THE MESSIAH HAS MADE THINGS UP BETWEEN US SO THAT WE ARE NOW TOGETHER ON THIS, --- BOTH NON-JEWS OUTSIDERS AND JEWISH INSIDERS. ------------------ HE TORE DOWN THE WALL WE USED TO KEEP EACH OTHER AT A DISTANCE. -------------- HE REPEALED THE LAW CODE THAT HAD BECOME SO CLOGGED WITH FINE PRINT AND FOOTNOTES THAT IT HINDERED MORE THAN IT HELPED. -------------------- THEN HE STARTED OVER. ---------------------------- INSTEAD OF CONTINUING WITH TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE SEPARATED BY CENTURIES OF ANIMOSITY AND SUSPICION, ---- HE CREATED A NEW KIND OF HUMAN BEING, ---- A FRESH START FOR EVERYBODY. ---------------------------------------------------------- CHRIST BROUGHT US TOGETHER THROUGH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS. --------------- THE CROSS GOT US TO EMBRACE, AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE HOSTILITY. ------------------------------------------------------------- CHRIST CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU OUTSIDERS AND PEACE TO US INSIDERS. --------------------------------------------------------- HE TREATED US AS EQUALS, AND SO MADE US EQUALS. ------------------------------------------------- THROUGH HIM WE BOTH SHARE THE SAME SPIRIT AND HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE FATHER. -- EPH2:14 ************************************************ STRIP DOWN, START RUNNING — AND NEVER QUIT! ------------------------------------------------------------ NO EXTRA SPIRITUAL FAT, ---- NO PARASITIC SINS. ------------------------------------------------------- KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS , WHO BOTH BEGAN AND FINISHED THIS RACE WE ARE IN. ------------------------------------------------------------------- STUDY HOW HE DID IT. ---------------------------- BECAUSE HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF WHERE HE WAS HEADED ------- THAT EXHILARATING FINISH IN AND WITH GOD ------------ HE COULD PUT UP WITH ANYTHING ALONG THE WAY: ---- CROSS, --- SHAME, WHATEVER. ---- AND NOW HE IS THERE , ----IN THE PLACE OF HONOR, --- RIGHT ALONGSIDE GOD. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELVES FLAGGING IN YOUR FAITH, ------------------------------------ GO OVER THAT STORY AGAIN, -- ITEM BY ITEM, --- THAT LONG LITANY OF HOSTILITY HE PLOWED THROUGH. ------------------------ THAT WILL SHOOT ADRENALINE INTO YOUR SOULS! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ALL-OUT MATCH AGAINST SIN, --- OTHERS HAVE SUFFERED FAR WORSE THAN YOU, TO SAY NOTHING OF WHAT JESUS WENT THROUGH — ALL THAT BLOODSHED! ---------------------------------------------------- SO DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELVES. ------ OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HOW GOOD PARENTS TREAT CHILDREN, AND THAT GOD REGARDS YOU AS HIS CHILDREN? ----------------------------------------------------- MY DEAR CHILD, DO NOT SHRUG OFF GODS DISCIPLINE, -- BUT DON’T BE CRUSHED BY IT EITHER. --------------------------------------------- IT IS THE CHILD HE LOVES THAT HE DISCIPLINES; --- THE CHILD HE EMBRACES, HE ALSO CORRECTS. --------------------------- GOD IS EDUCATING YOU; -- THAT IS WHY YOU MUST NEVER DROP OUT. ---- HE IS TREATING YOU AS DEAR CHILDREN. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THIS TROUBLE YOU ARE IN IS NOT PUNISHMENT; -- IT IS TRAINING , --- THE NORMAL EXPERIENCE OF CHILDREN. -------------------- ONLY IRRESPONSIBLE PARENTS LEAVE CHILDREN TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. ------------------------------------------------------------- WOULD YOU PREFER AN IRRESPONSIBLE GOD? -------------------------------------------- WE RESPECT OUR OWN PARENTS FOR TRAINING AND NOT SPOILING US, SO WHY NOT EMBRACE GOD’S TRAINING SO WE CAN TRULY LIVE ? --------------------------------------------- WHILE WE WERE CHILDREN, OUR PARENTS DID WHAT SEEMED BEST TO THEM. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BUT GOD IS DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR US, ---- TRAINING US TO LIVE GOD’S HOLY BEST. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AT THE TIME, DISCIPLINE IS NOT MUCH FUN.------ IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN. ---------------------------- LATER, OF COURSE, IT PAYS OFF HANDSOMELY, FOR IT IS THE WELL-TRAINED WHO FIND THEMSELVES MATURE IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SO DO NOT SIT AROUND ON YOUR HANDS! -------------------------------------------------------------------- NO MORE DRAGGING YOUR FEET! ----------- CLEAR THE PATH FOR LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS SO NO ONE WILL TRIP AND FALL, ---- SO NO ONE WILL STEP IN A HOLE AND SPRAIN AN ANKLE. ---------------------- HELP EACH OTHER OUT. --- AND RUN FOR IT! ------------------------------------------------------------- WORK AT GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH GOD. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHERWISE YOU WILL NEVER GET SO MUCH AS A GLIMPSE OF GOD. ------------------------ MAKE SURE NO ONE GETS LEFT OUT OF GOD’S GENEROSITY. ---------------------------------- KEEP A SHARP EYE OUT FOR WEEDS OF BITTER DISCONTENT.------------------------------ A THISTLE OR TWO GONE TO SEED CAN RUIN A WHOLE GARDEN IN NO TIME. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WATCH OUT FOR THE ESAU SYNDROME: -------- TRADING AWAY GOD’S LIFELONG GIFT IN ORDER TO SATISFY A SHORT-TERM APPETITE. ------------------------------------------ YOU WELL KNOW HOW ESAU LATER REGRETTED THAT IMPULSIVE ACT AND WANTED GOD’S BLESSING — BUT BY THEN IT WAS TOO LATE, --------- TEARS OR NO TEARS. -- HEB12:2 ************************************************ MAY THE GRACE OF GOD BE UPON YOU, AND HIS SPIRIT BE YOUR GUIDE. **** ********** SHALOM : PEACE TO YOU. ****** **********************************************
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 02:56:54 +0000
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