THE ONE...

I am in Acts reading about Saul's conversion.
I got tickled at the disciples not trusting him,
with good reason I might add.
Then I got to thinking about how we do the same.
Someone who has been a holy terror comes to Jesus, and we are skeptics.
Someone who has hurt us comes and repents,
and we seek motive.
So many times we look for them to stumble.
May not be intentional on our part, but we do.
We hope for the best and expect the worst.
I am sure the disciples hoped Saul, now Paul, had changed,
but who could blame them for doubting.
The man had gone after them with a vengeance.
But one had hope.
One brought Paul to the others.
We have the One who is our hope.
We have the One who brings us to Himself.
See, we have been the holy terrors also.
We have hurt Him and come back with repentance.
He never looks for motives.
He never looks for stumbles.
He graciously loves us through them.
He doesn't excuse us.
He doesn't lie to us.
He doesn't sugar coat it.
What He does is loves us.
Deliberately.
Praying I do the same for others.

DOCTRINE IT'S NOT....

The following will not be supported by any commentary I am pretty sure.

Just how the verse struck me on a particular day.

Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.

Luke 20:18 (NKJV)

The stone Christ is talking about is Himself. In the verse above He has quoted Psalm 188:22 back to the people.

I am not going there.

It hit me this way....

When I fall on Jesus, I will be broken.

My heart will be shattered for anyone else but Him.

My pride will be broken.

My life as I knew it will be broken.

My chains will be broken.

A million pieces I will become.

Pieces He will restore.

Pieces He will put back together.

Being broken because I fell upon Jesus is a good thing.

Maybe even a desired thing.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and contrite heart-These, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51:17 (NKJV)

The other option is when Christ falls on me.

Then I am crushed.

I am devastated.

I am ground into powder.

Christ will only let me live in my sin for so long.

Then He will put His foot down.

May not be until the end, but He will.

The enemy of our soul will be crushed.

Saul was crushed.

The rich young man was crushed.

The better choice is to throw myself on the Rock of Christ Jesus and be broken.

We, I, don't always make the better choice.

Sometimes we become so hard breaking won't work.

We can still have hope.

In Christ Jesus, we are not crushed. (2 Corinthians 4:8)

Saul becomes Paul.

In Christ Jesus, we can be put back together again.

Pieces or powder.

Our God can restore us.

So, if you are aware enough to make the choice, choose to be broken.

Deliberately.

If you weren't or aren't, and you find yourself crushed, do not despair.

Jesus is still there.

Let Him have the dust that remains from your life.

He can breathe life into it again. (Gen. 2:7).

He can deliver you.

Whole.

Complete.

New.

BITTER WEEPING ALLOWED...

If you have been around Christianity for pretty much any amount of time you have heard of Peter. Peter was so much like so many of us. Quick tempered, mouthy, flip-floppy, yet so desperately longing to be with Jesus. Before Christ was arrested, He told Peter that before the rooster crowed three times, Peter would deny Him.
Peter did.
Peter knew it as soon the rooster crowed.
Peter wept bitterly.
I think in my head I pictured Peter having a moment of clarity, realizing what he had done, and walking away to find solitude where he could cry.
Yesterday, I read the account in Luke and my picture changed.

But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him,"Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:60-62 (NKJV)

Peter was no dummy. He knew what he was doing the first time he denied Christ.
And the second.
Peter was scared.
Peter was unsure.
Peter was being sifted. (Luke 22:31).
Although I am not sure the sifting was in the denial, but the recovery from.
Imagine the hurt.
Imagine the failure.
Imagine looking into the face of Jesus right as you sin.
Knowing He loved you.
Knowing you hurt Him.
I am sure that Jesus looked on Peter with compassion, which I would bet only made things worse.
I, we, have, I hope, all had times when we knew immediately we had sinned.
Sometimes, I even get close to the fullness of how my sin hurt others.
Sometimes, I get how it hurts God.
But to have Jesus look at me.
To look back at Him.
It would break my heart.
As well it should.
I need to remember that.
My sin doesn't just hurt me or others walking around on this earth.
It hurts the very God who made us.
It breaks the heart of the very Christ who died to save me from it.
And the devil will remind you of that.
Can you imagine the torture Peter endured in his mind?
The thoughts.
The imagined implications.
I imagine he was pretty disgusted with himself.
I usually am when I realize what I have done.
I don't know if Peter remembered the other words Christ spoke to him.

And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to the Me, strengthen your brethren."
Luke 22: 31-32 (NKJV)

Christ, knowing full well what was about to happen, encouraged Peter.
He loved Peter.
He prayed for Peter.
Not that Peter's faith in Peter would not fail, but Peter's faith in Him.
In His love.
In His forgiveness.
In His grace.
When you and I fail, when we sin, we should weep.
Bitterly.
But in our weeping, let us remember who our faith is in.
Not in ourselves, that we were right, or that we will get it right.
Our faith is in Christ Jesus.

"...Who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

Let those tears wash away the dirt the enemy tries to pile upon you.
Allow those bitter tears to fall on your tongue as you open you mouth in confession and praise.
And watch the Lord make them sweet.

For I am the Lord who heals you.
Exodus 16:22-27 (NKJV)

Deliberately.

I SEE MYSELF....

in the Pharisee standing at the altar.
At least, I see who I used to be.
It wasn't intentional.
Pride snuck in while I was being good.
Doing the things I was supposed to do.
Knowing I had sin, but comparing it others.
Read the story again yesterday and I saw myself.
I am not sure it was that I even thought I was better,
just not as bad.
Saw myself in another story as well.
Priscilla Shirer shared in One in a Million that a rebellious sheep will have its leg broken by the shepherd.
Wounded, the sheep must now be carried by the shepherd.
Resting on the shepherd, the sheep learns his voice.
When healed, the sheep KNOWS its shepherd's voice.
The rebellion is gone.
I have had a broken leg.
I have been carried.
I know my shepherd's voice.
Reading that story made me think of the book of Ezekiel.
Time and time again the Lord says He is doing this or that so"they (or you) will know that I am the Lord."
We are going to know He is Lord.
We need to know He is the Lord.
We are delivered because He is Lord.

FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE....AND YOURS.

This is what I wrote over Jeremiah chapter 42 in my bible.
The full caption reads:

DO NOT GO BACK TO THE CAPTIVITY THAT I HAVE DELIVERED YOU FROM

You need to read the chapter for yourself. Here is what I am going to say. When things get hard, either as a consequence of your actions or just because, do not go back to the captivity Christ has delivered you from. Sometimes things get rough just in our head. A comment that hurts a little, even when nothing was intended by it. A nod of approval neglected. Sometimes things really are difficult. Either way, do not go back to the captivity He has delivered your from.

Not back to old habits.

Not back to old thought processes.

Not back to old self-loathing or pride.

Do not run back to old friends if He has removed them.

Do not go back to old lifestyles.

Do not run back to the "good" if it held you captive from the best God has.

Face the difficulties under the wing of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will protect you. He will cause you to survive. He will cause you to thrive. You go back, it will be worse than before. It will be the death of you.

He is the One who delivered you from Egypt, for His name's sake.

To go back is to belittle that name.

To belittle the name He has given you as well.

Redeemed.

Precious.

Adopted.

Child of the Living God.

It may not be easy. Probably won't. Fear will knock and, at times, try to beat down the doors of your heart and mind.

You stand firm.

You keep focused on Christ Jesus and do not look back.

If you are going to fall before anything or anyone, you bow that knee to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You hit your knees in praise and prayer, and you keep those feet facing forward, planted firmly on the ground He has placed you on.

Do not retreat.

Do not concede defeat.

Do not think that I am talking just to you.

It is written in my Bible for a reason:)

Deliberate.

Delivered.

May we be so, Lord Jesus, may we be so.

YES I STILL HAVE A BIBLE...

I know.

It has been over a month.

You have been asking yourself,

Does this girl even read her Bible anymore?

Yes I do.

Yes I have been.

I just finished up the Old Testament.

The people have returned.

The temple rebuilt.

The apathy renewed.

Just like us isn't it?

Things get turned around in the right direction.

We get lazy.

Maybe just me.

Stop being deliberate in my pursuit.

In my actions.

In my choices.

Now in the New Testament.

Reminding me of how deliberate our Christ was.

How deliberate He is.

How deliberate He will be.

He has, is and will deliver us.

He is deliberate about it.

He is deliberate toward you.

He is deliberate toward me.

With His grace.

With His love.

With His discipline.

God, our Father, knows exactly what He is doing.

Take peace in that knowledge.

You are deliberately delivered.

IS HIS NAME....

I know the last couple of posts have been challenging.

Could even be down right depressing and discouraging.

So I wanted to encourage you today

with the same verse I have been encouraging myself.

Their Redeemer is strong;

The Lord of hosts is His name.

Isaiah 50:34(a) NJKV

We are not in this alone.

We are not depending on our own strength.

Whatever you are going through,

get this good news in your head.

Our Redeemer is strong!

The Lord of hosts is His name!

Glory!