~
Jesus is God made flesh. Jesus is the Word made flesh... he spoke it, taught it, lived it... perfectly. He fulfilled it, perfectly.
God gave the written word to show who He was... HOLY. It was also given to show us who we are, sinners... UNHOLY. The word, laws, commandments show us who God is, what we would have to be to approach Him... to be in His presence. It was His communication with us. It is something He gave us to see and read and remember... who He is and who we are.
The sacrifices in the Old Covenant were to "cover" our sins... as there was no way man could keep all the law and be Holy. It was no longer enough to just communicate with us, He came to walk among us... to live as we live... and to die to fulfill what the written word shows us. THE sacrifice in the New Covenant was not to "cover" our sins but to "take away or remove" our sins... so that we would be seen as Holy and could be in the presence of God. When we accept THE sacrifice made on our behalf... we are healed... we are justified and restored... we are saved... we are made righteous... and Christ comes to reside inside us through the Holy Spirit. If Christ is God made flesh, God comes to reside in us, through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8)
The very source, the very word, the very presence of God resides inside believers... inside me!
That fills me with joy. I have to hold onto to that with both hands!
I am so thankful for how His word continues to unfold. I am learning about how blood covenants were made back then among the people and how God made them with Adam and Eve, Noah, and Abraham. It all is THE picture of God's covenant with us through Christ. It was a ceremony. Christ is there... in all of it. And so are we. Everything that was written and happened in the Old Testament (Covenant) is carried out in the person of Jesus in the New Testament (Covenant). It's mind blowing.
Joseph and the coat of many colors, sold by brothers, made King, forgives and blesses brothers AFTER one confesses for what he had done and restores them... picture of Jesus. Issac whom God asked Abraham to sacrifice (this was part of the covenant God made with Abraham), his only son, who was of a miraculous birth (both parents past child bearing age)... was a picture of Christ. Then God stops Abraham and tells him to get the lamb (caught in thorns...crown of thorns) as a substitute. The lamb becomes the sacrifice. It goes on and on... so very cool. It is simply amazing, beautiful, sovereign and leaves me hungry for more.
The truth brings joy... it is simply too beautiful.
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