My Eyes Are On YOU, Jesus!

God has shown Himself true by telling the future before it came to pass. He has promised us that Christ Jesus will return and will gather those who are Born of and Sealed by the Holy Spirit and are New creatures . . . Believers in Christ Jesus as their Righteousness and their Covering. Who have put their hope and trust in His perfect performance. . . His perfect Life and sacrificial death.

LOOK UP! Your Redemption is nigh. . . .even at the Door!

Mark 13:29 ~ "Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door."

VICTORY IS YOURS, JESUS!

We Were Bought With An Unspeakable Price!

ALL THAT MATTERS . . . .JESUS!!



Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. (1Timothy 6:17b)~~


"Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and does not for a solitary instant withdraw his hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be stayed.

He is a Sun ever-shining; He is Manna always falling round the camp; He is a Rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from His smitten side; the rain of His grace is always dropping; the River of His bounty is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of His Love is constantly overflowing.

As the King can never die, SO HIS GRACE CAN NEVER FAIL.

Daily we pluck His Fruit, and daily His branches bend down to our hand with a fresh store of Mercy. There are seven feast-days in His weeks, and as many as are the days, so many are the banquets in His years.

Who has ever returned from His door unblessed?

Who has ever risen from His table unsatisfied, or from His bosom un-emparadised?

His mercies are NEW every morning and fresh every evening. Who can know the number of His benefits, or recount the list of His bounties? Every sand which drops from the glass of time is but the tardy follower of a myriad of mercies. The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of His kindness, and with the yellow gold of His affection. The river of time bears from the mountains of eternity the golden sands of His Favour. The countless stars are but as the standard bearers of a more innumerable host of blessings.

Who can count the dust of the benefits which He bestows on Jacob, or tell the number of the fourth part of His mercies towards Israel? How shall my soul extol Him who daily loadeth us with benefits, and who crowneth us with loving-kindness?

O that my praise could be as ceaseless as His bounty! O miserable tongue, how canst thou be silent? Wake up, I pray thee, lest I call thee no more my glory, but my shame. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early."

~~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Believing and Resting in Jesus

John G. Patton was a Bible translator in the South Sea Islands.



While translating, he came to the word “believe” and searched for a word that the native people could truly understand. He wanted something that meant commitment and trust, but he couldn’t think of a word.

Then one day, a messenger rushed into Mr. Patton’s room out of breath. Needing to rest, he flung himself into a big chair and leaned back in complete relaxation.





Patton asked the native for a word to describe what he did when he sat down and completely trusted in the chair to hold him so he could relax. That’s the word he used for “believe.”

When a person quits trying and begins to trust the Lord Jesus, that’s “belief.” ~~ Adrian Rogers (Love Worth Finding)

Quit trying? Yes. When we give up and rest from our own attempts at righteousness and fully rely on Christ's Performance, then we are resting in saving faith.

Isaiah 30:15 ~~ This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to Me (repentance) and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength . . . "

But don't we need to work? Build? DO? Yes. Our faith, as James the Apostle wrote, is dead without good works. However . . .

PSALM 127:1 ~~~

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Many Christians spend their time involved in "religious" activities—prayer groups, Bible studies, outreach ministries— sometimes hyperactively running the "hamster wheel" of what they believe are good and commendable deeds. However, according to Psalm 127:1-2, they are useless and wasted energy if the Lord did not initiate them.

So HOW do we not "do" but live out a "live" faith? Simple. . . so simple. . . we RESPOND."For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." ~~ Romans 8:14

All religious and spiritual performers can think up wonderful projects and good, commendable things to "do". . . but if the Lord is not the initiator through a new and regenerate heart, guiding and prompting and inspiring, it is worth nothing. If you see one family adopt an orphan and you think to yourself, that would be a "good" thing to do, but the Lord didn't direct you . . .you are following your own heart, not His. He may want you to do something different. Jesus said to Peter, "You follow Me." (John 21:22)

We may hear a preacher's message suggesting good things to "do" for God, but they are usless and a waste of lots of time and energy if it isn't Jesus leading you to do and act and be. We must simply REST, ENJOY GOD, RECEIVE FROM HIM AND RESPOND AS HE LEADS US (and He will) DOWN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Take off the heavy yoke of "I should." And trust in His leading as you follow His desires. His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

One of the greatest benefits of our redemption is the privilege of being led by the Spirit of God. Children of God can be expected to be led by the Spirit of God. One of the greatest needs is to have the wisdom of God to make the right decisions. This comes through being led by the Spirit of God.

I'll never forget the first days of my New Birth experience. It was cold outside and my husband and I were driving in the city and I noticed an old, homeless woman not wearing a coat. The Holy Spirit instantly directed me to give her my coat. We were in a warm car and I had more coats at home. . . I KNEW what He wanted me to do. Being led of the Spirit is an exciting adventure through the Personality and Heart of God. We learn more about Him as we respond to Him. You know it isn't your idea and you take no glory. Following His Heart and doing His Will has been one of the most blessed components of being His child.

It is not the mind, which gives man understanding. It is the spirit in a man. You see, Job’s friends used their minds to try to enlighten them regarding Job’s sufferings. They were dead wrong. In this passage Elihu explains the reason they were wrong. He says, "It is the spirit in a man…that gives him understanding." Not your mind, but your spirit. This is why Solomon wrote, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Prov 3:5).

When we are born again, our spirits are saved. Our spirit is the part of us that has been saved. So becoming a child of God enables the Holy Spirit to testify with our spirit that we are God’s children. The Spirit does not testify to our minds. Our minds may not receive this testimony, but our spirits can.

Resting in His finished work is our strength. I highly recommend a little book by Max Lucado called, "Safe in the Shepherd's Arms". . .here is a quote from the book that really blessed me recently and gave me such relief. (As a recovering legalist, I want to be alert to His Relief. To me, His relief is the Good News and Grace He purchased for me on Calvary.) So here is some relief:

"Sheep cannot find pasture or food. They need help. They need a shepherd to "lead them" and help them "lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2)." Without a shepherd they cannot rest. WITHOUT A SHEPHERD, NEITHER CAN WE. He leads me . . . He makes me. Notice the two pronouns. Who is the active one? Who is in charge? The shepherd. The shepherd selects the trail and prepares the pasture. The sheep's job -- our job -- is to watch the shepherd. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You." (Isaiah 26:3)

For you to be healthy, you must rest. Slow down and God will heal you. He will bring rest to your mind, to your body, and most of all to your soul. He will lead you to green pastures.

Green pastures were not natural terrain of Judea. The hills around Bethlehem where David kept his flock were not lush and green. Even today they are white and parched. Any green pasture in Judea is the work of some shepherd. He has cleared the rough, rocky land. Stumps have been torn out, and brush has been burned. Irrigation. Cultivation. Such are the work of a shepherd.

Hence, when David says, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures," he is saying, "My Shepherd makes me lie down IN HIS FINISHED WORK." With His own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He tore out the thorny underbrush of condemnation. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place, He planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy. ("It is Finished!") And He invites us to rest there.

Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of the shepherd when, with work completed, he sees his sheep rest in the tender grass? Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of God when we do the same? His pasture is His GIFT to us! This is not a pasture that you have made. Nor is it a pasture that you deserve. It is a GIFT of God."

False shepherds/hirelings will drive the sheep and make the sheep work. True shepherds will encourage the sheep to rest, receive, respond and enjoy the Chief Shepherd. . . . listen to His Voice...get to KNOW HIM as a Friend and Follow Him.

The Lord is my Shepherd . . . I shall not want! It's time to nestle in His finished work, His lush and green pasture, His light and easy yoke. . . Delight yourself in the RELIEF of God.

He Stands By Me and It Is Well

When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship out on the sea
Thou who rulest wind and water
Stand by me


When I'm growing old and feeble
Stand by me
When I'm growing old and feeble
Stand by me
When I do the best I can
And my friends misunderstand
Thou who never lost a battle
Stand by me
Thou who never lost a battle
Stand by me ~~ hymn




A friend is someone who stays with you in the bad weather of life, guards you when you are off your guard, restrains your inpetuosity, delights in your wholeness, forgives your failures, does not forsake you when others let you down . . . . Jesus is my Best Friend Forever. He stands by me. He will never leave me, remove me, forsake me, block me from His Presence or Friendship. Anyone who comes to Him, He will in no wise cast us away. Even when our faith seems a little "shipwrecked" by circumstances and life, we are not cast away from Him. He is our Anchor of Hope. He is steady and firm in His unwavering Love. He is faithful, even when we are not. He is immutable . . .unchangeable in His love and devotion as Savior toward us.



My God and Friend
By Bob Gotti

He’s my God, my Lord, and a friend, who sticks closer than a brother,
He is one in whom you can depend, for comfort, more than any other,
He is a friend through thick and thin, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Who saved us from all of our sin, by becoming for us God’s sacrifice.


And for this, He became our Savior, but my friend He’s so much more,
As Christ my friend, He’s our Creator; one good reason He is our Lord.
However, Jesus lords not over us, and by God’s Grace we understand,
That all of those who in Him trust, He guides them with His gentle hand.


Dear friend, as our Creator God, there’s not one thing He doesn’t know,
And knowing all this earth we trod, Christ directs us in which way to go.
And Christ knows just how He will, provide for us each and every need,
And every need for our Lord to fill, is for our Creator a tiny task indeed.


The Lord God does all of this in love, from His Glorious Eternal Throne,
Reaching down from Heaven above, to care for those He calls His own.
But dear friend, before any of this, I stood all alone, lost and depraved,
I then received Christ’s Righteousness, when by His Grace I was saved.


It was on that day, which I believed, by faith in Christ Jesus as my Lord,
And from God the Father I received, new life through Christ forevermore.
So now He is my God and my friend, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
In a relationship, which has no end, as through Jesus I enter Eternal Life.



Gandhi once said, "I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."


What a strange breed of Christianity the Law has ushered in! What little resemblance it bears to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Personally, right now, I would rather spend five hours in a bar sharing a drink with a pre-Christian, than 5 minutes in "fellowship" at any church.

Jesus is my all-sufficient Friend Who sticks closer than any brother, sister, son, daughter, husband, pastor, or fellow believer. There is NONE like Him. No, not one. When everyone else is friendless and cold, He is warm and inviting.




IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

By Horatio Spafford and Phillip Bliss

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm



When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

JUST THE WAY I AM

I've mentioned a few times that I am a recovering legalist. Many times it takes just one "drink," and my walk in Liberty wavers. Especially after a few bad days. Legalism makes you feel distant to the Lord whenever your "performance" doesn't seem to you (or to others) to have "cut it." Words, like "struggle," "standards," "hard heart," "stiff necked" and "backslider," ring mercilessly in your head. Shame becomes your heavy robe. Legalism makes you "feel" you need to work back into His graces some how (as if that's what got you there in the first place)!

We start believing, legalistically, that WE have to maintain and stay in the love of God, stay in His good graces. . . rather than the truth . . . He maintains us and keeps us. The mindset of the law is probation. The mindset of grace is complete unconditional pardon! The Lord's Salvation has nothing to do with our performance. He already "performed" on our behalf. Now it's by faith in His performance that we stand in God's Grace.

The battle some times is just in staying convinced and knowing His heart and grace when you feel faithless. The battle is His, however, and when He breaks through . . . WOW! The depth of the Savior's heart and love is AMAZING! It takes all the weight of shame and standard and conditions off and your exalted response is "I am Yours forever!" He has won my heart by His great mercy. And it's that same great Mercy that keeps me convinced and relieved. It makes me want to be like Him. . . rather than have to be like Him.

About 3 a.m. this morning, I was calling out to the Shepherd of the Hills. Some times the only word left you can say is just, "HELP!" He knows that code word for a crisis moment. . . of unbelief, troubled times, and the prison of legalism. Then I went back to bed. I want to share this because I know that I'm not the only one in Christiandom who is in this battle to stay convinced of the Good News of the Gospel.

A little while later, after falling back to sleep, the Lord of Love and Life, "Great Heart," straightened out my helmet of the hope of salvation by singing this Billy Joel song to me . . . .

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE ~~

Don't go changing, to try and please Me,
You never let me down before,
Don't imagine, you're too familiar,
And I don't see you anymore.


I would not leave you, in times of trouble,
We never could have come this far,
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times,
I'll take you just the way you are.

Don't go trying, some new fashion,
Don't change the colour of your hair,
You always have my, unspoken passion,
Although I might not seem to care.


I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew,
What will it take till you believe in Me,
The way that I believe in you?

I said I love you, and that's forever,
And this I promise from the heart,
I couldn't love you, any better,
I love you just the way you are.

I don't want clever, conversation,
I never want to work that hard,
I just want someone, that I can talk to,
I want you just the way you are.


Ahhhhh, back to the Relief of God and resting in His acceptance . . . not based on performance . . .not conditional. . . .no strings are attached . . . there is no "small print" to surprise me. . . just the Gift of Salvation purchased by The Lord of Love, Jesus Christ.

You might want to grab a kleenex, enjoy the video and take hold of this Word for yourself. . . that the Lord Loves you just the way you are! He just wants someone that He can talk to. He'll never leave you even in times of trouble. He takes the good times with the bad. You don't need to "try" or "change." You'll always have His undying passion. His love is forever, that's a promise from His heart. And He can't love you any better than He loves you right now!


May our response be the same as the great hymn by Charles Elliot (1841), "Just as I Am, Without One Plea" . . . .

Just as I am,
Without one plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, Whose Blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt;
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive;
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe!
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am,
Of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above:
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.


I'm here, Lord! Fully-accepted, fully-convinced, and fully-kept! Amen!

Blessed Holy Spirit

I love the Third Person of the Holy Trinity . . .the Blessed Spirit of God. He always points me to Jesus. He fills me with His fruit. He teaches me. He guides and directs me. He loves me. He communicates and influences me. He is my Helper and Comforter. He opens my eyes and heart to hear and know the Truth. He gives me discernment. He convicts me lovingly if I sin. He speaks to me and communicates the Father's mercy and comforts me. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that I stay faithful to God.

He is a Gift from God to me. He is the Promise of the Father, paid for by the Blood Atonement of the Son. Jesus said in John 16:7, "However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]."

Verse 13 & 14, "But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].
He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."

He is the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) and Jesus Himself had to leave and go back to the Father in order for the Holy Spirit to come. It is because of Jesus alone and His perfection and Atoning Sacrifice on the Cross that we can be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, Moses had to instruct the children of Israel NOT to touch the mountain upon which the Spirit of God was resting. They would die if they did. Why? Because He is Holy and we are not. But now, because of the Blood of Christ we are made holy receivers of a Gift of this same Spirit of God . . . not only to recreate a new heart, imparting the Divine Nature within us, but also to become a Temple for His Spirit to rest within us. And we do not die!! His Spirit can rest within us without killing us because Jesus makes us Holy with His Blood. That is how wonderful the Blood and Life of Jesus is!

And then, on top of all this wonderful Good News, Jesus BAPTIZES us with the Holy Spirit. "For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." ~~ Acts 1:5 He recreates and gives us a New Heart within by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (the anointing within) and then, Jesus baptizes us with the Holy (Fire) Spirit of God (which is the anointing upon). The anointing within is for our personal walk with God . . .and our relationship with others. We watch His fruit (joy, peace, love, faith, etc) growing within and being produced by the Holy Spirit. The anointing upon is for laboring in the harvestfield of this world, proclaiming His glorious Gospel (And God confirms this Gospel with miracles, signs, and wonders. He gives us boldness . . . and powerclothes); and for the building up of the Body of Christ (for the edification, exhortation and comfort of His saints). Both "anointings" are a GIFT from His majesty, King Jesus and our Father in Heaven.

I cringe whenever I hear a cheap interpretation of something so Holy and wonderful and so FREE! It is a great sin to the Blood of Christ to think that we can earn or qualify in any way to receive either one of these anointings. Jesus paid the price so that the Father could send the Promised Comforter to us. So He could indwell us and make us holy Temples.

"You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? . . . . God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple." ~~ 1 Corinthians 3:16

How can you receive the Holy Spirit in your life? Only one way. . .ASK! and believe that it is the delight of the Father to give you the Kingdom. Jesus said in Luke 9:11-13,“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

We are incredibly proud and selfish people if we even begin to believe that we receive the Holy Spirit on any merits of our own. Jesus has fully qualified us to receive . . . Hebrews 1 says about the Son of God, Jesus Christ:

1) In many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,
2) But in the last of these days, He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].
3) He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] Nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on High,
4) Taking a place and rank by which He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs.
5) For to which of the angels did [God] ever say, You are My Son, today I have begotten You [established You in an official Sonship relation, with kingly dignity]? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son? [II Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7.]
6) Moreover, when He brings the firstborn Son again into the habitable world, He says, Let all the angels of God worship Him.
7) Referring to the angels He says, [God] Who makes His angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire;
8) But as to the Son, He says to Him, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of Your Kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness (of justice and straightforwardness).
9)You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and You have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity). Therefore God, [even] Your God (Godhead), has anointed You with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and beyond Your companions."

God is speaking to His Son in Hebrews 1:9 -- because of Jesus' uprightness, because HE hated lawlessness, God has anointed HIM. And those who rest in Him, receive the same inheritance {freely} for that which he wrought.

John 7:38-39 Jesus says, "Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39) (When He said “living water,” He was speaking of the Spirit, Who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)"

The Holy Spirit is a Gift and Promise from the Father and released by the glorification of Jesus. Anyone who believes in Jesus and asks may receive the Blessed Holy Spirit . . . both within and upon. Anyone can be a living Temple of the Holy Spirit, have the Divine Nature and Living Water flowing out as well as be an instrument in the Hands of the Redeemer for His glory. Amen.

Give Me Jesus

"Religion will put a new suit on your back
But a relationship with Him will put a new man in that suit" ~~ Jeremy Camp

The Holy Spirit reminds me daily, as I recover from legalism, to look at Jesus! And I am reminded what A.W. Tozer said . . . "that looking IS believing." And in the age-old battle of sin-consciousness vs God-consciousness, Tozer has hit the nail right on the head. This is very helpful to me and would be to anyone who would like some freedom from their religion. . . . Here is some of the best of Tozer:

"In the New Testament an important bit of history is interpreted for us by no less an authority than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is explaining to His hearers how they may be saved. HE TELLS THEM THAT IT IS BY BELIEVING. Then to make it clear, He refers to this incident in the Book of Numbers. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14, 15). . . .one would notice that "look" and "believe" were synonymous terms. "Looking" on the Old Testament serpent is identical with "believing" on the New Testament Christ. That is, the looking and the believing are the same thing. And he would understand that while Israel looked with their external eyes, believing is done with the heart. I think he would conclude that faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God. BELIEVING, THEN, IS DIRECTING THE HEART'S ATTENTION TO JESUS. It is lifting the mind to "behold the Lamb of God," and never ceasing that beholding for the rest of our lives.

At first this may be difficult, but it becomes easier as we look steadily at His wondrous Person, quietly and without strain. Distractions (especially religion) may hinder, but after each brief excursion away from Him the attention will return again and rest upon Him like a wandering bird coming back to its window.

~~~Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves---blessed riddance! The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience REAL RELIEF when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do. ~~

Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be . . .Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line.

Since believing is looking, it can be done without special equipment or religious paraphernalia. God has seen to it that the one life-and death essential can never be subject to the caprice of accident. Equipment can break down or get lost, water can leak away, records can be destroyed by fire, the minister can be delayed or the church burn down. All these are external to the soul and are subject to accident or mechanical failure: but looking is of the heart and can be done successfully by any man, woman or child standing up or kneeling down or lying in his last agony a thousand miles from any church.

~~Since believing is looking it can be done any time! No season is superior to another season for this sweetest of all acts. God never made salvation depend upon new moons nor holy days or sabbaths. A man is not nearer to Christ on Easter Sunday than he is, say, on Saturday, August 3, or Monday, October 4. As long as Christ sits on the mediatorial throne every day is a good day and all days are days of salvation.

Neither does place matter in this blessed work of believing God. Lift your heart and let it rest upon Jesus and you are INSTANTLY IN A SANCTUARY though it be at home or at work or on vacation. You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.

Ransomed people need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than a doctrine to be held, it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day.Wherever we turn in the church of God, there is Jesus. He is the beginning, middle and end of everything to us .... There is nothing good, nothing holy, nothing beautiful, nothing joyous which He is not to all His servants. No one need be poor, because, if he chooses, he can have Jesus for his own property and possession. No one need be downcast, for Jesus is the joy of heaven, and it is His joy to enter into sorrowful hearts. We can exaggerate about many things; but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus, or the compassionate abundance of the love of Jesus to us.

All our lives long we might talk of Jesus, and yet we should never come to an end of the sweet things that might be said of Him. Eternity will not be long enough to learn all He is, or to praise Him for all He has done, but then, that matters not; for we shall be always with Him, and we desire nothing more.

Between the scribe who has read and the prophet who has seen there is a difference as wide as the sea. We are today overrun with orthodox scribes, but the prophets, where are they? The hard voice of the scribe sounds over evangelicalism, but the Church waits for the tender voice of the saint who has penetrated the veil and has gazed with inward eye upon the Wonder that is God. And yet, thus to penetrate, to push in sensitive living experience into the holy Presence, is a privilege open to every child of God."

"They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed" (Psa. 34:5).

"I lift my eyes to you,O God, enthroned in heaven.We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal." (Psalm 123:1-2)

Believing, then, is directing the heart's attention to Jesus.. . .looking at Him. It is lifting the mind to "behold the Lamb of God," and never ceasing that beholding for the rest of our lives.