EPHESIANS 2

 

"BUT GOD!"

 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,   in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 

 

 ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

 ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

 ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

BEYONDTHEVEILDAILY; WHATEVER YOUR TRIAL,WHATEVER YOUR BACKSLIDEN STATE,KNOW YOU ARE NOT OUT OF THE REACH FOR GOD TO SAVE. TODAY CONSIDER TWO WORDS, THAT WILL BREAK ALL CHAINS, ALL SHACKLES AND BREAK DOWN DOORS OF BRONZE. "BUT GOD!"

"TENDER HEARTS"


God the Grand Weaver seeks those with tender hearts so that he can put his imprint on them. Your hurts and your disappointments are part of that design, to shape your heart and the way you feel about reality. The hurts you live through will always shape you. There is no other way.”
― Ravi Zacharias, The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives

"LIVING HOPE"

1Peter 1

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.


⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ⁸ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

"SEA OF TROUBLE"
“Put the ballast of biblical truth
in the belly of our little boats,
lest the crashing waves of calamity
of these changing times
cause us to capsize in the sea of trouble”
― John Piper, Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ

"FORTITUDE"

“True Christian fortitude consists in strength of mind, through grace, exerted in two things; in ruling and suppressing the evil and unruly passions and affections of the mind; and in steadfastly and freely exerting and following good affections and dispositions, without being hindered by sinful fear or the opposition of enemies... Though Christian fortitude appears in withstanding and counteracting the enemies that are without us; yet it much more appears in resisting and suppressing the enemies that are within us; because they are our worst and strongest enemies and have greatest advantage against us. The strength of the good soldier of Jesus Christ appears in nothing more than in steadfastly maintaining the holy calm, meekness, sweetness, and benevolence of his mind, amidst all the storms, injuries, strange behaviour, and surprising acts and events of this evil and unreasonable world.”  

"STRONG IN THE LORD"

Abraham's faith was so severely tested, by God (Gen22:1) that the great angel of the Lord could say to him, "Now I know that you fear God,"(Gen22:2). Through His omniscience, God already knew this, but He would know it practically by testing Abraham. Thus we have trials.

There are no fair weathered soldiers in God's army. all must endure difficulty. our courage must be tried and proven. God's ships never go to sea without being tested, and only when their seaworthiness is proven do they go on longer voyages. Unless you have been through a great trial , you cannot help those who are in great difficulty.

If we were placed in a glass case, we would not grow. If we were never injured, there would be no forgiven grace. Without suffering we would have no patience. We grow in grace when the stormy winds of trials blow. It is through harsh experiences that believers grow, "strong in the Lord, and the power of His might."(Eph.6:10) Christian, when Satan tests and tries you, hold the world loose but firmly grip the invisible things of God.

It is possible that God will use you to scatter His seed with a hand that was never wounded, but he will not use you to minister to the broken until trials have made you tender and sensitive. Your present painful experience is a necessary preparation for something that will give you tenfold joy. If we are tested, we cannot be victorious. The rule of the kingdom is: no battle, no crowns; no conflict, no conquest.

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1Pet.1:6-8)

C.H Spurgeon

John 10

 

"THE VOICE OF THE STRANGER"

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 

⁵ Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

 ⁷ Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

BeyondTheVeilDaily; This morning let us listen with our spiritual ears, to the words of Jesus in this chapter. Our emphasis will not be the voice of the shepherd only, but the voice of the stranger.

 To understand this voice, and those he employs, is first to understand the character of the one behind the voice. His motive, and strategy to lead many to obey his voice astray.
 
In this chapter Jesus flips the on the switch of His heavenly x-ray, for nothing  is hidden from His sight.  He without hesitation  identifies  the character behind the voice of the stranger.

Let us together take a good look, at what Jesus clearly exposes about this man. "He is prideful, and disobedient." "He does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way."

He and his cohorts are "thieves and robbers," they look to get around the doorkeepers, that the Shepherd has placed at the door.

Now fully exposed,  on the viewing screen for all to see and understand.  The stranger's  character revealed, his voice and motive. Jesus declares; The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

BeyondTheVeilDaily; If the x-ray of Jesus was turned on you this morning, what will it expose in you? The voice of the Shepherd, or the voice of the stranger? If it is the latter, undoubtedly you are in a place that is full of the deceptive voice of the stranger. He has achieved, climbing over the wall of your faith. Only to steal, kill and destroy the voice of the Shepard in you. No more going in and out, finding green pastures, but rather parched land. Confusion, disappointments and discouragement await you there.

Jesus says to you this morning;  "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." What are we to do? "RUN!"  but my sheep will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Have you lost the door in this room? Jesus declares to you again; "I am the door of the sheep." Run to Him, and find green pastures once again!