BEHOLD HIM

When you LOOK at our Divine Creator, which is your act of faith, what do you SEE? Tozer referred to this as, "The gaze of our soul." Looking (beholding) Him, what do you see? What do you believe? You say, I believe in the "Truth." Ah, yes, the "Truth." Everyones has their personal version that they place their trust in. Jesus proclaimed that He IS the Truth. The Truth is not a concept or theory, but Divine flesh and blood...a living message, or profile, of the Creator. He is God's Profile. How does Jesus personify the Creator, His Father? His indelible, birth, life, perfect performance, death and resurrection is a brilliant Light and the Truth. So...what do you SEE? What you see, is what you believe. Jesus wants us to see His mercy, His Grace, His Love and Compassion and His complete and finished Work on our behalf. And then, to trust in them all...keeping our focus and the gaze of our hearts continually, firmly, believing. I love what David Wilkerson says below:

THE MERCY OF GOD

In Acts 9 we learn of a man called Saul of Tarsus, one of the most religious
men who ever lived. He could boast, “I have lived in all good conscience
before God until this day.” But what was this pious man doing?

Saul is so full of hatred toward Jesus that he determinedly persecuted the
church of God, even outside Jewish territory. In Acts 9 he is on his way to
Damascus, seeking to destroy the Lord’s people.

Consider God’s action toward this man who became the greatest Christian
evangelist who ever lived.

Suddenly there shines round about him a light from heaven. What for? To
confound him? To put him under guilt and condemnation? To destroy him? To
pronounce wrath and judgment on him? No—but to announce that his iniquity is
forgiven and his sins covered.

Picture Saul lying prostrate before the shining light and hearing the voice of
Jesus, instead of hearing denunciation of a holy God for the path he was on.
The words he heard are, “I am Jesus!” There was not a word of the
wickedness of what he was doing. Why this? The one he persecuted was his
greatest friend.

Beloved, this same Jesus offers us the same mercy. Deserving judgment and
denunciation, we hear him say, “I am Jesus, your Redeemer.”

Thank him this day for the mercy he has shown you.

God's Fierce Mercy

I'm contemplating this statement, "God's Fierce Mercy," that I just recently came across.

Fierce. . .God is strenuously active and resolute. Strenuous . . . He is vigorously active; energetic and zealous. Resolute . . . God is firm and determined; unwavering regarding His mercy toward us.

God's mercy toward us is vigorously active, zealous, firm, determined and unwavering. It is fiercely intense and strong.

God's mercy is passionate -- emotional, excited, eager, enthusiastic, animated, strong, warm, wild, intense, flaming, fierce, frenzied, ardent, fervent, heartfelt, impassioned, zealous, impulsive, vehement, impetuous, and fervid. It can be wild and frantic, even uncontrollable. Can you imagine? It is ardent and fiery and extremely hot! He is filled with and inspired by intense enthusiasm toward us.
He is eager, having or showing a keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy, to cover us with a high wave of this mercy, which is caused by a tidal flow (colliding tidal currents) of His Love and Grace.

It can come from Him suddenly, even impulsive, on a whim without careful thought, spontaneously as a lover's impulsive kiss! Ahhh! Just the thought!

God's mercy toward us can be militant, agressive as in the service of a cause. . .showing His determination and energetic pursuit of His ends on our behalf.

He is a "heavyweight", impressive in the size, strength and quality of His mercy. He's our Chamption, our Gladiator, a warrior Who is heavily armed with unconditional love.

With this fierce and impulsive, eager and passionate Champion on our side, WHO can be against us? His mercy TRIUMPHS over His judgment!!

His mercy travels directly to us through only one Connection or Way: His Son. We connect and are permanently and securely sealed on our part through faith in this Gift.

And when we believe and receive His ardent and fierce mercy, our hearts are tenderized and respond with mercy to others. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." (Luke 6:37) Actually, because grace abounds first . . .we will not judge, because we have not been judged; and we will not condemn, because we were not condemned; we will pardon and forgive, because we have been pardoned and forgiven.

We will love others as fiercely as He has loved us. If we really knew His Fierce Mercy personally, we will reflect it unto our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, foreigners, strangers, the alienated, rejected, the lowliest, the least of these . . . and even our enemies.



With this in mind, I consider what Jesus highlighted in His message to us: Luke 6:27 ~ "But I tell you who hear Me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, [28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. [29] If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. [30] Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. [31] Do to others as you would have them do to you. [32] "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. [33] And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. [34] And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. [35] But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, BECAUSE He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. [36] BE MERCIFUL, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL."

Is there anyone who doesn't need this mercy?

The Pear Tree

There was an Indian Chief who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge
things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at
a pear tree that was a great distance away.


The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in
summer, and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe
what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so
sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever
seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with
fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they
had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season,
and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that
come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons
are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the
beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.




Moral:
Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime.

Christ In Us!

Contentment. Resting. Peace in knowing that all is well with your soul. Assurance of everlasting bliss. God wants each one of us to possess these gifts from Him. The Good News is we are not alone. God is with us and not against us. His deepest desire is to GIVE us the Kingdom of Heaven. He has provided the Way through His Son, Jesus precious Christ.

Comfort and Joy! Good Will toward men! God REST ye merry gentlemen, all you triumphant ones, all ye faithful ones. These are the products of the right Gospel. The Good News...the lighter yoke of Christ. Religion would make you perform and promotes conditions and fear. To be faithful is to turn your ear and heart from this false gospel. Stay convinced of the Good News of redemption. You have been accepted into the Beloved of Christ. You are not condemned nor rejected. YOU ARE DEEPLY LOVED AND HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY THE PERFECT BLOOD OF CHRIST. Nothing is left for you to "do," except rest. . in peace. . .knowing all is well. Believe and stay convinced of His mighty Grace and Love and let us build one another up in our most holy faith. That's my Christmas prayer for us all.

CHRIST IN ME
by Max Lucado

Like Mary, you and I are indwelt by Christ.

Find that hard to believe? How much more did Mary? No one was more surprised by this miracle than she was. And no one more passive than she was. God did everything. Mary didn't volunteer to help. What did she have to offer? She offered no assistance.

And she offered no resistance. Instead she said, "Behold, the bond- slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to Your word" (Luke 1:38).

Unlike Mary, we tend to assist God, assuming our part is as important as his. Or we resist, thinking we are too bad or too busy. Yet when we assist or resist, we miss God's great grace. We miss out on the reason we were placed on earth-to be so pregnant with Heaven's Child that He lives through us. To be so full of Him that we could say with Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal. 2:20)

What would that be like? To have a child within is a miracle, but to have Christ within?

To have my voice, but Him speaking.
My steps, but Christ leading.
My heart, but His Love beating
in me, through me, with me.
What's it like to have Christ on the inside?

To tap His Strength when mine expires
or feel the force of Heaven's fires
raging, purging wrong desires.
Could Christ become my self entire?

So much Him, so little me
That in my eyes it's Him they see.
What's it like to a Mary be?
No longer I, but Christ in me.


These days are filled with so much right now and coming from all directions. Everyone is affected. Let us encourage one another daily to remember that we are not alone....that there is a GREAT AND LOVING GOD WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE NOR FORSAKE US. Herein is the Good News! Merry Christmas!

And Again I Say, "Rejoice!"

Rejoicing Always!
By: Graham Cooke

Living in Christ makes us vulnerable to laughter. Laughter is more than a choice; it’s a requirement for us that we be happy. God’s highest plan for our lives includes a desire for us to find, live in, and love the joy that is in Christ. God is good news! His love and presence is an absolute tonic for us.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full,” Jesus said in John 15:11. Every time God speaks to us, or reveals more of His nature to us, joy is part of that equation. Beholding Him and becoming like Him is an invitation to party and celebrate with Him. Everything God says to us is designed to bring us into joy. Everything in the Kingdom of Heaven is about gladness, joy, happiness, and laughter. God wants to bring a smile to our faces.

God is joyful because He knows what’s coming next. He knows the final score. When you know the end from the beginning, you can’t help but laugh at all of evil’s schemes and tricks. They become irrelevant when you know that you win. There is a continuous joy in Christ that runs so deep that no one else can even touch it. But to access it, we need to learn how to rejoice in all things.

For me, joy is a safeguard. It’s a shield against the enemy. When the enemy comes, we can laugh in his face—because God laughs at him first.

I once had a dream where I was on a battlefield. We had just fought off the enemy, but we had lost a lot of good people. There weren’t many of us left; we were small and pitiful, to be honest. Every one of us was wounded. I myself had at least a dozen sword gashes on my arms. I was bleeding badly, and was absolutely exhausted.

Suddenly, a trumpet blew, and I saw another enemy army take the field in front of us. I looked around but saw no reinforcements for our battered side. The enemy was powering up. Their ranks were swelling with every passing moment. It was a hopeless fight, but our ragtag band of survivors gathered close together and got ready.

As I set my feet and gritted my teeth in preparation for the enemy’s charge, I noticed a man next to me was dressed as a restaurant waiter. Perfectly-pressed black trousers, a bowtie, a crisp, white shirt, and a white towel slung over his arm.

“What are you doing?” I asked incredulously.

“Would you like the melon or the soup?” he replied.

“What?” I asked.

“Melon or soup?” he said.

“How can you talk about food at a time like this?” I demanded.

The waiter ignored me and went from person to person, asking, “Melon or soup?”

“Are you mad?” I said. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Don’t you see the blood all over the ground? Don’t you see the enemy over there? How can you talk about lunch at a time like this?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he answered. “Melon or soup?”

I lost my temper completely. “Are you stupid or something?” I screamed. “You want to talk about food at a time like this?”

Suddenly, I woke up to find myself shouting, “Talk about food!” in my bedroom. In that instant, I received a powerful revelation, found in Psalm 23:5—“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

When we’re on the battlefield just trying to survive the next wave of the enemy, God is thinking about menus. He looks around and says, “What a great place for a picnic! We can have sausage rolls, meat pies, cheese sandwiches. This will be perfect.” He is so secure in who He is and in His power to defeat any enemy that He can feed us in the middle of the worst battle of our lives. And that confidence should be a source of pure joy in our lives.

All Men Have Clay Feet

We have not chosen God, He has chosen us (John 15:16).

It is God Who wills in us to do His good pleasure (Phillipians 2:13).

It is God Who gives to every man his measure of faith (Romans 12:3).

It is God Who orders the thoughts of a righteous man (Proverbs 16:3).

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23).

The Holy Spirit gives gifts to men as He chooses (I Corinthians 12:11).

God has mercy on whom He chooses to have mercy (Romans 9:15).


Anything and everything that a Christian might accomplish is by grace, and God's Holy Spirit. It is not of works that any should boast.


No one should inflate themselves, have confidence in self, or think highly of himself. All of this is pride and pride blinds us to the truth. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch (Luke 6:39).


Be wary of following men, the doctrines of men and denominations. There is but ONE ROLE MODEL, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will lead each of us into all truth.

All men have clay feet.

God's Good Will For You!

Don't go to the city of Morality and TRY to become a good person . . . you can never learn to be a moral person and earn Heaven. Anyone who tells you that is a liar and deceiver. It is another gospel. Performance teaching will crush you,it is a HEAVY YOKE. Rather, listen to Evangelist and to the message of Redemption . . . good deeds are the effect, not the cause. They are the response to Grace.

It is God's Good Will and pleasure to GIVE you His Kingdom! And once you are on the other side of the Gate, you are perfectly safe! But stick to the true path of God's Grace and Redemption. . . .



Jesus Christ, the Son of God, He is the ONLY Person that God ever gave authority to to be our Guide . . . Remember this well, for others have made false claims to speak for God . . .BUT THEIR WAYS ALWAYS LEAD TO DEATH.

You can't cleanse your dusty heart on your own . . .you need the water, which is the Gospel of Christ. Your heart is cleansed only by the Gospel of Christ.

Jesus is feeding the fire of God within you and it will never go out! Religion will try to put it out, and you may weaken, but God will not allow it to go out. Good News!

The self-righteous man was so satisfied with himself. I've been there. And as soon as you fall, you are in despair and doubting castle. Christ gives you HIS righteousness through faith . . your saving faith. It is a Gift of the Father's Grace. It's all about GRACE! Grace is a Holy Thing! Legalism will kill your joy!! As you received Christ, so walk in Him. :) You bear the mark of Christ. Go in peace!