Category: GOD’S GLORY

Two Sabbaths?

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S WORD, THE LORD'S DAY (SABBATH)1 Comment

Why contend with others about the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath?

The First Sabbath

“Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:3

The Old Testament Sabbath was the beginning of God’s good pleasure, rest, and rule after the first creation. But there was the ongoing anticipation in the prophecy for God’s people of a Messiah. God’s Word speaks continually of the salvation that would come through Christ.  

The Second Sabbath

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

The law concerning the first Sabbath was written in stone. The new Sabbath of our Lord is written on our minds and in our hearts. (Hebrews 10:16)

The Anointed One, Jesus Christ, has come and finished the work of redemption to a new life. The old has passed away. In Christ, we are a new creation. A new day, the day of the Lord was established to celebrate and worship our risen Lord, and to live the new life in Him, to rest in Him in anticipation of His second coming

The Eternal Sabbath

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” Isaiah 64:17

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13

As Jesus’ followers, instead of setting aside Saturday, the seventh day, for our own use and pleasure, let us use it for preparation for the Lord’s Day. We still need to prepare our hearts and our children for worship each week on His day in anticipation of the new heavens and new  earth.

Dear Father in heaven, thank you for your first creation and the Sabbath rest for your worship then. We praise you that we, your children, are the second creation, the new creation. Set our hearts to worship you daily and prepare our hearts for the gathering of your saints for the Lord’s Day each week in preparation for that final gathering of your children when Christ comes again to bring us to you and your eternal glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Fran

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Being Conformed to the Image of Christ

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER, Uncategorized2 Comments

“And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called
according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

(Repost from July 2018 with precious memories of four granddaughters.)

The answer to years of prayer for our oldest grandchild, Ansley, was witnessed two days ago.

She grew up in a Christian home, attending church with her family, (the oldest of four sisters). In sixth grade she made a profession of faith, but was not baptized. Through high school she strayed from God and her roots of faith. She and Dustin married and, after their first daughter Samantha was born, she wanted the same Christian home for her daughter and step-son that she remembered as a child. But, it wasn’t until a crisis at the age of 25 that she was led to repentance, renewal of faith and baptism.

“In January, our daughter Emery was born in an emergency C-section due to complications in the eighth month; she passed away in February after four weeks of fervent prayer. It was during this time that God proved the promises of His presence with us. Without faith in Him, I don’t know how anyone can survive the loss of a child, but I have complete peace knowing she is, without a doubt, in heaven with Him. While Emery was in the NICU, I put my complete trust in God, and  I knew I couldn’t wait any longer to make my faith public through baptism.”

And so, we continue to see the Lord working His goodness in our family. Of our six grandchildren, Ansley is the last one to be baptized. We still wait and watch how He is working in each one. But we must remember not only Romans 8:28 ~ that God works everything together for our good ~ but the reason for all things that happen in our lives, which we find in the verse that follows and explains His goodness.

“For whom he did foreknow, (those who are called according to His purpose) he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29

As disciples of Christ, we follow in His footsteps, taking up our individual crosses daily (Luke 9:23) accepting the trials in our lives as our Father’s means of making us like His Son and so preparing us for eternity with Him (Romans 8:18). Ansley’s is a gracious testimony of God’s Word and His Spirit, working through times of crisis to bring us to Him, to teach us and prove His promises, whereby we grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and are being conformed to His image.

Our gracious heavenly Father, how can we thank you? There are no words, no expressions of our faith, that can match your overwhelming love, by which you bring us to you, to love you, to worship, trust and obey you. All is the power of your Word and the work of your Spirit in our hearts and lives. You are the God who hears the prayers that you put in our hearts, and who answers them to your own glory and our joy. We praise you, we adore you, we love you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

After the Storm ~ Peace

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD2 Comments

(Repost from 2017)

Jerry and I are just coming through another one. Though still not where we hope to be (Jerry has not walked since January), as we wait for a reasonable recovery, we are resting in the will of the Lord where we are now.

We have been through many storms such as these, and expect that we may go through others before we get to the end of this life.

He has proven that storms are good for us (Romans 8;28-29).

They take us away from our home base.
They scatter our hopes for anything in this world.
They bring us in touch with people we have never known, some who have been hit worse than we have.
Through these times, He gives us hope and encouragement for others we meet, and find others whose hope is in Him.

We experience the Lord’s presence like no other time in our lives.

Just as Jesus’ disciples looked to Him and He spoke to the storm, He is with us through it and speaks peace to it in His exact timing.

Peace is never as real and powerful as when He brings us through.

Our love for Him is never stronger than when He endures with us.

Our joy is never greater; our faith never deeper planted in Him than through these times.

The sun is never brighter than when we come to a resting place in Him.

Our faith increases during these times.

Endurance, hope, strength, grace, and wisdom grow through these adversities.

The doors of heaven are opened for us, beyond our circumstances, to see the One who created us and redeemed us for Himself, so as to keep us by His power for eternity with Him.
The peace of our Lord is promised to all who endure the storms of this life for a life beyond this one.
He does not allow us to be overcome, but enables us to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Gracious heavenly Father, we give you thanks for your grace, power and presence with us during the storms of life. You have always been faithful to keep us through all our circumstances, no matter how difficult they seem. There are many who are struggling. Please be with these; guide them and give them peace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Related post: God is Greater Than

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GOD IS GREATER THAN

On By francesrogersIn CONTENTMENT, GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, POEMS5 Comments

GOD IS GREATER THAN
our circumstances;

HIGHER THAN
our expectations;

BIGGER THAN
the universe;

MORE POWERFUL THAN
death:

&

NEARER THAN
our very breath.

“IN HIM WE LIVE AND BREATHE AND HAVE OUR BEING.”
Acts. 17:28

“AND WE ARE IN HIM WHO IS TRUE, IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
HE IS THE TRUE GOD AND ETERNAL LIFE.”
1 John 5:20

Dear Father, interweave between my human thoughts the truths and the authority of Your Word.  I thank you and praise you that Your Words are Spirit and Life to me.  In Jesus’ precious and powerful name Amen
Fran

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Little I Am Meets THE GREAT I AM

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, HUMILITY2 Comments

(A simple vision of our Father’s grace)

What happens when the Little I Am (It’s About Me) meets
THE GREAT I AM?

Armageddon! — The end of Me!

Imagine a man sitting on a park bench.
God approaches and the man looks up at Him.

The effect is devastation.

A pile of dust begins to filter through the slats of the bench.

God is the only One left.

What would He then do? He could by His breath blow the dust away and be done with the simple creature who would never know what happened to him.

***********

Let’s picture a different God and Father who stoops to the ground, scoops a handful of dust, reforms it as a new creature, kisses it and breathes into it His Life, a Life that would never die.

The new creation is His plan for a new world—
His eternal family and His kingdom of righteousness and holiness.

The new nature is the nature He reveals
through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Our fallen nature that leads us to death is overcome by the power of His Spirit Who leads us and feeds us with His Word of Life forever.

This physical life will end in His timing,
but God’s children will not die.

************ Christ abides in us forever. *************
We are kept in Christ and preserved for the inheritance
He has prepared and promised to us.

Let us draw near in faith as we grasp this truth,
reach out, touch Him — embrace Him as our Life —

********now and forever.********

He waits to be gracious to us.

**************

“He has made all things beautiful in its time.
Also, He has put eternity in their hearts.
Except that no one can find out the work
that God does from beginning to end.”
Ecc. 3:11

If you are unaware of the fellowship between God and His children and want to know more, CONTACT me.

(Excerpt from Exceedingly Abundant Life: The Transforming Power of Our Father’s Love.)
Matt. 18:3

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Testing the Gold

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, HUMILITY, TRUTH, Uncategorized5 Comments


 “And He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, 
unless you are converted and become as little children, 
you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matt. 18:3

Through trials, temptations, tribulations, traumas, travails, turmoil, threats, tensions, tumults, thundering, toxins, trepidation, trouble, teasing, transgressions, trespasses, talk, technology, tangles, thistles, thorns, tripping, trappings, trajectories, tragedies, trivia, tangents, turbulence, transitions, twisting, trembling, treks, tasks, tears, tides, trenches, torture, and tunnels, our Father is teaching, training, testing, and turning us into transparent, thoughtful, tender, and triumphant troopers of truth — for His name’s sake, His kingdom, — and for our joy in Him.

“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.”
Ps. 8:2

He does not need us, but He has chosen us, created us according to His everlasting covenant made with His Son “before the world was” — to make us His children, to love us, and bless us in this world which we will inherit when He has gathered all His children in Christ and finished His work here.

We can praise Him through whatever we must endure because we have an inheritance of eternal life which Jesus secured for us. By the things He suffered for us, making us joint heirs with Him, He will work in us all that is needful for us to accept the circumstances He is bringing us through. 

It is through our weakness that He, by His power, accomplishes His plans in us — and all to His glory alone. We have little need of His grace until we find ourselves helpless.
In this state, humility becomes our hope for Him to fulfill His covenant in and through us.
The new birth — born of the Spirit — born of God — is necessary for us to praise Him as the “little children” we become in our conversion.

“I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Zach. 13:9

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zeph. 3:16-17

Fran 8/24

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The Tomb That Became a Womb

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, QUOTES3 Comments

tomb16 “Jesus awakes, as a mighty man from his slumber, unwraps the napkin from His head and lays it by itself; unwinds the grave clothes in which love had wrapped Him and puts them by themselves; for He had abundant leisure; He was in no haste; He was not about to escape like a felon who bursts the prison, but like one whose time of jail-deliverance has come and lawfully and leisurely leaves his cell. He steps to the upper air, bright, shining, glorious, and fair. He lives! He died once, but He rose from the dead! There is no need for us to enlarge here. We only pause to remark that this is one of the most jubilant notes in the whole Gospel scale….Death is overcome! There is found a man Who by His own power was able to struggle with death and hurl him down. The grave is opened! There is found a man able to dash back its bolts and to rifle its treasures. And thus, brethren, having delivered Himself, He is able also to deliver others.”
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

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The context (John 12:23-33) from which Jesus’ words here are quoted was that which spoke of his impending crucifixion. “The hour has come” for Him “to be glorified.” That glorification awaited Him as He continued to follow the will of the Father; when He would be lifted up, and so draw unto Himself those that receive the truth of His word. These would die to themselves, take up their crosses and follow Him.

Jesus left in the borrowed tomb the seeds of new life for all those who belong to Him. He finished the planting that He came to do. He was raised and now waits and rejoices over every new plant.  His Holy Spirit waters by the word of truth in each heart and brings to life what Jesus planted. Those seeds are eternal, continuing to bear fruit.

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
John 1:1

  “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11

Grapes Desktop Wallpapers-023“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,
that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
John 15:16

Dear Father, today, please bring forth new plants for your joy; and water what you have planted within us by your Spirit.  Let the word of Christ dwell in our hearts richly so as to bring forth the fruit of your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and temperance.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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Breakthrough and Follow-through

On By francesrogersIn Beyond a Mere Christianity, GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER, QUOTES, TRUTH2 Comments

(Reprint from chapter in Beyond a mere Christianity)

So as not to miss any gods they might appease, the Athenians had set up an “unknown god” among the others. And so, Christianity today is seen as a religion among many others. The God of Christianity is “unknown” even to some who claim it as their faith. If we see little more than the surface of this way of life, we simply exist without the source and the power of this life. For the most part, we fail to differentiate between what other religions offer.

We must be sure that it is an offering; a supernatural offering between our God and us. It is a spiritual gift from the Lord God of Christianity, whom we know as Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of Jehovah, our Almighty God and Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth, and Redeemer of mankind.

Baptized as a child on a profession of faith, Christianity was basic but ineffective in my life until as an adult, I was drawn to read, then study; to write and teach what I was learning from the Bible. During those years, the Holy Spirit I was reading about in the Bible used God’s own words to transform my life. Through a new birth, with a new heart and spirit, my life was changed and has not been the same for decades. My books, articles, and poems attest to the revealed and fulfilled promises made to those He brings to Himself.

The best way I can describe this new way of life is with a parable I heard several years ago.

A prisoner was held captive for years, not knowing where he was. He existed in an obscure stronghold in a foreign country. His food and drink were barely enough to keep him alive. Since he knew no other way of life, he did not wish for anything else.

One day a stranger entered his cell and told him about life outside his captivity. He had come to deliver him. At first, the man could not vision anything beyond his own existence, and so refused to follow him out. Unknown to the prisoner, the stranger had broken through the outside barrier of the stronghold to save him. He was there, not to be refused; and so, stayed with him, living off the same fare by which the prisoner had been fed most of his life. At times he would open the cell door and lead him down a long dark hallway to show him the light outside. Not used to the light, the prisoner would soon move back to his comfortable cell.

With time, the stranger presented truths about the light, each day praying with him and leading him a little further out from his cell. Gradually getting used to the light, he was drawn more; then more, to it. One day, his eyes becoming used to the light, embraced the light, walking with the stranger into a new life outside himself.

As I contemplated writing this post, I was reminded of an old TV series Mission Impossible. A different mission presented to the team with every episode including the statement, “This is your mission if you choose to accept it.” The missions involved seemingly impossible situations providing an escape for captives.

I imagined what this would have looked like for Jesus before Creation. He and the Holy Spirit were the team, Jesus being the one who would suffer and sacrifice to bring His people out of their bondage. His mission from God the Father was to go down, go to, and live with the captives on earth; live in full obedience to God’s law, which no man had ever done, and provide a true understanding of the laws of His kingdom. He would be the light from heaven to people living in darkness, under oppression and sin. He would at the appointed time, be offered up as a means of appeasing the unknown God and ascend back to the Father, where He would live and reign for us as His people.  He would send His Spirit of light from heaven; through His Word bring us out of our captivity and guide us into all truth.

Jesus accepted and fulfilled His mission. His Holy Spirit is now fulfilling His mission in our hearts and lives as we continue to follow Jesus.

Gracious Father in heaven, we praise you for so loving us that you sent your Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Lord Jesus, we thank you for being the author and finisher of our faith; for breaking through and enabling us to follow through this darkness until we see you in your full glory. Holy Spirit, we know your presence and power of the life of Christ in us. Continue to reveal and fulfill all that the Father has willed for us as your people. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Fran

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Man Procrastinates ~ GOD PROLIFERATES

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER4 Comments

Recently I have added the name of a young man to my Prayer Roster.  Joseph is a brilliant artist; one I hope the Lord will use in the ministry of His Kingdom.

He needs the power of the Lord’s Spirit within him to order and manage his life.

I relate well to this msn. My prayers for him include prayers for myself, especially in this latter stage of my life.

He, in his 30’s, and I in my 80’s, have much in common.

We have been given gifts from our heavenly Father, and we are both struggling to move forward with these gifts.

Beyond the fact that we see ourselves in a stronghold of the flesh, our procrastination keeps us bound to ourselves and limits the talents we are given – kept from God and hidden from others.

In Our Flesh

Our means of deliverance begins with understanding where we are in the flesh.

The apostle Paul speaks of man as ‘spirit, soul, and body.’ (1 Thess. 5:23)

The purpose of this post is not to start another book (which I might never finish) but to speak briefly about the work God calls us to and the work that He does in and through us.

Tendency to our Feelings

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

These words from Simon Peter to the believers of his day are as true today as when he wrote them.  He compares two natures in the beginning of his letter. Anyone who meditates on these words will come away with a new perspective of where we are, who we are, and why we are here in this present world.

Oppression, Suppression, and Depression

Born into this world of ‘corruption’ we are always under a state of oppression.

Without understanding this, and turning to God’s Word for the knowledge of ‘life and godliness’ (our only means for a fruitful life in this state) we suppress the truth that He gives us in HIs Word.

Without the truth revealed by God in His Word,
we have nothing to hope in, stand on,
or live for in this world.

We search, reach for, and hold on to whatever is close and, in the end, have nothing substantial or relative to true life – nothing of godliness, which is the life God produces within us.

Depression manifests itself in different forms seen from one level to another in different stages.

Depression becomes the stronghold of our spirit, soul, and body, keeping us immobile.

Depression keeps us down, captivated by self, to obey the flesh in its weakness in all areas of life.

Depression leaves us deflated with no room for what is good or godly.

Where is our Hope?

As ‘spirit, soul, and body’ I must relinquish all that I am to God, our heavenly Father, who, with His Son and Spirit gave me life through the first man “Adam” through all generations.

I must see and know the One whose ‘divine power’ gives us ‘all things pertaining to life and godliness.’

I must admit my weakness and my need for His wisdom and strength.

I must submit all I am to Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, who has brought us to our Father through His death and resurrection to receive the power of His life in us.

I must commit to His direction by His Holy Spirt through His Word.

From the stronghold of oppression, suppression, depression, and procrastination, He, by the penetration of His Word, permeates our minds with His truth, and perpetuates His love and the life of Christ in us and through us.

As ‘partakers of His divine nature’ He fills us, lifts us, moves us, keeps us on the right path. In our struggles, He reminds us of His ‘exceedingly great and precious promises.’

He inhabits our praises, so that we speak to Him of His truth, never losing sight of Him and knowing the power of His presence with us. He, with the gifts He has given us, works in and through us to accomplish all He wants to do — for His glory and our joy in Him.

.Gracious and loving Father, We praise you that you have made us your children, not by anything we could do, but by your planning and covenant made with your Son before the creation of anything. How blessed we are to know you and to live in fellowship with you and your eternal family. I praise you that you have called us and given us the gift of eternal life and individual gifts through which you are working to reveal the power of your presence in the world today. In Jesus’ name I pray, I thank you, and praise you. Amen

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The Beginning of ETERNAL LIFE

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S WORD, TRUTH1 Comment

The complexities of this world are more than any one person, or any combination of minds can discern. The perplexities are beyond what human nature can comprehend.

We have yet to be unified in our understanding of how life began and how people breathe and move about in the vast space that we call the universe.

Adults with all their education — feeding on information that men from one generation to another have compiled — continue to add more and more to the uncertainty of life here in this present world. Their technologies only generate more power for delusion and destruction.

NEW WORDS, NEW LIFE

Jesus told His disciples, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” What did He mean? If we study this man, His life, and His words, we learn that He was teaching a new thing not known before He began His ministry.

“The kingdom of heaven” – Greek — ouranos, meaning, the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings”
Heaven is another world beyond this one — a spiritual world that requires conversion — otherwise, we are incompatabile.

Jesus’ life and His words are recorded in the Holy Bible, in the second section, known as The New Testament.

The first part, The Old Testament, is a record of life, written by men of the Jewish faith, From creation through the history of the nation of Israel, we learn of God, the Creator, who was with His people through generations of hardships and promises for a better life beyond this world.

FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE

Jesus was the fulfillment of this promise, who at the age of 30 gathered 12 men and taught them about the God of the Old Testament.

He showed them a completely different way – by a totally radical mindset.

By His actions in response to every person, every word, every action, every need, He presented a new means for men to see, think, speak, and relate to others.

He portrayed a life of purpose and meaning no man had ever shown or taught.

HIS WORDS — HIS POWER

His words not only brought meaning to this life, but the power in His words for eternal life.

Those who have believed Him and followed in His teachings have been transformed and seek to live as He lived.

This world is no longer complex, nor are His followers perplexed, but they understand this world – its chaos and confusion – how to relate and respond differently.

Jesus taught that we must begin again – to start over – to be ‘born again’ – spiritually.

A FATHER WE HAVE NEVER KNOWN

As ‘little children’ – infants—we experience what it means to have a new ‘Father’ — a Father who never leaves us, but abides in us — His Spirit through our spirit, forever.

Jesus’ life, and identifying Himself as the Son of God, shed new light on the meaning of our creation.

His teachings bring us to understand God differently than the world sees Him.

His Holy Spirit ‘makes us alive’ as He teaches us the truth – truth that we cannot receive in our ‘old man’ – the only self we know and through which we formerly lived.

As with His teachings and the power of His Spirit, we learn to live supernaturally in this natural world.

His Spirit, by which God gave life at His Creation, in us, was subdued and taken captive. 

Until and unless we are converted and become as little children, we live under the power of an enemy, in a hostile world that lives in sin against God, the Creator.

We are ignorant of our personal rebellion against a Father who gives us the very air we breathe and the power to move and have our being.

Only His Spirit can do this work in us. Just as we have no power to birth ourselves naturally into this world so only He can give us the power for an eternal life with Him.

We are reconciled and renewed and brought into fellowship with our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we are bought, sought, brought, and taught.

CHILDREN WHO LOVE, REJOICE, AND OBEY

The remainder of our natural life is sanctified by the working of His Holy Spirit of truth guiding us into all truth and living through us – to His Glory and our joy in Him. As His children, we enjoy the life of Christ within us to love, enjoy HIs presence, and obey – for His glory and our joy with Him and all His children.

This life begins here but never ends.  

Our Father, abiding in us forever, closes our eyes and returns His Spirit and our souls to Him  in His timing.

“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The Shorter Catechism

Out Father in heaven, by the power of your Holy Spirit abiding in us, make us to know you and your Son, Jesus, whom you sent to die for our sins and bring us to you. We need to know you as our Father and the eternal life you give us now. Turn our hearts to you and grow us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and conform us to His image — in whose name we pray. Amen.

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