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may I quote the words of a sister in the Lord on here....It is equally encouraging to know that my "heart-knowledge" of the revelation of the "True LOVE" that ONLY CHRIST....can and has given freely, for ALL those who are willing to recieve it, can be helpful to others. This is our reasonable duty....to show kindness, compassion, and encoragement to one another. Considering the Perfect Sacrifice that the CHRIST has made, it truely is the least we can do. We are good and faithful soldiers in CHRIST. It is only fitting to continue in the "very essence of Jesus." To join in the greatest revolution of our lives........"THE LOVE REVOLUTION!" Love, peace, and Gods blessing to you and yours
A
There was an quality about Jesus' prayer life. There was a simplicity about it that attracted people. It was when Jesus had finished praying while at a certain place that a disciple came forward and asked Him to teach them to pray luke 11:1. Something in Jesus' prayer life had influenced them. The result was that Jesus taught them how to pray. We should make ourselves review just the prayerlife of Jesus to walk as He walked. Imagine if The Son of God needed to pray how much more we should.
Random thought
Random thought
A
ONLY A BRANCH
"I am the vine, ye are the branches."--John 15:5
"Tis only a little Branch,
A thing so fragile and weak,
But that little Branch hath a message true
To give, could it only speak.
"I'm only a little Branch,
I live by a life not mine,
For the sap that flows through my tendrils small
Is the life-blood of the Vine.
"No power indeed have I
The fruit of myself to bear,
But since I'm part of the living Vine,
Its fruitfulness I share.
"Dost thou ask how I abide?
How this life I can maintain?--
I am bound to the Vine by life's strong band,
And I only need remain.
"Where first my life was given,
In the spot where I am set,
Upborne and upheld as the days go by,
By the stem which bears me yet.
"I fear not the days to come,
I dwell not upon the past,
As moment by moment I draw a life,
Which for evermore shall last.
"I bask in the sun's bright beams,
Which with sweetness fills my fruit,
Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,
For they all come from the root."
A life which is not my own,
But another's life in me:
This, this is the message the Branch would speak,
A message to thee and me.
Oh, struggle not to "abide,"
Nor labor to "bring forth fruit,"
But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,
As the Vine Branch to the root.
So simple, so deep, so strong
That union with Him shall be:
His life shall forever replace thine own,
And His love shall flow through thee.
For His Spirit's fruit is love,
And love shall thy life become,
And for evermore on His heart of love
Thy spirit shall have her home.
Freda Hanbury
"I am the vine, ye are the branches."--John 15:5
"Tis only a little Branch,
A thing so fragile and weak,
But that little Branch hath a message true
To give, could it only speak.
"I'm only a little Branch,
I live by a life not mine,
For the sap that flows through my tendrils small
Is the life-blood of the Vine.
"No power indeed have I
The fruit of myself to bear,
But since I'm part of the living Vine,
Its fruitfulness I share.
"Dost thou ask how I abide?
How this life I can maintain?--
I am bound to the Vine by life's strong band,
And I only need remain.
"Where first my life was given,
In the spot where I am set,
Upborne and upheld as the days go by,
By the stem which bears me yet.
"I fear not the days to come,
I dwell not upon the past,
As moment by moment I draw a life,
Which for evermore shall last.
"I bask in the sun's bright beams,
Which with sweetness fills my fruit,
Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,
For they all come from the root."
A life which is not my own,
But another's life in me:
This, this is the message the Branch would speak,
A message to thee and me.
Oh, struggle not to "abide,"
Nor labor to "bring forth fruit,"
But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,
As the Vine Branch to the root.
So simple, so deep, so strong
That union with Him shall be:
His life shall forever replace thine own,
And His love shall flow through thee.
For His Spirit's fruit is love,
And love shall thy life become,
And for evermore on His heart of love
Thy spirit shall have her home.
Freda Hanbury
A
Jesus modeled true humility
Some examples. Im sure someone can find other references where
He modeled this kind of humility
“The Son can do nothing by Himself.” (John 5:19)
“I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And My judgment is absolutely just, because
it is according to the will of God who sent Me; it is not merely My own.” (John 5:30)
“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent Me, not to do what I want.” (John 6:38)
“I’m not teaching My own ideas, but those of God who sent Me.” (John 7:16)
“I do nothing on My own, but I speak what the Father has taught Me.” (John 8:28)
“I am not here on My own, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)
“I have no wish to glorify Myself.” (John 8:50)
“The words I say are not My own, but the Father who lives in Me does His work through Me.” (John 14:10)
“And remember, My words are not My own. This message is from the Father who sent Me.” (John 14:24)
We can follow this model and way our Lord lived.
Some examples. Im sure someone can find other references where
He modeled this kind of humility
“The Son can do nothing by Himself.” (John 5:19)
“I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And My judgment is absolutely just, because
it is according to the will of God who sent Me; it is not merely My own.” (John 5:30)
“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent Me, not to do what I want.” (John 6:38)
“I’m not teaching My own ideas, but those of God who sent Me.” (John 7:16)
“I do nothing on My own, but I speak what the Father has taught Me.” (John 8:28)
“I am not here on My own, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)
“I have no wish to glorify Myself.” (John 8:50)
“The words I say are not My own, but the Father who lives in Me does His work through Me.” (John 14:10)
“And remember, My words are not My own. This message is from the Father who sent Me.” (John 14:24)
We can follow this model and way our Lord lived.
The most loving action Jesus did, that spoke in perfect love, was the very reason He came.
That while we were still sinners, He suffered the cross for us.
We so undeserving, spitting upon Him, truning our backs for prides sake, knowing that evey sin we commited, He suffered, that even though we were happy to see Him to be healed in body, we still refused to be healed in soul, that we threw every insult, hate sin , cruelty upon Him as He was on the cross.
He loved us still, and took all suffering for us.
This is the love we seek in Jesus, the love that is given, even though He was assalted by our worst.
How often do we justify a refusal to help another because they have treated us badly, or we knew they would just use us?
Jesus knew all this, yet still took the cross because of perfect love for us.
How often have we left another out of our life, forgetting them, simply because they injured us.
Yet Jesus knew each of us on the cross, and promised He would never forsake us, that He would be with us until the end.
Oh how great His love is, it seems impossible to attain it.
Jesus again, because of this perfect love, says I will help you with this and guide you to it.
And my grace will cover your weaknesses.
This is the love we hope to give, to live, to imitate.
I don't know if we will before we pass from the life we know now, but my hope, my every desire, is in Jesus.
That we will, not because we are able to on our own, but because as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus.
It is possible.
For now we see darkly through the glass, but one day, the perfect, face to face!
I have often wondered if the face to face, is not just about seeing Jesus's face, but His love in each others eyes.
That this message is telling us, that to truly know His love, we cannot seek it in our own faces, but in the faces of each other.
Because perfect love has no self, but the needs of others, always frst in our hearts.
Thankyou Dear Jesus for your love, and for showing us the way!
God bless
pickles
I cant believe I missed this post before I am so glad I found it now.
Trully one of the best threads yet!
That while we were still sinners, He suffered the cross for us.
We so undeserving, spitting upon Him, truning our backs for prides sake, knowing that evey sin we commited, He suffered, that even though we were happy to see Him to be healed in body, we still refused to be healed in soul, that we threw every insult, hate sin , cruelty upon Him as He was on the cross.
He loved us still, and took all suffering for us.
This is the love we seek in Jesus, the love that is given, even though He was assalted by our worst.
How often do we justify a refusal to help another because they have treated us badly, or we knew they would just use us?
Jesus knew all this, yet still took the cross because of perfect love for us.
How often have we left another out of our life, forgetting them, simply because they injured us.
Yet Jesus knew each of us on the cross, and promised He would never forsake us, that He would be with us until the end.
Oh how great His love is, it seems impossible to attain it.
Jesus again, because of this perfect love, says I will help you with this and guide you to it.
And my grace will cover your weaknesses.
This is the love we hope to give, to live, to imitate.
I don't know if we will before we pass from the life we know now, but my hope, my every desire, is in Jesus.
That we will, not because we are able to on our own, but because as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus.
It is possible.
For now we see darkly through the glass, but one day, the perfect, face to face!
I have often wondered if the face to face, is not just about seeing Jesus's face, but His love in each others eyes.
That this message is telling us, that to truly know His love, we cannot seek it in our own faces, but in the faces of each other.
Because perfect love has no self, but the needs of others, always frst in our hearts.
Thankyou Dear Jesus for your love, and for showing us the way!
God bless
pickles
I cant believe I missed this post before
I am so glad I found it now.Trully one of the best threads yet!
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Just a thought...
I have often wondered what makes Gods love eternal?
Now this is just a thought , but when we take, or recive in the world there is always a price, and end if you cannot keep paying the price.
But God said, I loved you first.
Then He payed the price in Jesus.
His love is given with out end.
So maby the way perfect love becomes eternal, is simply because the perfect is, that one is to look always to giving?
Rather than focusing on the receiving.
We just trust that love is eternal.
Gods love is eternal, and perfect!
He says, trust in me.
Just something I wonder about.
God bless
pickles
I have often wondered what makes Gods love eternal?
Now this is just a thought , but when we take, or recive in the world there is always a price, and end if you cannot keep paying the price.
But God said, I loved you first.
Then He payed the price in Jesus.
His love is given with out end.
So maby the way perfect love becomes eternal, is simply because the perfect is, that one is to look always to giving?
Rather than focusing on the receiving.
We just trust that love is eternal.
Gods love is eternal, and perfect!
He says, trust in me.
Just something I wonder about.
God bless
pickles
P
How can you not love the Lord, seeing Him work in one another like that?
Two things struck me. Abiding quoted:
"As moment by moment I draw a life,
Which for evermore shall last."
The branch does not strive to draw life...it flows into it from the Vine naturally, of the Vine's will.
The branch just receives it, and the sap gives it life, and causes it to bear fruit.
"Cease striving, and know that I am God". Psalm 46:10
And pickles said,
Jesus again, because of this perfect love, says I will help you with this and guide you to it.
And my grace will cover your weaknesses.
And that made me think of how love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
The love of God covers all our sin, and so we are to love each other in that way, too.
I am sometimes sad this gets relegated to weddings, but this is what our love should look and be like:
Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.
Who could love like that, outside of the Vine? No one.
Who, attached? Everyone. ♥
Two things struck me. Abiding quoted:
"As moment by moment I draw a life,
Which for evermore shall last."
The branch does not strive to draw life...it flows into it from the Vine naturally, of the Vine's will.
The branch just receives it, and the sap gives it life, and causes it to bear fruit.
"Cease striving, and know that I am God". Psalm 46:10
And pickles said,
Jesus again, because of this perfect love, says I will help you with this and guide you to it.
And my grace will cover your weaknesses.
And that made me think of how love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
The love of God covers all our sin, and so we are to love each other in that way, too.
I am sometimes sad this gets relegated to weddings, but this is what our love should look and be like:
Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.
Who could love like that, outside of the Vine? No one.
Who, attached? Everyone. ♥
Jn 15:7,8
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Can we claim as believers that (v.7) is happening in our life, without being introspective? Is (v.7) a reality that we are experiencing on earth at present? If not, then why not? Is this promise from the Lord true and faithful? Would the Lord make a promise that He would not be able to fulfill in our lives?
It is in (v.8) that we learn what fruit is and it goes back to (v.7). Fruit is the result of God doing what we ask of Him and only when we are abiding in Christ and His words are abiding in us will He do unto us what we ask because we will be asking according to the word that is abiding in us.
Keeping this simple, was there ever a time when Jesus asked of His Father and did not receive from the Father what He asked?
Ph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
God has an ear to hear when we make our request known unto Him (Phil 4:6). When we pray do we hope that He will give us what we ask or is it our expectation of hope and faith to receive what we have asked of Him. If their is any doubt in our hope when we ask, then are we abiding in His promise and is His promise abiding in us?
We identify a fruitful ministry or an individual called of God by the fruit of what they receive from God. They ask and they receive for God has given it to them and they also receive above what has been requested. Why, because they are abiding in Christ and His words abide in them and they do not ask amiss through a divided and double-minded heart to consume it upon the lust of the flesh, for that man should not expect to receive anything of the Lord (Jm 4:3) and ...
Jm 1:5-8
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
When the word is dwelling richly in our hearts (Col 3:16), the Holy Spirit quickens us with the word teaching us how to pray (Rom 8:26,27) with understanding in the will of God by faith (1Cor 14:15), fully expecting to receive what we ask without waivering or doubting. When we prayed and asked the Lord to forgive and cleanse us from sin, did we expect anything less than what we asked because of the work of the cross and the promise given to us through that work? Can you think of any event in the NT when Jesus was asked to heal that He rejected that request and the number of times that He went beyond when He resurrected Lazarus from the grave or the woman who touched the hem of His garment?
Fruit is the manifestation of God's faithfulness to those who abide and utterly trust and depend upon Christ and His word in all things without the natural mind of Adam waivering and bringing doubt and unbelief into the mind and heart to replace faith.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Can we claim as believers that (v.7) is happening in our life, without being introspective? Is (v.7) a reality that we are experiencing on earth at present? If not, then why not? Is this promise from the Lord true and faithful? Would the Lord make a promise that He would not be able to fulfill in our lives?
It is in (v.8) that we learn what fruit is and it goes back to (v.7). Fruit is the result of God doing what we ask of Him and only when we are abiding in Christ and His words are abiding in us will He do unto us what we ask because we will be asking according to the word that is abiding in us.
Keeping this simple, was there ever a time when Jesus asked of His Father and did not receive from the Father what He asked?
Ph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
God has an ear to hear when we make our request known unto Him (Phil 4:6). When we pray do we hope that He will give us what we ask or is it our expectation of hope and faith to receive what we have asked of Him. If their is any doubt in our hope when we ask, then are we abiding in His promise and is His promise abiding in us?
We identify a fruitful ministry or an individual called of God by the fruit of what they receive from God. They ask and they receive for God has given it to them and they also receive above what has been requested. Why, because they are abiding in Christ and His words abide in them and they do not ask amiss through a divided and double-minded heart to consume it upon the lust of the flesh, for that man should not expect to receive anything of the Lord (Jm 4:3) and ...
Jm 1:5-8
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
When the word is dwelling richly in our hearts (Col 3:16), the Holy Spirit quickens us with the word teaching us how to pray (Rom 8:26,27) with understanding in the will of God by faith (1Cor 14:15), fully expecting to receive what we ask without waivering or doubting. When we prayed and asked the Lord to forgive and cleanse us from sin, did we expect anything less than what we asked because of the work of the cross and the promise given to us through that work? Can you think of any event in the NT when Jesus was asked to heal that He rejected that request and the number of times that He went beyond when He resurrected Lazarus from the grave or the woman who touched the hem of His garment?
Fruit is the manifestation of God's faithfulness to those who abide and utterly trust and depend upon Christ and His word in all things without the natural mind of Adam waivering and bringing doubt and unbelief into the mind and heart to replace faith.
P
Is there a difference between asking to bear fruit to the glory of God, and asking for healing?
Or would you consider this also fruit?
These are honest questions coming from the heart of one whose family has been touched by the death of a child...because I am confused about what you're saying.
Did my sister, or any of the rest who prayed for that child, lack faith in God's power? Or was the Word not dwelling richly enough in us?
Or was it God's will?
gratefully,
ellie
Or would you consider this also fruit?
These are honest questions coming from the heart of one whose family has been touched by the death of a child...because I am confused about what you're saying.
Did my sister, or any of the rest who prayed for that child, lack faith in God's power? Or was the Word not dwelling richly enough in us?
Or was it God's will?
gratefully,
ellie
This can be a difficult thing to understand in the will of God, but regardless we are to live by faith and know that He is the God of ALL (different forms of grace or 'mercies'). All things are of God, all things are for our sake and all things work together for the good. I do not think that it was a lack of faith but instead a measure of God's mercy that took that child to draw the hearts of the family to Him.
The best way for me to answer this is to illustrate it with David's son that was to be born of Bathsheba. The Lord told David through the prophet Nathan that the boy was going to die (2Sam 12:14) and in (v.15) God struck the child with sickness. While the child lived David fasted and prayed and when the child had died he was asked of the servants why he did so. David explained in (v.22) that who can tell whether God would be gracious to him and let the child live. God did not give David grace to let the child live. No one was to be blamed for this because God did this and it did not stop David from going after God's mercy and grace.
God already decided to take the child and through this God drew David's heart after His mercy. I do not know what David prayed but he fasted and prayed that God would change his mind and be gracious and give him mercy, because he believed in what the Lord said through Nathan and knew where the child was going (v.23). I believe that God took this child for David's sake and did a work in his heart to make him a better king and leader. I don't believe that David's prayers wavered or doubted in any way in the power and mercy of His Lord, not for even one decimal point and fraction of a second. God did not turn away David's prayers of faith in the living God and His mercies, but rather took the child through mercy and gave the promise to David that he would go to be with the child one day. A promise came with the measure of mercy and David still remained with hope undeffered (Prov 13:12).
I think we all need to be stirred up in our faith to believe in the mercy of God and it is going to take the plan of God to do that even if it means that we lose a loved one in the process. It hurts and we suffer lose in a measure, but though we weep in the night, joy comes in the morning (Ps 30:5) through those new and refreshing mercies that keeps us from being consumed with grief and whose compassions fail not (Lam 3:22,23).
The best way for me to answer this is to illustrate it with David's son that was to be born of Bathsheba. The Lord told David through the prophet Nathan that the boy was going to die (2Sam 12:14) and in (v.15) God struck the child with sickness. While the child lived David fasted and prayed and when the child had died he was asked of the servants why he did so. David explained in (v.22) that who can tell whether God would be gracious to him and let the child live. God did not give David grace to let the child live. No one was to be blamed for this because God did this and it did not stop David from going after God's mercy and grace.
God already decided to take the child and through this God drew David's heart after His mercy. I do not know what David prayed but he fasted and prayed that God would change his mind and be gracious and give him mercy, because he believed in what the Lord said through Nathan and knew where the child was going (v.23). I believe that God took this child for David's sake and did a work in his heart to make him a better king and leader. I don't believe that David's prayers wavered or doubted in any way in the power and mercy of His Lord, not for even one decimal point and fraction of a second. God did not turn away David's prayers of faith in the living God and His mercies, but rather took the child through mercy and gave the promise to David that he would go to be with the child one day. A promise came with the measure of mercy and David still remained with hope undeffered (Prov 13:12).
I think we all need to be stirred up in our faith to believe in the mercy of God and it is going to take the plan of God to do that even if it means that we lose a loved one in the process. It hurts and we suffer lose in a measure, but though we weep in the night, joy comes in the morning (Ps 30:5) through those new and refreshing mercies that keeps us from being consumed with grief and whose compassions fail not (Lam 3:22,23).
P
Thanks, Red.
This can be a problematic sin issue for me, as my sister has been told too many times she lacked faith. I tend to get protective of her; she was widowed 22 months before that.
Her son was mentally retarded and left home on Dec 18th during a v-e-r-y cold PA winter.
He was searched for by so many who gace of their precious time and resources at a bust time of year. ♥
He was found dead of expoure 4 days later in a place my sis felt folks should look, but the authorities felt an 8 yo couldn't have made it that far.
(have you ever known anyone with more energy than an 8 year old boy? )
I wasn't angry, or upset at all, merely wondering if you would clarify what you had said: thank you!
Grace abounded during that time, and since.
There are ways in which one can easily see how merciful it was for the Lord to take our Logan Home.
The time he was missing...that was harder.
And my sister told the pastor that she didn't care what he said at Logan's memorial service, so long as he presented the gospel of Jesus Christ
because there were hundreds of people there, and she wanted God's Word to be spoken, and to give any who would hear the opportunity to hear the good news. Thus the Lord triumphed over death in a glorious way, I think.
This can be a problematic sin issue for me, as my sister has been told too many times she lacked faith.
I tend to get protective of her; she was widowed 22 months before that.Her son was mentally retarded and left home on Dec 18th during a v-e-r-y cold PA winter.
He was searched for by so many who gace of their precious time and resources at a bust time of year. ♥
He was found dead of expoure 4 days later in a place my sis felt folks should look, but the authorities felt an 8 yo couldn't have made it that far.
(have you ever known anyone with more energy than an 8 year old boy?
)I wasn't angry, or upset at all, merely wondering if you would clarify what you had said: thank you!
Grace abounded during that time, and since.
There are ways in which one can easily see how merciful it was for the Lord to take our Logan Home.
The time he was missing...that was harder.
And my sister told the pastor that she didn't care what he said at Logan's memorial service, so long as he presented the gospel of Jesus Christ
because there were hundreds of people there, and she wanted God's Word to be spoken, and to give any who would hear the opportunity to hear the good news. Thus the Lord triumphed over death in a glorious way, I think.